Chapter 2: A Seed Beneath the Tide
Sub-Chapter 1: The System That Should Not Exist
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Lin Tianyu sat cross-legged on the thin mattress inside his small academy room. A single oil lamp flickered beside him, casting long shadows across the walls.
The Outer Academy dormitory was simple—stone floor, wooden bed, narrow window. In his first life, he had hated this place. It felt like proof of failure.
Now, it felt like an opportunity.
He closed his eyes and guided his consciousness inward.
Inside his dantian, spiritual energy flowed like a slow river. It was thin, almost fragile. The cultivation of a sixteen-year-old who had just awakened.
Floating at the center was the tiny jellyfish.
Translucent.
Soft.
Drifting gently.
If anyone else saw it, they would still laugh.
But Lin Tianyu did not look at its outer form.
He looked deeper.
He focused on the faint glow at its core.
There.
A hidden pulse.
He remembered the moment of his death. The explosion. The collapse of space. The shattering of his own core.
Something had reacted at that final second.
Not just time reversal.
Not just rebirth.
Something else.
"Show yourself," he murmured quietly.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A soft chime echoed inside his mind.
Not sound.
Not quite thought.
A presence.
Cold. Ancient. Mechanical.
A line of golden text appeared in the darkness of his consciousness.
[Heavenly Beast Resonance System Activated]
Lin Tianyu's eyes snapped open.
The golden text remained, floating in front of him—visible only to him.
He stared at it.
In his previous life, there had been no system.
No guiding voice.
No golden text.
He had relied only on knowledge and instinct.
"System…" he whispered.
The word felt strange.
The golden text shifted.
[Host Identified: Lin Tianyu]
[Beast Identified: Sealed Origin Entity]
[Resonance Level: 1%]
His breathing slowed.
Resonance.
Not cultivation level.
Not beast rank.
Resonance.
He looked inward again.
The jellyfish floated quietly, unaware—or perhaps fully aware.
"What are you?" he asked softly.
Another line appeared.
[Origin Entity Classification: Unknown]
[Seal Layers: 9]
Nine seals.
In his previous life, he had only broken three before being betrayed.
His heart beat slightly faster.
"So it's real," he murmured.
The system was not loud.
It did not speak.
It simply displayed.
He focused on the words "Resonance Level: 1%."
"How do I increase it?"
A pause.
Then—
[Emotional Synchronization Required]
[Mutual Trust Required]
[Forced Evolution Discouraged]
Lin Tianyu's lips curved slightly.
In his first life, he had done the opposite.
He had forced.
Demanded.
Driven it forward with ambition.
And paid the price.
This time would be different.
He extended his consciousness gently toward the jellyfish.
"I won't rush you," he said within his soul.
The tiny creature pulsed once.
The golden text flickered.
[Resonance Level: 2%]
His eyes sharpened.
It worked.
Not through pressure.
Through intention.
He let out a slow breath.
This system was not a weapon.
It was a guide.
Suddenly—
Another notification appeared.
[First Resonance Milestone Reached]
[Reward Available]
A faint golden light formed beside the jellyfish.
Inside it was a small fragment—like a shard of crystal.
[Reward: Basic Neural Thread Technique]
Lin Tianyu absorbed the information instantly.
It was not a physical object.
It was knowledge.
A method of controlling the jellyfish's tendrils with precision—focusing on nerve interference instead of raw poison.
He smiled faintly.
Yesterday's minor paralysis had been instinctive.
This technique would refine it.
"Interesting," he murmured.
But as quickly as it appeared, the golden interface dimmed.
[System Entering Dormant State]
[Next Activation: Upon Major Resonance Growth]
The text faded.
Silence returned.
Lin Tianyu remained seated, thinking.
A system that responded to emotional resonance.
A beast sealed by nine layers.
Reincarnation triggered by self-destruction.
This was bigger than simple rebirth.
Much bigger.
He stood and walked toward the window.
Outside, the academy was dark.
But far in the distance, beyond the city walls, faint clouds gathered over the mountains.
He remembered those mountains.
In three months, a minor beast tide would erupt there.
Nothing world-ending.
But enough to change fates.
In his first life, he had barely survived it.
This time—
He would prepare.
—
The next morning, the Outer Academy buzzed with rumors.
"Have you heard?"
