Sunday.
February 1, 2020.
7:00 a.m.
In an apartment in Star City, Chen Wu, lying on his bed, had his eyelashes tremble, and a moment later, he opened his eyes.
Squinting slightly, he gradually adjusted to the bright morning light.
"Anhh…"
Letting out a yawn, Chen Wu got out of bed, but didn't immediately go wash his face. Instead, he simply picked up his glasses from the desk and walked over to his computer, pressing the power button on the LED.
After waiting a few seconds, the black screen began displaying the loading status.
Once it finished loading, the lock screen appeared.
Putting on his glasses and typing the password on the keyboard, Chen Wu unlocked the computer.
"I wonder if anyone's online?"
Early in the morning, Chen Wu decided to play a five-versus-five match before having breakfast, but when he entered the home screen, he noticed a strange game—featuring a black figure riding a sword—had appeared among his applications.
"???"
Three question marks popped into Chen Wu's mind. He didn't remember installing anything like that.
Especially with the name [Cultivation Heavenly], a term he usually only heard in web novels.
"A virus?" That was Chen Wu's first thought, though he was also curious about what this game actually was.
Could he cultivate, like in an MMORPG, and explore the world in search of resources to improve himself? Or was it just a misleading name, hiding a simple 2D pixel game?
Or maybe it was some kind of garbage that, the moment he opened it, would flood his system with viruses?
Unsure, Chen Wu opened the search application and typed the game's name into the search bar.
Instantly, a series of cultivation wikis, main characters from various novels, and a long list of webnovel titles appeared on his screen.
"…."
Chen Wu's mouth fell slightly open.
"What the hell… Why would a hacker choose such a cliché name?"
He muttered to himself and returned to the home screen.
Seeing the game still there, he didn't bother investigating further or trying to open it. He simply moved the mouse, guiding the cursor toward the application, preparing to delete the virus.
But the moment the pointer touched the icon, Chen Wu was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense drowsiness.
"W-why am I…"
Before he could finish speaking, his eyes shut, and his consciousness faded into darkness.
Chen Wu collapsed onto the desk.
At the same time, something supernatural occurred.
On the computer screen, a black vortex appeared.
What made it terrifying was that the swirling void seemed alive, pulling Chen Wu's hands into the screen, gradually devouring him entirely—erasing his existence from Earth.
On that day, February 1, 2020, Earth was never the same again.
….
Heavenly Filament
World of the Nine Provinces, Purple Jade Province.
In a city located in the remote eastern regions, a strange scene began to unfold.
People were appearing out of nowhere on the streets.
What was most shocking was that the locals completely ignored it, treating it as part of their daily routine.
As for those who appeared, their eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion.
Among them was Chen Wu, utterly stunned.
He had only tried to uninstall the game that appeared on his computer screen—how the hell did he end up in this city?
"What is going on?"
He wanted to ask someone, but he didn't even need to. The others immediately began sharing their experiences.
"Damn it! My daughter wanted to watch TV, but some app showed up on the channel. When I tried to remove it, I disappeared! I want to see my daughter—take me back, please!"
"I was trying to play the game. The moment I opened it, I fainted and ended up here."
Listening to the murmurs, Chen Wu concluded that the culprit was that strange game that had appeared on everyone's screens.
"Shit!" he cursed resentfully. This was way too fantastical—completely surreal.
"Can we go back?" Chen Wu began to worry. The thought of never seeing his older sister again in this life was something he didn't even want to imagine.
Just thinking about it made him uneasy, his heartbeat quickening.
"Hahaha! I'm going to conquer the world!"
A chubby young man with dark circles under his eyes suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
Seeing this, Chen Wu's emotions instantly cooled.
This otaku thinks this is a joke?
He wanted to beat the fat guy until he turned skinny, but he didn't need to. The looks directed at the young man were filled with killing intent.
Especially from the father who couldn't see his daughter.
"C-calm down, sir… no need to get angry. You can go back. If you don't believe me, just think of 'status.'"
The chubby guy immediately lost his bravado under the intense pressure and, after swallowing nervously, explained what he had discovered.
Upon hearing this, Chen Wu immediately thought of "status." To his shock, a white screen appeared floating before his eyes. As he read the information displayed, he froze.
[Name: Chen Wu]
[Age: 16/65]
[Cultivation: Mortal]
[Cultivation Method: None]
[Techniques: None]
[Spells: None]
[Innate Talent]
Innate Dao Body: Able to refine all types of spiritual energy from heaven and earth into pure spiritual energy.
Advantage: Can cultivate anything that contains spiritual energy.
Disadvantage: Due to purification, the original spiritual energy is reduced, causing those with this physique to require about ten times more spiritual energy than a normal cultivator to break through minor and major realms.
Dao Eyes: Can see through all weaknesses of heaven and earth.
Advantage: Can find flaws in anything imperfect.
Disadvantage: Consumes a large amount of mental energy when identifying flaws. The greater the weakness, the more energy required.
Final Evaluation: A prodigy born from the Dao with the potential to become a Great Emperor.
[Return Mission: To return to Earth, become a cultivator.]
[Global Reminder: It is strongly recommended not to delay your cultivation by remaining in places without spiritual energy.]
[Personal Reminder: Child of the Dao, please grow stronger as quickly as possible.]
"I-I…"
Chen Wu didn't know what to say after reading all that—especially the final line. Why did he need to grow stronger as quickly as possible?
It was a puzzle he couldn't piece together.
No!
This entire situation was making his head buzz.
"I don't know what to do!"