Chapter 1: A Shotgun, Darkness, and a New World
The final circle was closing in. 1v4. My teammates were dead, leaving me alone to clutch the game. My health bar flickered low, and my vest was nearly gone. The enemy squad had complete control of the zone.
And they were using a classic yet deadly tactic--running a vehicle in circles to bait me out.
A black UAZ roared around the battlefield, tires screeching against the dirt. If I made even a single move, they'd spot me, and it would be over.
But I wasn't some random player.
I pulled out three smoke grenades and tossed them in different directions. Thick white plumes erupted across the battlefield, covering multiple angles. To them, it would look like I was trying to escape.
The UAZ slowed. They hesitated.
That was my opening.
I lobbed a frag grenade at the vehicle's predicted path and immediately switched to my shotgun.
BOOM!
The explosion flipped the car, launching one of them into the air. His health plummeted to critical.
I didn't hesitate.
I dashed forward, raised my shotgun, and fired. BOOM! The airborne player never even touched the ground.
1v3.
The remaining three panicked. One fired blindly into the smokes. Another sprinted for cover--big mistake.
BOOM! Headshot.
1v2.
Footsteps. One flanking left. One circling right.
I closed my eyes for a split second, focusing. Breathe in. Read their movements.
The second I heard the left one shift positions--I slid, jumped, and fired.
BOOM!
He dropped instantly.
1v1.
The last guy threw a stun grenade. I shut my eyes, counted the timer, then dashed forward, firing purely on instinct. Point-blank. A single shot.
BOOM!
Game over.
"Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!"
The victory screen flashed in front of me, but I barely registered it. My fingers trembled slightly, the adrenaline still pumping through me. God, I loved this feeling.
The voice chat erupted.
"HOLY SHIT, AMAN, YOU'RE A GOD!"
"That 1v4 was INSANE!"
"Bro, teach me that movement!"
I grinned, leaning back in my chair. "Just practice more, noobs."
Laughter filled the call. We joked around for a few more minutes before I finally logged off.
"Alright, guys, I'm heading to training. Last session before bed."
I switched to the training ground mode, stretching my fingers. Just a few flicks, some reflex drills, maybe a bit of car tracing.
As the game started loading--
Everything went black.
My screen flickered, then my entire room was swallowed by darkness.
I frowned. Power cut?
We never had power cuts this late. My UPS should've kept the PC running for a while, but this was absolute darkness. No screen glow, no indicator lights. Just… nothing.
I sighed, standing up. "Where the hell is my phone?"
My hands groped blindly across my desk. Nothing. I took a step forward--
My foot caught on something.
THUD!
My forehead slammed against the ground. A sharp pain shot through my skull.
"Ugh… the hell…?"
My vision blurred. The darkness felt… deeper. Heavier. My thoughts started fading.
I felt my consciousness slip away.
---
I woke up to the sound of rustling leaves.
My head throbbed painfully. Why does my bed feel so damn hard?
I tried to move, but my limbs felt sluggish. The air smelled… different. Damp soil, burning oil, and the faint scent of something herbal.
My eyelids fluttered open.
Unfamiliar ceiling.
A sudden wave of memories surged through my mind.
I gasped, clutching my head.
Flashes of a life that wasn't mine--training in a sect, an elder finding me near a river as a baby, years of struggling as an inner disciple.
This… isn't my world.
For a long moment, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling.
Then, realization hit me.
I transmigrated.
Holy shit, I actually transmigrated.
I had read enough fantasy novels to know exactly what this meant. A new world. A new life. A damn good adventure.
A grin spread across my face.
"Well… this is gonna be fun."
—
I woke up with a pounding headache.
My body felt like trash. Every muscle ached, my chest felt empty, and my limbs were weak. Like I had just recovered from a high fever, but worse.
I tried moving my fingers. Slow. My legs? Heavy as hell.
What the hell happened to me?
Then the memories hit again.
An accident. A forest expedition gone wrong. My body--or rather, this body--had lost its Qi veins.
Meaning…
I was crippled.
For a second, I just stared at the ceiling, blankly.
"Bro, what kind of speedrun difficulty is this?" I muttered.
