System Awakening?

Master, I have finally found you, let's start a new adventure together again!' exclaimed an unknown voice.

'Master, I can sense your rage. I would have finished them, but I will let you do it yourself. Run now! If anyone blocks you, all you have to do is punch him away. Run to a location where no one can see you. Let's combine!'

Leo became excited, but he didn't know why. His instincts were telling him that something good is in store for him. If there is anything he trusted with his life, then it's his instincts.

He decided to do as the voice said.

"Trash, we're talking to you! Guys, let's get him...It seems like he's not paying attention!"

He quietly watched them surround him. He was very excited now, and he could feel a large amount of energy surging within him. It was such a shame that it was only there for a limited time.

As all of them came to get him, he jumped high into the air, and as he came down, he lifted his leg and spun his body, taking them all out in one fell swoop.

The eight people that surrounded him were lying on the ground, writhing in pain.

Their entire view of him was flipped upside down as they had a sudden realization. Leo was not some worthless piece of trash; he was a power cultivator—a very powerful cultivator.

Leo himself was awed. To do this kind of move one must be at least in the Qi Refining Realm.

'Is this how it feels to be powerful?' He thought in disbelief as he ran to the nearest forest at a speed that even the premutated cheetah could only hope to rival.

What was even more confusing was that he was running on air! As if there was an invisible, smooth surface above the ground itself.

Back outside the Alchemy shop, the bullies slowly stood up as they looked in the direction that Leo took off, completely speechless and with their thoughts.

'That kid defeated me. Am I dreaming? I am not in the Qi Absorption Realm for nothing; just how was this possible? If he is in a higher cultivation realm than me, then he is a monster!' thought the 21-year-old.

'He...he is a Cultivator...I thought he had no talent! Was the Baron's Son...lying? No! I am sure he wasn't!'

'Did I just offend a person I shouldn't have?'

'I shouldn't have believed that shit of a Baron's son, now I am doomed! Leo is sure to come and get me.'

'Oh boy...'

'I angered a Cultivator, I am doomed!'

'How could a sixteen-year-old boy be a Cultivator? What about his "no talent" reputation?! I believed shit!'

Everyone was thinking similar things right now, but the Baron's son was the most shocked.

'How could it be?! I was right there when it happened...I heard the Barons when I accompanied my father to the meeting. They were making fun of his father in the meeting even though he wasn't there. Just how was all this possible?'

Despite all the hatred that was growing in their hearts toward the Baron's son, they dared not touch him, but still tried to get him to explain himself.

"That's it! Explain yourself...How could a 'no talent' be this powerful--you should be well informed before spitting out bullshit!"

The Baron's son was at loss, he had nothing to say...he himself was even more shocked than they were.

'I must inform Father!' He ran away immediately, heading home. He promised to himself to make his father find out whether the information was right or not.

The gang grits their teeth furiously at seeing him leave, but all they could do was let him leave. He had something that could raise a loud alarm in the event of an emergency, and they would be caught before they could even touch him, much less kill him.

****

Meanwhile, Leo was already in the forest and a spectacular event was taking place.

When he reached the forest, the crystal came down directly in front of him and stopped.

They communicated telepathically through a link that was between them.

'Who are you?' asked Leo in bewilderment. he observed the Crystal features.

it was Diamond Shaped and has the Volume of a Small bucket.

'Me?! You know me deep inside you—inside the deepest part of your soul' responded the voice with a hint of offense.

Leo knew he was right but he just couldn't let a diamond-like crystal do anything it wanted without knowing what it was.

It helped him, so it must be a friend, right? He was also sure that this thing is powerful...very powerful!

He was sure that this thing could kill him in a matter of seconds. His instincts were telling him that even the most powerful man in this empire (the emperor) would not last long against this thing.

'But how does it fight? No hands, no legs, no head—it was just a crystal.'

'Why is it helping me and calling me Master?'

'Stop thinking about bullshit and focus so that we can get this done!'

'So that's how the servant treats the master, huh?' replied Leo, disgust plastered on his face and thick in his voice.

'...'

He decided to take the risk anyway; it's not like he can ever cultivate in his life with his 'No-Talent'. What saddened him the most was how heartbroken his mother and sister would be if he ended up dead. Shaking off his thoughts, he agreed to combine them with the crystal.

Phew!!!

The crystal moved at an incredible speed tearing through air and space with a whistling sound, entering his heart...And a painful process began.

'Endure it, master! I am fusing with your soul' explained the crystal urgently.

But its words fell on deaf ears as the process was far too painful for him to listen to the words of a diamond-like crystal.

"AAAARGH!"

A painful cry resounded in the quiet forest as a young boy lay on the ground, writhing in pain.

There was no blood, nothing at all. How the crystal entered his body without piercing his skin remained a mystery.

The Crystal that was inside him was worried that its master might faint, causing him to die.

But Leo somehow managed to stay alive.

Leo continued shouting and screaming, admitting his painful predicament. But, he didn't faint. This was the worst kind of torture he had ever experienced.

Not like he has been tortured before, though.

Leo felt like he'd been thrown into the hottest volcano while his heart was stabbed repeatedly with a knife made of ice from the coldest regions. Every muscle was being shredded apart, and his blood felt on fire, he could feel the sweat on his back from the pain, the sweat on his brow from heat, and the clamminess in his palms from the ice-cold stabbing. He knew the crystal was saying something, but he couldn't hear what. His instincts were telling him that he had to feel all of this to survive. He had to stay conscious. It felt like an eternity of hell. His head started to ache and pulse to the fast rhythm of his heart, and his body felt like he had been through the worst fight of his life and was still being beaten, but yet, he persisted.

He didn't know how long he persisted, but at some point, the pain started to lessen, the pulsing in his head started to slow and subside, and his muscles began to feel as though he just came out of a rejuvenating medicinal bath, and the cold stabbing and hot as fire blood seemed to slowly mix and cancel each other out, returning to a normal, comfortable feeling.

Soon a breeze washed across the forest, the trees swaying around to its tune as if welcoming the rebirth of an immortal.

A boy of sixteen, now looking more mature, and handsome came into view. He was staring around in confusion.

His clothes has been ripped and torn into pieces when he was trying to bear the pain of the combination.

Right now it was already early evening; all the events that took place happened at about ten AM, but it is about five PM right now.

But it didn't seem like he was paying attention to any of that; his attention was on something else.

Something more confusing.

something more shocking.

"What is this?" he said pointing to the air.

On his right hand is a crystal-shaped ring that was never there before.

it seems like he had not yet noticed it.

***

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The chapter has been edited. Please enjoy!