In this world, there were many ways to awaken one's magic. But there were two mainstream methods.
One was to awaken naturally, just like learning to walk at the right age—in this case, you would suddenly find yourself awakening on a random afternoon. Jasper Vale was a perfect example of this, awakening his magic after sleeping.
The other was when you were practicing hard or in combat. Because of the adrenaline, your senses would heighten and you would see and notice something you wouldn't see normally.
This was Zhang Wei's current goal.
Splash!
Splashing water on his face, Zhang Wei cleansed himself and looked in the mirror. There he saw a young boy with a blend of softness and sharpness. His eyes were soft, but his eyebrows were straight, covering the softness of his eyes and making him look cold.
He got his eyes from his mother and his eyebrows from his father.
"This feels refreshing!"
Touching his wet short hair, Zhang Wei felt that all of his anger had disappeared into nothing. This made him happier—he didn't want to waste his time being angry about irrelevant people.
But anger has its uses. It reminds me what I'm fighting for.
His hand moved instinctively to his neck, fingers tracing the scar that wrapped around it like a cursed bracelet. The raised tissue was smooth now, healed but never forgotten.
My emotions earlier... they're really not like me. The original owner Ethan's emotions have affected me.
The scar was a reminder of two lives, two deaths, and one impossible second chance.
Ethan was born into a noble house where strength was everything. Magic flowed in their bloodlines. His brothers lit up the world with lightning and fire in their hands.
Everyone saw greatness and expected the same from him.
But time passed. His brothers, friends, and children his age awakened one after another. Each one filled with hopes and dreams. But he remained the same.
At first, people said it was delayed and he was a late bloomer. Then they stopped saying anything at all.
Slowly, his father's attention shifted away. His mother smiled less, and his brothers left him behind one by one. Training and going places without him.
To make up for the lack of magic, he turned to swordsmanship, hoping that he had talent in this area. But reality once again slapped him in the face and showed him what a worthless person truly was.
Every day he got smaller and smaller until he was nothing.
He didn't die because of a conflict or other reasons. Ethan died because the world had convinced him he was already dead.
To be born without talent was to be born without knowing what it felt like to be truly alive. Being born without magic was like being born without breath—alive but never really breathing.
He thought that no one would notice when he disappeared from himself.
But someone did.
Something left that day, and something else took its place.
Zhang Wei had been a young and promising man from Blue Star—a place without magic, where power came from technology and the world knew relative peace. Everyone could go to school, experience love, and travel the world.
But because he walked out of school at that specific time and in that area, his dreams and plans for life were cut short by a drunk driver's single mistake.
Life was so unfair.
He closed his eyes with regret and unwillingness on the cold, solid ground, feeling his blood leaving his body, along with the sound of panicked voices and ambulances.
And when he opened his eyes, he was blessed with a new life in Ethan's body. Zhang Wei woke up in blood, in Ethan's empty shell, the wound on his neck healing but leaving its mark forever.
Even though it was hard at the start—hiding and trembling, fearing that someone would notice that he was an imposter—he was grateful. The more he experienced life, the more he became greedy for life and wanted to live again.
Ethan wanted to end it all, but Zhang Wei wanted to live.
In the mirror, Zhang Wei saw Ethan Vale staring back—Ethan's face and Ethan's body, but behind those eyes was someone else entirely. A foreign soul from another world, slipped through the cracks when one life ended and another refused to begin.
Zhang Wei smiled at his reflection, his finger still tracing the scar.
"Rest in peace, Ethan... And I will live the life you threw away."
He had all of Ethan's memories and emotions, yet he still felt like Zhang Wei, the youth from Blue Star. Two sets of memories. Two lives. But which one was real?
Does it matter? I'm here now. This is my life now.
Maybe that's why Jasper's taunts don't hurt as much anymore. He's insulting someone who's only half here—someone who carries memories of a world where magic didn't exist, where power came from technology and knowledge rather than awakened abilities.
But those memories won't help me here. Only strength matters in this world.
He turned away from the mirror, his resolve hardening. Whether he was Zhang Wei or Ethan Vale didn't matter. What mattered was survival. What mattered was power.
