Life

Jin Bowen enjoyed looking about on his way home from school. Particularly towards the sky. It was soothing. He liked it best when there were heavy clouds resting over mountains with a hint of blue. He was often thinking about his life, what he would do if he had superpowers, random thoughts, and so on.

"If I possessed abilities, I would never slack off," Jin Bowen told himself. He constantly said this after thinking about all of his non-existent accomplishments in his life.

'As if it would ever happen,' Jin Bowen thought with disappointment all over his face.

He continued thinking about what type of powers he wanted as he walked. It began to rain unexpectedly. Jin Bowen dashed for shelter. A bus stop was only a few hundred feet away.

He just sat there for hours looking around.

He loved the rain because it was soothing, peaceful, and refreshing to ponder, if that makes any sense.

As Jin Bowen prepared to go home in the rain, he noticed streaks of lightning in the distance. The thunder was more audible than normal.

Averting his gaze, Jin Bowen started walking home.

He was walking when he was startled by thunderclaps. Just as he began to run, he was struck by lightning.

After a few minutes, he slowly awoke, and while attempting to get up, he was struck by another bolt of lightning. He passed out again, but this time he was cognizant and attempted to get up.

Jin Bowen felt like puking, he couldn't think, suffocating discomfort everywhere, he was on the verge of death.

He managed to rise with the aid of a wall and was struck by another bolt of lightning as he moved. As he was unconscious, he was struck 7 more times without even having a chance to wake up.

...

As Jin Bowen tried to open his eyes, he felt like they weighed millions of pounds. They were heavy. He was trying to open them up, but he failed to do so. After a few more tries, his eyes were slowly opening up.

Suddenly, information started filling up his brain. It felt like he was hit by Mjolnir right in the head. It hurt like hell. He tried to scream, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.

He was looking around and was surprised at why he wasn't greeted with light.

'Am I in a coma? Why am I so small? Am I upside down?'

Jin Bowen thought darkness caused his senses to dull, which could be the reason why he felt like he was small and upside down.

Jin Bowen would hear sounds out of nowhere, which made him quite afraid of the unknown.

Unknown amount of time passed for Jin Bowen, all he could do was ponder in darkness.

Suddenly, he felt as if he were being dragged. He was greeted by dazzling brightness after an unknown period of time that felt like an eternity.

'Who are these people?'

'Am I a baby!?!?'

Jin Bowen became aware that he had been reincarnated. The mysteries have all been answered. And he instantly thought of abilities, curious to see whether this realm had any. There was the possibility of becoming the protagonist of the books he was always reading. He was so eager he might pass out just thinking about the adventure, about using various powers. It was so exciting!

He could hear people conversing but couldn't understand what they were saying, though it did sound a little like Mandarin.

He looked around, surprised that he had great vision as a newborn.

'This definitely shows that there are powers in this realm. It could be that, or I'm unique; either that, or it's a realm of abilities.'

'Please make it a cultivation world if it's going to be a fantasy world.'

As Jin Bowen looked about, he found that it resembled ancient China, giving him hope that it was a cultivation realm.

When he noticed he was getting unusual looks, he was smacked hard in the buttocks, causing Jin Bowen to cry uncontrollably. Everyone started laughing. He didn't know why. Perhaps he was smacked since he didn't cry after being pulled out from the womb.

He was passed on to a beautiful, elegant, dark-phoenix-eyed, dark-haired, sharp-jawed, slender woman, his mother.

She was staring at him with her dark abysmal eyes filled with love and relief. She embraced Jin Bowen, speaking foreign vernacular, when a man walked in.

He seemed like he was my father based on the look on his face, which was filled with relief and affection.

As I stared at him, I noticed his muscular body, dark almond eyes, dark hair, and sharp, wide jaws.

He wrapped his arms around me, flung me up in the air, and caught me with a smile on his face.

Both my Father and Mother seemed to be in their 30's.

...

I learned to walk a week later, I comprehended the language a month later, and I mastered the language a year later; this appears to be the standard in this universe.

After grasping the basics of the language, he learned his new name, that was given by his parents from this world, Jingyi Yuze. The language is called Saenit, and it is the language of the entire world, which is incredible.

He also learned the names of his parents, Jingyi Jing, his mother, and Jingyi Haoyu, his father.

13 years and 10 months later...

Jingyi Yuze is thirteen years old and will turn fourteen in three weeks. There will be a contest in 2 weeks and 6 days, and the most outstanding youths will be able to join a sect.

With his advantage, Jingyi Yuze had done no training to get ahead of his peers. He always stated he'd train, and he continued repeating it every day. He said that he had time. He not only failed to capitalize on his lead, but he may have fallen behind.

