'Ow, damn, it feels like I'm sleeping on the floor... am I on the floor?! Hold on, where am I?! How long was I asleep?!'

Kuya sat up as he grumbled, his growing anxiousness quelling his soreness. A quick look around brought up more questions than answers. The void black room he awoke in was illuminated only by a series of doors glowing in various colors that encircled him. Once he collected his calm, the protagonist trepidly approached a random door to quell his curiosity. He slowly pressed his palm onto a doorway growing green and wrapped in black chains, complete with a thick keylock. A system notification instantly materialized, jump-scaring the daylights out of him in the process.

*ding!*

[This area is currently deemed too difficult for you. Please check back later when your strength has improved.]

'...I think my heart skipped a beat... Anyway, so this door is locked until I'm stronger? How weird... well where am I able to go then?'

Kuya's eyes glazed over the majority of entrances blocked behind lock and key, taking notice on the only exception. He cautiously walked to the white doorway, admiring the view retained inside. An elegant palace stood proud in the center; the gold and precious metals embellished into it glimmering through the white tint the door had. Squinting his eyes, the protagonist even noticed small figures riding swords that occasionally flew by. Entranced by the sight, Kuya placed his hand onto the doorway, causing a few prompts to take up his view entirely.

*ding*

[Genre: Xianxian.]

[A classic fantasy setting in which many from the east take inspiration to craft their stories or get sucked into. This world is filled with tonnes of variety; from magical beasts roaming the lands, demons and ghosts wrecking havoc, heavy religious influence, and of course cultivation towards new heights.]

A glimmer sparked in Kuya's eyes as he read nothing but the description. The moment he finished the last sentence, he ignored the rest of the pop-ups and shot his arm out towards the white entrance with a firm desire.

'This is exactly what I've daydreamed of for so long! I can finally experience what it's like to be in those novels! Yes, yes, yes, let me in right now!'

As if acknowledging his desperate request, the door "opened". Although nothing changed visually, Kuya had begun to feel a light pull towards the doorway; like a small breeze urging him forward. The suction strength quickly ramped up, going from a mild tug to a violent yank as it grabbing hold and pulled him in through the door. The moment he crossed the doorway, the feeling of falling weightlessness overwhelmed him. Nausea followed next, finalized with the urge to faint washing over as his consciousness faded away.

--------------------------

'...where am I this time? Probably the floor again. Why do I feel the need to say that I've transmigrated? And why are there so many System message floating in front of me? Oh, they're probably from earlier...'

Ahead of him were a series of notifications that hovered patiently to be read. The protagonist got comfortable on the floor as he started reading the first few messages.

[Welcome to the World: Xianxia. Reminder that this world's settings have been increased fittingly to the genre.]

[Coincidentiallity* has increased to 5,000%]

[*Coincidentiallity is how much fate has been adjusted to make more entertaining tales.]

'...huh? What's 'Coincidentiallity'?! I still don't understand, even with the definition. And what's that taste? It feels like dirt and something really... bitter?'

Kuya got up from the ground, unconsciously licking his dry lips. He quickly noticed the dirt in his mouth and spat it out in disgust, fresh earth, spit, and a whitish-brown chunk of... something flying out. Scrunching his eyebrows in confusion, he bent over to get a better look. Right beside the chunk was a similarly colored stub that stuck out of the ground, albeit with a bite mark out of it.

Putting two and two together, Kuya both pocketed the chunk and plucked the bitten stub out of the ground for a better look. It was a large, long, crooked looking vegetable with roots that horrifically twisted and twined in every direction. Kuya would've thought it was dangerous if not for the calming "heat" it emitted. He sighed in satisfaction as he titled his head and squinted at the thing quizzically.

'It feels hot, but it doesn't burn. What an odd feeling... what on Earth is this? At least it feels good, my head is starting to feel better. Maybe I can understand what the System is trying to tell me.'

The protagonist pressed his fresh harvest to his chest and relaxed as he read the rest of the System pop-ups.

[Plot Progression Speed*: ×5]

[*Plot Progression Speed is how quickly events happen between each other. The higher the number, the less down-time there is.]

