As Tyler's mind detached from reality, a jolting transformation occurred worldwide. Every living being on planet Earth vanished, and Tyler’s body disintegrated into oblivion. The planet underwent a massive terraforming process, rendering it unrecognizable compared to its previous state.
From a cosmic perspective, if one were to observe the planet from space, they would witness land masses materializing out of thin air and merging seamlessly with the Earth's surface, leading to an immense expansion of the landmass.
Even individuals with a much higher understanding of this new reality would be left gasping in astonishment at this extraordinary sight. Despite being acquainted with the Architect's methods of incorporating new realms, witnessing such a spectacle would still be profoundly shocking.
A decade passed, and the universe Tyler had known began to settle, opening the door for humanity to return to the once-familiar planet Earth. This return was necessitated by the monumental transformations that swept across the universe. While remnants of the previous civilization lingered in the form of buildings, Mother Nature had nearly reclaimed every city. Wildlife now held sway, having undergone incredible metamorphoses thanks to the presence of natural Qi in this new atmosphere.
The resurgence of humans rekindled an age-old conflict that had lain dormant long before the transformative event occurred. The world plunged into war, but humans were no longer frail and susceptible this time. Their bodies had developed remarkable resilience, able to withstand bullets, while their newfound magical powers allowed them to soar through the skies, evoking memories of ancient fantasy tales.
Whole continents erupted in flames as colossal cities of the bygone era were reduced to craters, casualties of the immense magical clashes, while fresh forces ascended to dominance.
In this brave new world, the law of the jungle held unchallenged sway for a long time, and over the ensuing centuries, the world splintered into several factions. Humans appeared to age at an astonishingly sluggish pace, able to extend their lifespans for centuries once they embarked on their journey of leveling up and acquiring power.
In time, new generations emerged from these superhumans, and they, too, embarked on the slow and methodical path toward supremacy with help from the System.
However, some faced early obstacles they couldn't overcome, getting stuck before they could progress to the next level. These individuals were known as mortals, as they continued to have a lifespan of just a century, reminiscent of the humans before what was now referred to as the Shattering.
The sole distinction was that these mortals rarely fell ill because the limited Qi they had gathered within their bodies before reaching their bottlenecks possessed remarkable healing qualities. Naturally, they could still be affected by battle injuries, poisons, or curses, but healers and alchemists were readily available to address such issues. It only became a question of how much money one had.
In this new world, some chose to enlist in the ranks of armies or join adventuring guilds, venturing into the hostile planet and willingly embracing the path of conflict to gain levels and enlightenment.
Others pursued the roles of gatherers and crafters, honing their skills into dedicated avenues for acquiring power through their creations. They supported the cultivators at the top of the human race, becoming essential pillars of this complex society.
Even the mightiest of warriors dared not harm the ultimate craftsmen, for such an act could unleash the wrath of all their clientele and expose them to the might of the treasures these artisans had refined over the years.
Numerous religious zealots persisted in believing they had been blessed with divine power from the heavens, striving tirelessly to please their respective gods.
Everyone on the planet, in one way or another, had become a part of a system that had shattered their prior perceptions of the universe. After their return from the tutorial, they referred to it as the Shattering.
This way of life persisted for millennia until, one momentous day, the first Earth-born human had amassed enough strength to break free from the planet's constraints and embark on a journey to explore the universe and its enigmatic hidden realms.
A new paradigm had taken root, with legends emerging from ancient battles and humans perpetually engaged in a cosmic struggle for power against the universe itself.
***
One day, Tyler's eyes slowly opened. The sight before him was the same serene stretch of sea, a constant presence throughout his recent rest period.
He had completely lost track of time and felt as though weeks had slipped by during his meditation. Yet, Tyler felt a sense of contentment as his mind had undergone a profound transformation. It now possessed a greater sense of serenity and awareness of his body than ever before.
He attributed this altered perception of time to the unique meditative state he had entered. Although he had fallen asleep during meditation on previous occasions, it felt... different this time.
During the process of assimilation, his body had disintegrated into nothingness, and his consciousness took center stage as his sole existence. This transition went unnoticed by him, and no one else on earth was privy to it either.
