The evening sky was a blood-red hue, as if the universe itself was bleeding. Han Lie dragged his trembling feet toward the edge of the Dead Bamboo Forest—a place even villagers were reluctant to set foot in. A forest said to be cursed by the spirits of cultivators who died in an ancient battle.
But for Han Lie, this cursed place was a sanctuary. No one would mock him here. No cynical laughter would pierce his eardrums. Only a heavy silence, occasionally broken by the mournful cry of the wind sighing through the dry bamboo stalks.
His thin, scarred hands searched for dry twigs he could sell. Every movement made his bones creak like rotting wood on the verge of snapping. His stomach, empty for two days, twisted in pain, but he was used to the biting pangs of hunger.
"Just need a few more twigs," he whispered hoarsely. His chapped lips could barely form the words.
Suddenly, the already-dark sky turned an unnatural, pitch-black. Not the darkness of night, but a blackness like a void that swallowed all light. The air became thick and heavy, as if gravity had multiplied.
Han Lie's hair stood on end. Something was terribly wrong.
A flash of bright red light—not a normal lightning strike, but like burning liquid blood. The light struck directly in front of him with a deafening sound, incinerating the surrounding grass into black ash.
Han Lie was thrown backward, his back hitting a dry bamboo stalk with a painful crack. Fresh blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
Then... a terrifying silence.
TING!
A bell echoed inside his head—not from the outside, but piercing directly into his brain like a hot needle. An overwhelming pain spread from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes.
[ETERNAL SUFFERING SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACTIVATED]
Words of a blood-red color floated before him, flickering like a beating heart. The letters looked alive, as if made of fresh, flowing blood.
Han Lie squeezed his eyes shut, hoping this was just a hallucination from being too hungry. But when he opened them again, the words were still there. They were even brighter and more terrifying.
[WELCOME, CHOSEN HOST: HAN LIE]
[YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO EXPERIENCE... A SPECIAL BLESSING]
"W-what is this?" Han Lie stammered, his voice trembling violently. He had never seen or heard of such a phenomenon. His entire body shivered not from the cold, but from a primitive instinct screaming danger.
[I... AM THE ENTITY THAT WILL LIFT YOU FROM THE MUD OF IGNOMINY]
The voice echoed in his head—not a human voice, but a combination of the pained screams of thousands of tormented souls. Each word felt like fingernails scratching the inside of his skull.
[YOU WILL BECOME A CULTIVATOR FEARED THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE]
[HOWEVER...]
A long pause. Han Lie could hear his own heartbeat, beating like a death drum.
[THERE IS NO POWER WITHOUT SACRIFICE]
[NO GLORY WITHOUT SUFFERING]
[AND YOUR SUFFERING... WILL BE A WORK OF ART]
A horrifying laugh echoed in his head. Not a laugh of happiness, but a laugh of madness that made the hairs on his neck stand up.
Han Lie had no idea what was happening. Was this some kind of ancient cultivation technique? A spiritual legacy from the past? Or maybe... a curse from the spirits haunting this forest?
Han Lie's heart pounded so fast he feared it would explode. Despite how frightening it was, this was the first chance in his life to get something supernatural!
But there was something incredibly sinister about this entity. Every word that came out gave a sensation like being licked by a poisonous snake's tongue. Han Lie didn't understand what was happening, but his instincts screamed danger.
"I-I..." Han Lie swallowed what felt like shards of glass. "I don't understand what's happening, but... I am willing to do anything to become strong."
Despair made him ignore all the warnings in his heart. Five years of living like trash was enough. Whether this was a spiritual legacy, an ancient cultivation technique, or even a curse—he no longer cared.
[AN... EXCITING ANSWER]
[LET US BEGIN THE INITIATION RITUAL]
Suddenly, an overwhelming pain assaulted his entire body. Like thousands of hot needles piercing every inch of his skin at the same time. Han Lie screamed until his voice was hoarse, but no one heard him in this cursed forest.
Blood poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. His skin felt like it was burning from within, his muscles spasming uncontrollably. He felt something alien possess his body—something cold, cunning, and full of hatred.
[INSTALLATION SUCCESSFUL]
[HOST STATUS:]
A transparent panel appeared before him, the letters moving like wriggling worms.
[NAME: HAN LIE]
[CULTIVATION: QI CONDENSATION REALM - LAYER 1]
[PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 1/100]
[MENTAL STRENGTH: 1/100]
[SANITY: 100/100]
[SUFFERING LEVEL: 0/∞]
[SOULS DESTROYED: 0]
Han Lie stared at the panel with eyes streaming with blood tears. He had no idea what the strange words meant. "What... what does all this mean?" his voice trembled with fear and confusion.
[YOU WILL SOON UNDERSTAND, POOR CHILD]
[THIS SYSTEM IS NOT LIKE ORDINARY CULTIVATION SYSTEMS]
[EVERY DROP OF POWER YOU GAIN...]
[WILL BE PAID FOR WITH BLOOD AND TEARS]
The wind howled, carrying the rotten smell of a corpse that had been decomposing for days. The dry bamboo creaked, creating a symphony of death.
[TRUE POWER IS BORN FROM SUFFERING]
[AND YOU, HAN LIE...]
[WILL SUFFER MORE THAN ANYONE WHO HAS EVER LIVED]
Han Lie stumbled backward, wanting to run but his legs were powerless. This entity... this entity was not a blessing. It was something evil. Something that would make him regret being born into this world.
But he didn't understand what had just latched onto him.
[DO NOT FEAR, HOST]
[FEAR WILL ONLY MAKE THE SUFFERING MORE... DELICIOUS]
[LET US BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY INTO HELL]
The horrifying laughter echoed again, this time louder and crazier. The sound of a laugh that would haunt his nightmares forever.
Han Lie fell to his knees on the bloody ground, staring at the sky which had returned to normal with empty eyes. He had already made a deal with something he didn't understand—something far more terrifying than death itself.
And what was most chilling... a small part of him felt... exhilarated.
[WELCOME TO YOUR NEW WORLD, HAN LIE]
[MAY YOU... ENJOY THE JOURNEY]