Jin staggered back into his room, every muscle aching, coat damp with sweat despite the chill. His legs felt like lead, his arms like they'd been filled with sand.
Even Xue Li, for all his scowling and muttered insults, had shown the faintest flicker of surprise during the drills — though Jin knew the man would rather swallow a sword than admit it.
The door slid shut behind him, and the familiar ding chimed in his mind.
[Training Complete]
Strength +4
Dexterity +5
Vitality +3
Jin's lips curled into a tired grin. 'Not bad… not bad at all.'
The blue panel shifted, expanding into his updated status screen:
[Status Panel]
Name: Xue Jin (Alex Thomas)
Occupation: The Gamer
Level: 1
HP: 80/80
MP: 150/150
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 10
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 25
Luck: 5
EXP: 50/100
Jin stared at the numbers, the ache in his body suddenly feeling… different. Not just pain — proof. 'This is it. Every drop of sweat, every breath, every step… it all counts. And I'm just getting started.'
Jin sat on the edge of the bare bed, the silence pressing in. His eyes wandered over the empty walls, the cold floor, the single door. 'Inventory… damn it, how could I forget that?'
He cursed under his breath. 'My mind's supposed to be sharper now, but I keep missing the obvious. Must be this place… the cold's freezing my brain.'
With a thought, the Inventory window blinked into existence — a neat grid of empty slots. Almost empty.
One slot pulsed faintly.
Jin leaned closer, pointing at it. The icon expanded, revealing a description in crisp blue text:
[Memory Shard – Grade: Low] Description: A memory shard that holds Xue Jin's memories. One‑time use item.
Before he could process it, another panel slid into view beneath the description:
Use the item? YES / NO
He didn't hesitate. His finger tapped YES.
The world tilted.
It hit him like a tsunami — a flood of images, sounds, and sensations crashing into his mind. Faces he didn't know but somehow recognised. Voices speaking his name in tones of pride, anger, and disappointment. The smell of cold stone corridors. The weight of a wooden practice sword in small hands.
Memories that weren't his… becoming his.
The memories didn't change him — they didn't overwrite who Alex was — but they showed him, with brutal clarity, who Xue Jin had been.
A boy desperate to prove himself. A boy who trained from dawn until the stars came out, driven by the fear of being a disappointment. Every movement in those memories carried a weight — the tightness in his jaw, the way his small fists clenched when no one was looking.
At four years old, he was finally permitted to learn the Xue Family's Qi Gong — the Frozen Sutra. 'A chance to rise,' the boy had thought. And he had thrown himself into it with everything he had.
But with each session, something was wrong. Instead of growing stronger, he became slower. Instead of feeling power flow through him, his limbs grew heavy, his breath shorter. The cold of the technique seeped into his bones, until every movement was a stab of pain.
Yet he never stopped. He never told anyone. He endured, hiding the agony behind a mask of determination.
Until one day… he simply didn't get up again.
The flood of memories ended, snapping Jin back to the cold, dim room. Sweat poured down his forehead, his breath ragged.
'That… was intense.' He wiped his brow, staring at the floor. 'Such will for a small boy… what a shame.'
Jin pieced it together like a puzzle finally snapping into place. 'Xue Family. Harsh training. Cold, arrogant relatives. And the Frozen Sutra… which is really a Yin Sutra.'
He exhaled slowly. 'This is the world of *Super Gene*. The Sanctuaries. The place where humans can evolve beyond their limits.'
The thought settled heavily in his chest. He wasn't just in some random cultivation world — he was in this one.
His feet carried him to the meditation platform. There, resting neatly on the mat, was a scroll. The paper was pale, the ink dark and flowing, the characters sharp as ice.
He crouched, focusing on it. The moment his attention locked in, a soft ding echoed in his mind.
[New Skill Created]
[Observe] [LVL 1]
[Yin Sutra – Grade: Rare]
Description: Qi Gong of the Yin element.
Another panel slid into view beneath the description:
Do you want to learn this skill? YES / NO
Jin's finger hovered. For a second, he hesitated. 'Yin Sutra… dangerous if you absorb cold Qi. The original Xue Jin died training this. But…'
He remembered Han Sen — the main protagonist of Super Gene. 'He learned the Jade Sutra. Same principle, different name. And he made it work.'
A slow grin tugged at his lips. 'I just need to make sure I never absorb the cold Qi directly. Everything else will be fine.'
Without another thought, he tapped YES.
The moment Jin accepted, the change was instant. His already pale skin turned even lighter, but not in a sickly way — it gleamed faintly, smooth as polished jade. He ran a hand along his forearm, the texture unnervingly flawless.
