My name was Leo. In my previous life, I was a legend. Not the "savior of the world" kind, mind
you, but the "king of the all-nighter, sultan of spreadsheet, grandmaster of the corporate grind"
kind. I had corner offices, a car that probably cost more than a small house, and a collection of
suits so sharp they could draw blood.
And what did this legendary life earn me? A heart attack at 42, alone in my penthouse, with my
biggest regret being that I never finished the mobile game, "Immortal's Ascension: Idle
Cultivation."
Pathetic.
The last thing I saw wasn't a bright light or my life flashing before my eyes. It was the glowing
screen of my phone, displaying a pop-up: [Connection Lost. Please check your network and try
again. ]
Talk about a dumpster fire of a finale.
So, when consciousness returned, I was understandably pissed. And confused. And then,
really, really confused.
Because I wasn't in a hospital. I was in a small, rustic room that smelled of hay and old wood. The
body I was in was small, frail, and ached in places I didn't know could ache. A quick glance at my
hands confirmed it—tiny, grubby, and calloused.
"Awake, are you?" a gruff voice said. An old man with a kind face and a weary stoop entered,
carrying a wooden bowl. "You gave us a scare, A-Yun. Fainting during the basic Qi gathering
lecture… the Elders were not pleased."
A-Yun? Qi gathering?
Oh, no. Oh, nononono.
The memories of this body, a fifteen-year-old boy named Lin Yun, flooded into my mind. He was
an orphaned outer disciple of the "Whispering Cloud Sect," a minor cultivation sect in a world
where drawing power from the heavens and earth was as common as breathing. And he was, by
all accounts, talentless. His cultivation was weaker than watered-down tea, his spirit root a paltry
"Mortal Grade" that made him the laughingstock of his peers.
He had literally worked himself to death trying to grasp the most fundamental cultivation
technique.
I, Leo, master of the modern world, was now Lin Yun, the sect's number one loser. It was like
trading a private jet for a unicycle with a flat tire.
Just as a wave of despair was about to crush me, a familiar sight materialized in the corner of my
vision. A translucent, blue screen, shimmering with a soft light.
[ Ding! ]
[ System connection established. Network stability: Excellent. ]
[ Welcome, User: Lin Yun (Soul Signature: Leo). ]
[ The 'Immortal's Ascension: Idle Cultivation' System is now fully integrated. ]
My heart, no, Lin Yun's heart, hammered against his ribs. This… this was my game! The one I was
playing when I died!
[ Main Interface Loaded. ]
Name: Lin Yun
Cultivation: Qi Gathering Stage, Level 1 (Novice)
Health Points (HP): 15/50
Spiritual Energy (SE): 5/100
Constitution: 8 (Frail)
Spirit Root: Mortal Grade (Low)
Cultivation Technique: Whispering Cloud Primer (Basic)
Skills: None
Inventory: Empty
It was just like the game! I could see my stats, my level, everything!
Trembling with excitement, I focused on the [Cultivation Technique] tab. The "Whispering
Cloud Primer" was listed, with a progress bar beneath it: 0.1% to Next Insight.
And right next to it, was a beautiful, glorious button I knew all too well.
[ AUTO-CULTIVATE: ON / OFF ]
With a thought that was half prayer, half manic glee, I toggled it to ON.
Immediately, I felt a strange sensation. It wasn't the strenuous, painful pulling of energy that Lin
Yun's memories recalled. It was gentle, automatic. The faint, almost non-existent Qi in the air
began to slowly, steadily, flow into my body all on its own. The progress bar for the Whispering
Cloud Primer began to creep forward, pixel by pixel.
+0.01%... +0.01%...
Tears of pure, unadulterated joy welled in my eyes. While everyone else was breaking their
backs meditating for hours, my system was doing the work for me! I could cultivate while eating,
sleeping, even while taking a dump!
The old man, mistaking my tears for shame and frustration, patted my shoulder. "There, there,
A-Yun. Not everyone is meant for the path of immortality. Perhaps it is time to consider a life as
a servant in the sect. It is an honest living."
I looked up at him, a wide, genuine grin spreading across my face for the first time in two lives.
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle," I said, my voice steady. "But I think I'll stick with cultivation
for a little while longer."
Because this time, I wasn't just some hardworking schmuck. I had a system. I had a second
chance. And I was going to be so much more than just an office legend.
I was going to be idle, and I was going to be legendary.
[ Quest Updated: 'A Humble Beginning' ]
Objective: Reach Qi Gathering Stage, Level 2.
Reward: 10 System Points, Beginner's Gift Pack.
Game on.