His conscious awareness became the sole remaining facet of Tyler's being. Unbeknownst to him, the assimilation had brought about a fusion of his body and mind with his soul, merging them into a unified whole during his meditative state. This occurrence stemmed from the assimilation's impact on the fabric of reality, inundating it with the profound truths of the universe and all of the laws of its new sovereign and its System—the Architect.
His entire being had escaped into his own reality inside his mind, fueled by his soul and the spark of assimilation, getting him somehow stuck in the liminal spaces between realms. This offered him a unique opportunity by naturally creating this separate space in which to persist.
The unfolding of this event was a direct result of his meditative state and the profound harmony he had achieved between his mind, body, and heart, along with a massive stroke of luck—winning the lottery ten times over, luck.
Although he wasn't the sole individual on Earth capable of entering this meditative state, others were less fortunate. The fusion occurred precisely when he had achieved unity in body and mind.
The enlightenment he experienced, accompanied by the assimilation of the universe, gave rise to an exceptionally rare phenomenon that many individuals might never encounter until much later in their journey towards supremacy: To have your soul tempered by the laws of the universe itself, forming a palace for it to reside in.
Upon regaining awareness of himself, Tyler attempted to awaken, and as if by magic, he departed from the self-constructed world of his mind.
In an instant, his soul was transported back to where he had appeared to meet his demise 10,000 years ago. His body, clothing, and previous imperfections were reconstituted as if the events that had transpired before had never occurred.
The Architect had given individuals like Tyler a share of his power, enabling the extraordinary phenomenon of reconstructing their physical forms. The Architect's primary motivation for assimilating numerous realms into his own was to discover those exceptional individuals who could challenge him, offering a novel experience he had never encountered. Those trapped between realms often presented intriguing avenues for exploration and engagement towards the Grand Dao.
Tyler stood once more in his modest townhouse, nestled within what had once been known as Kingston. As he opened his eyes, his senses were gradually enveloped by the transformed environment.
The air he inhaled felt remarkably invigorating, colors exhibited unprecedented vibrancy, and even his previously impaired eyesight had miraculously restored itself, and he tossed his glasses. Tyler glanced around to observe a tree sprouting from the side of his house. Its windows and walls were also gone, replaced with thick wood.
The domicile was unrecognizable, completely taken over by nature.
Amid processing the shock of his house's state, he sensed anew the fusion of body and mind. Walking about, he could perceive every intricacy of his body.
Inhaling the air, a mysterious energy infused his being with vitality, coursing from his lungs to his heart and permeating his entire body. While he couldn't precisely discern his internal organs, a warm energy flowed in and out of his being. Absorbing this enchanting encounter, Tyler composed his thoughts and ventured outside, arduously squeezing himself through thick roots.
At this point, his gaze fell upon a scene that left him astounded—every house in the vicinity was gone, encroached upon by encircling vegetation. The once smooth asphalt road had been engulfed by rampant weeds, casting an eerily post-apocalyptic atmosphere upon the landscape as he could still see a few cars hoisted up into the trees.
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For hours, Tyler roamed through what was once his familiar neighborhood, now transformed into a verdant forest with traces of the town he once knew, creating a desolate tableau.
Drawing on navigational skills honed during his military service, he attempted to locate the military base where he worked. However, the resurgence of lush forests had rendered the terrain unrecognizable, making navigation challenging.
Amid this surreal environment, he was the sole living presence, surrounded only by the occasional sightings of rabbits, foxes, and squirrels and the continuous singing of birds.
Little did he know how lucky he was to have encountered only these tiny critters.
Eventually, though, he did reach the military installation, or at least what he thought was the old army base, and Tyler entered a trance-like state due to the shock.
It was evident that a colossal battle, dating back countless years, had razed the area to the ground. The terrain grew increasingly rugged as he approached, culminating in a lifeless crater that stretched as far as his eyes could discern.
His consciousness oscillated between absorbing the stark transformation of his surroundings and the captivating sensation of the enigmatic energy coursing within him with each breath.
Continuing his journey southward, Tyler eventually found himself on the shores of Lake Ontario. His vision, however, was obscured by a nearby island that had become overgrown with massive trees resembling sequoias.
Following a trail that he had frequently traversed during his runs, the path led him to the water's edge and toward a vantage point near the historical Fort Henry installation, one of the few military establishments built in the 1800s that was still standing before he arrived here a few hours ago.
