The morning light filtered through the window curtains, casting dappled patterns on the cobblestone streets of the small town. The air carried a faint damp scent, mingled with the aroma of rice and earth. The town was small, its streets narrow but tidy. At the corner, a teahouse was bustling with activity, seemingly livelier than other places in town.
Along this familiar alley, a boy walked slowly. His name was Lin Yifan, sixteen years old. His family was ordinary—his parents were small shopkeepers in town—and his life had always been calm and orderly. Today, as usual, he carried a bucket to fetch water from the river, though his thoughts wandered to yesterday's village martial arts tournament. Though he hadn't participated and only watched, the clash of blades and the surge of energy had stirred an inexplicable longing within him.
Yifan's daily life was monotonous: fetching water in the morning, helping with chores, occasionally gathering herbs in the mountains or fishing, strolling along the town's paths in the afternoon, returning home for dinner and reading a few pages of a book, and finally sleeping at night. This life was as still as a pond. To outsiders, it seemed peaceful, but he knew that beneath the calm surface lay an unexplainable emptiness.
Today was no exception. He placed the bucket on the stone steps by the river and looked down at the flowing water, thinking, "If only I could travel the world like those martial artists and practice swordsmanship or immortal arts…" Yet, he held little hope, for no one had ever told him that such possibilities could exist.
However, as he reached to scoop water, his fingers touched the surface and felt a strange vibration. The ripples shimmered, and a pale blue light rose from the river, like invisible phosphorescence, enveloping him completely. Yifan's heart jumped, and he stepped back, but the light swiftly surrounded him. The world blurred, his vision stretched and spun, and a deep yet gentle voice echoed in his ears, as if coming from ancient times yet strikingly clear:
"Life Simulation System Activated."
Yifan froze, overwhelmed with questions. The world seemed to be reorganizing itself around him. Moments later, a transparent interface appeared in the air, like mist on water or a shimmering veil in the night sky. Blinking in disbelief, Yifan saw rows of numbers and attributes he had never seen before:
Attributes
Swordsmanship: 1
Magic: 0
Immortal Arts: 0
Stamina: 10
Agility: 10
Wisdom: 12
Comprehension: 0
Charisma: 8
Experience: 0/100
Money: 50 wen
Yifan stared at the attributes, his bucket nearly slipping from his hands. His heart raced, and his mind brimmed with confusion. "What… is this? How can I see this?"
The glowing interface lit up again, and the deep voice continued:"This is your initial attribute sheet. Your life has been connected to the Simulation System. Through cultivation, adventures, and combat, you can improve attributes, gain skill points, and achieve various levels of mastery."
"S-simulation system? I'm… I'm just fetching water by the river! What's going on?" Yifan felt dizzy, but his fear mingled with an uncontrollable excitement. He thought, Could this… really be the opportunity I've always dreamed of?
The interface displayed several options:
View Detailed Attributes
Accept Beginner Quest
Exit Simulation
Hesitating briefly, Yifan touched the first option—"View Detailed Attributes." The interface expanded into a holographic display, and each attribute had a brief description:
Swordsmanship: Ability in weapon combat; affects melee damage.
Magic: Mastery of spells; allows casting fire, water, lightning, etc.
Immortal Arts: Manipulation of spiritual energy; affects long-range combat and special abilities.
Stamina: Affects maximum health and endurance.
Agility: Affects speed, reflexes, and evasion.
Wisdom: Affects cultivation efficiency and skill learning speed.
Comprehension: When full, allows all Immortal Arts abilities to reach maximum value (99999) for three months; resets to 0 afterward.
Charisma: Affects interactions and NPC favorability.
Yifan examined the display carefully, eyes flashing with surprise and anticipation. So swordsmanship increases melee damage, and Immortal Arts can manipulate spiritual energy… this really is like leveling up in a game!
The interface automatically popped up a message:Beginner Quest: Familiarize yourself with the Life Simulation System. Suggested action: leave your home, observe your surroundings, and interact with NPCs to gain initial experience.
Blinking, Yifan felt a surge of excitement. He had never imagined having a "Life Simulation System" of his own. His ordinary life seemed completely overturned.
Regaining his composure, he noticed the river's light still flickering, the interface seemingly awaiting his next action. Taking a deep breath, he decided to test the system. Following the floating instructions, he lightly tapped the "Gain Experience" button. Instantly, he felt a warm current flowing through his body. The "Experience" number on the interface increased by 5 points.
"This is real…" Yifan murmured, both shocked and exhilarated. "My life… can really grow like a game?"
At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted:"Yifan, what are you doing by the river?"
Yifan spun around to see his mother nearby, frowning slightly. He quickly hid his emotions and walked over casually. Seeing the half-filled bucket, his mother smiled. "Don't dawdle. Come home; breakfast is ready."
Yifan nodded, thinking to himself, Perhaps… I shouldn't tell her yet. Maybe… this secret of the simulation is mine alone to bear.
Back home, Yifan sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and reopened the interface, examining his attributes again. In the "System Help" menu, he found a "Skill Tree" function:
Swordsmanship: Basic Sword → Sword Mastery → Sword Comprehension → Sword Qi → Advanced Sword Immortal → Advanced Sword God
Magic: Fire → Ice → Lightning → Wind → Comprehensive Elemental Art
Immortal Arts: Spiritual Awareness → Spiritual Condensation → Laws of Heaven and Earth → Immortal Realm
Each skill tree displayed a tip: "Click to cultivate; consumes time and energy to gain experience points."
Yifan's heart raced. He realized that from today onward, his life would no longer be ordinary. He could choose the path of a common person or embark on an unknown journey of cultivation, mastering swordsmanship, magic, and immortal arts, exploring the mysteries of the world.
Night fell, and lanterns lit one by one along the streets. Yifan gazed at the starry sky, inhaling the crisp night air. Determination surged within him. He whispered to himself, "Since all of this is real… then I will walk my own path."
Chapter 1 quietly ended in Yifan's heart, but the world of the Life Simulation System had only just begun…
Fellow cultivator, would you like to pursue immortality?