The orphanage bell rang softly in the distance, its dull chime echoing through the worn-out corridors. Children's laughter mixed with the shuffle of footsteps, the smell of steamed buns wafting faintly from the canteen. To most, this was another ordinary morning in Hangzhou Orphanage. But for one boy sitting quietly by the window, this day would become the turning point of his life.
His name was Ye Fan.
Thin and small for his age, with sharp black eyes that always seemed to hold an extra depth, Ye Fan was known as the quiet one among the children. He didn't fight over food, didn't chase after toys, didn't even complain when the older boys picked on him. To the caretakers, he was just another forgotten orphan, one more mouth to feed in a crowded home.
But on his tenth birthday, everything changed.
Ye Fan had been staring at the rising sun, its golden glow stretching across Hangzhou's skyline. The city looked peaceful, yet he had always felt something… wrong. Something different, lurking beyond the tall walls that ringed the city like a fortress.
Then, a sharp pain struck his head.
It wasn't ordinary pain. It was like a tidal wave of fire crashing into his skull, an explosion of images, memories, and emotions flooding into him all at once. He clutched his head, falling to the ground as the world spun.
When the torrent finally slowed, Ye Fan gasped for air, drenched in sweat. His eyes trembled, and a single thought thundered through him:
This… this is the world of Versatile Mage.
Memories of another life surged within him. He remembered being an ordinary university student in his past life, late nights binge-reading webnovels, gaming until dawn, and arguing with friends about fictional characters. The Versatile Mage novel had been one of his favorites—a sprawling tale of Mo Fan, the underdog who rose to greatness in a world where magic replaced martial arts.
And now, somehow, Ye Fan had reincarnated into this very world.
But something didn't add up.
He remembered the story. Mo Fan's awakening, Bo City's tragedies, the rise of emperors and forbidden mages. But when he pieced together the current timeline, his breath caught.
He wasn't just before the story… he was fifteen years before it even began.
Ye Fan's hands trembled.
"Fifteen years… That means Mo Fan hasn't even been born yet."
The realization was both exhilarating and terrifying. He had time. More time than he could have dreamed of. Time to prepare, to grow, to carve his own destiny.
But it also meant he would witness everything—the rise of beasts, the fall of cities, the endless wars that claimed countless lives. The world of Versatile Mage wasn't just a story anymore. It was his reality.
And he was an orphan.
No parents to protect him.No wealth to buy seeds or treasures.No connections to powerful mage families.
Just himself.
For a long moment, Ye Fan sat in silence. The chatter of children faded into background noise. His past life's knowledge pressed heavily on him. He knew the power system. He knew how terrifying the beasts were. He knew how cruel the mage society could be.
But more than that—he knew the opportunities.
Seeds. Soul Seeds. Heavenly Seeds. Forbidden Elements.All the treasures that had been out of reach for ordinary mages… he knew their names, their effects, their value. In this world, knowledge was as sharp as a blade.
And now, he had fifteen years to sharpen it.
As the sun climbed higher, Ye Fan slowly rose to his feet. His gaze was no longer that of a helpless orphan. It was calm, sharp, and resolute.
"This is my second life. My second chance. I won't waste it."
A strange warmth flickered in his chest, as though the world itself was responding to his resolve. For a moment, he felt as though unseen eyes were watching him, weighing his worth.
Then—
[Ding! Shop System Initialized.][Welcome, Host. You may now purchase items, treasures, and seeds from all realms. Points are required.]
Ye Fan froze. His heart pounded in disbelief.
A glowing screen appeared before his eyes, visible only to him. Words danced across it in radiant light, forming categories and lists.
Seeds:
Basic Fire Seed – 500 Points
Basic Shadow Seed – 800 Points
Soul Seed of Lightning – 10,000 Points
Heavenly Seed of Curse – 100,000 Points
Treasures:
Star Dust Upgrade Stone – 1,000 Points
Forbidden Flame Talisman – 20,000 Points
Contracts:
Servant Beast Contract – 2,000 Points
Evolution Crystal (Rare) – 50,000 Points
Ye Fan's jaw tightened. This was it. His golden finger, his cheat, the weapon given by fate itself.
But then he saw the catch.
[Kill Points: 0][Note: Points are only gained by killing magical beasts or enemies. Servant beasts' kills count towards total.]
A hollow laugh escaped his lips. "Of course. Nothing's free, huh?"
So he couldn't farm points from thin air. He would need to fight beasts, shed blood, and risk death to grow. The system was powerful, but it demanded courage and strength to use.
And Ye Fan understood—this was fair. This world respected only one truth: survival through battle.
That night, Ye Fan lay on the thin mattress of the orphanage dormitory, staring at the ceiling. Children snored softly around him, but his mind burned with possibilities.
Fifteen years before canon meant he had a wide-open road. If he worked hard, hunted steadily, and saved points, he could buy seeds far earlier than anyone else. He could awaken with power no one had ever seen.
But he also knew he had to be careful. The Mage Associations, great families, and hidden organizations would tear him apart if they learned of his secret. His system was too heaven-defying.
So he would hide.He would play the weak orphan.Until the day came when he could rise like a storm.
The moonlight streamed through the cracked window, falling across his face. Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with determination.
"Mo Fan may be the protagonist of the novel," he whispered to himself. "But in this life… this is my story."
And with that, Ye Fan's Forbidden Path began.