Eternal Rebirth: The System's Chosen Exile

Lin Wei's last memory was the screech of tires and the blinding flash of headlights. He remembered the way his body had jerked forward, the seatbelt cutting into his chest, and the sound of shattering glass. Then, nothing. Just darkness.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in a hospital—or even on Earth. He stood in a vast, otherworldly landscape, surrounded by floating mountains and cascading waterfalls that defied gravity. The air was thick with an energy he couldn't name, and the sky above shimmered with colors he had never seen before. It was beautiful, surreal, and utterly terrifying.

A glowing screen appeared before him, hovering in the air like a hologram. The text was written in a language he didn't recognize, yet he could understand it perfectly.

**[Welcome, Host. You have been reborn as a System Exile.]**

"System Exile? What the hell does that mean?" Lin Wei muttered, his voice echoing strangely in the empty landscape. He reached out to touch the screen, but his hand passed through it as if it were made of smoke.

Before he could process the words, another notification popped up:

**[New Ability Acquired: Summon a Single Grain of Rice.]**

"Are you kidding me?" Lin Wei groaned. He stared at the screen, waiting for some kind of explanation, but none came. Instead, the screen flickered and disappeared, leaving him alone in the strange, beautiful world.

He looked down at his hands, half-expecting them to be transparent or glowing or something equally bizarre. But they looked normal—just the same hands he'd always had. He pinched himself, hard, just to make sure this wasn't some kind of dream. The pain was real enough.

"Okay," he said aloud, trying to steady his racing heart. "Okay. I'm in another world. I've got some kind of system. And apparently, I'm an exile. Great. Just great."

He took a deep breath and looked around. The floating mountains in the distance seemed to pulse with energy, and the waterfalls glowed faintly, as if lit from within. It was like something out of a fantasy movie, but he had no idea where to go or what to do.

"Alright, system," he said, hoping it would respond. "What am I supposed to do now?"

The screen reappeared, but the text was garbled, as if it were malfunctioning.

**[Error: Command not recognized. Please try again later.]**

"Fantastic," Lin Wei muttered. "A broken system. Just my luck."

He decided to start walking. Standing around in the middle of nowhere wasn't going to help him figure out what was going on. As he walked, he tried to make sense of his situation. He'd died—that much was clear. And now he was in some kind of afterlife or alternate world. But why? And why was he a "System Exile"? What did that even mean?

After what felt like hours of walking, he finally saw something in the distance—a small village nestled at the base of one of the floating mountains. Relief flooded through him. Maybe the people there could help him.

As he approached the village, he noticed that the buildings were made of a strange, shimmering material that seemed to shift colors in the light. The villagers were dressed in simple robes, and they moved with a grace that seemed almost unnatural. They looked human, but there was something… off about them.

Lin Wei hesitated at the edge of the village, unsure of how to proceed. Before he could decide, a young man noticed him and approached. He looked to be in his early twenties, with sharp features and piercing green eyes.

"You're new here," the young man said, his tone more curious than hostile.

"Yeah," Lin Wei replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, uh, just arrived. I'm not really sure where I am or what's going on."

The young man studied him for a moment, then nodded. "You're in the Azure Sky Village, at the edge of the Floating Mountains. My name is Jiang Feng. What's yours?"

"Lin Wei."

"Well, Lin Wei, you look like you've been through a lot. Come with me. I'll take you to the elder. He'll know what to do."

Lin Wei followed Jiang Feng through the village, trying to take in everything around him. The villagers glanced at him curiously but didn't say anything. He noticed that many of them carried weapons—swords, staffs, and other implements that looked both ancient and deadly.

They reached a large building at the center of the village, its walls adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to tell some kind of story. Jiang Feng led him inside, where an elderly man sat on a raised platform, surrounded by scrolls and strange artifacts.

"Elder," Jiang Feng said, bowing slightly. "This is Lin Wei. He's new here and needs guidance."

The elder looked up, his eyes sharp and penetrating. He studied Lin Wei for a long moment, then nodded. "Welcome, Lin Wei. I am Elder Zhang. Tell me, how did you come to be here?"

Lin Wei hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "I… I died. In my world, I mean. And then I woke up here. I don't really know what's going on."

Elder Zhang nodded, as if this were a common occurrence. "You have been reborn into the world of cultivation. This is a place where mortals can ascend to immortality through the practice of Qi and the refinement of their souls. But you… you are different."

"Different?" Lin Wei asked, his heart sinking.

"Yes. You are a System Exile. A rare individual cursed by the heavens to carry a malfunctioning system. Tell me, what abilities has your system granted you so far?"

Lin Wei grimaced. "Uh, well, it gave me the ability to summon a single grain of rice."

Elder Zhang raised an eyebrow. "I see. That is… unusual. Most systems grant their hosts powerful abilities from the start. But yours seems to be… flawed."

"Yeah, no kidding," Lin Wei muttered.

Elder Zhang leaned forward, his expression serious. "Listen carefully, Lin Wei. Being a System Exile is both a curse and an opportunity. Your system may be broken, but it is also unique. It has the potential to defy the heavens themselves. But that potential comes at a great cost. The heavens will not take kindly to your existence, and you will face many trials. Do you understand?"

Lin Wei swallowed hard. "I think so. But what am I supposed to do?"

"For now, you must learn to survive. Cultivate your Qi, train your body, and learn to harness whatever abilities your system grants you—no matter how strange they may seem. In time, you may discover the true nature of your system and the reason you were chosen as an exile."

Lin Wei nodded, though he still felt overwhelmed. "Alright. I'll do my best."

Elder Zhang smiled faintly. "Good. Jiang Feng will help you get settled. He will also teach you the basics of cultivation. Listen to him, and do not take your situation lightly. The path ahead of you will not be easy."

Jiang Feng led Lin Wei out of the elder's building and toward a small hut on the edge of the village. "This will be your home for now," he said. "It's not much, but it's better than sleeping outside."

Lin Wei stepped inside and looked around. The hut was simple, with a bed, a table, and a few basic supplies. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Thanks," he said, turning to Jiang Feng. "I really appreciate it."

Jiang Feng nodded. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll begin your training."

As Lin Wei lay down on the bed, his mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't going to let this strange, broken system—or the heavens themselves—defeat him.