Chapter 1
Bob didn’t have much going for him.
At 23, his life felt like a dead-end road. He worked the night shift at a gas station, stocking shelves and dealing with drunks for minimum wage. His friends had drifted away, his family barely called, and worst of all—his girlfriend of five years, the one he’d planned to marry, had just left him. She said he had no ambition. That he was wasting his life.
She wasn’t wrong.
Now, on his rare day off, he sat in front of his computer, mindlessly clicking away at a game he barely enjoyed. Hours passed in a haze of flashing screens and cheap energy drinks. He wondered what the point of it all was. The thought had been creeping into his mind more and more lately—maybe it would be easier to just… end it all.
But even that felt like too much effort.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes as the glow of the monitor cast long shadows in his dimly lit apartment. He wanted to believe there was something more out there, something waiting for him beyond the monotony of his existence.
But what?
Bob exhaled sharply and pushed himself away from the desk. His apartment was a mess—empty takeout containers, unwashed clothes, and the faint smell of stale smoke lingering in the air. He needed to clear his head.
Grabbing his jacket, he fished a crumpled pack of cigarettes from the pocket and stepped outside. The night air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of traffic and the occasional siren. He lit a cigarette with shaky fingers, inhaling deeply as the nicotine burned his lungs.
He walked aimlessly, his breath visible in the cold. His mind drifted. Was this really it? Was this all life had to offer—long hours at a dead-end job, loneliness, and the slow decay of forgotten dreams? Maybe his ex was right. Maybe he was going nowhere.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed the city around him—the neon lights of a nearby diner, the muffled chatter of strangers passing by. He didn’t even register the blaring horn until it was too late.
A bright pair of headlights filled his vision.
The impact was instant.
Pain bloomed for a fleeting second before everything went dark.
—-
Bob gasped, his lungs burning as if he'd been drowning. His eyes shot open, and he bolted upright, heart hammering against his ribs.
The first thing he noticed was the sky—not the dull, polluted gray he was used to, but a deep, endless blue, broken only by towering trees swaying gently in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled patterns on the mossy ground beneath him.
Panic clawed at his chest. He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over the uneven forest floor. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t the city. The last thing he remembered was—
The truck.
His breath came in shallow gasps as he looked down at himself. His clothes were the same: jeans, a hoodie, his jacket. Even the half-crushed pack of cigarettes was still in his pocket. But everything else… everything else was wrong.
He turned in circles, scanning the unfamiliar forest, his pulse pounding in his ears. No roads, no buildings, no signs of civilization. Just endless trees stretching in every direction.
Then, suddenly—
Ding!
A soft chime echoed in his head, followed by a floating blue screen appearing before his eyes.
---
[Welcome, Player!]
Initializing system…
Assigning starting parameters…
Generating beginner quest…
---
Bob blinked. His panic momentarily gave way to sheer disbelief.
“…What?”
More text appeared.
---
[New Quest: Survival of the Fittest]
Objective: Defeat a Wild Forest Wolf (0/1)
Reward: 500 EXP, Standard Body Refining Method
Failure: Death
---
Bob’s stomach twisted. Failure: Death? That didn’t sound like some harmless tutorial quest.
Before he could react, a shimmer of light flickered in front of him. In an instant, a simple iron sword materialized in his hand. The weight of it sent a jolt through his arm—it was real. Solid. Heavy.
A rustling sound made his blood run cold.
From the undergrowth, a low growl echoed through the forest. A wolf, its fur matted and eyes burning with hunger, stepped into view. It was larger than any wolf Bob had ever seen, its fangs bared as it locked onto him like prey.
Bob’s grip tightened on the sword. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He had no idea how to fight, no clue how to even hold the weapon properly. But there was no time to think.
The wolf lunged.
Bob barely threw himself aside, feeling the rush of air as its snapping jaws missed him by inches. He hit the ground hard, pain flaring in his side, but there was no time to dwell on it. The wolf recovered instantly, spinning around with terrifying speed, its claws tearing through the dirt as it prepared to pounce again.
Bob forced himself up and swung wildly, the blade slicing through empty air. The wolf was too fast. It darted to the side, then lunged again—this time, its fangs sank into his left arm.
Bob screamed. White-hot pain exploded through his body as the wolf’s jaws clamped down, shaking violently. Blood dripped onto the forest floor. His vision blurred from the pain, but panic overrode everything else.