'I can feel it… my body's lighter, stronger. My mind's sharper too.'
If he remembered right, the Jade Skin Sutra — or in this case, the Yin Sutra — lowered body temperature. In this cold, it was almost pleasant.
He caught sight of his reflection in the strange mirror again. The pale, perfect skin. The faint, cold gleam in his silver eyes. Somewhere deep in his chest, a ridiculous little fantasy bloomed — beauties unable to resist his icy charm.
He chuckled smugly to himself. 'Focus, idiot. Time to see what else I've been neglecting.'
With a thought, the Skill Panel appeared:
[Gamer's Mind] [LVL MAX] [PASSIVE]
Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Maintains a peaceful state of mind. Immunity to mental disorders.
[Gamer's Body] [LVL MAX] [PASSIVE]
Grants a body that allows the user to live the real world like a game. Sleeping in bed restores HP and MP. Removes all negative effects.
[Cold Resistance] [LVL 6] [PASSIVE]
Grants resistance to cold environments by 12%, resistance to cold element attacks by 6%.
[Yin Sutra] [LVL 1] [PASSIVE/ACTIVE]
Qi Gong of the Yin element. Grants flawless body, resistance to cursed and negative energy, spell damage resistance 1%. Exceptional control over bones and muscles. Increases flexibility. Passively increases Strength and Dexterity by 20%, and Intelligence and Vitality by 30%.
The moment he read the Yin Sutra's passive bonuses, Jin's grin widened. 'Let's see the numbers now…'
[Stats Panel]
Name: Xue Jin (Alex Thomas)
Occupation: The Gamer
Level: 1
HP: 104/104
MP: 195/195
Strength: (8 + 20%) = 9.4
Dexterity: (10 + 20%) = 12
Vitality: (8 + 30%) = 10.4
Intelligence: (15 + 30%) = 19.5
Wisdom: 25
Luck: 5
EXP: 50/100
'Holy hell… and this is just Level 1. If I stack the right stats, I'll snowball out of control before anyone even realises what's happening.'
Tired, but with the gnawing hunger from his newly‑gained memories pushing him on, Jin dragged himself through the corridors.
'These hallways are like a damn labyrinth…'
Eventually, the muted hum of voices and the faint scent of food guided him to a wide, brightly lit hall. Teachers and students were already seated, eating and chatting in small clusters. The younger and older students kept their distance from each other, invisible lines of hierarchy drawn across the room.
In the teachers' group, Jin spotted Xue Li — tall, composed, speaking with a blonde female instructor whose grey robe clung in all the right places, accentuating her curves.
'The *Super Gene* novel never really conveyed just how beautiful evolved humans can be…'
He swallowed hard but kept his expression neutral.
The truth was, Jin had always been a loner. And the good thing about that? He had no interest in mingling with arrogant twerps.
He walked to a sleek, metallic machine. The moment he stepped close, it scanned him automatically and, with a soft mechanical hum, produced a tray of food.
On his plate was a salad of strange blue and yellow plants — greens that weren't green — and a cut of pinkish meat that smelled far better than it looked. Jin didn't hesitate; he took the tray and scanned the room for a place to sit.
As he ate, his sharpened senses — now at the peak of normal human limits — easily picked up the snickers, the whispers, the sideways glances. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught fingers pointing his way.
'Rumors about me not being able to cultivate the Frozen Sutra… waste… useless… same old crap.'
His gaze flicked to Xue Li, who had clearly noticed the commotion. The man's expression was one of pure disgust.
'Funny thing is, I could probably kick half these younglings around with my arms tied behind my back. But doing that would just earn me a one‑way trip to some secret lab… and then the morgue, for real this time.'
He took another bite of the pink meat, savoring the flavor.
'The part about me being a reincarnator and a system user stays with me forever. My abnormal strength will only grow — exponentially. By the time I step into the First Sanctuary, my growth rate will probably be on par with an Evolver.'
Jin set his fork down, savoring the last bite of the pinkish meat. 'Reading *Super Gene* was one thing… living it is something else entirely.'
The salad's blue‑and‑yellow leaves had a crisp, almost citrus snap, but with a faint peppery burn that lingered on the tongue. The meat — from some alien beast whose name he didn't know — was tender and rich, like venison crossed with tuna, with a faint mineral tang. Every bite reminded him that humanity here had conquered countless planets, each with its own strange flora and fauna.
'In the novel, they just said "he ate alien meat." That's like calling a supercar "a vehicle." Criminal understatement.'
