Three days had passed since Theos' battle in the forest. He had spent those days resting, eating, and speaking with his parents, steadily recovering. Though his muscles had ached from overuse, his body had bounced back in a way that defied normal expectations. Now, as the morning sun crept through his window, he felt entirely different—refreshed, almost as if his injuries had never happened.
His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the warm glow of dawn filtering into his room. Sitting up, he instinctively reached for the bandages wrapped around his arms and torso, carefully peeling them away. The sight before him was nothing short of astonishing—his wounds had completely healed.
Where deep cuts and bruises once marred his skin, there was now only smooth flesh. His fingers traced where wounds had once been, only to find smooth skin, warm to the touch, as if they had never existed. There was no pain, no scarring—just an odd tingling sensation, like a whisper of energy still lingering beneath the surface. His mind raced, marveling at how his body had restored itself in such a short time.
"Is it because of the Superior Species…?" he wondered. His rapid recovery wasn't some random miracle—it was a result of what made him different. His body had healed itself with an efficiency far beyond that of ordinary humans.
With a deep breath, he stood up, stretching his limbs. The soreness was gone, replaced by a renewed sense of vitality. He took a step toward the door, feeling lighter, stronger.
As he stepped out of his room and into the warm light of the common area, his parents turned to him. Their gazes immediately fixed on his arms—his once-bandaged body now unscathed.
Elena's breath hitched, and Samuel's eyes narrowed slightly, his usual calculating gaze fixated on Theos' seemingly miraculous recovery. They had never seen him truly hurt before, so seeing his wounds vanish in mere days felt impossible.
Elena pressed a hand to her chest. "Theos… your wounds…?" she whispered, as though speaking louder might undo what she was seeing.
Samuel exhaled through his nose. "That shouldn't be possible. How do you feel?"
Theos glanced at them both, then at his own skin, running a hand over where deep gashes had once been. "I think… it's because of my body," he admitted. "I think my body heals faster. I have always been stronger than rest of the children as well."
They exchanged a glance, uncertainty flickering between them.
"But this quickly?" Elena muttered, still in disbelief.
Theos nodded, keeping his expression neutral. He could not explain it in depth—not yet—but he knew the truth. His Superior Species granted him an extraordinary potential. Despite not having formally begun cultivating, his strength already matched the 1st stage of Bone Forging. To his parents, this was a miracle. To Theos, it was another confirmation of his uniqueness.
Still, their worry had been real, and the guilt of that settled in his chest like a heavy stone.
Samuel motioned toward the dining table. "Sit. We need to talk."
Theos obeyed, settling into his chair as Elena placed a warm bowl of food in front of him. Despite her lingering concern, her hands moved with the familiarity of a mother caring for her child. He ate slowly, absorbing the comfort of the moment, before setting his spoon down.
Before Samuel could say anything "I regret what I did," Theos admitted. "I thought I was strong enough to handle it, but I wasn't. I made you both worry, and I understand now that it wasn't just about me—it was about how my choices affect those who care about me."
Elena reached across the table, gently grasping his hand. "Theos, we don't want to hold you back. We know you have big dreams… but you have to promise us something."
Samuel leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "Just promise up, next time, if your life is in danger—you run. Strength isn't just about facing battles; it's about knowing when to retreat and survive."
Theos met his father's gaze, feeling the weight of his words. "I promise. I will take care of myself. I won't let this happen again."
Elena gave him a soft smile, though hesitation still lingered in her expression. "Good. That's all we ask. Just be careful."
Later that morning, Theos stepped into the garden, inhaling the crisp air. The gentle sway of the leaves in the morning breeze calmed him, but his mind was anything but at peace.
Three years. That was all the time he had before the sects arrived for recruitment.
Three years to prepare. Three years to become strong enough to stand among the geniuses of the world.
He would not waste a second of it.
His eyes sharpened with resolve as he raised his hand and summoned his status screen.
___________________________________________
| [ STATUS SCREEN ] |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Name: Theos Redheart
Species: Human (Superior)
Age: 10 years
Title: ???? (Locked), Reincarnator
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Cultivation Stage: Bone Forging (0)
Strength: Bone Forging (1st Stage)
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Spirit Root: Primordial Grade
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Talents:
• Supreme Eyes (SSS) – Upgradable
• Master of Every Art (SSS) – Upgradable
• Energy Manipulation (SSS) – Upgradable
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Skills:
• Basic Dagger Mastery (Stage 1)
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Unique Skills:
• ????? (Locked)
|____________________________________________|
Ding.
A crisp notification rang in his mind.
Congratulations, you have completed the quest.
Reward: Origin Chaos Cultivation Tome
Theos inhaled sharply, his heartbeat picking up pace. He had almost forgotten about the system quest in the chaos of everything.
His gaze locked onto the floating reward notification. A strange feeling stirred in his chest—excitement, curiosity… anticipation.
He reached out and tapped the glowing reward.
Origin Chaos Cultivation Tome - Rank (Incalculable)
First Cultivation Technique in existence, created by ?????.
Learn it?
Yes / No
Theos' breath caught. The first cultivation technique in existence? Even the name alone carried immense weight. What kind of power did it hold? Who had created it?
He stared at the glowing confirmation prompt before him.
His fingers hovered over the 'Yes' option.
