Chapter 1: To the World of Immortals
A hospital room, where a stark, desolate white dominated the walls and furniture.
There, a man lay on a bed no less white than his surroundings, muttering in a low voice, his eyes fixed on his phone screen:
"Wow, what kind of superpower is this?"
The features of the man, named Son Yuhan, were filled with awe as he continued to swipe his finger across the screen relentlessly, the dense text flashing before his eyes at a dizzying speed.
[An SSS-Rank Hunter with a Multiverse Ability]
Son Yuhan was reading a web novel with this title, and the protagonist's ability was anything but ordinary.
"Magic, martial arts, psychic powers... and even holy power? My god."
The protagonist was like a walking vending machine of abilities.
But then again, with the power to travel between worlds, was anything truly impossible?
Son Yuhan felt that if he had the same awakened ability as the protagonist, he would have used it in the exact same way.
Without realizing it, Son Yuhan began to drift into daydreams.
First, I'll need to heal my body, so I'll get holy power. After that, I'll acquire martial arts, then magic, then psychic powers, in that order.
"Hehe..." Son Yuhan chuckled lightly; just the thought was enough to improve his mood.
Before he knew it, in his imagination, he had transformed into the strongest hunter on Earth, enjoying wealth and fame.
But that moment didn't last long, as his fantasy was interrupted by a voice from behind the curtain.
"Excuse me, sir. One moment, please."
"...Ah, yes."
With a soft rustle, the nurse gently opened the curtain and handed him a food tray.
White rice, half a mackerel, cabbage kimchi, seaweed soup, and cooked burdock root. It was a very simple meal.
"Enjoy your meal~"
"Thank you."
The curtain was closed again. Son Yuhan cracked his neck and used his hands to adjust his sitting position.
The veins on his forearms stood out clearly.
Since most of the functions of the lower half of his body were paralyzed, the strength of his arms had developed to be above average.
This was not something he was happy about.
"Oh, the seasoning is better than usual."
Son Yuhan began to eat, holding his phone in his left hand and the spoon in his right.
He couldn't concentrate on the novel while eating, so he opened the comments section to break the monotony.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, a comment from a reader caught his eye.
[Does the author have the brain of an elementary schooler? He has no idea how to use this power.]
And there were quite a few replies under this comment.
Four or five readers were participating in the discussion, proposing their ideas on how to better use the ability.
It seems there are a lot of people like me.
Son Yuhan chuckled as he scrolled through the readers' ideas.
It was very entertaining, as some unexpected combinations and compositions of abilities appeared.
One reader even mentioned the name of a world Son Yuhan had never seen before.
"The World of Immortals?"
Son Yuhan examined the reply carefully.
[Tsk tsk, why bother going to all these worlds? If you have the World of Immortals, the rest of the worlds are just small insects in comparison.]
What is the World of Immortals? Is it something like the world of warriors?
A small spark of curiosity was ignited within him.
Son Yuhan went online, searched for the term "World of Immortals," and then entered the Weid Wiki encyclopedia.
After some time, Son Yuhan fully understood what the reader who mentioned the World of Immortals meant.
"...The level there is completely different, isn't it?"
The abilities of the World of Immortals made the abilities of the world of warriors and fantasy look like child's play.
A single glance from them could blow up a great mountain, and you wouldn't die even if your body was shattered to pieces.
Their lifespans were also exceptional; with each level up, their lives extended for hundreds of years.
If someone on Earth possessed such powers, they would instantly become the number one hunter.
And the most astonishing thing was...
This wasn't even the end.
As they say, there's always a sky above the sky.
The abilities just mentioned were only the tip of the iceberg. Upon reaching a certain level, they could even destroy planets.
It's not like it's Dragon Ball or something.
No, it probably surpassed even that.
Son Yuhan laughed sarcastically. Perhaps because he was thinking about such unrealistic abilities, his interest suddenly dropped.
He pushed away his food tray in boredom and started flipping through his phone's app screen, thinking about playing a game.
That was when it happened.
"Did I install an app like this...?"
An app he had never seen before was installed on his phone.
The app's name was "Journey to the Worlds."
Son Yuhan scratched his head; he had absolutely no memory of this app.
I should delete it.
He didn't even think of opening it; it could be an illegal hacking app.
He long-pressed the app's icon, and the delete button should have appeared at any moment—
"...!"
Son Yuhan's body trembled. The moment he touched the app, strange knowledge and scenes flooded into his brain like a torrent.
After some time, Son Yuhan stared in amazement at the "Journey to the Worlds" app.
As if possessed, he tapped on the app, and the phone's screen changed in the blink of an eye.
The screen that appeared was as follows:
[You can currently journey to one world.]