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Before he could either intake any more energy or comprehend the pop-up, the rustling of bushes and a conversation from close by grabbed his attention.

"...this should be where the 10,000 year old ginseng grows! Now we just have to bring the herb back to him, then we may bask in incredible rewards!"

'Oh, expired ginseng, that's what this thing is. Rewards sounds good, I like rewards. Maybe I can talk to them and we can share the-'

"Yes, Qiang Li, that's why we must execute anyone that finds it first, to keep a bigger share of rewards..."

'...oh. I see. I need to get out of he-'

"Don't worry, I 'convinced' a commoner to tell me where the village's secret sacred treasure was at: the top of this cliff! We've taken the shortcut, so nobody else could possibly be here before us-"

The shrubbery surrounding the area parted ways by a single blade slice, allowing the two parties to meet each other. Kuya eyed the two young men his age wearing robes and wielding their swords gawk at him. The two teenagers wordlessly stared at the strangely dressed person holding an uprooted ginseng in his hands that was about to flee. The surprise stare-down lingered until one of the two boys gave a smirk to his comrade.

"Hmph, 'anyone that finds it first', was what you said?"

"Heh heh, you just want all the fun. Go ahead, but go easy on the poor fellow. He's probably a priest from the village considering his strange attire. Tsk tsk, he has no idea what he's gotten into..."

"Hiya... wrong place, wrong time. Poor guy."

'...whuddufuq?'

With a twisted chuckle, one of the troublemakers pierced his sword into the ground and cracked his knuckles while the other crossed their arms and leaned on a nearby tree. The boy then tapped his foot onto the ground and disappeared. The aggressor reappeared in front of Kuya, fist in the air already swinging towards him before he could process a thing. His body reflexively dodged, with the attack barely grazing his chest. Despite that, the protagonist flew several feet backwards from the impact, groaning in pain as he crashed into a nearby tree.

He struggled to his feet, much to the joy of his enemies. Before he could do a thing, another fist flew towards his body. Kuya could barely block fast enough with his arm, which absorb all the damage and shattered in the process. He screamed in pain as he got launched into the air and crashed to the floor, cradling the wild ginseng protectively in his arms. The protagonist grit his teeth as he regret his decisions.

'Holy fucking SHIT, this hurts like hell. I don't want to be here anymore. Damn it, I can't beat these guys, but I can't run away. What do I do?!'

"Heh, so weak, as if crushing dry grass and smashing rotten wood. I've had enough fun, so hand over the ginseng and I shall give you the benefit of dying painlessly."

'The ginseng seems important to them, maybe I can utilize that...'

The two boys approached their prey with twisted smiles, weapons pointed towards Kuya. The protagonist shakily got to his feet, with the entire ginseng hovering above his open mouth. The smiles snapped into ones of rage at the reveal.

"Y-you dare defy us?! Put that down now befor-"

"Schut up. Ihf you tryh tho attak mhe, Ih'll eat tish ginseng."

Bloodlust in their eyes and doubt in their minds, they took a step towards Kuya. He responded by slowly biting down into the ginseng, a thick wave of energy burst out as a result. Rage turned to fear as they realized the "priest" was being serious. They begun poorly whispering the game-plan to each other.

"Brother Tang, can't we just behead him and take the ginseng?"

"No you idiot, we're only in the second stage of cultivation. We're too slow to instantly behead him, he'd see us move to dash and take a bite. Ginseng of that age gets absorbed by the body near instantly too, so we couldn't salvage it even if we kill him. He isn't eating it right since he knows it's the only thing keeping him alive. Let's just wait for a better opportunity, he can't keep that plant in his mouth the entire time."

The two looked at Kuya with sly eyes as they waited for his move. Sensing the temporary stalemate, Kuya gave more instructions as he backed up into the shrubs behind him.

"Ih'm ghonna goh intho theze boushes, ahnd yhou'll lheafe me alohne. Dohn't follohw me-"

The moment Kuya stepped into the shrub, he felt the now familiar feeling of weightlessness. His screams that faded away confounded the two hotheaded teens.

"Did he forget that he was on a cliff?"

"He might be stupid."

Before Kuya hit the floor, one last thing flashed before his eyes.

[Goal: Survive for 24 hours.]