Zane was feeling peaceful, lost in a deep dream. Everything felt calm and warm, as if he were floating in a quiet world.
But one day, a familiar figure of a sexy woman with green eyes and black hair appeared in his dream, it was Maya.
"Save me, Zane!" she cried desperately.
Zane's eyes widened. Maya looked terrified, her body trembling as if she were trapped in something beyond her control. Then, a cold, mocking laughter echoed through the dream.
Then a woman who had brown hair and black eyes said, "Hahaha… Zane… You can't save her."
"Diana."
Zane's heart pounded as Diana's sinister voice filled his mind. Maya's green eyes darkened, and before he could react, Diana raised a weapon and fired.
Bang!
A sharp pain shot through him. He gasped, struggling to move, but his body wouldn't respond.
Suddenly, everything went dark.
Zane's consciousness stirred. He wasn't dreaming anymore. He was awake… but something was wrong.
His body felt trapped, wrapped in warmth, yet restricted. He tried to open his eyes, but it was impossible.
Where… am I?
He attempted to move his arms, but they wouldn't move. Then he tried his legs, but the result was the same—he couldn't move them either.
Panic set in. He could feel himself breathing, but he was enclosed in something soft, yet tight.
I have to get out!
He struggled, pushing against the strange walls surrounding him. But they wouldn't budge. His instincts kicked in, and before he knew it, his mouth opened and started eating down the thing which was blocking his path.
A strange texture filled his mouth. He swallowed it, and for some reason, more of it kept coming. He kept eating, over and over, feeling full, but his path remained blocked.
But he didn't stop.
After what felt like hours, a sudden shift occurred.
The blockage that had been stopping him shifted around his legs and pushed him forward, sliding away.
With a final push, he was thrown out.
Zane landed on something soft. His small body trembled as he gasped for breath.
He felt… strange. His muscles were weak. His body was covered in a warm, sticky substance, but within seconds, it vanished, replaced by a cool, refreshing sensation.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Bright golden light flooded his vision.
"Aah… Aha… Aho..."
Strange sounds escaped his lips. His own voice felt unfamiliar, softer, weaker.
As his blurry vision adjusted, he saw a figure in front of him—a woman.
A beautiful woman with long, flowing purple hair, sitting in a meditative posture. Her naked figure radiated a faint purple glow, her skin flawless, her features serene.
Zane had never seen someone like her before.
Who is she? And why is she meditating?
His gaze moved around, trying to take in his surroundings. He noticed a golden, translucent barrier enclosing them. It shimmered, like a protective shield.
His heart pounded. He tried to speak, but only soft, baby-like sounds came out.
What's happening? Why can't I talk?!
Confused, he tried to rub his eyes, but the moment he lifted his hands, he was shocked.
His fingers were tiny. His arms… short and chubby.
What… What is this?!
He looked down at his body. His limbs were small. His skin was soft.
His breathing quickened.
No… no way…
A terrifying realization crept into his mind.
He was in a baby's body.
What is happening?!
Zean's mind raced in confusion.
Didn't I die when Diana shot me? Why am I still alive? And… why am I in a baby's body?!
His golden eyes darted toward the beautiful, naked woman still meditating in front of him.
Is she… my mother? But why is she meditating? And what's that golden, translucent barrier around us? Some kind of magic? Is this real… or am I still dreaming?
Everything felt too vivid, too detailed to be just a dream. He looked around the room for more clues.
The room was spacious, but not overly luxurious. The walls were made of solid rock and brick, their surfaces smooth yet showing signs of age.
Intricate paintings and calligraphy scrolls hung on the walls, depicting ancient landscapes, celestial beings, and mystical symbols.
The air carried a faint scent of burning incense, its source a small, ornately carved incense burner resting in the corner.
The bed was covered in soft, dark-colored silk sheets, slightly wrinkled, with a thin but high-quality blanket folded neatly at the side.
A single wooden table stood near the bed, holding a ceramic teapot and two cups, along with a few unlit candles.
Everything about the room gave off a simple yet refined, showing wealth but not extreme luxury.
