Chapter 1 – Ashes Beneath the Bell Tower

"The world began anew. And so did I."

It started with pain. Not the kind you scream at, not even the kind that makes you cry.

This was the kind that hollowed you out from the inside.

The kind that felt like I was being burned, layer by layer, down to my soul. My nerves were ash, my thoughts smoke. But somehow… I was still alive.

I couldn't move.

I wasn't even human anymore.

Because I had become… an egg.

[Nirvana Flame System Activated.]

Host soul compatibility: 99.7%.

Awakening core flame…

Rebirth begins in 3… 2… 1…

I don't know how long I was trapped inside that shell. Could've been hours. Could've been years. The world was quiet. No bullies. No humiliation. No family screaming at me to "be useful."

Just heat. Just silence.

Then—

Crack.

Light pierced through the darkness. Warm. Soft. Like fire—but it didn't hurt.

My beak shattered the final layer. My claws twitched. Then wings. Feathers made of ash and ember. I was tiny, but I was alive.

I, Lin Yue, was reborn as a Phoenix.

The ruin was cold and filled with overgrowth, old vines curling through shattered walls and rusted metal. This place… was a buried part of the old world. An underground university campus swallowed by the earth during the collapse.

And above it… a shattered bell tower.

The Campus Bell—a massive golden relic said to awaken fate when rung. Forgotten now, buried in stone.

But the moment I hatched, I felt it resonate in the distance.

I spent the first few days adapting. My thoughts were clearer, sharper. My body, though small, pulsed with divine warmth. I wasn't helpless anymore.

[Nirvana Flame System: Host Status]

Species: Ashborn Phoenix (Juvenile)

Bloodline Tier: Fragmented Divine

Abilities Unlocked: Ember Wing Glide, Soul Spark, Bloodline Transfer (Locked: Requires Host Approval)

I read that again.

Bloodline Transfer?

I could… give this to someone?

But who?

My answer came crashing into me—literally.

I was gliding through the ruins when I heard it. Screams. Then silence. Then a roar.

Not human. Beast. Corrupted.

I dove into the broken halls, fire trailing behind me. The scene was chaos.

A girl—slender, in a torn sword-uniform—was curled beneath a fallen beam, blood pouring from her side. Her sword was broken. Her eyes—cold, steel-gray—stared death in the face.

Three mutated wolves circled her. Each twice the size of a man, with glowing red eyes and cracked, armored hides.

She had fought. And lost.

But she wasn't dead. Not yet.

I flared my wings. I wasn't strong. Not yet. But my instincts screamed at me.

Protect her.

Choose her.

[Bloodline Transfer: Candidate Detected.]

Name: Lian Rou

Affinity: 87%

Condition: Critical

Warning: Target will die in 3 minutes without aid.

Proceed with Bloodline Transfer? [Y/N]

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

The world burned.

My body lit up with golden flame. Feathers shed like glowing embers. I dived, hitting the ground beside her like a falling star.

The wolves howled in panic and fled.

Lian Rou gasped—but couldn't speak.

I perched on her chest, placed my claw over her heart, and channeled everything.

[Initiating Bloodline Transfer: Fragmented Divine Core → Lian Rou]

Flames danced across her skin—not burning, but cleansing. Her wounds sealed. Her shattered bones mended. Her heartbeat surged.

She arched upward, mouth open in silent scream as her veins ignited with Phoenix fire. Her cold eyes widened.

[Bloodline Transfer Complete.]

New Flame Bond Created: [Lian Rou – Flame Mark I]

Abilities Gained: Flame Root Awakening, Fire Regeneration (Passive), Phoenix Aura Blade

I collapsed beside her, my feathers dim.

But I was smiling.

Because now… I wasn't alone.

When Lian Rou woke, it was hours later.

She didn't speak at first. Just sat beneath the broken ceiling, hands shaking, watching flames trail from her fingertips.

Then she turned to me. I had reverted to a small, chick-sized Phoenix again. Her brows furrowed.

"…Are you the one who saved me?"

I bobbed my head. Sparks flicked from my feathers.

Her eyes narrowed. "…You're not just a beast."

"No," I said, speaking through the system's soul-link function. "I'm Lin Yue. Or… I used to be."

She froze. "…You can talk?"

"I'm not human anymore. But I'm not just a bird either."

She didn't ask questions. Just nodded slowly. "You saved me."

I nodded again.

She pressed her palm to her heart. A faint flame mark glowed across her collarbone, just beneath her tattered shirt.

"This… what did you do to me?"

"I gave you part of my bloodline," I said. "You were dying. You're the first person I've shared it with."

"Why me?"

"Because you didn't give up. You fought, even when you were bleeding out. And because…" I hesitated, then said, "I need someone. Someone I can trust."

Her eyes softened.

I flapped onto her knee. "I'm building something. A sanctuary. A family. Not a sect. Not a kingdom. A Guild of Nirvana Phoenix. It'll be a place where no one gets left behind. No betrayal. No backstabbing. Just loyalty."

She stared at me for a long moment.

Then she said, "What do you want me to do?"

I pointed my beak toward the distance.

"The Campus Bell of Eastern Sky University. Can you feel it now?"

She closed her eyes.

"…Yes," she whispered. "Like something pulling me. Warm."

"It's a spiritual anchor. A place where ley lines converge. If you reach it and ring the bell, the system will activate a flame seal over the region. It'll be our first base."

She clenched her fist. "What's guarding it?"

"Corrupted beasts. Undead students. The world's changed more than you think."

She stood.

"I'll reach it," she said. "For you. For us."

Before she left, I floated one final message through the link.

Mission Assigned: Activate Campus Bell and Secure Flame Domain.

Completion Reward: Flame Sigil Advancement, Territory Bond, Unlock Guild Founding Function.

She turned to me at the edge of the ruin.

"You're strange, Lin Yue," she said. "But… thank you."

I tilted my head. "For what?"

"For not letting me die like a dog in the dirt."

She smirked, a flicker of heat dancing around her.

"I'll ring that bell loud enough to wake the gods."

As her figure disappeared into the smoke, I curled back beneath the broken altar where my egg had first cracked.

The ashes were still warm.

And in the shadows, the world stirred.

To Be Continued…