Death wasn't what I expected.
There was no bright white light, no dark tunnel, no angels or demons. Just... void. Absolute silence. And the sensation of falling—endless falling into nothing.
The last thing I remembered was the screech of brakes, the blinding lights of a truck filling my vision, then... nothing.
So this is it. This is how Liu Chen ends.
Twenty-three years. A small gaming cafe that barely paid rent. No family (they died in an accident when I was young). No real friends (just passing customers). No notable achievements.
An ordinary life. An ordinary death.
At least... that's what I thought.
I opened my eyes.
The sky above me was... wrong. Not normal blue, but a deep blue, almost purple, with streaks of golden light shimmering through the clouds like silk threads.
What... what is this?
I tried to sit up. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest. It wasn't sharp pain, but deep, aching pain—like I hadn't moved in weeks.
I looked around.
I was lying in a narrow alley, surrounded by tall stone walls covered in moss. The ground beneath me was cobblestone, cold and damp. At the end of the alley, I could see a busy street—people wearing strange clothes, like something from a historical Chinese drama, walking and talking in a language...
Wait.
I understand them.
They were speaking a language I'd never heard before—not Chinese, not English, not any language I knew. But I... understood every word. As if the meaning was injected directly into my brain.
"...heard that the Heavenly Sword Sect is accepting new disciples this year..."
"Hmph! No use. My spiritual roots are only mediocre. I'll never reach Foundation Establishment stage..."
"Stop complaining! At least you can cultivate. Me? No spiritual roots at all. Doomed to remain an ordinary mortal..."
Spiritual roots? Cultivation? What—
Then it hit me.
Memories. Not mine, but... someone else's.
His name was... Liu Chen too.
Same name. But not me.
This Liu Chen was the son of a small merchant family in "Azure Spring City"—a small city on the edge of the "Great Tianxia Empire."
His parents were silk traders. A quiet, comfortable life. But...
On his fifteenth birthday, a "Root Examiner" came from a nearby sect to test the children.
No spiritual roots.
Zero.
He couldn't cultivate. Couldn't become an immortal cultivator. Couldn't fly, or shatter mountains, or live for hundreds of years.
Doomed to remain an ordinary mortal, aging and dying in seventy years if he was lucky.
For his family, it was... disappointing. But they didn't abandon him. They continued their trade, planned to pass the business to him.
But the original Liu Chen... couldn't accept it.
He saw his peers—the ones he'd played with as children—become cultivators. Jumping over rooftops. Carrying swords that gleamed with spiritual light. Becoming... more.
While he... was ordinary.
So he drank. Gambled. Wasted his family's money.
And one night, drunk, he wandered into the wrong neighborhood. Met an arrogant young noble from a cultivation family.
Words were said. A punch was thrown.
The young noble, angry, struck with a casual blow—just a slap infused with spiritual energy.
And the original Liu Chen, an ordinary mortal with no protection, died.
Instantly.
His body was thrown into this alley. No one cared. The death of an ordinary person? Who cares?
And... now I'm here.
I sat there, back against the cold wall, trying to process all this.
I died. Transmigrated. Into someone else's body. In a world... a cultivation world.
I should have been panicking. Should have been screaming, crying, denying reality.
But I didn't.
Maybe because I didn't have much to leave behind in my old world. Or maybe because part of me—the part that had read thousands of web novels, played thousands of games—had always dreamed of this.
A world where people can shatter mountains with their fists. Fly on swords. Live forever.
But...
I looked at my hands. They were thin, weak, covered in bruises from the fall.
No spiritual roots.
I can't cultivate.
In a world where power is everything, I am... nothing.
"Great," I muttered hoarsely. "Transmigrated into a cultivation world, and I can't even cultivate. What kind of cruel joke—"
[Ding!]
A sound—clear, sharp, like a crystal bell—rang in my head.
I froze.
Then... it appeared.
Right before my eyes, floating in the air, was... a transparent screen. Like a video game interface, glowing with soft blue light.
And on it, words:
[Welcome to the Gaming Hall System]
[Congratulations! You have been selected to become the first host of the Gaming Hall across worlds!]
[Mission: Build the greatest Gaming Hall in history, and spread gaming culture across all worlds!]
