### **Prologue: The Emperor's Last Gamble**
The final Martial Emperor sat upon shattered skies. His body was broken, his meridians torn, yet his will seared like the sun. Around him, nine demonic kings howled as the realm collapsed.
"Even if Murim falls," he whispered, blood staining his lips, "another world shall send us warriors. Another player shall carry my legacy."
From his dantian, a radiant core detached, crystallizing into a glowing lotus. Runes spread into the very fabric of reality, seeking, linking, waiting.
> [**System Initiated.**]
> [**Heavenly Lotus Login... Searching for Candidates...**]
With that final message echoing through eternity, the Emperor died.
***
### **Chapter 1: Game Over**
"...Hah? Why does this game hurt so damn much!?"
Jin Tae-Hyun rolled across muddy dirt, coughing blood. A wooden stick smashed onto his ribs again, the bones cracking like twigs. Pain exploded. His vision blurred. And yet—this was just the *tutorial*.
"Pathetic," the one beating him sneered. A beggar, ragged and starving, but strong enough to toss Tae-Hyun like trash. "Can't even defend against a stick? Log out already, loser."
> [You have received 32 damage.]
> [You are near death.]
The glowing red text didn't make sense. He had thought this was some indie beta VR game. But pain... how could a **game** transmit this much pain?
The beggar finally left, spitting. Tae-Hyun, broken in the dirt, managed to crawl. His hands trembled. His streaming career had failed, his money ran out — and now even this game was beating the crap out of him.
"…Damn. Even inside a game, I'm just human garbage."
Yet something inside him flickered. A stubborn ember.
> [Hidden Achievement: Survive Hopeless Beating]
> [Reward Unlocked: Martial Art Scroll – Flowing Water Fist Lv.1]
A scroll appeared before his bloodstained hands, glowing blue. He touched it—
And instantly, warmth spread through his veins. Movements, flows, counterattacks, all etched into his body and mind.
"Wha… I… know this?" Tae-Hyun whispered. His arms and legs moved, forming the basic stance of Flowing Water Fist with perfect flow. Something in his body *clicked.*
Suddenly, he wasn't weak trash anymore. He had a skill, a technique.
> [Quest Updated: Defeat Beggar Sect Recruit to prove your strength.]
Tae-Hyun's lips twisted into a trembling grin.
"Fine… You wanted a fight? Let's play, NPC bastard."
And for the first time in his pathetic life, **Jin Tae-Hyun prepared to fight back.**
***
👉 This is just **Prologue + Chapter 1**.