CHAPTER ONE
REBORN
I hate snakes!
Shai detested most reptiles, however, her repulsion towards those legless slithering creatures with scaly skin was on a completely different level.
Snakes were natural predators. Even the venomless ones could evoke the feeling of dread and unease merely through their undulating motion. Then there were the beady slit eyes, forked tongue, and sharp fangs—that could inject deadly venom into its victim—all bore disconcerting features of the creature.
Regardless of what the most avid serpent enthusiasts claim, you see a snake, you run. That was exactly what Shai did when she encountered the snake, sadly for her, she wasn't nearly fast enough.
Damn. It killed me!
That was the reason behind all her conspicuous hatred of snakes.
Even in death, the memory of the little white snake biting her remained fresh in her mind. It hadn't been a swift death either. The prolonged, excruciating pain added another misery to her regretful life.
In her mind, she witnessed her entire life in reverse, from the agony and injustice of her death to the events leading up to it.
Slowly, even that memory faded in her mind as Shai moved closer to the unknown. Towards the immense, endless. . . Nothing.
She had no words to describe where she was drifting, too powerless to maintain coherent thoughts. Eventually, she descended into Nothing for her eternal slumber. That was what she thought. . .
Until a blinding light crashed into her abruptly, wrenching the most indignant raw, primal scream out of her. It rekindled all the regret and indignation she had experienced in life. The excruciating pain of losing her life flooded back, accompanied by a growing sense of restlessness.
The light dissipated, leaving Shai to lament in complete darkness.
Am I not dead? Or is this the afterlife?
There was no one to clear her confusion. Only her and the endless darkness.
Shai couldn't feel her body anymore, darkness claimed it, yet her mind seemed to work. . . Well, she couldn't say her mind was fine, as she couldn't fathom how deranged the darkness was making her. Eventually, darkness claimed her deranged mind too, as Shai fell into a slumber.
An eternity later, Shai awoke again. Well, it probably wasn't an eternity, but she sure felt like it. Unlike before, she was different now, as if something strange had enveloped her protectively in its embrace. Though she couldn't pinpoint it, a peculiar, fuzzy sensation spread throughout her being.
Am I dead or not? She questioned, infuriated.
Can't you get it over with?
A silence.
Shai spent an unimaginable amount of time with only darkness in her company. There was a growing sense of coldness, too. It was always slumbering and waking up to find herself in the darkness.
After waking for the ninth time in the darkness, Shai discovered she had been looking elsewhere when salvation was within her. Despite the darkness obscuring her vision, Shai found a strong sense of life within her. It listened to her call, soothing her growing restlessness as she spent an unimaginable amount of time fostering the life force.
The power grew, but there was no stopping her agitation anymore. Even a child would get bored out of his favourite toy, provided enough time. While Shai wasn't a child, she had a limit to her composure as well.
Eventually, she called upon the power, as sparkles of light coalesced in her mind's eye. Within a moment, she found herself warming up, the power building within her. After a couple more seconds, Shai felt uneasy holding onto the power, yet she felt she couldn't release her control of the power the same way. Intuitively, she was aware she had done something wrong that could harm her dearly.
What to do? Whattodo? Whattodo?
Shai's choices were limited. It was either releasing the built-up power within her, which would harm her in ways she wasn't aware of, or trying to cast the power out of her. Shai would be a fool if she chose the former.
With the decision made, Shai tried to jerk away, flinging the power out of her.
A sharp tinge of pain assaulted her being, and suddenly, a shimmering light flickered in her mind's eye. No, not in her mind's eye.
Bars of sunlight streamed through cracks, her energy created in the darkness, as she attempted to move her arms, only to discover no response. Shai tried to vocalise her indignation, but only a faint hissing sound escaped her mouth. Her body convulsed, uncomfortably trapped in a confined space. Shai wriggled, desperate to break free from her predicament.
