Rain poured hard over the slums of Low End. The streets were dirty and flooded, filled with trash and the smell of rot. In the middle of a muddy alley, a boy lay face down, bleeding and bruised.
His name was Kael.
His left eye was swollen shut. His ribs hurt with every breath. He had just been beaten by Jarek and his gang again. Kael had tried to fight back, but they were stronger, better fed, and cruel. They laughed as they kicked him.
"You think you'll ever be a cultivator?" Jarek had sneered. "You don't even have a spirit root! You're trash!"
They took the only thing Kael owned — a cracked jade token he found in a junk pile. He hoped it could get him into a small sect. That hope was gone now.
Kael slowly pushed himself off the ground. His hands shook. He was cold, wet, and tired. Sixteen years old, but he felt like an old man. His clothes were torn. His face was cut. But the pain wasn't what hurt the most.
It was the truth.
Just a week ago, Kael had seen an old healer who checked him for a spirit root.
The healer shook his head.
"Sorry, kid. You don't have one. No root means you can't gather Qi. No Qi, no cultivation. You'll never be a cultivator."
In this world, if you couldn't cultivate, you were nothing. Cultivators had power, money, respect. They could fly through the air, fight with energy, and live longer than normal people.
Kael had always dreamed of becoming one. Now, that dream was dead.
He wandered through the alley, limping. He didn't know where to go. The old smithy he used to sleep in was probably taken over by others. He had no food, no friends, and no future.
Then something caught his eye.
In a corner under some broken crates, something was glowing. A strange light, red and white, flickering like a heartbeat. It didn't look like fire or lantern light. It was something... different.
Kael moved closer. His body hurt, but curiosity pushed him forward. He pulled away the crates and found a strange piece of glass. It was smooth and warm, and glowing with strange letters.
He reached out and touched it.
Suddenly, the glass melted into smoke and sank into his hand.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
Kael jumped back, heart pounding.
[ERROR: NO SPIRIT ROOT DETECTED]
[OVERRIDE ENGAGED]
[HYBRID ASCENSION PROTOCOL v0.1 — ACTIVATED]
Pain exploded through his body.
He screamed and fell to the ground. It felt like fire was running through his blood. His skin burned. Symbols glowed on his arms for a moment, then vanished. His head felt like it was going to split open.
Then it stopped.
Everything became quiet again.
A glowing screen floated in front of his eyes. He gasped.
> [USER: KAEL]
[CORE STATUS: NULL]
[SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY: 23% – UNSTABLE]
[SYNCHRONIZATION: PARTIAL]
[ACCESS GRANTED]
Kael's hands trembled. He had heard stories about people who used strange "systems" — not normal cultivators, but users of ancient tools left by powerful beings. These people gained power by using stats, skills, and leveling up.
But those were just rumors. Right?
Yet here it was. Real. In front of him.
And it had chosen him.
Another screen opened.
STATS
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 6
Willpower: 7
Soul: ? (Unknown)
There were no skills yet. No items. No points to spend.
But it was something.
Kael stared at the screen, his heart beating faster now—not from fear, but from hope. Maybe he couldn't cultivate the normal way, but this system… maybe it was a different path.
Suddenly, the screen flashed red.
> [DUNGEON DETECTED: RANK F – "SEWER MAW NEST"]
[QUEST STARTED: SURVIVE OR DIE]
The wall beside him glowed. A portal opened, swirling with energy. A gate to somewhere else.
Kael stared at it.
He could turn back. Walk away. But back to what? Misery? Weakness?
This was dangerous. He could die. But it was also a chance.
And Kael had nothing left to lose.
He looked at the portal one more time, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
"I don't have a spirit root," he said quietly, "but I'm not done yet."
He walked into the light.
End of Chapter 1