It was unknown how much time had passed, but when Luke woke up, a new light flickered in his eyes. He blinked, trying to make sense of the overwhelming rush within him. Something had changed—he had changed. It wasn't physical; it was as if layers of emotions, thoughts, and memories that weren't his own had settled within him.
Rage. Sadness. Happiness. They surged through him like waves crashing against the shore, emotions so intense they left him breathless. He gripped his chest, heart pounding as unfamiliar faces and distant places flashed before his mind's eye.
"Who were these people? These memories?"
"Are they mine?"
"What... is happening to me?" His voice trembled, echoing in the room. He wasn't just Luke from Earth anymore.
[Don't worry, host] the system's voice echoed in his mind, calm and reassuring.
[This is a natural side effect. Your soul is still weak, and it had difficulty accepting so many memories at once. You will be fine in a couple of minutes.]
Luke clutched his head, breathing heavily, trying to steady himself. The rush of emotions slowly subsided, like a storm passing, leaving him with a strange clarity. His heart no longer pounded in confusion, and the fog that clouded his thoughts began to lift. The intensity of the memories faded into the background, allowing him to finally focus.
He closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. The strange faces and places still lingered in his mind, but they no longer overwhelmed him. Now, they felt... familiar. As though they belonged to him—part of him.
The system's voice hummed softly.
[You should be able to focus now. Take your time to understand this new identity.]
Luke sat up, his breathing more controlled. His fingers relaxed, and his gaze became sharper, more in tune with his surroundings. He began to sift through the memories, like leafing through pages of a book. It was surreal—almost dreamlike. But it was also real.
"So... we have the same name?" Luke murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He hesitated. "Even the last name?"
[Yes, host] the system responded, a hint of amusement in its tone.
[To make the memories truly belong to you, I reincarnated you as a baby in this new world and sealed them until you turn eighteen.]
Luke was shocked to hear this. "Wait, so eighteen years have passed?!"
[Yes, host.]
Luke's heart raced as he processed the revelation. Eighty-two years left. That was all the time he had before one year passed on Earth.
He clenched his fists, the weight of the situation settling in. "Eighty-two years... I need to get stronger, faster," he muttered, urgency overtaking him.
The system chimed in, as if sensing his anxiety.
[Do not panic, host. You now possess the system and can use it to your advantage; your progress will be swift. Time is short, but it is manageable.]
Luke took a deep breath, letting the flood of memories settles as the last traces of dizziness faded.
He turned his attention to the world around him—or more accurately, the world he was now a part of.
This place was also called Earth, but it wasn't the Earth he had known. Twenty-five years ago, a catastrophic event had changed everything. A strange meteorite had crashed into the planet, altering it in ways no one could have predicted.
The cosmic energy released from the meteorite had mutated animals, changing them on a genetic level. They became stronger, more aggressive, and hostile toward humans.
Those beasts started attacking human cities, causing widespread destruction.
As the threat of these mutated beasts grew, nations across the globe scrambled to defend themselves. But no matter how advanced their technology, their efforts fell short.
In desperation, they resorted to nuclear weapons, hoping to annihilate the beasts in one final strike. It was a terrible miscalculation. The nuclear fallout only made things worse, turning the beasts into monstrous, mutated creatures that overran nearly all of human civilization.
"Everything... was lost," Luke whispered, his mind absorbing the devastation this new Earth had endured. Cities had crumbled, and the world was on the brink of total collapse.
But then two men had appeared out of nowhere.
"They... saved humanity," Luke muttered, piecing together the memories. These two men possessed strength that defied the natural laws of the world. With their help, humanity had been able to create safe zones—protected areas where the last remnants of civilization could survive.
Five major nations had managed to hold on, along with twenty-seven base cities scattered across the globe.
These strongholds were humanity's last stand, surrounded by walls, defenses, and warriors trained to fend off the mutated beasts.
The five major nations that had managed to survive were the United States, the European Union, India, China, and Russia.
With the guidance of those two powerful figures, more warriors had emerged—people capable of wielding the same mysterious strength that defied nature. They became humanity's shield, leading the fight against the beasts. Eventually, the five surviving nations united, forming a global human force—a coalition that fought to protect what little remained.
That force was named the United Human Force.
The symbol of new hope and unity for humanity, the United Human Force stood strong against the onslaught of mutated beasts, their warriors fighting bravely to defend their remaining territories and reclaim lost lands.
"Status."
A panel with a new addition to Luke's stats appeared in front of his face.
═════════════════════════════
{★ Luke Dawnbringer}
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Age: 18
Race: Human
Body: Oblivion Nexus Body (Locked)
Cultivation Level: None
Cultivation Technique:
★Basic Cosmic Energy Cultivation Technique [+1]
---
{★ Stats}
═════════════════════════════
Strength (Fist Power): [70 kg] (Normal Human: 50 kg)
Speed: [7 m/s] (Normal Human: 5 m/s)
Cosmic Energy: [30] | White|
---
God Points: [0]
---
{★ Skills & Abilities}
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None
═════════════════════════════
---
"At least this body is several times better than my old one," Luke thought as he examined his body stats.
Even with his memories sealed, Luke had trained hard. It seemed his dream was to become a warrior, even before his memories returned.
"I even have a cultivation technique, but it's not even a one-star technique, it's just a basic technique that everyone can get."
Luke had been diligent, pushing his body to its limits even without the memories. Though he had no cultivation level yet, his physical stats were far beyond that of an average human.
"Being a warrior..." Luke whispered. It was a goal he understood now more than ever.
The memories in his mind made him realize the importance of being strong in this world.
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