Mason was surrounded by a myriad of different colors. The colors moved like tiny lines, driven by an unknown external force that enhanced their speed. Mason was involuntarily propelled through time and space at a terrifying velocity.
Soon, he neared a blinding, searing golden light. The moment he reached it, his journey ended.
****
A man rested his back on a tree as he stared at the horizon with blindfold. There was a bitter smile on his face.
"Argh," Mason groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, feeling immense pain in his forehead. Suddenly, dread washed over him. He couldn't see!
He stood up immediately, forgetting the heaviness in his skull. "My eyes... My eyes... Wait. Is this a blindfold?"
He removed the cloth and blinked. He could finally see, but the sight was harrowing. It was scorching hot, yet the sun was not a circle; it was a jagged, bleeding crack in the sky, as if the heavens had been shattered by a hammer. Instead of blue, the sky was the color of a fresh bruise—purples and greens—and the "sunlight" falling on the surface wasn't yellow, but a pale, sterile white that made the world look like a bleached bone.
He then took the blindfold and tied it on his wrist.
He was in a... where exactly was he?
Mason knew this was the other realm. He hadn't traveled to the past; this was the present. To him, the past was a thousand years ago, when everything had still been normal. Speaking of normal, this realm possessed none of its characteristics.
First, he wasn't standing on solid ground, but on silver-white water. Multiple trees grew, somehow, directly from the liquid. Countless sword blades pointed upward out of the surface. He kicked the water, but it merely waved and retracted, which frightened Mason for a moment. He looked around and noticed the bones of a very large animal—perhaps a tiger or a lion—in the distance.
Mason hissed as a spike of pain shot from his forehead into his brain. As he touched the wound, he froze. He felt a wooden object protruding from his skin.
He gazed into the water to see his reflection: a knife was thrust into his forehead. He was wearing dark armor with jagged edges, featuring a red dragon emblem across the chest plate. His shoulders were protected by heavy pauldrons, and his waist was covered by a tattered, short skirt. His legs were wrapped in soft silk, and he wore soft leather boots.
None of this amazed him as much as his hair, which was no longer black, but stark white.
The basics of becoming a Jiang dictated that when one was sent on their first tutorial, it was to gain access to the first floor of the tower. The tower had only nine floors, excluding the roof. During a tutorial, a person was sent to the other realm not to take the physical form, but the soul of another living thing. This was what set tutorials apart from standard travel.
Jiangs usually retained their physical features during tutorials, merely taking on the role of a being from the ancient realm. It was only during usual travel across realms that they lost their bodies and took the form of the beings that inhabited the land before its destruction.
'But if that's true, why is my hair white?..'
Unable to think clearly because of the headache, he sighed and glimpsed the sky. He knew nothing else about tutorials. What was he supposed to do? Fight? Look for hidden treasure? Or maybe pull the damn knife out of his head?
'Scratch the last one.. it'll definitely kill me..'
As if reading his thoughts, the scroll appeared and unfolded right in front of him.
[Mortal! Welcome to your first tutorial!]
[Role: You've taken the form of a dead general and a member of the Nine Dragon — The Red Dragon, Jumong Ryujin]
[Mission: 'Jumong cursed under his breath as he fell to the ground again. He had been stuck in a single stroke since he was chosen as a Dragon. Why were the remaining dragons stronger than him? What was that remaining piece he was missing?
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice reality had warped and he was back at home. Training was over. His friend came in at that moment and called to his attention.
"Jumong, have you ever heard of The Iron Lotus Pagoda? It's the most secretive and most quiet place in the world.
Jumong raised an eyebrow. "If it's secretive, how do you know about it?"
His friend laughed. "That's what I was told. Elder Lee told me it's a place where only those who've experienced 'the world' can reach there."]
Mason would have rubbed his forehead if not for the knife. Instead, he slapped himself lightly across the face.
"So my mission is to find a so-called metallic pagoda, huh? How hard could that be?"
He gazed at his surroundings again: solid water, weird sunlight, sword blades, and a split sky. "Yep, very hard."
The world went silent for a while. He sighed.
"The tutorial isn't going to pass itself. And since I was given a second chance at life, why would I misuse it?"
He walked on the still water, past the sword blades and countless trees. He then remembered the final word he had heard back on Earth: Pathetic.
"Pathetic? Me? I'll show you pathetic! I came back to life just to prove everyone wrong. Watch me make history! In fact, I am already making history. Does she know how rare it is for someone from the Stone Slums to awaken? When I find her, I'll make sure to rub it in her face."
After venting his anger, he exhaled and summoned the scroll again.
[Name: Mason Gray]
[Rank: Mortal]
[Level: 0]
[Vessel: Jumong Ryujin]
[Active Tree: None]
[Passive Tree:Mundane Martial Arts Assistant (Locked)]
[Floor: 0{Tutorial Phase, Mission In Progress} ]
[Artifacts:None]
[Realm: First Realm(Endless Ocean Of War)]
[Active Stats:...]
He was at a loss for words. There wasn't much to see. He wouldn't be gifted anything by the Fate System until he completed the first tutorial. The tutorial was designed to test the wits and capabilities of a mundane human before they were granted superhuman privileges.
A smile appeared on his face.
'I can't wait to pass.. then I'll get access to the floating islands, to the tower. Most importantly, to wealth! My sickness will be cured!.. My life will be the way I wanted it..'
After walking for more than an hour, Mason stopped and rested his back against a tree trunk. He bent down and tried to drink the water, but to no avail. The liquid was inexplicably heavy and felt solid.
His throat was dry, his head throbbed, and his skin felt like it was peeling, yet he wasn't even sweating.
'What sort of goddamned realm is this?..'
His thoughts were interrupted when a large figure fell from the sky and landed just feet away from him.