"Uhhhh, so bright."
I blinked slowly as my eyes adjusted to the sunlight pouring through the window. The soft hum of distant voices drifted in, though the room itself was still unfamiliar. I groaned, my body stiff and sore. But somehow, I wasn't dead. Small victories.
I pushed myself off the surprisingly comfortable bed, ignoring the groan of protest from my limbs. My head felt like it had been run over by a truck, but hey, at least I wasn't lying in a forest being mauled by a giant beast.
The room around me was simple, almost spartan—wooden floors, bare walls, and two beds parallel to each other, with a window letting in the harsh morning light. It reminded me of those taverns you see in anime. There was a small dresser, and across from it, a mirror.
Stumbling to my feet, I shuffled toward the mirror, more out of curiosity than anything. What I saw in the reflection was… not me. Not the me I remembered.
My hair was jet black, gleaming like polished obsidian. My face was sharper, more defined, like I had been sculpted by an overly enthusiastic artist. My skin had a healthy glow, and my blue eyes—wait, blue?—stood out in a way that made me do a double-take. It wasn't just the color; they seemed to have an almost unnatural intensity, like they could pierce through steel if I stared hard enough.
"System… What the hell happened?"
The host's appearance has been altered as a gift from the beginner's package. Your appearance now reflects your subconscious desire and what the system finds aesthetically pleasing.
"Hmmm, too attractive, don't you think? Now I'll draw too much attention wherever I go… But at least I'm handsome. Dream achieved."
Your height has also been adjusted to 184 centimeters, and your dic——
"STOP! I get it, I get it!"
Before I could cringe any further, the door swung open with a loud bam, and in walked Kael. He was the same guy who had saved me from the beast—a tall figure with crimson-red eyes that glowed faintly even in the sunlight. His presence screamed "danger" but in the most effortless way possible.
"Finally awake, huh?" Kael said, eyeing me up and down, his tone dry. "Took you long enough."
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Yeah, thanks for that. I'm alive because of you, I assume?"
Kael sighed dramatically, leaning against the doorframe. "You could say that. But do you know how much trouble I went through? Your eyes and mine… they draw way too much attention."
I blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Your eyes," Kael said, his crimson gaze locking with mine. "Don't you know? Only royalty have colored eyes. The rest of the world—peasants, commoners—they all have brown eyes. The fact that you've got blue eyes and I've got red… Let's just say it makes us a target. Especially in places like this."
I was still processing when Kael suddenly added, "And don't even get me started on how all the girls have been staring at you."
"What?" My confusion deepened. "What do you mean?"
Kael rolled his eyes. "You're not just some average-looking guy anymore, it's been a nightmare trying to keep us under the radar when every girl within a mile radius was giving us those crazy looks. It was like traveling with a walking attraction."
He sighed again, shaking his head. "And it didn't help that I'm already used to that kind of attention. My crimson eyes… well, they make things difficult enough. But two royals wandering around together? It was chaos."
I turned back to the mirror, taking a long look at my bright blue eyes. Royalty? Me? That was….. rich.
"So… you're royalty, right?" I asked, trying to piece it together.
Kael shrugged, nonchalant. "Something like that. But that's a story for another time, now let's get to the important part, Who exactly are you, anyway? And what the hell were you doing in that forest?"
I hesitated for a moment, but then I remembered: I didn't have to pretend. "Honestly? I don't know. One minute I'm somewhere else, the next I'm here. And I have no idea what this place is. Explain it to me like I'm ten years old."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly, looking suspiciously at me, though his lips curled into a smirk. "You really are clueless, huh?"
I crossed my arms defensively. "Is it that obvious?"
He stared, then gestured for me to sit. "Alright, listen up, I'll break it down for you."
"First, let's talk about cultivation."
I nodded slowly, trying to absorb what he was saying. "Cultivation… like martial arts, right?"
Kael gave a small smirk. "It's far more than just martial arts. Cultivation is about surpassing the limits of the human body and mind, reaching realms that ordinary people can't even comprehend, and defying the heavens. The stronger you become, the higher the realm you can ascend to."
"Realms?" I interrupted. "What do you mean by that?"
He turned to face me fully. "Cultivation is broken into stages, or realms. Most people never get past the first few, but those who do can wield unimaginable power. The mortal world's realms are: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Soul Formation, Nascent Soul, Incarnation, Nirvana, and Mahayana."
I felt my brain overload. "Wait, wait, slow down. That's… a lot."
Kael sighed. "I did say it was complicated. The point is, you're somewhere near the bottom right now. But if you want to survive in this world, you'll have to start cultivating, or you won't last long. That forest you were in? It's only a small part of this world. The real danger is beyond that."
I leaned back, trying to process all of this. And I'm just supposed to… what, start climbing these realms? I don't even know the first thing about cultivation.
"Okay, I'm following so far," I said, my head spinning. "Now let's talk about where we are and how big is this world exactly? I'll ask questions at the end."
Kael's eyes gleamed with something close to amusement. "Bigger than you could possibly imagine. We're on the Southern Continent right now, which is one of the five great continents. Each one has its own unique characteristics."
He walked over to the window, looking out as if gathering his thoughts. "The Central Continent is the strongest—home to the most powerful sects, empires, and cultivators. The Northern Continent is a frozen wasteland, blanketed in perpetual ice and snow, where only the toughest warriors can survive the merciless storms. Legends say that the warriors there can freeze their opponents with a single glare."
I nodded, trying to take it all in.
"The Western Continent," Kael continued, "is ruled by beasts. No humans there—just monsters, wild creatures, and beast cultivators. It's chaos, pure and simple. Then there's the Eastern Continent—a vast desert, the weakest of the lot. And finally, there's the Southern Continent, where we are now. Lush forests, ancient secrets, but not as powerful as the others."
He paused, watching me to see if I was keeping up. I nodded for him to continue.
"Each continent has its own strengths, but the Central Continent… that's where the real power is. If you're going to survive here, you'll need to get strong. Really strong."
I stared at him, my mind racing. This world was even bigger and more dangerous than I thought.
"So… what about the forest?" I asked. "Is it normal for beasts like that to show up?"
Kael shook his head. "Not normal. The forest you were in was on the outskirts of the Southern Continent, but it's still dangerous, especially with the 100-year beast wave going on."
I groaned. Of course there would be something like that. "Great. Just great."
Kael smirked. "You have no idea."
He crossed his arms, his expression growing serious for the first time. "Listen, Michael. You said you don't know much about this world, right? And it's obvious you haven't cultivated yet. That puts you at a serious disadvantage."
Kael stared intently. "You have potential, I can tell, but potential without cultivation is useless. Luckily for you, the enrollment for the sect I'm a part of is happening soon—in two days. It only happens every 15 years, and it's your best shot at starting your path."
"Enrollment?" I tilted my head, trying to grasp what that entailed.
Kael explained, "It's a simple test. They measure your cultivation talent to see if you're worth taking in. The only rules? You have to be younger than 30, and your talent has to be high enough."
I exhaled sharply, trying to take it all in. "That's it? Just check my talent?"
Kael smirked. "That's all. If you pass, the sect will train you. And trust me, you're going to need all the training you can get. The world out there is brutal."
Two days remaining until the wish is available.