Gathering Wives

Jiang Han's head slammed against the asphalt. Blood trickled down his forehead, his vision blurring.

TET TET TET TET!!!

The car alarm continued blaring. The sound of zombies grew closer, their rotten stench filling the air.

(Damn… damn… I can't move…!)

His hands trembled, his body felt ice-cold. The first zombie crawled toward him, jaws gaping wide. Yellowed, rotting teeth aimed straight for his throat.

(Am I… going to die?)

CRAACK!

The jaw clamped shut—right on his neck.

A searing pain exploded through every nerve in his body. Jiang Han struggled, but blood gushed out uncontrollably, and his consciousness rapidly faded.

The world slowly darkened.

—

—

—

DING!

A mechanical sound echoed in his mind.

Jiang Han gasped, his breathing ragged, chest heaving.

He was lying on a soft bed. The scent of wood and expensive cologne filled the air.

(I… am still alive? No… this isn't my body!)

Something felt off. His hand touched his own face—his skin was smoother, his jawline sharper.

In the corner of the room stood a full-length mirror. With unsteady steps, he walked toward it.

The moment he saw his reflection, his eyes widened.

A strikingly handsome man in an elegant black suit stared back at him.

Jet-black hair, slightly tousled. Piercing gray-blue eyes. A noble face, cold and aristocratic.

(Who… is this? Me? Impossible! This isn't my body!)

Suddenly, an unbearable pain struck his head.

"AARGHH!!"

Memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

— A man named Kein Moretti. The heir to a powerful conglomerate. A genius, wealthy, and seemingly perfect.

— Yet… a man who had suffered a mysterious accident. The wound on his temple still burned.

Jiang Han wiped his forehead, feeling the lingering heat.

(Is this my original body? Or did my soul get swapped?)

Before he could make sense of it, a robotic voice echoed in his ears.

DING!

A translucent window appeared before his eyes.

[AQCC System Activated]

"Hello, Great Master Kein Moretti. Welcome back."

Jiang Han—or rather, Kein Moretti—froze.

He was still in shock.

Kein frowned, his surroundings falling into an eerie silence, save for the ticking of a wall clock.

He tried to speak. "What is this…?"

A deep, refined voice came out of his mouth.

Kein paused. His brow furrowed as he swallowed and tried again. "What the hell is going on?"

English.

He understood what he was saying, but…

(Why am I speaking English? Shouldn't I be speaking Mandarin? This is strange!)

Panicked, he attempted to speak Mandarin. "Zhè… zhè dào dǐ shì zěnme huí shì…?"

It worked, but it felt unnatural. Like speaking a language he hadn't used in years.

Kein took a deep breath, then turned his gaze back to the system window floating before him.

"Sistem… What happened to me?" he asked, still in English.

[AQCC System Activated]

"Answering the Great Master. This situation is the result of a body exchange that occurred when you were an infant."

Kein frowned. "Body exchange? You mean… this is my real body?"

"Correct. Your previous body—Jiang Han—was never your original vessel. Since birth, your soul was transferred into another body, while this one was taken by someone who desired wealth and good looks."

The words struck him like lightning.

(So… my old body… wasn't mine? And someone else has been living in this body all this time? Who did this? Why?)

Before he could ask further, the system continued:

"As an infant, your original body underwent a soul swap with another newborn who was supposed to die. Your strong soul survived, but the body you inhabited was inherently flawed. However, upon your final death, that unstable balance collapsed, and your soul returned to its rightful vessel."

Kein fell silent. His mind was a chaotic storm.

"Regarding the language issue, this body has been conditioned to use English as its primary language. However, your linguistic knowledge remains intact, allowing you to still understand and speak Mandarin, albeit less naturally."

Kein stared at his reflection in the mirror.

(So this really is my true body? And the one who lived as Kein Moretti all this time… wasn't me? Then who was he? And what happened to him?)

Too many questions.

But one thing was clear—he had returned.

Kein Moretti clenched his jaw. The memories that had been locked away suddenly burst open, crashing into his mind with brutal force.

— Laughter echoed in the darkness.

"This is perfect! That baby is rich and will definitely be handsome! Hahaha!"

Someone had performed a forbidden ritual to steal his body when he was just a baby. His original soul was expelled, transferred into another dying infant. Meanwhile, his real body was taken by a stranger who craved luxury.

And what happened afterward?

—

That man lived as Kein Moretti. But he was no noble. He was a fraud, a disgrace to the Moretti name.

Gambling every night.

Squandering money at casinos, bars, and brothels.

Dealing with underground syndicates.

Toying with women without care for consequences.

Luckily, this body was still healthy. No diseases or curses. But his reckless behavior left the Moretti family puzzled.

"Since when did Kein become like this?"

"Why is Kein different from the others?"

"Can we not teach him proper etiquette?"

"He was a troublemaker even as a child."

"He's not Kein…?"

"What happened to this boy?"

"Every year since he was little, we felt… Kein wasn't really Kein."

Yet among those who failed to realize the truth, one person saw through the deception.

His half-sister.

A prodigy. A natural-born mage, Circle 8.

She sensed something was wrong. His aura was different. His behavior, unnatural. She began investigating, piecing clues together until she found the truth:

The Kein Moretti they knew was a fraud. The soul inside this body did not belong.

One night, she spoke with someone, revealing everything she had uncovered.

And Kein—who was drunk and happened to pass by—accidentally overheard.

His eyes widened in horror.

(They know…! They know I'm not Kein Moretti!)

He wanted to flee, but his steps faltered.

At that moment, his sister turned to face him.

Her piercing gaze locked onto his.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Kein's heart pounded. Without thinking, he ran

But his sister wouldn't let him escape.

A fierce chase ensued.

Buildings shattered. Magic explosions lit up the night.

Kein fought back, but against a Mage Circle 8, he stood no chance.

In the end, he was forced to run.

Until—

BAM!

A blast of magic struck his temple. His wound reopened, blood pouring down.

Yet

, with the last of his strength, he managed to hide in this apartment.

Alone, wounded, and dying.

And that was where his story ended.

—

…And his body was finally returned to its rightful owner.