“Urgh, what made me think that entering a pie-eating contest was a good idea?”
Zack found himself in an endless expanse of black, a void so complete and all-encompassing that it swallowed all senses. There was no ground beneath his feet, no air to feel against his skin, and no light to pierce the heavy shroud of darkness. It was as if he had been thrust into an abyss of nothingness.
"Where am I?" Zack’s voice echoed, sounding strange and distant in the vast emptiness. "Is this what the afterlife is? Just... nothingness?"
Suddenly, a bright blue box materialized before him.
System Activated
"W-What the...?"
Welcome User Searching for a vessel ... ... ...
"A vessel?" Zack muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Is this some sort of isekai shit?"
2,732 possible matches found Determining Compatibility ... ... Highest Compatibility: 5% [Possibility of Rejection is at 95%]
"No way!" He scoffed, "Are you telling me that there aren't any more out-of-shape, lazy bums out there?"
Would you like to initiate Soul Migration?
His response was immediate, fueled by a mix of disbelief and panic. "No! Fuck no!"
Yet, no matter what he did, he could feel an inexorable pull, tugging at the very essence of his being.
"What the hell!? I said NO!"
For a moment, the force pulling at him hesitated, then halted.
User has rejected Soul Migration
So, the System does understand that no means no. Zack exhaled a shaky breath as he felt a sense of relief.
Searching for an alternative vessel ... ... ...
"Yes, please do."
3,902 possible matches found Determining Compatibility ... ... Highest Compatibility: 97% Possibility of rejection: 3%
“How did it go from 5% to 97%? Which unlucky fucker just died?”
Would you like to initiate Soul Migration?
“Hell yeah! Give me that body!”
Before the System could send him into a new body, Zack thought about his past life. He remembered the dimly lit room of his parents' basement, the constant hum of the computer, and the countless web novels he devoured, each filled with tales of cultivators rising to unimaginable heights. Those stories were his refuge, a world where ordinary mortals transformed into immortals through hardships and trials. Yet, in his own life, he hadn't even managed to climb the proverbial steps out of his parents’ basement.
He often heard their hushed whispers upstairs. "When will he get a job?" "What will become of him?" But Zack, ever buried in his fantasies of virtual worlds, ignored the real world's problems.
And then, there was the pie-eating contest. A fateful event he thought would finally show everyone that he had some worth. It was supposed to be his moment of glory.
In the village square, a large banner read: "Grand Pie Eating Championship." Zack had smirked, thinking, "This is my chance!"
The contest started, and pies of various flavors lay before him. Blueberry, apple, cherry... each looked more delicious than the last. With a gleam in his eyes, he started devouring them at a pace that left spectators in awe.
"Go Zack!" cheered a kid, probably mistaking him for a local champion.
Halfway through, Zack felt full but spurred on by the crowd's cheers and the thought of victory, he pushed on. With every bite, he felt closer to proving his worth.
However, soon his vision blurred. He felt a strange heaviness in his chest. The world began to spin. And as he took his last bite, with pie smeared all over his face and a foolish grin, Zack collapsed.
The crowd was in shock, and someone joked, "Guess he bit off more than he could chew!"
Zack had many regrets in life, too many to count but the biggest being that he had been a disappointment, a leech upon his family.
"I won't waste this life," he vowed to himself. “I’ll take this second chance that Go—"
Suddenly, a thought struck Zack. Where exactly was this System from? In all his memories from the web novels he'd read, Systems were usually gifts from divine beings, ancient treasures, or the author never got around to finishing the book...
“Hey System, are any of those right?”
...
“Yeah… I knew you weren’t going to reply, I’ll probably find out a few thousand chapters later.”
Soul Migration Started 1%...10%....45%
“Erm, are you sure this is working? I can’t feel anything…
The numbers on the display continued to climb.
[74%...88%...]
Just when he thought nothing was happening, he felt it—a sudden, violent pull at the core of his being. It was as if a cosmic hand had grabbed hold of his soul and yanked it out of the abyss. Zack's formless essence twisted and spiraled through an interdimensional tunnel, a wormhole that distorted everything he thought he knew about existence.
The sensation was gut-wrenching, akin to the inexorable pull of a black hole. Zack's ethereal form felt compressed, as though being forced through an impossibly small opening. He experienced a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as his soul contorted, as if trying to adapt to a foreign environment.
100% Soul Migration Complete
"That... that felt like plunging down the steepest drop of the world's most terrifying rollercoaster."
Rollercoasters... he mused inwardly, a pang of nostalgia hitting him. I haven’t been allowed on one since I was a kid.
----------------------------------------
A few minutes before
“To think that my own disciple would turn against me.”
