Chapter 1: Confused

A boy of average height with an unkempt mop of black hair that flow down through his forehead that hides his eyes, staring at the flickering screen of his computer while the faint light casting shadows across his dark room. His eyes was focused through the screen that showcase an ongoing episode from his favorite anime and the boy looked like any other normal teenager. Yet, beneath this ordinary exterior lay a heart that struggled against the tides of isolation.

Every day was a battle for Shun Lee. As a high school student, he was surrounded by his peers who effortlessly formed friendships that was filled with laughter and shared secrets. But for him, each school day felt like an uphill climb. He often lingered at the edges of conversations and like a silent observer of the social dynamics that seemed so natural to everyone else. The laughter of his classmates echoed in his ears, sharp reminders of his solitude. Being shy and introverted, he found it nearly impossible to approach anyone, leaving him with a sense of longing and yearning for connection.

In the evenings, he sought refuge in the worlds of books and anime, especially "Douluo Dalu." He immersed himself in the vibrant stories of friendship, adventure, and battles of strength, wishing for the camaraderie that eluded him in real life. Though he adored the characters and their journeys, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for their courage and charisma.

One night, while scrolling through an online forum dedicated to "Douluo Dalu," a new thread caught his attention: "What if you were reborn into the world of Douluo Dalu?" Without thinking, he clicked on it and typed a quick response that was for fun. After sending it off, he closed his laptop with a soft sigh before sinking into bed as he reminiscent his day and how it sadly went by.

The next morning, Shun woke up feeling oddly disoriented. The soft bed beneath him felt foreign, the air around him heavy with an unfamiliar scent. As he blinked his eyes open, confusion enveloped him. He noticed qn unfamiliar room and panic surged through him as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a small mirror hanging on the wall. Staring back at him was not the lanky teenager he recognized, but a small boy, perhaps six or seven years old, with wide eyes and a round face.

"What is happening?" he gasped, his voice was high-pitched and innocent. Shun struggled to comprehend his new reality and confusion was morphing into fear. He tried to stand, but his small limbs felt weak and unsteady. As he steadied himself against the wall, memories began to surface and not just of his own life but of this child's.

With each passing moment, the painful memories flooded in, and an excruciating ache erupted in his head, as if a thousand shards of glass were forcing their way into his consciousness. The child's memories intertwined with his own, revealing a life eerily similar to his. This new boy, an orphan living in Eastsea City, faced constant bullying due to his small stature and skinny frame. The bullying left him introverted and socially isolated, just as Shun had felt back in his own life.

The memories rushed over him: moments of taunts from classmates, laughter that felt like knives digging into his heart, and the deep, gnawing loneliness that wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket. As the pain surged, Shun felt the weight of this new life pressing down on him, amplifying his emotions. He could see the child, lost and alone, often retreating to the safety of books, diving into stories that offered a glimpse of a life filled with friendship and adventure—an escape from the harsh realities of his existence.

"Why is this happening to me?" Shun cried, clutching his head as the memories continued to overwhelm him. Tears welled in his eyes, mixing with the anguish he felt as he absorbed the child's sorrow. He could feel the boy's sense of hopelessness, the longing for acceptance and connection that mirrored his own feelings.

As the excruciating pain subsided slightly, Shun's heart ached with empathy for this new life. "I didn't want to feel this way again," he whispered, the weight of despair suffocating him. It was a cruel twist of fate that his reincarnation had brought him not to a heroic life filled with adventure, but to the same painful struggles he had desperately tried to escape.

Taking a deep breath, Shun closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.' I'm still me,' he thought and a flicker of determination was igniting within him. But as he opened his eyes, the reality of his situation settled in once more.

His heart raced with uncertainty, but deep down, he knew he had to try. With every fiber of his being, he clung to the hope that this second chance would allow him to embrace the adventure he had always craved, and perhaps, find the friends he had yearned for all along.

Shun Lee took a moment to steady his breathing, the remnants of pain fading into a dull throb. As he looked around the unfamiliar room, his gaze landed on a small wooden desk cluttered with a few battered books and a tattered blanket draped over a simple bed. The child's memories slowly continued to intertwine with his own, giving him snippets of this new existence.