[Slot 1]
"Karma" is required to open the next slot!
"...Huh, so it wasn't a hallucination?"
Son Yuhan clenched his fists. The scene he had just seen in his mind and the app's design matched perfectly.
If it were a hallucination, they wouldn't have been so identical. In other words, that knowledge and those scenes were "real."
"Hehehehe."
Son Yuhan laughed under his breath and pressed "Slot 1."
A list of different names appeared.
[Village of the Skillful Dwarves]
[Guangmo World of Martial Arts]
[Post-Apocalyptic Tower of Babel]
[Revolutionary Continent of Aria]
[Planet of the Goddess Who Lost Her Awakening]
.
.
.
Son Yuhan continued to scroll down. Soon, he found the name he was looking for.
[Hyundo Continent]
Found it!
Son Yuhan immediately pressed the name. A brief description of that world floated in his mind.
A continent where the profound "Dao" flows.
The world wasn't exactly the same as the World of Immortals he knew, but it was mostly similar.
Son Yuhan pressed it again.
[Would you like to begin the journey?]
["Slot 1" will be replaced with "Hyundo Continent."]
[Yes, No]
Son Yuhan was about to press "Yes" immediately, but he hesitated.
Let's be deliberate. No need to rush.
He didn't make his decision until after he had carefully examined every one of the other worlds.
And the result was the same.
[Would you like to begin the journey?]
Yes.
["Slot 1" will be replaced with "Hyundo Continent."]
[Replacement complete.]
[Please create your avatar.]
[1. The first son of a cultivating hermit on the mountain]
[2. A junior disciple of the capital's sect, the Hyeon-Heng Sect]
[3. The youngest son of a farmer from Goon village]
Number 2.
Since he knew how to use the app, his actions were decisive.
[Please select the age.]
The cost of age will be deducted from your lifespan. Minimum 5 years.
His current age was 25. In other words, if he entered at his current age, it would cost him 25 years of his life.
Impossible.
Son Yuhan stroked his chin, thinking.
Tsk, if it were up to me, I'd set it to a newborn baby.
However, whether he chose 1 year old or 5 years old, the required lifespan cost was the same.
He made his decision quickly.
5 years.
[Avatar has been created.]
Even if the avatar dies, no harm will come to the "original body."
It was information he already knew.
Son Yuhan closed his eyes and began to massage his legs.
He couldn't feel anything in them.
"Hooooo..."
He opened his eyes again, and a firm resolve shone within them.
Son Yuhan's eyes widened as he declared:
"Begin journey."
Fwoooosh—
His vision was filled with a bright white light.
"Hic, gasp...!"
"Mommy, mommy..."
The sounds of small children crying came from all around him. Son Yuhan slowly raised his head.
There were at least ten children squatting with gloomy expressions.
A cart?
The rattling sound of wheels, a small space made of wood. It was clear he was in the cargo compartment of some cart.
Son Yuhan looked at his body. It was thin and small.
It seemed the age setting had been applied perfectly. However, there was something strange.
I definitely chose "junior disciple."
Son Yuhan searched the little boy's memories, but he couldn't find any scenes related to spiritual cultivators anywhere.
Only the scene of his parents abandoning him was particularly strong and clear.
Tsk.
He felt a dry and unpleasant taste in his mouth.
Son Yuhan frowned and turned his head. His first goal was to gather information.
The cargo compartment was probably designed to be a tightly sealed room, but the result was not so.
There were small holes here and there. Son Yuhan narrowed his eyes and peeked his head through one of them to see what was outside.
Blue sky. Barren land. And scattered trees. It was not good land, by any means.
Escaping... seems difficult.
This world was immeasurably harsher than the modern era.
With the body of a frail child like this, he couldn't even escape the pursuit of slave traders; he would most likely starve to death before covering a long distance.
Of course, the story would be different if he could use "Karma."
And while Son Yuhan was lost in thought...
"Little one, aren't you scared?"
"...!"
Suddenly, the voice of a middle-aged man came from his side. Son Yuhan jumped in surprise.
The other children stared at Son Yuhan with strange looks.
"Wh-what's wrong with him..."
"Shhh, don't mind him. Mom said ignoring crazy people is the best medicine."
"Didn't you say your mom abandoned you?"
The children whispered among themselves, while the voice continued to speak.
"Oh, my, well, how about this?"
Right after that, a strange, indescribable energy enveloped Son Yuhan's body.
Then the owner of the voice began to appear before his eyes.
It was a middle-aged man with a neat and tidy appearance.
"Are you, by any chance, an immortal?"
Son Yuhan stopped himself from saying "spiritual cultivator" as that was not knowledge a child would normally possess.
"An immortal? Haha, if that were true, I'd have no other wishes!"