Flashes of a golden shimmer clouded her vision shortly, twisting into something Shai barely recognised. Alongside these visuals, an undeniably impressive elderly voice spoke directly into her mind.
[Congratulations, you have transcended time and space.]
[Terminating emergency system protocol.]
The voice was ancient, like expressing a divine decree, though completely indifferent as if stating a mere fact.
Wait, shouldn't my focus be on what he is saying?
Well, Mr Goodman, would you mind reiterating all of this?
[Congratulations, you have successfully hatched.]
[Congratulations! You have received the lesser blessing of Kismet. +5 All attributes]
Wait, what!?
[Welcome to Shattered Twilight, Hatchling.]
I didn't die after that venomous snake bit me? Wait, hatchling?
A grim premonition washed over her.
No, please don't tell me.
While she was amazed at being alive and all, nothing made sense to her, and the growing sense of distress panicked her.
No, no, no, she tried to continuously shout, but all that emerged was the hissing noise.
What happened to me?
The surrounding space continued to tremble as she lurched uneasily. Eventually, the tiny space cracked open, flooding her sight with blinding sunlight, and Shai finally discovered what had transpired.
I'm a snake! she screamed. Once again, no words escaped her lips, only an eerie hiss. No matter how many times she glanced at herself, the sight of a little white snake coiling on the grass didn't change.
Shai couldn't comprehend her current predicament, the sheer incredulity of the situation overwhelmed her. The shimmering transparent texts were only adding to the confusion.
People don't reincarnate after death. Or do they? Even if they did, they don't retain their memory.
The abnormality of her situation was unlike anything Shai had ever experienced. It challenged her understanding of the familiar world she knew. This was too much for a novice inscriber like her.
[Initiating system protocol...]
The voice interrupted her contemplation. Shai tried to scream again, this time more out of exasperation.
Gah!
After venting a little, she collected her thoughts and decided to assess her situation.
So, I'm a snake. Am I experiencing any cognitive difficulties? Most reptiles were severely limited in their cognitive abilities. Shai was certain they were incapable of processing coherent thoughts like she was doing now.
Was she somehow different? Could she be one of those spiritual entities?
Well, I don't feel particularly foolish, she thought,
aside from my usual foolishness. Perhaps I retained my intelligence in this rebirth. Or could it be that I am incapable of recognising my diminished mental capacity?
That would be a cruel joke—cheating death only to become a witless creature.
Perhaps she was simply insane, and all of this was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. But a snake? Seriously, brain? Couldn't you have chosen something better?
[Preparing status page . . .]
What now?
_____________
| Shai | | | |
| Rank: Foundation | Path: Hatchling Level 1 | | |
Concept
None. | Mark
Fatemarked. Blessed by Kismet (Lesser) | | |
| Attributes | | | |
| Cosmic Energy (R): 140 (14) | | | |
| Primary Attribute | Base | Benefit | Total |
| Physique | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Mind | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Soul | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Recovery | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Secondary Attribute | Base | Benefit | Total |
| Strength | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Speed | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Perception | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Immunity | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Free Secondary Points: | 1 | | |
Special Attributes
Insight: 11
Will: 6
Fortune: 12 | | | |
[Abilities]
Poison Affinity - Level 1
Golden Eyes (Latent) | | | |
[Skill / Spell / Technique]
Meditation - Level 2 | Cosmic Energy Manipulation - Level 1 | | | |
[Boon]
Danger Detection | Inventory | Lingual Comprehension | Loot. | | | |
Remark
I'm only a Level 1 Hatchling
[System Log] | | | |
____________
She recalled the time she was recruited for the inscribing job. Magic wasn't rare where she was from, and even more so to a novice inscribed like her. Yet she never heard of or encountered anything like this, but that didn't make it impossible.
Maybe she wasn't insane or imagining things, and all of this was real?
But why a snake?
Shai was torn between celebrating her new life and lamenting the fact that she had transformed into the creature she despised the most.