Suddenly—
"Corrupted System is activating..."
A voice echoed in his mind.
Zane froze. Who said that?!
Stolen story; please report.
His eyes widened as he looked around. Other than the meditating woman, there was no one else in the room.
"Hello?! Who's talking?!" He tried to speak, but only baby-like sounds came out.
Before he could process it, something dark purple and translucent appeared in front of him, a floating screen!
It flickered like an old, unstable hologram, its words slightly distorted. At the top, large glowing letters read:
CORRUPTED SYSTEM
Below that, a loading bar was filling up:
[Loading: 5%…]
[Loading: 10%…]
A thin, flickering line slowly moved across the screen, similar to a game loading screen.
Zanw's breath caught in his throat.
"A… system?! Like in games?!"
His instincts kicked in, and he reached out to touch it, but his tiny hands passed right through.
It's not physical?
The loading continued. 15%… 25%… 50%…
Each second felt like an eternity.
Finally, after five minutes, the bar hit 100%.
[System Successfully Loaded]
A new screen appeared, displaying information:
---
CORRUPTED SYSTEM
Name: Zean (Changeable)
Age: 0/20
Cultivation: None
Skills: None
System Features:
- Corrupts every technique, cultivation method, and skill host practices
- Prevents all harmful side effects of corrupted techniques
- Corrupted techniques are more lethal but are weak against Divine techniques
Missions:
Main Mission: Find and capture the lost system assistant and return it to the system.
Reward: Unlock additional system features + obtain System Assistant
Temporary (Once-in-a-Lifetime) Mission: Join a sect
Reward: Gain a Corrupted Divine Body related to the sect chosen.
---
As Zane read through the details on the floating screen, he immediately noticed something.
His name was the same as his previous life, but there was an option to change it.
Changeable? Why would I need to change my name? Am I supposed to start a new identity?
Then, his eyes moved to the age section.
Age: 0/20
He frowned.
Zero makes sense since I'm a baby… but what does 20 mean? Does it mean I'll only live for 20 years?
A chill ran down his spine.
That's way too short! What kind of messed-up system is this?!
He tried complaining.
"Hey, System! Why is my lifespan only 20 years?!"
But… no response.
A deep frown settled on his face.
So, it only talks when it wants to? Useless.
He sighed and moved on, reading the Cultivation section.
Cultivation: None
His brows furrowed.
Cultivation? Isn't that a farming term? Does this thing want me to become a farmer?!
That didn't make sense. But since there was no explanation, he couldn't understand it right now.
Skills: None
Skills…? Like combat skills? Do farmer's need skills, probably farming related skills?
The more he read, the more confused he became.
With a deep sigh, he moved on to the next section:
---
System Features:
- Corrupts every technique, cultivation method, and skill host practices
- Prevents all harmful side effects of corrupted techniques
- Corrupted techniques are more lethal but weak against Divine techniques
---
Zane read it twice, then a third time.
His expression darkened.
The hell is this system even talking about?
Corrupt every technique? So, it makes everything I learn… what? Evil? Tainted? Twisted?
And what's this about techniques being more lethal but having a weakness against Divine techniques.
He felt like he was reading a game description in a language he barely understood.
Zane slapped his own cheek.
Slap!
A sharp sting spread across his skin.
His eyes widened.
"Ow. Okay, this is definitely not a game. That hurt."
He sighed again.
Damn it… I wish I played more games in my past life. Maybe I'd understand all these weird terms better.
But he never had time for things like games or entertainment.
His entire life had been spent fighting, killing, training, and sleeping with women. That was all he knew.
And now, he was stuck in a world with a lifespan of 20 years and a Cultivation system.
Great. Just great.
He continued reading.
Missions:
Main Mission: Find and capture the lost system assistant and return it to the system.
Reward: Unlock additional system features + obtain System Assistant
Zane's eyes narrowed.
So the system isn't talking because its assistant is missing? The assistant is the one who normally does the talking?
That means… once I find it, I can actually ask questions.
That made sense.
This system assistant must be like an advanced AI…
That realization made him feel slightly relieved. At least once he completed this mission, he could start getting some real answers.