"They're forming teams for the mountain expedition!"
"It's only for Inner Academy students!"
"No, Outer Academy can join too—but only if instructors approve."
Lin Tianyu walked through the courtyard calmly.
Mountain expedition.
So it was happening earlier than he remembered.
Interesting.
Instructor Gao stood near the announcement board.
"Three days from now," Gao said loudly, "a scouting mission will head to Blackwind Mountain. Minor beast activity has increased."
Murmurs spread.
"Outer Academy students may apply," Gao continued. "But understand this—injury is likely. Death is possible."
Some students immediately stepped back.
Others looked excited.
Luo Jian scoffed loudly. "I'm going. My Razor Fang needs real combat."
His eyes slid toward Lin Tianyu.
"You probably shouldn't," he added mockingly. "Saltwater might not be available."
A few students chuckled nervously.
Lin Tianyu stepped forward.
"I'll apply."
Silence fell briefly.
Luo Jian blinked. "You?"
"Yes."
Instructor Gao studied him carefully.
"Reason?"
"Experience," Lin Tianyu replied calmly.
Gao's gaze lingered.
After a moment, he nodded. "Approved. But you follow orders."
"Understood."
As the crowd dispersed, Chen Wei grabbed Lin Tianyu's sleeve.
"Are you crazy? Blackwind Mountain has real combat beasts!"
"I know."
"You barely managed yesterday!"
Lin Tianyu looked at him steadily.
"Trust me."
Chen Wei hesitated.
Then sighed. "Fine. But if you get eaten, I'm not explaining it to your family."
Lin Tianyu gave a faint smile.
He would not get eaten.
Not this time.
—
That evening, Lin Tianyu returned to his room and sat down again.
He summoned the jellyfish.
It floated quietly before him.
He extended his hand slowly.
One thin tendril brushed against his fingertip.
A faint tingling sensation spread through his skin.
Not painful.
Just electric.
He focused on the new technique.
Neural Thread Control.
Instead of dispersing interference randomly, he visualized precise strands of energy—thin as silk—extending from each tendril.
"Try again," he murmured softly.
The jellyfish pulsed.
Its tendrils moved.
In his perception, faint threads extended outward, weaving into the air.
He directed one toward the oil lamp.
The flame flickered violently.
Then steadied.
Good.
He redirected toward his own arm.
A quick numbness spread across his wrist.
He immediately withdrew it.
Control.
That was the key.
Not power.
Precision.
Hours passed unnoticed.
When he finally stopped, sweat covered his forehead.
Resonance Level: 4%.
Slow.
But steady.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
In three days, he would step onto Blackwind Mountain.
There, among real beasts, he would test more than just technique.
He would test whether fate could truly be rewritten.
Inside his dantian, the tiny jellyfish drifted closer to the center.
And deep within its core—
A second seal trembled… just slightly.Chapter 2: A Seed Beneath the Tide
Sub-Chapter 2: Blackwind Mountain
Three days passed quickly.
On the morning of departure, the academy gates were crowded. Two instructors from the Inner Academy stood at the front, their expressions serious. Behind them waited thirty students—twenty from the Inner Academy and ten approved from the Outer Academy.
Lin Tianyu stood among the Outer group.
Luo Jian was there, arms crossed confidently. Chen Wei had surprisingly applied as well, though his face showed more nerves than excitement.
At the edge of the group stood Su Yao, calm as always. Her Moon Fox rested beside her, silver fur gleaming under the early sun.
Instructor Gao stepped forward.
"Blackwind Mountain has shown increased beast movement," he said. "Your task is simple: observe, record, eliminate minor threats if necessary. Do not go deep into the mountain."
His eyes swept across the students.
"If you encounter a mid-rank beast, signal immediately. Do not act recklessly."
Several Inner Academy students nodded confidently.
One of them—a tall boy with sharp features—smirked slightly. His beast, a Crimson Hawk, circled above.
Lin Tianyu recognized him.
Zhao Liang.
Ranked third among this year's Inner Academy talents.
Arrogant. Skilled. Impatient.
"Move out," one instructor ordered.
The group began walking toward Blackwind Mountain.
The city walls faded behind them as the path turned rough and uneven. Trees grew thicker. The air became cooler.
Lin Tianyu walked quietly, observing everything.
The sound of wind through leaves.
