The night was silent.The kind of silence that did not belong to a modern city filled with honking cars, glowing billboards, and the constant hum of machines. Instead, this silence belonged to the deep wilderness, where only the whispers of wind and the distant cry of unseen creatures moved through the dark.
A young man lay sprawled on the damp grass. His clothes were torn, his mind dazed, and his heart was beating fast as if it had run a thousand miles. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The sky above him was strange. Stars glimmered in patterns he had never seen before. Two moons floated side by side, casting silver light across the world. He blinked once, then again, but the sight did not vanish.
"Where… am I?" he muttered under his breath.
His name was Arin. Just a few hours ago, at least that was how it felt—he had been sitting in his small apartment, scrolling through news on his phone after a long day at work. Nothing special had happened. No accidents and strange rituals. No signs that his ordinary life would end. Yet here he was lying in a forest that looked like something pulled straight out of fantasy novels.
When Arin tried to stand, pain shot through his legs. He steadied himself against a tree. The bark was rough, real, not a dream. His breathing calmed, but his mind only grew more restless.
The first thing he noticed was the air. It was thick, rich, and alive. Every breath felt heavier, but not in an uncomfortable way. Instead, it carried strength, like invisible threads of energy weaving through his lungs.
"What is this place?" Arin whispered after pressing a hand to his chest.
He wandered forward, brushing branches aside, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The trees towered higher than any in his hometown. Their roots pulsed faintly with light, as if they carried veins of glowing water beneath the bark. Strange flowers bloomed in clusters, releasing sparks of blue mist that floated into the air like fireflies.
It was too beautiful and too unreal.
Then, the ground trembled.
Arin froze. Somewhere not far ahead, a roar split the silence. It was deep, guttural, carrying a weight that shook his very bones. His instincts screamed at him to hide. He crouched behind a thick tree trunk, holding his breath.
Through the gaps, he saw it.
A creature emerged into a clearing, its scales glistening under moonlight. A body like a lion, wings stretching wide, and eyes glowing red. It was neither dragon nor beast he had ever known, but something in between. The creature sniffed the air, then let out another thunderous roar that sent birds scattering into the night sky.
Arin's heart pounded. "This can't be real…"
But it was. Every detail, from the glint of its claws to the heat of its breath, screamed reality. He had fallen not into a dream, but into another world.
The beast turned its head. For a moment, its gaze brushed past the tree where Arin hid. The sheer pressure of its presence nearly crushed him. His hands shook uncontrollably. He was just an ordinary man—no weapons, no skills, no idea how to survive here.
And yet… something stirred within him.
A faint voice echoed in his mind, mechanical yet soft, like the ringing of a distant bell.
[All-Round Development System Activated.]
Arin gasped. He looked around, but no one was there. The voice was inside him.
[User identified. Compatibility rate: 100%.][Granting initial access to knowledge archives…]
In an instant, information rushed into his brain. Strange scripts, diagrams, formulas of energy, training methods, cultivation paths—all pouring into him like a river of light. He clutched his head, gritting his teeth against the flood of knowledge.
Memories of modern science twisted together with mystical principles. Electricity merged with qi. Engineering fused with runes. Medicine overlapped with alchemy. In seconds, his mind expanded beyond what he thought was possible.
And then… silence.
Arin opened his eyes wide. His breathing was heavy, but he no longer felt afraid. The creature in the clearing still loomed, but now he understood something he hadn't before. The air around it shimmered with currents of energy, mana, aura or whatever it was called here. The beast wasn't invincible. It was a being of flesh and spirit, bound by rules of this world.
Arin's lips curved into a thin smile.
For the first time since arriving, he felt a spark of confidence.
The system's voice returned.
[Beginner's Path unlocked. Choose your first focus: Strength, Mind, or Balance.]
Arin hesitated. Back in his world, he had always been curious about everything—science, history, medicine, even martial arts, though he had never practiced them. He was never satisfied with one path. And now, faced with a choice, he could not ignore that same desire.
"Balance," he whispered.
[Choice accepted. All-Round Development begins.]
A warmth spread through his body, strengthening his limbs, sharpening his senses. His mind grew clearer, thoughts faster. He could feel the rhythm of his heartbeat syncing with the flow of energy around him. It was as if he had been reborn in that moment.
The beast roared again, shaking the earth. Arin's hands clenched but, he wasn't foolish—he knew he couldn't fight it yet. But he didn't need to. Not now. With his newly sharpened awareness, he noticed something: the creature's attention wasn't on him at all. It was watching something else, deeper in the forest.
Without wasting another moment, Arin slipped away, moving quietly through the trees. His steps were light, guided by instinct and the system's subtle hints. He felt like prey escaping a predator, but at least he had a direction now.
After what felt like hours, he stumbled into a small clearing where a stream flowed gently over rocks. Exhausted, he dropped to his knees and drank deeply. The water was cool, refreshing, filled with the same strange energy as the air.
As he sat there, catching his breath, the system spoke once more.
[Welcome, Arin. You have stepped into a boundless world. Here, countless paths exist—magic, sword, qi, aura, and races unknown. You carry knowledge of both worlds, and through you, they may advance. But remember this—though you may help others, to you, they will always remain small.]
Arin's eyes widened. He wasn't sure he liked the last part, but deep inside, he understood. The system wasn't simply here to guide him. It was shaping him into something far greater.
The stars shone brighter above. The two moons painted the forest silver. Arin lay back on the grass, staring at the sky, his heart still racing with fear and excitement.
He had transmigrated. He had been given power. He had been chosen.
And though he didn't know where this road would lead, one thing was certain—his life as an ordinary man was over.
The path of the Universal Sage had begun.