The wind outside the cave carried the scent of ash and iron. Morning light seeped in through the narrow entrance, faint and cold, barely enough to illuminate the jagged stone walls. The cave was silent, its depths cloaked in an eerie stillness. Ren Zian sat motionless, his back against the rough stone, eyes closed in quiet meditation. His body, though still aching from the previous night's struggle, felt... different. Stronger. More aware.
He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the weight of the strange new power coursing through him. The pulsing thrum of energy that had awakened under his skin lingered like a shadow—subtle yet undeniable. He flexed his fingers, now steady and controlled, no longer trembling as they had in the past. He could feel the hum of his energy pathways, faint but growing, like the first trickles of a river carving through rock.
Ren glanced down at his hands. They were no longer weak and trembling. His fingers curled into fists with purpose, veins lacing with energy that, though foreign, now felt like an extension of his own being. The sensation was surreal, as if his very essence had shifted into something more—something alive. Something dangerous.
"Status Updated," the system chimed in his mind, the familiar voice like a cold whisper in the back of his thoughts.
[Status Updated. Host Condition: Stable.]
[Cultivation: Initiated – Realm: None (Locked).]
[Energy Pathways: 4% Cleansed.]
[Note: Cultivation requires technique. None detected.]
"Figures," Ren muttered under his breath. "A power with no way to grow it. Just my luck."
He stared at the numbers floating in his mind. It was a start. The fact that his energy pathways had begun to cleanse meant something had awakened within him, something real, something that could be cultivated. But the journey ahead would be long and uncertain.
The system had mentioned that cultivation required technique, but there was no guidance, no clear path. It was frustrating. Power was only useful if you knew how to control it, how to wield it, how to make it grow. And as far as Ren knew, he had no such technique.
Still, there was a strange thrill in knowing that, for the first time, he wasn't entirely powerless in this world. He stood slowly, feeling the ache in his muscles but pushing it aside. The weight of this new existence no longer seemed so overwhelming. There was hope now. A flicker of it.
He took a few cautious steps toward the cave's entrance. The wolves that had haunted him in his dreams were gone, their tracks faint in the cracked earth. A few scattered bones lay at the cliff's edge, but nothing fresh, nothing to indicate that the beasts still stalked the area. Whatever had been chasing him was either gone... or waiting for the right moment to strike.
[New Quest Available: Locate Cultivation Manual]
[Reward: Energy Pathways Unlocked. Access to Foundation Realm.]
[Hint: Seek the Silent Hermit in the Withered Forest.]
Ren raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the message. "A hermit in a forest? Sounds a bit cliché, doesn't it?"
His stomach growled sharply, interrupting his thoughts. The Void Seed had helped him survive through the night, keeping him alive, but it hadn't provided any sustenance. He was starving. He needed food, water, and shelter—basic necessities if he hoped to survive. His hand instinctively reached for his pack, but then he remembered it was empty. Whatever supplies he had carried with him were long gone.
No. His priority had to be finding the hermit. Cultivation could wait. But survival? That was the immediate concern.
He gazed out at the forest beyond the cliff. It was dense and untamed, the trees standing like silent sentinels in the distance. The leaves shimmered with a dark jade hue, while the bark of the trees appeared obsidian black, almost glimmering in the pale light. The forest seemed ancient—timeless. Ren could feel the weight of it in the air, like it was watching him, waiting for something.
He inhaled deeply, the air thick with the scent of earth and decay. His senses were sharper now—no longer dull and unremarkable. He could feel the pulse of life in the land around him, the subtle vibrations in the earth beneath his feet. It was as though the world itself was alive, aware. He could feel the faint hum of power all around him, in the air, in the ground, in the very trees themselves.
With steady steps, he made his way down from the cliff, using his newfound Energy Sense to spot loose rocks and treacherous paths. The world felt both beautiful and threatening, a perfect balance of danger and allure. The creatures in the shadows moved unseen, their eyes shimmering like gold in the dark, but none approached. None attacked.
[Passive Skill "Keen Awareness" Activated: +15% perception in unknown environments.]
