Golden sunlight filtered through a thin morning mist, casting long shadows over the cobbled paths of the mountain town. Smoke curled from thatched chimneys, roosters cried out across rooftops, and old merchants began setting up their worn wooden stalls with the ease of ritual.
Lin Kai stepped into the light.
His robes were clean but threadbare, his posture straight but cautious. Beside him walked Shen Mei, her eyes darting nervously from house to passerby. She trailed half a step behind, unsure whether to guard him or shield him from view.
The town saw him.
And the whispers began.
> "Is that… Lin Kai?"
> "Didn't he jump off the bridge last night?"
> "Tch. Trash like him can't even die properly."
A sharp, mocking laugh cut through the quiet.
From across the street stood **Du Shan**, an outer-sect hopeful with arrogant eyes and a blade he never cleaned. He leaned against a post, arms crossed.
> "Still crawling around, rootless?"
> "Maybe next time, jump higher."
Shen Mei flinched, but Kaelen—within Lin Kai's body—barely glanced his way. His expression remained placid. Eyes calm. Unbothered.
But inwardly…
> *"Du Shan. Eighteen. Speaks with an upper-left molar gap. Sword-calloused right hand. Weak knees. Arrogance masking inferiority."*
> *"Recorded."*
---
They passed through the heart of the village without another word.
Eventually, they arrived at a modest corner shop, its faded sign swaying in the wind: **Granny Mu's Medicinals**. Herbs hung drying from the beams, the scent of burnt bark and tonic root clung to the air.
Inside, an old woman sat behind the counter, her face like cracked parchment and her gaze sharp as flint.
> "Looking for bandages, rootless?" she said flatly, not even standing.
Shen Mei stiffened. Kaelen offered a neutral bow.
> "I'd like to ask about internal herbs. Something to stabilize energy flow. For… long-term deficiency."
Granny Mu grunted.
> "What would *you* know about energy flow? No root. No resonance. Waste of a breath."
Kaelen's gaze lingered on the rows of bottled extracts. His fingers brushed the edge of a shelf. Carefully, he let a flicker of instinct guide him—seeking not with qi, but something deeper.
And there it was.
**Nine-Thread Azure Vine.**
Coiled like a serpent in glass, pulsing faintly blue. A rare vine that enhanced arcane nerve conduction and healed soul-root damage.
> *"Perfect for clearing Manavine residue."*
He asked casually, "That one. What's its price?"
Granny Mu scoffed.
> "Thirty silver. And I don't sell to dreamers."
Kaelen smiled, faint and cold.
> "Good to know."
He left without another word.
---
The walk home was quiet.
Kaelen said nothing as they passed curious children and scornful farmers. Shen Mei clutched the small pouch of herbs they *had* bought—cheap fevergrass and low-tier balmwort—and avoided his gaze.
Once inside the hut, she excused herself to the kitchen.
Kaelen sat on his bed.
He waited.
Then, he tapped the side of his vision.
> **[ Daily Quest – Incomplete ]**
> *Meditate for 10 minutes.*
> *Open 1 of the 96 Mana Meridians.*
> **Reward:** +1 Mana
His lips curled.
> *"Let's not waste time."*
He crossed his legs on the creaking mattress. Back straight. Eyes half-closed.
One breath in.
Then another.
---
> "**Merakiel's Breath.**"
A name whispered like a spell.
A technique he had devised in his past life—but discovered too late. At the **Sixth Circle**, his mana channels had been too saturated, too rigid to make use of it.
But here? In this fresh, unclaimed body?
> "Now I can."
He began the rhythm:
**Inhale through the soul-core.**
**Exhale through the mental plane.**
Let breath align with aether. Let silence echo with flow.
The air shifted.
Threads of invisible mana rippled in response. Drawn to him—not through effort, but through **design**. Gravity reversed. Stillness trembled.
And then—
A spark.
One of the 96 mana meridians within him lit up like a string catching fire.
> **[ Daily Quest Completed – +1 Mana ]**
The faint glow of the Arcane Codex hovered before him, translucent and humming with ancient energy. As the interface shimmered, Kaelen narrowed his eyes.
> "Let's see how much progress I made…"
He mentally tapped the Character tab.
---
### **[ CHARACTER ]**
* **Name:** Lin Kai
* **Race:** Human Male
* **Age:** 16
* **Spiritual Root:** None
* **Cultivation Realm:** None (Mortal)
* **Sorcerer Layer:** None
---
### **[ PSYCHIC ]**
* Ultimate Mage Psychic
* Rootless Psychic
---
### **[ TECHNIQUE ]**
* Merakiel's Breath
---
### **[ STATS ]**
* Strength: 2
* Defense: 1
* Speed: 1
* Mana: 11
* Qi: 0
* Mana Meridians: 1/96
---
Kaelen's eyes lingered on the last line.
> "One out of ninety-six…" he murmured under his breath, leaning back slightly. "I have a long way to go."
He folded the interface away and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
> "If I had enough gold, I could buy the Nine-Thread Azure Vine… cure this Manavine Illness faster…"
His fingers tapped against his knee as if counting time. Then, with a short breath, he stood and called out:
> "Shen Mei. Come here for a moment."
The door creaked, and the girl stepped in hesitantly, wiping her hands on her apron.
> "Yes, Young Master?"
Kaelen turned to her, his tone casual, almost aloof.
> "Did I leave behind any money? Before… the incident."
Shen Mei blinked. Her face flushed slightly.
> "Y-Yes. Actually… you gave it to me. All of it. Just before that night."
Kaelen raised a brow.
> "And you didn't spend it?"
> "No!" she said quickly, eyes wide. "I-I didn't dare. I was keeping it safe, in case you… in case you came back."
A long pause passed between them. Kaelen tilted his head, studying her. This girl had stayed loyal when the rest of the world had spat on Lin Kai's name.
> "How much was it?"
She looked away, embarrassed.
> "T-Ten gold coins…"
Kaelen's eyes widened ever so slightly. He exhaled through his nose.
> *Ten gold coins… in this economy?*
He recalled the coin standards from his previous world and muttered to himself.
> "One gold is… what, a hundred silver?"
Shen Mei nodded.
> "Yes, Young Master."
Kaelen stared into space for a moment.
> *This body… was richer than I thought.*
His voice returned to its normal, composed cadence.
> "Let me borrow one. Just one."
> "I-I can bring all of it if you need—"
> "No," he interrupted gently. "Just one. That's enough for now."
She bowed quickly and vanished from the room.
Moments later, she returned and held out a single gleaming gold coin with both hands, head bowed.
Kaelen took it with a faint nod.
> "Tomorrow, we're going back to Granny Mu's store."
Shen Mei looked puzzled.
> "Why? That vine… it's not something someone like you—"
He cut her off with a quiet smirk.
> "You'll see."
He turned toward the window, watching the last threads of sunlight dip behind the mountain. His fingers curled around the coin.
> "Nine-Thread Azure Vine, hmm? Let's see how many threads I can awaken before the rest of this world even realizes I'm not the same man they buried."