The rain felt like ice against Li Wei's skin. He stood at the edge of the abandoned cliff, the city lights blurring far below through the downpour. In his hand, a crumpled hospital bill. In his heart, a weight so heavy he could barely breathe.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Li. Without the payment, we'll have to discontinue your sister's treatment next week."
The doctor's words echoed in his mind, louder than the thunder above. His little sister, Mei, was all he had left. And he had failed her.
He was tired. Tired of the constant struggle. Tired of working three jobs only to fall deeper into debt. Tired of watching Mei get weaker while he could do nothing.
"This is the only way," he whispered to the storm, his voice breaking. "Maybe… maybe someone else will help her."
He closed his eyes, tears mixing with the rain on his face. He took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped off the edge.
The wind rushed past him. He braced for the end.
But it didn't come.
Instead of falling, he felt a violent, tearing sensation. The world twisted around him. The dark sky and city lights vanished, replaced by a swirling tunnel of blinding colors and a sound like screaming energy.
THUMP.
He landed on something soft and wet. The air was knocked from his lungs. He gasped, choking.
He wasn't on concrete. He was lying on damp, fragrant moss.
The roaring storm was gone. replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the chirping of strange insects and the rustle of leaves. The air was thick and sweet, and every breath he took felt… electric. It made his skin tingle.
He pushed himself up, his hands sinking into the rich soil. He was in a forest, but unlike any forest he had ever seen. The trees were massive, their trunks wider than cars, stretching up into a canopy that glowed with soft, pulsing light from giant flowers. Two large, silver moons hung in a purple sky.
"What… Where am I?" he stammered, his voice sounding small in the vast, strange wilderness. "Is this… heaven? Hell?"
A low, guttural growl answered him from the shadows of the trees. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared, then another, and another. Wolf-like creatures with razor-sharp fangs and fur the color of shadow stepped into the clearing. They sniffed the air, saliva dripping from their jaws. They were looking right at him.
Panic seized him. He scrambled backward, his heart hammering against his ribs. This wasn't death. This was something worse.
[DING!]
A clear, soundless chime echoed inside his head. A transparent blue screen materialized in front of his eyes, glowing with text.
[Tri-Realms Conquest System activating…]
[Qi-rich environment detected: Ancient Realm. Sufficient for system initialization.]
[Welcome, Host Li Wei. Your journey to conquer the three realms has begun.]
[Newbie Quest: Survive the Night.]
[Objective: Do not get eaten by the Blood-Scented Wolves.]
[Reward: 100 System Points, Basic Cultivation Manual (Earth Grade).]
Li Wei stared, his mind refusing to process what he was seeing. A video game screen? In his head? Was he hallucinating?
"Interesting. Jumping off a cliff to isekai yourself. A classic, if dramatic, move."
The voice was dry, ancient, and female. It came from right beside him.
He yelped and spun around. Floating in the air was the translucent figure of a woman. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long silver hair and eyes like molten gold. She looked like a ghost or a goddess, wearing robes that seemed made of shadow and starlight. She examined her phantom hand with a bored expression.
"Who… what are you?" Wei choked out, his eyes darting between her and the advancing wolves.
"I am Morgana," she said, as if that explained everything. She finally looked at him, a faint, sarcastic smile on her lips. "And it seems my prison is now tied to your consciousness. How… quaint."
"Prison? What are you talking about? What is this place?"
"This, foolish boy, is the Ancient Realm. A world where strength is everything, and you are currently about to become dinner." She gestured with her chin towards the wolves, which were now circling them, getting closer.
[Warning: Host's vital signs indicate extreme panic. Suggested course of action: RUN.]
The system message snapped him into action. Adrenaline flooded his veins. He didn't understand what was happening, but he didn't want to be eaten.
He turned and sprinted deeper into the forest, the ghostly woman, Morgana, floating effortlessly alongside him.
"Faster," she said, her voice calm. "Unless you fancy being a chew toy."
Branches scratched his face as he ran. The wolves howled, their footsteps pounding behind him. He could smell their foul breath.
He had wanted to die minutes ago. But now, faced with a terrifying, toothy end, a raw, primal desire to live surged through him.
Mei… he thought. If this is real… if any of this is real… maybe I can find a way back. Maybe I can save her.
The thought gave him a final burst of speed. He spotted a narrow crack in a giant rock face ahead—a small cave. He dove for it, squeezing his body into the tight space just as the first wolf lunged, its claws scraping against the stone where his head had been.
He was safe. For now.
He lay in the dark, cramped space, breathing in ragged, sobbing gasps. The wolves snarled and paced outside, unable to fit.
[Ding!]
[Newbie Quest: Survive the Night - COMPLETE.]
[Rewards Claimed: 100 System Points, Basic Cultivation Manual (Earth Grade).]
A simple, old-looking bamboo scroll appeared in his hands with a soft flash of light.
Morgana floated through the rock wall, looking unimpressed. "Adequate hiding. For a rodent." She peered at the scroll in his hands. "Ah, the system's pity reward. I suppose we should start with the basics. If you want to live, and certainly if you ever want to see your sister again, you will need to get strong. Very strong."
Li Wei looked from the beautiful, terrifying ghost woman to the glowing system screen, to the scroll in his hands. His life of poverty and despair felt a million miles away. He had taken a step into nothingness and had landed in a nightmare of opportunity.
He was lost, scared, and completely alone except for a sarcastic demon queen in his head.
But he was alive.
He clenched his fists, the rough bamboo of the scroll digging into his palm.
"Okay," he whispered, to himself, to Morgana, to the system. "Okay. Let's begin."
Chapter 1 end.