As Ren ventured deeper into the forest, he began to notice more signs of intelligent life. A trail. Not animal tracks, but footprints—deliberate, measured, leading in the direction he was heading. He stopped, crouching to inspect the prints. They were fresh, but not recent. Someone had passed through here, though the trail wasn't as clear as he would have liked. He followed it nonetheless, trusting his instincts.
He had no idea how long he had been walking—time felt irrelevant in this strange world—but after what felt like an hour, he came upon a clearing. The trees parted to reveal a small, open space, surrounded by towering, ancient trees. In the center sat a lone figure, cross-legged, still as stone.
The man's hair was long and gray, flowing like silver threads, his robes tattered and worn. He sat motionless, his eyes closed as if in deep concentration, untouched by the world around him.
Ren hesitated, unsure of what to do. He had come this far—there was no turning back now. He stepped forward, the leaves crunching softly underfoot.
Before Ren could speak, the man opened one eye. It was sharp, black as pitch, and it seemed to pierce through Ren's very soul. The man smiled, a slow, knowing smile. "Took you long enough," he said, his voice low but steady.
Ren froze, his heart skipping a beat. "You... were expecting me?"
The man nodded, his gaze never leaving Ren. "I felt the Void tremble. Something touched it. Something... young." He stood, his movements slow and deliberate, as if every motion was calculated. Despite his frail appearance, the man exuded an aura of immense power, a presence that was both commanding and unsettling. "You carry the Imprint, boy. Dangerous things do not wait for you to grow."
Ren swallowed, trying to process the words. "Imprint?" He glanced down at his hands, still feeling the strange energy inside him. "What are you talking about?"
The man's smile widened, though there was little warmth in it. "The Imprint marks those who are destined for something greater. Or perhaps... cursed with it. Come. If you wish to live, you must learn what it means to cultivate."
[Quest Updated: Train with the Silent Hermit – Time Limit: 3 Days.]
[Reward: Foundational Cultivation Technique.]
Ren stepped forward, his curiosity piqued. "I... I don't know what this is. What is cultivation?"
The hermit raised a hand, silencing him. "Not so fast. First, you must withstand this."
Before Ren could react, the hermit snapped his fingers, and the air around them seemed to shift. A wave of pressure crashed down on Ren like an invisible weight, a force so overwhelming it felt like the heavens themselves were pressing down on him. He stumbled, falling to one knee as his chest constricted. His breath came in sharp gasps, the pressure suffocating, crushing him from above.
[Warning: External Force Detected. Testing Willpower.]
[Progress: 12%... 29%... 47%...]
Ren gritted his teeth, trying to push through the unbearable force. His muscles screamed, his bones felt as if they might splinter. The world spun around him, but he refused to fall. He wouldn't give in. Not now.
[Progress: 62%... 84%...]
Blood dripped from his nose, but his will held firm. He could feel the power within him, the power that had been dormant for so long, beginning to stir. It was as though the Void Seed inside him had come alive, answering the call of the pressure bearing down on him. He clenched his fists, willing himself to stand tall.
[Progress: 100%. Test Passed.]
[System Bonus Activated: +1 Willpower Stat.]
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it had come, and Ren collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. His entire body shook from the strain, but he had passed the test.
The hermit nodded in approval. "Good. You're not entirely spineless."
Ren managed a weak smile, though his breath still came in ragged bursts. "Thanks... I think."
The hermit turned away, walking back to the center of the clearing. "Rest, then come to me. Your training begins now. And understand this—there are worse things than death in this world."
Ren lay on the ground, staring up at the sky above. It was still blood-red, the color of an eternal sunset, but there was a sense of calm now, as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something.
A new beginning. A new name. A new path.
Ren whispered to himself, his voice steady, determined. "Alright... Let's begin the road to immortality."
He felt the power in his chest, a quiet hum that resonated in his bones. It wasn't just the Void Seed that stirred—it was him. His will. His choice. Cultivation was not a gift, not a simple process. It was a battle. A battle to survive, to grow, to become something more.
And with that, Ren Zian took his first real step into the unknown world ahead.
End of Chapter 2.