Okay, so it's been exactly three days since I touched down at Spirit Academy, and I'm still lowkey having an existential crisis about this whole "perfect recall" situation. Like, no cap—every single microsecond of my life is getting auto-saved to my brain's hard drive. Every conversation, every awkward glance, even the way that one kid sneezes during lectures (which is honestly disgusting, but now it's permanently archived in my mental database). It's giving main character energy, but also... kinda terrifying?
I'm basically walking around with a whole-ass Wikipedia in my skull, except it's all hyper-specific details about Spirit Academy dining hall conversations and the exact number of steps between my dorm and the library (247, in case you're wondering).
The timeline's been absolutely bonkers. I awakened my martial spirit and got accepted to the academy on the same day—talk about speedrunning life changes. When Bishop Wei slid me that acceptance offer, I didn't even pretend to think about it. The second I realized my brain had basically become a supercomputer, I knew I needed to lock in. This wasn't the time to be humble or play it safe. Spirit Hall had the resources, the knowledge, the connections, and most importantly—the protection. All things that were absolutely non-negotiable if I wanted to not just survive this second life, but actually make it slap.
So here I am, posted up in the orientation hall with my breakfast, surrounded by a bunch of other first-years who are either trying way too hard to look cool or having full-blown panic attacks about being here. Meanwhile, I'm over here doing what I do best—observing literally everything and filing it away for later use.
The whole enrollment process was honestly pretty smooth. Deacon Liu escorted me from the orphanage, and I gotta give her credit—despite having the emotional range of a refrigerator most of the time, she actually showed some human emotion when she left. Her usual ice-queen facade cracked just enough for her to say "Good luck," and ngl, that hit different. Made me realize that even the seemingly heartless bureaucrats in this world might actually care, just a little bit.
Bishop Wei personally handed me the enrollment scroll, which was honestly a flex I wasn't expecting. "Young Chen Ming, given your martial spirit's unique nature and your solid innate soul power, Spirit Hall is pleased to accept you into Wuhun Academy." The way he said it made it sound like I'd won some kind of lottery, which... I guess I kind of did?
My response was immediate: "I accept." No hesitation, no playing hard to get. That was the exact moment my life did a complete 180—the real beginning of my second chance speedrun.
And yo, the academy is absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. Everything the other orphans used to whisper about during late-night conversations was completely accurate. The structure here is immaculate, the prestige is real, and you can literally feel the weight of centuries of legacy just hanging in the air. This place doesn't just teach soul masters—it manufactures legends. And I wasn't about to waste a single second of being here.
While everyone else is losing their minds over combat drills and cultivation techniques (which, don't get me wrong, are absolutely fire), I'm over here treating the knowledge archives like my personal treasure trove. The scrolls, the ancient texts that probably haven't been touched in decades, the professors who talk like they've witnessed the rise and fall of entire civilizations—this is where the real power is. I want to understand every single mechanism of how this world operates, from the ground up. Martial spirits, soul power dynamics, political structures, ancient history, economic systems—literally everything.
But here's the thing I learned from my previous life: never put all your eggs in one basket, because life loves to come for your neck when you least expect it. So while I'm grinding the academic side, I'm also planning to diversify my skill set. Maybe alchemy—that seems like it could be both profitable and useful for personal development. Soul beast research could be interesting, especially since there seem to be massive gaps in the current understanding. Blacksmithing has that whole "create your own equipment" vibe that appeals to my independent streak. Whatever I choose, having practical skills means having leverage, and leverage means options.
I've been doing some serious reconnaissance on the faculty situation here. Figuring out who's actually helpful versus who's just collecting a paycheck, who might be willing to mentor someone like me, and who might try to sabotage me later because they feel threatened. I'm part of Spirit Hall now, which is great, but I'm not naive enough to think this support comes without strings attached. There are expectations, obligations, and definitely people keeping tabs on my progress. That's fine—for now, this is still my best opportunity to level up.
The social dynamics here in this world are absolutely wild, and I've been studying them like they're my major. This place operates on what's basically a power-based pyramid scheme. At the very top, you've got the established noble families and ancient sects who've been hoarding influence for generations. Below them are the independent soul masters with insane power levels who've managed to carve out their own space. Then there's people like me—aligned with major organizations like Spirit Hall, which gives us protection and resources but also keeps us on a leash. And at the very bottom of this hierarchy are the people with no soul power at all, who basically exist to serve everyone else.
It's a rigid system, and honestly kind of messed up when you really think about it. What's even more concerning is how many of the soul masters here—even the younger students—walk around with this superiority complex that's genuinely unhinged. Some of these kids are already so drunk on their own power that they're making decisions that could get them (or others) seriously hurt. It's like they've been told they're the main characters for so long that they've forgotten other people are actual human beings.
I'm keeping mental notes on all of this because power without wisdom is just a recipe for disaster, and I refuse to become one of those cautionary tales.
One thing that's been bugging me is the whole "no soul power" situation that affects such a huge portion of the population. Like, what's the actual deal with that? Is it genetic? Environmental? Random cosmic lottery? None of the sources I've accessed so far have given me a satisfactory explanation, and that's driving me crazy. Once I get access to the deeper archives and scholarly research, I'm definitely diving into that mystery. There has to be some kind of pattern or causation that everyone's just accepting without questioning.
But first things first—I need to hit level 10 and get my first spirit ring. That's my immediate goal, and it's basically the official entry ticket into the real soul master community. Everything else depends on how that goes.
My medium-term plans are pretty flexible, which is intentional. If my cultivation progress is fast and I'm vibing with the intermediate academy environment, I might stick around and continue grinding here. But if things get stagnant or political, I'm not above dipping and going the independent route—traveling, networking, finding mentors outside the established system. I'm trying not to box myself into any single path too early.
The long-term vision though? Complete independence. With this memory ability, I can absorb skills and knowledge faster than basically anyone else, which means I can build something entirely my own. Maybe a research institute focused on the questions everyone else is too scared or lazy to ask. Maybe a business that bridges the gap between soul masters and regular people. Maybe even my own educational institution that doesn't perpetuate the toxic hierarchy BS that seems to be everywhere else.
Whatever it ends up being, it's going to be mine. Not tied to any noble family's agenda, not beholden to any political machine, not dependent on anyone else's approval or support. That's the dream.
But I'm not about to rush toward that goal like some kind of reckless protagonist. I've read way too many stories about "gifted" individuals who flew too close to the sun and got absolutely obliterated. I'm not trying to become a tragic legend or accidentally become some world-ending villain because I moved too fast and made enemies I couldn't handle. My ideal endgame is honestly pretty chill—financial security, intellectual freedom, maybe a quiet tea shop with a side hustle in theoretical research. You know, the simple life, but with the option to completely rearrange reality if necessary.
From my dorm window, I can see the main courtyard filling up with students heading to their various classes and training sessions. Some are laughing and joking around, others are already sparring or deep in meditation, and a few are definitely flexing a little too hard for this early in the morning. We're all here for the same basic reason—to get stronger, to level up, to become something more than what we were.
But here's where I'm different from most of them. For a lot of these students, strength is the end goal. They want to be powerful soul masters because being powerful is cool, or because it'll get them respect, or because their families expect it.
For me? Strength isn't the destination—it's just the key that unlocks everything else I actually want.
Three days in, and the transformation is already insane. The structure, the learning opportunities, the strategic thinking required just to navigate daily life here—I'm absolutely thriving on all of it. And honestly? I think I'm actually starting to enjoy this whole experience, which is wild because I definitely wasn't expecting that.
Chen Ming the orphan made it out. That chapter is officially closed.