The first thing he felt was pain.
Not sharp. Not burning.
Heavy.
Like gravity itself had decided to sit on his chest.
Then came the voices.
"…he's breathing."
"…thank the ancestors…"
"…the young master lives!"
Young master?
His eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above him wasn't a hospital ceiling. No fluorescent lights. No peeling paint. Instead, carved wood stretched high overhead, etched with patterns of swords crossing like constellations. Silk curtains swayed in a breeze that smelled faintly of incense and metal.
Metal?
He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. His muscles screamed. His ribs felt wrapped in iron bands.
A woman leaned into view.
She was breathtaking — long silver hair braided with thin sword-shaped ornaments, eyes sharp as polished steel. She looked relieved… and furious at the same time.
"You scared me," she said quietly.
He stared.
"I… who are you?"
The room froze.
The servants dropped to their knees.
The woman's expression cracked.
"…what did you say?"
His mind raced. Images flooded in — not memories, but files opening. A torrent of unfamiliar knowledge crashed through his skull: sword forms, family crests, bloodlines, rival clans, names spoken with reverence and fear.
And one name echoed louder than all others.
Kael Veridian.
He clutched his head.
That wasn't his name.
But it was.
Both were true.
He remembered dying.
A truck. Rain. Headlights.
Silence.
Then—
A blue screen blinked into existence in front of his eyes.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
Welcome, User.
Daily Sign-In System Activated.
New Host Confirmed: Kael Veridian
Reward Available: Beginner Package
He stopped breathing.
The screen hovered in the air like a private hallucination. No one else reacted. The woman was shaking him by the shoulders.
"Kael! Answer me!"
"I'm… fine," he said automatically.
And to his shock, the voice that came out wasn't his old voice. It was smoother. Younger. Confident.
Not broken like the body he used to live in.
The woman pulled him into a fierce embrace.
"You foolish child. Duels are not games. You nearly severed your spirit veins!"
Spirit veins?
More memories snapped into place.
This world revolved around sword mastery. Not sport. Not art.
Power.
Sword intent shaped reality. Masters could split mountains. The Veridian family stood at the top — a lineage of elites feared across kingdoms. Kael was their only heir.
And he had just humiliated himself in a duel, collapsing after pushing his body beyond its limits.
Weak.
Pathetic.
A stain on the family name.
His stomach twisted.
Then the blue screen pulsed again.
Daily Sign-In Available
Sign in?
[YES]
He mentally pressed it.
The world paused.
Sound vanished.
Even the woman froze mid-breath.
Only the screen moved.
Reward Granted: Heaven-Grade Sword Body (Sealed)Reward Granted: 10x Comprehension Boost (24 hours)Reward Granted: Beginner Sword Manual — Absolute Foundation
Note: Heaven-Grade Sword Body unlocks gradually to avoid host death.
Energy exploded inside him.
Not painful.
Perfect.
Like every cell suddenly remembered what it was supposed to be.
The heaviness vanished. His breath flowed smoothly. His heart beat in a steady rhythm that felt… powerful.
He stood up.
Effortlessly.
The woman staggered back.
"…Kael?"
Servants gasped.
The pressure in the room changed. Invisible weight rolled outward from him, subtle but undeniable. The air hummed like a blade drawn slowly from its sheath.
Kael looked at his hands.
They felt… right.
For the first time since waking, fear turned into excitement.
I reincarnated into a sword dynasty…
And I have a system.
A laugh almost escaped him.
The woman stepped forward cautiously. "Your aura… what did you do?"
He met her gaze.
And instinct told him the truth.
This woman wasn't just family.
She was one of the strongest swordsmen alive.
Lady Seris Veridian.
His mother.
And she was looking at him like he'd become a stranger.
"I think," Kael said slowly, testing the new weight of his name, "I finally woke up."
Silence stretched.
Then—
A horn blasted across the estate.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The servants went pale.
Lady Seris turned toward the window, her expression darkening.
"That signal…" she whispered.
Kael's new memories answered immediately.
Enemy challenge.
A rival clan stood at the gates.
And by ancient law, the heir must answer.
Her eyes returned to him, filled with conflict.
"You cannot fight," she said. "Not after today."
But the system pulsed again.
Emergency Quest Detected
Defend Family Honor
Reward: Unlock 1% Heaven-Grade Sword Body
Failure Penalty: Permanent Weakening
Kael smiled.
Not out of arrogance.
Out of certainty.
"I'll go," he said.
The room erupted in protest.
But he was already walking.
Each step steadier than the last.
Each breath sharper.
Somewhere deep inside his bones, a sword was waking up.
And it was hungry.