When Aren opened his eyes, he was greeted by the scent of old scrolls, polished sandalwood, and… burning incense?
That wasn't right.
His head throbbed. The last thing he remembered was sleeping off a street vendor's questionable fish soup. Now, he was lying on a hard bamboo bed in a small wooden room, dressed in plain blue robes. His sleeves were embroidered with a silver sword emblem.
Aren sat up, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where… am I?"
The door creaked open. A boy not much older than him poked his head in. "Hey! You're the new outer disciple, right? Your orientation's over, so if you haven't picked a cultivation technique yet, better get to the library. First come, first served, unless you want leftovers."
And just like that, the boy left.
"…Disciple?"
Aren scrambled to the doorway and looked out.
The mountain air was crisp and cool. Cloud-veiled peaks surrounded the sprawling sect grounds below. Sword-wielding disciples darted between training courts. Some rode flying swords. Others sparred in the distance, blades ringing like songbirds.
It hit him all at once—he had transmigrated.
He was now a disciple of a cultivation sect.
More specifically, the Sword Sect. A place he'd only heard of in stories, where geniuses flew on swords and split mountains by sneezing too hard.
"I should panic," Aren muttered. "I really should. But…"
He inhaled the clean mountain air.
"No more debt collectors. No more fish soup poisoning. Honestly? Not bad."
Still, one thing gnawed at him. If this was a fantasy world, he'd need a cheat. A golden finger. A system.
Ding!
A soft chime echoed in his head.
> Welcome to the Matchmaker System.
Find your destined cultivation path—through compatibility.
Matching cultivation technique…
Calculating affinity…
Aren blinked.
"Matchmaker system? Wait, is this for martial arts or marriages?"
> Clarification: This system analyzes your cultivation compatibility with martial arts, manuals, and techniques—matchmaking between you and your path to power.
Current spiritual root detected:
– Water (Mid Grade)
– Fire (Low Grade)
– Wood (Low Grade)
– Metal (Low Grade)
– Earth (Low Grade)
"Huh." Aren scratched his head. "So I've got all five elements… but only water is decent."
Still, a five-element spiritual root wasn't terrible. Even if four of them were duds.
> New Feature Unlocked:
Match Rate Display
When near cultivation techniques, this system displays a percentage value denoting affinity.
Aren stared at the prompt, then at the direction the boy from earlier had pointed—down the steps toward the library hall.
"Well then. Let's go see who I'm destined to marry—I mean, cultivate with."
The Library Pavilion stood at the foot of the central peak. A two-story structure with wide eaves and dragon-headed tiles, it smelled of old parchment and quiet wisdom.
Inside, rows of shelves curved into rings. Books and scrolls floated in midair, spinning gently around a glowing formation in the center.
Elder Chen, a wrinkled man with sleepy eyes and long eyebrows, sat behind a low desk. He didn't even glance up.
"Name."
"Aren," he replied.
"New? Outer disciple?" Elder Chen yawned. "Go to the back. No sword arts for you. You're not even Foundation Realm. Stick to basic internal cultivation methods."
"Understood, Elder."
As Aren walked deeper into the library, floating books began displaying percentages above their covers.
> "Flame Heart Breathing Art – Match: 21%"
"Iron Ox Manual – Match: 17%"
"Green Wood Sutra – Match: 28%"
"Still Water Cultivation Song – Match: 64%"
"Whale Serpent Flow – Match: 73%"
"Lion Fish Art – Match: 87%"
"Whoa," Aren whispered.
Most books hovered around the twenties or thirties. A few hit the sixties. But one—Lion Fish Art—nearly touched ninety.
"That's gotta be the one."
He reached for the scroll. It floated to his hands as if responding to him.
Lion Fish Art – an aquatic-style internal technique based on the movements of the lion fish, combining graceful defensive postures with poisonous counterattacks. Originated from a now-extinct coastal sect.
Aren frowned.
"Poisonous defense? That's kind of weird. But hey, 87% is a match made in heaven."
The scroll sealed itself with a flash. A small paper tag attached itself to his robe—indicating he had claimed one technique.
Later, in his new quarters…
Aren sat cross-legged on his bed, holding the scroll.
The room was tiny—barely big enough for a bed, a bamboo table, and a dusty window. Outside, other outer disciples shouted as they trained, grunted, or argued about dinner duty.
Inside, Aren was deep in thought.
"So I'm not a sword prodigy. And I don't have some heaven-defying fire root. But I've got… a fish."
He unrolled the scroll again.
> "Lion Fish Art – Stage 1: Calm Current Breath"
Breathe in the manner of a still tide. Let Qi flow gently into your meridians. Resist all disturbance. If struck while breathing, release venomous backlash.
Aren blinked. "So this is a cultivation method and a self-defense art?"
He sat upright and tried to follow the instructions.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Like a quiet sea. Feel the tide in your belly.
Qi stirred faintly in his lower dantian.
"Wait, that's… working?"
Most beginners struggled to feel Qi for days, even weeks. But Aren felt it immediately. Like a bubble forming underwater. Gentle. Playful.
> Ding!
Passive Affinity Detected: Water-Based Breathing Techniques +10%
Match Rate Adjusted: 87% → 90%
He exhaled in surprise—and coughed.
A sharp tingling sensation raced across his skin for a moment. Like tiny needles dancing on his arms.
> Lion Fish Art Activated: Defensive Venom Layer – Inert Stage.
"Oh."
He grinned.
"I think I just became poisonous."
For the next hour, Aren practiced the Calm Current Breath, growing more attuned to the internal rhythm. His mind relaxed, his thoughts drifted.
Despite being in a completely unfamiliar world, surrounded by sword maniacs and cultivation lunatics…
He felt fine.
Actually—he felt good.
---
Just before sunset, Aren sat by the window, watching orange light flood the mountaintop. Disciples returned from training, some laughing, others dragging their feet.
He held the Lion Fish scroll in one hand and picked at a leftover rice bun with the other.
"Sword Sect, huh?" he muttered. "Guess I'll just coast along. If trouble comes, I'll play dead. If opportunity comes, I'll wave politely."
The system chimed again.
> Daily Compatibility Scan Complete.
Overall Cultivation Path Stability: 92%
Emotional Alignment: Lazy but Peaceful
Future Match Opportunities: Undetermined. Stay relaxed. System will alert.
Aren lay back on the bed.
He stretched out, arms behind his head, eyes drifting shut.
"Alright, System. You do the matchmaking. I'll do the napping."