Chapter 2: Three Years Old and Dead |
When Su Hao awoke once again, he found himself in the body of a small child, barely over a year old. His family ran a successful pharmacy in a bustling city, living in relative luxury compared to the common folk of this world.
For a brief moment, he felt a sense of relief.
"Thank goodness, luck is on my side. This time I will definitely…"
But his thoughts came to a screeching halt.
Wait!
Su Hao immediately sensed something was off.
AAttributing his circumstances to luck once or twice was understandable, but every single time? This wasn’t mere luck—it was something far more terrifying.
His heart raced as his mind spiraled into deep thought. The more he considered his situation, the more unsettling it became, sending goosebumps prickling across his skin.
The Marble Space carried his consciousness across the vastness of the universe, wandering aimlessly. There was no way to predict where or when it would land next. —it could end up anywhere.
And yet… here he was again.
An infinite amount of time stretching through the void meant that even the most remote possibilities eventually came to pass. That realization dawned on him with a creeping sense of dread.
It wasn’t luck—it was inevitability. He would continue to wake up, again and again, as long as the Marble Space existed and time marched on.
The question was: How long was the gap between each of his awakenings? A thousand years? Ten thousand? A million? Or perhaps tens of millions?
Perhaps even longer!
The sheer scope of such a timespan was beyond his ability to grasp, and the thought of spending endless eons drifting in nothingness filled Su Hao with an overwhelming sense of existential terror.
Every rebirth was a precious opportunity, the result of untold epochs of waiting for a sliver of chance to align. He could feel the weight of that knowledge pressing down on him—every life mattered.
With renewed resolve, Su Hao steeled himself. He needed to make the most of each life, no matter how brief. Up until now, his combined years of conscious existence barely amounted to thirty, a number far too small for someone who had experienced the span of the universe.
For the next two years, Su Hao treaded carefully, constantly on edge. He cherished his life as if it hung by a thread, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.
His motto became simple: Safety first.
During this period, he gathered as much information as he could about the world around him.
It didn’t take long for him to learn that this was a world filled with martial prowess, a Wuxia-like realm where supernatural martial arts truly existed.
From the window of his home, Su Hao occasionally saw martial experts leaping across rooftops, their movements as light as feathers, swords glowing with an eerie luminescence as they cut through the air. He watched in awe as a sword's blade cleaved through a thick pillar, splitting it clean in half.
This was no illusion. The power of these martial artists was very real, filling him with both fear and excitement.
The fear stemmed from the danger that came with living in such a world. But the excitement stirred an old desire in his heart—the childhood dream of mastering martial arts, roaming the land with a sword, and upholding justice.
Unfortunately, his current circumstances didn’t offer many chances for him to learn such skills. His family’s pharmacy was just a regular business, far removed from the world of martial experts.
But Su Hao was not discouraged. He was still young, and he believed that someday, his opportunity would come.
However, disaster struck sooner than he expected. One year later, when he turned five, a female warrior—gravely wounded—sought refuge at their pharmacy. His family took her in and treated her wounds, unaware of the danger that followed. As soon as she recovered, fearing that they might reveal her location to her enemies, the warrior mercilessly slaughtered his entire family to keep her whereabouts secret.
Su Hao, despite his caution, did not escape this fate either. Once again, his consciousness was sent adrift, swallowed by the Marble Space.
….
When he awoke again, he found himself as an eighteen-month-old boy. This time, he was the eldest son of a powerful, wealthy family, doted upon by everyone. His family’s influence was quite powerful in the local area, and Su Hao believed this time would be different—he would survive. But six months later, his father’s jealous concubine, who had just given birth to a half-brother, drowned him in a fishpond out of spite. He didn’t even live to see his second birthday.
….
Once more, Su Hao opened his eyes, this time as a two-year-old girl in a world resembling the early 21st century. Technological advancements hadn’t fully exploded yet, but black-and-white TVs, radios, and tricycles were already common sights in the streets. In just a few years, the world would soon reach the same level as his Earth’s 21st century. Su Hao considered becoming a dominating figure in the world of academia by plagiarizing books, songs, and movies, and living a carefree life.
As for becoming a girl, Su Hao didn’t mind—it was enough just to be alive. But two years later, a war between Nations suddenly broke out, and before he could even start elementary school and shine as a prodigy, he was killed by a stray shell that fell from the sky.
….
Su Hao found himself in a Xianxia world, only to be caught up in a demonic cultivator’s massacre during their evil practices. Age 3, deceased.
….
In a world of magic and Swords, the city he lived in was overrun by orcs, and he died in the slaughter. Age 2 and a half, deceased.
….
In a medieval era world, he was swept away by a flood. Age 3, deceased.
….
After experiencing countless worlds and dying in various ways, Su Hao realized how fragile life truly was. A young child would face all sorts of dangers during their growth, and even a minor accident could lead to the death of a defenseless toddler.
This made him understand how much effort his parents in his past life must have put in to ensure he grew up safely on Earth.
….
Opening his eyes once again, Su Hao replayed the memories of his previous premature deaths in his mind, carefully analyzing why he had never managed to grow up successfully.
"First, the world environment is too hostile.
Second, the social environment is unstable.
Third, parents’ attention is insufficient, unable to provide adequate protection.
Fourth, I am too young, lacking any self-preservation skills."
If Su Hao wanted to survive, he had to find a way to protect himself and get through the vulnerable stage of childhood. While he couldn’t change the world or social environments, he could at least strive to gain more parental attention and improve his self-preservation abilities.
As for self-defense, there was no expectation for a three- to five-year-old child to have much. He just needed to raise his vigilance and be more careful in the future.
So, his main strategy was to increase his parents’ attention and use their protection to ensure his survival.
“This time, I can’t just die from an inexplicable reason. I have to…”
Before he could finish, Su Hao quickly shut his mouth. He had uttered similar words in his past lives, only to meet inevitable death each time, as if cursed—speak of it, and doom would follow.
After strategizing his approach, Su Hao began to assess his current situation.
This was a civilized modern world, already entering the information technology era. Smartphones were common, and vehicles of all kinds crowded the streets, making it nearly identical to the metropolitan world of his previous life.
He was born in a country similar to China on Earth, and his current name was Luo Zhaohui. He lived in Beizhou City. His parents were ordinary working-class people—his father, Luo Shengrong, was a home designer, tall and slightly handsome before marriage, but had since gained weight and become a typical middle-aged man. His mother, Huang Shujun, was a primary school math teacher who had visibly aged after giving birth to Luo Zhaohui.
Luo Zhaohui was their only child, and since both parents were busy with work, they had no plans for a second child. They were highly attentive to him, but since birth, Luo Zhaohui had been weak and sickly, causing the couple endless worry. Money wasn’t the issue; their hearts ached for their son, who was constantly in and out of the hospital.
It was shortly after they brought the drowsy Luo Zhaohui back from the hospital that Su Hao took over the body.
His parents didn’t notice anything unusual about their son.
After putting the fake-sleeping Su Hao to bed and covering him with blankets, Huang Shujun quietly left the room.
At that moment, Luo Shengrong walked over, hugged his exhausted wife, and hesitated before saying, "Shujun, maybe… maybe we should have another child?"
Hearing these words, Su Hao’s heart froze. How could they give up on him after he had just arrived.
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