Chapter 9 :The Hero Dies, the Cultivator Rises

"It's not like you to be like this, Kailen."

A young man entered the tent where someone was crying.

"Not now, Serin. I'm not in the mood to talk."

"I know what happened to your little brother is tragic. But you have to pull yourself together. Your sister is still blaming herself. Go to her before you lose more than one brother."

Kailen sighed, but the tears didn't stop. His eyes were hot from crying. He really hated himself for being so helpless.

"Come on, get up."

Serin grabbed Kailen's hand and helped him stand. He brought a bucket of water and helped him wash his face.

A few minutes later, both of them left the tent.

The search had to stop, and it was time to return.

In the end, they found nothing. It looked like Rayne died from bad luck.

But one thing was certain—his death would make a big noise once the news spread.

A member of the Ten Great Families dying like a pig?

Impossible. They had to change the story. Luckily, there was a secret organization that would take the blame and give Rayne an honorable death as a warrior.

The place was cleared, and everyone returned to the city.

Days later, the news was announced:

Rayne Stoneheart was ambushed by dozens of men. He did not run. He fought until the end to protect his sister.

All ten kingdoms were talking about it with excitement, fear, worry, and sadness.

Different feelings, but everyone agreed on one thing:

Rayne was a hero.

The man who lived his past life as a tyrant… died a hero in this one.

The Stoneheart family held a large funeral. The head of the family and Rayne's grandfather, Althera Stoneheart, was present.

Rayne's sister, Ellie, cried heavily. She seemed the most affected, along with her brother Kailen. As for their father, his eyes were empty, but inside, he was hurting more than anyone.

Other families sent representatives to offer condolences. Even some of Rayne's old friends came.

---

On the other side, Lucian was decorating his new cave. It looked pleasing, with a plate of fruit in the middle, animal skin as a mat, a water pot, and clean clothes hanging nearby.

He wore a mask and a head cover while sweeping the cave. He had sprinkled water on the floor first to avoid too much dust.

He stepped out to throw the dirt away. A pot was cooking over a fire near the entrance. When he opened it, a rich smell of fresh meat filled the air.

He took off his mask and tasted the soup.

"Mmm… perfect taste!"

He carried the pot inside, enjoyed his meal, and changed into more comfortable clothes.

"Hoo… It was a long week. Thank God I knew about this cave, or I would've died in the forest."

"Now it's time for refining. I won't leave this cave until I finish strengthening my body. I already have enough food."

---

Time passed quickly, and a year went by.

The incident was forgotten. People returned to normal life. The investigation stopped, and people moved freely again.

However, a new rule was added: whoever leaves must show ID and take a ticket. When they return, they must show it, or they'll be questioned or arrested.

This was to prevent another case like Rayne's—being killed by unknown people.

As for the secret organization, it was destroyed. It turned out to be a huge network with powerful cultivators. When the information became public, it caused more shock than Rayne's death.

Some noble families that supported the group were arrested too.

It was a total purge. No one was spared. The Stoneheart family led the operation.

By the end of the year, things began to calm down.

Except for one little girl, staring at the sky through the window with sadness on her face.

"Just wait, brother. I will become stronger and fulfill your dream of becoming the family head."

Lucian didn't realize that after removing the thorn from his back, a nail took its place.

---

Back in the cave, Lucian had succeeded in refining his tendons, organs, and skin. The transformation in his body was greater than anything before.

He was now unrecognizable.

Only one step remained:

Merging body, soul, and dantian. In this step, he would become whole.

Usually, this stage changed a person's appearance into a more perfect form.

But strangely, Lucian had already gone through changes in earlier stages.

Now he was unsure what would happen next.

Also, this was the stage where the System would awaken, and his journey as a cultivator would begin.

Would he get the same skills as in his past life?

Now, he was about to get all the answers.