Eastern Continent
A human-like creature crouched in the shadows, its body covered in matted black fur stiffened with dried blood. Each finger ended in long, jagged claws—not clean like blades, but chipped and uneven, as if they had been used to tear flesh.
Blood dripped from its mouth. Behind it lay the crushed remains of a human infant.
Its tail dragged behind it, slick and heavy, leaving a dark, wet trail toward Qinming Village…
Within the village, a wooden house stood, surrounded by visible fields.
Sunlight pierced through the wooden window, casting delicate patterns all over the dark timber floor. The scent of sandalwood lingered in the room, where a low table and a bronze incense burner stood in quiet stillness.
On the wooden bed, a baby was sleeping peacefully, but the daylight woke him up.
"Where… am I? Wasn't I supposed to die…? And in that time..." He closed his eyes. "What did I do…? No… that wasn't me…"
He couldn't even think anymore. "No… it was that voice… it has to be," he comforted himself.
But no voice came out of his mouth. He opened his eyes in surprise.
"Hah, what happened to my voice? Why can't I speak?"
When his glance landed on his hand, he was speechless. "My hand! Why is it so small?"
The baby's hands started touching himself.
"Wait a minute, why does it feel like I'm a baby now?" he thought. "This… isn't real, right?" His eyes were full of confusion.
He pinched his tiny abdomen.
"Wah, it hurts! It looks like it's real; I became a baby."
He was shocked. "So could it be that I have been reborn with my previous life's memories?" he thought. Then a full giggle came from him.
"...Reborn? Is this… real?"
His baby eyes looked around with joy and curiosity.
The room was not big, but in his baby eyes, it seemed very large. Golden sunlight fell from the window onto his baby face. His eyes felt a little discomfort.
He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond.
"It looks like I was born not very long ago."
He turned his head and saw a beautiful sleeping woman; her face was a little pale from giving birth, and she was wearing white clothes. She looked divine.
"Is she my mother?" His body shook, his eyes turned red. Tears fell nonstop.
"Mother… I finally have one… I finally...."
His body shook as he cried loudly. His mind wanted to stop, but he couldn't. He wanted to tell her about his loneliness and suffering as an orphan.
In his past life, he was an orphan. So, seeing his mother in this life, the baby failed to keep his emotions in check.
And how could he sigh—only when someone loses something do they understand its value…
The beautiful woman opened her eyes. Hearing her son cry, she immediately picked him up, and a gentle voice came from her mouth.
"What happened, Zi Fan? Why are you crying, dear? Don't cry, don't cry; mother is here."
She hugged him gently. Zi Fan stopped.
"So comfortable and warm! Is this a mother's warmth?" He tried to grab her, but his hands were too small for that.
"I finally have a mother!" A smile appeared on his baby face.
And his mother's eyes caught this detail.
Kissing him on the forehead, his mother asked with some worry,
"My child, did you see something in your dream?"
She wanted to say something more, but—
"Honey, is everything okay? Why is Zi Fan crying?" A handsome young man hurried in with a worried voice.
"It looks like he saw something in his dream," she replied without even glancing.
Zi Fan's head also moved, but his view was blocked by his mother's body.
The youth came closer. Seeing him, she asked with worry, "Hey, husband, what happened? You look so worried. Is something going on in the village or something else?"
"No, nothing happened," the youth replied.
"But your face is telling me something isn't right, and you're carrying your sword with you. Definitely, something happened," the woman said worriedly.
"He's probably just hungry," pointing his finger toward Zi Fan, he spoke.
"Husband, you're hiding something from me. I know that..." she spoke angrily.
The youth fell silent.
"It's okay. Don't tell me; I will not hear it, hmm." She pushed him a little. "Now go outside; I will breastfeed Zi Fan," the woman said with puffed cheeks.
"Hehe, I see it all the time. Anyway, why can't I stay here, honey?" the young man said playfully, in a slightly mischievous tone.
Hearing this, the woman's eyes glared at him angrily. Looking at his angry wife, he immediately left the room without looking back.
The woman burst out laughing.
"Giggle." Zi Fan also could not help but laugh.
His mother kissed his forehead and said to him,
"Your father… he never changes, does he? But your father is really hiding something, and I worry about why he didn't tell me. I only hope he is safe, and you, my little boy."
Before Zi Fan could process her words, she started feeding him milk. However, Zi Fan's soul was that of an adult, so he didn't want to drink. He hesitated for a moment… then instinct took over.
"It feels warm and sweet. I don't know why, but it makes me feel safe."
Zi Fan, who had been unwilling to drink before, now drank greedily.
After finishing the milk, his eyes became heavy, and he fell asleep.
Time passed by…
A fog-like shadow formed beside the bed.
It leaned closer—
A golden light flashed into his forehead.
The figure vanished.
[Ding! The system has logged in successfully.]
A girl's voice echoed in Zi Fan's mind.
Zi Fan's eyes opened.
"Hey, what is this?"
[System Name: None
Function: None]
…Empty?
He saw a dark golden screen.
"It looks like a system interface, but wait, is it like the novels I read in my previous life? Does that mean I have a golden finger?"
He felt joy.
But wait, what kind of system is this? There is no information.
"System, hey, system!"
Zi Fan tried to communicate, but there was no answer.
"Is this system unable to talk? But I remember I heard a girl's voice.
System, hey, system!"
No answer came.
"Would I be wrong, or am I dreaming?"
His face was full of doubt.
[Hey, who is suffering like a dog? Can't you see I'm asleep?]
An angry and sleepy voice came into his mind.
Zi Fan: ...
Zi Fan felt some anger. If someone had talked to him like this in the past, he would have forced himself to calm down. But after that event, his mindset had changed a little.
"What is the meaning of this? Did I do something wrong?"
But his anger backfired on him.
[You disturbed my peace, and now you're asking me what wrong you did?]
Zi Fan wanted to argue back, but the system's voice came again.
[Why did you wake me up?]
"I want to know your function and name," Zi Fan calmed himself and replied.
[I don't have any name or function, but when you have a goal in your life, I will help you complete it. However, I have a condition: your goal should come from your heart, and don't disturb me anymore.]
The system's answer came in a sleepy and lazy voice.
"This system is not so bad after all. In every novel I saw, those main characters who had systems had to work day and night to fulfill their missions.
Many times, those systems forced them to do things even when they didn't want to. It's almost like they are all slaves to that system, isn't it?
It's true that those systems give them some benefits, but which master doesn't give rewards to his slaves?
And mine will only activate when I find my life goal—what I want, not what the system wants.
Isn't this system good compared to those systems?"
Zi Fan's face became happier.
"Now, for my system activation, I need a goal. What goal should I have in this life?" he thought. "What is it… to choose? Isn't it simple? Become stronger."
"System, I want to be the strongest."
[Don't you hear me? I said it should come from your heart.]
"Oh, I get it. Then what should be my goal?" While thinking, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
But he couldn't sleep for long. A noise woke him.
"Aahhh! Monster!"
"Aaa… aaah…" a childish scream came out of Zi Fan's mouth.
His face became pale with fear.
A horrible, human-looking monster covered in black hair was looking at him as if he were that monster's food.
To be continued….