"Chapter 1: Genesis

""Genesis?""

In a small, cluttered room, Liu Tian lay on his bed, a half-finished bottle of soda resting by his pillow.

Just waking up, he squinted against the glare reflecting off the card pressed against his face. He could barely make out the two characters printed on it.

He pinched his cheek. It hurt. Definitely not a dream.

His bleary confusion sharpened into shock, then erupted into exhilaration.

""Holy shit!""

He bolted upright, accidentally brushing against the card in the process.

The next instant.

voice sounded in Liu Tian’s ears.

[Invitation activated.]

[Binding identity…]

[Binding successful.]

[Congratulations, Liu Tian. You have become a Player of Genesis.]

[Ascend to immortality. Descend into madness. Walk the carefree path of chivalry. Weave cloth in mountain fields. Infinite possibilities. All lie within a single thought.]

[Genesis is currently in closed beta. You must select a carrier as an anchor point.]

""This… is for real?""

Who hadn’t dreamed of being the protagonist?

But when destiny actually knocks, even an immortal would need a moment to process it.

It took Liu Tian two minutes to fully wake up. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, checking for a fever.

Nope. No fever.

He grabbed his fully-charged phone beside him. As expected, a prompt appeared.

[Confirm anchor point?]

""Yes.""

[Anchor point confirmed successfully.]

The voice vanished.

""No tutorial? Not even an explanation?""

Liu Tian felt a bit short-changed.

He unlocked the phone. A new icon now sat on the screen. An ancient landscape served as the backdrop, emblazoned with the bold characters: Genesis.

""Alright."" He took a deep breath and tapped the icon.

The screen plunged into total darkness. One or two seconds later.

[Please choose character creation method: True Self / Random.]

[True Self: Create a character replica mirroring your real physical status.]

[Random: Generate a character with completely random attributes.]

Liu Tian glanced down at his own less-than-impressive physique. He wasn’t a gambler.

But as a standard, out-of-shape young adult, choosing ‘True Self’ seemed like signing up for punishment.

""Random. Lady Luck owes me one, right? Can’t be that bad.""

He tapped lightly.

The dark options faded, replaced by a swirling vortex.

Slowly, a stat panel materialized.

[Name: Liu Tian.] (Can be changed once.)

[Age: 18.]

[Gender: Male.]

[Level: 0 (0%)]

[State: Fragile.]

[Health: 100/100]

[Inner Energy: 0/0]

[Arm Strength: 10 (Attack, Carrying Capacity, etc.)]

[Agility: 5 (Speed, Evasion, etc.)]

[Physique: 10 (Defense, Health, etc.)]

[Insight: 8 (Comprehension, Technique Mastery Speed, etc.)]

[Cultivation Arts: None.]

[Note: Max single attribute for Random generation is 10.]

His hand trembled slightly as he reached the end.

Two stats maxed out. One at 8. The lowest was only 5.

This was practically a god-tier starter roll.

[Begin the Game? Y/N]

Begin.

He tapped 'Yes' without hesitation.

Color flooded the screen. First, a sprawling continent.

Then, glimpses of vast mountain ranges and winding rivers teeming with birds and beasts. Birdsong drifted audibly into his ears. The panoramic view suddenly slowed, the perspective descending.

From mountain ranges to a single peak, then to individual trees and a dirt path winding through them.

And standing on that path, a massively built, powerfully built man.

The introduction ended.

Several prompts popped up on the screen:

[Starter Pack distributed. Available in inventory.]

[Detected Player's initial Arm Strength at 10 points. Arm Strength Pack awarded.]

[Detected Player's initial Physique at 10 points. Physique Pack awarded.]

Icons also appeared: a directional pad, a status bar, a stats screen, and a backpack.

Liu Tian went straight to the backpack: ten slots. The first three held the packs. He opened them one by one.

[Starter Pack opened.]

[Received: 200 copper coins, One Travel Permit, One Map, Three portions of dry rations.]

[Arm Strength Pack opened.]

[Received: Treasured Item · Tiger-Dragon Fruit (Consume to permanently increase Arm Strength by +5).]

[Physique Pack opened.]

[Received: Special Cultivation Art · Iron Bone (Three Tiers Total).]

The coins were automatically added to his purse total.

The Travel Permit (an ancient ID) and Map were self-explanatory. Opening the map revealed his location: a short walk down the path led to a village called Ox Ridge.

The dry rations' description stated one portion could sustain him for a day.

The Treasured Tiger-Dragon Fruit – bonus Arm Strength. Perfect.

He tapped ‘Consume’ immediately.

On the screen, the burly character produced the glowing fruit from nowhere and devoured it.

[Treasured Tiger-Dragon Fruit consumed.]

[Arm Strength +5.]

Finally, he tapped the lone Cultivation Art manual.

[Cultivation Art: Iron Bone.]

[Type: Hardened Skin Practice]

[Grade: Special]

[Tiers: 3]

[Effect: Permanent +1 Physique per tier. Enhances physical condition during cultivation.]

[Requirement to Practice: 10 Physique.]

[Study now? Y/N]

[Estimated Study Time: 1.5 hours (real-time).]

Three hours? That killed any immediate urge to study.

""Better head to the village first. Scope things out.""

He placed his finger on the directional pad and slid it forward. The character started walking. Sliding further prompted the character to run.

Liu Tian expected stamina depletion, but the character ran all the way to the entrance of Ox Ridge Village without slowing down. Only his satiety gauge dipped slightly.

[You have entered Ox Ridge Village.]

He guided the character inside. The immersive perspective and staggering graphics transformed the tiny screen into a window straight into ancient times.

Including the wary glances from the villagers. He saw a woman pull her child away.

Liu Tian thought it over. Starting a new game meant securing a safe rest area was top priority. Ox Ridge was his only nearby option. Venturing elsewhere blindly seemed too risky – the death penalty was still unknown.

He tried to find someone to ask for directions to the village elder. He spotted a dialog button, assuming proximity would trigger conversation.

He targeted a young villager. But after taking two steps towards him…

The young man scurried away like a startled mouse. His flight caused others nearby to scatter too.

Liu Tian: ""…""

Okay, his character was tall, imposing, and maybe not conventionally handsome. But this reaction felt excessive.

Resigned, he walked deeper into the village. Soon enough, an elderly man emerged, leading a group.

As the old man spoke, dialog text appeared:

[I am the Elder of Ox Ridge. What brings you to our village?]

Liu Tian typed rapidly:

[I wish to rent a dwelling here to rest for a few days.]

(Attached Travel Permit)

Though Liu Tian couldn’t read the permit’s text, the character presented it. The Elder’s expression visibly softened.

[Very well. Several dwellings stand empty. I will take you to choose one.]

The Elder said something to the villagers behind him, then guided the character to the edge of the village. He pointed to a small, simple hut, offering it for temporary lodging."