The Protagonist’s Awakening

Lin Mo remained rooted at the edge of the viewing platform, as if his ankles had been frozen in place. The terror in his blood, far from subsiding, solidified once more in a deeper, colder abyss. ‘Qiu Yue.’ That name, along with the silent, overwhelming defeat he had just witnessed, seared itself like a brand deep into his very bones. It wasn’t a battle at all; it was a blatant display, a stark declaration of her absolute dominance in power. ‘Was she trying to tell him that her inaction all this time, merely letting her subordinates stir up trouble, stemmed from an unwavering confidence that her own strength was enough to shatter any of his plans?’

‘Is that… what you truly believe?’

‘Qiu Yue…?’

No, she definitely thought so. Her gaze, her expression, had made it blindingly clear. In a mere flicker of his perception, Qiu Yue’s delicate figure seemed to bloat and fissure like decaying flesh, tearing through space to become a colossal, sky-obscuring phantom! Yet, even in that monstrous form, she still managed to twist her saccharine smile into a sinister sneer, directed squarely at him.

Even after the teleportation light in Jia-Domain, Zone Two flared and vanished, all that remained was a deathly stillness and a soul-chilling, withered cold that still lingered in the air. That terrifying silhouette persisted in the arena, causing Lin Mo’s breath to quicken unconsciously. More dreadful than the sudden illusion was the sheer power itself. There were no flamboyant bursts of spiritual energy, no earth-shattering displays of might. Merely a lift of her hand, a gentle tap, without even making contact! The omnipresent Profound Yin Qi, imbued with a chilling, viscous, and decaying essence far beyond the meager Profound Yin power within his own body, had instantly stripped Fang Duoduo of her spiritual energy, her will, and even her very life force. Those almost imperceptible, icy threads that had seeped into Fang Duoduo’s body…

…Lin Mo desperately replayed the scene, struggling to simulate it in his mind…

He… he wouldn’t have been able to dodge it either. In fact, he couldn’t even imagine himself escaping.

‘Monster.’

Qiu Yue had always been a monster, but only now had that monster truly materialized before his eyes. Lin Mo’s breathing grew ragged, his chest feeling as if it were crushed by a block of ten-thousand-year-old Profound Ice, each breath carrying a bone-chilling cold. He had prided himself on acquiring the Bright Jade Profound Yin, on obtaining Mu Qingli’s Profound Yin Qi, and even on devising his own fighting style and methods to widen the gap in spiritual energy manipulation. Yet… it was still useless. That formidable figure from moments ago still ravaged his confidence, tearing through his mind like a destructive force. It was like a colossal iceberg descending from the heavens, mercilessly crushing his pitiful ‘progress’ into dust.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Lin Mo could distinctly hear the frantic pounding of his heart against his ribs, threatening to burst from his chest.

‘What am I to do?’

‘Against a Qiu Yue like this, what can he do?’

‘But… can he simply hide away?’

‘Will fear bring about a turning point?’

‘No…’

Though a vast, helpless despair dragged him down like a swamp, he dared not even imagine the scenario of Ji Xue confronting Qiu Yue. Nevertheless, Lin Mo still refused to give up! He had to shift his focus now, to excise the fear of Qiu Yue that had taken root in his mind!

“Boom—!!!”

The dull thud of explosives from another fierce battle in the Bing-Domain below abruptly tore through Lin Mo’s suffocating thoughts.

‘Right, watch the fights.’

He forced himself to avert his gaze from Qiu Yue’s direction, his eyes settling on an arena in the Bing-Domain. It was a duel between two Bing-Domain disciples, and while it lacked the snarling, beast-like entanglement, the combatants—despite being women—fought with viciously cunning moves, each blow landing with bone-shattering ferocity. Weapons were already being drawn, promising an even more spectacular show! Lin Mo’s heart plummeted. If he looked closely, he was certain to see the nightmare that now haunted his thoughts—

It was as if fate had precisely seized him by the throat, denying him even a moment’s reprieve. Just as Lin Mo suppressed the surging tide of fear and compelled himself to analyze the combat patterns in the Bing-Domain, the host’s booming voice, imbued with a metallic clarity, exploded across the training grounds like a clap of thunder:

“Next round, Yi-Domain, Zone Five, Lin Mo versus—Zhao Miaozhi!”

Lin Mo’s heart felt as though it had been cruelly squeezed by an icy hand!

‘Damn it!’

‘He just wanted a moment to breathe; why was it so difficult?’

Gritting his teeth, Lin Mo retrieved his disciple token and channeled spiritual energy into it. Yi-Domain, Zone Five.

“Miaozhi of the Bing-Domain! Please enlighten me!!!”

