Chapter 2 - The Fall

Akari’s body plunged through the endless void, the silver mist swirling like a living entity around her. There was no ground, no sky—just an abyss of shifting shadows and light.

Her heart pounded against her ribs. What is this?! Where am I?!

She tried to scream, but the sound was swallowed by the abyss. Cold air rushed past her, and then—

Thud.

She hit the ground. Hard.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as pain jolted through her body. For a long moment, she lay still, staring up at the sky above. Except… it wasn’t the sky she knew.

The heavens were a deep shade of violet, swirling with faint streaks of golden light. Enormous mountains floated in the distance, wrapped in mist, and an eerie silence filled the air.

Slowly, Akari sat up, wincing. The cold, damp grass beneath her felt too real for this to be a game.

"This… isn't possible," she whispered.

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A chime echoed in her ears, and suddenly, a translucent screen appeared before her.

> Welcome, Traveler. Your registration is complete.

You have entered the Cultivation Realm.

Starting Realm: The Forsaken Province.

Starting Rank: Mortal - Stage 1

Her breath hitched.

No logout button. No instructions. Just cold, indifferent text floating in the air.

A sickening realization crawled over her skin.

I can’t leave.

Something moved in the distance.

Akari snapped her head up. Shadows shifted beyond the trees, and then—a growl.

She scrambled to her feet as a figure emerged from the darkness. A wolf. No—something worse. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural red light, and its body was covered in jagged, bony protrusions, its fur stained with dried blood.

> Corrupted Shadow Wolf - Rank: Low Spirit Beast.

Akari took a step back. Her heart slammed against her chest.

She had nothing—no weapons, no skills, no powers.

The wolf lunged.

Her body moved on instinct. She dove to the side, barely avoiding the razor-sharp claws that tore through the air where she had just stood. Too fast. Too strong.

If she didn’t do something, she was going to die.

Think, think!

Her mind raced. The text had said "Cultivation Realm." That meant—Qi, energy, magic. If this world followed the same principles as those online novels…

She clenched her fists, focusing inward. A faint warmth stirred in her chest.

The wolf snarled and lunged again.

This time, when she moved, she felt something shift inside her—an invisible force guiding her steps. She twisted her body just in time, avoiding the attack.

I can do this.

The wolf lunged a third time. But Akari was ready.

She grabbed a sharp rock from the ground and, with all the strength she could muster, drove it straight into the beast’s throat.

The wolf let out a gurgled snarl, its body convulsing before it collapsed.

Akari stood there, panting, her hands shaking, the scent of blood filling her nostrils.

Then—

> You have defeated a Corrupted Shadow Wolf.

New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Summoning (Tier 1).

Her eyes widened as the wolf’s corpse twisted, melted into a dark mist—and then reformed beside her. Its glowing red eyes stared at her, no longer filled with hostility.

The realization hit her like a storm.

Whatever I kill… I can summon.

A slow, dark smile crept onto her lips.

Maybe being stuck in this world wasn’t so bad after all.