# Chapter 1: Rebirth & The Sword Box
Lin Yu was never remarkable in his first life. He was ordinary. He was weak. He was overlooked.
His days were filled with small failures. He was mocked by peers. He was underestimated by friends. He lived cautiously. He avoided risk. But in the end, caution did not save him.
On the day of his death, he faced a Beast Tamer. It was a minor skirmish. It should have been easy. But Lin Yu was careless. He underestimated the enemy. The beast struck him. His body broke. His bones cracked. He fell to the ground.
He lay in the dirt. Blood filled his mouth. He could not breathe. He looked at the sky. It was gray. It was cold.
He felt regret. It was heavy. He thought of the chances he wasted. He thought of the strength he never possessed. He thought of the people he ignored. He died with a bitter sting in his heart. No one mourned him. No one noticed. He was just a boy who lived too cautiously.
As he stared at the fading light, he felt a strange warmth. It was not the sun. It was something else. It felt like a second chance. The whisper of the cosmos touched his mind.
Then, there was darkness.
***
Lin Yu gasped.
He sat up quickly. His heart beat fast. He touched his chest. There was no blood. There was no hole. His skin was smooth. He looked around. He was not in the dirt. He was not dead.
He was in a small wooden room. The walls were old. The roof had holes. Sunlight came through the dust. He was lying on a hard bed. A thin blanket covered his legs.
"Where am I?" Lin Yu said.
He looked at his hands. They were young. They were thin. They were not the hands of a man who died. These were the hands of a teenager. He remembered dying. He remembered the pain. But now, he was alive.
"I reborn," Lin Yu whispered.
It sounded crazy. But it was true. He felt energy inside his body. It was weak. But it was there. In his past life, he did not have this. This was Qi. Cultivation energy. He was in a cultivation world.
Lin Yu stood up. His legs shook. He was weak. Very weak. He walked to a broken mirror in the corner. A boy looked back. He was about seventeen years old. Black hair. Pale face. Dark eyes. He looked poor. He looked weak.
He tried to remember. Who was this body?
Memories flooded his mind. They hurt. He held his head. The boy's name was also Lin Yu. He was a servant in the Azure Sect. He had no talent. He had no family. People bullied him. He died because he was too weak. He fell down the stairs. He hit his head. He died.
And now, the old Lin Yu was gone. The new Lin Yu was here.
"I will not make the same mistake," Lin Yu said to the mirror. "I will not be weak again."
He clenched his fist. He felt the Qi in his body. It was little. It was like a small drop of water in an ocean. But it was a start. In his past life, he had no power. Here, power was everything. Here, the strong ate the weak. He knew this rule.
He walked to the door. He opened it. The air outside was fresh. It smelled like grass and pine. There were mountains in the distance. They were huge. They touched the clouds. Flying swords flew near the peaks. People rode them. They wore long robes. They looked powerful.
Lin Yu looked at his own clothes. They were gray. They were rough. They were servant clothes.
"Hey, you!"
A voice shouted. Lin Yu turned. A man walked toward him. He wore blue robes. He was taller than Lin Yu. He looked strong. He was a disciple. Lin Yu was just a servant.
The disciple stopped. He smiled. It was not a nice smile.
"You are alive?" the disciple said. "I heard you fell down the stairs. I thought you died."
Lin Yu remembered this man. His name was Chen. He was a bully. He often took Lin Yu's food. He often pushed him.
"I am alive," Lin Yu said. His voice was calm.
Chen looked surprised. Usually, Lin Yu was scared. He shook. He looked down. But now, Lin Yu looked him in the eye.
"Good," Chen said. "Because you missed work. The Elder is angry. If you do not clean the sword hall today, you will not eat."
"I will go," Lin Yu said.
Chen frowned. He did not like the calm voice. He wanted fear. He stepped closer. He pushed Lin Yu's shoulder.
"Watch your tone, servant," Chen said. "You are nothing. Do not forget."
Chen walked away. He laughed. He thought he was strong. He thought Lin Yu was weak.
Lin Yu did not move. He watched Chen leave. He felt anger. But he did not show it. In his past life, he showed anger. He showed fear. Both got him killed. Now, he would be smart.
He went back into his room. He closed the door. He sat on the bed. He needed to think. He needed power. Without power, Chen would crush him. Without power, he would die again.
"Is there any way?" Lin Yu asked himself.
He closed his eyes. He focused on the Qi inside him. It was hard to move. It was stuck. He needed a method. He needed a technique. Servants did not get techniques. Only disciples got techniques.
Suddenly, he felt a vibration.
It came from his chest. He opened his eyes. He looked down. A faint blue light glowed under his shirt. He pulled out a small object. It was a box.
It was small. It was made of dark metal. It looked old. It had strange runes on it. They glowed blue.
"I do not remember having this," Lin Yu said.
He touched the box. It was cold. It hummed. It felt alive.
*Click.*
The lock opened. The lid lifted slowly. Lin Yu held his breath. What was inside? Was it treasure? Was it money?
Inside the box, there was nothing but darkness. But the darkness moved. It swirled. Then, a voice spoke in his head. It was not a human voice. It was mechanical. But it had emotion.
[System Activated.]
Lin Yu jumped. He looked around. No one was there. The voice was inside his mind.
[Welcome, Host. I am the Sword Box.]
"Sword Box?" Lin Yu asked. He spoke quietly.
[Yes. I am your cultivation system. I am your weapon. I am your judge.]
Lin Yu was surprised. In his past life, he read novels. He knew about systems. But he thought they were fake. Now, one was talking to him.
"What do you do?" Lin Yu asked.
[I help you grow. I give you swords. I give you power. But you must pay.]
"Pay?" Lin Yu said. "I have no money."
[Not money. Energy. Moral choices. Actions. Every choice you make fills my energy bar. Every enemy you defeat fills my energy bar. Every emotional breakthrough fills my energy bar.]
A blue screen appeared in front of Lin Yu. Only he could see it. It showed a bar. It was empty. It showed a list of swords. Most were gray. They were locked. Only one was bright.
[Current Energy: 0]
[Current Swords: 0]
[Next Unlock: 100 Energy]
"How do I get energy?" Lin Yu asked.
[Defeat enemies. Hunt beasts. Make moral choices. Survive.]
Lin Yu looked at the box. It was small. But it felt powerful. It felt dangerous.
"Why me?" Lin Yu asked.
[You died with regret. You died with anger. You are suitable. Do not waste this chance. If you fail, I will leave. If you die, I will find another.]
The voice was cold. It did not care about Lin Yu. It cared about results. It teased him. It judged him.
"Okay," Lin Yu said. "I accept."
[Good. First Mission Available.]
Lin Yu looked at the screen.
[Mission: Clean the Sword Hall.]
[Reward: 10 Energy.]
[Failure: No food for 3 days.]
Lin Yu laughed. It was a small job. But it was a start. Ten energy was not much. But it was the first step.
"I will do it," Lin Yu said.
[Warning. Danger detected.]
Lin Yu frowned. "What danger?"
[Chen. The disciple. He plans to hurt you in the Sword Hall. He wants to break your hands.]
Lin Yu's eyes narrowed. Chen was not just a bully. He was a threat. In his past life, Lin Yu would have begged. He would have cried. Now, he had the Sword Box.
"Can you help me fight?" Lin Yu asked.
[Not yet. You have no swords. You have no energy. You must be smart. Use your head.]
Lin Yu stood up. He put the box in his bag. It disappeared. The box could hide itself. Good. He did not want others to see it.
He opened the door. He walked out. The sun was high. The sect was busy. Disciples flew on swords. Servants carried water. Everyone had a place. Lin Yu was at the bottom.
But he would not stay there.
He walked toward the Sword Hall. It was a large building. It held many old weapons. Most were broken. Servants had to clean them. It was boring work. It was dangerous work. Some weapons had sharp edges. Some had curses.
On the way, a girl stopped him. She wore green robes. She had a ponytail. She held a basket. It was Mei Ling.