Her voice boomed like thunder! Zhao Miaozhi, a name seemingly at odds with its bearer. Her physique was as burly as a wild bear, far exceeding the typical female build, and her coarse grey disciple robes strained to burst under the pressure of her bulging muscles. Several fresh, gruesome scars marred her dark face, and her entire being exuded a bloody, ferocious aura, as if she had just crawled from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Despite only being at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, her aura erupted without reservation—heavy, wild, and pressing down like a tangible cloud of steam! Her bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Lin Mo, the battle fervor within them almost threatening to flay him alive. This was a pure, brutal animosity, forged in countless brawls from the lowest ranks, driven solely by the desire to obliterate her opponent!

“Lin Wan’er of the Yi-Domain, I request your guidance.” He forced himself to speak, making his voice cool and steadying his mind. Before his words had even fully faded! Without a hint of probing, Zhao Miaozhi, this human-shaped beast, utterly erupted! Her massive frame unleashed a terrifying speed utterly disproportionate to her bulk! Like a rampaging wild ox, she charged forward, throwing her entire body into the attack! A dense, earthy-yellow spiritual energy, condensed to its absolute limit, enveloped her fist, as large as a cooking pot, and with a dull sonic boom, it shot straight towards Lin Mo’s face! Simple! Direct! Lethal! It was a fighting style purely designed to crush an opponent into pulp with brute physical strength and explosive power! Lin Mo’s pupils constricted abruptly! In that critical moment, instinct seized control of his body! Spiritual energy surged instantly, and a protective spiritual barrier, roughly the same size as Zhao Miaozhi’s fist, materialized in an instant!

“Boom—!!!”

The heavy fist slammed down upon it! Yet, eerily, this protective spiritual energy… it actually couldn’t block it?! A tremendous impact force surged through the ice barrier, striking Lin Mo’s chest like a heavy hammer, causing his qi and blood to churn violently! His mind instantly descended into chaos! Although Zhao Miaozhi had hesitated for a moment, her actions never faltered by half a beat. Her other iron fist whistled, tearing through the air as it savagely bypassed the shattered ice barrier, aiming directly for Lin Mo’s vulnerable ribs! The force of the punch ripped the silk fabric of Lin Mo’s skirt at his waist! Too fast! Too vicious! Lin Mo was already dazed, his mind frozen for just a split second! Had another punch truly arrived so quickly?

‘Damn it!’

‘He… he was still at Foundation Establishment, after all!’

‘He was destined to face Qiu Yue! How could he be beaten so miserably by mere Bing-Domain disciples?!’

‘He had to end this quickly!’

‘He couldn’t let Qiu Yue look down on him!’

‘He couldn’t let his enemies look down on him!’

‘He had to win!’

‘And he had to win beautifully!’

Lin Mo twisted and dodged with all his might! Concurrently, he mobilized the spiritual energy around his body to block the incoming punch! However, Zhao Miaozhi’s offense was like a raging tide, offering no respite! Even when one punch failed to connect, she didn’t pause for an instant, as if completely unconcerned, swiftly switching tactics and launching her next blow! She displayed none of the astonishment or hesitation of his previous opponents. Lin Mo suppressed the churning within him, his ten fingers darting out like lightning!

“Shoot!”

Dozens of highly condensed, incredibly tough spiritual light beams silently shot towards Zhao Miaozhi’s joints—her wrists, elbows, and knees!

“Petty tricks!” Zhao Miaozhi roared, and her earthy-yellow protective spiritual energy violently vibrated! ‘It was utterly useless!’ When the projectiles failed, his spiritual energy once again condensed into threads, intending to entangle Zhao Miaozhi’s limbs! He hadn’t been idle this past month; he hadn’t learned other cultivation methods, but had instead devised a few small techniques of his own. He had believed these would be foolproof here, yet… Zhao Miaozhi’s earthy-yellow protective spiritual energy violently vibrated! Rip! Most of the threads snapped! Still, a few strands penetrated the weak points in her spiritual energy, tightly wrapping around her power-generating joints! While unable to truly bind her, they acted like invisible shackles, causing momentary stagnation and distortion during her explosive movements! But… it was negligible…

“Argh! This is infuriating!!!” Zhao Miaozhi was completely engulfed in rage! Abandoning all technique, her beastly nature erupted! Her feet, like those of a colossal elephant, slammed down violently onto the ground!

Rumble!!!

The earth shattered and the heavens split! An earthy-yellow spiritual energy shockwave exploded outwards in a ring! The ground around Zhao Miaozhi instantly cracked and shattered inch by inch! Shards of rock scattered like cannon fire! Pfft, pfft, pfft! Crack, crack! Under the pure, raw force of this barbaric tremor, the spiritual threads instantly disintegrated, dissolving into shimmering specks of light! The terrifying shockwave swept through indiscriminately! The distance was too close! Lin Mo could only leap backward in haste! An invisible, immense force slammed violently into his chest! “Ugh!” His vision blurred amidst the searing pain! His body flew backward uncontrollably! A coppery sweetness surged up his throat, which he forcefully swallowed back down! Spiritual energy surged wildly within his chest and abdomen, his fragile balance teetering on the brink.

