The echoes of Alex's agonized cries reverberated through the cave for what felt like hours. As the pain gradually subsided, allowing him to catch his breath between diminishing waves, the disembodied voice returned.

"Good. You survived."

"Survived?" Alex panted, his voice hoarse.

"Yes. Your first trial was to endure the transformation of your body," the voice replied with a chilling lack of emotion.

"What... are you talking about?" Alex gritted his teeth as another surge of pain rolled through him.

"When you crossed into this world, your body began to adapt," the voice explained. "You come from a realm with an exceptionally low qi density. Here, the air is saturated with it. Your body was unprepared and had to change."

"Qi? Other worlds?" Alex muttered, struggling to understand. "What does this even mean? And who—where—are you?"

With a weary sigh, a flicker of light appeared a few feet away. Slowly, it coalesced into the translucent form of an old man, his skin an ashen gray, his presence weighty despite his spectral appearance.

"I detest explaining things repeatedly," the figure said.

Alex's eyes widened. "You're a ghost!" He staggered to his feet, only to collapse again as fresh pain coursed through his body.

"No, I am not a ghost," the man said, exhaling as though exhausted by Alex's assumptions. "I am a fragment of a soul, left behind at the behest of a friend. I am here to guide you."

"A friend?" Alex rasped, still trembling.

"Yes. The one who left me behind anticipated that another traveler from your world would arrive one day. To ensure you wouldn't be lost, they entrusted me with the task of aiding you. Now listen carefully. To survive here, you must pass three trials."

The man gestured to a black book resting on a pedestal of stone at the far end of the cave. "The first trial, which you are nearly through, is adapting your body to absorb qi. The second is mastering the technique contained in that book. It will enable you to leave this cave. And the third," he said, his voice dropping ominously, "is surviving the forest you came from."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Wait! What?!" Alex exclaimed, his mind racing. "What is all this? Qi? Trials? This isn't real!"

"Open your eyes, and feel," the soul fragment said calmly. "Now that your body has nearly adapted, can you not perceive the difference?"

Alex blinked and glanced around. The once-dark cave now seemed dimly illuminated, though no obvious light source was visible. He could feel an energy in the air—a subtle, electrifying hum.

"You sense it," the old man said, his voice softening. "That is qi: the energy that permeates all life, all existence. But I will leave further explanations for another time—if we meet again."

"If?" Alex asked, still bewildered. "Aren't you already dead?"

"No," the figure replied. "This fragment is but a shadow of my existence, and its energy is nearly depleted."

As the old man began to fade, Alex struggled to his feet and stumbled toward the black book. Its surface shimmered faintly as he touched it, and an overwhelming rush of knowledge surged into his mind. He gasped as new understanding took root—an instinctive grasp of qi, how to absorb it, and how to use it. Concepts like cultivation realms and energy manipulation, which moments before would have seemed absurd, now felt as natural as breathing.

When he opened his eyes, a faint purple glow flickered in his irises before vanishing.

"This is... incredible," Alex whispered.

With renewed determination, he ventured into the dark tunnel leading deeper into the cave. Not long after, he encountered an invisible barrier. Beside it, glowing text appeared:

Take the first step on the path, and you shall pass.

Alex understood. To proceed, he had to begin cultivating. Settling down cross-legged before the barrier, he focused on the technique imparted by the book. Drawing the ambient energy into his body, he guided it as instructed, forming a core within himself.

Hours passed as he meditated, his body gradually stabilizing with the influx of qi. When he finally opened his eyes, they briefly shimmered purple again.

"I’ve done it," he breathed, a grin spreading across his face.

The barrier dissolved, its energy flowing into him, strengthening his newfound core. He marveled at the transformation—his body felt stronger, his senses sharper. Even his slight beer belly seemed to have diminished, revealing the faint outlines of his long-lost abs.

As he approached the cave's exit, another inscription glowed to life on the stone:

Grow stronger and find me—Storm.

"Storm?" Alex murmured, his brow furrowing. "That’s... my name. But it can’t be."

Shaking his head, he stepped through the final barrier, emerging into the forest once more. The sunlight streamed down through the canopy, and yet the world felt different.

Everything had changed. And his journey was only beginning.