In the midst of a barren wasteland, two figures confronted each other. The younger of the two, a dark-haired man with eyes that hinted at malevolence, sneered arrogantly at the elder before him. Blood oozed from the elder's wounds; he was gravely injured, clutching his bleeding arm and gasping for every breath. Yet, even in this state, the old master's presence exuded an aura of unyielding calmness and dignity.
"You have kept me on a leash for too long, old man," the young man responded, his voice dripping with resentment.
The master sighed, "The Sect Master does not take kindly to deserters, Tyrus. Come back with me."
Tyrus barked out a scornful laughter, "Always the Sect Master this, the Sect Master that." He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with newfound madness. "Let any come after me, and I'll send them to the netherworld! Starting with you, the Sect Master’s lapdog!"
A shadow passed over the old man's face. He wasn't anyone's mere lapdog; his loyalty was pure, carved from centuries of dedication.
"Die, old man!" With a swift flick of his wrist, Tyrus unleashed a powerful burst of sword qi. It shot out like a streak of malevolent light, aimed straight at the old man's heart. The elder hastily began to form a protective qi barrier, however, the barrier barely took form before it was sliced through.
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The strike found its mark, slamming into the old man's chest and propelling him backward, his frail frame crashed violently into a large rock.
For a moment, the scene was still, except for the dust settling in the aftermath. The old man lay sprawled on the ground, convulsing as the wicked sword qi raged within his body. Like a sinister serpent, it sought to devour his very essence from the inside out.
“AAARRRRGHHHHHH.”
But then, abruptly, his convulsions ceased. The elder's eyes, once alive with spirit and fire, glazed over.
The young man, his face an emotionless mask, watched with cold eyes as his master lay motionless. But within those black orbs, there was a glint of satisfaction.
Death by his own disciple. Such was the life of a demonic cultivator.
"This is the price of misplaced loyalty, old fool." With a scoff, his form became blurry before he vanished.
----------------------------------------
Determining vessel status 1%...25%...75%...100% Meridians crippled Vital organs not functioning Severe blood loss
A brief pause was followed by more text:
Restoring body [1%...30%...80%...100%]
As the system's progress bar reached completion, the lifeless body of the old man began to shudder. Twinges of sensation flooded through Zack. He attempted to pry open his eyes. After much struggle, they responded, revealing a world that was dim and out of focus.
Pain radiated from every part of him, and when he tried to move, he realized with a sinking feeling that he was completely immobilized. Damn it! Did I really transmigrate only to be imprisoned immediately into a paralysed body?
The bright blue box emerged once more before him, presenting new information:
Name Slifer Race Human Alignment Demonic Cultivator Cultivation Body Tempering: 9th Stage Lifespan Remaining 24 Hours Karmic Credits 0
A cold dread filled him. Only 24 hours? What the hell? With the agony he was experiencing and his incapacitated state, what could he possibly achieve in a single day? Was he destined to simply lie here, waiting for the inevitable end? What kind of isekai story is that?
His mind raced, considering the information presented. He recognized the term "Cultivation" from the xianxia tales he'd read. The 9th stage of Body Tempering suggested he had only just begun his cultivation journey. He was probably in the body of a young MC who just got crippled by the villain. Any moment now he would find a way to not only recover but breakthrough multiple realms and kill that bastard who did this to him.
“Wait…Demonic Cultivator?” Zack’s eyes narrowed as he contemplated the possibility that he was transmigrated as the villain. Maybe he was the one who crippled the MC, who later came back and did the same to him?
“No, no, that can’t be it. I have a…S-System. That’s it! A System! There’s no way a villain would have a System, right?” Zack attempted to console himself, but he knew in fact that villains could have a system.
Zack would rather be a side character than a villain, at least a side character could suck up to the MC and live. Villains? No matter what they do, they somehow offend the MC and end up dead along with 9 generations of their family.
Determined to prove that he was in fact the protagonist, he did what all LitRPG protagonists do: obnoxiously shout at a blue box.
“Give me my power up!”
...
"Erm… hello? You there?”
...
“Any moment now would be nice.”
No reply.
Did the System just throw him in a random body and leave?
Suddenly more text appeared in front of him.
Beginning Memory Fusion
“Ok. So, you haven’t left. You’re just choosing to ignore me.”
1%...30%...58%... Critical Error: Essential Memories Absent
“Oh, now that doesn’t sound good…”
Resuming Fusion
His eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, you can't just leave out essential memories!”
76%... 99%... 100% Memory Fusion Complete Alert: Host's essential memories are absent
Suddenly, Zack let out a scream as his consciousness was flooded with a cascade of memories. The images played out like an age-old reel, vivid, yet disjointed.
