Noah found himself in a place where he could barely see anything, everything around him was nothing but endless darkness, as if the very concept of light had been erased from existence and this void was slowly devouring both his body and his mind
Noah was a 15-year-old orphan, his life followed the same monotonous routine every single day, he would go to school in the morning and return directly to the orphanage after classes without lingering, he rarely spoke to anyone and never attracted attention because his existence itself was insignificant to most people, however one day during lunch when he went to the hidden spot where no one usually went, his fate completely changed, because he accidentally witnessed the most popular senior girl Jennifer in a forbidden relationship with the school principal Victor
Principal Victor was not an ordinary man, his older brother was the right-hand man of the largest mafia group in the city and because of that no one dared to oppose him, no matter how much Noah swore that he would never tell anyone what he saw it changed nothing, the last thing he remembered was filled with pain and terror, being dragged into a back alley, losing his breath and having his throat mercilessly crushed
Humans were truly disgusting beings, Noah had never experienced a single act of genuine kindness in his entire life and deep within his heart one thought slowly took shape, if he were given a second chance he would never allow himself to be weak again
Because this was the only truth echoing within Noah's mind, the greatest sin in this world was to be weak, if he had not been weak no one would have been able to treat him like that, no one would have been able to crush him, and no one would have been able to extinguish his life so easily, weakness was not just a flaw but a curse that invited the cruelty of others and Noah felt this truth deep within his very bones
If he had not been weak, not to mention ordinary humans, even God would not have been able to toy with his fate like this, would not have been able to discard his life as if it were worthless, because in this world only the strong deserved to exist and power was a truth even more absolute than justice itself, this thought growing within Noah's heart was no longer just a desire but an unshakable belief
The only thing he wanted was simple yet unreachable, a second chance, not to erase his past but to gain enough power to surpass it, a beginning where he would never be trampled again, where he would never be helpless again
At that very moment it was as if the darkness itself began to respond to his will, the deep and suffocating void started to tremble, invisible cracks formed across its surface and from those fractures thin rays of light began to seep in, each beam of light felt like a fragment of hope trying to tear apart the endless darkness and Noah could feel this change deep within his very being
Crack, crack, crack, the darkness continued to shatter more and more, the echoing sounds spread through the depths of the void like ripples, as if something was being born or something was collapsing, it was unclear which one it was but one thing was certain, this moment was far from ordinary
In an instant everything was flooded with a blinding light, the darkness seemed to retreat completely and for the first time in what felt like forever Noah began to sense the existence of his own body, however the feeling was incomplete, he could not feel his arms or his legs, his body felt like it belonged to him yet at the same time it felt foreign, weak, fragile and incredibly powerless as if he had just been born into existence
For a while Noah could not open his eyes, the intense and piercing light seemed to seep into his mind even through his closed eyelids and his newly awakened senses struggled to adapt to this sudden change, after taking a few deep and uneven breaths he finally managed to slowly open his eyes and the sight that greeted him was beyond anything words could truly describe, an endless forest of supernatural beauty stretched before him, trees rose as if challenging the sky itself, their trunks thick and towering like ancient pillars, rays of light filtered through the leaves illuminating the scene like something sacred, yet within all this overwhelming grandeur Noah felt incredibly small, as if he did not belong to this world, as if he were an insignificant existence lost among giants
Before Noah could even fully process this shocking scenery a mechanical and cold voice echoed within the depths of his mind, it did not belong to the wind nor to any living creature around him, it directly resonated within his consciousness and carried an undeniable sense of reality
Beep...
[Snake God System activating]
Noah's eyes widened instinctively, his shock deepened even further because this kind of thing was not entirely unfamiliar to him, despite having a poor financial situation in his previous life he loved reading novels and was especially familiar with system-based stories, so he could roughly understand what this meant, however understanding it and actually experiencing it were two completely different things and his heart began to race uncontrollably
[Congratulations Host, you have successfully passed the Birth Struggle]
A semi-transparent panel suddenly appeared before Noah, it was neither entirely physical nor purely imaginary, as if it existed between reality and consciousness itself and the words on it were etched sharply into his mind
[System Status]
[Universe: Soul Land]
[Name: Serathis Venomshade]
[Title: None]
[Race: Green Water Snake] (Infant)
[Cultivation: 0 Years]
[Combat Power: 0 Years]
[Size: 5 cm]
[Abilities: None]
[Quests]
[System Shop]
[System Points: 0]
The moment Noah saw the information on the panel his mind froze, his thoughts tangled together and his heart began to pound rapidly, am I in the Douluo universe, have I really arrived in the world of Soul Land and been reborn not as a human but as a snake, as these questions flooded his mind his gaze locked onto a single line, Name: Serathis Venomshade, this name felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar at the same time, as if it was not merely given to him but born from the very essence of his existence, yet how was that even possible, how did he obtain this name and why did it feel like it carried such a powerful meaning
As all these questions swirled chaotically in his mind the system once again issued a sharp and mechanical notification, this sound was no longer unfamiliar but instead felt like a signal carrying both danger and opportunity at the same time, immediately drawing Noah's full attention
[An urgent one-time mission has been detected for the Host]
[Mission: The host must consume the eggshell within 1 hour after birth]
[Reward: Supernatural Ability]
[Failure: Death due to hunger and weakness]
The moment Noah saw this panel he did not hesitate even for a second, the brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes vanished instantly because he now fully understood that the only rule of survival in this world was strength, with his small and fragile body he looked around, he was in the middle of a vast forest filled with countless unknown dangers and in such a place even the slightest weakness meant death, especially in a ruthless world like Soul Land, so without thinking he moved toward the shattered shell of the egg he was born from and began to devour it with an instinctive hunger, each bite not only nourished his body but also reinforced a single unwavering resolve in his mind, he would never be weak again
As Noah continued to consume the eggshell a strange transformation began to take place within his mind, with every bite his thoughts became clearer, his perception sharpened and the way he understood the world slowly began to change, although he could not fully comprehend the reason behind it he could feel his instincts growing stronger, a cold composure and natural awareness he had never possessed before began to take root within him, as if he was drifting away from his human identity and gradually accepting his existence as a snake, yet this change did not frighten him, instead it filled him with a strange sense of harmony and during this moment he deeply reflected on both his past life and his current situation
Amid these thoughts a decision slowly took shape, if he was truly going to start anew then he could not remain bound to his old life, his past was nothing but chains and unless he broke free from them he would never truly grow stronger, the name Noah represented that weak and helpless boy and that person was already dead, so at that moment he made a firm decision, he fully accepted his new name in this life, Serathis Venomshade, not merely as a name but as the very essence of his being
I promise you Noah, I will fulfill the desires you left behind, no one will ever rule over us again, in this world neither humans nor gods will be powerful enough to interfere with us, we will never be trampled again and from this moment on our fate will be in our own hands.