He exhaled once before clicking the option. As soon as he did, a book appeared in front of him, floating in midair. The book was ancient—its edges frayed, its pages worn with time. Yet, despite its age, it emanated a presence so profound that the very space around it seemed to bend and distort.
Theos' eyes traced the cover. He couldn't recognize the script written on it; the characters were unfamiliar, seemingly beyond mortal comprehension. But what captured his attention the most were the murals engraved on the front—ancient dragons, phoenixes, humans, and countless other species bowing in reverence toward a god-like figure.
Mesmerized, he slowly extended his hand. His fingertips hovered just above the cover, a strange energy pressing against them. Finally, he touched it with his first finger.
The moment he made contact, the book began to dissolve—golden particles lifting from its form, one by one, like fireflies dispersing into the night. Theos' eyes widened as the particles surged toward him, converging between his eyes, seeping into his very being.
A sudden wave of dizziness struck him.
His body swayed, his vision darkened—and before he could react, he lost consciousness.
Inside the depths of his existence, the golden spirit particles traveled deeper and deeper, moving beyond flesh and bone until they reached a pulsating mass of energy within him.
If any expert of this world had seen what lay inside, they would have trembled in sheer disbelief.
It was his soul inside his soul dimension.
A radiant, pure energy, pulsating like a living entity. And unlike even the most revered beings of this world, its purity surpassed anything ever recorded—so high that it would shame the peak experts of this realm.
Inside this dimension—his Soul Space—time moved differently. It was an infinite expanse where reality itself felt weightless, absent of solid ground or sky. A vast darkness stretched endlessly, yet it was not empty—within it, there was theos soul.
The space itself carried a profound stillness, yet a very faint hum echoed from all directions, as if whispering forgotten truths.
The particles began to swirl around his soul, circling like stars orbiting a celestial body. One by one, they merged with it, embedding their knowledge into his very essence. This process, though instant in the real world, was an entirely different experience inside.
The process that lasted only five minutes in the outside world stretched into thirty days within his Soul Space. With each moment that passed, the Origin Chaos Cultivation Tome continued to inscribe itself into his soul, its knowledge permanently etched into him.
Hum... Hum... Hum...
A deep, resonant hum filled the space as words and symbols burned themselves into his soul—knowledge beyond imagination fusing with his existence.
The tome was now a part of him. No longer just a book, but a cultivation technique embedded into his very essence. Whenever Theos wished, he could access its knowledge instantly.
Meanwhile..
As the humming intensified within Theos' soul, the outside world began to tremble.
The skies darkened, the winds howled, and the air became thick with a formless pressure. The villagers glanced toward the heavens in shock, fear creeping into their expressions.
Then, it happened.
A booming voice echoed across the entire world, shaking even the strongest beings.
WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT!
The Origin of Life has taken root once again.
Reward: Every living being shall advance one minor level in strength, limited by the highest strength their current cultivation tome allows.
Gaia has spoken.
A wave of energy pulsed through the world, resonating with every cultivator, beast, and sentient existence. Even the gods and rulers of other realms and universes stirred.
Gaia, the will of the world, had remained silent for trillions of years—a presence so ancient that even the strongest beings in existence had long forgotten its voice. Yet today, it had spoken, shaking the very fabric of reality.
The most powerful cultivators, sovereigns of realms, and rulers of divine dimensions all turned their attention to this unprecedented event. Some sat in solemn contemplation, while others erupted into frantic discussions. What did this mean? Why now? The multiverse, which had remained in balance for eons, was now in an uproar.
For Gaia to make a world announcement meant that something far beyond comprehension had begun. A force that had not stirred in eons had now set its gaze upon existence. All those who understood its implications felt both awe and dread.
And the multiverse erupted in chaos.
Back in the village…
The weather abruptly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. Theos' body twitched as he regained consciousness, blinking in confusion.
Before he could gather his thoughts, his parents walked into the garden, their faces filled with concern.
"Theos!" Elena gasped, kneeling beside him. "Are you alright?"
Samuel stood behind her and asked Theos "Did you… see it?"
Theos furrowed his brows. "see what?"
Elena looked at him incredulously. "The world announcement! Didn't you notice what just happened?"
Theos' mind raced. He had been unconscious when the announcement occurred.
Quickly, he steadied his expression, forcing himself to remain calm. His heart pounded, but he couldn't let it show. "I was meditating," he said, his voice measured. "I must have been too focused to notice anything. What exactly happened?"
His parents exchanged glances, still a little skeptical, but they nodded. Samuel sat down, his voice steady but serious. "The entire world heard it. Gaia—the will of the world itself—spoke. It granted a minor cultivation realm to every living being as a reward. This has never happened before."
Elena reached for his hand, her worry still evident. "You're sure you're okay? Nothing strange happened to you?"
Theos forced a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Mother. Really. I just need some time to process everything."
After a moment, they relented, though he could see the unease in their expressions. They didn't press him further, and after a bit more conversation, they returned to the house, leaving him alone in the garden.
Theos exhaled heavily, the tension in his shoulders refusing to ease.
"This is… unbelievable." His voice trembled with a mixture of excitement and fear, his mind still reeling from everything he had experienced. He had somehow triggered a phenomenon that shook the entire world, and he alone knew the truth of it.
"Fuckk..."
It was the only word he could manage.