Then, his eyes moved to the Temporary Mission.
Temporary (Once-in-a-Lifetime) Mission: Join a sec
Reward: Gain a Corrupted Divine Body related to the sect chosen.
Zane frowned.
"Sects? What the hell is that? Is it like a gang?"
And divine body?
"That sounds powerful, but what does it actually do?"
His head was starting to hurt.
Everything in this world was completely foreign to him.
He didn't understand this system or what was happening. Probably 'cultivation' means something different here…
Then, he looked at the woman.
Only this naked lady, who is probably my mother, can answer my questions. And what's that purple energy surrounding her?
Let's wait until she comes out of meditation.
After a few minutes, the woman in front of him opened her beautiful purple eyes.
The moment she did, a small, dagger-like sword made of pure purple energy formed at her fingertip.
Without hesitation, she placed it against his tiny neck.
Zane froze.
Is she doubting that I'm not a normal baby because I didn't cry?
Let's give a fake cry to survive.
"Ahh… Waaahh… Aha… Waaahh!"
His weak baby cries filled the air.
Seeing him cry, the woman hesitated for a moment before withdrawing the sword.
Though it had only been there for a second, Zane still felt a sharp sting on his neck. Instinctively, he reached up with his tiny hands, rubbing the spot.
"What the hell?! That was painful!"
His mind raced.
"How did she even make a sword out of thin air?! Someone please explain!"
And despite being unbelievably beautiful, why was she so violent?!
He watched as the woman started mumbling in a strange language, her voice calm yet unreadable.
Then, she placed a glowing jade pendant against his neck. Zane flinched but felt nothing.
Afterward, she stood up and put on her clothes, which looked somewhat like ancient Japanese or maybe Chinese robes.
Zane's baby hands shot up to cover his eyes.
"Don't look! She's my mother! I can't get horny in a baby's body!"
Trying to shake off his thoughts, his attention shifted back to her actions.
His eyes widened in shock.
With a flick of her hand, she gathered the scattered white crystals from the ground and stored them into her ring.
Then, with another simple motion, the golden translucent barrier around them disappeared—vanishing into the small ring on her finger.
"Wait… WHAT?! How did she do that?! A whole barrier just disappeared into her ring?! Is that some kind of storage space?!" He mumbled.
Realization hit him.
Am I in a magical world? Does 'cultivation' mean becoming a magical being? If I train, can I also produce swords with my fingers?
His mind spun.
No wonder she looked fine after giving birth. On Earth, women take days to recover, but through meditation, she absorbed the energy of those stones and healed instantly!
He clenched his tiny fists.
I need to try this!
Closing his eyes, he focused. He tried to mimic what she had done, emptying his mind, sensing the energy around him, waiting for some mysterious power to flow into his body.
...
Nothing happened.
Minutes passed, but there was no change.
Zane sighed in frustration.
Damn it. I guess it's not that easy.
As he opened his eyes, he noticed the woman placing a bag beside him. It came out of that mysterious ring, making him even more shocked.
Then, with a wave of her hand, she used purple energy to write something on the wooden table from a distance.
His jaw nearly dropped.
She can write from far away using energy?! So this is cultivation… I want to do something like that too!
But before he could process everything, the woman suddenly turned, walked toward the window—
And jumped.
Zane's heart nearly stopped.
But instead of falling—
She flew.
Straight into the sky.
His tiny mouth hung open in disbelief.
They can FLY too?! Just how powerful are cultivators?!
But as awe turned to realization, another thought hit him like a rock.
Wait… Why is she leaving me here?!
His gaze darted toward the money bag and the mysterious text on the table.
Did she abandon me?! He said in baby voice so that's why she wanted to kill me and hearing her babies cry she stopped.
"Did she abandon me?!" he mumbled in a weak baby voice.
"Is that why she wanted to kill me? But hearing her baby cry, she stopped…?"
A bitter laugh formed in his mind.
"Am I some bastard child she had from an affair, so she left me here?"
For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt a strange sadness.
Being born as a bastard really feels different...
