"Kiel, when do you plan to wake up? Remember, today is the day your martial training begins! So wake up now!" - His father's strong voice echoed through the room, filling the space with an energy that left no room for laziness.
The four-year-old boy, who had been in a deep sleep, jumped up in bed, his eyes blinking in surprise. - "Huh? Ah! Yes, father, I'm getting ready!" - he responded quickly, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
His father watched him for a moment as Kiel moved frantically to get dressed. "Don't be late," he said with a snort before leaving and closing the door behind him.
Kiel sighed in relief as his father left. Inside, he cursed for not being able to sleep well the night before, the excitement bubbling in his chest for the imminent start of his journey into the world of cultivation. 'But forget that,' he thought, feeling that the wait was over. 'Now my real adventure begins.'
There was something special in his gaze; a glimmer of intelligence and determination that seemed to go beyond what one would expect from a child his age. This was because Kiel was no ordinary child, but a reincarnation. In his previous life, he had been Alejandro Ramos, a Latin American otaku trapped in a monotonous and lonely existence.
Alejandro's life had not been easy. Orphaned from a young age, he had lived with a kind old man until he passed away when he turned nineteen. His death was not the typical one of reincarnation stories: there were no speeding trucks or benevolent gods. Instead, Alejandro was a victim of a world in chaos, where portals like those from "Solo Leveling" began to appear, releasing monsters that ravaged everything in their path. He was one of the first unfortunates to cross paths with a Hobgoblin, and his life was extinguished without heroic ceremonies.
'This time I'm not going to die like a secondary character in a story,' he promised himself as he left his room after getting ready. He didn't aspire to be a glorious protagonist; he simply wished to experience a more exciting life than the previous one, and it wasn't a difficult task considering what he had lived through.
Despite the adversities, Alejandro had managed to graduate while his bullies sank into their studies, struggling not to fail the school year. Although he had suffered a lot of bullying, he always found a way to defend himself, even if it cost him punishments. There was a small satisfaction in seeing how those who tormented him failed in their own efforts.
Finally, Kiel arrived at the place where his father was waiting for him and exclaimed enthusiastically, "I'm here, father!"
His father looked at him for a moment, his brow furrowed and his gaze fixed on him. Finally, he spoke with a stern voice: "I hope next time you get up early on your own, because if not, don't expect me to teach you how to become a cultivator. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just very excited last night and couldn't fall asleep early. But it won't happen again, father," Kiel replied, accustomed to Arnold's firm attitude.
Arnold was a man of strong and strict character, who had assumed the responsibility of raising Kiel alone after the death of his wife, the boy's mother. Although his way of educating was harsh, he had never resorted to violence or mistreatment. For someone like him, what he did was reasonable and necessary.
"Alright, I hope that's the case," Arnold commented, not dwelling on the matter. "Today will be your first lesson to begin your path as a cultivator. As we've discussed before, in the mornings I will teach you martial arts, and in the afternoons and evenings I want you to study the books in the library. I need you to understand all the information, because I will ask you questions about each book. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Kiel nodded enthusiastically at the previously established agreement. For him, this regimen was quite reasonable; his small and fragile body was not prepared for intense training from day one.
"Good, then today I'll start teaching you the basic postures and breathing exercises. You will practice this for an hour and a half each day until you master them. After that hour, you'll have a few minutes of rest and then do exercises to strengthen your muscles," Arnold explained as Kiel listened attentively. "At the end, you will take a bath in herbs to accelerate your physical recovery and be ready for tomorrow."
"Understood, father." Kiel exclaimed with determination. Thus began his first day of training.
[Time later]
The sun was already high in the sky when Kiel lay in the bathtub, exhausted after completing his first training.
For a child who had been a lazy otaku in his previous life, this experience had been a real challenge. Every movement had required a monumental effort, but if he wanted to have an exciting life full of adventures, he knew he had to learn to endure and overcome the pain.
"Kiel," Arnold said from the other side of the bathroom. "After you finish your bath, your lunch will be on the table. I'm going to work and I'll be back late at night. I hope you'll be asleep when I return."
"Okay, father," Kiel replied in a tired voice, feeling the warm water envelop him and soothe his sore muscles. He heard his father's footsteps moving away and allowed himself a moment of tranquility in the bathtub, reflecting on what he had learned that day.
His father works as one of the highest-ranking guards in the town where they live and is one of the strongest martial artists aside from the town leader. He is a Martial Adept at 26 years old, according to the townspeople, an achievement for a man who has never left the town.
"This is just the beginning," he thought as he closed his eyes, letting the fatigue wash over him. He was determined to become a strong and capable cultivator, no matter how difficult the road ahead. The excitement of his new life was just beginning to blossom inside him.
Shortly after, Kiel felt a little better and got out of the medicinal bath and without further delay headed to find his well deserved food.
[Kiel's Point of View]
"Martial Adept, huh?" - Thinking about my father's cultivation level, I knew what the first goal I was going to achieve was.
Of course, it's just a small goal, in this life I'm not going to dream small by simply wanting to reach a small level of the mortal rank.
The mortal rank, the first step in the vast hierarchy of cultivation, was divided into 12 levels, each with its own title: from 1 to 2, Martial Apprentice; from 3 to 4, Martial Artist; from 5 to 6, Martial Adept; from 7 to 8, Martial Expert; from 9 to 10, Martial Master; and finally, from 11 to 12, Grand Martial Master. The latter was the pinnacle that a mortal could aspire to, reserved for the patriarchs of great clans or masters or ancestors of great sects.
In this small continent the highest rank that you can achieve at least publicly.
And of course, my next goal is to enter the largest sect on this continent, the Crimson Celestial Thunder Sect.
'But that's something for the future...' - I shook my head to stop thinking about that, for now I should first become a Martial Apprentice.
"Well, now let's go to that library..." - I commented as I headed towards the small library of the house. Despite having lived here, this would be the first time my father let me enter alone.
Upon entering, I quickly went to the first fundamental book I had to read called - Basic Cultivation Fundamentals. This is a book that was published worldwide to all settlements so that people could enter the path of cultivation, but despite that, only true talents have the opportunity to cultivate.
Looking at the thickness of the book I was going to read, I thought. - 'Fortunately I like to read and I have a real purpose besides entertaining myself...'
So without further ado I began to read while trying not to fall asleep from exhaustion after reading for a few hours.