In a sprawling, cavernous house, a twenty-year-old man sat slumped in a grand chair, the silence of the large space amplifying his despair. This was Jin Su, a soul from another world from blue planet barely a few days into his new, terrifying existence. The memories of this body, a tragic inheritance, had fully merged, painting a bleak picture of his current predicament.
He was in a cultivation world, a place teeming with individuals capable of leveling mountains with a flick of a wrist. His parents, cultivators at the middle level of the Ki Refining stage, had ventured into the treacherous Cloudy Mountains for exploration, only to be slain by beasts. Now, in Green Cloud City, their meager assets — a house and an alchemist shop, collectively worth a mere twenty thousand spirit stones — were all that remained. It wasn't a small sum for an ordinary person, but for a true cultivator, it was barely pocket change.
The true problem, however, lay with Jin Su himself. He was only at the third Ki Refining level, a stage so low it was synonymous with weakness. Stepping outside the city walls was a death sentence, an invitation for stronger cultivators to prey on him. Fortunately, the city had a strict rule: no conflict allowed within its boundaries. So, for now, Jin Su was safe, confined to a golden cage.
The City Lord, a powerful figure in the Foundation Stage, enforced this peace. Cultivation levels here progressed from Ki Refining (the weakest), to Foundation Stage (cultivators capable of forming influential families), and then to Golden Core (powerhouses who could establish entire sects). Beyond that, his knowledge from the cultivation novels of his past life suggested a possible Nascent Soul Stage, but he couldn't be certain if the power scaling was identical. On this vast Cloudy Mist Island, with its warring righteous and evil sects, the Golden Core powerhouses were considered the apex.
But none of that mattered to Jin Su. He was a weakling. Even the roughest, unaligned cultivators in this city could easily overpower him. These were individuals who, lacking the talent for righteous sects, either remained untamed or, worse, joined the evil sects. The latter were universally despised, notorious for their abhorrent use of human blood and souls in their vile cultivation methods, forcing them to operate in disguise.
With his pathetic cultivation roots, joining any sect was out of the question. For a fleeting moment, he'd even considered an evil sect, but the thought of being hunted relentlessly quickly extinguished that idea. He was just sitting there, existing, his wealth enough to subsist until his inevitable demise.
This wasn't the life he wanted. He yearned for strength, to stand above the Nine Heavens, to defy destiny. But the thought of his utterly pathetic cultivation talent, barely enough to reach the middle Ki Refining stage in his entire life, crushed his spirit. He had reached his limit. There was nothing more he could do.
It was at that precise moment, when despair threatened to swallow him whole, that a metallic voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Host found! System merging with host... Merging complete! System online, Host!"
Jin Su practically catapulted from his chair, his eyes wide with disbelief. A system! A cheat! This was it! He had read countless novels where time-travelers gained such advantages, but when he'd first arrived in this world, he'd found nothing. Now, finally, his cheat had come. Now, he too had a chance to reach the pinnacle of this world!
"Ding! The Multiverse System activated! You can get anything from different universes!"
"Ding! A Mythic Level Card has been rewarded to Host!"
"Ding! Random Attribute increased by five times!"
"Ding! Charm Attribute increased by five times!"
"Ding! Wine Refining Jar given to Host!"
Jin Su's initial elation warred with confusion as he processed the rewards. His mouth curled into a perplexed grimace. "A card? And Charm? A wine jar? What kind of items are these, System? Do you want me to be a lustful scoundrel or a wine addict?"
The System's emotionless voice replied, "This is a random attribute. Charm can easily attract the opposite gender. The Wine Refining Jar, if low-grade herbs are placed within, will produce low-grade spirit wine. The higher the grade of herbs, the higher the level of spirit wine produced."
"And the card," the System continued, "contains a random mythic-level character template. You have a high chance to draw a mythic level or higher-level character template."
Jin Su immediately navigated to his inventory. There, glowing faintly, was a red card. As he reached out and touched it, the card shimmered, cycling through countless fantastical characters. Finally, it settled, resolving into the image of a white, reptilian creature with a humanoid body and a long tail. Two distinct purple pearls adorned its head and chest.
Jin Su rubbed his eyes, blinked furiously, but the image remained unchanged. He stood in silence for a few seconds, then burst into roaring laughter, a joyous sound that echoed through the vast house. "What luck! A legendary character! Frieza!"
Details scrolled beneath the image:
Name: Frieza
World: Dragon Ball Series
Description: A powerful character capable of destroying planets, a powerful being in Universe 7.
A sudden thought sobered Jin Su. "Wait, if I change into that character's body, does that mean I'm not human anymore?"
The System quickly reassured him: "No, Host. Your body does not change. Only Host gains their power and skills."
Just then, the System's voice rang out again, more urgently this time.
"Ding! Frieza template merging with Host! Only 3 percent merged! Work hard, Host, to integrate this template!"
A colossal surge of power erupted within Jin Su, a raw, untamed energy unlike anything he had ever conceived. It was the ki of King Frieza, an extreme, suffocating force that threatened to tear his very being apart. The floor beneath his feet cracked and groaned, spiderwebbing outwards from his position. An invisible wave of power burst forth, rattling the very foundations of the house.
In that instant, Jin Su felt an almost invincible confidence. He could shatter mountains with his bare fists! And then, a startling lightness spread through his body. Without conscious effort, he found himself effortlessly floating in the air. It was a skill, a natural ability granted by Frieza's template. Even a mere 3 percent of this power was enough to blast mountains. Frieza truly was great!
Another chime from the System broke through his exhilaration.
"Ding! Daily Tasks: 10,000 push-ups, 10,000 sit-ups, and meditation for one hour. Rewards: 0.01 percent of template unlock."
A wide grin spread across Jin Su's face. "Alright, System! Now I have a mission to become even stronger!"
Without a moment's hesitation, he began his daunting tasks. With his current surge of physical prowess, he felt confident. In the city, or even venturing into the perilous forests, no threat could stand against him now. Perhaps, at this moment, he could even compare himself to a Golden Core cultivator. But that wasn't enough. He had to be stronger. Stronger and stronger still.
What's next for Jin Su?
Now that Jin Su has received this incredible power-up, what challenges or opportunities will arise in Green Cloud City, or beyond? How will he manage his newfound strength, and what will he do with the wine refining jar and charm attribute?