chapter 02

The last thing Shēn Líng Zū remembered was the cold pain that engulfed her body when it exploded and her powers vanished, facing the Zombie King, and her friends abandoning her, feeling the burning agony of betrayal. Then, darkness and the silence accompanying the end.

But when she opened her eyes this time, she found herself staring at a ceiling reflecting a cold white light. The air around her carried a strange metallic scent, and she heard the hum of machines nearby.

Slowly, she sat up, pressing her hands to the sides of her head, which felt like it was going to explode. "What is this place? Where am I?"

Then the pain came again, but this time, it wasn't physical. It was more like a flood of images and emotions rushing into her mind at a pace she couldn't keep up with. Images of unfamiliar people, sounds of screams and mocking laughter, and memories filled with suffering.

Shēn Líng Zū knew immediately that she had occupied someone else's body. And this was not her world, a world surrounded by the stench of death.

The girl whose body she inhabited was named "Líng Āi," an 18-year-old daughter of the Líng family, which belonged to the new upper class of the empire.

Unlike her shining name, Líng Āi was a disgrace to the family.

Shēn Líng Zū sat still on the bed, gasping, shocked by the scenes passing through her mind.

Líng Āi was weak, with no powers to speak of, and was constantly bullied by her older sister, Líng Xuān, a B-rank Guide, who never missed an opportunity to remind her of her worthlessness.

Even her father, Líng Chī, looked at her with disdain, unconcerned about her suffering, seeing her as a burden on the family name. He had worked hard to elevate the family into noble society after they were once just a wealthy family.

As for her mother, Huā Lín, she was a dull character who did nothing but follow her husband's orders, only concerned with how to spend money and shop, living the life of a noblewoman. She had no affection for her daughter.

Shēn Líng Zū couldn't ignore the memories that told her about the world she had entered. This was nothing like her world. It was a highly advanced technological world, where cars flew in the sky, robots roamed among the people, and artificial intelligence managed almost everything.

But what amazed her the most was the presence of Sentinels and Guides. The Sentinels were the primary fighting force in this world, possessing spiritual beasts that accompanied them and enhanced their physical and spiritual powers. They also had a variety of superpowers that differed from person to person. Some could control lightning, while others controlled fire...

Simply put, most of their supernatural powers resembled the powers in her own world at the end of the world.

The Sentinels were like super soldiers who could destroy an army alone, but they had a major issue: berserk states.

When a Sentinel lost control of their spiritual energy, they entered a berserk state, destroying everything around them. That's where the Guides came in. Guides had mental abilities and spiritual power that could calm the Sentinels. However, almost all Guides were sensitive and physically weak compared to the Sentinels, and their spiritual beasts were often rabbits or birds, with no offensive power.

The percentage of Sentinels and Guides was relatively low, with 60% of humans being regular humans, and 30% were Sentinels.

One could imagine how valuable Guides were, as they made up less than ten percent of the population. Once they were identified and discovered as Guides, these people were treated like royalty.

Of course, all of this was on the surface. Because they were rare and could treat the Sentinels, who were considered the backbone of the entire empire, the Guides were forced to cooperate with them. They were married off by the age of 20 to a Sentinel based on the match of their spiritual energies.

Therefore, many Guides went on dates, trying to fall in love before the age of 20, so they wouldn't be matched with someone through the smart brain system.

The power levels were classified as follows:

SSS: The Dark Sentinels, unstoppable power, but extremely rare. There are only four Dark Sentinels in the entire Keralis Empire. This is rare, as there are no more than two in other countries.

S, A, B, C, D: Power levels that determine the status of Sentinels and Guides in society.

Líng Āi's memories were filled with resentment and jealousy. She had no spiritual beast companion and showed no power to distinguish her.

This was the reason for her family's rejection and the bullying, especially from her sister Líng Xuān, who mocked her constantly, calling her a "burden" and "garbage."

After a few minutes, the pain in Shēn Líng Zū's head stopped, and she processed all the new memories she had received. A cold light crossed her eyes.