Well, it's better than dying, I suppose.
Shai recollected her own death and what followed. It was an experience she found unpleasant to relive or even contemplate. To avoid dwelling on the agonising memory, she shifted her focus to the status page before her.
Shai sucked a deep breath through her tiny nostrils and mouth, unsure of how to interpret the system. The concept of cultivating vital energy wasn't foreign to her, even though she was told she lacked the spark to try. But this expanded her horizons in a whole new way.
It felt peculiar to see shimmering text running across her vision. The system provided a comprehensive breakdown of her being. While she recognised most of the terms, she wouldn't mind having a better explanation.
First came the primary attributes, encompassing the four fundamental aspects of a being. She scrolled through the secondary and special attributes, all described in familiar terms and accompanied by numerical values.
Unfortunately, Shai lacked a frame of reference to determine whether her stats were impressive or mediocre. In fact, they seemed rather lacklustre to her. She was taken aback by the fact that her Will attribute was barely at 6; 1 if she excluded the blessing by the Kismet person. Shai couldn't recall being weakwilled, well, not so low that it would warrant only a single point.
With that, she returned her gaze to the top of the page where the numerical value of Cosmic Energy was imprinted.
I can cultivate now, right?
With a thought, she felt the familiar energy within her, the same energy that accompanied her in the darkness. Without a second thought, she called upon the power as she did to break the egg somehow. It grew within her life before, and like before, an uneasy expression developed on her features. She had to get the power out of her system again, or she might injure her baby form.
Shai jerked her head as the power gushed out of her mouth in a swift motion to strike the lush grass, creating a small hole in the ground.
Whoa! What did I do?
[Would you like to learn the skill, Energy Dart]
Yes...? Shai thought hesitantly.
[Energy Dart will cost 1 Insight Point. Please confirm the purchase.]
[Accept | Decline]
Shai looked at the prompt suspiciously for some time and accepted it with a thought. A raw surge of pressure overwhelmed her the very next moment, rendering her squirming on the ground. A flood of information and insight on how to manipulate Cosmic Energy came to her mind as if branding her being somehow that she would never forget.
[Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Energy Dart.]
[Energy Dart: Level 1
Attacks with a sharp semi-corporeal projectile of Cosmic Energy.
Cosmic Energy cost: 2-10 points. ]
The elderly voice spoke to her as Shai thanked him or it after getting a hold of herself. Now, it was time to check out her skill.
Shai spent a few moments to calm herself and followed the way the skill directed her to channel her Cosmic Energy. It was much smoother and safer now as she was able to gush the transparent and semi-corporeal dart out of her mouth at will. She aimed the Energy Dart at one of the towering trees around her and shot, jerking her head.
Delight spread within her as she peered into the hole in the bark of the tree. It was merely a couple of fingers deep, but that didn't stop Shai from wiggling her head in glee.
Yes, I'm a cultivator now! Father would be so proud.
Shai felt eager to explore more of her abilities, but it wouldn't be wise to do so openly. After all, she was a powerless little snake with average attributes.
Furthermore, she had no idea where she was. She turned her head left, right, and in every direction, surveying her surroundings. She found herself surrounded by towering trees with thick trunks, while the ground brimmed with vibrant green grass and dry leaves. The cheerful songs of birds heralded the dawn of a new day.
Despite the chilliness in her blood, Shai was captivated by the sky. Unlike the familiar blue sky with drifting clouds, the sky now showcased a breathtaking array of colours. A halo of greenish blue, gold, and yellow swathed the sun as it rose.
As she gazed upon the picturesque surroundings, she wondered where such a utopia could truly exist in the world. However, she knew the chances of that were slim. She recalled a message she had heard upon hatching, which welcomed her to a place called Shattered Twilight.
Shai opened the system again, and as the wall of transparent light emerged in her consciousness, the strange text—she had never learned, yet still could understand—blurred her vision. She deliberately pondered whether there was a way to access past logs, hoping it would guide her once more.
