The transition into the Training Space was seamless, like stepping from one room into another, though this room felt strangely different. Ye Chen stood in the center of a vast, circular space. The walls were made of rough-hewn grey stone, stretching upwards into a dimly lit ceiling, the source of the light seemingly non-existent. The floor was packed dirt, cool and firm beneath his bare feet. The space was empty save for a single, worn wooden training dummy positioned a few meters away. It felt ancient, imbued with the echoes of countless strikes and countless hours of practice.
*This is... simple,* Ye Chen thought, his gaze sweeping across the minimalist environment. It was as if the space was designed solely for training, a blank canvas for his progress. He focused his mind, remembering how the system explained that he could access the Training Space mentally. A thought was all it took, and the semi-transparent panel of the Proficiency System reappeared in front of his eyes. He saw the timer ticking up, and a line saying "Time Dilation: 2 Hours training time in Training space equal to 1 hour in reality".
"Okay, System," he began, his voice echoing softly in the silent room. "First things first, where exactly am I? In this world, I mean."
**[Host's current location is the continent of Azurae, Great Xia Kingdom, Yan County, Qinli Town.]**
Ye Chen's eyebrows furrowed. *Azurae? Great Xia? I've never heard of these places.* The names sounded vaguely familiar, like something from the wuxia novels he had once read for entertainment. "Great Xia Kingdom... is that a big place?"
**[The Great Xia Kingdom is one of the larger kingdoms on the continent. Yan County is a relatively remote area, and Qinli Town is a small, unremarkable settlement within the county.]**
*So, I'm in the sticks,* he thought, feeling a sense of isolation. This new world was already proving to be a far cry from his comfortable existence on Earth. "Alright, so what can I do in this Training Space? What is the point of it all?"
**[The Training Space is designed to aid the Host in mastering skills and cultivating strength. Host can train any physical skill, and, in the future, cultivate the martial energies prevalent in this world. The time dilation will allow host to train more effectively.]**
"Martial energies?" Ye Chen repeated, his mind racing. "And cultivate? Is this a martial arts world? Like those wuxia novels I used to read?"
**[Correct. This is a world where strength and cultivation of inner energy determines one's power. This world is similar to Wuxia/Xianxia novels from your previous life.]**
A surge of excitement shot through him. *So, it wasn't just a random dream. This is actually happening,* he thought. The idea of cultivating, of gaining real power, was something he could never have imagined just hours ago, but now it was right in front of him. *But...where do I even begin?* he glanced at the wooden dummy. *I don't even know how to throw a proper punch*. He had been a desk worker all his life, his physical activity limited to walking to the office and taking the stairs.
He then began to think internally *Okay, so, I have a training space where I can train more, but what to train? System did say that I have no skills, so basically I am a novice... I can start from basic physical excercises for now, until the system give some indication on what I need to train.*
A new thought struck him, "System, what happens to my body in the real world while I'm here?"
**[Host's physical body remains in a meditative state, akin to a deep sleep. Time will progress at its normal rate, but the host will not be aware. Host will be brought back to the body once training space is exited.]**
*Meditative state? That's actually pretty convenient*, he thought, feeling slightly relieved. The system seemed to have thought of everything. "Alright then," he declared, a new sense of determination settling over him. "Let's get started." He looked at the wooden dummy again, imagining it as one of the office spreadsheets he had dealt with for so long.
The first step was simple. Push-ups. He'd seen people do them countless times on TV. He got into position, his muscles protesting immediately. He went down and pushed himself up, his body trembling. *This is harder than I remember.* He only managed a few before collapsing onto the dirt floor, panting for breath.
He lay there for a moment, catching his breath. *Okay, that was embarrassing*. Still, he pushed himself up again, a new resolve filling him. He wouldn't be a weakling in this world. This wasn't just about surviving; it was about thriving. The system had given him a chance, and he wouldn't waste it.
Ye Chen began to push himself to the limits, every rep, every push up, every lunge with all of his strenght and focus. As he did so, a strange feeling overcame him, a sense of focus that seemed to banish the tiredness for the moment. He wasn't in an office anymore; he was in the Training Space, on a path that had suddenly opened to him. It was going to be a long road, but he was ready. The hum of fluorescent lights was gone, replaced by a quiet determination that echoed in the empty training space. He had finally stepped into a world where his efforts might actually mean something.