The direction of bird flight.
The faint fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air.
Blackwind Mountain was not dangerous on the surface. It was the deeper zones that held real threats.
But something felt… different.
The spiritual flow was slightly unstable.
He narrowed his eyes.
The Beast Calamity was still years away.
Yet disturbances were already appearing.
They reached the lower forest by midday.
"Form teams of five," Instructor Gao ordered. "Stay within sight of each other."
By coincidence—or perhaps subtle arrangement—Lin Tianyu ended up in a group with Chen Wei, Luo Jian, and two Inner Academy students: Zhao Liang and Su Yao.
An awkward silence lingered.
Zhao Liang glanced at Lin Tianyu briefly.
"The jellyfish?" he asked flatly.
"Yes."
"Hm."
That was all he said.
They moved deeper into the forest.
The ground became uneven, roots twisting across the path. Strange claw marks were visible on tree trunks.
Chen Wei swallowed nervously. "That wasn't here last year…"
Luo Jian scoffed. "Relax. Probably just a Wild Fang Boar."
Lin Tianyu crouched near one of the claw marks.
He traced it lightly.
Too sharp.
Too precise.
Not a boar.
Before he could speak—
A rustling sound exploded from the bushes.
A massive gray wolf lunged forward, eyes glowing faintly red.
"Gray Iron Wolf!" Zhao Liang shouted.
"Battle formation!" Su Yao ordered calmly.
The wolf was mid-rank.
Stronger than anything they had faced in training.
Zhao Liang reacted instantly. His Crimson Hawk dived from above, sharp talons aiming for the wolf's eyes.
The wolf twisted, surprisingly agile.
Luo Jian shouted, "Razor Fang, attack!"
The dog charged, but the wolf swatted it aside violently. Razor Fang crashed into a tree, yelping.
Chen Wei's beast—a Green Vine Sprite—sent vines toward the wolf's legs.
The wolf snapped through them easily.
Su Yao's Moon Fox released a pulse of silver light.
Illusion mist spread across the ground.
For a moment, the wolf hesitated.
Lin Tianyu watched carefully.
The wolf's red eyes flickered unnaturally.
Corrupted.
Not natural aggression.
Something was amplifying it.
"Focus on its nerves," he murmured inwardly.
The jellyfish appeared silently beside him.
Zhao Liang noticed and frowned. "Stay back if you can't contribute!"
Lin Tianyu ignored him.
He waited.
Timing.
The wolf broke through the illusion and lunged toward Chen Wei.
"Now," Lin Tianyu whispered.
The jellyfish drifted forward quickly.
Thin neural threads shot out, invisible to ordinary sight.
They brushed across the wolf's neck and spine.
The wolf froze mid-step.
Its muscles spasmed violently.
Just one second.
But that second was enough.
"Strike!" Su Yao commanded.
Her Moon Fox concentrated a beam of condensed moonlight directly into the wolf's exposed flank.
The Crimson Hawk followed with a diving slash.
The wolf roared in pain and staggered.
Zhao Liang seized the moment, channeling energy through his hawk.
A final strike pierced the wolf's shoulder.
It collapsed heavily onto the forest floor.
Silence fell.
Everyone breathed heavily.
"That… was close," Chen Wei muttered.
Zhao Liang looked at Lin Tianyu.
"You interfered."
"Yes."
The hawk user's expression shifted slightly.
"That paralysis was not coincidence."
"No."
Su Yao stepped closer to the fallen wolf.
She touched its fur lightly.
Her expression darkened.
"This energy…"
Lin Tianyu knelt beside her.
The wolf's veins were faintly black beneath the skin.
Corruption.
Exactly as he feared.
"This isn't normal," she said quietly.
"No," Lin Tianyu agreed.
Zhao Liang frowned. "What are you implying?"
Lin Tianyu stood slowly.
"Blackwind Mountain is unstable."
"That's obvious," Luo Jian snapped.
Lin Tianyu shook his head slightly.
"Not just unstable. Influenced."
Before anyone could respond—
A low, rumbling growl echoed from deeper within the forest.
Not one beast.
Many.
The ground trembled faintly.
Zhao Liang's eyes widened.
"That's not minor activity."
From between the trees, shadows began to move.
Glowing red eyes appeared one after another.
Gray Iron Wolves.
At least a dozen.