She lifted the blanket, got up, and walked to the mirror, staring at "her face" in astonishment for a moment.

She sat in front of the mirror, inspecting her body from top to bottom. She had to admit, this body was sculpted with precision, sensitive and hesitant to blink.

The skin, like jade, was white, the slender neck was beautiful, the eyebrows were phoenix-shaped and radiant, and the eyes, lips, and nose were all beautiful and exquisite. When sitting quietly, she resembled a magnificent noblewoman.

But what surprised Shēn Líng Zū was that this face was 80% similar to her original one.

She turned her head again and looked at the room's furnishings. Well, not exactly furnishings; the room was almost empty, with only a large table like a desk and a small table by the bed, with a slightly protruding wall, which was the wardrobe, which Shēn Líng Zū recognized from the memories, or else she wouldn't have paid attention to it.

She lay back down on the bed, feeling very tired. After all, she had been given another chance at life, no matter how fantastical and unbelievable it seemed.

She would definitely live this life well and freely.

No more constant fear of zombies attacking in the dark, and no more worrying about life or death.

She had always wished to return to a peaceful time, to days of safety and security when she studied and played with her classmates...

And now, she just wanted to relax a little in this life.

The next day, Shēn Líng Zū woke up to the sound of a small robot. Her father had summoned her to the living room. The room was spacious, with luxurious furniture reflecting wealth, making her think of her tiny, metallic, empty room, which was worse than the servants' quarters in this family.

She lowered her head to cover her long lashes, her eyes cold and murderous.

This family really was ruthless toward its original owner. She needed to find a way out of it if she wanted to live a good life without problems...

Her family was seated in a row. Her father, Líng Chī, a middle-aged man with sharp features and cold eyes, only glanced at her for a moment before looking away as if she didn't exist. Her mother, Líng Miān, appeared as she had in the memories: silent, indifferent, trying to avoid looking at her daughter.

As for Líng Xuān, her older sister by one year, she stood next to their father, wearing a luxurious and revealing outfit reflecting her beauty. As a B-rank Guide, she had always seen herself above everyone.

A sarcastic smile appeared on her face as she said, "Finally decided to show your face, Líng Āi? Were you hiding in your dirty room again like a coward?"

Shēn Líng Zū said nothing. She knew that responding to this family would only bring more trouble.

"Líng Āi," her father said coldly, "You've heard about the upcoming selection ceremony, right?"

She nodded silently.

She had seen it in "her memories." The empire held an annual event for nobles and the wealthy, which looked like a regular party on the outside, but it was actually a ceremony to select Guides and Sentinels for one another, where many people tried to climb the social ladder and promote "their children."

Guides from the lower classes were taken to a special place known as the Guidance Organization, where they were trained and paired with Sentinels. But noble families were different. Almost all nobles were Sentinels, either in service or in positions or contracted. Their descendants were always powerful Sentinels or Guides.

Following the pattern of the strong with the strong, the empire always gathered the nobles for such a ceremony, and before the ceremony, the nobles would study the people there and try to have the Sentinels win over the Guides.

"Even though you are useless, we've decided to give you one last chance. If you fail the test, don't expect to stay in this house."

Her father's cheap voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Shēn Líng Zū looked at him in confusion, then finally understood.

Although the ceremony was meant for Guides and Sentinels, there were still matchmaking opportunities among ordinary people.

Or you could say it was a business deal where some nobles sold their "beautiful" sons and daughters as concubines.

His voice was decisive, and his words carried a clear threat.

Shēn Líng Zū sneered. It seemed this family, which treated her like trash, still hoped to profit from her and drain her dry.

Dealing with them would be exhausting; she needed to find a way to get rid of this cursed family tie.

After the head of the family finished what he wanted to say, Shēn Líng Zū was dismissed from the parlor. She returned to her room and sat on the bed, her mind swirling with thoughts.

"I will never be a tool in the hands of these monsters," she whispered to herself. She had suffered enough in her previous life from betrayal and exploitation. This family wanted to use her as a pawn? Hah, they're not worth it!

Let them try to play with her; she will burn them and turn them to ashes.