Have you ever woken up from a nightmare, only to realize you're still trapped inside another one?
That was exactly what Lu Sheng was experiencing right now.
"Lu Sheng!"
The sharp voice exploded beside his ear like thunder.
Still groggy, Lu Sheng lifted his head, his face carrying the lingering confusion of someone who had just woken from a dream.
The middle-aged man at the podium adjusted his glasses and shot him a glare filled with disappointment.
"There are only a little over two hundred days left before the college entrance exams, and instead of working hard, you're sleeping in class?
With grades like yours, after graduation, even construction sites might not want you!
Do you even know the minimum vitality requirement for a cement worker nowadays?
0.8! Have you even reached 0.8?!"
Lu Sheng lowered his head, rubbing his aching temples as he quietly endured the homeroom teacher's scolding.
The chubby boy sitting to his left leaned over and whispered,
"Another nightmare?"
Lu Sheng nodded without speaking, a deep sense of helplessness flickering in his eyes.
For three days straight, he had been having the same dream over and over again.
He couldn't quite describe it. He only knew that everything in the dream felt ruined, desolate, and suffocating.
He stood alone in a barren wasteland, surrounded by wandering monsters…
A nightmare.
Of that, he was absolutely certain.
Ever since the dreams began, he had become unusually drowsy, yet his sleep quality was terrible.
Even though he slept more than ten hours a day, he still felt as if he hadn't slept at all.
In just three days, his vitality had dropped by 0.02.
0.02!
Do you know how many supplements and how much brutal training it would take to recover that?
Lu Sheng felt utterly miserable.
…
After school, Lu Sheng walked out of the campus with his backpack, looking drained.
Someone called his name and caught up from behind, stepping in front of him.
"Lu Sheng, internet café?"
It was the same chubby boy from class—Liu Qiming, one of the few friends he had.
Lu Sheng shook his head.
"Not today. I'm heading home."
"So early? That's not like you. Come on, I'll cover the drinks and the fee today."
Liu Qiming patted his chest, sounding sincere.
But Lu Sheng still refused.
"I really can't. I just want to get some sleep."
"You slept through class all day and you're still tired?"
Liu Qiming exaggerated his expression.
Lu Sheng didn't bother explaining. He waved him off and kept walking.
Just as Liu Qiming was about to say more, a few boys ran over.
"Liu Qiming! Are you coming or not?"
"Coming, coming!"
After one last glance at Lu Sheng, Liu Qiming ran off with them.
Lu Sheng watched his friend's back as he left. Students in black-and-blue uniforms streamed past him on both sides.
They surged toward the school gate, then scattered in all directions like a murky river flowing away in noise and motion.
"…Sigh."
Lu Sheng let out a quiet breath as his thoughts drifted.
He had almost forgotten—he had been living in this world for nearly eighteen years.
His memories of his previous life had grown faint, sometimes even feeling like nothing more than a dream.
A dream that had followed him since childhood.
Just like the one he kept having lately.
"…no house… no car… single… office job… hiking… falling… waking up…"
He murmured fragments under his breath, his gaze growing distant—until the final word slipped out.
"Reincarnation…"
Yes.
Lu Sheng was someone who had come from another world.
In his previous life, there were no martial arts, no monsters crawling out of cracks in the earth.
The news didn't report beast invasions or martial artists battling.
Students weren't troubled by vitality levels, combat ratings, or practical exams—
but endless math, science, and language tests.
Sometimes, he actually missed that world.
Because at least…
it had been peaceful.
Quiet.
…
Lu Sheng pushed open the door to his home.
He saw his father, Lu Dahai, shirtless and lying face-down on the sofa, while his mother, Zheng Yufen, was pressing a medicinal patch onto his back.
The sight of his father's scarred back made his eyes sting slightly.
"I'm back," he said.
"Hungry? Have an apple first. I'll start cooking soon."
Zheng Yufen spoke while smoothing the patch into place.
Lu Sheng shook his head and walked toward his room.
Halfway there, he stopped and said softly,
"Maybe we should get a blood stimulation device. It helps improve circulation and recovery. My classmate has one…"
"Hah, it's nothing serious. I'll be fine in a few days. Better save the money for your supplements."
Lu Dahai rejected the idea without hesitation and turned his head with effort.
"How's your vitality lately? Have you broken 0.85 yet? I saw on the news today that the university cutoff increased again…"
"I got it—I'll go train now."
Lu Sheng's heart tightened. He rushed into his room as if fleeing.
He felt guilty.
If his father found out that his vitality hadn't improved—but had actually dropped—
he'd probably jump off the sofa and beat him with a slipper on the spot.
…
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