Ethan was tired—more tired than he'd been in a very long time. His body felt clumsy and uncooperative, his limbs heavy and achy, his vision sometimes blurry from hours of dust and sweat. Yet, for the first time in years, he didn't allow the weariness to defeat him. He had fallen short of so many things on Earth—education, ambition, relationships, respect. But here, in a half-forgotten, half-ruined library, with broom in hand and the ghosts of a thousand stories swirling around him, he felt the faintest pulse of meaning.
This was not the world he'd grown up resenting. No nine-to-five grind, no cubicles, no predictable path from "good schools" to middling jobs to retirement at sixty. He was no longer trapped by the dull, mechanical life he'd always felt was designed for someone else. Earth felt a million miles away. There, he had been called all sorts of names—lazy, disappointment, mediocre, loser, "Fool." Even his greatest victory—world #1 in the MMORPG Ascension—felt hollow, a digital crown for a king of nothing.
But the rules had changed. A miracle, a cosmic joke, or perhaps a god's whim had answered his longing. In this world of spirit and sword, cultivation and possibility, he was no longer bound by expectations or disappointments written by others. His heart swelled, even as his muscles trembled.
He paused to check his quest status, letting the System's holographic overlay hover in his vision:
Quest Name: A True Librarian
Quest Rank: F
Description: Since the attack on the Academy 200 years ago, the Library was closed. Due to the fall in quality of the students and staff, the Library was unused and shut away.
Mission: Perform the duty of a Librarian. Clean the entire Library and make it look beautiful.
Completion Rate: 53%
"Ten hours…" Ethan muttered. Ten hours since he had started, and his completion bar had just ticked over halfway.
Was every quest in a cultivation world this demanding?
His back ached. His legs burned. Sweat clung to every fold of his body. His hands bore tiny nicks and stinging blisters from the hours of scrubbing. If this was the first step toward self-improvement, then it definitely began with suffering.
His body screamed for rest, but he resisted the urge to rush through for the sake of finishing. Stories in Chinese novels recounted how true cultivation required patience, how a restless heart could block a breakthrough at the most critical moment. He didn't want to collapse just before finishing, nor did he want to start his new path by cutting corners.
With that in mind, Ethan lay down among the dust motes and musty air and allowed himself a five-hour nap, the sleep of complete and honest exhaustion. By the time he woke up, he was still tired, but it was the clean, hungry feeling of a body that had done real work. His stomach rumbled. Even his mind felt a little clearer, despite the urge to devour anything edible within reach.
He ignored his hunger, reminding himself that a reward was imminent—that as soon as he finished, he'd finally get a tangible power-up. That thought alone was enough to steady his resolve.
He grabbed the broom again, and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of faded parchment, ancient ink, and fresh determination. Each sweep across another shelf or table now felt more purposeful, more connected. Sometimes, as he painstakingly cleaned a stack of books, the System would chime in unexpectedly.
Discovered A Skill Manual
Manual Name: Nimble Footsteps
Description: A movement technique that helps the user walk or run more quickly than their usual pace. Do you want to learn?
For a moment, Ethan's eyes went wide. It was as if every fantasy novel he'd ever read, every video game he'd ever played, had come true at once. He'd imagined stumbling across hidden treasures and secret abilities—he just never thought he would do it while scrubbing mold off half-rotten bindings.
Discovered a Fist Technique Manual
Manual Name: Raging Fist
Description: Manipulate internal strength to your fist with explosive power for devastating attacks. Do you want to learn?
Discovered a Breathing Manual
Manual Name: Organs Strengthening Breathing Technique
Description: Gather spiritual energy into your organs to strengthen your body and boost cultivation. Do you want to learn?
Every time he hesitantly said "Yes," hope rising in his chest, the System quickly squashed it:
Learning process failed
User does not have enough Skill Points to learn.
Does user want to save the file in the System Database?
"Save it," Ethan grumbled, frustration giving way to resignation. Each discovery felt like a small treasure within reach, yet locked away. Still, he stored every manual faithfully, trusting that patience—and enough Skill Points—would unlock them one day.
He worked for another nine hours, no longer counting the aches in his arms, nor the hunger gnawing at his belly. When at last the last shelf gleamed and the final table shone dully in the low light, he heard the ever-anticipated chime of the system:
Quest Completed
Quest Name: A True Librarian
Quest Rank: F
Description: Since the attack on the Academy 200 years ago, the Library was closed. Due to the fall in quality of the students and staff, the Library was unused and shut away.
Mission: Perform the duty of a Librarian. Clean the entire Library and make it look beautiful.
Completion Rate: 100%
Quest Reward:
Experience Points: 20
Skill Points: 5
Attribute Points: 5
Golden Points: 0
System Currency: 10
But then an ominous warning as the numbers shifted in his mind's eye:
Detected Skill Points In Attribute Panel
User has borrowed 100,000 Skill Points in Credit
Automatically deducting the 5 Skill Points from your debt
Skill Points: 0 (Credit: 99,995)
A notification shortly followed:
Congratulations for Leveling Up!
Current Level: 1
Reward:
Skill Points: 10
Attribute Points: 10
System Currency: 10
And again, the system did not ask his permission:
Detected Skill Points In Attribute Panel
User has borrowed 100,000 Skill Points in Credit
Automatically deducting 10 Skill Points from your debt
Skill Points: 0 (Credit: 99,985)
Ethan let out a long, wheezing sigh. His eyes stung—not just with sweat, but with relief that it was finally over. Yes, the Skill Points were gone before he could touch them, but attribute points remained, shining quietly on his status screen. He had fifteen points to distribute. Five for the completed quest. Ten more for leveling up.
'System is stingy,' he thought, half-joking, half-annoyed. 'Didn't even ask if I wanted the Skill Points to pay down my debt. Just took them all.'
He spoke his frustration aloud, "System, from now on, ask before using Skill Points for debt."
Command Accepted
That made him smile despite the disappointment. He now had control—however small—over at least one part of the process. For now, he had to celebrate his victories, however minor. For the first time, he actually had attribute points to allocate. That alone felt like getting a fresh start in life.
He took a long breath, still tasting dust and triumph in equal measure, and opened his status screen, ready to make his first real choices as a cultivator at the dawn of a brand new life.