Do something! Fight back!
With a desperate yell, he swung his sword downward. The blade bit into the wolf’s shoulder, cutting deep. The beast let out a pained yelp and released him, stumbling back with a snarl.
Bob staggered, clutching his bleeding arm. His breathing was ragged, his vision swimming, but the wolf wasn’t done. It crouched low, ready to strike again.
If I don’t kill it, I die.
That terrifying realization sent a surge of adrenaline through him. Gritting his teeth, he raised the sword and charged.
The wolf leaped at the same time.
Bob ducked low at the last second, thrusting his sword upward with all his strength. He felt the blade pierce through flesh, the impact rattling his arms. The wolf let out a strangled whine, its momentum carrying it forward—right onto the sword.
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For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then the wolf’s body went limp.
Bob collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. His entire body shook, his wounded arm throbbing with agony. Blood—his and the wolf’s—soaked into his clothes.
Then—
---
Quest Complete!
Reward: 500 EXP, Standard Body Refining Method Unlocked!
---
A strange warmth spread through his body, dulling the pain slightly, and another screen popped up.
---
[Standard Body Refining Method]
A foundational technique to strengthen the body beyond human limits.
Would you like to learn? [YES] [NO]
—
Bob stared at the screen before him, his heart still hammering in his chest. The quest had been completed, the wolf was dead, but his survival instinct was still running on overdrive. The pain from his arm was sharp-
He blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. A part of him wanted to scream, to panic—hell, he should be freaking out—but the part of him that had been numb to life for so long felt… strangely alive.
[Standard Body Refining Method]
A foundational technique to strengthen the body beyond human limits.
Would you like to learn? [YES] [NO]
The screen flashed again, the words flashing like an invitation.
It wasn’t like Bob had a choice. His only options were to either learn it or face whatever other nightmare this strange place might throw at him. But more than that, there was something compelling about it, a deep, instinctual pull.
He gritted his teeth, raised his good arm, and tapped [YES].
[Standard Body Refining Method Learned!]
Mortal — Body Strengthening in Progress.
Time remaining: 1 hour.
Suddenly, a strange, tingling sensation started to spread from the core of his chest, radiating outward through his limbs. It was like a fire, slow at first, but then building, intensifying until it felt like his entire body was on the verge of bursting into flame.
He gasped, staggering as the sensations began to shift, from heat to cold, from pressure to lightness. His muscles twitched uncontrollably as if his body was being forcibly remade from the inside out.
It was agony.
Bob clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stand tall despite the discomfort. For the first time in a long while, he felt something other than emptiness.
Something was happening to him. Something bigger than himself. This was his chance—this was his shot at a life he never thought was possible. And no matter how much it hurt, he wasn’t going to back down now.
The pain peaked, and then—suddenly—it was gone. The fire in his body had been replaced with a deep, resonating power, calm but undeniable.
[Body Strengthening Realm Successfully Entered!]
You have successfully begun the path of cultivation.
New Quest: Training in the Basics
Objective: Enter the Flesh Training Stage of Body Strengthening.
Reward: 500 Exp, Basic Swordsmanship Skill
Bob stared at the new quest screen, the word “cultivation” echoing in his mind. Cultivation. Was he really on a path to power? Could he actually become someone… different?
He flexed his hand, the one that had been bitten by the wolf. His skin had healed over, and the pain was gone. His muscles felt… stronger. Sharper. He could feel it, the energy in the air, almost as if the forest itself was alive with it, pulsing with potential.
Bob exhaled slowly, his mind racing. This was crazy. But it was happening.
He looked at the sword still clutched in his hand, the weight of it suddenly feeling right. It was time to face whatever came next. There was no going back now.
All of his heroic thoughts were suddenly put to a stop, when a scent so atrocious it could probably break stone assaulted his nostrils.
Bob looked down at his clothes and immediately regretted it.
His hoodie and jeans had darkened several shades, soaked through with some unholy mixture of sweat, oil, and filth. A thick, cloying stench rose from him, and the moment it hit his nose, he gagged. He stumbled back, nearly tripping over a tree root as he reeled from the sheer intensity of the smell.
"What the hell—?!" he coughed, frantically rubbing at his arms. A layer of grime, built up over years of cheap cigarettes, junk food, and sheer neglect, now coated his skin like a second layer. His pores had purged every toxin, every ounce of filth, and the result was horrifying.