‘No, impossible…’

‘He was Foundation Establishment, after all! Even though he was disguised, actively suppressing his cultivation realm, how could he be fighting like this against someone at the ninth level of Qi Condensation?’

‘He should be instantly defeating them, just like Qiu Yue!’

‘He should be just like Qiu Yue!’

‘He shouldn’t be weaker than Qiu Yue!’

‘He had received miraculous encounters, gained power, and obtained help from so many people; he shouldn’t be unable to defeat Qiu Yue.’

‘He had endured so many terrible things; he shouldn’t be beaten into such a sorry state!’

‘He even had a child, and a wife! He should be making a dashing display in front of them! He should be invincible!’

‘He should be crushing all challenges!’

‘He should be—’

‘He should have been—’

‘The pro—’

Yet, no matter how much he screamed internally, what appeared before Lin Mo was a heavy punch. Instantly, all thoughts vanished. This single punch shattered everything. The protagonist’s cry was scattered by a single punch. His body, like a kite with a broken string, crashed to the edge of the arena. A constant buzzing filled his ears, and his vision blurred. It was as if he could finally breathe, and his mind was no longer as chaotic as before.

Lin Mo couldn’t understand. His early life had been wretched, but recently, everything had undergone earth-shattering changes. From a mere servant, he had escaped the Qiu family, stumbled into the Xuan Nv Sect, not only surviving but becoming a personal disciple of the Sect Master. He had even cultivated top-tier techniques, and the Sect Master cherished his body, unwilling to let him die. Entering the Hall of Clarity, he had garnered so much attention, even gaining a wife, a child, and a fangirl. Through his wife, he had obtained immense power, even breaking through to Foundation Establishment in one go. He had even turned people close to Qiu Yue into his informants, making him privy to all their surveillance and plans. Qiu Yue believed she was infallible, but in reality, he was already the oriole behind the mantis. Everything was going so smoothly, wasn’t it? He was practically like a protagonist from an anime; though there were occasional minor mishaps, heaven always favored him, always—

‘Wasn’t it?’

‘Wasn’t this the treatment a protagonist received?’

‘Shouldn’t he… win?’

‘Why was he being beaten so miserably?’

‘He should be able to punch Qiu Yue and kick Qiu Yue, shouldn’t he?’

‘How could he be beaten to such a state by a mere inner disciple?’

‘Then how could he contend with Qiu Yue of the Jia-Domain?’

‘He was the protagonist…’

‘No… he wasn’t the protagonist… he was just a—’

“You’re just a cripple!”

Abruptly, Lin Mo could suddenly see his surroundings clearly. Yet, seeing clearly was useless, for darkness enveloped everything, and there was nothing else. Only a single voice, vast and resonant, seemed to drift from the horizon. Lin Mo scrambled to his feet!

“Who?! Who’s there?!”

But only his own echo reverberated around him, receiving no reply. Gradually, however, the sound of a wheelchair began to emanate from behind him, causing Lin Mo to spin around abruptly! He found, behind him, a hospital bed had appeared at some unknown point. Lin Mo bravely approached. He sensed no danger, only that the bed felt both familiar and strange. On the familiar hospital bed lay a person. Their gleaming head reflected a cold light from an unknown source, their cheeks pale and gaunt, skin stretched taut like wax paper over their bony frame, devoid of any flesh—a living skeleton stripped of human skin! Even more eerily, while he could discern the condition of the face, its features were indistinct, as if shrouded in a haze, preventing Lin Mo from recognizing who it was.

“You… who are you?” Lin Mo questioned, simultaneously feeling that the person before him was both familiar and a stranger. Yet, the patient on the bed remained silent. Despite their wretched appearance, they were still smiling, not a pitiful smile, but one that was sweet and utterly blissful. ‘How strange. Even though a haze obscured them, how did he know they were smiling?’ The voice spoke again.

“You’re just a dead cripple, and you’re refusing my little gift, eh? Come on, take this bag of candies; I’ve been hiding it for ages, and now it’s yours!”

In front of the hospital bed, a bamboo pole extended. Its middle had been whittled down, and the handle of a plastic bag was wedged within it. The heavy bag made the bamboo pole sway precariously, suggesting that the person holding it was struggling.

“Are you stupid? I’m paralyzed, how am I supposed to take it?” The person on the bed spoke, scolding with a laugh.

“Oh! I completely forgot! Your mouth is so sharp, you don’t seem paralyzed at all! Well, I’ll hang it on the window; when your mom comes back later, she can help you get it.”

“I don’t even like these things, take them back.”

