"Ugh…"
A low and strained groan slipped out from Alex's lips as his eyes slowly fluttered open, his vision blurry and unfocused as if he had just been dragged out of a deep and endless dream.
For a few moments, he simply stared blankly ahead, his mind empty and sluggish, unable to process anything clearly.
The first thing that entered his sight was a cracked ceiling above him, filled with faint stains, patches of dust, and signs of long neglect that instantly made his brows knit together slightly.
"…Where… is this" Alex muttered under his breath, his voice weak, dry, and somewhat hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
His body felt strange.
Light.
Weak.
Unfamiliar.
As if it didn't completely belong to him.
He slowly tried to move, pushing his upper body slightly upward, but before he could even fully sit up
A sharp and sudden pain exploded inside his head without any warning.
"Ah-!"
His entire body stiffened instantly.
Alex raised his hand and pressed it firmly against his forehead, his fingers digging slightly into his skin as if trying to suppress the overwhelming pain.
And then
Memories came.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
But like a storm.
Flooding his mind without restraint.
Tall buildings rising high into the sky.
Bright lights illuminating entire streets even in darkness.
Strange metal objects moving at incredible speeds.
Crowds of people walking endlessly.
Voices overlapping.
Sounds blending together.
Images flashing one after another without pause.
"...what...are these...?" Alex murmured in confusion, his breathing becoming uneven as his brows tightened further.
He couldn't understand.
He couldn't connect them.
Yet
They felt familiar.
A small room.
A glowing object in his hands.
Words appearing on it.
Stories… countless stories.
Worlds filled with power.
Characters growing stronger.
Battles that shook heavens and earth.
Games.
Moving scenes.
"…Why do I… remember this…?" he whispered softly, his voice filled with uncertainty.
His head throbbed harder.
Pain spread deeper.
"…Ah… it hurts…" Alex muttered, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he pressed his temples harder, trying to calm the chaos.
Just when he thought the pain would settle
Another wave came.
Stronger.
"Ahhh!"
Alex clenched his teeth tightly, his fingers curling slightly as a completely different set of memories poured into his mind.
These were not chaotic.
But
Familiar.
"…Radiant Wilds…" he whispered slowly, the name surfacing clearly from within his thoughts.
That was the world he was in.
Radiant Wilds.
(This world is 8 times larger than earth)
As this realization settled, his breathing gradually steadied, though his expression remained tense and slightly pale.
This world…
Was enormous.
Far beyond anything he could easily comprehend.
Endless lands stretched across unimaginable distances, filled with towering mountains that pierced the skies, vast forests filled with unknown dangers, rivers that flowed endlessly, and cities scattered like countless stars across the land.
But more importantly
This was a cultivation world.
In this world, people did not rely on ordinary means.
They trained.
They cultivated.
They absorbed energy from the heavens and earth.
They refined their bodies.
They strengthened themselves step by step.
The stronger one became
The higher they stood.
The weaker
Were crushed like an ant.
"…If you're weak… you get stepped on…" Alex murmured quietly, his eyes dimming slightly as he processed that truth.
There was no fairness.
No protection.
Only strength mattered.
More memories surfaced.
Clans.
Sects.
Training endlessly to break their limits.
Fighting for survival.
"…So this is how it works…" he exhaled softly.
Soon after
Another piece of memory became clear.
"…Jade Horizon Contint…" Alex spoke slowly, adjusting the unfamiliar pronunciation.
A massive contint located in the southern region of Radiant Wilds.
It was a powerful place, filled with many kingdoms, clans and sects.
And within this contint
A small village.
Were mortals lives.
Unremarkable.
Ordinary.
Easily overlooked.
"…That's where I am…" Alex muttered quietly.
Then
Came the memories about himself.
"…Eight years old…"
An orphan.
No parents.
No family.
No support.
Living alone.
" Wtf...Seriously…?" Alex let out a dry, almost helpless laugh, shaking his head slightly.
"This start is… really bad…very bad"
His gaze slowly moved around the room.
The place he was in
Could barely be called a home.
The walls were cracked and uneven.
Dust covered nearly everything.
Cold air slipped through gaps without resistance.
The floor was rough.
The bed beneath him was worn and uncomfortable.
"…An abandoned house…" he murmured softly.
This was where he lived.
Alone.
"…And I survive by bagging haha..." he laugh
Asking for scraps.
Eating whatever he could get.
Sometimes starving.
Sometimes barely surviving.
"…That's rough…" Alex sighed faintly.
Yet his face didn't show panic.
Only a calm acceptance.
After a moment of silence, he slowly pushed himself up from the bed, his movements slightly stiff as he adjusted to this small and fragile body.
"…Too weak…" he muttered, clenching his small fist slightly.
There was no strength in it.
No power.
Just weakness.
Then
His eyes caught something near the wall.
A mirror.
Old.
Cracked.
Leaning slightly as if it might fall at any moment.
"A mirror…?" Alex walked toward it slowly, his steps light and cautious.
Step by step.
Until he stood right in front of it.
Then
He looked.
And froze.
Silver hair fell messily over his forehead, slightly covering parts of his eyes.
Those eyes
A clear shade of crystal blue.
Calm.
But what stood out the most
Was his face.
"…What…?" Alex blinked slowly, staring at his own reflection.
His skin was milky white.
Pale.
Almost unnaturally so.
Smooth.
Even under the dirt that stained his face, that pale complexion still stood out clearly.
"…This…" he murmured softly, raising his hand slightly as if trying to confirm what he was seeing.
His fingers brushed lightly against his cheek.
Soft.
Clean beneath the dirt.
His features were well-shaped.
A small mole beneath his eye.
Another near his lip.
Subtle.
Yet incredibly noticeable.
"…Isn't this too much…?" Alex whispered, his brows lifting slightly.
Even wearing torn clothes
Even standing inside this broken house
He looked completely out of place.
Like he didn't belong here at all.
"…This face will bring trouble…" Alex narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression turning more serious.
In a cultivation world
Being weak and noticeable was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"…Tch…" he clicked his tongue softly.
But then
A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"…Interesting…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
A small spark flickered within them.
Not fear.
But
Curiosity.
Excitement.
"…A cultivation world…" he murmured quietly, looking at his own reflection once again.
"Where strength decides everything…"
His lips slowly curled upward into a smirk.
"…Then I just need to become strong."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
He leaned slightly closer to the mirror, his crystal blue eyes staring straight into his own reflection.
"…Let's see…"
"…how far I can go…"
His smirk deepened slightly.
"…in this world."
A faint breeze passed through the broken house, causing dust to shift slightly in the air.
Yet Alex didn't move.
His gaze remained steady.
"…This won't be boring…"