It was already bad enough that I transmigrated into a struggling sect, barely hanging on in the cultivation world.
But now I had to start from absolute zero?
…Yeah, nah. This was too much to process.
I sat up with great effort, rubbing my forehead. "When life feels overwhelming, do the OG walk-away strategy."
I had ADHD back on Earth. Whenever I got overwhelmed, I took a break, walked around, touched grass. That always helped clear my mind.
Well… no grass here. But there was a garden.
Might as well take a stroll.
---
As I walked through the garden, the fresh air did wonders. The trees rustled gently, and the faint scent of medicinal herbs filled the air.
Now that my mind wasn't panicking, I needed to strategize.
How does cultivation even work here?
Cultivation was divided into five major categories, each with multiple realms inside.
1. Qi Refinement (Foundation of Cultivation)
This was the entry-level stage, where a cultivator absorbed and refined Qi into their body. It had three levels:
Apprentice Realm – Learning to absorb Qi, refining it into the body.
Master Realm – Opening 108 meridians, creating true Qi circulation.
Great Master Realm – Awakening 7 Chakras, reaching the limit of the human vessel.
This was where most cultivators got stuck.
2. Core Formation (Building the Inner World)
Those who broke past Great Master Realm entered Core Formation, a stage of true evolution.
Four Guardians Realm – Refining organs to store and circulate Qi better.
Five Elements Realm – Gaining affinity with one or more elements to enhance techniques.
At this point, a cultivator was no longer just a "mortal."
3. Ascension (Becoming One with Reality)
Breaking past Core Formation, a cultivator started transcending human limits.
Six Dimension Realm – Gaining control over space, bending reality.
Seven Constellations Realm – Gaining mastery over matter, reshaping the world.
Eight Desolation Realm – Understanding and manipulating time itself.
Cultivators at this stage were walking disasters. A single battle between them could reshape mountains and rivers.
4. Heavenly Sovereign (The Path to Godhood)
At this level, cultivators were no longer bound by the mortal world.
Nine Heavens Realm – Breaking the mortal shell, touching divine energy.
Divine Transcendence Realm – Ascending beyond worldly limitations.
Void Prime Realm – Becoming a being that exists between reality and the void.
Peak of Perfection – The pinnacle of mortal cultivation. A step beyond this led to godhood.
5. Divine Realm (The Domain of Gods)
Only those who shattered mortality completely could enter this realm.
Ten Directions Realm – Mastering the flow of all Qi in existence.
Hundred Tribulations Realm – Enduring divine tribulations to reach immortality.
Thousand Gods Realm – Achieving true godhood, ruling over entire worlds.
At this stage, cultivators were no longer bound by physical form--they were conceptual beings, existing beyond mortal understanding.
---
As I turned a corner, I spotted her.
My… "Master."
She was standing near a cherry blossom tree, her white robes swaying gently in the breeze.
Tall, graceful, a cool and distant beauty. Her long black hair was tied in a simple yet elegant style, a few strands framing her sharp, delicate face.
She turned her gaze towards me, her eyes calm but piercing.
"You're finally awake."
I snapped out of my thoughts and did a small nod. "Yeah. Alive, at least."
She walked closer, her presence alone carrying a natural authority.
"Your body is still weak. Do not push yourself."
Her voice was smooth, composed--the typical master-disciple dynamic. A hint of concern, but mostly detached wisdom.
I should've felt grateful. Maybe a bit emotional. A normal disciple would feel deep respect, maybe even devotion.
But bro, I literally transmigrated yesterday.
I was just a guy from Earth. And this woman?
I was way too focused on her figure to feel any "master-disciple bond."
Her robes were modest but deceiving. The fabric hugged her frame just enough to reveal curves no cultivator should have.
"Aman?"
Shit. I snapped my gaze back to her face. Had I been staring?
I cleared my throat. "Yeah, uh… sorry. My head still hurts."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Good, she didn't catch that.
"Your condition is unfortunate," she continued. "But do not let despair cloud your mind. The path of cultivation is filled with obstacles."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah… obstacles."
Like trying not to look at my own master's body.
Goddamn, this new life was gonna be tough in more ways than one.
---
End of Chapter 1