To her surprise, the system responded to her focused thoughts, providing her with the information she sought.
[System log]
[...]
[Congratulations!...]
[Welcome to Shattered Twilight.]
Shai let out a breath. She was right, but that realisation didn't make her feel any better. It seemed she was far away from home.
Home? She couldn't help but shake her head at that wistful notion. Abruptly, her stomach growled loudly, interrupting her thoughts. She was hungry, starving even, as if she hadn't eaten anything for eternity.
Shai was taken aback by her newfound hunger. It seemed to be a change that accompanied her new form. Despite being only a small snake, she felt as though her stomach was a bottomless pit.
Shai tried to let out a sigh, but her tiny snake body made it difficult. She couldn't see herself getting used to this constant sense of hunger.
[Quest: Eat until you're full.
You found yourself in an unfamiliar, mysterious land, after hatching. As a newborn snake, your first duty is to secure food. Since you retained most of your memory, you should have some ability to collect your own food.
Clearance Conditions: Consume food until you are fully satiated. Bonus: Gather food for the upcoming days.
Time Limit: 12 hours.
Rewards: A sense of contentment.
Penalty: None.]
Looks like I'll have to hurry a little, she thought. She had no problem finding contentment as the reward for her mission, though this quest felt unsettling. Letting out a sigh, which sounded no better than a hiss, she began to move. But alas! She had no legs.
Even though her new body had its own instincts, her mind made it difficult to navigate. Her mind was still registering her as a human. Sighing inwardly, she resigned herself to following her instincts. Slowly, Shai took the first step on her new journey—or rather, the first crawl, as a snake would perceive it.
Shai crept through the forest, shuffling through dry leaves and lush grass. Undoubtedly, she was unaccustomed to crawling, but after practising for a few minutes, she became surprisingly adept at it. All she had to do was rely on her instincts, and it seemed natural for her to be a snake.
It seemed her Danger Detection boon was an instinctual skill as well. Moreover, the system was helping her process what she was detecting around her. It wasn't anything detailed, but it enabled Shai to have a rudimentary idea of the surrounding area in a 3d map.
At first, the three-dimensional model messed up her reptile brain, unable to figure out even the directions they were indicating. Good thing she learned geometry. After a few minutes of contemplation, along with more tests and failures, Shai got a better handle on it.
She believed this boon to be a lifesaver. Though it might seem like a small thing now, in the unknown and dangerous place she was in, the use of this boon would be immense. It was like an inferior version of the Spiritual Sense ability, but always active without much effort on her part, although she noticed that it drew energy from her Cosmic Energy pool.
A minor inconvenience for the sake of her safety.
All Shai had to do was move around, and the boon would somehow detect the lifeform in its scope. It indicated her with a green dot, and most other things in different shades of yellow.
She hadn't fully analysed its capabilities yet, such as how quickly it refreshed with changes and what those shades of colour indicate. Currently, its scope covers a radius of about two hundred metres, enough distance for her to hide if she notices anything approaching at a swift pace.
Presently, Shai crept towards the few yellow targets on the complicated model that swirled in her mind's eye according to her movement. She looked around suspiciously, but after searching for a couple of minutes, found nothing in the vicinity.
The model wasn't wrong, she had already checked its credibility. It was possible that the creatures were utilising some form of veiling or stealth ability.
That thought made Shai more cautious as she gathered a small amount of Cosmic Energy inside her mouth. With only three creatures marked in yellow, she believed she could handle them if she remained attentive.
It could escape her eyes, but not Danger Detection.
Just as she was cautiously investigating the area, a shadow of a figure lunged at her abruptly. The movement was swift, but Shai quickly twisted her head, releasing a flare of condensed Cosmic Energy from her mouth, which struck the shadow before it could come within a metre radius of her.
The creature recoiled, and Shai promptly shot another Energy Dart to ensure her safety.
