Chapter 2 The Celestial Encounter

"Clara, you’ve done well. If you fight back one more time, delivery boy, I’ll have some beggars ruin your sister!" Gareth chuckled as he put down the phone. Sebastian froze in place, his heart pierced by sharp pain. This is the woman I loved so deeply… yet this is her true face—so cruel and vicious. "Beat him!" Seeing Sebastian stop resisting, Gareth burst into laughter. "That’s what happens when you fight back. You dared to hit me!" The guards who had been retreating earlier suddenly went wild, swinging their batons with abandon. They struck Sebastian relentlessly until he collapsed to the ground. "Move aside. Let me get a few kicks in." Gareth shoved his way into the group, his large belly jiggling as he aimed a kick at Sebastian. "Remember this—being poor is your sin. Everything happening to you now is your karma, the punishment for your sin! The punishment for your low class and genes!" Gareth roared as he kept kicking Sebastian in the head. His hefty frame made him lose his balance after several kicks, leaving him out of breath. Clara stood off to the side, arms crossed and laughing gleefully. "Mr. Gareth, hitting this delivery boy dirties your hands. Don’t tire yourself out—I’m worried about you," Clara said sweetly, her voice playful. Sebastian lay on the ground, blood covering his face. The pain from the blows was agonizing, but the pain in his heart was even worse. "Keep beating him! Whatever happens, I’ll take care of it," Gareth yelled. The guards continued their brutal assault, and soon, Sebastian passed out from the relentless beating. "Throw this delivery boy out!" Gareth ordered. … A long time later, Sebastian woke up on the roadside, his body covered in blood and dirt. Passersby stared at him with disdain, avoiding him like the plague. The physical injuries were severe, but the emotional wounds cut even deeper. Though his eyes were open, they reflected a lifeless emptiness. He pulled out his phone and saw several missed calls from the food delivery platform manager. Sebastian returned the call, but before he could speak, an angry voice erupted on the other end. "Sebastian, where the hell have you been? You’re fired! Your wages and deposit for this month are gone. Don’t expect a penny!" Several orders had been left undelivered, leading to countless customer complaints. The furious manager hung up after venting. Sebastian silently put down his phone, found his electric scooter parked nearby, and was about to ride off when the phone rang again. It was his sister, Bethany Hughes. "Sebastian, Mom’s condition has worsened. Come quickly!" Bethany’s voice was choked with sobs. Sebastian froze, his mind reeling as if struck by lightning. Why? Why is the god so cruel to me? Betrayed by his fiancée, fired from his job, and now his mother was gravely ill. Clenching his teeth, Sebastian ignored his pain, mounted his scooter, and raced toward the hospital. By now, the rain had started to fall, becoming heavier with each passing moment. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Sebastian ran a red light at an intersection. From the opposite direction, a speeding luxury car appeared. In a flash, a loud crash echoed as Sebastian and his scooter were flung through the air. While airborne, Sebastian caught a glimpse of the terrified female driver inside the luxury car, her face covered as she screamed. Then everything went black. In a dreamlike state, Sebastian felt as though he was floating in an endless void. Above him loomed a majestic palace in the heavens. Within the palace stood a tall figure in a white robe and crown, hands behind his back. The figure seemed strangely familiar to him. "Am I dead?" Before he could make sense of his surroundings, the figure in the white robe stepped forward. That single step traversed endless time and space, bringing the figure directly before Sebastian in an instant. The figure gently placed a hand on Sebastian’s head. The celestial touches my crown… Sebastian finally saw the figure’s face clearly and was stunned beyond belief—it was identical to his own. Sebastian wanted to move but found himself paralyzed. Suddenly, his mind exploded with an influx of information—martial arts techniques, medical knowledge, mystical skills, and countless other abilities. This knowledge felt as though it had always belonged to him, seamlessly merging with his memories. A surge of warm energy rose from his core, spreading throughout his body. It healed his injuries, strengthened his bones and organs, and filled him with vitality. After what felt like an eternity, Sebastian regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to see a white ceiling. "So I really did die…" But as he looked around, he realized he was in a hospital emergency room. "I’m not dead! Was it all just a dream?" Sebastian instinctively touched his body. He remembered being brutally beaten and hit by a car, yet he felt no pain. Instead, his body brimmed with energy and life. "This is that mysterious power!" Sebastian’s heart raced. It wasn’t a dream! The white-robed celestial who looked exactly like him had passed on incredible knowledge—martial arts, mystical skills, medical techniques, alchemy techniques—and it all remained vividly imprinted in his mind as though it had always been part of him. "You’re awake." A slightly nervous female voice broke the silence.