Huff. Huff.
Henry gasped for air. His chest felt tight, like something was crushing it.
What is happening?
He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. His arms felt heavy, and his fingers didn't move at all.
Panic rose inside him.
What the hell is going on?
His vision was blurry, filled with gray shadows.
This wasn't his room.
And then he realized—
This didn't feel like his body.
No matter how hard he tried to move, it was useless.
He tried to look around, but his vision was too blurry. He could barely see his own body.
These clothes aren't mine.
Even with his blurred vision, he could make out the color of his clothes.
These were not the clothes he wore to his friend's party.
Where… am I? Is this another world?
His mind struggled to remember.
He had gone to his friend's birthday party… drank too much… lost track of time.
His friends had asked him to stay the night.
But he refused.
He had work the next day.
Then—
Everything went blank.
As he tried to remember what happened next—
"Arrgh!!"
A painful sound escaped his throat as his head felt like it was being pierced by something sharp.
"GAHH—HNNGH!"
"Stop…"
The pain was unbearable. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Fuck… am I going to die?
As he finally managed to raise his hand to his temple—
"What happened?"
The next moment, the pain disappeared.
He could finally move again. His vision slowly became clear.
He looked down at his body, surprised.
He was sitting on a wooden chair, wearing a white robe… not his black coat.
What kind of joke is this?
He looked around the room.
It wasn't a hospital like he expected.
The floor was made of dark, polished wood, cold against his bare feet. A small bronze lamp flickered on a low table, casting a weak orange light.
The walls were wooden frames covered with thick, cream-colored paper.
He rushed to the door and pushed it open.
The moment he stepped outside, his eyes widened.
"What…?"
Before him was a completely different world.
Islands floated in the sky—one above another, rising higher and higher.
The higher they were, the bigger they became.
"Where… am I?"
His hands trembled.
Then he remembered something important.
He quickly looked around and spotted a fish pond nearby.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward it.
He leaned over and looked into the water.
His reflection stared back at him—
A young man, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with above-average features.
Henry froze.
"This… isn't me."
"Did I really transmigrate…?"
He looked at his body. It felt stronger than before.
He clenched both fists, feeling a strange power inside them.
"I can't believe I really came to another world…"
He felt happy, scared, and excited at the same time.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Henry quickly turned around when he heard a female voice.
Behind him stood a young girl, around sixteen or seventeen years old.
"Nothing," Henry replied in a polite tone.
I don't know enough about this world… I should be careful around people so I don't offend anyone, he thought.
The girl walked closer, looking at him carefully.
"Yang Xiao, what are you doing near the pond?"
"Nothing. I was just checking the fish," he replied instantly.
So… the previous owner of this body was named Yang Xiao, he thought.
The girl stepped closer and looked at him.
"Yang Xiao, did you manage to reach the 6th level of Qi Refining?"
Yang Xiao smiled slightly.
"No, I'm still a small step away."
Her expression turned a little sad.
"I can't believe you're already.
close to the 6th level before turning twenty… and here I am, stuck at the 4th level of Qi Refining."
You'll definitely reach it. You're still young," Yang Xiao said, encouraging her.
"Thanks, Yang Xiao," she replied with a warm smile.