Huo Tian took a deep breath before speaking mentally.
'Status.'
As soon as the thought arose, the space before his eyes rippled slightly.
A translucent screen appeared in the air, silent and stable, as if it had always been there, merely waiting for his permission.
----------------------------------------------
[Daily Gift System — Status]
Name: Huo Tian
Age: 16
Race: Human
Bloodline: None
Physique: None
Cultivation: None
[Storage]
[Daily Gift]
----------------------------------------------
"Hmmm…"
Huo Tian crossed his arms instinctively, observing every detail of the interface.
It was definitely simple and clean. No unnecessary information. Almost disappointingly straightforward.
"First of all… System, are you there?"
He spoke out loud, looking around by reflex. Silence was the answer. No metallic voice responded. No artificial intelligence appeared.
Nothing.
He waited for a few seconds.
"System, how do you work?"
Still, nothing. The only sound present was the gentle wind passing through the clearing.
Huo Tian narrowed his eyes.
"So… apparently you don't have self-awareness."
Huo Tian nodded slowly.
"That's good… and bad."
He began reasoning out loud, a habit inherited from his previous life.
"Good, because it means there isn't some mysterious entity trying to control my actions…"
He paused.
"But bad because I won't be able to simply ask questions and receive ready-made answers."
He sighed.
"Alright. Then I'll have to figure everything out on my own." His eyes returned to the screen.
"First… understand each function."
Among all the options, something immediately caught his attention. The last tab seemed to emit a faint glow. Besides practically bearing the system's name.
[Daily Gift]
His heart sped up slightly.
"Daily Gift… what exactly does that mean?"
As soon as he focused his attention on the option, new words appeared below, as if the system responded only through mental commands.
[Every day, the host has the right to receive a random gift from the system. Gifts are classified into the following ranks: Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → Celestial → Divine]
Huo Tian's eyes shone.
"I see… So it's random and based on luck."
Exactly as the name suggested. He let out a small laugh.
"So everything depends on my luck, huh?"
On Earth, he had never considered himself particularly lucky. But…
Receiving a second life was already proof enough that his luck had at least changed a little.
He swallowed hard, excitement beginning to grow inside his chest.
"Alright… system." He took a deep breath.
"Open today's gift."
The command was accepted instantly.
The tab glowed intensely. A luminous circle began spinning before him, unknown symbols flashing rapidly like an invisible roulette wheel.
Huo Tian held his breath.
One. Two. Three seconds passed.
'Ding!'
[Congratulations!]
[You have received a Platinum Rank gift: Wind Spiritual Physique]
His eyes widened. Platinum rank!
He did not even have time to celebrate. An absurd pain exploded inside his body.
"AAAAARGH!!"
Huo Tian immediately fell to the ground. His entire body began to tremble violently. The air around him went mad. The forest wind converged toward him like an invisible vortex.
Leaves were torn from the ground. Branches swayed violently. Wind Qi, spread across dozens of meters, was brutally pulled into him.
"What… is happening…?!"
The answer came in the form of agony. His meridians began to rupture. He felt it clearly, like threads being torn inside his body. And then… rebuilt.
Wider, stronger, more perfect. The sensation was indescribable. Pain and rebirth mixed together. Every cell seemed perfected as impurities were expelled through dark sweat that covered his skin.
The process lasted only five minutes. But to Huo Tian it felt like an eternity. Then, suddenly… the wind ceased. Silence returned to the forest.
Huo Tian remained lying down for a few seconds, breathing heavily.
And then he realized. The constant pain that had existed in that body… had actually disappeared.
The crushing hunger that had tormented him moments before simply no longer existed. His body felt light. Extremely light.
He slowly stood up. Energy coursed through his muscles. His blood flowed vigorously. It was as if he had been reborn.
"Unbelievable…"
He clenched his fists. He felt full of vitality. For a brief instant, he had the absurd impression that he could control the world itself through the wind.
Of course… he knew it was only an illusion caused by excitement. Even so… It was real.
Without hesitation, he called out again.
'Status.'
----------------------------------------------
[Daily Gift System — Status]
Name: Huo Tian
Age: 16
Race: Human
Bloodline: None
Physique: Wind Spiritual Physique
Cultivation: None
[Storage]
[Daily Gift]
----------------------------------------------
A smile slowly appeared on his face. It worked. Everything was real. He focused on the new physique.
Immediately, another explanation appeared.
[Wind Spiritual Physique]
{You have been blessed by the wind. The path of wind naturally resonates with you. Cultivation and battle techniques based on Wind Qi possess effectiveness amplified several times}
"Just as I imagined…"
Huo Tian slowly raised his hand. By pure instinct, he pointed toward the tree above him. He focused.
Nothing happened for a second.
Then…
A breeze emerged.
It was weak. Almost imperceptible. But it was real. The wind swirled around his hand before advancing and shaking the tree's branches.
Several leaves fell slowly. Huo Tian's eyes widened.
Even without cultivation… He could influence the wind. Of course, it was extremely weak. Useless in combat. But the meaning was enormous.
"So… this is the power of a spiritual physique…"
His heart pounded heavily. Before, Huo Tian had been incapable of cultivating.
Now?
The greatest obstacle had disappeared. He finally possessed talent. He possessed potential. And he possessed… a future.
Huo Tian looked up at the sky through the gently swaying leaves. A determined smile appeared on his face.
"In this world…"
He clenched his fist.
"I will definitely become a cultivator. And then live my life however I please."
The wind blew around him, as if silently responding to his decision.