Tim lingered in the void, motionless, staring at the glowing interface suspended before him.
His expression was a complicated mix of disbelief, fatigue, and reluctant curiosity; the look of someone who'd realized there was no "exit button" in this strange afterlife.
He exhaled slowly.
"All right, System… if I'm supposed to play apprentice merchant, I might as well learn the rules. Explain how you work."
[Opening main menu.]
The display rearranged itself in smooth, geometric precision.Five icons materialized, each radiating a soft, ethereal glow.
[Status]
[Inventory]
[Missions]
[Shop]
[Transfers]
[The Main Menu grants access to the System's essential functions.]
"Neat. Almost too convenient" Tim murmured, raising an eyebrow.He tapped Inventory.
[Inventory: personal inter-dimensional storage.Current capacity: 10 slots.Expansion available through upgrades or purchase.]
Ten empty squares appeared in perfect alignment. He tried tapping one, nothing happened, of course "Figures" he muttered "No freebies."
"Okay. Straightforward enough. What about the shop? What can I actually buy?"
[Shop opened.]
A new list scrolled into existence, icons fading in one by one:
[Stale Bread ( low quality ) — 1 Gold Coin][Grey Cloak ( ordinary ) — 3 Gold Coins][Copper Sword ( low damage ) — 15 Gold Coins][Basic Recovery Pill — 10 Gold Coins]
Tim tilted his head. "This looks less like a shop and more like a medieval flea market."
[Higher-tier items unlock as the Host's reputation and progress increase.]
"Of course they do. Gotta earn the good stuff," he grumbled, scrolling through the endless list.Each entry had a concise description and clean formatting—some UI designer out there deserved a raise.
"And I suppose these coins don't just rain from the heavens?"
[Gold acquisition methods: completing missions, successful trades, profitable arbitrage, exploration, and special events.]
He opened the Missions tab.
[Loading mission list…]
Lines of text appeared, crisp and tempting:
[Initiation Mission: Sell one item to an inhabitant of the Cultivation World — Reward: 20 Gold Coins][Side Mission: Purchase a rare item below market value — Reward: 30 Gold Coins][Special Mission: Establish a trade contract — Reward: 50 Gold Coins + Reputation Bonus][Daily Mission: Open your inventory — Reward: 1 Gold Coin]
He stared at the last line for a long second, blinking.
"…You're telling me I get paid just for clicking on an icon?"
[Reward limited to the first daily activation. Objective: develop merchant reflexes.]
"Merchant reflexes? So basically an advent-calendar for capitalists?"
[Host motivation: stable.]
Tim rubbed his face. Even in death, he'd ended up in a tutorial. Only this time, there was no rage-quit option.
He switched to Status, scanning the text more carefully:
[Name: Tim Thomas][Age: 22][Occupation: Merchant][Cultivation Level: Yin Yong][Capital: 500 Gold Coins][Skills: None][Inter-World Reputation: 0]
"No base skills? Not even a little '+5 to haggling' bonus?"
[Skills must be acquired through experience or purchased in the Shop.]
"So I still have to grind in the afterlife."
[Progression is the key to success.]
He drew a deep, unnecessary breath and reopened the main menu "Fine, System. Where exactly are you sending me?"
[Loading assigned world data…][Name: Yuanliao][Type: Cultivation World — Low Technology — Spiritual Dominance][Population: Mostly Human — Presence of Spiritual Races][Dominant Sects: 128 Major — 4,700 Minor][Overall Security: Unstable][Development Level: Feudal-Spiritual][Threat Level: Medium to High]
Tim froze
"Wait, you're sending me to a medieval world full of martial-arts cultists… and I'm supposed to sell them stuff?"
[Commerce is one of the most lucrative activities in cultivation worlds. Rarity creates value.]
"Fantastic. My best product line is stale bread and budget pills."
He scrolled to Transfers, curious.
[Inter-World Transfers]
[Temporary Return to Origin World — Cost: 500 Gold Coins per trip]
[Portal Creation (Limited) Personal Portal ( 1 person ) — 2,000 Gold Coins Intermediate Portal ( up to 3 people ) — 5,000 Gold Coins Superior Portal ( up to 10 people ) — 20,000 Gold Coins ]
"So I can go back to Earth," he whispered, "and I'm guessing permanent portals cost a limb and half a soul."
[Portals allow stable inter-world trade routes. Recommended for high-yield merchants.]
He scratched his jaw "Meaning that someday… I could open a permanent trade route between worlds."
[Recommended long-term objective.]
The thought lit a spark behind his eyes.Trade across realities. Unlimited markets. Unlimited profit.Maybe death wasn't such a bad career move after all.
"All right. I've seen the menu, the prices, the fine print. What comes next?"
[Deployment imminent.]
A countdown appeared: 00:00:30
[Preparing transfer to Yuanliao. Atmospheric and physiological parameters adjusted.]
[Issuing Starter Pack.]
A small burlap sack appeared in his inventory. He opened it.
[Starter Pack Contents• 1 Traveler's Cloak• 5 Stale Breads• 1 Water Gourd• 1 Basic Recovery Pill ]
Tim laughed aloud "Even Isekai Airlines gives better welcome kits."
00:00:10.The air around him vibrated, energy rippling outward. A faint light bloomed under his feet, weaving into a teleportation circle.00:00:05.The ground solidified, cold, solid, real.00:00:03.Wind brushed against his face, carrying the scent of damp earth and wild grass.00:00:01."Merchant, huh? All right. Time to show them how business is done."
[Transfer Activated.]
Light engulfed him.
The void imploded.
A deafening hum, pressure crushing every atom of his body, as if he were forced through the skin of reality, and then, silence.
Tim hit the ground on his knees, coughing dust.When he looked up, his breath caught.
A vast sky arched above him, bright, endless, impossibly clear.The air hummed with energy, crisp and alive.In the distance, jagged mountains clawed at the horizon, their peaks sharp as blades.No skyscrapers, no highways, no noise of engines.Just wind, earth, and a wild beauty that felt far too real to be simulation.
"…Yeah. Definitely not Earth."
[Welcome to the world of Yuanliao.]
[Transfer successful. Current location: Eastern Free Sector, Qingyi Province.]
He stood, brushing the red dust from his cloak, a coarse, dull piece of fabric far too large for him, yet oddly comforting.All around stretched open plains dotted with strange rocks and tall golden grass. No movement. No voices.
"You couldn't drop me in a city? Somewhere with people? Maybe a market?"
[Safe spawn location: optimal choice for low-level users.]
"Of course" he sighed "Spawn in the middle of nowhere. Classic."
He summoned his inventory with a thought; the interface answered instantly. At least he was getting used to this telepathic shortcut.He slung the traveler's cloak over his shoulders, tightened the strap of the gourd at his belt, and tried to sound decisive.
"Rule number one: don't die on the first day. Rule number two: sell something before rule number one fails."
[Recommendation: Establish basic knowledge of the local world.]
"You're going to help with that, right?"
[Affirmative. Loading cultural data of Yuanliao.]
A new window expanded before him. He sat down on a nearby rock, ready for another download.
[World Profile — Yuanliao• Type: Spiritual Cultivation World• Technological Access: None (no electricity, no machines)• Political Structure: Feudal Spiritual Hierarchy — the strong rule the weak• Power System: absorption and control of spiritual energy (Qi)• Sects: institutions that train, protect… and dominate• Currency: Copper, Silver, Gold Coins• Language: Universal (adjusted automatically by the System) ]
Tim nodded
"Yeah, that's about what I expected when you mentioned 'cultivation'."
The System ignored him and continued.
[Power Hierarchy Overview]
• Breath Resonance — basic level, Qi perception• Circulation — activation of meridians• Consolidation — formation of the spiritual core• Soul Awakening — external spiritual sensing• Divine Radiance — elemental dominion• Spirit Lord — partial transcendence
[Each stage contains sub-levels: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Perfect.]
He narrowed his eyes at the chart. The terminology was dense, but the logic simple: cultivate more, get stronger, and infinitely more dangerous.
"And where do I fit in all this?"
[Yin Yong Level is approximately equivalent to Divine Radiance in this world.]
He blinked, then let out a slow, incredulous laugh that grew into manic cackling.
"So I'm basically one of the strongest people alive? Nobody can stop me !"
[Reminder: despite high energy levels, the Host possesses no knowledge of techniques or martial arts.]
His laughter died immediately
"…You just had to ruin it, didn't you."
[Status: High Potential — Zero Control. Provocation is strongly discouraged.]
"Fine, fine. Low profile it is. I'll be a humble merchant, selling stale bread and dreams."
The wind shifted. The grass hissed softly, and for a moment the world felt alive around him, ancient, waiting.
He scanned the horizon again, half expecting a wandering swordsman to leap out and demand his "spiritual core" as tribute.
Instead, the only sound was a faint, crystalline chime that drifted through the air—three bright notes that didn't belong to any bird or breeze.A notification shimmered into view.
[Initiation Mission updated: Sell an item to an inhabitant of Yuanliao.]
[Hint: Human presence detected — distance 1.2 km north-east.]
Tim rose, tightened the cloak's clasp, and couldn't help but grin
"All right, Yuanliao… let's make a deal."
He started walking toward the hills, each step pressing faint footprints into this brand-new world, his new marketplace.