He remembered the late nights.
The exhaustion.
The quiet wish:
"If I had one more chance… I'd live without fear."
Then the exhaustion turned heavier.
The heartbeats grew slow.
His head hit the table.
Darkness.
And then he was here—
Born in this world.
This continent.
This sect.
A second life.
But somehow, he'd still ended up being called trash.
A bitter smile twisted on Astra's lips as his eyes stayed closed.
Two lives. Same weakness. Same humiliation.
Is that all I am?
Something deep within him—something old, something that did not belong to weakness—shivered.
"No," he whispered to himself. "This time… I won't bow."
The air around him… changed.
Like the world leaned closer to listen.
Ding.
A clear sound rang inside his skull.
Not in the courtyard.
Not from outside.
Inside.
[Ding! Reincarnated Soul Awakening: 100%]
[Ding! Matching suitable support system…]
[Ding! Success. 'Heaven-Defying Myriad Realms System' binding to host: Astra Long.]
Astra's eyes snapped open.