Darkness.
Jiang Xuan floated in it—no thoughts, no sound, no breath. Just a faint sensation of being… suspended.
And then—
Pain. Crippling, blinding. A scream that wasn't his tore through the air. Then another. Warmth wrapped him. Wetness. Pressure.
He gasped—air filled his lungs like fire—and in that moment, the world flooded in.
[A.S.T.R.A. SYSTEM INITIALIZED.]
[Analyzing... oxygen composition: 19.9%. Atmospheric pressure: 101.3 kPa.]
[Host detected. Syncing neural patterns. Establishing baseline.]
[Welcome, Jiang Xuan.]
Memory returned like lightning.
A streetlight. A truck. The sharp edge of betrayal. And then… silence.
He had died. He remembered that.
But now—reborn. His head throbbed with dissonance. A child's brain. His mind. A second heartbeat.
A.S.T.R.A. was alive.
[Cognitive capacity restricted by current neurodevelopment. Limiting active functions to: Passive Analysis Mode.]
[Would you like to begin foundational optimization?]
He couldn't speak. He couldn't even control his neck. But his mind pulsed a silent yes.
[Confirmed. Beginning total environmental scan.]
Light assaulted his eyes. His infantile pupils struggled to adjust—but A.S.T.R.A. filtered it, sharpening shapes. The first thing he saw clearly was a woman's face—tear-streaked, glowing, hair plastered to her face by sweat. Her eyes… deep brown, soft, exhausted, filled with warmth and awe.
[Subject: Primary Caregiver.]
[Name (local language): Lin Meiyu.]
[Age: 27. Stress level: High. Emotional state: 91% Affection, 8% Anxiety, 1% Postpartum Shock.]
[Physical stats: Slightly anemic. Heart rate: elevated. Observation: Likely low-iron pregnancy diet.]
He blinked.
A man stepped forward—tall, lean, nervous but trying to hide it. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the baby—him.
[Subject: Secondary Caregiver.]
[Name: Jiang Zheng.]
[Profession: Logistics Technician, Local Defense Corps.]
[Genetic potential: D. Body Type: Mesomorphic. Mental Stability: High.]
[Observation: Will provide secure baseline environment for early development.]
His parents. So he was born into the Jiang family of Ming-Yue Sector. The very same community where Luo Feng would grow up.
Jiang Xuan wanted to laugh. He wanted to shout. He knew this world.
"Swallowed Star…"
"I've been reborn inside a Chinese sci-fi novel… and Luo Feng is still a child. This is four years before the story begins."
But all he could do was whimper, a soft cry escaping his lips.
His mother rocked him gently.
"Shhh… it's okay, baby Xuan'er… Mommy's here…"
Xuan'er. Jiang Xuan. So his name remained.
A perfect continuity.
[Recording name. Timestamp registered. DNA imprint confirmed. Host identity locked.]
Then came data.
Everywhere.
Walls. Oxygen. Sound waves. Clothing fabric. The breathing rhythm of the midwife. The chemical scent of disinfectant. His own skin temperature. The heat signature of nearby electronics.
[Analyzing current energy conversion from milk-based input... absorption efficiency: 64%. Suggest intestinal flora optimization via probiotic synthesis.]
[Host muscle density: Below optimal. Initiating micro-movement optimization protocol for infantile physical training.]
Even while swaddled, A.S.T.R.A. activated minor muscle clusters in sequence, teaching Jiang Xuan's body to breathe deeper, stretch subtly, grow faster.
He would be the first child in history to begin cultivation in the crib.
[Killing Intent Analysis: 0%]
[Instinct Simulation: Activating controlled fear exposure through heartbeat modulation.]
[Progressive Mental Fortification: Launched.]
🕰️ Days passed.
Jiang Xuan's body grew, but his mind never dulled. While other infants babbled and slept, he watched.
A.S.T.R.A. processed:
His mother's breathing tempo while cooking
His father's walking rhythm and callused hands
The aura of his home—the electrostatic tension, the low buzz of a failing capacitor in the lights, the magnetic drift of the planet's core.
[Ambient radiation: stable.]
[Atmospheric data confirms: Earth, early post-cataclysm phase.]
[Worldline confirmed: Primary Canon of Swallowed Star. Timeline: 3.9 years before Luo Feng's awakening.]
Perfect.
He had time. Time to prepare. Time to train. Time to become something more.
He watched his father polish an old training blade—more decorative than practical. Jiang Xuan's baby hand twitched, muscles mimicking the motion subconsciously.
[Observation: Blade angle inefficient by 12.4%. Memory stored.]
His mother played soft music. He measured rhythm, tone, emotional valence.
[Learning: Emotional resonance through auditory patterns.]
[Social skill module expanding.]
Every day, every hour, he grew—not in leaps, but in perfect, recursive layers of evolution.
"This world belongs to the strong."
"But now I hold the eyes of a god. The mind of a killer. And the hunger of a man who knows the future."
"Let's see what happens when someone like me is born at the beginning of the story."