My face was a beaten mess. Blood and snot choked my throat, the metallic taste making me gag. My limbs felt useless—arms torn from their sockets, legs crushed and trembling beneath me. Pain screamed in every nerve, but over it all came the sound of mocking laughter.
Who.. were.. they laughing at..
Me. They were laughing at me.
In my previous life, I was Adrian Wilder. I was a high school student, gifted, perfect in every way—athlete, scholar, and impossible to ignore. Dirty-blonde hair, ocean-blue eyes, a body that mastered every sport, a mind that memorized everything at first glance. I could charm any girl with a smile and a few words, and life had always seemed easy, effortless.
All of that ended the day I tried to save a little girl from being run over by a truck. That one selfless act had cost me everything. I should've let that kid get ran over.
And now… I opened my eyes to a different world.
Mud clung to my clothes, the stench of sweat and dung filling my nose. My vision, blurred, eventually cleared enough to make sense of my surroundings. Bamboo huts with straw roofs huddled along a dirt road. Villagers passed in tattered clothes smeared with mud, their hands calloused from labour. In the far distance, maybe twenty miles away, I saw a bamboo wall, connected with ropes that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
I sighed, the weight of it pressing down on me. I had died—and yet, here I was, in someone else's body. Lou Zer. That name felt foreign on my tongue, but as memories of his life surfaced, it all clicked into place. Today was his thirteenth birthday—the Awakening Ceremony. The capital's enforcers would come to take the village's children for the national training program. And of course… I was thirteen.
I muttered "just my luck."
A high-pitched shout cut through my thoughts. "Lou! The Awakening ceremony is happening right now! Hurry!"
I spotted a boy with messy brown hair and dull brown eyes, standing about 5'6"—the same height as me. Average features, average build. I cursed my luck about my height.
Ling Zer, my friend—or rather, this body's friend—ran past me to the right, expecting me to follow. With no choice, I sprinted after him.
The center of the village was alive with noise. The Awakening Ceremony was held by the capital's enforcers near the eastern gate. We weaved through narrow streets, dodging villagers and stalls, sprinting over uneven mud paths. Sweat streamed down my face, soaking my shirt. By the time we reached the gate, I was out of breath—and the line stretched at least five hundred strong.
"Why rush me so much?" I panted, chest heaving.
"I wasn't rushing," Ling said, frowning, confusion etched across his face.
Before I could retort, a deep, commanding voice thundered.
"Oi! Get to the back of the line, or you will not receive the grace of the Emperor!"
A bald, scar-faced man in heavy knightly armor glared down at us. Obediently, we shuffled to the back. Ahead of Ling towered a giant of a boy, maybe six feet tall, a walking colossus among children. His name was Xin. My eyes widened; no way was he thirteen.
While waiting, I quietly asked Ling questions, trying to piece together Lou Zer's memories.
-48 MINUTES LATER-
Today, we would have our mana cores awakened. Ling explained that cores were ranked from A to F, depending on the number of cracks. One or two cracks meant A, 10 or more meant F. C to A ranked students would be sent to the capital for national training till they turn 18, while D and F ranks stayed behind. He emphasized this is incredibly important towards one's future in cultivation and in general.
The scene around me was chaotic. Children who received D or F ranks sobbed openly, some begging for another chance. I swallowed hard, silently praying I wouldn't join them.
Xin went first. The enforcer pressed his gloved palm to Xin's stomach for five seconds, then stepped back. "Two cracks! A Grade!"
Applause erupted across the gate. Xin cried tears of joy, his parents cheering loudly. The bald enforcer called out in his deadpan voice: "Next."
Ling stepped forward, trembling. Sweat poured down his face as the enforcer pressed his chest. Five seconds later: "Five cracks! C Grade!"
Relief washed over him. He jumped, ran to his parents, and hugged them tightly, tears streaming. I felt a pang of happiness for him, though tinged with nervousness.
Finally, it was my turn. My chest tightened, mind racing with possibilities. Maybe I would awaken something special… maybe this was my chance to be extraordinary again.
The enforcer pressed his palm to my stomach. I held my breath, imagining glory, adventure, a future of power.
The enforcers palm felt warm and a strange feeling overcame me akin to the feeling of dipping into a nice hot bath in a cold winter, but from within, this instinctively made me excited.
"Seven cracks D rank."
Time seemed to stop. My stomach dropped. The applause, the cheers, the excitement around me—it all blurred into a muffled haze. I had failed.
I mutter out a "what?"