And I will have it. Magic or no magic, I'll find a way.
The scar seemed to pulse with phantom pain, as if agreeing with his determination—or warning him of the price he'd have to pay.
Either way, Zhang Wei was ready to pay it.
Using another life's chance.
In front of him, the system showed itself in the void.
Name: Zhang Wei/Ethan Vale
Age: 14
Technique/Skill: Intermediate Swordsmanship (0/10)(+) Language Expert
Magic: (×) Unawakened
This was his greatest help in this new world.
Zhang Wei stared at the floating display, thinking. Instead of calling it a "system," it was better to think of it as his natural ability. When it first appeared, it felt natural—like it had always been part of him.
He had chosen to make it look like a game system because it was easier to understand that way. The simple interface made everything clear. Plus, he had always enjoyed anime with system features back in his previous life, so the design felt familiar.
Zhang Wei mentally clicked the plus sign next to his Intermediate Swordsmanship skill.
Click
A new window appeared showing what he needed to advance:
Upgrade Requirements:
• Complete 100 sessions of focused intermediate swordsmanship practice
• Defeat 10 opponents of similar strength with at least 70% personal contribution
• Understand the meaning of the sword
Zhang Wei felt his breath catch.
"What is this supposed to mean?"
Each requirement looked hard, though not impossible. The first one seemed simple enough—he could probably finish those practice sessions within a week if he pushed himself every day.
The second requirement made his stomach twist. Fighting opponents of similar strength while contributing at least 70% to the victory meant he would have to risk his life in real combat. Every battle would be life or death.
But the third condition confused him most.
"What exactly did 'the meaning of the sword' mean? I have never heard of such a thing."
"System! My talent! I need you to explain what this third condition means!"
Zhang Wei called out in his mind, hoping his ability would help.
Ding!
The meaning of the sword is a special power that develops within swordsmen based on their personality, fighting style, and personal understanding of combat. Different swordsmen develop different meanings—some focus on speed and precision, others on overwhelming power or defensive techniques. Some even learn to channel elemental forces through their sword work.
Zhang Wei read through the explanation and nodded slowly.
"I see... so it's like a special enhancement or fighting style that's unique to each person."
The information helped him understand what the "meaning of the sword" was, but it didn't tell him the most important part—how to actually develop one.
"Then how am I supposed to get this meaning of the sword?"
There was no shame in asking questions when he didn't understand something. Better to learn now than struggle blindly later.
Ding!
The meaning of the sword cannot be taught through words alone. It must be discovered through personal experience and deep thinking during combat. However, here are some guidance methods:
• Meditate while holding your sword and focus on what you want your blade to represent
• Study the fighting styles of master swordsmen and observe their unique approaches
• Face life-threatening battles where you must rely completely on your sword skills
• Think deeply about your personal reasons for wielding a sword
"It's almost the same as saying nothing," Zhang Wei complained but still studied it. No matter what, this would give him direction.
Wait! This seemed almost the same as awakening one's magic. You needed to get into a special state of understanding.
Zhang Wei was speechless. He couldn't even awaken his magic, yet here he was being asked to do another task of the same difficulty.
Shaking his head, he realized that this swordsmanship wouldn't be upgraded anytime soon. He closed the system interface and went to get dried up and head to his room for clothing.
Although he was a noble, he didn't want servants helping him with such easy tasks. And also because he didn't want others to find clues that he was different. Who knew if he would be called a spy or a demon who possessed the young master because of his slightly different behavior.
Zhang Wei began planning his next steps. The practice requirement would be his starting point since it was the safest option. One hundred focused training sessions meant he needed to be completely serious during each practice—no half-hearted swinging or going through the motions.
For the combat requirement, he would need to find opponents around his own strength level. That meant skilled ordinary people who hadn't awakened their magic, or maybe some of the stronger magical beasts in the surrounding forests.
"Tomorrow I will go to the far east mountain area," Zhang Wei thought. The east side of their territory was filled with monsters of weak strength and strange plants.
