Kai's chest lifted with a happy long sigh. For now, he could breathe a little easier.
At least he knew one thing for certain—he had a system. A cheat, maybe. A lifeline in an unfamiliar world.
But he quickly bit back the smile.
He couldn't get carried away.
"Even if I have a system that doesn't guarantee my survival. If I don't even know what kind of world this is, I could die the moment I step outside." he thought grimly.
He slowly rose to his feet and crept toward the shack's small window. He slid it open a crack and peered through the fog.
He saw nothing.
Just the same endless mist and silence.
Turning back, he began searching the shack more thoroughly.
Dust coated the corners and cobwebs hung limp from the rafters. The place looks like it was long abandoned.
Then his eyes lit up when he spotted something leaning against the wall.
A sword.
Kai picked it up carefully. Its weight was good, lighter than he expected.
The blade was dull and riddled with chips along the edge as though it had been used until it was worthless and then tossed aside.
"This type of sword…" he ran his fingers across the battered steel. "This looks like something I've seen in illustrations from cultivation-type novels…"
"So this world is a cultivation world?" he thought, his pulse quickening.
He was almost certain. But not a hundred percent.
He searched further, hoping for more. But there were no manuals, or scrolls, not even tools.
Just dust, silence, and shadows.
Nothing of importance.
The only stroke of fortune came when he uncovered a bundle of old clothing tucked inside a rotting chest.
The fabric was rough. It was a faded brown robe tied with a simple sash. But it was something.
Kai slipped out of his hoodie and jeans, trading them for the robe.
The change was uncomfortable but it helped him blend in if he would meet anyone out there.
More importantly, it confirmed one thing: this world was indeed a cultivation world.
As he adjusted the robe, Kai's mind raced.
"I can't stay here. If this is a cultivation world, then danger could be everywhere if I'm in this kind of wilderness. There were demonic beasts, bandits, evil cultivators, etc."
But the mist stretched endlessly. He had no idea where to go.
He clenched his fists.
"At times like this usually the system will give me guidance," he muttered.
As if answering his voice, a chime rang in his mind.
A translucent blue panel appeared before him again.
[Quest!]
Description: Find yourself a starting point.
Objective: Leave the misty plain and find the nearest settlement. Look for a river near the shack.
Reward: +50 EXP
Basic Starter Pack (??? Randomized Item)
Failure: Remain in the misty. Risk of [Unknown Threats].
Time Limit: None.
Kai nodded his head. "It really gave me a quest like this."
Relief and dread tangled in his chest.
This wasn't a dream anymore. This was real.
He tightened his grip on the chipped sword, staring into the mist beyond the shack door.
He gulped and then took a deep breath. "Alright!"
Kai paced slowly around the shack with the chipped sword clenched tight in his hand.
His steps were careful.
Minutes passed before his ears caught the faint trickle of water.
He quickened his pace, pushing through the veil of white until finally there he found the river.
Shimmering faintly under the dim light of the moon, its dark current flowed endlessly into the fog.
Kai crouched by the bank and let out a shaky laugh.
"At least… at least I'm not completely lost anymore."
If the system's quest said to find the river, then most likely, the next step would be to follow it. Rivers always led to civilization.
For the first time since waking up here, he felt a flicker of hope.
But it died the next second.
He heard a growl roll through the mist.
Kai froze, every muscle in his body going stiff.
Slowly, he turned toward the sound.
The fog parted and something massive prowled into view.
It looked like a tiger, but different.
Its skin was pitch black and crisscrossed with pale white stripes.
A shroud of black aura seeped from its body, coiling in the air like smoke. Along its spine dark blue flames burned, licking up toward its shoulders.
Kai gasped involuntarily.
"Shit. That's… that's a magical beast."
His heart hammered wildly. He had never even seen a wild tiger before.
On TV or at the zoo they looked majestic almost like oversized cats.
But standing here, with that magical beast staring at him with glowing, predatory eyes?
It wasn't a cat. It could be his death.
"Calm down. I have a system, right?" he told himself, forcing a long breath.
The thought steadied him.
He glanced quickly at the sword in his hand.
It was battered and chipped, barely holding together. Against a beast like that it might as well have been a stick.
Still, he clenched it tighter.
"My stats are above ten and some even close to twenty. I don't know what that means on this world's scale, but… I don't feel weak. Not completely. At least I guess I'm not at the very bottom."
The monster lowered its body, growling louder, eyes gleaming like lanterns in the fog.
Kai's throat went dry.
The beast suddenly bolted forward. Its step leaves a swirl of black mist in its wake.
Kai's chest tightened, but he forced his breath steady.
His pulse hammered like a drum but he sharpened his focus until the world slowed.
He tightened both hands on the chipped hilt and swung the sword with every ounce of strength in his body.
The battered blade carved a clean arc through the fog.
A harsh clang rang out followed by a sickening thud.
The tiger's body was lifted from the ground.
It crashed heavily into the dirt several paces away, skidding before finally stopping.
Kai's own arms buzzed with pain from the impact, but his eyes widened.
He had done it. His strike had thrown back a magical beast.
The tiger staggered on the ground, its head was wounded and blood ran down into its eye.
The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to prove that Kai wasn't weak.
If the blade had been sharper that slash could have splitted the tiger's head instantly.
The beast was already stirring again. Its growl now sounded louder and filled with rage.
Kai clenched his sword tighter, fire burning in his eyes and he charged toward the beast.
—