Gu Ye stood at the edge of a small cliff, wind whipping through his hair, muscles tense and alive. His eyes swept over the valley below—a mix of green forests, jagged rock spires, and faint trails of smoke curling from distant villages.
The world smelled alive: earth, rain-soaked stones, faint hints of fire and something… unnatural, something magical.
He flexed his fingers. Every movement felt precise, weighted, controlled. His body wasn't just a teenage frame—it was honed, capable, calibrated by the system he now fully possessed.
And in his mind, memories flickered. Not just memories of his childhood, middle school, high school, and the promise she had made. No—other memories, faint echoes of countless worlds he had watched as a kid, things he had learned from shows, stories, and worlds he'd seen on screens in his previous life.
He could see the logic of combat, the rules of power, the weaknesses of creatures he had never fought. A demon appearing in a clearing reminded him of the way characters from one anime had maneuvered in battle arenas.
He recognized formations, tactics, and even the flow of energy around him. Not consciously copying—more like instinct.
"So… this is what being in one of those worlds feels like," he thought, recalling scenes from shows where people wielded magic, fought dragons, or climbed impossible towers. "It's… real. And I'm in it."
The system interface flickered before his eyes, statistics and options overlaying his vision:
Level: 1
Strength: Beginner
Reflexes: Above human norm
Special Skill: "System Activation" — allows accelerated training and cross-world learning
Memory Integration: Previous life knowledge accessible
Gu Ye ran a few steps along the cliff, leapt, and landed perfectly.
The soft soil compressed under his weight, and instinctively he rolled, testing the agility of his legs and core. Everything worked. The system ticked silently, calculating potential improvements.
He crouched, eyes narrowing at a faint shimmer in the forest below—a small group of humanoid figures. Devils, perhaps, or travelers.
He didn't panic. He had knowledge now. Strategy. The instincts of a boy who had grown up thinking, planning, observing, learning from all the worlds he had ever watched.
A soft thought crept in, barely conscious: If I survive here… if I train, I'll grow strong enough. Maybe one day I'll see her again.
The system pulsed. Experience points. Potential unlocked.
Gu Ye smirked faintly. "Good. Let's see how far this world really goes."
He leapt down from the cliff, landing with grace. The air smelled faintly of ozone and iron—magic. The first day of his new life had begun.
And somewhere deep in his mind, that childhood promise lingered, sharper and heavier than any system, any cross-world skill, or any power he could gain.
I won't fail. Not now, not ever.