Let's rewind a little bit, shall we?
Li Kai spiraled through a storm of thoughts, trying to piece together why the mysterious entity had referred to him as a host.
Unknowingly, he voiced one thought aloud:
"Seems like my soul has adapted rather quickly to this body… that's interesting."
He paused, frowning.
"I wonder what's unique about this body. It isn't any ordinary vessel that can house the soul of a peak Saint Sage."
Feeling as though he could finally move, Li Kai sat up from the corner of the run-down house where he'd lain.
Opening his eyes, he was met with unending darkness. No shadows. No marks. No light. Nothing but an oppressive void.
At first, Li Kai thought it was a cruel joke a hallucination brought on by the whirlwind of events.
Raising a hand, he gently massaged his eyes, assuming some dirt might be clouding his vision.
Yet, when he opened them again, the result was the same: pitch-black and emptiness.
Dread seeped into his thoughts.
For all his years in the world of Forsaken Saints, rising to the zenith of Saint Sage, blindness had never been a reality he'd faced.
A horrifying realization struck.
"AM I… BLIND?!" Li Kai bellowed, his voice rebounding in the empty space.
At that exact moment, the door creaked open, and a young man pulled the rag that blocked the door and stepped inside.
The sound waves from Li Kai's cry hit the newcomer with full force.
Russel froze in place, mind reeling.
The brown leather pouch in his left hand slipped from his grasp, as did the food-filled sack in his right.
The dull thud of falling items echoed, pulling Li Kai from his spiraling thoughts.
Though he couldn't see, Li Kai sensed he wasn't alone anymore.
He stayed silent, listening intently.
Meanwhile, emotions surged within Russel: confusion, hope, disbelief and most of all joy.
"That… that voice. Could it be?" Russel whispered to himself, his heart pounding.
"Davi… is that you?" he asked, his voice cracking.
A sob tore from Russel's throat as he threw himself at Li Kai, wrapping his arms tightly around him.
"You're okay!"
"You're finally fine!" Russel repeated, his tears soaking into Li Kai's clothes.
Li Kai sat motionless, caught off guard by the sudden embrace.
It was awkward.
But as Russel sobbed, fragments of Davi's memories surfaced, rushing through Li Kai's mind.
A wave of emotion swept over him warmth, kinship, love. It wasn't his own, but the will of the body's original owner.
Tears streamed down Li Kai's face, unbidden.
He didn't want this moment to end. From the memories, he discovered something profound: this wasn't just anyone. Russel was Davi's brother his last blood and finally...
HIS TWIN.
Neither Li Kai nor Russel knew how long they stayed locked in that embrace.
The silence spoke volumes as they sorted their respective emotions.
When they finally pulled apart, Russel was the first to break the silence.
"It's so good to see you hale and hearty, brother. Forget my smiles… I was terrified. Every day, your health… it kept declining. This morning was the worst. Your fever was higher than ever before," Russel confessed, his voice thick with emotion.
He smiled, though tears still glistened in his eyes.
"But now… you're awake. You're okay," he said, placing his hands gently on Li Kai's shoulders.
Reaching down, Russel grabbed the sack he'd dropped earlier.
"Here. Eat something. It's not much, but it'll keep you going. We haven't eaten in two days."
Russel quickly divided the food: stale bread and a small fish, arranged like a sandwich.
He handed the makeshift meal to Li Kai, who hesitated briefly before devouring it.
Hunger gnawed at his stomach, and he ate like a man starved for years.
Russel watched, his smile widening.
For the first time in a long while, Davi was eating properly.
Usually, he could only manage a bite or two before his body gave out.
"You can have mine too," Russel offered kindly. His growling stomach, however, betrayed him.
Li Kai shook his head. "No. Eat. I'm… full," he lied.
Russel's laugh was sheepish, but he didn't argue.
He quickly finished his share, and for the first time in days, both brothers felt satisfied.
***
Over the next two hours, Russel spoke animatedly, recounting recent events in Blue Wind Town.
Li Kai listened intently, piecing together fragments of this new world.
Russel's storytelling touched on everything:
The recent "spectral lines of the shooting star," linking to the birth of a possible treasure.
The upcoming magic awakening test at the Blue Sky Kingdom's capital, which is a month away.
His work in the mines and the unexpected gain brought by Mr. Frank's absence, where he would have bought the restorative pill for Davi.
"If I'd bought that restoration pill, I'd be in debt for years," Russel admitted with a rueful smile.
"And we'd probably be starving right now. Guess everything worked out."
Li Kai's mind worked furiously, absorbing the information.
Though the memories in Davi's body were limited, he deduced one thing for certain: the "treasure" everyone sought was his soul.
A secret he vowed to keep. "No One must know that I transmigrated he thought."
Russel's words painted a vivid picture of their lives.
The mine where he worked demanded grueling hours, but he refused to let despair show.
Li Kai admired Russel's resilience. Davi's brother had endured so much.
"Magic awakening test… What happens if one fails?" Li Kai asked, intrigued.
Russel hesitated. "Failure means you're branded ordinary. No chance to be a mage or join a guild. For many, it's the end of hope. But you, Davi…" He paused, his eyes shining. "You have a chance. Your willpower is stronger than anyone I've ever known although we both failed the last awakening test but there shouldn't be harm trying again as there are late bloomers I suppose"
Li Kai nodded, his lips curving into a small smile.
Even without his vision, he felt Russel's determination.
As Russel's stories wound down, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
Li Kai, however, had no intention of resting. His priority was regaining his peak strength, a task easier said than done.
Settling into a meditative position, he prepared to cultivate.
But as he attempted to draw upon his Saint Sage techniques from his previous world, he hit an unexpected wall.
This world… it didn't follow the same laws as the one of forsaken saints which was destroyed by the immortals.
Frustration bubbled within him.
"Now what?" Li Kai muttered, sinking into another storm of thoughts as he contemplated his next steps in this new world.