He saw a young, ambitious man, his eyes filled with determination, stepping into the intimidating gates of a demonic sect. Once inside, this young man, with shrewd intelligence, recognized the importance of the sect elders and began to diligently curry favor with one of them. He'd often be seen bringing rare herbs to the elder, publicly supporting the elder's decisions, and committing heinous deeds that would make any sane person vomit, all while maintaining an air of subservience.
As years passed, the young man matured, climbing the ranks with the help of the elder, whom he'd supported unyieldingly. The elder, now the sect master, heavily relied on him, seeing in him a reflection of his younger self, or so the young man thought.
With the sect master's backing, the now-elderly man sought to achieve the next level of cultivation – a breakthrough to the Origin Realm!
Yet, despite all his preparations and the sect master's support, his attempt was fraught with complications. The energy within him went haywire and he ended up failing. He was lucky to have survived the tribulation.
In the midst of his despair, his most promising disciple chose to leave. Feeling betrayed and worried about the Sect Master’s reaction, the elder pursued his disciple.
The memories converged on a fateful confrontation. Zack saw a desolate landscape, the elder and the disciple, face to face, emotions running high. Words were exchanged, accusations thrown. And then, the tragic climax: the disciple unleashed a powerful sword qi, piercing straight through the old man’s heart.
The intense pain that previously held Zack captive began to subside. Sensation flowed back into his limbs, each nerve awakening like a dormant beast. With tremendous effort, he pushed himself upright, wincing at the residual aches.
Thank the gods! I’m not a cripple after all. As he took stock of his situation, realization dawned upon him. This body... It was once at the Half-Step Origin Realm! How has it regressed so much to Body Tempering?
A cultivator at the Body Tempering Stage did not have the right to call themselves a true cultivator, that title was reserved for those who reached the Qi Refining Realm and could manipulate qi.
Zack sighed in frustration, brushing off the rubble that clung to his aged robe. The System was able to bring this body back to life but didn’t think to return its cultivation.
"I thought I got shafted into a young cripple's body," he muttered to himself, "but an old man nearing the end of his time? That's a new one."
Stretching his arms wide, Zack grinned and spoke aloud to the lingering spirit of Slifer, wherever it might be. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll take good care of this old thing."
Wait…it’s best to think of myself as Slifer now. I'm in his body, after all. Can't afford any slip-ups. The very thought of what demonic cultivators would do to him if they discovered he was an imposter sent chills down his spine. He shuddered, imagining nefarious rituals or, worse, being turned into a demonic beast's snack.
Pausing for a moment, his thoughts wandered. Nascent Soul cultivators can live up to a millennium. But to surpass that, one must break through to the Origin Realm. A pang of regret hit him. Ah, that elusive Half-Step Origin... such a tease, offering power but no longevity.
“Wait… am I forgetting something?” Slifer’s eyes widened as he recalled the system's earlier message about missing essential memories. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "What could they possibly be? Knowing the typical xianxia tropes, it's probably a series of calamities."
His mind raced with potential scenarios:
Perhaps I offended the young master of a powerful sect by accidentally bumping into him during a festival?
Or what if... A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. I inadvertently peeped at a fairy bathing in a secluded pond? Slifer burst into laughter at the thought of the old man creeping around.
Then his face turned comically grave. Or even worse... I might have borrowed a rare herb from the garden of some reclusive old master. Turns out, it was his thousand-year-old tea leaf he'd been nurturing for his evening brew. I can already feel the wrath of a caffeine-deprived cultivator.
Rubbing his chin, Slifer further pondered. And let’s not forget the possibility of a forbidden romance. Did I elope with a celestial fairy from a righteous sect? No, wait, I’m a demonic grandpa. It's more likely that I flirted with the spirit of a cursed artifact and now it wants to tie the knot.
Clearing his throat, he decided it was time to get back on track, 24 hours was not a long time, he could deal with those ‘Essential Memories’ later... well if he lived that long.
"System, I'm ready for my starter pack," he declared confidently. After all, wasn't it common knowledge that every system user was granted a starter pack?
3 Gift packs available Petite Pack Median Marvel Legendary Loot User will receive one at random
Slifer smirked, stretching his limbs as he prepared for his assured fortune. As the main character, my luck has to be unrivaled. There's no way I won't get the Legendary Loot.
He waited with bated breath, almost imagining the treasures he would soon hold. However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the system's next message.
Congratulations! You have received the Petite Pack
Slifer’s jaw dropped, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. "The...Petite Pack?" he stuttered, feeling as though the universe had played a cruel joke on him.
"I'm the protagonist, darn it! Not some side character! And definitely NOT the villain!"