All with faint black veins pulsing beneath their fur.
Chen Wei stepped back instinctively. "We need to signal the instructors!"
Su Yao nodded quickly.
Zhao Liang raised a flare token and crushed it.
A red streak shot into the sky.
But the wolves did not hesitate.
They charged.
"Defensive circle!" Zhao Liang shouted.
The group formed quickly, beasts summoned and ready.
Lin Tianyu felt the jellyfish pulse rapidly.
Resonance Level: 6%.
Not enough.
Not yet.
But retreat was impossible now.
The first wolf lunged.
The battle exploded.
Moonlight flashed.
Vines lashed.
Claws clashed against claws.
The Crimson Hawk screeched as it sliced through fur.
But there were too many.
One wolf slipped past the defense and leaped toward Chen Wei.
Lin Tianyu moved without thinking.
"Expand."
The jellyfish rose higher.
Neural threads spread wider than before—thin strands weaving like a web.
Three wolves froze simultaneously.
Only for half a breath.
But it created space.
Su Yao's fox capitalized instantly, illusions disorienting two more.
Zhao Liang gritted his teeth. "Where are the instructors?!"
The forest air grew heavier.
The corruption in the wolves intensified.
Lin Tianyu's eyes sharpened.
This was not random.
Something deeper in the mountain was driving them.
He could feel it faintly—
A dark pulse.
Familiar.
Very familiar.
His chest tightened slightly.
This feeling…
He had felt it once before.
On the day the Beast Calamity began.
The wolves attacked again.
Stronger.
Faster.
Lin Tianyu's jellyfish trembled.
Its tendrils flickered violently.
Resonance Level: 7%.
He clenched his fist.
"Just a little more," he whispered inwardly.
If he could reach 10%—
The ground suddenly shook violently.
A deafening roar echoed from deeper within Blackwind Mountain.
All the wolves froze.
Even the corrupted ones.
Their red eyes flickered with fear.
Then—
They turned.
And fled.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Broken branches.
Blood on leaves.
Heavy breathing.
Zhao Liang lowered his hand slowly.
"What… was that?"
No one answered.
From far in the distance, the roar echoed once more.
Ancient.
Dominant.
Not a mid-rank beast.
Not even high-rank.
Something older.
Lin Tianyu stared into the depths of the forest.
His expression turned serious for the first time since his rebirth.
"That shouldn't be awake yet," he murmured quietly.
And deep within his dantian—
The tiny jellyfish trembled.
As if recognizing the roar.Chapter 2: A Seed Beneath the Tide
Sub-Chapter 3: The Roar That Should Not Exist
The forest did not return to normal.
Even after the wolves fled, the air remained heavy, pressed down by an invisible weight. Leaves trembled though there was no wind. Distant birds had gone silent, as if the mountain itself was holding its breath.
Lin Tianyu did not relax.
He slowly lowered his hand, keeping his posture calm, but his senses were stretched tight. His gaze remained fixed on the deeper forest, where shadows overlapped unnaturally and the light seemed dimmer than it should have been.
That roar had not been a warning.
It had been a declaration.
Su Yao was the first to break the silence. "Everyone, stay alert," she said softly, but firmly. "Do not lower your guard yet."
Zhao Liang nodded, his earlier arrogance gone. Sweat rolled down his temple as he scanned the trees. "That thing… whatever it was… the wolves were afraid."
"Beasts don't retreat like that," Luo Jian muttered, gripping his spear tighter. "Not unless something stronger forces them to."
Chen Wei swallowed hard. "Stronger than a pack of corrupted mid-rank wolves?"
No one answered him.
The question itself was terrifying enough.
Lin Tianyu crouched and placed two fingers on the ground. His spiritual sense spread outward in a shallow wave. The earth beneath Blackwind Mountain felt… wrong. Like a pond disturbed by something massive moving far below the surface.
A seed had already sprouted.
In his past life, this exact feeling had preceded disaster.
"Don't spread out," Lin Tianyu said calmly. "If it roars again, we retreat immediately."
Zhao Liang looked at him sharply. "You're giving orders now?"
Lin Tianyu met his gaze without hostility. "I'm giving survival advice."
Their eyes locked.
For a brief moment, Zhao Liang wanted to argue. Then he remembered the paralysis. The timing. The way the jellyfish had frozen three wolves at once.
