Shunya sat still for a while.
There was no floor, no ceiling, no sky. Just white. Everywhere. Infinite white.
He wiggled his toes. No ground, yet he wasn't falling.
"…Am I dead?"
His voice echoed slightly, but there was nothing to answer him. He looked down at himself. Still wearing the same hoodie and jeans from this morning. His phone was still in his pocket too, though the screen was completely blank. Not even the time showed up.
He sighed, flopping backward.
"I just wanted to get a contract…"
Six rejections. Six full novels. All of them rejected by Webnovel. No explanation, no feedback—just a simple, cold message: "Not approved for contract at this time."
He remembered sitting in his room, refreshing the app like a fool. Just once, he thought. Just once, let them say yes. But when the sixth rejection came, something inside him broke a little.
That's when the portal appeared.
He thought it was a visual bug. A glowing oval that shimmered in the air near his desk. But when he reached out to touch it—
Boom.
Gone.
Now, he was here. Stuck in this empty space that didn't even have a name.
"Maybe this is the author's abandoned draft folder," he mumbled to himself.
That made him laugh a little. Not a big laugh. Just a sad chuckle.
Then—
DING!
A sound rang in his ears. A digital chime, like a system notification in a game.
Floating text appeared in front of him:
---
System Booting… Please wait.
Status: 53% Functional.
Model: Narrative Integration Protocol v0.99
---
"…Huh?"
Shunya blinked. Then he blinked again. But the text was still there.
"What system…?"
Before he could say anything else, more pop-ups began flashing in and out like blinking lights.
---
[Notice] Divine Staff have gone AFK. Auto-pilot mode activated.
[Notice] God-level administrator is currently on lunch break.
[System AI online: Barely operational.]
Welcome, Host. You have been selected to participate in the 'Webnovel Multi-Genre Expansion Test Run'.
Please do not scream.
---
"…I wasn't going to scream."
Another pop-up appeared, this one looking more serious.
---
[Initializing New World Upload…]
Destination World: Cultivation Simulation Alpha (City: New Fornia)
Estimated Power Calibration: HARD Level
System Assistance Mode: Minimal Support Activated
---
"Wait, wait, wait, hold on—"
But he didn't have time to argue. The void began to twist, like paint swirling in water. Shunya felt something tug behind his navel, and before he could even process what was happening—
Whoooosh—
Everything vanished in a blink.
---
✦✦✦
The next thing he knew, he was lying on a patch of grass. Real, actual grass. Cool wind brushed against his skin. There was a blue sky above, tall buildings nearby, and people in long robes walking past, many of them carrying swords or strange glowing artifacts.
A huge sign stood in front of the main building nearby:
> National Cultivation Government Organization – New Fornia Branch
"…What the hell," Shunya whispered. "This is like a low-budget version of a Wuxia drama."
DING!
---
[Tutorial Incomplete. Please enjoy your new life. Good luck. Try not to die.]
---
"That's it? That's all I get?"
No reply.
He stood up slowly, brushing the grass off his pants. As he turned around, he noticed something else.
A girl stood nearby, looking confused. Her black robe had a few tears at the bottom, and her long blue hair was tied back messily. She looked tired, lonely even, as if she didn't really belong here.
Their eyes met.
"…You're new too?" she asked.
Shunya blinked. "Uh… sort of."
She tilted her head. "Did the portal grab you too?"
"…Yup."
They stood in awkward silence for a second.
"I'm Vikoria," she said finally.
"Shunya."
Another silence.
Then, unexpectedly, she gave a small smile. "You're not freaking out. Most people freak out."
"I've read too many novels to freak out," Shunya said, scratching his head. "Plus, I think I might be dreaming."
Vikoria laughed quietly. "It's not a dream. I thought that too when I got here three months ago."
"Oh. So… we're really stuck?"
"Yup."
Shunya sat back down on the grass. "Cool cool cool cool cool. Awesome. Amazing. Ten outta ten."
She sat beside him.
"You'll need to register soon," she said. "The NCGO doesn't like people wandering around without a badge."
"What happens if I don't?"
"They toss you in a side quest dungeon."
"…What?"
"Don't worry. Only 30% die."
"…Oh."
---
✦✦✦
A few hours later, Shunya found himself standing in front of a registration desk inside the NCGO building. The hall was grand, with glowing lanterns floating in the air and long scrolls pinned to the walls listing famous cultivators' names.
A bored-looking man with a goatee was flipping through papers behind the desk.
"Name?" he asked without looking up.
"Shunya."
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Newcomer?"
"Yup."
The man finally looked up. He raised an eyebrow. "System user?"
"…I think so?"
"Hold still."
A round crystal device floated up from behind the desk and began to spin around Shunya. After a few seconds, it made a loud beep.
---
[Scan Complete: Power Level — HARD]
---
The man gave him a surprised look.
"…You're one of the rare ones," he muttered. "Not many newcomers scan that high."
"I didn't do anything, though."
"You don't need to. The system auto-adjusts."
He handed Shunya a bronze badge with a glowing symbol.
"Welcome to New Fornia, cultivator. You're now eligible to take the entrance exam."
"Entrance exam?"
The man pointed to a large scroll behind him that read:
---
NCGO Cultivator Entry Exam
Written Test: Basic theory of cultivation
Combat Test: Live duel with training opponent
Survival Test: Hunt a Normal-grade beast in the wild
---
"Wait, hold on, what if I don't know how to fight?" Shunya asked, panic rising.
"Your system will handle it," the man said with a yawn. "Probably."
"…Probably?"
"You'll be fine. Or not. Depends."
Shunya looked at Vikoria, who had been quietly watching nearby.
"You'll be fine," she said softly. "If you mess up, I'll come rescue you."
Shunya blinked.
"…Thanks?"
She smiled and gave him a small nod.
---
[DING!]
---
[Quest Updated: Pass NCGO Entry Exam.]
[Reward: System Stabilization Progress +10%, Basic Combat Pack Unlocked.]
[Warning: Failure may result in forced teleportation to Side Quest Dungeon.]
---
"Side quests," Shunya muttered. "Why did it have to be side quests…"