A young boy, who appeared to be around 14 or 15, trudged along the narrow dirt path that wound through the heart of his village, a small and unremarkable human settlement. He looked dirty; his simple clothing smeared with dust. However, his beautiful hazel eyes, a stark contrast to the rest of his appearance, sparkled with a rare maturity for his age. He was Arjun.
He wasn’t originally from this world. He came from a place called Earth. One day, while walking to college, a nearby truck lost control and struck him. He died on the spot. A classic beginning for a protagonist’s journey, right? He had wondered at the time. For some reason, even in death, his thoughts had persisted. He found himself in a dark place, his surroundings silent and cold.
From what he could recall, a glowing, floating screen had appeared before him, asking him to confirm the initialization of a system. At the time, he had been quite excited. But over the past five years, there has been no sign of the system. By now, he had given up. There wasn’t much else he could do except live.
He wasn’t born into a wealthy family. He was an orphan. His parents had died while hunting for food in a nearby forest during winter. A shopkeeper who knew his parents took pity on him, and from that point, they had lived together. Arjun worked as the shopkeeper’s assistant—not an official position, but he was grateful for the man’s kindness.
Still, Arjun hoped for something magical to happen—something akin to the “golden finger” often granted to protagonists at the start of their journeys. Whether it was a magical artifact or a cultivation manual, he had found nothing of the sort.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the thatched roofs and fields where villagers toiled. The air was alive with the sounds of daily life: children laughing, women chatting as they drew water from the well, and the occasional cluck of a chicken or bark of a dog.
As he made his way home—a small shop that also served as his residence—he couldn’t help but think about this world. So far, he hadn’t encountered wizards or immortals. Perhaps that was because this was a backwater place. When he had asked his uncle about such things, the man had laughed, dismissing them as the stuff of legends. But Arjun hadn’t lost hope. Surely, if reincarnation was possible, there had to be something magical in this world.
Deciding to clear his mind, Arjun took a stroll through the nearby forest. It was a place he often visited to escape the monotony of daily life. The trees stood tall and proud, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, creating a symphony of nature’s whispers.
The forest was relatively safe; the village men hunted there regularly. Those hunters were referred to as martial artists. They were significantly stronger than ordinary people. They could leap several meters high, and some could even shatter boulders with their fists. Initially, Arjun was astonished by their prowess. This kind of strength was far from ordinary—no one on Earth could perform such feats.
Arjun aspired to become a martial artist himself. If immortality was out of reach, then such strength would suffice. Unfortunately, becoming a martial artist required specialized training. The village’s martial artists had all been trained in the nearest city’s academy.
When Arjun had learned this, he had begged Barsi, the shopkeeper, to let him join the academy. However, Barsi had explained that Arjun would need to be at least 16 years old to join. Even then, the academy’s tuition fees were prohibitively expensive.
There was another way: each year, the academy sent representatives to nearby villages to recruit young, promising individuals. They would carefully select healthy youths without any history of disease. If there were too many applicants, they would sometimes organize mini-tournaments.
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Of course, even participating required a fee, though it was lower than enrolling directly.
As Arjun wandered deeper into the forest, his thoughts drifted back to Earth. He missed the familiarity of his old life, despite its mundanity. This world was different, yet eerily similar in its daily struggles. Lost in thought, he almost missed the faint, peculiar glow emanating from the underbrush to his left.
Initially thinking that it was some firefly, he approached.
However, parting the dense foliage, he discovered that it was a small, ancient-looking scroll that pulsed softly with an ethereal glow. His heart raced as he picked it up, his hands trembling slightly. The scroll felt warm, almost alive.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Is this it?! Is this my chance to ascend the heavens?!
The scroll’s glow seemed extraordinary. Breathless, he examined it closely. But before he could unfold it, a dazzling light burst forth, blinding him.
As he recovered his sight, he was stunned to find out the scroll had disappeared.
He panicked, frantically looking around, upturning the leaves and parting bushes, yet there was no sign of the scroll.
Arjun took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Panic wouldn't help. He needed to think clearly. As he stood there, eyes closed, his mind raced through possibilities.
"Maybe I absorbed the scroll or something," he mused aloud. It was the only logical explanation. He had read about similar occurrences in novels—objects of power merging with the protagonist, granting them abilities or knowledge.
Focusing inward, Arjun tried to sense any changes within himself. There was nothing, just the familiar hum of his own thoughts.
Sensing nothing, he opened his eyes and pondered. It couldn’t be fake. He was clearly holding the scroll, and he was nearly blinded by that flash.
Suddenly his eyes changed!
Could it be that the scroll had an artifact spirit, and upon touching the scroll, the spirit determined that I posses no talent and teleported away?!?!
Being the avid reader that he was, he came up with several scenarios that might be possible in a magical world.
NO! I am thinking too much! Let’s calm down first. Maybe the scroll had indeed been absorbed by me. Maybe it will take time to assimilate.
Countless thoughts surged within Arjun’s mind, but before he could ponder further, a glowing screen appeared in front of his eyes!
Startled as he was, he quickly recovered and focused on the screen as words started to appear in it.
[Spiritual energy sufficient.]
[Initializing System.]
The screen flickered, and new text appeared:
[Initialization complete. To utilize the System and its various functions, please utter “System” with a clear and decisive thought.]
With that, the screen vanished.
For a moment, Arjun stood rooted to the spot. Slowly, a feeling of ecstasy welled up within him.
It was finally here. His long-awaited golden finger!
Without hesitation, he followed the instructions. With firm resolve, he uttered “System” in his mind. Immediately, a glowing blue screen materialized before him.
The screen was simple, almost crude. No elaborate patterns or designs adorned it, just a plain white border separating the sections.
STATUS:
Name: Arjun
Age: 14
Species: Human
Spiritual Energy: None
Cultivation Base: None
FUNCTIONS:
- Space
- Shop
[Currency: 0]
The lack of extensive details like strength or intelligence stats disappointed him. Arjun had read countless novels with far more sophisticated systems.
Then again, this was reality—not a game. Detailed stats like an RPG would have been laughable. Shaking off his disappointment, he focused on the “Functions” section.
Information flowed seamlessly into his mind, explaining the functions.
Functions were designed to perform distinct tasks. They could be unlocked using system currency and would aid him on his journey.
Eagerly, he focused on “System Space,” and more details appeared in his mind.
It was a unique area where time moved differently: 1 hour outside was equivalent to 2 hours inside. Moreover, the space could be upgraded using system currency, which he could earn through cultivation or by absorbing treasures.
“So, I can go inside an entire separate space?”
Excited, he quickly thought of entering the supposed system space.
However, nothing happened.
Confused for a moment, he realized what he had to do. Then, with a decisive thought, he muttered inside his mind to enter the system space.
With a woosh, Arjun found himself a bit disoriented.
As he came to his senses, he found himself in an entirely new area.