The first thing Kyle Bloomfield noticed was the silence.
Not the buzz of power lines. Not the distant hum of traffic. Not even the creak of his old ceiling fan that liked to rattle in protest every time he forgot to turn it off. No—this silence was alive. It pulsed. It breathed. Birds chirped in harmonious trills above, leaves whispered with the wind, and something unfamiliar tickled at his senses like a barely audible hum vibrating through the earth.
His eyes fluttered open, blinking slowly as shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the canopy overhead. He lay on a bed of moss so soft, it felt almost intentional—like nature herself had carefully laid it out for him.
"…what the hell?"
Kyle sat up, his voice groggy but steady. The words felt strange in his mouth—not just from the confusion, but from the texture of his voice. It was… smooth. Deep. Velvety. Like one of those unreasonably attractive male protagonists from the xianxia audio dramas he used to listen to during his midnight reading marathons.
"Okay…" he muttered, rubbing his face with both hands. "Don't panic. You're probably dreaming. Sleep paralysis. A hyper-realistic lucid dream. Maybe that street taco was just too ambitious."
But when his hands came away, he caught a glimpse of his fingers.
His skin was flawless. Smooth as jade. Not a blemish, not a freckle, not even a scar—despite the one he knew used to sit on the back of his hand from that unfortunate camping knife incident when he was fifteen.
"...Okay," he said again, voice flatter. "Now I'm freaking out a little."
He scrambled to his feet, nearly toppling forward. His body felt... different. Not sick or weak—far from it. In fact, it felt like someone had taken his regular, slightly-soft-around-the-middle physique and re-cast him into a live-action martial arts hero.
Muscles flexed with subtle definition under his white robe. His balance was impeccable, like his center of gravity had been blessed by a thousand years of tai chi mastery. Every movement had grace, fluidity—control. He stared down at himself and blinked.
"Where's my hoodie? And… what am I wearing?"
It was a robe—brilliant white, with silver-thread embroidery that shimmered faintly in the dappled sunlight. It was cinched at the waist with a soft sash, and hung comfortably over white pants and pristine, cloth-soled shoes. He turned his hands over, examining the cuffs.
That's when he noticed the ring.
Silver, ornate, and pulsing faintly with an almost imperceptible glow, it sat on the middle finger of his right hand. It didn't feel heavy. It didn't feel cold. It felt like it had always been there, waiting.
He whispered, "Inventory?"
To his eternal shock—and minor vindication—a translucent screen blinked into existence before his eyes.
---
[Storage Ring Interface Activated]
Current Owner: Kyle Bloomfield
Bound By: Blood Pact
Access Level: 1
Storage Capacity: 10 slots (expandable)
Contents:
1. 🍃 Hunger Suppression Pill x30
(Each pill sustains the user for 30 days without the need for food. Recommended dosage: 1 per month.)
2–10. [Empty]
---
Kyle's brain short-circuited for a moment. Then, as if hitting "restart," he let out a slow breath and whispered, "No. Freaking. Way."
He glanced up, scanning the forest. Towering ancient trees stretched into the heavens, their trunks wide enough to hide an elephant behind. Strange birds flitted from branch to branch, singing melodic notes unlike anything he'd heard before. Flowers with luminescent petals bloomed beside rocks. The air itself shimmered faintly with what could only be described as...
"Is that… spiritual energy?"
He inhaled deeply. It was like breathing in crisp mountain air infused with warm honey and peppermint. His lungs felt clean. More than clean—they felt empowered.
Kyle spun slowly in place, eyes wide with wonder. "I… I did it," he murmured. "I actually freaking did it. This is it. This is a cultivation world. This is real."
But the joy was quickly tempered by realization. "Oh crap. I have no idea where I am. Or who I'm supposed to be. Or what the heck is going on."
He looked down at his chest—no system panel had appeared yet. No "Welcome, Transmigrator!" screen. No overpowered cultivation manual materialized in his hand. And most importantly: he didn't feel like he could fly, punch mountains in half, or absorb heavenly lightning through sheer force of ego.
"Okay," he muttered, "baby steps. First thing's first…"
He tapped the storage ring again, and a pill popped into his hand—round, marble-like, glowing faintly with soft green light.
"I guess skipping breakfast is no longer a problem."
He tossed the pill into his mouth—and was immediately flooded with warmth. It spread from his stomach through his veins, like sipping liquid contentment. His hunger vanished like a puff of smoke in a breeze.
"…I love it here."
He sat back down, folding his legs beneath him in a cross-legged position. His robe fluttered gently in the breeze, and the sunlight sparkled off the faint mist that clung to the forest floor. He inhaled deeply again, letting the atmosphere seep into him.
