The evening glowed with leftover daylight. Kathmandu was winding down, settling into its usual nighttime buzz. For Kang Mo, it was just another evening, nothing special.
He shifted his backpack while his hands were deep in his pockets. His earbuds played the final notes of his favorite song, that bittersweet melody fading into the background noise of cars and voices.
If you asked him, he'd say he wasn't someone special. Not the main character in anything. An eighteen-year-old with average grades, average looks, and dreams too big for him to chase.
"Another day's over," he muttered, exhaling as he crossed the empty street.
Streetlights flickered above, casting a long shadow across the sidewalk. In a store window, he spotted his reflection—a skinny kid in a black hoodie and tired eyes, yet still with a hint of wonder in his gaze.
Streetlights flickered overhead, stretching his shadow long across the sidewalk. In a storefront window, he caught his own reflection—a skinny kid in a black hoodie, tired eyes, but still a hint of wonder in his look.
Then something cut through the quiet.
He seee a caotic seen, like a storm rolling in. Louder. Closer.
"What's that?"
He turned, and his heart got tightened.
A huge truck tore down the opposite lane, tires shrieking, smoke pouring out behind it. Police cars chased close, their sirens screaming.
The truck swerved hard, smashed through a barrier. Sparks flew. People yelled and scattered.
"What the—" Kang froze. Then instinct kicked in. He stumbled back onto the sidewalk, heart thumping.
The truck jerked again—this time, straight toward him.
His mind yelled run, but his body moved like it was underwater. The lights rushed at him, engine roaring in his ears.
For a split second, he saw his own terrified face mirrored in the truck's grill.
And then—impact.
A flash. Pain like he'd never known. His ears rang, vision shattered, world dropping away into nothing.
When he opened his eyes, everything was quiet.
A soft wind brushed his cheek. The air tasted fresh—grass, dew, something clean and sharp.
"…Huh?"
He blinked. An endless sky stretched above, stars burning brighter than he'd ever seen. No city lights. No noise. Just the whisper of leaves.
He pushed himself up, slow and shaky. No asphalt under him now—just thick, glowing grass, starlight shining off every blade. Around him, trees loomed, their leaves tinged blue, trunks as thick as houses.
"Where… am I?"
The memory of the accident crashed back—truck, blinding white, pain. He scrambled to his feet, heart hammering. "The truck… I… I died?"
He pressed his chest. Warm. Heart still beating. He touched his face, his arms. All real.
"This isn't heaven… right?" He tried to laugh, but the sound came out thin and shaky.
He fished in his pocket for his phone—something familiar, something normal—but his fingers brushed something cold and smooth instead.
He pulled it out.
A gold… thing lay in his palm, covered in weird symbols that glimmered and shifted like they were alive.
"What is this…?"
The symbols pulsed, once, twice—then a beam of golden light shot straight into his forehead.
Kang Mo staggered back, grabbing his head. "W-What the—!"
A voice echoed in his mind. Clear, flat, not human.
[Welcome, Host, to Kepler Planet.]
He froze. Breath caught.
"Who… who's that!?"
[Initializing soul synchronization… complete.]
[Host: Kang Mo. Age: 18. Origin: Earth. Current Body: Transmigrated Vessel.]
His heart slammed in his chest. "No way. No way. This can't be real…"
[Host, you are not hallucinating.]
It felt like the voice answered his thoughts before he could even say them.
He spun in a slow circle, eyes scanning the glowing woods. "Where are you? What's happening!?"
[I am the System integrated within your consciousness. You have been transferred to Kepler Planet following your death on Earth.]
That hit him like a punch. "Transferred? So… I really died?"
[Correct. Your body is gone. Your soul was saved and moved into this vessel.]
He stared at the blue-lit trees. "Like… an isekai?"
[Term 'isekai' detected. Yes. This situation matches 84% similarity to that concept.]
He just stood there, totally lost. "So I'm… in another world. Maybe a cultivation world?"
[Correct. Kepler Planet is split into six dynasties and countless sects. Spiritual energy, 'Qi,' flows everywhere. Those who cultivate it can surpass mortal limits.]
A chill ran down his back. This was straight out of the stories he'd always loved. Only now, it wasn't just a story.
He took a shaky breath. "Alright… if I'm really here, then System—do I get anything? Like a starter pack or something?"
[Processing…]
[Beginner package detected. Would you like to open it…]
Kang Mo's lips twitched. "Of course. Open it."
The blue holographic screen appeared before his eyes, glowing softly.
[Opening Beginner's Package...]
[You have received the following items:]
– [Cultivation Essence (Basic)]
– [Middle-Grade Spiritual Robe]
– [Moonshadow Blade (Middle-Grade Sword)]
Light swirled in front of him as the items materialized. A faintly glowing orb hovered above his palm — the Cultivation Essence. Beside it floated a silver robe and a slender sword that gleamed under the moonlight.
Kang Mo's mouth fell open. "This… this is insane."
[Host may absorb the Cultivation Essence to awaken Qi flow.]
He swallowed hard. "Alright… let's try."
He pressed his hand against the orb. Instantly, warmth spread through his body — then a burning sensation. His veins lit up with light. His body trembled as unseen power flowed through him.
"Ghh—!" He dropped to his knees, gasping.
[Qi Circulation: 10%... 30%... 60%...]
He clenched his fists, sweat dripping from his chin. "Agh… it hurts…!"
[Endure, Host. Your meridians are being refined.]
His vision blurred. For a moment, he thought he might pass out. But then — like a breath after drowning — everything calmed.
[Qi Circulation complete. Host has reached Qi Refinement Stage 1.]
Kang Mo exhaled shakily. The air around him felt sharper, alive. He could hear the wind, the faint rustle of creatures miles away, even the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat.
He stared at his hands — faint light pulsed beneath his skin.
"This… is real," he whispered. "I can feel power."
[Congratulations, Host. You have officially begun your cultivation journey.]
He stood slowly, gripping the silver sword that hovered beside him. It fit perfectly in his hand, light yet strong. The blade reflected the stars — and for a brief moment, he saw not the scared boy from Seoul, but someone new.
He sheathed the blade and looked around the vast forest.
"So, System,"
"what now?"
[There is no any fixed mission host, you can become as you want. The System will evolve as you grow.]