Chapter 1: Rebirth
Shock, anger, confusion, and finally, vengeance fulfilled...
After experiencing all of this, Li Yue finally let out the heavy breath trapped in his chest and lay quietly on the soft bed.
Even though his wounds were gushing blood, and with it, his life force was draining away, he no longer cared...
After losing the few family members he had, the only thing that kept him going was his desire for revenge. Now that this motivation was gone, who would care about or remember an orphan like him if he were to die here?
A year ago, a major car accident took away the old director of the orphanage where he grew up, as well as several younger siblings he had watched grow up.
When he heard the news at university, he nearly fainted on the spot.
When he rushed back to the orphanage whilst enduring the heart-wrenching pain, all he found was a cold empty courtyard, as well as a new and young director.
Since the old director had lived alone, there was no one to arrange his funeral. By the time Li Yue returned, the government had already buried the old director and the children in a public cemetery.
Soon, the verdict for the driver responsible for the accident was announced:
"...After investigation, it has been confirmed that the owner of the vehicle, Mr. Guan, was not driving at the time of the accident. He was seated in the back seat as a passenger, and the driver was Mr. Huang... Mr. Guan did not interfere with or influence Mr. Huang's driving. According to..."
When the court ruled that the drunk businessman responsible for the accident would only pay a certain amount of financial compensation, while the innocent 'driver' would bear full responsibility, Li Yue's mind went blank, and he stood frozen in place.
He would never forget the ugly smile on Mr. Guan's face, nor the relieved look in the eyes of the honest driver as he stood in the crowd, holding his sickly daughter and wife...
Li Yue wanted to hate, to shout in anger, but his throat was choked with tears.
All the car's dash cam footage had been destroyed, and there were no surveillance cameras on the road where the accident occurred.
The driver, who had initially denied responsibility in a panic, now firmly insisted that he had been the one driving. Everyone who testified in court claimed that Mr. Guan had been a passenger in the back seat.
What could Li Yue do to refute this?
Life wasn't a TV drama. There was no righteous lawyer eager to fight for justice on his behalf. The old director and the children were buried in the public cemetery, never to return.
Li Yue stayed for only a few days before dropping out of university, along with cancelling all his plans for the future, which had once seemed at least somewhat promising.
Kneeling in front of the cemetery for an entire day and night, even under the pouring rain, he felt for the first time the darkest side of society. Through the existing order and rules, there was no way for him to seek justice.
He couldn't force the driver to tell the truth, as the driver had already decided to sacrifice his own fate for the sake of his wife and daughter. In the same way, Li Yue decided to use his own methods to determine the fate of the actual criminal.
After a year of training, planning, and stalking, he finally found his opportunity...
When the businessman was meeting his mistress, Li Yue seized the moment...
He burst into the villa, and amidst the screams of the heavily made-up woman, charged at the businessman with a knife.
Ignoring the businessman's fierce attempts to defend himself with a fruit knife from the bedside, Li Yue relentlessly stabbed him, ending his filthy life.
Unfortunately, he himself was stabbed multiple times in the process, and with blood rapidly draining from his body, it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.
The bright, luxurious bedroom now resembled a hellish scene. The white bedsheets and walls were splattered with blood. The naked body of the businessman lay on the bed, while the woman, also naked, sat slumped in a corner, her hair disheveled, unmoving, as if she had fainted from shock.
The stench of blood in the air was nauseating, but Li Yue struggled to take deep breaths, as if the air was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.
"Is this... the taste of revenge?"
The soft, yellowish light from the ceiling lamp bathed the room. Li Yue's muscular body lay motionless on the soft bed, his pupils gradually dilating as his life seemed to be slipping away, either in this moment or the next.
His vision blurred, his tear-filled eyes no longer able to see clearly. The light seemed to expand, and then he felt something heavy fall on him...
~If given another chance, would you still do this?~
This question suddenly appeared in Li Yue's mind.
He bit his lip, swallowing the blood that had risen to his throat. Unable to speak, he nodded slightly but firmly.
After this simple action, Li Yue felt his body lighten, as if the pain had instantly left him. His spirit felt as if it were soaking in a warm spring, so comforting that he almost wanted to moan in pleasure.
'So, this is what death feels like...'
Li Yue's final thought flashed through his mind, and then his consciousness abruptly stopped, like a computer screen going black.
It felt like a long time had passed, yet also like only an instant. When he woke again, it was to the chill of cold wind, mixed with... snow?
'How strange... Isn't it supposed to be summer?' his hometown was in the southwestern plains, where it never snowed...
'Wait! Didn't I die?!'
Wide-eyed, Li Yue sat up straight, ignoring the cold as he frantically felt his body, his face a mix of disbelief and shock.
[Hybrid Growth Template...]
[Auxiliary System...]
[Warning! Warning! Dream Engine energy insufficient!]
[Entering hibernation mode. Host, please be advised...]
A mechanical, synthesized voice drifted into Li Yue's ears.
Before he could react, a flash of light appeared, and he turned to see a virtual light gate materialize beside him.
Startled, Li Yue stumbled and fell to the ground. Pain shot through his backside, and it was only then that he noticed his body...
His once-tight casual clothes now hung loosely on him, and his rough, calloused hands had become small and delicate.
"Master..." A respectful voice came from above.
Li Yue looked up in confusion to see an elderly man in a well-fitted suit, with a kind and gentle expression, standing before him and extending a hand.
The light faded, and a dull, lifeless orb fell straight toward Li Yue, disappearing into his body.
Li Yue's eyes widened as he watched this scene unfold, as if he had seen a ghost.
He pointed at the old man in front of him, then at his own body, stammering for a long time but unable to form any words.
The old man smiled warmly and helped him to his feet. Li Yue looked up at the "tall" old man, his mind in complete disarray.
'Why has my body shrunk so much? What was that sphere? And who is this strange old man...?'
"Master, try to recall. The 'Dream Engine' should have given you some information. You can call me Alfred, though you may choose another name if you wish. However, your current physical condition is not ideal. Let's head into the city first."
The old man spoke softly, pulling out a small cotton coat from somewhere and draping it over Li Yue.
Then, he took Li Yue's small hand and began walking slowly toward the distant, towering city.
Li Yue, however, was in no state to resist...
As he stared at the bright, floating panel that had suddenly appeared in his mind, along with the few lines of text on it, his emotions were a whirlwind.
His childlike face shifted between confusion, surprise, and pain as his small body followed the old man in a daze.
The old man who called himself Alfred pointed to the city ahead as they walked, "This will be our 'home' from now on, Master."
Li Yue looked up in bewilderment at the unfamiliar 'new world' and murmured, "Home...?"
The winter night grew colder, and the two figures (one old, one young) walked slowly through the fields on the outskirts of the city.
In the darkness, the distant city lights twinkled like faint beacons of hope, a glimmer of... new life...