The whispers around him hadn't stopped. "That's the one who can't cultivate the Frozen Sutra." "Waste of resources." "Why's he even here?"
Jin smirked into his cup. 'If only they knew I could probably bench‑press half of them with my arms tied.'
Time to have some fun. He focused on Xue Li across the hall.
[Observe LVL 1 Activated]
Name: Xue Li
Race: Human (Sacred Blood Evolver)
Level: ???
HP: ???
Title: Instructor of the Xue Family Training Ground
Summary: A high‑ranking member of the Xue Family. Known for his cold temperament and strict standards. Currently thinks you are a waste of his time.
Jin's lips twitched. 'Yeah, no surprise there.'
Next, the blonde teacher.
[Observe LVL 1 Activated]
Name: Xue Yaling
Race: Human (Mutant Evolver)
Level: ???
HP: ???
Title: Combat Instructor
Summary: Skilled in close‑quarters combat and elemental Qi manipulation. Currently amused by the tension between you and Xue Li. Thinks you look "different" today.
'Different, huh? Must be the jade‑skin glow. Works faster than I thought.'
He turned his gaze to a table of older students — the ones snickering the loudest.
[Observe LVL 1 Activated]
Name: Xue Han
Race: Human
Level: 7
HP: 120/120
Summary: Mediocre talent. Overcompensates with arrogance. Currently thinks you're "too scrawny to last a week."
Jin almost laughed. 'Buddy, I could fold you into a suitcase.'
Another student:
Name: Xue Rong
Level: 5
Summary: Average strength. Below‑average brain. Currently wondering if your coat is new.
'…And here I thought I was the one with the gamer brain.'
He leaned back, sipping his drink, the corner of his mouth curling upward.
Jin's gaze drifted lazily across the hall, Observe flickering over one student after another. Most were predictable — levels between 3 and 7, stats nothing to write home about.
Then his eyes landed on a boy sitting with the younger group.
[Observe LVL 1 Activated]
Name: Xue Long Yan
Race: Human
Level: 4
HP: 80/80
Summary: Member of the Xue Family. Same training batch as you.
The same Xue Long Yan that will head butt with Han Sen, and who's booty will be smashed.
Jin blinked. 'Level 4… and he looks my age.'
The thought hit him like a cold splash of water. 'That means… I'm the same age — or close — to Han Sen.'
He leaned back slightly, letting the noise of the hall fade into the background. 'That gives me a timeline. Han Sen should be entering the First Sanctuary at 16… which means all the major events will start then.'
His mind began to race, the Gamer's Mind keeping the thoughts sharp and ordered. 'I need to write down a summary on Super Gene. Even with The Gamer system, I'm not invincible. I need skills — or in this world's terms, sutras — that boost my stats across the board.'
His eyes narrowed slightly. 'The Dongxuan Sutra… that's the one. It lets you copy energy pathways of other impressive skills like Heavenly Go. In theory, I might not even need it if I optimise my build… but…'
He tapped his fingers against the table. 'But redundancy is survival. If I can stack multiple stat‑boosting sutras, I'll snowball faster than anyone else in this world. And if Dongxuan lets me copy techniques…'
A slow grin tugged at his lips.
Jin slipped back into his room, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss. The quiet was almost oppressive after the noise of the dining hall. He let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. 'Tomorrow… I start planning in earnest.'
Across the training grounds, in a polished office lined with old scrolls and records, Xue Li stood before the Dean of the Xue Family's training facility.
The report in his hands was long — meticulously detailed — and almost entirely negative.
"Over the past year," Xue Li said evenly, "Xue Jin has shown no measurable progress in the Frozen Sutra. His physical performance is sub‑standard. His presence here wastes the training ground's resources."
The Dean's expression was unreadable, but his fingers tapped slowly against the desk.
Xue Li continued, his tone clipped, repeating the phrase waste of resources more than once. Conveniently, there was no mention of today's training session — the one where Jin had actually impressed him. Xue Li's own reputation as an instructor had taken enough hits; he wasn't about to risk more by admitting the "waste" might have potential.
When the report ended, the Dean leaned back in his chair. "From tomorrow," he said, voice cold, "Xue Jin will be removed from the training facility."
Xue Li inclined his head slightly, hiding the faint curl of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth.
The Dean's decision was final. On paper, Jin was now officially a failure — not just in whispers, but in the family's records. He would be stripped from the high echelon of the Xue Family and demoted below even the branch members.
Still, blood was blood. "As a member of the Xue Family," the Dean added, "he will be assigned a position appropriate to his… level."