The towering walls of Black Moon Sect loomed in the distance, carved into the face of a mountain like a scar left by the gods themselves. Jade roofs gleamed under the sunlight, their curved edges catching wind from a world full of power. Dozens of disciples, dressed in elegant black and silver robes, walked through the outer courts—each radiating confidence, elegance… superiority.
Lee Jinhyuk stood at the edge of the sect's outer gates, staring up at the carved inscription:
> "Only the worthy ascend."
He was chubby. His robe—borrowed from his father's hidden closet—hung awkwardly off his body. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but his eyes were steady, cold.
He stepped forward.
A bored-looking gatekeeper disciple, lounging near the front, looked up and nearly choked on his laughter. "You lost, piggy? We don't sell buns here."
Jinhyuk didn't react. "I came to apply as an outer disciple."
A few others nearby looked up. Whispers started immediately.
"Look at his face. Ew."
"Must be a beggar."
"He's not even emitting Qi. What a joke."
The gatekeeper stood. He was tall, lean, and had a smug look on his face that Jinhyuk already wanted to break. He snatched the scroll from Jinhyuk's hand, looked at it, then scoffed.
"No noble clan. No background. No tested Qi affinity." He sniffed. "Fat. Filthy. Weak."
He tossed the scroll on the ground.
Jinhyuk stared at it for a moment, then bent down to pick it up silently.
That was when the blow landed.
CRACK.
A foot slammed into his side, sending him crashing into the dirt.
A young man dressed in embroidered robes stepped forward—his long black hair tied back with silver thread. His eyes gleamed with amusement, but there was venom underneath.
It was Cho Yul, one of the top inner disciples.
"Didn't you hear?" Yul said, voice dripping with mockery. "Trash doesn't get to touch our gates. You're polluting the soil just by breathing near it."
Laughter erupted all around.
Jinhyuk slowly stood, blood trickling from his lip. His breathing was steady. He looked up—not at the disciples, but at the sect elder who had arrived to oversee the entry process.
The man—Elder Min—simply shrugged.
"Black Moon Sect doesn't need garbage," he said casually. "Let him try his luck in the wilds if he wants power. He'll be dead by dawn."
Jinhyuk wiped the blood from his mouth. He didn't yell. Didn't threaten. Didn't beg.
He simply said, "You'll regret this."
And turned his back on them.
More laughter. More insults. Someone threw a steamed bun at his back. He kept walking. Never looked back.
---
The forest outside the sect was called the Shadowfang Wilds. It was restricted for new disciples due to the number of feral beasts and rogue cultivators that roamed within.
Jinhyuk walked straight into it.
No map. No guide. Just fury and a talisman that pulsed faintly in his pocket.
> [Host status: Emotionally unstable.
Suggested mission: Kill a wild beast (minimum Stage 1) for Qi integration.]
As he walked deeper, the trees grew twisted, and the air took on a metallic scent. Shadows danced even in daylight.
A growl echoed through the forest.
Jinhyuk turned slowly—and saw it.
A Fangclaw Hound, low-ranked but still deadly, prowled from the bushes, saliva dripping from its fangs. It was bigger than a normal wolf, its fur like shadow-smoke, its eyes glowing red.
> [Fangclaw Hound – Stage 1 Beast.
Threat Level: Medium (compared to host).
Weakness: Left eye—partially blind.]
The system fed him data. He analyzed instantly.
The beast lunged.
Jinhyuk rolled to the side—barely. A claw raked across his shoulder. Pain flared, but he didn't scream. He grabbed a broken branch, jammed it into the hound's neck, but it broke in half.
The beast leapt again.
This time, he baited it—stepped left, pivoted, and shoved a jagged rock into its blind spot, driving it deep into the beast's eye.
It howled. Thrashed.
He wrapped his arms around its neck—legs locking its body—and bit down on his own lip to stay focused.
Then—snap.
The beast went still.
> [Beast killed. Core absorbed.
First blood achievement unlocked.
+1 Stat Point.
+5 EXP.]
> [Qi Absorption Level 1 → Level 2.
Partial Physical Transformation progressing…]
Jinhyuk collapsed next to the corpse, panting, bloodied, shaking—but alive.
He crawled to a nearby pool of water and looked at his reflection.
His cheeks were tighter. Jawline more defined. His eyes—sharper, with a faint glow. His skin had lost its sickly tone.
He touched his face, expression unreadable.
Then he smirked.
"They laughed at a pig," he whispered.
He stood, grabbing the beast's fang as a trophy.
"Let's see if they laugh when I come back as a god."