“Hey! This is from my heart, how can you be so ungrateful? Take it, take it, take it. Now you’re acting all tsundere! Pfft, pfft, pfft, anyway, you can’t move, so I’m going to force it on you, hmph.”

“You’re truly unreasonable, and you even went to school.”

“Just because I went to school doesn’t mean anything. Just because you’re paralyzed, does that mean you have to be silent and reserved? As long as you know who you are, isn’t that enough?”

…

‘As long as he knew, was that truly enough…?’

Suddenly, Lin Mo remembered. He remembered who was on this hospital bed, and who the person handing him the pole was. He remembered who he was. Lin Mo stepped forward, wanting to take the bag, but he couldn’t touch it, couldn’t feel it. His hand simply passed through the window, through the bag. He grabbed and squeezed, but his hand found nothing. ‘He was Lin Mo. The many hardships he had endured didn’t mean he deserved them. The miraculous encounters he gained didn’t mean he was a protagonist. Being able to walk didn’t mean life would get better. Having a wife and child didn’t mean he had to be anything in particular. After all, his father was like that, wasn’t he?’

“What about you?” The self from his memory suddenly spoke. “Who are you? If going to school doesn’t mean you’re a student, then why are you there? You’re truly wasting Mom’s money and your own future!”

“Hey! I’m just me, I just have the identity of a student, got it? It’s not like I represent all students, understand?”

“Why are you acting so profound, spouting such nonsense? Is school for you to play around?”

“What do you know? Do you even understand what clear self-awareness means? It means I know I go to school, I’m not cut out for studying, but I can make friends, I can make lots of friends, and have a great time with everyone~ I, I know what I’m doing, and that’s enough!”

“Oh, so that’s why you got a zero on your test and secretly shoved the paper into my window? Next time Mom enters the room, I’m going to shout, ‘Ah~ I’ve hidden a test paper here! Wow! Someone got a zero!'”

“Wah wah wah wah! You! You’re shameless! I gave you hush money, and you treat me like this? Besides, I tried hard, that’s enough! I’m really not cut out for studying, don’t you know? The process is what’s important, not the result!”

“‘The result isn’t important,’ and ‘hush money,’ huh? You just gave me all the stuff you don’t like to eat. Look, mint flavor, green apple flavor.”

“You @#%@¥%!”

“You’re getting angry? I’m telling you, I @¥%!”

The voices gradually faded. Only Lin Mo remained in the dim space. ‘Was this his memory with his childhood friend? Childhood friends who didn’t know what each other looked like? Childhood friends who swore at each other? Could it count?’ He had been so angry back then, yet recalling it now, his heart was filled with only a warm feeling.

…

‘Knowing who he was was enough. Trying hard was enough.’
The shadow cast by Qiu Yue, the fear of that unknown power, gradually dissipated. ‘That idiot was right; he was just a cripple. He had gained a new life, he could walk, but he was still a cripple, once a cripple. He was just Lin Mo. He wasn’t some protagonist. He was just a man who had tried hard to live, and now he would try hard to defeat Qiu Yue and attain the life he desired.’ ‘Hey, idiot. You were right, the process is what matters, not the result. Back then, he was foolish and couldn’t refute you, but now that he’d re-evaluated, he felt you were wrong. It should be: as long as the process is earnest, the result will naturally follow. You, that idiot who played video games until late at night, woke him up, and talked about games, claiming you worked hard? You didn’t work hard at all, did you?’ Lin Mo smiled, unconsciously chuckling aloud, and as he laughed, the face of the person on the hospital bed gradually became clear. It was himself, without a doubt. He wasn’t a protagonist. He was Lin Mo. He was Lin Mo, who would strive to live, to witness the freedom his mother yearned for. He would lose. He would die. But he would never give up halfway again. Dying midway, that, too, would mean he had tried his best. Such a simple truth, how could he… only realize it after being knocked out? Let him introduce himself. To rediscover himself. His name was Lin Mo. He wasn’t the kind of invincible protagonist. He was just a cripple who could walk again, a foolish boy who, upon transmigrating, believed himself to be a destined chosen one. He had some luck, some help, and he fought hard to avoid being captured and tormented by the yandere young miss. Although he was being beaten terribly right now, he wasn’t preparing to surrender, did you know? Even if he died—no, that was too negative. It should be—even if he was beaten to a pulp, he would still resist. Life was a book; if he couldn’t be the protagonist of the grand world, then he would just be the protagonist of his own life. Let it be known, his life might not always be smooth sailing; sometimes it would be humiliating, but he could promise one thing: he would never give up halfway again. Welcome to read his life. This would be the beginning of a new chapter. Named—

‘Would you decide?’

Lin Mo gently held the hand on the hospital bed, smiling, waiting for the surrounding darkness to gradually peel away. But his gaze wasn’t on the bed; instead, it looked straight ahead, into the boundless distance, as if someone were there.