He felt an odd familiarity wash over him, and as he traced the contours of the room with his eyes, he suddenly spotted a small scrap of paper pinned to the wall. As he approached it, his heart raced in anticipation. Written in messy handwriting were the words: "Shun Lei."

Shun's breath caught in his throat. "Shun Lei?" he echoed, the name rolling off his tongue. It sounded so similar, so strikingly close to his own name, yet distinct enough to evoke a sense of alienation. A rush of bewilderment flooded over him. The boy's name felt like an echo of his own identity, merging two lives into one tangled thread.

"I'm Shun Lei…" he whispered, the weight of the name settling over him like a heavy cloak. "This is my new name? But… why?" His mind raced with questions, thoughts colliding with one another like waves crashing against the shore. Was he meant to take on this identity? To live this boy's life?

As he paced the small room, a deeper realization began to dawn on him. This world… it's Douluo Dalu! But it's not the timeline I knew. It's the timeline of the Dragon King! The revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning, and he staggered back against the wall, gripping it for support. Memories of the plotline, the characters, and the intricacies of the Douluo Dalu universe came rushing back in vivid detail, flooding his mind with a sense of urgency and confusion.

Shun Lee groaned, rubbing his temple in frustration. "Of all timelines, why this one?" he muttered bitterly. Regret weighed heavily in his chest. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have answered that ridiculous thread last night. He had hoped for an adventure, perhaps something exciting in Tang San's era, but now he was in the confusing, chaotic timeline of the Dragon King, one that was harder to predict.

He sighed, feeling overwhelmed. The memories of Shun Lei's lonely life were starting to take root, making him feel as if the same cycle of isolation would follow him here. "What am I even supposed to do in this timeline?" he grumbled under his breath.

Just as he was wallowing in frustration, a voice broke through his thoughts. "Hey, Shun Wei! Are you awake, or are you planning to sleep through breakfast again?"

Shun Lee froze, blinking in surprise. The voice was familiar but belonged to the boy from his newly merged memories his roommate.

He turned toward the doorway of the small room, where a cheerful, lanky boy stood with his arms crossed, grinning. "C'mon! If you don't get up soon, you'll miss breakfast, and you know how fast those greedy kids clear out the food."

Relief washed over Shun Lee like a gentle wave at least I'm not completely alone. He could still rely on the stability of the orphanage, which wasn't as bleak as he had first thought. Unlike the harsh, neglectful homes he had expected, the Federation had invested heavily in orphanages throughout Eastsea City. They provided decent meals, a place to sleep, and enough care to ensure no child was left completely hopeless. The knowledge that he wouldn't be thrown into a survival-of-the-fittest scenario gave him a small sense of comfort.

"Yeah, yeah. Not like you could eat everything!" Shun Lee called back, his voice tinged with a bit of sarcasm as he waved off his roommate. The boy rolled his eyes but grinned knowingly.

"Better be quick before the others leave you nothing but scraps!" the roommate teased before turning and walking back down the hallway.

Shun Lee exhaled deeply and sat up from the bed. It felt strange his body smaller, leaner, and weaker than what he was used to. But there was no time to dwell on it. He needed to act like a normal kid in this world, at least until he figured out his next step. If he hesitated, it would only invite suspicion and the last thing he wanted was to stand out unnecessarily.

With a sense of urgency, he hopped off the bed and ran through his morning routine washing his face with cold water from a basin, brushing his teeth with a toothbrush, and combing through his short black hair, which still felt unfamiliar to him. His hands trembled slightly from the lingering weakness but he forced himself to push through.

"Food first, then freak out," he muttered to himself as he grabbed a clean shirt from the small stack of clothes on a chair and hurriedly pulled it on.

Once dressed, Shun Lee rushed toward the kitchen, the smell of steamed buns and hot soup wafting through the air. His stomach growled in response, a reminder that hunger didn't care about reincarnation or timelines.

As he reached the dining area, the sound of children chattering filled the room, along with the clinking of plates and bowls. The kitchen wasn't large, but it was warm and welcoming, a place where the children could eat together without worry. The sight eased some of the tension in his chest, reminding him that, despite everything, there were small comforts in this world.