After an hour of hiking, he reached a point where the dense treeline gave way to an open field that overlooked what appeared to be another crater where the actual fort once stood. However, this was still a vantage point that afforded him a clear view of Lake Ontario. As he gazed at the crater and lake, he suddenly became captivated by a mesmerizing sight.
Rising majestically from the depths of the vast lake stood an imposing mountain, a completely unexpected sentinel that did not exist before. Its summit appeared to pierce the heavens like a colossal blade, and winding around it was a sinuous rock formation that resembled a Chinese dragon.
With the assistance of scouting techniques, a more detailed inspection would reveal that the entire body of this mountainous serpent was adorned with innumerable residences, a multitude of cities, and a profusion of villages. The higher one ascended, the more opulent and extravagant the surroundings became.
However, from this distance, all Tyler could discern was a colossal mountain that appeared even more massive than Mount Everest itself, without the slightest sign of life.
"What in the fuck happened here?" Tyler muttered to himself.
The landscape bore a certain resemblance to his previous surroundings, though he quickly noticed that what used to be a 15- to 20-minute walk now took him several hours. The trees had all grown to enormous proportions compared to those in a typical Ontario forest, and in place of former military installations were massive craters. It was evident that something utterly devastating must have occurred.
Minutes flew by as he stood in a daze, pondering many questions. Where were his friends and family? Was civilization as he knew it over? What was he supposed to do now? What had happened to him during this time?
Eventually, amidst his pondering, the nearby sounds of a group of humans passing by jolted him out of his daze. Tyler instinctively concealed himself behind a nearby tree, his senses now on high alert, perturbed by the strangeness of the situation he was witnessing.
“What we gathered this time should be enough for us to pay for our cultivation a while longer!” Said a youth in his teens with a giant smile on his face.
“Of course, with Big Brother here, this trip was bound to be easy! No one would dare to hinder our hunt when we have such a strong cultivator with us!” Said another youth. He was obviously boasting to please his brother.
Suddenly, though, Tyler felt a slight breeze pass through his body, making him shiver to his bones. At that moment, the aforementioned big brother snapped his head to the tree Tyler was hiding behind and caused both youths to become alert and draw their blades. The big brother yelled out with a voice that could pierce one’s soul.
“You there, quit hiding behind the tree and come out, or I, Lo Shen, will attack!”
Without being given a second to respond, Tyler's eardrums exploded, and blood gushed out from his ears as he fell on the ground, yelling out in pain before passing out.
“Oh? A mortal is out here in the surrounding territory of the Sword King Mountain? How interesting!! Third brother Xin, go heal this mortal’s injuries and bring him to me.” said Lo Shen.
“Yes, Big Brother!” said the youngest of the trio before rushing towards Tyler and feeding him a low-grade healing pill that slowly repaired the damage to his body.
“Second Brother Tao, send a message to the family using my communication crystal. Inform them of our situation and ask for an elder to come out to escort us as my mission is complete. We’ll be in the city shortly, but with a mortal here, it’s a bit complicated, and we must investigate a bit.” Lo Shen continued.
Like this, the youngest of the Lo family’s brothers threw the unconscious Tyler over his shoulder, and the trio spent an hour retracing back that mortal’s steps. They found that he had come down from an old world’s house reclaimed by nature, but that’s where his tracks disappeared. Tyler remained unconscious that whole time.
Making several complicated hand gestures at the location where the tracks started, Lo Shen frowned more and more. He could not find any more clues as to where this mortal had come from! He was puzzled and on guard, as Lo Shen’s level was extremely high, so there should be nothing he couldn’t trace from a mortal’s steps.
Eventually, they reached the lake once more, and instead of building a boat to traverse the water so they could reach the towering sword mountain, an elder of their family appeared and threw two talismans at the youngest brothers. Lo Shen, able to travel independently, swung his sleeves, and his sword appeared underfoot.
Escorted by an elder of the Lo family, they all began the treacherous voyage back to the mountain over the calm, dangerous waters of Serenity Lake.
***
An entire day went by before Tyler regained consciousness once more, but this time, he was resting on a highly comfortable bed, and to his surprise, he was naked under the covers!
Turning around, he was faced with the youngest of the Lo brothers, who was watching over him.
