Shìjiè Míngxīng's Perspective
My third birthday was fast approaching, each day a turning leaf in the rudimentary calendar of this peaceful village. Childhood. It was a strange parody for my millennial mind, a role I played with forced patience. I had learned to crawl, then to stand, tottering like a little disjointed puppet. Every fall was a humiliation for my strategic mind, accustomed to martial perfection. But my parents' laughter, Xiao Chou's encouragement, Xiao Wang's powerful arms catching me, transformed these moments of weakness into sweet lessons of love. I babbled, I spoke my first words, clumsy syllables that filled my parents with boundless joy.
"Mama," "Papa," "Star." Yes, my name, Shìjiè Míngxīng. They called me their "little star," their "celestial miracle."
Starcold Village was a cocoon. Days flowed with the smell of freshly baked bread and the hot metal from my father's forge. I observed everything. Every detail of the villagers' lives, every expression on my parents' faces. My mind, like a bottomless well, absorbed. I analyzed their routines, their simple conversations, the way they interacted with their environment. The raw beauty of the mountains, the gentle wind in the wheat fields, the murmur of the nearby stream – it was a striking contrast to the noisy cities and blood-soaked battlefields of my past life. This simplicity was a gift, a reprieve before the real work began.
I sensed my parents, beings of average power in this world, and yet, they had chosen this simple, hidden life after so many unsuccessful attempts to have a child. Their love for me was palpable, a golden bubble around my being. And I knew, with growing certainty, that their safety would be my first, my only true mission.
And then, the day arrived. My third birthday. The morning light filtered through our small bedroom window, caressing the prism tattoo on my arm. This small triangle, so discreet, so innocent in my parents' eyes. For me, it was the seal of my promise, the constant reminder of the Being of Light and my vows. I woke with a strange sensation, a thrill of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness. Today. It was today.
I sat up in my cradle, my small hand exploring the prism on my forehead. And that's when it happened. Not an explosion. Not a blinding flash. Just a gentle warmth that radiated from the mark, spreading throughout my small body. A sensation of awakening, as if billions of connections lit up simultaneously in my mind. And then, the voice. Not the cosmic, omniscient voice of the Being of Light, but a different voice, synthetic, yet strangely familiar, that resonated directly in my mind.
[System Sys activated. Welcome, Host.]
That was it. The Support System. The fourth wish, finally realized. My heart, my little baby heart, pounded. A smile, a real smile, not a forced baby smile, stretched across my face. My parents were still asleep, but my world had just changed.
[Host analysis complete. Name: Shìjiè Míngxīng. Age: 3 years old. Martial Soul: Divine Aries Armor (unawakened). Perfect compatibility.]
Perfect compatibility. It made sense. I had chosen this path.
[Accessing wish information:]
[1. Innate Domain: Inactive. Requires martial soul awakening.][2. Soul Ring: Inactive. Requires first soul beast hunt.][3. Gold Saint Techniques: Active. Data downloaded. Requires martial soul awakening and soul ring acquisition.][4. Support System (Sys): Active. Full access.]
The information flowed into my mind, clear, concise. The language was that of an interface, a program, but the data was of crucial importance. My innate domain was already there, somewhere. The Gold Saint techniques, which I had desired so much, awaited me. But all of this was linked to my martial soul.
[Question: Would you like to start the Sys tutorial?]
Yes, I thought, my mind buzzing with excitement. Absolutely.
[Sys Tutorial: Phase 1 - Understanding your environment.][This world is known as Douluo Dalu. The main energy is soul energy. Every individual is endowed with a martial soul, but only those with innate power can cultivate this energy and become Soul Masters. Soul beasts are beasts whose strength increases with age and can confer soul rings upon their death.][Your martial soul will awaken at the age of 6, during the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.][Your prism tattoo is the receptacle of your power and the anchor point of Sys. It is invisible to the uninitiated, appearing as a simple birthmark. Only very high-level Soul Masters or divine beings could perceive its true nature.]
[Sys Tutorial: Phase 2 - Your potential.][Your martial soul, granted by the Being of Light, is linked to constellations and stars, a concept not yet exploited on this star. It possesses affinities with crystal, fire, lightning, and spirit attributes, as well as a natural affinity with stellar light.][Furthermore, your soul is linked to a latent power, the "Stellar Realm," which is your Innate Domain. Its awakening is linked to obtaining your fourth soul ring.][Your potential is limitless. The Gold Saint techniques are designed to be integrated into your martial soul, multiplying its power tenfold.]
[Sys Tutorial: Phase 3 – System functionality.][My main mission is to guide you in choosing your rings and provide you with the necessary methods to obtain your soul bones, evolve your martial soul, and for any other needs.]
[Sys Tutorial completed. Welcome to your new life, Shìjiè Míngxīng. I am at your full disposal for any questions.]
I could feel the warmth of the prism on my forehead, a soft constant. My mind had expanded, but my body remained that of a three-year-old child. The dissonance was strange, but I would get used to it. I was no longer just Frost, the wandering soul. I was Shìjiè Míngxīng, the World Star. My goal was clear: to leave my mark on this world and make a name for myself. And my parents, my new family, would be the foundation of it all.
I heard my mother wake up, a soft sigh. The first rays of morning sun filled the room. I turned to her, and with conscious effort, I let an innocent baby smile appear on my face. The secret was safe, for now.
Xiao Chou's Perspective
I woke with a soft sigh, the morning light beginning to gild the walls of our small house. Another day in Starcold Village. Another day with my precious Shìjiè Míngxīng. My heart swelled with love and gratitude.
Three years. Three years since our little star had been among us. Every day was a gift, a renewed miracle. I turned towards my son's cradle. He was already sitting up, eyes wide open, staring at the beam of light passing through the window. He had a small smile on his face, a smile so innocent, so pure.
