It didn’t rattle his chest. It didn’t come with searing pain or the haunting beep of monitors. It was clean—cool, like mountain air after a storm. His lungs expanded freely. His heart, that once-defective engine, beat strong in his chest like a drum announcing a second chance.
He lay on a stone altar, surrounded by overgrown vines and fractured marble pillars. Time had claimed this place. Statues half-swallowed by nature stood in silent vigil, their faces weathered but divine. Birds cawed from the trees above, and sunlight poured through cracks in the canopy, painting everything gold.
Khal sat up, breathing slowly, reverently.
He was older now—maybe twelve or thirteen? His body looked lean, youthful, with the awkward lankiness of someone growing into themselves. His hands trembled as he flexed them, testing each movement. There was no weakness. No trembling. Only the thrill of being alive.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[System Initialization Complete]
World: Lumeria – 7th Cycle
Host: Khal Dreikov
Trait Active: Heart of Becoming (Growth Type)
This soul was denied development in its original timeline. In this world, the host is granted a second life. All stats, skills, and abilities develop in relation to milestones achieved, emotions embraced, and adversity overcome. No upper limit.
A scroll of glowing text floated before his eyes. He instinctively waved his hand, and the screen responded, shifting with his focus.
[Status – Lv. 1]
HP: 60
MP: 10
STR: 3
AGI: 5
INT: 7
WILL: 10
Trait: Heart of Becoming
Title: The Reborn
Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Pulse – passively records physical trauma and adversity; once sufficient strain is recorded, a corresponding permanent stat boost or skill will manifest.
Khal blinked. “What... is this?”
He’d played games before. In his hospital bed, gaming had been one of the few escapes from the sterile white walls and the endless waiting. But this? This felt real. Every number on that status screen seemed tied to his breath, his pulse, his very existence.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He stood.
And stumbled.
Pain lanced through his leg as he twisted awkwardly on uneven stone. He fell hard, scraping his forearm against the rough altar edge. Blood beaded on his skin.
[New Stimulus Detected]
Recording physical feedback...
Threshold not yet met.
Khal hissed and sat still. “So… you want me to suffer to grow?”
The system didn’t answer. But he already understood.
No handouts. No overpowered magic dropped in his lap. Growth through experience. Earned, not given.
He looked around the ruins. Somewhere in the distance, birds shrieked—and not in song. Something was coming. Something loud. Heavy. He had no weapons. No idea where he was. And worst of all, he felt… alone.
And then a whisper.
Soft. Gentle. Almost like his mother’s voice.
“Keep breathing, Khal. Keep moving. You were never meant to stop here.”
Whether it came from memory or magic, Khal didn’t know. But it gave him the strength to rise.
He took his first steps down the vine-covered stairs, limping slightly, into the wild forest beyond the temple ruins.
Each step echoed with potential. Each heartbeat sang louder.
The world waited.
And Khal Dreikov—once denied time—was ready to fight for it.
He didn’t get far before trouble found him.
The path from the ruins wound into a thick, moss-laced forest. Every step snapped twigs or crunched fallen leaves. The light dimmed, filtered through trees so tall their tops seemed lost in another realm. Khal's legs burned. His body was untrained. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since… ever, in this life.
Suddenly, rustling.
He froze.
From a thicket to his left, a small creature emerged—a rabbit. Its ears were too long, and its eyes glowed faintly red. Strange, but not immediately dangerous.
Until it snarled.
[Warning: Feral Fangbit - Lv. 3]
Small woodland predator with heightened aggression. Do not underestimate.
Khal backed away slowly. The Fangbit crouched.
It leapt.
He threw himself sideways. Pain exploded through his ribs as he hit a tree. The Fangbit landed where he had stood and spun, charging again. Khal grabbed a thick branch from the ground and swung.
Missed.
The creature lunged. He used the branch like a spear this time, jabbing. It struck the Fangbit in the side. The creature screamed, bit his hand, but retreated.
Blood ran down Khal's arm. His heart pounded like it might explode.
[Adaptive Pulse - Feedback Threshold Met]
Analyzing trauma... Calculated Response: +1 STR, +1 AGI, Skill Acquired: Pain Memory
[Skill: Pain Memory (Passive)] – Body adapts slightly faster to damage types previously sustained.
The pain dulled. He blinked in surprise. Was this the ability working?
The Fangbit circled again.
Khal, now aware of his body's limits and newly earned edge, crouched. He wasn’t going to run.
Not anymore.
This world was brutal.
But so was the will of someone who had already died once.