The system didn't ask.
It never does.
One moment I was staring at the flickering blue panel in my room, trying to understand the new "Shadow Dominion" power.
The next—
[SYSTEM WARNING]
> Synchronization unstable.
Initiating emergency realm stabilization protocol…
"Huh? Wait—what do you mea—"
BOOM.
The world folded in on itself. My vision shattered like glass. The air twisted around me until there was nothing—no sound, no floor, no breath.
Then came the light.
Blinding, white, and endless.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a forest.
A bamboo forest.
The leaves rustled softly, glowing faintly under a sky that had two moons. The wind carried a smell I didn't recognize—clean, sharp, like something from another era.
"What… the hell is this place?"
The system didn't wait for me to calm down. It popped open again, glowing faintly in the mist.
---
[SYSTEM QUEST: INITIATION]
> Welcome to Trial Domain – Murim Prototype.
Objective: Survive and achieve Core Formation.
Time Limit: None.
Reward: Realm Key (Permanent Access).
Penalty: Soul Dissolution.
---
"Murim Prototype? Core Formation? Is this… a cultivation world?"
I sighed. "Of course. Why not? First demons, now this."
I tried using my abilities—
My seeing ability flared, but this time, instead of glowing energy outlines, I saw streams of something swirling around the trees.
"Qi?" I whispered. "So this place really runs on… cultivation energy."
As if in response, a faint tremor ran through the ground. The mist thickened. Something was moving between the bamboo stalks—fast.
> Rustle… rustle…
I raised my hand, preparing to use Rage Mode, but nothing happened. No heat. No surge.
The system blinked again.
---
[Notice]
> Local Law Conflict Detected.
Mana-Based Skills Temporarily Disabled.
Adaptation Required.
---
"Great," I muttered. "So I'm nerfed too. Wonderful."
The movement came closer. A shadow leapt through the fog—then slammed into me. I rolled back, hitting the ground hard. It wasn't human.
It looked like a man, but his body was cracked with black lines, eyes glowing red, teeth jagged like broken glass.
And when he spoke, it was like hearing stones grind together.
> "Outsider…"
"You… don't belong here…"
The system chimed again:
---
[System Sub-Quest Activated]
> Eliminate the Corrupted Qi Wraith.
Reward: First Qi Seed.
---
"Oh, so it's a quest now. Great."
I clenched my fist, thinking quickly. No mana. No aura. Just raw instinct.
The wraith lunged. I dodged sideways, grabbing a bamboo stick from the ground. The thing turned, moving unnaturally fast, and I barely managed to parry. Sparks flew.
My shadow flickered behind me—
Then moved on its own.
Dark tendrils shot out, wrapping around the wraith's leg, pulling it off balance. I didn't even command it—it just reacted.
"Shadow Dominion…?"
I didn't waste the chance. I spun, thrusting the sharpened bamboo through its chest. The wraith screamed—its body dissolving into smoke.
[Quest Complete]
> Reward Acquired: Qi Seed (Basic).
Status: System Adaptation — 12%.
---
The forest fell silent again.
The air around me began to pulse faintly, the same red and black energy that always surrounded me mixing with the soft golden light drifting from the bamboo.
"Qi Seed, huh?"
I looked up at the twin moons. "Guess I'm supposed to start… cultivating now?"
The system flickered again—this time slower, almost as if thinking.
> "Welcome, Selgor Nightreign."
"To the world beyond life and mana."
"The Realm of Eternal Cultivation."
The bamboo leaves shimmered, the light bending.
And then, deep in the distance, a bell rang.
Not from a temple.
From something alive.