Chapter 1 : Chapter 1
Chapter 1 - Swapping Bodies at the Start
"Accursed wench! If I capture you, I will make sure you wish for death but find only suffering!"
Above the void, a figure as holy as snow flashed by. Her elegant posture was slightly disheveled.
Looking closely, she was actually a fairy with a pair of massive white wings on her back.
Several dark shadows pursued her relentlessly. A demonic mist shrouded the area for thousands of miles, and in an instant, they disappeared without a trace.
Blue Star, Qinghu City.
"Lin Zhi, you noob! If I ever play games with you again, I'll be your damn pet!"
A fair-faced young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and possessing a bit of baby fat was roaring fuming at another youth sitting two tables away.
As for why they were sitting so far apart, there were many stories behind that.
The two played the game together, but they ate breakfast at separate tables.
"Can you blame me? This is exactly how I learned to play on Douyin!"
The youth named Lin Zhi retorted with a righteous expression. Who was a noob? Clearly, those influencers had taught him the wrong way.
"You, you, you! You don't learn anything good, but you're a master at learning useless trash!"
Fatso’s anger remained unappeased. They had played all night and hadn't won a single match. He was about to drop a rank.
"Alright, alright, Fatso. I haven't fully mastered it yet. Next time, I'll definitely make you see me in a new light."
Lin Zhi remained calm, a faint, breezy smile still lingering on his face.
He seemed completely unfazed by Fatso’s angry shouting. Who could blame him when he was so thick-skinned?
The two finished their breakfast, with Fatso still grumbling and complaining about Lin Zhi.
One could not blame Fatso. When it came to gaming, Lin Zhi was truly, appallingly bad.
By the time they finished breakfast, it was nearly noon. Under Lin Zhi’s relentless psychological warfare, Fatso finally agreed to Lin Zhi's invitation to play together again next time.
Soon after, the two went their separate ways to rest at home.
Lin Zhi took out his keys and opened the security door. Seeing that the spacious and bright house was empty, he assumed his parents had not finished work yet. Lin Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the refrigerator to grab an iced cola, and sauntered over to the balcony. He plopped down onto the wooden rocking chair placed there.
Lin Zhi was eighteen years old. It was currently the end of the college entrance examination period, so he and Fatso spent every night pulling all-nighters at the internet cafe.
He had been beaten many times by his parents for this, yet he would still limp along happily with his arm around Fatso's shoulder to sneak out and get online. He was the classic example of someone with low skill but a high addiction.
Feeling the soft midday sun shining on his body, Lin Zhi squinted his eyes. Gradually, drowsiness washed over him, and he unconsciously fell into a deep sleep on the rocking chair.
An unknown amount of time passed. The sunlight outside was covered by dark clouds. Suddenly, a violent wind rose, and a cold draft struck the windowsill, making a series of whistling sounds like wailing ghosts. Thunder rolled amidst the dense clouds.
With a loud BANG, Lin Zhi jolted awake in fright. It seemed like some heavy object had smashed into the window in front of him.
Lin Zhi looked up and saw that the outer layer of the window glass had been smashed, leaving a large hole. The cold wind whistled through the cracks of the shattered glass, bringing a sudden chill.
Lin Zhi stood up from the rocking chair and walked toward the broken window. He gripped the windowsill with both hands and peered through the large hole in the glass.
At this moment, it was pitch black outside, and rain was pouring down in torrents. Amidst the lightning and thunder, Lin Zhi’s gaze followed a bolt of lightning that tore through the dark clouds, landing on the external air conditioning unit downstairs. Something seemed to be moving.
Lin Zhi hurried to take out his phone and turned on the flashlight. Looking closely, what entered his sight was a bird the size of a fist.
Unlike ordinary birds, Lin Zhi had never seen such a peculiar little thing.
Even though the bird was in a dire situation—its tail feathers were scattered in several places and its snow-white feathers were mostly stained with blood—it still looked extraordinary.
The bird seemed to feel that it was being watched. It turned its head with great effort, and its agile eyes were filled with endless coldness.
Its gaze was resolute yet heartbreaking. Its small, sharp beak held a piece of something. This single look left Lin Zhi dazed.
As for the bird, after just one glance, it turned its head away as if struck by an electric shock.
It struggled to stand up, seemingly wanting to spread its wings and fly high. However, it did not realize its injuries were too severe. Like a butterfly with broken wings, it struggled and fluttered for a long time, but its drooping wings were useless.
Seeing this, Lin Zhi completely ignored the pouring rain and the howling wind. He resolutely opened the window.
Gripping the edge of the windowsill tightly with one hand, he leaned out, intending to save this unusual little bird.
However, the distance between the window and the air conditioning unit was like a natural chasm. No matter how much Lin Zhi racked his brain, he could not reach it.
Looking at the narrow ledge outside that could barely fit a foot, Lin Zhi grit his teeth and jumped onto the windowsill.
He gripped the edge of the window with both hands, crawling out like a gecko. Then, he turned sideways and slowly shuffled toward the air conditioner.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH...
The gale continued, and the heavy rain constantly hammered Lin Zhi’s body. Lin Zhi looked down, his heart suddenly racing as he froze in place.
"Holy crap, this is the eighteenth floor." Realizing this too late, cold sweat instantly covered his body.
Looking at the pitch-black ground below and then at the bird which was now only about a meter away from him, Lin Zhi took a deep breath. He adjusted his state and muttered fiercely.
"Dammit, I'm already here. If I don't save it now, it'll all be for nothing."
After saying that, he carefully moved along the edge of the windowsill step by step.
After a few steps, Lin Zhi slowly extended his arm and placed one hand on the air conditioner unit. He wiped the rainwater from his face with the other hand.
Then, he slowly twisted his body and reached his hand toward the little bird that was right in front of him.
The bird seemed to perceive Lin Zhi’s kindness. It struggled to walk toward Lin Zhi’s open palm, hopped onto it, and lay down.
Feeling the warmth coming from his palm, Lin Zhi was overjoyed. He was just about to carefully return the way he came.
Suddenly, a powerful blast of wind struck Lin Zhi, and a searing pain spread through his entire body.
In an instant, his body tumbled uncontrollably toward the ground. In a daze, Lin Zhi saw a massive finger appear in the sky, looking as if it were about to pierce through the heavens.
CHIRP, CHIRP.
A whimpering sound came from beside his ear. He saw the bird fly out of his palm with all its might, flying beneath his falling body, trying to hold him up.
However, its fist-sized body was seriously injured. Faced with the rapidly falling Lin Zhi, it could do nothing.
Lin Zhi continued to fall toward the ground. In a few seconds, he would impact the earth. From the eighteenth floor, even a god might not be able to save him.
As he drew closer to the ground inch by inch, Lin Zhi wondered what on earth was happening. What was with that finger?
Was he actually going to fall to his death?
Disregarding the pain in his body, Lin Zhi screamed through gritted teeth. He flailed his arms and legs wildly in mid-air.
Lin Zhi, who had never faced death before, was just an eighteen-year-old child at this moment.
"AH!" A long cry rang out, sounding like a warbler leaving a valley, its echoes lingering.
The little bird instantly transformed into a human figure like a phoenix rising from the ashes. A holy aura rose from beneath Lin Zhi like morning mist.
Snow-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, dancing in the wind. Some strands even found their way into Lin Zhi’s mouth.
"Pah, pah, pah..."
Lin Zhi frantically spat out the hair in his mouth, but his eyes were fixed blankly on the fairy beneath him.
"Holy shit!"
For a moment, Lin Zhi thought he was dreaming!