"Ugh, this is disgusting!" Bob groaned, shuddering at the greasy texture clinging to him. He could handle getting dropped into a strange new world, maybe even fighting a giant wolf to the death—but this? This was beyond cruel.
He pinched his nose, trying to breathe through his mouth, but even that didn’t help. The stink was suffocating. If nothing else, maybe it would keep predators away. What kind of creature would want to eat something this vile? He was practically a walking biohazard.
Ding!
[New Quest: Purification]
Objective: Clean your body in fresh water.
Reward: Beginner’s Attire (Basic Clothing Set)
Bob narrowed his eyes at the glowing blue screen floating in front of him. "A quest… just to take a bath?" He groaned, but his disgust quickly overruled his skepticism. If it meant getting rid of this awful stench and these ruined clothes, he wasn’t about to argue.
A soft shimmer appeared before him, and a translucent blue arrow materialized, pointing off to the right. Bob hesitated, weighing his options. Wandering aimlessly seemed like a great way to die, and at least this gave him a direction to follow. He let out a resigned sigh and started walking.
The forest was eerily quiet as he moved, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves beneath his feet and the occasional rustling of unseen creatures in the distance. He kept a tight grip on his sword, half-expecting another monster to leap out at him at any moment.
After about ten minutes of trekking through the dense undergrowth, the sound of gently flowing water reached his ears. Pushing through the last of the foliage, he stepped into a clearing—and there it was.
A lake.
Its waters glistened under the sunlight, clear and inviting. A few large rocks jutted out near the edge, and a small waterfall cascaded down from a cluster of boulders, feeding the lake with a steady stream of fresh water. The sight was almost too perfect, like something out of a fantasy painting.
Bob didn’t hesitate. Dropping his sword on the grass, he peeled off his disgusting clothes, holding them at arm’s length like they were hazardous waste. He tossed them aside, grimacing at the way they practically stuck together from sheer filth. Then, bracing himself, he waded into the water.
The moment the cool liquid touched his skin, relief flooded through him. The grime that had coated his body began to dissolve, swirling away in murky trails. He dunked his head under, scrubbing furiously at his hair, his arms, every inch of himself until he finally felt… clean.
Ding!
[Quest Complete!]
Reward: Beginner’s Attire (Basic Clothing Set) has been added to your inventory.
Once he felt clean, Bob stepped out of the lake, shivering slightly as the breeze hit his damp skin. With a thought, he opened his newly discovered inventory. A small, translucent menu appeared before him, listing its contents. His ruined clothes sat there, and despite their sorry state, he stored them away. Something in him just wasn’t ready to part with them yet.
Next, he selected the newly acquired outfit.
A shimmer of light enveloped him, and in an instant, his attire changed. Gone were his tattered hoodie and jeans—replaced by a simple yet well-made robe, dark in color, accompanied by a sturdy pair of boots. The sight sent an uneasy shiver down his spine.
A robe and boots? This all but confirmed his suspicion—he had landed in a cultivation world.
Bob swallowed hard. He had read enough web novels to know what that meant. A world where strength ruled, where the weak were crushed underfoot, where life was often brutal and short unless you had power. And right now, he was about as weak as they came.
Still… wasn’t this kind of exciting?
Ding!
[New Quest: Seek Civilization]
Objective: Find signs of human habitation.
Reward: Access to food and shelter.
Bob’s stomach grumbled at the mention of food, but his excitement dimmed when he realized there was no glowing arrow to guide him this time. He was on his own.
His mind immediately went to the wolf he had killed earlier. If he was going to survive, he needed food. And meat was meat.
With renewed determination, he retraced his steps, moving carefully through the forest. The trees all looked the same, but thankfully, he had left enough of a trail to find his way back without too much trouble.
The wolf’s body was right where he had left it, already stiffening in death. He quickly stored it in his inventory, relieved to find that it fit without issue. With the body secured, he made his way back to the lake. Having a fresh water source nearby would be crucial for survival.
Bob sat down near the lake, taking a deep breath. He needed a plan.
He wasn’t strong enough to venture blindly into the forest. Not yet. But with the wolf’s meat and his access to clean water, he could at least ensure he wouldn’t starve. He had the tools to survive—now he just had to put in the effort to grow stronger.
For the first time, Bob felt something he hadn’t in years.
Purpose.
