The Divine Physician's Rebirth: Ascension from Silverbrook

Chapter 1: A Body, A Life

“Dante, you're a total loser. What makes you think you can come sniffing around my girl?”

“Beat him up and toss him out. Oh, and take his clothes!” That's what the jerk Isla was cheating with, spoke.

Dante? He was the black sheep from a rich family in Velloria City. A surprise, since his mom never knew who his dad was. A few days back, his mom, who was a drunk and a drug addict, finally died from an overdose. After that, everyone treated Dante like trash.

Dante couldn't take it anymore. He just said, ‘I can't accept this,’ and stormed out.

He spent his last cent, and the landlord kicked him out. He went to his girlfriend, Isla, but she betrayed him.

Now, scared and beat up, wearing only his underwear, Dante wandered down the street in despair.

When suddenly, a big truck seemed aimed right at him...

...

Ryder felt something soft underneath him, and that familiar hospital smell hit his nose. Except, it was more like old medicine, like a clinic. He blinked his eyes open, a bit dizzy at first.

A young girl with a bright face was hovering over him, looking really worried. She had big eyes and a little frown like she'd been watching him for ages. When she saw he was awake, she got excited and yelled, “Dad, he's up!”

Ryder's head pounded as he tried to make sense of things. His memories were blurry, and his brain felt slow. Then, he remembered the accident. It was so fast, like one second everything was a mess, and the next, he was... somewhere else. He'd died in that wreck, right? But now, he was alive, in a body that wasn't his. Or rather, that was his.

The girl’s words snapped him back to reality.

When the accident had happened to Dante, he had died immediately. And his body... had been taken over by Ryder.

Behind the medicine cabinet, a short, kind of chubby guy in his fifties snorted. He wore a stained apron and looked annoyed. But instead of rushing over to him, he just sighed and walked closer "Humph, you're still so naïve," he grumbled. "Did you forget you were extorted the last time you saved someone?"

Ryder raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure who this guy was, but he sounded ticked.

The man looked at Ryder's face for a second, then grunted. “You got lucky,” he said, turning to Ryder. “This kid got a concussion in a bad crash. Could have been much worse.”

“It's not just a concussion,” Ryder mumbled, shaking his head. He pushed the blanket off, his legs feeling strange, like the body didn’t belong to him. It was Dante's body.

Without thinking, Ryder grabbed a box of acupuncture needles from the table, his fingers moving without needing to think. He took out three and went to work. He stuck them into his head, and as he twisted them, they sank in deeper, no hesitation.

The young girl gasped. “What are you doing? Those things are huge!” She backed away, eyes wide.

The older man's face did a complete one-eighty. “Hey, hey! Trying to off yourself? Not in my clinic! I don't want any part of it!” He said in a panic as he grabbed his phone. Ryder couldn't help but smile inside.

“Don’t worry,” Ryder said, gently tapping the needles. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He sounded calm, almost amused. The needles started to shake, a faint buzz in the air. The shaking made something happen inside his body, and a faint pink color started to bloom around the tips of the needles. It got darker, spreading like a glowing thread along his body.

The girl's eyes grew even wider. “Dad, what's that red line?”

The older man looked confused, but he was scared. “Pull it out! Or I'm calling the cops! If anything happens, it's not on me!” he yelled, his voice cracking.

Ryder smiled, his eyes flashing. “I can't believe traditional medicine has fallen so low. Nobody even knows the Four-Colored Needle trick anymore.”

Ryder wasn't just some random anybody. Sure, he was in another man's body, but with all his memories and skills from his old life. Back then, he was a Daoist—a master of the Dark Medical Sect. He was about to be promoted when his enemies got to him.

Now, using the Four-Colored Needle trick to clear his head and heal his brain, he could feel energy flowing through him. The needles weren't just for healing; they were a way to get back his old power.

After a bit, Ryder took the needles out one by one, carefully. When the last one was out, dark blood trickled from his nose. Not tons, but enough to show he was fixing the damage.

“Okay, I think I’m good!” Ryder said, stretching and standing up carefully. He felt a bit weird, but stable.

“Boy... is that blood from your brain?” The older man asked, his voice shocked. He stared at the blood, eyes wide like he'd never seen anything like it.

“Yep,” Ryder said, a touch of respect in his voice. He looked at the business license on the wall. Small clinic, but old. He looked back at the man. “You're Theo? The traditional medicine doc?”

“Yeah, so?” Theo said, sounding guarded. “Just so you know, my daughter, Zara, saved you. You’d be dead otherwise.”

Theo sat down, pulling up a chair and crossing his legs. “Where's the cash for the treatment? 'Thanks' doesn't pay the bills around here.”

“Dad! Why always money?” Zara cried, her face red. She stomped her foot, annoyed.

“Girl,” Theo grumbled, “what do you think I run this place for? Kicks? Everything's costing me an arm and leg, and folks don't want to use traditional medicine anymore. I am trying to keep this place open and get you into med school.” He sighed, sounding beat.

Zara folded her arms, looking unhappy. “I know, I know,” she muttered, shooting him a look.

Ryder watched, a bit amused. Theo wasn't just an old doctor; he was just an average guy who was struggling to keep his clinic afloat. But Zara—she had fire, which Ryder noticed.

“It's late, and I'm off,” Theo said, turning cranky. “Pay up and get out. Don't care if you’re broke; I need to lock up.”

“I don't have any money,” Ryder said calmly, sitting back down across from Theo.

Theo turned red. “You're broke? You gotta be kidding me! My daughter saved you, and you can't pay?”

Zara stepped up, looking ready to explode. “Dad, we didn’t do much. We helped him inside, and he crashed for a while. If he's broke, forget it.”

Theo opened his mouth, then stopped, seeing his daughter's face. He sighed sharply and slumped back. “You'll be the end of this place, girl!” he yelled, but didn't push it.

Ryder didn’t move. He just shrugged. “I don’t even have a place to crash,” he said flatly.