"Lin Yu," she said. Her voice was soft. "Chen is angry. Be careful."
"I know," Lin Yu said.
Mei Ling stepped closer. She gave him a bun. "Eat. You need strength."
"Why help me?" Lin Yu asked.
Mei Ling looked away. Her face was red. "Just eat. Do not die stupidly."
She walked away fast. She did not look back.
[Hint: Hidden Love detected. Emotional Energy +1.]
Lin Yu looked at the screen. He looked at Mei Ling. She was pretending to be casual. But she cared.
He ate the bun. He walked into the Sword Hall. He saw Chen standing at the door. Chen smiled. He held a stick.
"You are late," Chen said.
"I am on time," Lin Yu said.
Chen's smile disappeared. He stepped forward. He was stronger. He had Qi. Lin Yu had little Qi. If they fought, Lin Yu would lose.
"Give me your money," Chen said. "Or I break your legs."
Lin Yu looked at Chen. He looked at the Sword Box in his mind. The box was quiet. It was waiting.
"I have no money," Lin Yu said.
"Then I break your legs," Chen said. He raised the stick.
Lin Yu did not move. He watched the stick. He watched Chen's feet. He remembered his past life. He remembered how people fought. They were arrogant. They left openings.
Chen swung the stick. It was fast. But Lin Yu was ready. He stepped to the side. The stick hit the air. Chen lost balance.
Lin Yu pushed Chen's back. It was a small push. But Chen was off-balance. Chen fell. He fell into the mud.
The other servants watched. They were shocked. Lin Yu never fought back.
Chen stood up. His face was red. He was angry. He was embarrassed.
"You dare!" Chen shouted.
He charged. He forgot about technique. He just wanted to hit. Lin Yu saw a rock on the ground. He picked it up. He did not throw it. He held it.
"Stop," Lin Yu said. His voice was loud. "The Elder is watching."
Chen stopped. He looked around. There was no Elder. But he was not sure. Lin Yu looked calm. He looked confident. Chen hesitated.
"If you hit me, the Elder will know," Lin Yu said. "If you hit me, you cannot join the inner sect. Is it worth it?"
Chen lowered the stick. He was smart enough to know the rules. He could not kill a servant openly.
"This is not over," Chen said. "I will wait for you outside."
Chen walked away. He kicked the gate. He was angry.
Lin Yu dropped the rock. His hand shook. He was scared. But he did not show it. He walked into the Sword Hall.
[Mission Complete.]
[Energy Gained: 10.]
[Current Energy: 11.]
[Warning: Chen will return. Prepare.]
Lin Yu looked at the screen. Ten energy. It was not enough for a sword. But it was enough for a hint.
[Hint Unlocked. There is a broken sword in the corner. It has residue energy. Touch it.]
Lin Yu looked at the corner. There was a pile of junk. Old swords. Broken spears. He walked over. He found a small blade. It was rusted. It was ugly.
He touched it.
*Hum.*
The Sword Box in his bag vibrated. The rusted sword turned to dust. The energy flew into Lin Yu's bag.
[Energy Gained: 5.]
[Current Energy: 16.]
Lin Yu smiled. He could absorb old weapons. He could get stronger by cleaning. This was his path. He would clean every sword in this hall. He would get strong.
He started working. He cleaned the swords. He absorbed the energy. He did not stop. The sun went down. The moon came up.
He had 50 energy. He was tired. But he felt stronger. His Qi moved easier.
He walked out of the hall. Chen was not there. He left. Good.
Lin Yu walked to his room. He locked the door. He took out the Sword Box. It glowed brighter.
[100 Energy needed for First Sword. You have 50. Keep going.]
"I will," Lin Yu said.
He lay on the bed. He looked at the roof. He thought about his past life. He thought about the Beast Tamer who killed him. He would find him one day. He would make him pay.
But first, he had to survive this world. He had to survive Chen. He had to survive the Sect.
He closed his eyes. He slept. He dreamed of swords. He dreamed of blood. He dreamed of power.
In the dark, the Sword Box hummed. It was happy. It had a new host. It had a new purpose.
The journey had begun.