When I was young, I didn’t have any deep dreams of being some kind of superhero that could break mountains with a wave of his palm. I didn’t care that other children look up to the experts in our villages. 

My father was a hunter. My mother was a housewife. My older sister was just like anybody else but a little of a bully to me. Yet, it wasn’t anything different than I was to expect growing up in that environment. In fact, I kind of enjoyed the peaceful way of life. 

Sadly, things changed for me around my sixth birthday and the awakening ceremony. You could say just about everybody had to go through one and I was no exception. Even if I was fine with learning how to pull a bow and wield a sword. Even if I was fine with my sister pinching my cheeks and roughing up my hair.

I still had to go put my hands on a glowing orb that random strangers brought to the village. At that time, I didn’t know anything would change. To be honest, I knew that if I was a legendary cultivator that I would be different from the rest. If I wasn’t, then only thing would change would be my path as mortal. 

So I didn’t hold up much expectations for this event that every other child was excited for. I watched with a detached curiosity as the orb changed colors depending on the grade of the child's spirit roots and most in the village was yellow to light green. Which had the lowest spirit roots. Apparently, their destinies weren’t all that bright and they weren’t fated to be powerhouses in the future.

But… they could reign over this village where the strongest was merely second stage core formation. This was quite embarrassing, or so I have been told. Sadly, for someone like myself at this time, where I had no ability to resist even teenagers. They were like supermen. 

When it was my turn to walk up, I was honestly, a tad bit nervous. Not concerning my future, but I was nervous whether or not I would get to become superman or not. When I placed my hands upon that orb and it glowed a bright violet, which was something along the lines of Heaven spirit root. 

I was half-excited about shooting fire and lightning from my fingertips and half-worried one of these men had a boy fetish.

Fortunately, none of my illogical fears became reality. In fact, the only thing that happened was that I was given a bigger satchel than the others and an invitation badge that would alert someone when I turned twelve years of age. The perfect time to begin an educated training regiment.

The men left after testing everybody and from that day on, the villagers looked at me differently. It wasn’t bad different, it was more like a dog looking at you because you have a tasty piece of snack in your hand.

However, this isn’t all that important. My routine almost went back the same. My father trained me to wield both bow and sword and track beast. However, in the early morning, he taught me to read the cultivation scriptures. Showed me how to meditate and even out all of my doubts and flaws.

At the time, I, honestly, did not know that my father was considered the strongest hidden expert in the village or that my mother's knowledge of herbal remedies was due to her past. I was a kid, who cared how they knew this stuff. Adults just knew right?

This is the kicker though. I was around ten years old and just advanced to the sixth stage of the core formation realm. I was told by strangers of the village that I was a once in a lifetime genius. My father told me that my cultivation speed was just a little faster than other peers. 

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Peer being commoners.

He explicitly expressed that commoners and those with sturdy backgrounds were of different breeds. He compared it to wild beasts that we hunt often and fierce beasts that we hunt sometimes when they wander into our fields.

I didn’t really care about how fast others were becoming giants. I only wanted to get to a realm where I could shoot fire from my fingertips. 

Oddly enough, my eleven birthday came around and my father provided me with my first cultivation item and technique. {Fire Dragon Blooms}.

This wasn’t like the palm or sword techniques I learned before which just added extra punch behind a regular attack. Let me explain the cultivation item first.

It was a scepter that had a spike point bottom and black bottom. Little triangles formed a handhold groove and the top was a three finger talon gripping a red orb that had flames swirling inside. Sometimes forming dragons, sometimes forming claws.

It took me only three months to learn the technique and after that, I was sent to the border where fierce beasts rested. My goal was to bring back beast cores, which should have been easy as I was ninth step core formation and at the end of the scripture the group of strangers provided.

***

(Present)

Okay, so I explained a little background but I didn’t explain what I am presently doing, right?

I am sitting cross legged on a branch. My dragon claw scepter resting upon my lap and memories of my former life as american flashing through my head. From the time, I was stupid little brat getting into mad trouble. Hitting on girls, smoking cigs, fighting for the street rep, then finally doing a stint in jail for someone selling me out.

Later on, I got out. Tried to be productive american citizens but what ended up happening was that I couldn’t find a decent job. People were prejudiced and it hindered my return to society. Which forced me to go to the military, I ended up climbing the rank slowly. My attitude was a huge factor, I had that, I wouldn’t tolerate shit, attitude.

However, I met a decent LT. and he straightened me out. Put me on a path for success, years later, I was standing with a group of elite soldiers doing missions for the country. Well, that’s the lie we told ourselves. 

Anyway, it wasn’t during one of these missions that I died. It was actually me sitting at home in a rocking chair. This lady had crashed into another car and I had rescued her out of it. Applied first aid and got her sent to the nearest hospital where her life was saved.

I remember clearly dying of a heart attack. I was climbing a mountain as one of those bucket list types of things. I fell down and hit my head, when I woke up again, I had no memory of my past life and ended up like I am now.

A dark skin, handsome young man, with golden braids. I felt like.. My looks weren’t all that bad. Haha, cough.

Anyway, I am a reincarnated black male who was formerly military and now an asian. How life has turned out for me.

***

I walked slowly through the forest. A heavy sack full of pelts and beast core rested on my shoulder. If it wasn’t filled, I probably would have stayed longer.

Wild animals pelts went for twenty silver a piece. Fierce beast at the ranking of Core Formation, stage one through five, went for almost two gold a piece. Their beast cores went for more than ten gold depending on which buyer you went to. Core formation at the stage of five to nine went for nearly twenty gold a piece for beast cores. Pelts were merely five gold.

I had around forty beast cores of beast around fifth to sixth level. Sixty around first stage to third stage. As for pelts, I only brought the best quality.

Cough, the ones I didn’t burn during my excitement of wielding fire like a superhero.