[Warning: Failure to complete the mission will result in... [Data Deletion]]
I blinked. Then blinked again.
"...What is this nonsense?"
[Ding! Skeptical host detected. Beginning introductory explanation...]
Suddenly, information—a massive amount of information—flooded into my brain.
The System. Gaming Hall. Missions. Rewards.
It was... exactly like those web novels I'd read. A "cheat" system that gives me power, resources, and a chance to succeed in this new world.
But there was a problem.
This system didn't give me combat power.
It didn't suddenly make me a Golden Core stage cultivator, or a ninth-rank mage.
Instead...
It gave me a gaming hall.
[Current Host: Liu Chen]
[Age: 23]
[Cultivation: None (No spiritual roots)]
[Magic Power: None (No mana essence)]
[Special Skills: None]
[Status: Weak, hungry, homeless, penniless]
[Rating: Very Weak ★☆☆☆☆]
"...Thanks. That makes me feel so much better."
[Beginner Mission: Establish your first Gaming Hall]
[Reward: Starter Package (Contains: 1 gaming computer, 1 basic game, "Languages of the World" skill)]
[Time Limit: 7 days]
[Penalty for Failure: Death]
I looked at the screen. Then at the dirty alley around me. Then at my trembling hands.
"Establish a gaming hall. In seven days. While I'm broke, homeless, and in a body that can't even cultivate."
Silence.
Then I started laughing—a hysterical, slightly desperate laugh.
"Alright. Alright! Why not? I've got nothing to lose anyway. Let's build a gaming hall in a world where people fly on swords and shoot fireballs!"
I stood—my legs shaking, my body aching—and walked toward the sunlight at the end of the alley.
Toward Azure Spring City.
Toward my new future.
Liu Chen, gaming cafe owner, is back in business.
I stepped out of the alley onto a busy street.
And stopped, stunned.
Because this... this was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
The buildings were massive—multi-story wooden and stone structures with curved roofs decorated with carved dragons and phoenixes. The streets were wide, paved with smooth white stones that gleamed in the sun.
But the people...
Some walked on the ground, wearing simple clothes—farmers, merchants, ordinary mortals.
But others...
I saw a young man jumping from rooftop to rooftop, moving faster than any Olympic athlete, his robes billowing behind him.
I saw a woman walking on air—literally walking, step by step, on nothing, as if there were invisible stairs.
And I saw an old man sitting in a teahouse, holding a cup—and the cup was floating. Just floating there, the tea pouring itself.
Cultivators, I realized. People who have transcended humanity.
I felt something coil in my stomach. Not jealousy—well, maybe a bit of jealousy—but also... fear.
In this world, power was everything. And the powerful could kill without consequence.
Just like the original Liu Chen was killed.
I need to be careful. I need to—
[Ding! Tip: Stop standing around like an idiot and start finding a location for your Gaming Hall!]
"...System, are you always this rude?"
[Ding! The System only states facts. Fact: You look like an idiot.]
I sighed.
Alright. First, I need a place. But I have no money. How—
Then I remembered.
The original Liu Chen's memories. His family had a shop—a small silk shop in the commercial district.
But... after his death, who's running the shop?
His parents?
I felt a tightness in my chest. The original Liu Chen's memories were vague, but I could feel them—the love, the guilt, the shame.
I need to go to them. Even if... even if they're not really my parents.
It took an hour—a long hour of wandering, getting lost, asking for directions from vendors who looked at me like I was a beggar—but I finally found it.
[Liu's Premium Silk]
A small shop, its wooden facade cracked, paint peeling. A sign above the door in faded characters.
It looked... sad.
I stopped in front of the door, my hand raised to knock, but I hesitated.
What do I say? "Hi, I'm your son who died, but not really, because I'm a soul from another world who took over his body?"
Before I could think further, the door opened.
A woman stood there.
She was in her forties, black hair tied in a simple bun, her face pale and thin, her eyes red as if she had been crying.
She looked at me.
And froze.
"...Chen?"
Her voice was barely a whisper. Trembling. Laden with... hope. Fear.
My mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"Mother."
The word came out before I could think about it. Not my word. The original Liu Chen's word, carved deep in the memories, in the muscles, in the soul.
And suddenly, she was hugging me.
