Chapter 2: An unexpected event
"Argh", an involuntary groan of pain escaped my mouth as the relentless sun bothered my eyes, even though they were closed. My entire body was in agony, every fiber felt like it was screaming in protest.
'So this is the pain my enemies felt?' I was still confused. I could only remember shooting a few seconds ago, then I felt a wave of intense heat flood my chest and then everything went black.
But something wasn't right. In a nighttime firefight in the middle of the highway, why was the ground as hot as if it were under the midday sun and why didn't the sunlight allow me to open my eyes? The intense light was penetrating through my closed eyelids.
"Fuck, what a hell of pain. It feels like they threw a car at me, bro", I heard a childish voice, weak and muffled.
'My ears must be messed up', I thought. "Bro?" I asked, hoping that the childish voice was just a figment of my imagination.
"Damn, what soft asphalt is this?" The sarcasm in the voice was unmistakable. "Bro? And you?" The childish voice, trembling with pain, questioned.
I promptly replied: "Yeah, bro. My voice may sound weird, but it's me. I think it's time to get to know Jesus", I finished the sentence with a clear tone of sarcasm.
I managed to turn my head towards the sound and forced my eyes open, but I didn't see my brother who likes to walk around half-naked. Instead, I just saw a bleeding child with his face pressed to the ground. As if ready to clear my doubts, he joked.
"The asphalt smells different these days, hahaha," he said slowly, as he turned his head to look at me. "Hey, who are you?" I couldn't help but find this funny. After all, I only know one human being who can laugh while his face bleeds on the floor.
"It's me, you idiot," I replied. Those words took an effort I wasn't expecting. Maybe my body was in the same state as my now little brother's.
With a serious look, he said, "I think we were drugged."
"Cough, cough… MIA, body report", I said with a little effort.
A 'ding' sound echoed in my mind. Loading…
Soon after, a female voice sounded from the depths of my brain. It was none other than MIA, a very common assistant on Earth. It was introduced to you through a brain chip.
**M.I.A:** Identity mismatch alert activated. Confirmed identification: Carl. Welcome back, Carl. However, there is an anomaly detected in his current body identity. After a detailed analysis, I found that you are not in your original body. Instead, you are currently housed in the body of an approximately 12 year old child with damage throughout his body.
I looked at my brother with a serious expression and declared, "No, we are not on drugs. The reality is that we have become children. Check your body status with MIA."
He didn't say a word. His for a moment was empty. Soon after, he turned to me, his eyes wide with shock and exclaimed, "FUCKED."
"Yeah, fucked," I agreed.
**M.I.A:** Attention! I detected something unidentified in the host's brain. I am carrying out a detailed analysis… Nothing was found in the database. Searching the memories recorded in the brain of the current host's body... Mana core identified.
Mana core? I thought maybe I heard wrong. "MIA, can you elaborate on this?"
**M.I.A:** Of course! According to the information recorded in the host's brain, the host has a mana core, which makes it possible to use mana. I apologize for the lack of detailed information. Unfortunately, there is not enough information in the host's brain to provide further details.
"Bro, do you have mana there too?" I asked, curious.
"I don't understand, sis?" he asked, confused.
I continued, with difficulty: "Yeah, bro, check it out. There must be something similar."
After a few seconds, he looked at me again, eyes wide. "FUCK, I have a dantian!"
A vague memory flashed through my mind. "The ones from the cultivation stories?" He replied: "That's it."
With all this information, I think we can come to a conclusion. "Hey, bro, I think that's it," I said. He looked at me with a questioning look. After a dramatic pause, I continued: "I think we have become the protagonists of some strange cliché. Do you understand what I mean?"
Slowly, he replied, "I understand." A silence fell over the place as we faced each other.
"MIA, take all the information recorded in the brain of the original owner of this body and categorize it for me," I requested, hoping MIA could provide us with some answers.
**M.I.A:** "Estimated time: 30 minutes."
Meanwhile, I decided it was time to try and get off this damn hot floor. The heat was starting to become unbearable.
"Hey, how long are you going to be tasting the floor?" I asked, in a mocking tone.
"Damn, I think it's time to reconnoitre," he replied, sitting down with difficulty.
"Better get up," I sighed, trying to move my aching limbs to sit up. Every movement was an effort, but I knew I needed to move.
"Apparently, a few moments ago, we were getting beaten up. I mean, not us exactly, but the bodies we are in now", asked my brother, with a serious look on his face. Was he right. Our bodies were bruised and sore, as if we had been thrown into an endless battle.
With some effort, I managed to sit up. Despite his sore body, apparently nothing was broken. My brother soon got up with difficulty and stood, looking from one side to the other with a curious expression.
Seeming to have reached a conclusion, he said, "We need the assistant to analyze these children's memories so we can understand them better." He finished his sentence with a confident tone.
"Yeah, I already did that. Haven't you done it yet?" I asked, a pained smile on my face.
With a clear poker face expression, my brother replied: "Of course I did, hahaha, of course".
The delay he has in thinking about obvious things is always funny. I reached my arm toward him and said, "Hey, help me up." He promptly helped me. With both now standing, I began to analyze the location we were in.
We were in an alley surrounded by simple wooden houses, with dirt floors mixed with mud. The fresh air was mixed with the classic odor of shit. Our clothes were also simple, calling them rags might sound like a compliment.
In a corner, I saw a dirty bag also made of rags. "Hey, look what's in that bag. I'm going to the beginning of this alley," I instructed. My brother just said "ok" and started rummaging through the bag. Meanwhile, I walked cautiously to the entrance of the alley.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone