(AUTHOR'S NOTE: My first chapter. This is simply a garbage novel which will be used to test my writing. If there's any grammatical errors/ criticism you would like to share, the comments are always open, and I read them.)
Please enjoy.
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Chen Zi stared at the cold, glowing screen of his computer with the lifeless gaze of an overworked man. His fingers moved mechanically across the keyboard, typing out yet another pointless report that no one in upper management would read.
"Deadline," they said. "Urgent," they said.
He snorted. Urgent? The only thing urgent was the lunch menu in the cafeteria running out of dumplings.
"Why do I even bother?" he muttered, glancing at the clock. Midnight. Perfect. Another late night with no overtime pay.
Chen Zi leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. His life could be summed up in one word: tragic. No girlfriend, no promotions, and the landlord kept raising the rent. If there was a word to describe him, it was "mediocre." Not bad enough to pity, and not good enough to envy.
But tonight, something felt strange.
His apartment, usually filled with the comforting hum of city life, was eerily quiet. The air grew heavy, and a faint pressure pressed against his chest.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and his computer screen went black. A chill ran down his spine as a line of text appeared, glowing faintly in the darkness:
[Do you wish to begin a new life? Yes/No]
"What the hell?" Chen Zi blinked, certain he was hallucinating from sleep deprivation. He clicked the "X" in the corner of the screen, but the message didn't budge.
"I didn't install this!" he grumbled, slapping the keyboard. But the screen didn't respond.
With a sigh, he clicked "No," because, well, that's what any sane person would do.
[Too bad. Destiny has chosen for you.]
Before he could even react, the room spun. His vision blurred, and he felt like he was being sucked into a vacuum.
Then, darkness.
---
When Chen Zi woke up, the first thing he noticed was the smell. Gone was the odor of his apartment. The air was crisp, the scent of pine and earth filled his nostrils.
The second thing he noticed was the pain.
"Ow, ow, OW!" he groaned, clutching his forehead. "Did I fall off my chair? Or did I get hit by a truck? Oh no, am I in one of those isekai novels?"
A soft, mechanical voice echoed in his head, cutting through his thoughts.
[Welcome to the Divine Continent, Master.]
Chen Zi froze. "What... what was that?"
[System initializing... Binding to host... Complete.]
"Oh no," he muttered, his heart sinking. "It's worse than an isekai. I'm in a cultivation novel. A cheap one."
He opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on a patch of grass in the middle of a forest. The trees were massive, their trunks as thick as ancient pillars, their leaves glowing faintly with a mysterious energy.
Chen Zi scrambled to his feet, ignoring the throbs of his sore muscles. "Okay, okay, calm down. I just need to figure out what's going on. Maybe I hit my head and I'm in a dream. Yeah, that's it. Any second now, I'll wake up, and..."
A faint reflection caught his eye. He turned to see a small pond nearby.
What he saw made his jaw drop.
Instead of the usual face a guy would have upon reincarnating, a youthful face stared back at him, with sharp features, clear skin, and long black hair tied into a simple ponytail.
"Holy crap," he whispered, touching his face. "I've been upgraded!"
[You are now occupying the body of Chen Zi, former Leader of the Star Sect.]
"Leader of the what now?"
[Please refrain from unnecessary questions. Let me explain.]
The original Chen Zi, had once been a legendary cultivator, the founder of the mighty Star Sect. At his peak, he was revered as a supreme talent, his name spoken with awe and respect. But after a tragic injury and the shattering of his spirit roots, his cultivation was crippled, and his people turned against him. Ridiculed and abandoned, he eventually died in seclusion due to Qi Deviation.
"So let me get this straight," Chen Zi said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I've been thrown into the body of some guy who couldn't even survive his mid-life crisis?"
[Correct. Congratulations, Master.]
"Congratulations? For what?"
The system didn't respond, but Chen Zi could almost hear it rolling its eyes.
Chen Zi paused, "More importantly, what could've caused this guy to do such a thing?" He then looked around, "And aren't I in a horrible position now?"
"Well," he sighed, "at least I'm young and handsome now. That's good, right?" He straightened his robes, trying to feel some semblance of dignity.
[Master's bone age is currently 200.]
[New quest assigned: Reclaim your honor and rebuild the Star Sect.]
Chen Zi groaned. "200!? That's insane! And Reclaim my honor? Have you heard this guy's reputation? That's like trying to fill a shattered vase with water!"
[Failure to complete this quest will result in permanent erasure.]
His heart skipped a beat. "Permanent erasure? You mean... I'll die?!"
[Affirmative. Good luck, Master.]
Before he could protest further, a loud roar echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath his feet.
"What now?" Chen Zi muttered, spinning around.
A massive beast emerged from the ancient trees, its body covered in reptillian scales and its eyes glowing with a crimson light. It was easily twice his size, and the way it growled made it's plan to have Chen Zi for lunch was clear.
"Okay, calm down," he muttered, backing away. "I've read enough web novels to know how this goes. The protagonist always finds some hidden power or miraculous treasure at the last second..."
[Activating beginner's package.]
A screen appeared before him, displaying a single item:
[Rusty Sword – A weapon of questionable quality. Might break on impact.]
Chen Zi stared at the screen in disbelief. "That's it? A rusty sword? What kind of scam system are you?!"
The beast roared again, charging toward him.
Chen Zi grabbed the sword, which looked more like a flattened metal toothpick, and held it out in front of him. "Alright, big guy. Let's do this. But just so you know, I trained in karate for 2 weeks!"
As the beast lunged, Chen Zi swung the sword with all his might.
To his shock, the blade sliced clean through the beast's neck, its body chopped into 2.
He stared at the sword, then at the fallen beast, then back at the sword.
"Wait… what just happened?"
[Beginner's package includes a temporary power boost for the first combat encounter. You're welcome.]
Chen Zi dropped the sword and fell to his knees. "I don't want to fight," he muttered. "I just wanted to finish my report and go to bed..."
The system chimed cheerfully: [Welcome to the world of cultivation, Master. The path to greatness begins now.]
Chen Zi looked up at the sky and groaned. "Greatness? More like the path to an early grave…"