Hugging me tight, her face buried in my shoulder, her body shaking.
"Chen. Chen. I thought... I thought you were—"
"I'm sorry." The words came out, cracked. "I'm so sorry."
I didn't know if I was apologizing as the original Liu Chen, or as myself, for taking her son's body.
But I said it anyway.
Because it felt... right.
She pulled me inside, still holding my hand as if I might disappear if she let go.
The shop was... empty. Not of goods—there were bolts of silk stacked neatly on shelves, embroidered fabrics hanging on displays—but of customers. Of life.
The afternoon sun filtered through dusty windows, illuminating particles dancing in the air. Everything smelled of old wood and fabric softener.
"Sit, sit!" Mother—her name is Liu Mei, the memories whispered—pushed me toward a chair. "You must be hungry. When did you eat last? You're so thin! I'll make you something—"
"Mother, please." I caught her hand. "I'm fine. I just... I need to talk to you."
She looked at me, really looked at me, and I saw tears forming in her eyes again.
"We thought you were dead," she whispered. "They found you three days ago in an alley in the Red Lantern District. You were... you weren't breathing. We brought you home, called the healer, but he said..." Her voice broke. "He said there was nothing he could do. That you'd be gone within the day."
Three days. I'd been dead—or nearly dead—for three days.
"But this morning," she continued, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "your father checked on you and... you were breathing. Just barely, but breathing. He ran to get the healer again, but I stayed, and I watched, and..." She touched my face, her hand trembling. "You opened your eyes."
A miracle, I thought. Or just convenient timing for a transmigrator.
"Where is Father?" I asked.
"He went to the healer. Should be back soon." She squeezed my hand. "Chen, what happened? Why were you in that place? You know how dangerous—"
"I made mistakes," I said quietly. It was the original Liu Chen's mess, but I was living with it now. "A lot of mistakes. And I'm sorry. For everything. For the money I wasted, for the shame I brought, for—"
"Stop." Her voice was firm. "You're alive. That's all that matters. Whatever happened, we can... we can fix it. Together."
I looked at her—this woman who wasn't my mother but loved her son enough to forgive everything—and felt something break in my chest.
I can't tell her. Can't tell her that her real son is gone, and I'm just... wearing his face.
So instead, I nodded.
"Together," I echoed.
The door burst open.
A man entered—Liu Wei, the original Liu Chen's father. Tall, broad-shouldered, with graying hair and callused hands from years of handling silk. He was breathing hard, as if he'd been running.
Behind him, a thin old man in simple robes—the healer, presumably.
Liu Wei's eyes found me. Widened.
"Chen. You're... you're sitting up."
"Father." I stood, my legs still shaky.
He crossed the room in three strides and pulled me into a crushing hug.
"Stupid boy," he muttered, his voice thick. "Stupid, stupid boy."
I hugged him back, feeling the strength in his arms, the way his hand trembled slightly on my back.
These people loved their son. Really loved him.
And I'm going to have to live with that.
The healer approached, peering at me with sharp eyes. He checked my pulse, looked at my tongue, pressed points on my body.
"Remarkable," he muttered. "Three days ago, his life force was nearly extinguished. Now... it's stable. Weak, yes, but stable." He looked at me suspiciously. "Did you consume any spiritual medicine? Any pills?"
"No," I said honestly.
"Hmm." The healer packed his things. "Well, whatever happened, it's a miracle. Rest, eat well, and avoid excitement. Your body is still recovering."
After he left, my parents made me sit while Mother brought soup—hot, savory, with pieces of chicken and vegetables.
I ate slowly, and with each spoonful, I could feel the original Liu Chen's memories settling deeper.
This shop. This family. Their struggles.
Business had been declining for years. Competition from larger merchants. Rising costs. And their son—their only son—wasting money instead of helping.
They were on the edge. Not quite desperate, but close.
And now I'm here. With a System that wants me to build a gaming hall.
Can I... can I use this?
After I finished eating, I took a deep breath.
"Father, Mother. I need to talk to you about something."
They exchanged glances.
"What is it?" Father asked.
"The shop," I said carefully. "The back room. The one we use for storage. What if... what if we used it for something else?"
Father frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I have an idea. A business idea." I chose my words carefully. "Something new. Something no one in this city has seen before."