But then—
Wait… Who's going to feed me?!
His baby stomach wasn't growling yet, but he knew that newborns needed food every few hours.
I hope whoever she left that message for comes quickly… or I'm screwed.
Hours passed, and no one came. Other than the sunlight streaming through the windows, nothing changed.
Zane was bored. The only thing he could do was stare at the room. His stomach still didn't growl, but an unbearable emptiness spread through his body.
He tried to move, but his tiny limbs were too weak. He could only shift his head slightly.
Am I really going to die like this? Just because no one is here to feed me?
His thoughts grew hazy, and his eyelids drooped as exhaustion took over.
Just as he was about to drift into sleep, something inside him stirred. A strange warmth spread through his body, calming his hunger.
Without knowing how, his body instinctively went into a deep, tranquil state. His breathing slowed, and his tiny chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.
At first, he felt nothing but peace. Then, an invisible energy from the air around him slowly flowed into his body. It was soft, soothing, like a gentle warmth spreading through his veins.
It felt good.
But that peaceful sensation didn't last long.
The lingering white energy left behind by the spiritual stones was almost gone. As soon as it ran out, his body instinctively searched for another source.
Then—
A sharp pain tore through him.
"Ahhh! Aahhh!"
His tiny body convulsed, his soft skin turning red as something wild and violent rushed into his veins.
The energy in this region was harsh burning, scorching, unrefined. Unlike the gentle energy from spiritual stones, this was the raw energy of the environment itself.
Zane's peaceful state shattered, replaced by unbearable agony.
Zane's small face twisted in pain, his tiny hands clenching into weak fists. His golden eyes, filled with distress, welled up with tears as his body trembled.
His body stopped absorbing the energy.
The pain was fading, but the memory of it made his body tense. He didn't want to go through that again.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I was feeling hungry, then I closed my eyes, and my body… just did something on its own.
He recalled how good it had felt at first, how a warm energy had filled him, soothing his hunger. But then, out of nowhere, the pain had hit him like fire coursing through his veins.
"What changed? Why did it suddenly hurt?"
Then, a realization struck him.
"Is this what my mother was doing when she was meditating? Was she absorbing energy like this? But… she wasn't in pain."
Zane's eyes darted around the room, searching for answers. He thought about the white crystals which his mother had stored in her ring, which emitted a faint white mist.
But now, the mist is gone. Most of it had disappeared over the past hours, and the last traces had likely been absorbed by him.
Realization struck, and frustration welled up inside him.
"Damn it, Mother! You could've at least left me some crystals! Do you really want me to die here?!"
His tiny face twisted in frustration, his golden eyes slightly teary. A helpless anger bubbled inside him. He wanted to scream, to shout, but all that came out were weak baby noises.
He clenched his tiny fists, but his body was too weak to do anything.
—————
After some hours…
Inside the inn, the manager, Luo Han, a middle-aged man with short black hair, a round face, and dark brown eyes, sat behind the counter. He glanced at the stairs leading to the VIP rooms and turned to one of his workers.
"Xiao Rui, did that guest ask for food? It's already night. If not, go check and take their order."
Xiao Rui, a tall young man with short, messy brown hair and gray eyes, nodded. He wore a simple beige tunic, the standard uniform for workers at Blazing Ember Inn.
"Understood, Boss," he replied.
Xiao Rui was just an ordinary staff member, earning 10 silver coins a month, along with food and lodging. He had grown up in Scorchwind City, a place surrounded by dangerous lands filled with monsters.
Leaving the city wasn't easy. The only safe way out was with merchant caravans, which arrived once a month, or having a talent for cultivation.
However, the caravans charged one gold coin per person, guaranteeing protection along the way. As for cultivation, he had no talent for it.
For years, he had dreamed of leaving with his wife and starting a better life elsewhere. Today, he had earned 1 gold coin from an important guest. If he could get just one more, he could finally leave this city.
This VIP guest would be the key to his leaving this city.
With that hope in mind, he climbed the stairs and knocked gently on the door.
"Honoured guest, do you wish to order food? just let me know what you need."