Chapter 2: A Second Chance
When Nelen slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed wasn't pain, it was a deep, steady ache that felt like it came from his bones.
It was cold and unfamiliar, starting in his joints and settling deep inside him.
He was lying on a thin, rough mat.
The air smelled dusty and faintly like herbs.
Looking up, he saw a small, dirty room with a cracked wooden ceiling.
The room around him was small, dirty, and worn down.
This wasn't his usual space.
This wasn't his apartment.
He tried to sit up, but his arms and legs felt heavy and slow.
He was dressed in rough, gray robes that rubbed against his skin.
It looked like he had stepped back into an ancient time, far from anything familiar.
When he raised his hand, it looked small and bony, with cracked nails.
A cracked piece of metal leaned against the wall like a mirror.
He pulled himself over to it, his heart beating faster with worry.
The face looking back at him was pale and thin.
Black hair fell straight around a sharp chin and wide, surprised eyes.
He looked young no older than sixteen and he was very fragile.
But this face wasn't his.
Neither was the body.
A name came to him: Nie Lianfeng, along with broken memories, a life filled with mockery, rejection, and the pain of being called a "trash disciple" in the Clear Sky Sect.
The sadness from his past mixed with the hopelessness of this new life.
He was a ghost trapped in a stranger's body, a data entry worker stuck in a new world of spiritual power.
He sank back onto the mat, the weight of defeat pressing down on his chest. He closed his eyes, wishing he could just disappear.
Why am I here? he wondered.
How did I even end up like this?
Everything felt heavy right now.
Nothing felt familiar, his body, his surroundings, even his own reflection.
A cold sense of emptiness spread inside him.
He wanted to escape, to forget all of it, but there was nowhere to go.
The past and the present crushed down on him, and all he could do was lie there and hope for a way out.
Suddenly, a strange voice echoed in his mind.
It was unfamiliar, but somehow he felt like he had heard it before just out of reach, like a faint memory.
The voice was calm and quiet, but it stirred something deep inside him, drawing his attention even though he couldn't quite place it.
[Host Nie Lianfeng, awakening confirmed.]
The voice didn't come through his ears it echoed from deep within, as if it spoke to his very soul.
It was clear and emotionless, almost too perfect, yet somehow comforting.
To Nelen, it felt like a piece of his old life, a quiet reminder of who he used to be.
[Helios AI. Formerly assigned to 'Global Analytics' and 'The Office.' Now bound to host's soul due to failed system-to-host migration. Scanning new environment... Data indicates low spiritual energy and a weak physical form. Scanning... scanning…]
What?
Nelen's mind raced with thoughts.
The AI hadn't replaced him, it had chosen him.
Somehow, it found him in the void and came with him.
He didn't understand how, but it was still here.
In this unfamiliar world, that small connection made a difference. He wasn't alone anymore.
And for the first time in a while, he felt a bit of hope.
The voice continued, its tone measured, a perfect blend of logic and quiet assurance.
['Scan complete. Latent potential identified. Cultivation techniques within this world are inefficient, relying heavily on chance and incomplete understanding of spiritual qi. Awaiting host directive. Available commands: Scan. Analyze. Optimize. Your path is not lost, Nie Lianfeng. It is measurable. It is correctable.']
A jolt of purpose rushed through Nelen.
He had been a data entry specialist, a man who worked with systems and structure and now, a system was part of him.
This wasn't a punishment.
Although he did die in previous life, he was still here with new chance.
A chance to chase something he'd only ever read about in webnovels, 'immortality'.
It was a new beginning.
He opened his eyes, a gentle determination shining through. The name Nie Lianfeng didn't feel like a weight anymore. It was his new identity.
He wasn't Nelen, the forgotten office worker now.
He was Nie Lianfeng, the so-called trash disciple with a secret no one saw.
He pushed himself up, still weak but able to keep going.
He had a goal now.
He needed to survive in this strange new world and grow stronger with every step.
There was no time to waste, no room for doubt.
He had to keep moving forward, leaving his past behind and focusing on what lay ahead.
The same cold, logical machine that had taken everything from him on Earth was now his tool, a chance to grow stronger and build a new life in this strange world.
A small, gentle smile touched Nie Lianfeng's lips.
For the first time in a long while, he felt a quiet hope stirring inside him, a feeling that maybe, just maybe, this second chance could be something more than survival.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
This world was dangerous wild and unpredictable.
Laws existed, but they meant little against true strength.
If you were strong enough, even the rules would bend and bow to you.
Survival here wasn't about following laws but it was about becoming powerful enough that no one dared to challenge you.
The road ahead was uncertain and full of challenges, but he wasn't the same person who had lost everything before.
With the AI's guidance and his own determination, he was ready to face whatever came next.