That's when he heard it.
A soft rustle. Then another. A pause. Then—crunch.
Footsteps.
Kyle's head whipped toward the sound, heart skipping a beat. "Okay, okay, no need to panic," he whispered. "This could be a cultivator. Or a bandit. Or a demonic beast. Or all three. Crap."
He slowly rose to his feet and crouched slightly, trying to summon any sort of martial arts stance he remembered from all the wuxia dramas he'd binge-watched. "Please don't be a monkey that shoots fire out of its nostrils…"
The brush parted.
And a rabbit hopped out.
Kyle blinked.
Then another one followed. Then a fox. Then two squirrels. Then a fawn—its coat shimmering like polished jade. Within seconds, over a dozen animals had emerged, surrounding him in a loose, reverent circle.
"...Guys?"
Every creature stared at him with eyes wide and shining. Not scared. Not curious. Respectful.
"What is happening?" Kyle whispered. "Did I step on a sacred glade or something?"
Then the rabbit bowed.
It straight-up tilted forward and pressed its tiny forehead against the ground.
"Oh my gosh," Kyle murmured. "I am the chosen one."
More animals bowed. A squirrel did a somersault before prostrating itself. The deer bent both knees awkwardly. The fox fluffed its tail and lowered its head in a graceful arc.
Kyle stood frozen for a long moment. Then, slowly, he raised one hand in an awkward wave.
"Hi," he said. "Uh… thank you for your… honor?"
The animals remained bowed.
He cleared his throat. "Okay, okay, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you guys really shouldn't follow me. I'm new here. Like… just born five minutes ago new. You should all probably get back to your burrows and nests and spirit caves or whatever."
The animals didn't move.
Kyle sighed and tried again, this time raising his voice. "Seriously, y'all need to scatter. I'm not the Forest King. I don't have a Qi Beast Contract. I'm just a guy trying to figure out how not to die."
Still no movement.
He took a deep breath and went full dad-mode. "Don't make me count to three."
And that's when a voice—clear, melodious, and absolutely not from any of the animals—spoke behind him.
"Oh. My. Stars. He speaks to the beasts like a true Saint of Nature."
Kyle spun around, jaw dropping.
A young woman in a green and gold robe stood on the edge of the clearing, her wide eyes shimmering with awe. She had long, flowing dark hair tied with jade pins, and her face looked like it belonged in a royal portrait. She held a glowing talisman in one hand, her mouth hanging slightly open.
Kyle stared at her. She stared at him. The animals bowed lower.
Kyle swallowed.
"…Oh no. I am the Forest King."
---
The girl took a hesitant step forward. "You… you really are a beast whisperer, aren't you?"
Kyle raised a finger. "Let's not jump to conclusions."
"Then why are all the animals treating you like their emperor?"
"I dunno. Maybe I have a nice scent?"
She blinked. "A nice…?"
"Okay, okay, forget that. Who are you?"
The girl seemed to collect herself. She lowered her talisman and gave a short, formal bow. "I am Lian Mei of the Verdant Mist Sect."
Kyle blinked. "Cool name."
She tilted her head. "You don't sound like you're from the Celestial Provinces."
"That's because I'm… from far away."
Her brow furrowed, but she didn't press. Instead, her eyes drifted back to the animals. "I've lived in these forests since I was a child. Never have I seen this many spirit beasts gather peacefully around a single person."
Kyle shrugged. "I think I'm just really polite."
"You are humble too. It is said that Saints of Nature do not boast."
He exhaled hard through his nose. "Listen, Mei—can I call you Mei?"
"You… may."
"Right. So, Mei, I have no idea where I am, how I got here, or what I'm supposed to be doing. So unless these spirit deer are gonna give me directions to the nearest town, I'd really appreciate some help."
She nodded quickly, her expression sobering. "Of course. Forgive me—I was simply… surprised. You've appeared in the Forest of Qi, on the eastern outskirts of the Verdant Mist Sect's territory. Our sect resides to the west, nestled in the Jadecloud Hills."
Kyle muttered, "Forest of Qi, Jadecloud Hills, Verdant Mist Sect… I love this place already."
Mei hesitated. "Would… you consider coming with me to the Sect? Our Sect Master would surely wish to meet someone with your spiritual aura."
Kyle considered that. He glanced back at the still-bowing animals. One of the squirrels gave him a thumbs-up. He had no idea how.
"Yeah," he said slowly, "I think I'd better meet this Sect Master."
Because if there was one thing he'd learned from years of binge-reading cultivation novels… you never turn down an invitation to a Sect in Chapter 1.
Not if you want to live long enough to hit Chapter 2.