Everything went silent.
No buzzing lights.
No furious customers.
No clacking keyboards.
Only void.
Kael floated weightlessly, like a drop of ink suspended in water. His limbs felt numb, his thoughts oddly calm despite the impossibility of it all.
A brilliant golden glyph spiraled before him—pulsing with a rhythm that matched his heartbeat.
> "Synchronization complete. Welcome, Host."
The voice no longer echoed—it was within him now. Warm. Familiar.
> "The Eclipse System is bound to your soul."
> "You are the sole user."
Kael opened his mouth to speak, but his voice didn't follow. Instead, lines of information appeared before his eyes like a digital interface overlaying the darkness.
---
Name: Kael Taren
Origin: Earth (Mid-tier Realm, Mundane Class)
Level: 0
Cultivation: None
System Authority: Eclipse Core [Bound]
Special Ability: Multiplication Matrix (Locked)
---
Multiplication Matrix? Kael thought. Before he could dwell on it, the glyph exploded in a flash of starlight.
The void collapsed.
—
He hit the ground—hard.
Dirt. Real, dry dirt. He coughed as it filled his mouth and nose, scrambling to his feet. Around him stretched a mist-covered forest, tall trees with violet bark and glowing leaves swaying gently. Strange sounds echoed in the distance—chirps, roars, howls… not quite animal, but not mechanical either.
His cheap office clothes were gone. Now he wore a dark-blue tunic stitched with silver thread, leather greaves, and soft boots. A small pendant glowed against his chest—shaped like a crescent moon pierced by a star.
> "You have been transmigrated."
> "You are in the Outer Wilds of the Xandral Continent."
> "System Quest Available: Begin Your Path."
Kael blinked. "This… is actually happening," he whispered.
A sudden ding echoed in his ears.
---
Quest: Begin Your Path
Objective: Survive the first night
Reward: Unlock Cultivation Core
Failure: Death
Time Remaining: 11 hours, 58 minutes
---
Kael cursed under his breath. "Of course there's a time limit."
He took stock of his surroundings. The air was thick with spiritual energy—he didn't know how he knew that, but the System whispered it into his senses like instinct. He felt stronger. Lighter. More awake than ever.
But danger was near. He could feel it.
A low growl emerged from the mist. Red eyes glinted. Something huge slithered through the trees.
Run.
He didn't need to be told twice. Kael bolted, leaping over roots and ducking under branches, heart thundering. The forest came alive with shrieks and rustles—whatever was chasing him wasn't alone.
His legs burned. His breath came sharp. But just as his foot caught a root and he stumbled—
A notification flashed.
> "Emergency System Intervention: Eclipse Core activated."
Time slowed. Everything became sharp, vivid. The creature lunging at him—a four-eyed wolf-like beast with bone armor—moved as if underwater.
> "Use system power: Multiply Agility × 2?"
[Confirm]
"Confirm!" Kael shouted.
A rush of energy surged through him. He spun, rolled under the creature, and sprinted again—faster than he thought possible.
The beast crashed into a tree, stunned.
> "Multiplier cooldown: 10 minutes."
He didn't stop running until the forest thinned and the ground dipped into a small glade surrounded by rocks and bioluminescent fungi.
Kael collapsed there, panting, drenched in sweat. He'd almost died. On his first night.
And yet—he'd survived.
---
Quest Complete: Begin Your Path
Reward Unlocked: Cultivation Core Activated
> "Initializing cultivation potential…"
The pendant against his chest flared.
A rush of warmth spread from his heart to every inch of his body. His bones cracked, reshaped. Muscles strengthened. His senses expanded—he could hear the wind brushing grass, feel the roots shifting underground.
Power surged into him.
---
New Status Updated
Cultivation Realm: Qi Initiate - Tier 1
Qi Pool: 100/100
Technique Slot: Empty
Multiplier Ability: Available
---
Kael stared at his trembling hands. He felt… different. Alive. Reborn.
This world, this system—it was real. It was dangerous. But it was also his chance.
He remembered Earth. The cubicle. The bills. The loneliness. All gone.
Now… he had a path. A power unlike any other.
A faint breeze carried a whisper through the glade:
> "The Infinite Path begins with a single choice…"
Kael stood.
And he chose to walk it.