[You have killed a Giant Hamster (Foundation), Level 2.]
A hamster? She was cautious of a mere hamster all this time? Even if they were half a metre tall and weighed ten times her own weight, they were still just hamsters.
I'm really growing foolish in this snake form, she thought, and easily located the remaining hamsters, using the detection model.
The two remaining hamsters lunged at her simultaneously, as if seeking revenge for their fallen companion or simply acting out of their inherent stupidity. Probably the latter. These creatures lacked any sense of camaraderie; all they cared about was filling their stomachs. Ironically, Shai could relate to that sentiment to some extent now.
Her snake form swiftly dodged the attack from the front, while she gathered another Energy Dart in her mouth. Though her snake form possessed some venom, Shai hadn't tested its output. Then again, in this situation, there was no need to rely on poison when Energy Dart would suffice.
Shai released the dart, slinging the hamster away. Only one of them remained now. The giant hamster squeaked as it continued to chase after the little snake.
Shai twisted and turned, skilfully manoeuvring through the dry leaves and lush grass. She was faster than she had initially assumed in this form. With the intention of assessing her physical capabilities, she braced herself and coiled swiftly, preparing for a sudden lunge towards the giant hamster.
Shai's tiny snake head rammed against the creature's neck without holding back even the slightest bit. Her powerful tackle almost effortlessly pierced through the hamster's neck, resulting in a spray of dark scarlet blood that stained the air.
These notifications appeared conveniently in the corner of her vision when she was unoccupied.
[You have killed a Giant Hamster (Foundation), Level 4.]
[You have killed a Giant Hamster (Foundation), level 2.]
Well, she thought,
that was easy.
Shai couldn't deny that she had severely underestimated her new form. Perhaps her attributes weren't as low as she thought.
Yet more than being delighted, she was repulsed by the filth staining her body. Frantically jerking her body, she attempted to rid herself of the disgusting blood.
Shortly, an unsettling sensation coursed through her being, causing her to stop wiping.
[Congratulations! You have reached Hatchling Level 2. +1 Strength, +1 Speed, +1 Perception, +1 Immunity, +1 Free Secondary Attribute points.]
[Congratulations! Energy Dart has reached Level 2.]
The notification regarding the skills didn't elicit a strong reaction from her, but the level-up one did. Shai's beady eyes widened at the prompt.
What about the primary attributes?
But the elderly, Mr Goodman, was elusive as always, not answering her question.
Shai turned her snake head towards the lifeless hamster corpse and checked on the danger detection model in her mind's eye, making sure there were no other threats nearby. Her stomach growled, reminding her again of hunger. Now it was time to satiate that hunger.
Just the thought of devouring raw meat made Shai's stomach convulse and churn, though that could just be her hunger. To make matters worse, it was the flesh of these filthy hamsters. While she was sure she would have no trouble digesting raw meat, the idea of consuming it in its uncooked, contaminated state was hard to bear. Unfortunately, the hunger was something she couldn't endure for long.
Xawery's foul breath! She cursed and approached one of the hamsters.
Here goes nothing, she muttered to herself, then jerked her head forward to bite into the flesh. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any repulsion from consuming the raw meat, other than her initial disgust.
I truly am a reptile now. The realisation twisted her stomach even further.
[Will you like to Loot the corpse of Giant Hamster.]
[Accept | Decline]
The familiar transparent text once again appeared in her consciousness, reminding her that she hadn't checked out all her boons yet.
Shai grimaced, or rather, did the mental equivalent of it. Would looting the corpse take away her meal? With two more corpses at her disposal, she found no harm in finding out.
She confirmed her decision with a mental command. Soon, the half a metre-long corpse dissipated into mist and smoke, as if it were nothing more than an illusion.
Shai had experienced a fair share of bizarre and strange encounters, being a pupil of the Academy, but this development surprised her greatly.
What in the world. . .
