"To climb the heavens, one must first kneel in the mud."
The noodles were too salty again.
Rael sat cross-legged on the cold concrete floor, slurping what little broth was left in the chipped bowl. His sister sat beside him, legs tucked under her skirt, chopping cheap greens for tomorrow's breakfast.
"Don't rush. The landlord's coming for rent tomorrow," she said, not looking up. "Mom's medicine is almost out."
"I know."
"You barely leave the house anymore. You're still seeing things?"
Rael didn't answer. What could he say?
That he remembered burning alive in another world? That the world they lived in was a lie layered over something far deeper — and more ancient?
That something inside him whispered in a voice colder than steel?
"She's sharp," the voice murmured. "Protective. If she weren't so ordinary, I'd eat her soul myself."
Rael gritted his teeth.
"Stop talking," he whispered under his breath.
His sister raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing. Just… thinking."
She paused, watching him carefully. Then sighed. "I signed you up."
He blinked. "For what?"
Her hand moved to a small bag beside her. She pulled out a leaflet — thin plastic with a holographic shimmer. The title blinked in brilliant jade characters:
[TAO: TRANSCENDENCE ASCENSION ONLINE]
Now open to all districts. Find your destiny in the World Beyond.
"You wanted to go to college. I know we can't afford it, but… people are saying if you're good in TAO, real clans hire you. Government too. It's not just a game."
"It's not," Rael muttered.
"It's not?"
"No. It's something else."
"A gate," the voice added. "A fracture between worlds. One side is shadow. The other, blood."
He looked at the leaflet again. The characters shimmered slightly — traditional Chinese script. The tagline beneath bore the tone of an ancient proverb:
「In the world of the Immortals, your fate is your weapon.」
He closed his eyes.
The village. The fire. His wife's scream. Her blood. The rage still boiling in the back of his skull.
This was the same world. The same heavens. Reborn under another name.
TAO was not just a game.
It was his return.
---
Later That Night – City Outskirts
The gaming pod wasn't new. It was a thirdhand unit, half the padding torn, wires re-taped in three different places. Rael helped carry it with his sister, and they both nearly broke their backs getting it through the door.
"You sure this'll work?" she asked, wiping her forehead.
"Yeah."
She hesitated at the doorway. "Don't stay in too long. People have gotten stuck before."
"I'll be fine."
He climbed in. Closed the cover. The inside hissed — air tight.
Then:
[Initializing link to TAO — Transcendence Ascension Online]
Please relax. Inhale. Let your soul open.
Everything faded.
---
Login Successful – Welcome, User
Rael opened his eyes to darkness.
It wasn't empty.
It breathed.
He stood on a stone path suspended in the void. Around him were endless lanterns, each floating without strings — glowing with flickers of light, laughter, whispers.
A bridge stretched forward. At the far end stood a gate carved from jade and dragonbone. On it, four massive characters pulsed with golden light:
天命入道
"Destiny Enters the Path."
"This is the crossing," the devil whispered. "Once you pass, the world changes. Power. Pain. And purpose."
Rael stepped forward.
The lanterns turned as if watching.
He didn't hesitate.
The gate opened.
---
Entering: Mingxu Realm (明墟界)
A low-tier spiritual realm under the Great Sky of Nine Heavens. Known for barren fields, broken dynasties, and cursed rivers.
"You killed me once," he said under his breath. "Now I'll return the favor — to every one of you."
---
Location: Eastern Linghai Province (靈海省), Yuexi Village (月西村)
Status: Wandering Soul Initiated
Rael stumbled out of the gate and into a field of ancient bamboo. The moon above was massive — silver and cracked, like it had been struck by lightning long ago.
His feet touched soil that felt real. The wind smelled of old plum trees. He felt his breath, cold and sharp.
[You have absorbed: 13 Qi]
[Current Cultivation: None]
He looked up.
A young boy — barefoot, maybe ten — stood holding a fishing rod by a nearby river.
The boy stared. Then pointed. "You fell out of the sky!"
Rael didn't answer.
His eyes were on the interface floating before him.
Plain. Simple.
Only this:
Name: Rael
Origin: Earth
Qi: 13
Realm: Mortal Body
Status: Calm
Nothing more.
No glowing paths. No quests.
Just reality.
---
Sudden Prompt
[Strange fluctuation detected in soul structure. Host contains dual-soul fragment.]
[Observe caution.]
Rael exhaled.
"So it begins," the devil said. "Smell that? This world remembers us."
He reached down, scooped a handful of soil, and let it run through his fingers.
Somewhere, far off, the sounds of drums echoed.
Welcome to TAO.
Welcome home.