The first thing that hit me wasn't pain—it was the smell of grass. Fresh, clean, with that earthy undertone you only get after rain. My eyes cracked open to a sky so blue it hurt to look at, dotted with clouds that looked like they'd been painted by someone who'd never seen pollution.
Where the hell am I?
I sat up slowly, my head spinning like I'd just gotten off the world's worst carnival ride. The last thing I remembered was... oh God. The little girl. She'd run into traffic chasing that stupid ball, and I'd moved without thinking. The screech of brakes, the impact, her wide brown eyes as I shoved her to safety—
I died. The memory hit me like a punch to the gut. I actually died.
But if I was dead, why did everything hurt? And why was I sitting in what looked like the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rolling hills and not a single building in sight?
I looked down at my hands, and my heart nearly stopped. These weren't my hands. I mean, they were mine, but they were... young. Really young. The calluses from years of gym work were gone, replaced by smooth skin that belonged on a teenager. I flexed my fingers, watching tendons move under skin that had never seen a day over fifteen.
What the actual–
My whole body was like this. I ran my hands over my arms, my chest, everywhere I could reach. Everything was smaller, leaner, but somehow more... potential. Like a sports car that hadn't been broken in yet. I'd always taken care of myself—hit the gym religiously, watched what I ate, the whole nine yards—but this was different. This body felt like it could do anything.
Okay, okay, think. I took a deep breath, trying to process what was happening. You're not dead. Well, maybe you are, but you're... somewhere else. In a younger body. This is either the weirdest dream ever, or—
DING!
A bright blue screen materialized right in front of my face, floating in mid-air like something out of a video game.
"AAAHHHH!" I scrambled backward, my voice cracking in a way that definitely confirmed the whole "fifteen years old again" thing. The screen followed me, hovering at eye level no matter how I moved.
My heart was hammering so hard I thought it might burst. I pressed my back against what felt like a tree, staring at this impossible thing floating in front of me. After a few seconds of hyperventilating, logic kicked in. Or maybe desperation. Either way, I stopped screaming.
"Okay," I said, my voice still shaky. "What... what are you? Where am I? What's happening to me?"
The screen flickered, but no voice answered. No mysterious narrator, no booming god-voice explaining the cosmic joke. Just silence.
I waited another few seconds, then tried again. "Hello? Anyone there? I'd really like some answers here!"
Still nothing. But then words began appearing on the screen, as if typed by invisible hands:
WELCOME TO THE SYSTEM
TALENT SELECTION AVAILABLE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR STARTING TALENT
My jaw dropped. A system. Like in those web novels I used to read during lunch breaks. The ones where ordinary people got transported to fantasy worlds with game-like mechanics.
No way. No freaking way.
But the evidence was right there, glowing blue in front of my face. A list of options had appeared, each one more impossible than the last:
- Fire Mage
- Beast Tamer
- Healer
- Archer
- Shadow Walker
I stared at the list, my brain trying to wrap around the situation. This was insane. Completely, utterly insane. But what choice did I have? I was clearly not in Kansas anymore—or whatever the equivalent was for someone from Chicago.
Almost without thinking, I reached out and tried scrolling down. The screen responded to my touch, revealing more options. My heart raced as I kept going, scanning through dozens of talents. Some sounded cool, others boring, but then–
- Sword God
I stopped scrolling. Sword God. The name alone sent a shiver down my spine. I'd always been fascinated by swordplay–movies, games, books, you name it. There was something about the elegance, the skill, the pure artistry of master swordsmen that had always drawn me in.
Why am I even hesitating?
I reached out and pressed the option before I could second-guess myself.
TALENT SELECTED: SWORD GOD
TALENT SUCCESSFULLY LOADED
A warm sensation flooded through my body, like liquid sunlight flowing through my veins. Knowledge I'd never possessed suddenly existed in my mind—stances, techniques, the weight and balance of different blades. It was overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.
The screen flickered again, and new text appeared:
POTENTIAL SELECTION AVAILABLE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR GROWTH POTENTIAL
Another list materialized, but this time the options were simpler:
- Worthless
- Below Average
- Average
- Above Average
- High
- Exceptional
- Monster
Monster sat at the very top, practically glowing with importance. I didn't even need to think about it. If I was getting a second chance at life—and apparently getting superpowers in the process—why would I choose anything less than the best?
I reached out and pressed Monster without a moment's hesitation.
The screen flashed brilliant white, and for a moment I thought I was going blind. But then it settled back to that familiar blue glow, and new text appeared:
POTENTIAL SELECTED: MONSTER
POTENTIAL SUCCESSFULLY LOADED
I felt... different. Like someone had just unlocked limiters I didn't even know I had. My body hummed with potential energy, as if I could run a marathon or bench press a car. It was intoxicating.
But apparently, the system wasn't done with me yet.
