Waking Up

Willow Orchid Orphanage, Glory City

Two kids were seen playing tag and running after one another when suddenly one of them had a headache and fell down.

" Mark, what happened? Get up. " Not knowing what to do the other kid ran crying to the matron to tell her about what happened.

Meanwhile, Mark was assimilating what remained of the orphan's soul.' It seems that this body's name is also Mark. This seems deliberately arranged. Well, good for me anyway. All the tools necessary for my plan have been provided to me. This time I will not fail.'

Mark went to a stream nearby to look at his face. He was a five-year-old with black hair and black eyes along with a very ordinary face.' I was never one to care about looks anyway.'

'Now I just need to settle into the orphanage and then I can start phase 1 of my plan.' He stopped his train of thought just in time to see the matron and his friend Tang Long ( whose name he just remembered) were rushing towards him with a worried expression.

"Mark are you all right? Tang Long came crying towards me and told me that you collapsed all of a sudden."

"I am fine. I just stumbled on a rock and fell down. When I woke up I couldn't find Tang Long so I waited here for him to come back."

"Sigh, Thank God you're all right. I was worried that you may have caught something. And you, Tang Long, next time someone collapses don't just leave them alone. Don't you know how many children are kidnapped every year by the Dark Guild."

"I'm really sorry matron. I won't do it again."

"All right then. Come inside, it's almost time for dinner.", saying that she dragged the kids inside.

Over the course of the week, Mark acted just like his old self except for one thing. He was a lot more adventurous. He explored the city for most of the day, refusing to play with the kids. The matron didn't give it much thought because children are prone to change.

Mark also learned a few things about the orphanage. It was funded by the Ye Family in order to provide for the orphans of the war between humans and demon beasts. At least that's what they say on the surface. In reality, this place is a recruitment ground for guards and occasionally some talented people. The matron hid it well but Mark could pick up with his experience as a businessman that she was very subtly brainwashing them to be loyal to the Ye family. Of course, this kind of brainwashing wouldn't make them give up their lives for the Ye family but it was enough for children.

'After all, there is no free lunch in the world.'

That is why Mark went out of his way to make sure that he didn't arouse any suspicion from the matron. He didn't want to be a part of the Ye family. That would ruin his plan.

One month later

The sun was shining through the windows. It was a lovely morning. A young boy woke up. He had eyes that shone with wisdom but a pretty ordinary face.

'Today is the day I carry out my plan.'

When he had first reincarnated in TDG he had immediately wanted to cultivate but apparently it was restricted until he went to school. So he then wanted to get a soul crystal to see what his soul realm and attribute was. But he forgot that he was poor and even a noble like Nie Li had to work hard for a week to get enough money for it let alone him.

He had almost planned on giving up until he realized that there was a good chance that the matron had a soul crystal in order to measure the soul realms of the kids. So, he planned to steal it. He wasn't worried about the consequences because if everything went according to plan today then he would be leaving the orphanage.