Theo tried to raise a hand to shield his face from the blinding light above, but a pull on his wrists stopped him short.
He forced his eyes open. When his vision finally cleared, the sight above him made his breath hitch.
Hanging in the vast, cloudless sky were three suns. One was a blinding orb of yellow, while the other two were smaller.
The memories of a comfortable modern life clashed with the reality of his current existence.
Okay... definitely not Earth anymore, he thought.
He was Theo, a slave in a cage rolling toward an unknown destination.
However, panicking in a moving prison wasn’t going to help him survive. He took a slow breath, tasting the dust kicked up by the caravan.
He glanced down at his chest. Around his neck sat a band. A bronze collar.
In the memories of this body, that meant he was a "bronze" the lowest tier of slave.
They were the expendable ones, the bodies thrown into spirit-crystal mines to dig until their lungs gave out, or used as cannon fodder to clear out low-level beast dens.
"Keep your heads down, all of you..." a voice muttered from the corner of the cage.
Theo shifted his gaze. An older man was peering through the slats at the convoy ahead.
"Where is this convoy taking us?"
The old man shot him a weary look. "The Silent Thunder Sect. Don’t play dumb, boy. We’ve been marching on this road for weeks."
"Just... refreshing my memory," Theo deflected.
"They need fresh laborers," the old man sighed. "Though... I heard a rumor from the caravan drivers last night. If a slave touches the testing stone at the gates and shows a spark of true talent, they wipe the slave mark right then and there. They strip the collar and make you an outer disciple."
Theo turned to his right.
Sitting against the wall of the cage was a girl about his own age.
"Hey..." Theo whispered. "What’s your name?"
The girl slowly turned her head, her brow furrowing. "Are you an idiot? Or did that guard hit you too hard yesterday?"
"My head is a bit fuzzy... just humor me."
She let out a huff of breath, rolling her eyes. "You’ve been sharing half your water rations with me for the last two months, Theo. Did you really forget... or are you just trying to get me to talk so I stop thinking about the thirst?"
"A little bit of both," Theo replied naturally.
This body, despite being weak, had been stubbornly kind.
He had been looking out for Elara since they were captured by the border mercenaries.
Thus, Theo realized he had to be careful.
Suddenly, text materialized in the air.
[Destiny’s Eye activated.]
[Name: Theo]
[Age: 16]
[Structure: Mortal]
[Destiny: Gray]
[Evaluation: Weak, starving, and possessing no innate spiritual roots. Your only redeeming quality is your stubbornness, which will only prolong your inevitable suffering.]
Ouch... the brutal honesty stung, but it confirmed his worst fears.
Touching that testing stone at the sect gates wasn’t going to save him. He was a gray-tier nobody.
Even so, having the ability to see this information was an advantage.
He shifted his gaze slightly, focusing on the girl sitting across from him.
[Name: Elara]
[Age: 16]
[Structure: Dormant Storm Veins]
[Realm: Mortal]
[Destiny: Blue]
[Evaluation: Her meridians are clogged with innate impurities, but beneath the surface lies a terrifying affinity for lightning. If given the right guidance, she will undoubtedly soar.]
Theo’s eyes widened slightly.
A blue destiny? While he was doomed to die in the dirt, the girl he had been sharing his water with was a hidden genius.
"We’re here," the old man whispered.
Theo looked through the gaps in the cage. Looming ahead were stone gates, standing easily a hundred feet tall.
"Move it! Out of the cages, you filthy rats!" a guard barked.
The doors were thrown open.
Theo stumbled out, his legs weak from the journey, but he caught his balance quickly.
The guards moved through the crowd, unhooking the chains that connected the cages, forcing the slaves into a long line leading toward the gates.
Right as the last chain hit the dust, a voice announced:
[System binding successful.]
[This system will encompass all talented martial artists of the same generation within the designated region and rank them once a month.]
[Initiating beginner sequence.]
The space in front of Theo’s eyes distorted.
It was a colossal gacha wheel.
The wheel was divided into countless tiny slivers, most obscured by a fog, but a few glowed with an intoxicating brilliance.
[First bonus reward granted: One Free Gacha Roll.]
[Would you like to spin and defy your gray destiny?]
Theo stared at the wheel as a guard yelled at him.