Not only did he repeat what he had done his previous life, he did it with his second chance with a huge advantage. He became average, maybe even below.

...

Jingyi Yuze was laying down under a tree, resting after doing nothing all day.

Thinking of the upcoming tournament, he was quite worried as he had done nothing to prepare.

He said, "It's alright, I have a week or so to train."

His mother called him as he was enjoying his nap, "Yuze, come back home and let's eat dinner."

After yawning and stretching, he was heading back home.

"Something smells delicious," Jingyi Yuze remarked.

His mom and dad were sitting at the table waiting for their son. As he sat down, his father asked him, "Have you done any training today?" with a stern face.

Jingyi Yuze awkwardly said, "No."

His dad sighed and said, "Do you not understand that getting into a sect is necessary for your dream? Do you really think you can beat your peers that have given blood and sweat for their training everyday?"

My dad's right; what am I doing with my life? Did I not say I would train the hardest? What am I doing?' Yuze was extremely disappointed in himself.

"You're right, Father, after dinner I will go train until I pass out," said Yuze.

As Yuze was lying in his bed, he was thinking of whether he should go outside to train or not.

"I'll train tomorrow. I'm tired today."

...

Time passed till it was the day of the tournament. Yuze trained the last few days, thinking of making up for years of his training. He didn't even train the past few weeks as he said he would.

Yuze was extremely nervous as he was going into the tournament. He thought to himself, 'Why did I not train? I am so stupid! Forget motivation, discipline is what I needed. What have I done?'

Yuze was extremely frightened and anxious. He was shaken even before he arrived at the competition. He was able to hear his own heartbeat.

'Why, why, why, WHY DID I NOT TRAIN?'

'Oh, God, please help me!'

Yuze was on the verge of tears.

He saw the entrance of the tournament. He was sweating. His hands started shaking even more. He was rethinking every decision he had made.

'I can't stop being so useless. I keep disappointing myself and everyone.'

They just had to state their name and enter with their badge. He waited a few hours to get his badge and go inside.

As he entered, he felt gravity increase. As he continued, it kept on increasing.

It makes sense. There is no way they're going to watch thousands upon thousands of people in a week, let alone a day.

Yuze felt the pressure rise as he proceeded. He kept telling himself he needed to pass. The tunnel was approximately 20 meters long. He was crawling with barely 10 meters to go. He gave it his all, but he eventually passed out.

'I need to pass, I need to pass, I need to...'

Yuze suddenly awoke and it dawned upon him that he didn't pass, he didn't even get to fight anyone.

Yuze felt disappointed and humiliated. He didn't want to show his face to anyone.

Yuze was staring at the moon. Tears filled his face. He was trying to hold it in. It felt like there was a lump in his throat. He couldn't breathe for a few seconds. After ten minutes or so, Yuze was laying in bed looking outside, thinking of his past. He quietly went out of his room and went to the lake. He was looking at the reflection of the moon, listening to the sounds of the river and crickets. He returned to the tree where he had been lying previously.

He started punching the tree till his fists were bleeding and he started crying again.

All my life, I have been lazy. All my life, I've never been 1, 2, or 3. I was always below. I always asked myself, "Why, why, and why? Why does it have to be me? What have I done? " Whenever I saw someone earning awards and saw their parents being proud of their child, seeing their smile as they walked across, seeing them look at everyone clapping for them, it pierced my heart.

I felt resentment at myself but also endless disappointment. -- I always told myself at the end of the school year that I would do better, all the way from primary to secondary school. I always told myself that I would make my parents proud. I remember being so disappointed in myself, then after each summer it would repeat, repeat, and repeat.

The endless cycle of resenting myself and being filled with regret each year kept on repeating non-stop. Not only that, I always lied to my friends that I had all A's. That would make me even more disappointed, but it didn't stop there. It would make me feel even worse because they always got A's and always made remarks on how easy it was.

Tears kept on flowing, and he said, "I swear I will not slack off again. I swear to God. "

Suddenly, a translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.

A huge grin appeared on Yuzes's face. He started laughing. He said, "There is no way I wouldn't have a cheat."

"I swear to God, I will never slack off; with the help of the cheat, I will be the best."

'System' appeared yet again. It's as if it was a body part; he didn't have to think to move around, touch, or scroll.

"It might be bound to the soul."

System: Infinite

[Name: Jingyi Yuze]

[Age: 14]

[Race: Human]

[Stage: Mortal]

[Health: 200/200]

[Stamina: 150/150]

[Strength: 1]

[Speed: 1.1]

[Mind: 1]

[Constitution: 0.3]

[Skills: Appraisal Level 1]

[Positive Status: None]

[Negative Status: None]