He exhaled slowly. "Fine."
Su Yao studied Lin Tianyu quietly. Her eyes lingered on the translucent creature hovering near his shoulder.
That beast…
It was not weak.
Not even close.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The sound came from above.
Two figures descended rapidly through the trees, landing with controlled force at the edge of the clearing. Their auras rolled outward, heavy and suppressive.
Inner Academy instructors.
Instructor Gao was among them.
The moment his eyes landed on the battlefield—the broken trees, bloodstains, and torn earth—his expression darkened.
"Report," he said sharply.
Zhao Liang stepped forward immediately. "Instructor, we encountered a corrupted Gray Iron Wolf pack. At least twelve."
Instructor Gao's pupils shrank. "A pack?"
"Yes. They attacked without warning."
The second instructor, a woman with a long blade at her waist, crouched beside the corpse of the first wolf they had killed. She sliced its skin lightly and frowned at the blackened veins.
"This corruption is fresh," she said. "And unstable."
Instructor Gao's jaw tightened. "This shouldn't be happening at the outer zones."
Lin Tianyu stood quietly, listening.
The woman rose and turned to the students. "Did you sense anything else?"
Zhao Liang hesitated.
Su Yao spoke. "We heard a roar. From deep within the mountain."
The instructors froze.
"How deep?" Instructor Gao asked.
Su Yao pointed toward the darkest part of the forest. "That direction."
Silence followed.
Even the instructors' auras shifted subtly.
"That area is sealed," the woman said slowly. "Nothing there should be active."
Lin Tianyu finally spoke. "Something is waking up."
Both instructors turned to him.
Instructor Gao frowned. "Outer Academy student, mind your words."
Lin Tianyu did not flinch. "The wolves weren't hunting. They were being driven away."
The woman's gaze sharpened. "Driven… away?"
"Yes," Lin Tianyu replied evenly. "Whatever roared did not want them here."
Instructor Gao's face darkened further.
"That's enough," he said after a moment. "This mission is suspended."
Relief washed over Chen Wei's face.
"All students regroup," Instructor Gao continued. "We return to the academy immediately."
Zhao Liang nodded. "Understood."
The instructors sent out a signal flare of their own—this one white, pulsing steadily.
As they prepared to move, Lin Tianyu felt it again.
A pulse.
Not sound.
Not pressure.
But recognition.
His jellyfish trembled violently, its translucent body flashing faintly with pale-blue light.
Resonance Level: 9%.
Lin Tianyu's breathing slowed.
So close.
He placed a hand near his dantian, steadying the surge of energy. The jellyfish's tendrils curled inward, as if restraining itself.
It wanted to respond.
Whatever was deep inside Blackwind Mountain…
It was calling.
Su Yao noticed his brief pause. "Are you injured?"
"No," Lin Tianyu said quietly.
She hesitated, then asked softly, "Your beast… what exactly does it do?"
"Control," he answered truthfully. "At the nervous level."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That's… rare."
"Unknown," he corrected.
They began moving back toward the academy, keeping tight formation. The forest felt hostile now, as if watching them leave.
Halfway down the trail, another roar echoed.
This time, it was farther away.
But clearer.
Older.
The instructors stopped instantly.
Instructor Gao clenched his fists. "It's not chasing us."
"No," the woman said grimly. "It's testing its range."
Lin Tianyu's heart sank.
In his past life, that sound had been followed by bloodshed within a year.
Now it was happening earlier.
Much earlier.
As they finally exited the forest and the academy walls came into view, students from other teams were already returning, their faces pale, voices low and shaken.
Everyone had felt it.
That night, the academy sealed Blackwind Mountain completely.
Elder councils convened.
Formation arrays were reinforced.
And deep beneath the mountain—
Something ancient shifted.
In his room, Lin Tianyu sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed.
The jellyfish floated before him, calm now, its glow subdued.
Resonance Level stabilized at 9%.
He exhaled slowly.
"You felt it too," he murmured.
The jellyfish pulsed once in response.
In the darkness, Lin Tianyu opened his eyes.
A faint smile touched his lips—not of excitement, but certainty.
"They still think you're weak," he whispered.
"But heaven doesn't roar for nothing."
Outside, far beyond the academy walls, Blackwind Mountain stood silent.
Waiting.