Inside a police station, a young man with delicate features was in a cell. Outside, two guards watched him closely, not missing a single movement.
Anyone witnessing that scene would think Lian was a thief, but the truth was different. The reason he was imprisoned was because he was about to use the Origin Potion. If he failed, he could turn into a monster — and if that happened, the guards would kill him before he caused chaos!
Lian had a ninety percent chance of dying, as the potion he bought was the cheapest — the most dangerous type there is. Out of ten thousand people, only one survives. That's the estimate.
"I'm going to survive!"
Lian was determined. His eyes burned. He had bought that potion after working tirelessly for five years. He started at twelve, and now, at seventeen, he had finally saved enough money.
"Haa…"
Letting out a sigh, Lian picked up from the floor a one-liter bottle shaped like a porcelain vase. Inside was a white liquid, almost colorless.
He stared at it for a moment. After long enough, he sighed again and, without a second thought, removed the cap and lifted the bottle to his mouth, pouring the liquid down his throat.
As he swallowed, Lian felt a warm energy rushing through his body at an extremely fast speed, far beyond normal digestion.
The sensation spread through his entire body, which quickly turned completely red. The hot blood burned him from the inside. He had fallen into his own personal hell of pain.
"Don't lose consciousness!"
He whispered in his mind, clenching his teeth tightly. Without uttering a single scream, he endured. He had prepared his whole life for this moment — how could he give up? Become a monster?
"I won't!"
Lian used his willpower to remain calm. Meanwhile, the white energy, after coursing through his body, moved toward his brain.
As it touched the core, the energy was drawn to something within it.
"Aaaaaaah!"
At that moment, even with great willpower, Lian couldn't help the howl. His mind was being torn apart. The guards outside were already holding their weapons, ready to kill.
"I'm not dead yet! Lower your weapons!" Lian gasped, digging his hands into the ground and biting his shirt, grinding his teeth with full force.
Inside his brain, when the white energy entered, it appeared in his Origin Space — a place still unknown to humans. The only thing scientists know is that every being born in this world has one.
To awaken it, an external source is needed. The better the source, the easier the awakening.
If it fails, the brain suffers cerebral paralysis, but unlike normal humans, you become a kind of zombie, driven by murderous instincts.
Why does this happen? Lian didn't know. The only thing he understood was that, once completed, he could awaken his Origin Soul and begin cultivating.
...
"I want to be a cultivator."
That was Lian's deepest wish. After seeing a flying man at the age of ten, he never forgot the scene, longing for the day he would fly on his sword, soaring through the skies, being free.
Free from poverty, free from the slums, free from abuse of power, free from paying taxes. Free to do whatever he wanted — because, in this world, the strong make the rules.
"Don't fail!"
He dug his hands even harder into the ground. At that moment, his mind trembled. Internal explosions occurred nonstop.
Inside him, the white energy wanted to awaken something. That "something" was deep within the Origin Space, inside a blue cube that wouldn't stop shaking.
"Boom!"
After a moment, the cube exploded, making the entire Origin Space tremble like a massive earthquake.
After the explosion, a bowl appeared — its color was bluish. This was Lian's Origin Soul.
And it was at that moment that he passed out from exhaustion. But before completely losing consciousness, he let out a pure smile.
"I did it…"
With that thought, he fell unconscious.
...
After some time unconscious, Lian woke up, feeling something soft beneath him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on a single bed.
The ceiling above was white, slanted upwards. He was in a room about three meters wide, with nothing but the bed. He looked around.
And saw a door, where stood a beautiful woman — the most beautiful he had ever seen. Her hair was black-blue, her eyes dark blue. She wore black armor, with a blue orb at its center.
Lian looked at her for a moment, then waved his hand.
"Junior Lian greets the officer."
He was polite and did not look at her again, for living in the slums, he was cautious and understood the world well. That police officer was not someone to provoke.
The officer, sitting in a chair, simply looked at the young man and, seeing him awake, congratulated him.
"Congratulations. It's not easy for someone to awaken successfully after using a low-grade potion. These cases are rare. Even more so coming from the slums, where physical training is lacking."
Lian, hearing that, scratched his head, a bit embarrassed by the praise. But deep down, he was proud of himself.
'I endured! From now on, I can also cultivate.'
Lian could hardly wait to begin. He wanted to leave the police station as quickly as possible and go to the Origin World to obtain a cultivation method — and most importantly: check his soul.
Thinking about that last point, he became even more anxious.
'Officer, just leave already…'
That's what he wished, but he didn't show it. The officer, unaware of what was going through his mind, pulled out a badge and handed it to Lian.
"From now on, you're considered a cultivator. Even without having started, you're recognized for having awakened your Origin Soul. What I'm giving you is your identity and, at the same time, a gateway to the Origin World."
After explaining, she left the room. It seemed her visit was just to deliver the badge.
Seeing the woman leave, Lian's lips curled into a smile.
'From now on, my life to be free begins!'
He wasted no more time. The next moment, he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, holding the badge. He placed it on his forehead and, immediately, his soul in the Origin Space began to resonate with an electromagnetic wave.
The badge glowed blue, shutting down Lian's mind.
When he came to, he heard an electronic sound:
[Welcome to the Origin World]