ART SELECTION AVAILABLE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR COMBAT ART
Seriously? I blinked at the screen. How much stuff are you going to give me?
This was getting ridiculous. I'd gone from dead guy to reincarnated teenager with god-tier talent and monster potential, and now there was more? It felt like Christmas morning, but the kind where your rich uncle keeps pulling out bigger and bigger presents until you start wondering what the catch is.
The list that appeared was massive—dozens of combat arts with names that ranged from intimidating to downright poetic. I scrolled through them, looking for anything sword-related, my heart racing with anticipation.
- Dragon Fist Art (High Grade)
- Lightning Tiger Art (Superior Grade)
- Iron Fist Art (Average Grade)
- Shadow Blade Art(High Grade)
And then I saw it, sitting there like a gift from the gods:
- Sword God Swordsmanship Art (Supreme Grade)
Supreme grade. The same tier as my talent i think. It was like the system had been designed specifically for me, which was both amazing and slightly terrifying. But hey, when life hands you a supreme-grade swordsmanship art, you don't ask questions.
I pressed it immediately.
ART SELECTED: SWORD GOD SWORDSMANSHIP ART (SUPREME GRADE)
ART SUCCESSFULLY LOADED
This time, the knowledge that flooded my mind was even more intense. Techniques, forms, breathing patterns, meditation methods—it all poured in like water through a broken dam. I could see sword movements in my mind's eye, feel the flow of energy through imaginary blade work. It was beautiful and overwhelming.
Okay, surely that's–
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE SELECTION AVAILABLE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR MANA CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE
I actually laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me right now?" I said to the floating screen. "What's next, a pet dragon?"
But I wasn't complaining. Not really. This was like winning the lottery, getting struck by lightning, and finding a genie's lamp all at the same time. I felt unworthy of it all, honestly. Yesterday I was just some guy who worked in accounting and hit the gym after work. Now I was apparently being set up to become some kind of fantasy world superhero.
Don't overthink it, I told myself. Just roll with it.
I started scrolling through the cultivation techniques, most of them with names that sounded like they'd been written by poets with too much time on their hands. But then one caught my eye:
- Sun and Moon Mana Cultivation (Supreme Grade)
Supreme grade again. The pattern was becoming clear. Whatever this system was, it seemed determined to give me the absolute best of everything. Sun and Moon sounded powerful, and honestly kind of cool.
I selected it without hesitation.
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE SELECTED: SUN AND MOON MANA CULTIVATION (SUPREME GRADE)
TECHNIQUE SUCCESSFULLY LOADED
The sensation this time was different–gentler, but deeper. I could feel pathways opening in my body, channels where energy could flow. It was like discovering I had a whole other circulatory system I'd never known about.
This is too much, I thought, shaking my head in disbelief. Way too much. I don't deserve all this.
But the system apparently wasn't finished making me feel like the luckiest guy in whatever world this was.
WEAPON SELECTION AVAILABLE
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR STARTING WEAPON
I almost started crying. "Come on," I muttered. "This is getting ridiculous. I'm going to wake up any second and be back in my crappy home, aren't I?"
But the weapon list was already appearing, and despite my protests, I found myself getting excited all over again. Swords, axes, spears, bows–everything a fantasy adventurer could want. I scrolled through them eagerly, looking for the perfect blade.
Most of them were impressive, but when I found the one that called to me, I knew it immediately:
- Infernal Eclipse Blade (Supreme Grade)
The description that appeared below it made my breath catch: A sword forged from shadowfire and starlight, Deep black and Fiery red.
It sounded incredible. And of course it was supreme grade–at this point I would have been disappointed with anything less.
I selected it, and the familiar confirmation appeared:
WEAPON SELECTED: INFERNAL ECLIPSE BLADE (SUPREME GRADE)
WEAPON SUCCESSFULLY BONDED
CHARACTER CREATION COMPLETE
GOOD LUCK, CHOSEN ONE
And just like that, the screen vanished. No fanfare, no final words of wisdom, just gone. I was left sitting in the grass, staring at the empty air where my magical interface had been, trying to process everything that had just happened.
Chosen one, huh? I couldn't help but grin.
I looked around at the peaceful landscape, at my young hands, at the potential thrumming through my veins. A second chance at life, incredible powers, and apparently the system's vote of confidence that I was destined for greatness.
Okay, I thought, pushing myself to my feet with newfound energy. If I'm going to be some kind of fantasy world protagonist, I need goals. Big ones.
The first goal was obvious: get strong. Really, really strong. Strong enough that nobody could ever threaten the people I cared about again. Strong enough to make a difference.
And honestly? If I was being completely truthful with myself, strong enough to impress some beautiful women along the way. Hey, I was still a guy, even if I was in a fifteen-year-old body again. A guy could dream, right?
I stretched, feeling my new body respond like a finely tuned instrument, and grinned at the endless possibilities stretching out before me.
Time to become legendary.