"75% of the Reincarnation Orb absorbed."
"82% absorbed."
"99% absorbed."
"100% absorbed."
"Initiating soul transfer..."
"Damaged soul detected."
"Unable to transfer soul."
"Retrying soul transfer... Failed."
"Retrying soul transfer... Failed."
"Retrying soul transfer... Success."
"Detecting 7-star talent in magic."
"Granting the Magic System to user."
"Detecting 8-star talent in martial arts."
"Granting the Martial Arts System to user."
"Detecting 3 systems in user."
"Merging the systems..."
"Granting the Ascension System."
---
Darkness. Silence. Then—sound.
George felt weightless, as if floating in a void. But slowly, his senses sharpened.
A muffled voice reached his ears—strained, exhausted, yet filled with warmth. A woman's voice.
"Just a little more…! Almost there!"
Another voice, deeper and firmer, trembled with worry. "Stay strong! You're doing great!"
A sharp cry rang out, piercing through the muffled sounds. His body felt squeezed, pressured, then—light. Cold air struck his skin, shocking him awake.
George tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were unbearably heavy. He forced them apart, only to be met with blinding light. His vision swam- colors and shapes blurred together into an incomprehensible haze. He shut them again instinctively.
He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't respond the way he expected. Instead of controlled motion, his tiny hands twitched, his legs jerking slightly without purpose. His body was weak—too weak.
Panic surged in him. He tried to speak, to demand an explanation, but his throat burned, and the only sound that escaped was a small, pitiful cry. The noise startled him. Was that… his voice? It was so high-pitched, so fragile.
Then came the overwhelming sensations. A pair of warm hands lifted him, pressing him against something soft. The rhythmic beat of a heart thumped against his ear, soothing yet unfamiliar. A muffled voice spoke—gentle, exhausted, yet full of love.
"He's… beautiful."
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
I… I've been reborn.