Thump! Thump!
Lin Mu awoke from what felt like an endless slumber. His eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing he noticed was the violent rattling beneath him.
He was in a carriage, racing down a rugged path through a dense forest. The wheels jolted so fiercely it seemed the whole vehicle might fall apart at any moment.
Before he could fully grasp his surroundings, a torrent of unfamiliar memories slammed into his mind. Pain lanced through his skull, almost making Lin Mu mad.
When the storm subsided, Lin Mu sat in stunned silence. A single tear slipped down his cheek.
"I have just transmigrated and forced to face this problems." he muttered, recalling the fragments of the life this body once lived.
The original body's father died unknowingly, leaving behind his son and wife alone to fend off the lurking snakes within the capital.
His father was a good for nothing person. He slaved away everything he earned, not even contributing to the family. Yet after his father's death, he left all his debts to be paid by his mother.
Back at the carriage, Lin Mu turned his head. Sitting across from him was a woman, wearing a tired yet warm face, her gaze full of worry as she noticed his expression.
"What's wrong, my son?" she asked softly.
"Nothing, Mother," he replied, his heart filled with warmth.
Back on Earth, Lin Mu had been an orphan, never once knowing the comfort of a mother's love. Now fate had granted him a second life, and with it, a mother to protect. Clenching his fists, he silently took an oath: This time, I will not let anyone harm her.
The carriage jolted harder as they pushed deeper into the forest. Just as Lin Mu steadied himself, a cold, mechanical voice rang out in his mind.
[ Danger Detected ][ A group of bandits is lying in ambush half a mile ahead. Host, please proceed with caution. ]
Lin Mu's breath caught. His gaze sharpened, scanning the trees outside.
A system… and danger already?
His blood quickened. Whatever danger lay ahead, he was no longer the powerless man of the past. This time, he would fight back.