He spotted his roommate at a table, waving him over. "Told you to hurry!" the boy called, laughing as he motioned toward the rapidly emptying trays of food.

Shun Lee rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. Maybe this life won't be so bad after all.

Wu Pei was lanky with messy brown hair that always seemed to defy gravity, sticking out in all directions. His dark eyes were bright and full of mischief, and his thin face always carried a sly grin that made it seem like he was about to pull a prank or had just gotten away with one. He wore a faded blue shirt that was one size too big, and his pants were patched up in several places, though he didn't seem to care. Despite his mischievous attitude, Wu Pei had a friendly, easygoing charm that made him one of the few people Shun Lee could tolerate.

As Shun Lee sat down across from Wu Pei, he reached for a couple of steamed buns and poured himself a bowl of warm congee. Just as he took his first bite, Wu Pei leaned in with a sly grin.

"You're looking pretty lively this morning, Shun Wei. Unusual but I guess you also couldn't help but be excitedfor today, huh?" Wu Pei waggled his eyebrows playfully, jabbing Shun's side with an elbow.

Shun froze mid-bite, blinking. "Huh? What's happening today?"

Wu Pei nearly choked on his soup. "Don't tell me you forgot! It's the awakening ceremony!" He grinned even wider, sensing an opportunity to tease his roommate. "Oh man, I knew you were slow, but not this slow."

Shun Lee's heart skipped a beat. The awakening ceremony! His mind raced. If this world followed the Douluo Dalu series' basic structure, the ceremony would determine each child's martial spirit and an event that could shape their entire fate.

'Play it cool, shun.' Shun waved his hand dismissively, even though excitement bubbled in his chest. "Yeah, yeah, I knew that," he muttered, stuffing more food into his mouth to hide his grin. "Just… didn't want you to get too excited over it."

Wu Pei shot him a skeptical look. "Me? Excited? You've been vibrating like a rabbit on sugar since you got here!" He smirked. "And now you're telling me to calm down?"

Shun Lee's eye twitched. "I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up too high. It's not like we're guaranteed to awaken anything amazing."

Wu Pei snorted, nearly spilling his soup. "Ohhh, now you're trying to act all wise and cool, huh? Like you're some martial spirit expert." He mimicked a deep, serious voice. "Don't get overexcited, young one. The awakening is merely the beginning of your journey."

Shun shot him a deadpan look. "I don't sound like that."

"Oh, you absolutely do." Wu Pei leaned closer, grinning mischievously. "Let me guess, you're gonna awaken some super rare spirit and act all modest about it, right? Maybe a phoenix or a dragon? Or a mythical squid?"

Shun groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "A squid? Really?"

Wu Pei shrugged with a smirk. "Hey, with your luck, anything's possible."

Shun tried to suppress a laugh, but a chuckle escaped despite himself. It felt good to joke around, even if part of him was still nervous about the ceremony.

Wu Pei leaned back in his chair, grinning triumphantly. "See? You're just as excited as I am."

Shun shook his head with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah. The only squid that will be awakening today will be your face since you look like one. But seriously, Wu Pei don't expect anything grand. We'll probably just get something ordinary."

Wu Pei squinted suspiciously at him, then grinned. "You know, for someone pretending not to care, you're acting awfully weird today."

Shun stiffened slightly. "Weird? What do you mean?"

Wu Pei leaned closer, his grin widening. "It's like… you're trying too hard to sound wise. Almost like you don't know what's going on and you're making it up as you go."

Shun Lee froze, realizing Wu Pei had hit the nail on the head. His mind scrambled for an excuse, but before he could say anything, Wu Pei patted him on the shoulder.

"Relax, I'm just messing with you. No need to stress about it." He grinned. "Whether you awaken a dragon or a squid, I'll still laugh at you either way."

Shun rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a small laugh. "Thanks, Wu Pei. That's so comforting."

Wu Pei grinned cheekily. "What are roommates for?"

Despite the teasing, Shun Lee felt a little more at ease. If nothing else, Wu Pei's playful nature made it easier to forget the uncertainty he was facing. And as much as Shun tried to downplay it, a spark of excitement flickered in his heart for the awakening ceremony. Even if things were unpredictable, maybe—just maybe—this world wouldn't be so bad after all.