“Who.. who the fuck are you people?!” Said Tyler in a somewhat frightened tone as he remembered pretty vividly the shout of Lo Shen that caused him to be knocked out instantly.
Taken aback by the mortals' casual speech patterns and the apparent disregard for his elevated status, Lo Xin was plunged into an incredulous affront. A tinge of offense rippled through his being as he infused a subtle undercurrent of Qi into his voice for his response.
"I am Lo Xin, the third among the Lo family siblings and a member of the esteemed Sword Sect's outer disciples. State your name, mortal," the young man replied, his posture straightening with an air of unwavering pride that seemed to emanate from his very bones.
The power resonating within his words was interwoven like a coiled serpent, sending an electric shiver coursing through Tyler's body. Unfortunately, his newly heightened senses only exacerbated the situation, throwing the core of his being into disarray due to the reverberating impact.
Yet, compared to the colossal force of Lo Shen's earthshaking roar, all this appeared minuscule. For a fleeting moment, Tyler turned his focus inward, wrestling back control over his body and reclaiming it from the clutches of the engulfing shock waves.
Taken aback by the response, Tyler's mind whirled as a surge of familiar terms from the countless wuxia novels he had read in the past flashed before his eyes.
Did I just get transported to another world or something?! The bewildering shock caused by a sentence imbued with Qi left Tyler momentarily speechless, much to Lo Xin's delight, who smirked devilishly, reveling in his superiority as a cultivator!
Ignoring for now that he might have been literally iseakai’d into a weird cultivation world, Tyler snapped himself out of his daze and answered the youth with a much calmer tone than before.
“Name’s Tyler Reed. What do you want from me?”
The youth's face stiffened as he seethed angrily at the disrespectful response as this mortal simply shrugged off his Qi-infused voice! This made him mad enough to retaliate and impart a lesson to the ungrateful mortal for saving his life and bringing him to the esteemed Sword King Mountain!
The youth began to slowly gather his Qi to use a technique. However, before he could act, the infirmary door swung open, revealing Lo Shen, his older brother.
A gentle breeze swept through the room as Lo Shen entered, conveying his disapproval towards his younger sibling. The moment the gentle winds reached Lo Xin, the youth's internal energies unraveled, and his technique dissipated before it even appeared, resulting in a slight backlash that caused his eyes to turn bloodshot.
This breeze caused a slight shock to Tyler’s mind as he recalled the sonic boom that followed when he had been knocked unconscious before. But none of that happened as the breeze simply caressed his skin as if trying to calm him down.
“Brother Reed, please excuse my younger brother’s lack of manners here.” Lo Shen said while staring down Lo Xin. “He will be going to fetch you some clothes and some food since your current clothes were somewhat destroyed when we brought you over due to an accident on the way back. Now, let us start over. Like I said before our unfortunate encounter, my name is Lo Shen. I am the elder brother of the two youths you saw before. I am the successor of the Lo family and an inner disciple of the Sword Sect. I’ve overheard that you don’t seem to have a family or sect? Excuse my bluntness if that is the case, but how did you end up here?”
Annoyed at being essentially interrogated, Tyler snapped.
“I’ll ask again, what do you guys want with me? It wasn’t enough that you knocked me unconscious with your voice voodoo; now I’m being interrogated?! Secondly, I’m not your brother, man.”
Somewhat surprised at this mortal’s blunt answer, Lo Shen composed himself before answering politely as if none of this phased him because, honestly, it really did not.
“Apologies, Tyler. It seems we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I meant no harm back in the forest. I was on guard due to certain circumstances and ended up injuring you. To repay that, we brought you to Sword King Mountain and will assign you residence here free of charge until we can figure things out. Furthermore, as we caused the injury, we naturally healed them, which should be more than generous considering your position as a mortal.”
So far, the conversation with Lo Shen seemed odd to Tyler as this young man who looked younger than himself talked like an old, wise elder trying to appease a youth. Thoughts of cultivation novels flashed in his mind again as the gears clicked in his mind…
“I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine. How does that sound?”
Taking a single breath to consider, Lo Shen nodded to Tyler. Remembering how cruel and devious every single cultivation novel Tyler had ever read, he wanted to ask as vague questions as possible.
This sure was one hell of a Rude Awakening from his meditation.