[2 Lesser Red Cosmic Coins have been added to your inventory.]
[Purified giant hamster meat has been added to your inventory.]
Cosmic coins for killing beasts? Shai's eyes fixated on the dissipating mist, anticipating the appearance of the coins, only to be greeted by a pungent odour that permeated the air.
She forgot that she had a built-in spatial storage, not that she knew how such a thing was possible. She had experienced too many surprising things after hatching, she wouldn't be surprised anymore. Shai accessed her inventory by going through the system menu to retrieve both the coins and the purified meat.
In the blink of an eye, a couple of translucent red coins dropped before her eyes, accompanied by the purified meat. However, Shai's attention was solely captivated by the coins. She scrutinised them meticulously, searching for any flaws. These were genuine spirit coins, without a doubt. They were a specialised variation, decorated with the symbol of an ouroboros consuming its own tail on both sides. But they felt more real than the few times she held spirit coins in her past life in the academy.
Shai had no knowledge of how these coins were crafted, but she was well aware of their significance to practitioners. Cultivation, the process of circulating and accumulating Cosmic Energy, was the key to purifying Cosmic Energy and elevating one's rank. However, this couldn't be accomplished by simply circulating Cosmic Energy all day. That's where spirit coins came into play—they were nothing less than the condensation of pure worldly energy, the most essential resource for growth.
There were various other variations of these coins, distinguished by their higher quality and concentration of worldly energy. Copper, iron, silver, gold. As far as Shai knew, only Gold Rankers possessed the ability to create such spirit coins. There were some constructs designed for mass production, but even those required the expertise of gold rankers.
Yet, this boon was effortlessly producing spirit coins with a mere prompt, even if they were of the lowest quality. It was truly astonishing. If the system continued to provide resources aligned with her rank, perhaps her journey would be smoother than she had anticipated.
[Would you like to absorb 2 lesser red coins?]
[Accept | Decline]
"What?!" Shai's mind was filled with bewilderment at the unexpected prompt. Startled, Shai accepted the prompt, staring at the coins in anticipation, waiting for something remarkable to unfold. Li
Like what happened to the corpse, the red coins dispersed into wisps of red mist as they travelled into her body. A surge of energy enveloped her entire being as Shai aided it with the circulation of her Cosmic Energy. Her body heated up at that very moment, as the power coursed through her. Then, everything returned to normal.
The process lasted only a dozen or so seconds, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of improvement once it concluded.
[Physique: 11(11.1)]
[Physique: 11(11.2)]
If Shai had eyelids, she would have blinked at this. It seemed the red coins didn't grow her power, but simply accumulated within her body. Shai felt a little stupid for thinking everything would be automatic. She had to cultivate after all. Anyhow, this answered how she would grow her primary attributes.
No matter how generous this system might seem, it couldn't simply make her all-powerful by hunting a few hamsters.
However, absorbing the coins didn't resolve her issue of hunger. On the contrary, it intensified her appetite. Fortunately, she had the purified meat with her to satiate her growling stomach.
Though the meat remained raw, it appeared more appetising than before. Without hesitation, she devoured every bit of it.
That solves one problem, she mused.
Yet, the alarming thing was that she still felt hungry. With a sigh, Shai approached the remaining two corpses to loot and feast upon. In total, she earned 4 lesser red spirit coins from the spoils, which seemed to have only been capable of increasing her Physique.
As far as she was aware, the process of cultivation had been entirely manual. They had to circulate her Cosmic Energy after consuming a spirit coin, and over time, her attributes would gradually increase. The duration varied, ranging from hours to days, depending on the quantity and nature of the attributes.
After devouring another part of the purified hamster meat, Shai felt her hunger satiated, though it was only the beginning of her ravenous appetite. She stowed away the last part of the meat into the inventory and departed from there.
Now that her hunger was satiated, it was time for her to cultivate.
Perhaps I should dig a hole and hide.