The man's voice was by no means quiet. However, the children didn't even glance at him.
It was a mysterious ability. No doubt he was a spiritual cultivator.
"I am a person who seeks to become an immortal. People usually call us cultivators."
"Cultivator...?"
"Yes. Isn't that cool?"
Son Yuhan nodded his head enthusiastically. It was a gesture full of sincerity.
After that, the man spoke excitedly about how wonderful cultivators were.
Son Yuhan's eyes shone as he eagerly played along.
It was a desperate attempt to maintain a good relationship with him.
A short while after this talk...
"But why did you come here?"
When Son Yuhan asked, an expression as if he had just realized something appeared on the man's face.
"Ahem, ahem. It seems I got a bit carried away. Anyway, do you, by any chance, want to become a cultivator?"
"Can I become one just because I want to?"
It was a response unbefitting a child. The middle-aged man's eyes widened.
"Not exactly. However, for you, it is possible. Because you possess a spiritual root."
"A spiritual root?"
"I'll tell you the details if you decide to become a cultivator. Five minutes. I'll ask you again in exactly five minutes."
Son Yuhan stroked his chin. His answer would be "yes" no matter what.
But he deliberately paused before answering.
"I'll do it. I'll become that thing called a cultivator."
"A wise choice."
The man picked Son Yuhan up.
He was about to leave the cart.
At that moment, Son Yuhan's gaze swept over the other children.
"Wh-what's he doing... he's floating in the air?"
"Hiiik!"
The children were staring at him with eyes full of terror.
They were all in a pitiful state.
"Cultivator Jin."
The man told him to call him by that name.
"Yes?"
"Do you happen to have any potatoes?"
"...?"
A moment later, five or six potatoes were rolling at the children's feet.
It was a small favor. Or perhaps, it was just something to satisfy himself.
Fwoooosh—
The man and Son Yuhan were flying in the sky, riding an old carpet.
The scenery passed by in a flash. The perceived speed was a little slower than that of a passenger car.
Nevertheless, it was amazing. Son Yuhan's eyes shone as he looked at the carpet.
"Haha, it seems you covet this flying tool. Greed is one of the important qualities of a cultivator."
"Can I get a tool like this too if I become a cultivator?"
"Of course. And you might even be able to get something greater."
It wasn't long before Cultivator Jin pointed to a spot.
"We've arrived. That is the Hyeon-Heng Sect, where you will live from now on. It's where I live too."
Son Yuhan frowned.
He could see a large mountain, but it didn't look like a place where people could live.
"There's nothing there."
"There's a barrier technique that prevents it from being seen by mortal eyes. Of course, there's a way in."
Saying that, Cultivator Jin took out a yellow paper from his robe.
The paper was densely covered with red characters. Son Yuhan couldn't understand their meaning.
Rip. He tore it. Then a strange energy enveloped Son Yuhan's body.
"...Huh? A village?"
His vision rippled, then a relatively large village revealed itself.
It seemed to be based on the same principle as the concealment technique Cultivator Jin had used earlier.
"Haha, you'll get used to it soon."
Cultivator Jin chuckled lightly and steered the carpet. Soon the two approached the village.
At the entrance of the village, two young men stood in a slouched posture.
Cultivator Jin landed in front of them, placing Son Yuhan under his arm.
"Good work."
The two young men straightened their posture.
"Oh! Brother Jin! Have you finished your mission already?"
"I was lucky. The target left a lot of traces."
"That's a relief. But, that kid, don't tell me he's...?"
Cultivator Jin nodded.
"I found an unexpected piece of good fortune."
"Wow, you found someone with a spiritual root. I'm so jealous."
"You should try going out into the mundane world. You never know what you might find."
The young man scratched his head.
"Hmm, I'll give it a try."
"Alright. Then, I'll go in now."
"Yes, sir! Rest well!"
Cultivator Jin and Son Yuhan entered the village.
Inside the village, all sorts of people were moving about actively.
Cultivator Jin walked with steady, unwavering steps.
After a while, he knocked on the gate of a particularly large mansion.
—Who's there?
"It is Jin Yuan, returning from a mission."
—Hmm? Isn't the Mission Hall in charge of missions? This is the Sect Master's wing.
The owner of the voice spoke informally, as Jin Yuan was of a lower rank than him.
"I've brought someone who possesses a spiritual root."
—Ah, so that's it.
Squeak, the gate opened.
Directly behind the gate stood a middle-aged man who appeared to be around the same age as Cultivator Jin.
The man looked at Cultivator Jin, then shifted his gaze to Son Yuhan.
"A grass spiritual root?"
Upon hearing that, Son Yuhan's eyebrow twitched.
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