"Chen..." Mother looked worried. "You just recovered. You should rest, not—"
"Please. Just hear me out."
I spent the next hour explaining—or trying to explain—the concept of a gaming hall.
It was... difficult. How do you explain video games to people who've never seen a computer? How do you convince cultivation world parents that sitting in front of a glowing screen pressing buttons is worthwhile?
I ended up describing it as "a new form of entertainment. Like... a storytelling house, but interactive. Where customers can control the story."
Father looked skeptical. "And how would this make money?"
"Customers pay by the hour to use the... equipment." I avoided saying "computer." "It's popular in... other cities." Other worlds, but close enough.
"What equipment? This sounds expensive."
[Ding! Reminder: Once you establish the Gaming Hall location, the System will provide the Starter Package!]
"I'll... I'll handle the equipment," I said. "I have a way to get it. I just need the space."
Mother and Father looked at each other. A long, silent conversation happened between them.
Finally, Father sighed.
"Chen, I'm going to be honest with you. Business is not good. We're barely breaking even. If this idea of yours fails—"
"If it fails, I'll work the silk shop. I'll help with everything. I promise." I looked at both of them. "But please. Give me one chance. Seven days. Just seven days to try."
Another long silence.
Then Mother reached out and squeezed my hand.
"Seven days," she said softly. "But you have to promise me—no more drinking. No more gambling. No more... running away."
"I promise."
Father nodded slowly. "The back room is yours. But Chen... don't disappoint us again."
"I won't."
After my parents went to bed, I slipped into the back room.
It was small—maybe fifteen feet by fifteen feet. Dusty. Filled with old bolts of silk, broken furniture, boxes of forgotten inventory.
But it had a window. A door to the outside alley. And most importantly... potential.
[Ding! Suitable location detected!]
[Would you like to designate this as your Gaming Hall?]
"Yes," I whispered.
[Ding! Location confirmed!]
[Beginner Mission Updated: Clean and prepare the space for gaming equipment]
[Time Remaining: 6 days, 23 hours]
I looked around the cluttered room.
"Alright," I muttered. "Let's get to work."
I spent the next four hours cleaning. Moving boxes. Sweeping dust. Wiping down the walls and floor.
My body—still weak from the original Liu Chen's ordeal—protested every movement. My hands blistered. My back ached.
But I kept going.
Because this was it. This was my chance.
By the time I finished, the room was... better. Not perfect, but clean. Empty. Ready.
I collapsed against the wall, exhausted, and looked at the moonlight streaming through the window.
[Ding! Beginner Mission Progress: 30% Complete]
[Continue tomorrow to receive the Starter Package!]
I closed my eyes, a small smile on my face.
Day one: survived. Parents convinced. Room cleaned.
Six more days.
Six more days to build something impossible.
A gaming hall in a world of cultivators.
And maybe—just maybe—I could make this work.
That Night
I lay in the small bed in the corner of the shop—the same bed the original Liu Chen had slept in for twenty-three years.
My body ached. My mind raced.
But for the first time since waking up in that alley, I felt... purpose.
Not just survival. Not just existing.
But building. Creating. Making something.
In my old world, my gaming cafe barely survived. Was forgotten. Meaningless.
But here...
Here, I could introduce an entire world to gaming.
Cultivators playing video games. Mages experiencing stories they've never imagined.
It's insane.
It's impossible.
It's perfect.
I pulled up the System interface one more time.
[Gaming Hall System]
[Host: Liu Chen]
[Level: 0]
[Gaming Hall: Not Yet Established]
[Available Games: 0]
[Mission: Complete setup within 6 days, 23 hours]
I stared at that single line: [Available Games: 0]
Tomorrow, if I completed the preparation, I'd get my first game.
One game. One computer. One chance.
What game will it be? I wondered. Counter-Strike? League of Legends? Dark Souls?
Something that will blow their minds.
Something that will make them understand.
I closed the interface and closed my eyes.
Outside, the city was silent. The cultivators slept. The mortals dreamed.
And Liu Chen—the transmigrator, the gaming hall owner, the man with no spiritual roots but a cheat system—smiled in the darkness.
Tomorrow, we begin for real.
Tomorrow, I introduce this world to gaming.
And nothing will ever be the same.