Chen got out of bed and started moving around, testing his body to make sure he didn''t feel any soreness in his chest. His heart pounded steadily, a reminder that he was still alive. He felt lighter than before. Was this thanks to the system?


    He removed the bandages and cleaned himself up. One of the maids must have brought in fresh water for him. It looked clean, so he washed his face. The cold morning water sent a sharp jolt through his senses, waking him fully. As he stared at his younger reflection, it felt strange. But then again, what wasn''t strange to an office worker lucky enough to be reborn?


    The Michael side of him didn’t care much about his clan, but the Chen side demanded that he get stronger now that he had the chance. In his past life, he had read plenty of novels while sitting in his tiny apartment. He shook his head, clearing stray thoughts. His clan was not the most powerful in the city, but within the family, strength dictated status. The strongest of the younger generation received the most resources.


    The family used a testing stone to measure strength. By striking the stone, the amount of force was displayed in rings. The first ring lit up at 250 pounds of force. Chen had never been able to light up a single ring, while his brother, just a few days ago, had managed to do so before challenging him.


    Chen reached for a fresh robe when he noticed something different. A white robe with black sleeves lay before him—the standard attire for normal family members. His old robes had gold trim around the cuffs and hem, a sign of his former status. He put on the new robe and immediately noticed the difference; the fabric was rougher, far less refined.


    He didn’t want to see anyone from the clan, so he decided to sneak out and return to his old courtyard. He had prepared for this moment. Before his brother fought him, he had stashed a few things in case he needed to escape. His brother had a dark side. They were born of different mothers, and Chen’s own mother had died giving birth to him. He had never met her, and his stepmother never treated him like Chang—his brother. Even thinking of his name made Chen grit his teeth.


    He would have left before the fight, but Chang had come to challenge him right after lighting up the testing stone. Chen hadn’t had time to escape. He had never owned much, but he had managed to save ten spirit stones and his sword.


    When a boy turned fifteen in the clan, the blacksmith crafted each member a sword. Chen’s was different from the others. The blacksmith who made it had been saved by his mother and was allowed into the clan before Chen was born. His father had told him that the sword had been forged on the day of his birth. When he finally received it at fifteen, he had been in awe. The blade was black, the handle white—beautifully crafted, a work of art. Chang had likely wanted to take it, but the name "Chen" was engraved on the blade, making it uniquely his. Unfortunately, he had never learned more about the weapon, as the craftsman had died shortly after completing it.


    Chen needed to retrieve his sword before heading to the mountains. Supplies would be useful, but carrying too much would slow him down. No, just the sword and the bag of spirit stones would be enough.


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    He managed to sneak back to his room without anyone noticing. It was a miracle, considering the house was full of cultivators and guards. But then again, he was weak—so weak that no one really paid him any attention. A ghost, a failure not worth their notice. He strapped his sword onto his back, grabbed his bag, and quietly slipped out of the family home.


    As he walked through the main gate into the city, he overheard a guard whisper, "Look, it’s Chen. I thought he was hurt? And look at his robes."


    Chen ignored them and kept walking. He made his way toward the city’s main gate. The closer he got, the more people he saw. By his best guess, it was around 4:00 a.m. Then, something caught his eye—two moons hanging in the night sky. A strange sight indeed.


    He searched through Chen’s memories, trying to determine the best direction to head after leaving the city. The mountains were about fifteen miles away, though they looked closer due to their sheer size.


    Once outside the city, he started running. His heart pounded in his chest, matching his steady breaths. The cold morning air stung his lungs at first, but soon, it felt invigorating. He had forgotten the joy of simply running. The wind rushed past him, the grasslands rustling in the breeze. Fields of wheat stretched out around him, a river winding through the golden crops. He ran faster and faster, filling his lungs with fresh air. He had never realized air could have a taste—crisp and pure, unlike the stale confines of his past life. A wild grin formed on his face. For the first time, he truly felt free.


    After running for close to an hour, the sun began to rise above the mountains, bringing the sounds of birds with it. He wasn’t ready to fight any beasts just yet. It was best to train in secrecy; he didn’t want anyone to know he could cultivate now. Besides, he needed to figure out how to cultivate in the first place.


    "So, Eve, what do I need to do to get stronger?" he asked.


    "Just cultivate by consuming things that contain spiritual energy. I will handle the process for you," Eve replied. "You’ll also want to meditate while absorbing the energy. I’ll use it to improve your body’s natural systems."


    "What do you mean by my body''s systems?"


    "You can’t cultivate in the normal way, so you''ll need to use the nanos to build your body the same way spiritual cultivators do. Focus your mind, breathe in the energy in the air, and direct it toward your blood first. You need to saturate your body with energy before you can break through."


    Chen took a deep breath, feeling the air around him. It was different. It felt cool, like a gentle mist wrapping around his skin. But that was all. He expected more—power surging through him, fire igniting his veins—but instead, he just felt... refreshed.


    "Why don’t I feel anything special?" he asked.


    "Because I’m taking in the energy for now," Eve explained. "Your body isn’t ready to process it directly. When you eat, I will use that energy to help you cultivate. Right now, this is just fuel for me to optimize your body."


    "So that’s why I feel refreshed instead of stronger?"


    "Exactly. But once you eat, you’ll truly begin cultivating."


    Chen reached into his bag, pulled out a spirit stone, and swallowed it.


    "I said you need to meditate," Eve reminded him.


    Chen stopped running and sat down. As the stone dissolved in his stomach, he felt the energy spread through his body. The exhaustion from his run vanished, his muscles relaxing completely. It was as if he had never run at all.


    Once the energy settled, he stood back up and flexed his hands. "I feel much stronger."


    "Well, this is the first time you''ve cultivated and gained power," Eve said. "Now, you need to hunt some animals to absorb more nanos. right now i have just started to configure your body. wait till you gain nano''s."


    Chen grinned. "Then let the hunt begin."