Chapter 0001: Darkfeather Thunderhawk

When the morning star appeared outside the window at dawn, David Thompson got up early from his bed. He first shook the small copper bell by his bedside, and then saw two maids, neither particularly attractive, each carrying a basin of water and washing tools, push open the door.

David Thompson washed his face with the water basin, then used willow twigs and green salt to brush his teeth. It had to be said, even after using this ancient method of brushing for two months straight, he still hadn’t quite gotten used to it.

After hurriedly finishing these tasks and stepping out of his side room, he saw that under the eaves outside the courtyard, a young boy and a graceful middle-aged woman were already waiting.

The boy’s name was William Parker, nickname Eric Miller, and he was a servant of the family. It was said he was fifteen years old, but if you didn’t look closely, you’d easily mistake him for over twenty. In fact, in David Thompson’s eyes, this kid looked just like the fierce Zhang Fei from TV. He stood a full eight feet tall, with a face full of rough features and a jaw covered in beard. His muscles, rivaling those of 20th-century action star Schwarzenegger, were especially striking at such close range. The only difference was that, despite his fierce appearance, there was a hint of simple-mindedness in his eyes.

As for the middle-aged woman in a traditional women’s quju ruqun, her real name was Emily Bolton, but as a married woman she was called The Smith-Bolton Family, and she was the ‘mother’ of the body he now inhabited.

—The reason for this phrasing is that the body David Thompson was now ‘using’ did not originally belong to him.

David Thompson clearly remembered that his original identity was as a second-class paratrooper in the 23rd century. After retiring, he studied sports health at a well-known national medical university—what the media called a human kinesiology expert. In the final days of his life, he worked as an international mercenary, and died during a top-level mission due to an accident.

Yet now, not only was he alive and well, but his age had reverted to twelve, and the world he lived in was no longer the same.

It must also be mentioned that he was no longer called David Thompson, but Olivia Smith. This wasn’t by his own choice, but because that was the original name of this twelve-year-old body.

As for this utterly bizarre turn of events, David Thompson himself found it strange. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why a twenty-three-year-old man would wake up as a boy not yet twelve. But there was one good thing about David Thompson’s personality: if something couldn’t be figured out, he wouldn’t waste energy on it.

Maybe the miniature nuclear bomb’s explosion triggered a massive chain reaction, and the gathered energy opened a wormhole through time and space. Or maybe Buddha, God, or Allah—whichever deity—took a liking to him and snatched his soul here. In short, who the hell knew the reason.

And even if he did know, it wouldn’t help his current situation at all.

“Yu’er, when you get there, listen to your instructors, understand? In any case, you’re not allowed to come back until you’ve trained until noon!”

The Smith-Bolton Family spoke as she walked up to David Thompson, carefully straightening his belt, her concern and motherly love evident in every gesture.

This made Olivia Smith, that is, David Thompson, narrow his eyes and mumble a reluctant response. Although he didn’t care much for the woman’s words and didn’t truly see her as his mother, he simply couldn’t refuse The Smith-Bolton Family. It wasn’t because of this body’s feelings for her—when Olivia Smith awoke, all the original memories and emotions were gone. The real reason was that The Smith-Bolton Family’s care touched the deepest chord in Olivia Smith’s heart, making him unconsciously overlap this woman, only a few years older than his real age, with the image of his mother from his previous life.

When leaving the courtyard, William Parker slung a door-sized axe over his back, while Olivia Smith himself took from a servant a longsword that was wildly disproportionate to his current height. But there was no choice—due to special circumstances here, even little girls went out armed.

Once they reached the street, the simple look in William Parker’s eyes was replaced by alertness and cunning. His whole body moved nimbly like a monkey, leading Olivia Smith through the streets, as if the massive 120-jin axe was no burden at all. Olivia Smith did his best to follow William Parker’s steps, avoiding open spaces.