After a while, he closed the door and went toward one of the family dining areas in a large yard with green grass below and large trees lined up to provide shade.
On the far right corner under one of the largest trees, on slightly higher ground, he saw them getting ready to eat with servants coming and going with different plates containing food and drinks.
Sitting down in one of the empty seats, no one greeted him except his mother.
"Ethan, how's your training?"
A familiar voice rang out.
He turned around and saw a woman in a simple dress with black hair and soft eyes. She was looking at Zhang Wei with care and concern.
Mira Vale.
His mother was born a commoner from a humble background without even a last name. Her father was just a farmer who turned his back to the sun and faced loose earth every day to raise his family.
You would expect a dark and tired young lady from this family.
But no.
His mother's natural beauty captured Viscount Vale's eye while he was visiting the territory. Under the envious eyes of the surrounding villagers and other young ladies, she rose to noble status. Her family got the chance to live inside the city and not worry about food.
It was a life full of glory and romance in the eyes of villagers. But only those who lived it knew the truth...
"It's not bad. I improved my swordsmanship," Zhang Wei replied with a smile and continued chatting with his mother.
Suddenly a scornful voice rang out from the side.
"What is this dirty sword doing here? Who is the owner of this?!"
It was a lady with great curves showing through her dress. She had red hair in a braided bun. She had angry eyebrows and purple upper eyelids. She had a frown on her face and was looking in Zhang Wei and his mother's direction while holding an obviously clean sword in her hands.
"This bitch! I just put the sword in the corner, yet she really went out of her way to get it!" Zhang Wei's eyes narrowed.
Obviously this noble lady had beef with them. She was the first madam and the legal wife of Viscount Vale.
Compared to the others, her status was one point higher. Because she felt inferior to the other wives, she had many grievances, especially with Zhang Wei's mother and the fourth madam.
"Oh, that looks like my brother Ethan's sword. He must have forgotten to clean it after using it to cut those dirty creatures."
A voice that sounded like yin and yang rang out from the side.
It was Jasper. He was twirling his fingers around an ice toy he made. Seeing that Zhang Wei was looking, he smiled arrogantly and made another toy in his hands as if to show, "I can do it and you can't."
Another guy with an easy smile on his face echoed.
"Don't call him brother, Jasper. Our family doesn't have losers in its lin—"
Slap!
The words were cut off as Mira slapped the youth across the face, knocking him off his chair.
"Don't you dare tarnish the reputation of my husband, Viscount Vale! Are you saying that your father's genes are bad?!"
Before the others could react, Mira had already taken a solid stance.
The youth who was slapped was still on the ground in shock. He never expected to experience this at a family gathering.
"This commoner bitch!" he roared in his mind but didn't dare say it out loud.
Looking at the shocked faces around him and Jasper's gloating expression, he said inwardly.
"You dare slap me here and make me lose face in front of everyone! This isn't over!"
No matter what, this former commoner's status was a little higher than his as his father's wife. He could only swallow this insult and look for a future chance to get back at her.
"What are you doing, Mira?!"
The first madam was taken aback. She originally wanted to embarrass them, but this turn of events ruined her plan.
"I'm just teaching the fifth madam's child a lesson. He should never insult his father, no matter what!"
"As the first wife, shouldn't you handle this kind of behavior?!"
The first madam was speechless for a while.
"Even so, you shouldn't get physical. He is still a child and doesn't know what he's doing. The fifth madam will hear about this and it will ruin the family's peace."
The first madam shook her head with fake compassion and helped the young man get up from the ground.
"As an adult, you should know better than a child. That behavior is not good."
"How could he not know what he was doing?" Zhang Wei complained inwardly but didn't say anything because his father, the center of all this, was coming.
The first madam still wanted to continue the issue of the dirty sword, but seeing her husband coming, she could only throw it away and ask a servant to pick it up and put it out of the way.
Seeing that his sword was thrown like trash, veins popped up on Zhang Wei's forehead. He asked the servant who was holding it to put it back in his private training space.
"Yes, young master."
No matter how low Zhang Wei's status was, he was still above the servant level and not to be taken lightly.