My path as a Soul Master, with my "golden ram" martial soul and my level, had just broken through to Level 50, that of a Soul King. I couldn't help but smile; fear, fear had driven me far, very far, forcing me to take refuge in the simplicity of the village. But after so many false joys, so many broken hearts, Xiao Wang and I had chosen to retire here. The pain of not having a child haunted me, preventing me from breaking through, but now it was different. We had given up glory, power, for one single dream: that of a child. And heaven had granted us Shìjiè Míngxīng.
I gently got up, making sure not to wake Xiao Wang. Seeing him sleep peacefully, his face usually so marked by work at the forge, was less so now. He had been a rock through our trials, and now he was the most loving father imaginable.
I approached the cradle, my hands outstretched. My son extended his small arms to me. His laughter, a crystalline sound, filled the room. I lifted him, holding him close. His small body was warm, full of life. I kissed his forehead, where his "birthmark" was, his little triangle that reminded us of the starry night of his arrival. He looked so joyful this morning, so lively.
"My little Shìjiè Míngxīng is already so big," I murmured, my heart overflowing. "Three years old, and you already talk like a grown-up!" He had such a keen intelligence for his age. He absorbed everything, asked questions, learned with astonishing speed. We had to be careful not to arouse too much curiosity in the other villagers. To them, he was just a precocious child, but to us, he was a little marvel.
I took him to the kitchen, where the smell of porridge was already beginning to waft. Routine, simplicity. That's what we sought. A life without pretense, just the warmth of our family. The happiness we had found here was more precious than all the soul rings or honorary titles we could have dreamed of achieving in our youth. Our son was our everything. He was the reason we breathed, the reason for every beat of my heart.
Xiao Wang's Perspective
The soft sound of my son's laughter pulled me from sleep. I sighed, a smile on my lips. My sweet Xiao Chou was already up; I could hear her babbling with Shìjiè Míngxīng in the next room. Three years. Time had flown by. It seemed like just yesterday we welcomed our little star under the clear sky of Starcold Village.
My life as a Level 57 Soul King, with my "star-patterned armor," had been a succession of battles, challenges, recognition. But all of it had felt empty, incomplete, until I had an heir. And after so many years of attempts, of miscarriages that had broken my Chou's heart, I had almost given up hope. Each disappointment had been a deep wound, a flaw in her otherwise robust martial soul. The pain of seeing Chou suffer, of feeling her despair, was far worse than any battle wound.
When she became pregnant with Shìjiè Míngxīng, we prayed every day, every night. We decided to retreat here, far from the intrigues and dangers of the Soul Master world. A simple life, yes, but a life where our child could grow up safely, without the constant threat that hung over us. My forge had become my sanctuary, my way to provide for my family, to protect them from the outside. I worked the iron with renewed determination, every hammer blow an act of devotion.
I got up and joined my wife and son in the kitchen. The smell of porridge was comforting. Shìjiè Míngxīng was sitting in his mother's arms, his bright little eyes fixed on my silhouette. He reached out his arms to me. "Papa!" His voice, clear and cheerful. That word filled me with immense pride.
I took him in my arms. He was a little heavy now, but still so small. His little arm wrapped around my neck, and his hand unconsciously stroked my shoulder. I noticed the small triangle on his arm. A simple birthmark, a memory of that night when the stars seemed to have aligned for us. I smiled. "My little Shìjiè Míngxīng! Are you ready for a new day, my brave little man?" I bounced him gently, his laughter echoing mine.
I didn't know what the future held for us, but I knew that as long as I had my wife and son, my family would be my only reason to fight. This small being, my little World Star, was our greatest victory, our greatest treasure. I would teach him strength, honor, respect. I would teach him everything he needed to survive in this world, even if he was destined to remain a simple villager. Our life here was a fortress of happiness, and I was the blacksmith of that fortress.
Shìjiè Míngxīng's Perspective
That same morning, as my father joined us in the kitchen, Mother hurried to embrace him, a gesture filled with such intense joy that it was palpable even to my baby senses. "Xiao Wang, I did it! I reached the Soul King level!"
Her words resonated in my mind. The Soul King level. She had broken through Level 50, reaching a new tier of power. This was a notable advancement for a Soul Master, well beyond the average for this small, isolated village. My father, a Level 57 Soul King, was already considerably strong. They were powerful, my parents, far from the simple villagers they claimed to be, even if they didn't reach the peaks of power of the Titled Douluos. But contrary to the joy I expected, my father's face froze. His voice, deep and filled with a hint of worry, cut short my mother's exhilaration. "That means you need your fifth soul ring to stabilize your breakthrough, Chou. We'll have to venture far, very far from the village, into forests like Star Dou or the Sunset Forest, where soul beasts are much more dangerous."
A shiver ran through me. Their faces, filled with love and determination, masked a latent anxiety. The forests. Soul beasts. Dangers they had to face for their own cultivation. But it also meant leaving me behind.
"But... Shìjiè Míngxīng?" my mother murmured, her gaze resting on me with infinite tenderness. "We can't take you there. It's too dangerous for a child."
My father nodded, his brow furrowing. "We'll have to find someone in the village to look after you while we're away, my little Shìjiè Míngxīng. Someone we can trust absolutely."
I observed their discussion, my small child's brain simulating innocent incomprehension. But my mind analyzed every word. This was an opportunity. An unexpected opening. My parents, these powerful Soul Masters, were going to leave. And I, for the first time, would be out of their constant supervision.
I couldn't accompany them. I was a child. But being looked after by someone else in the village... that meant meeting other children. That excited me a bit; since my reincarnation, I'd always been with my parents, so having the opportunity for other interactions was truly interesting.