The last thing I remembered was the blinding flash, a chaotic surge of energy that ripped through my senses, leaving me utterly disoriented. One moment, I was reaching for a particularly enticing-looking manga online, the next… this.
My eyes snapped open to a sky the color of bruised plums, streaked with veins of angry crimson. It wasn't the familiar blue I knew, the one that hung above my cramped apartment back on Earth. Panic clawed at my throat, a cold fist squeezing the air from my lungs. Where was I? This wasn't my room. This wasn't even the same planet.
I sat up abruptly, my muscles protesting with unfamiliar aches and stiffness. The ground beneath me was rough, covered in a sparse layer of dry, thorny vegetation. The air was thick and heavy, carrying the scent of dust and something else… something wild and untamed, entirely alien to my urban nose.
As my head began to clear, a faint, almost ethereal whisper echoed in my mind. It wasn't a sound I heard with my ears, but something more direct, a thought that bloomed unbidden in my consciousness.
[System Activated: Welcome Transmigrator.]
[Scanning Host…]
[Host Attributes: No Prior Cultivation, No Established Dao, No Innate Physique.]
[Compensation Awarded: Infinite Epiphany Skill, Scan Skill, Detection Skill.]
My heart hammered against my ribs. A system? Transmigration? This was straight out of the light novels and web novels I devoured in my old life. Was this some kind of elaborate dream? I pinched myself, hard. Nope, definitely not a dream. The gritty reality of the alien ground and the oppressive sky confirmed that much.
I focused my will, trying to understand this "system." What were these skills it had mentioned?
[Infinite Epiphany Skill: Allows the host to instantly grasp the underlying principles and truths behind any concept, skill, or phenomenon through focused observation and contemplation.]
[Scan Skill: Enables the host to gather detailed information about any object, being, or environment within a certain radius, including their attributes, properties, and potential dangers.]
[Detection Skill: Grants the host the ability to sense hidden objects, entities, or subtle energies within their surroundings.]
I blinked. These… these weren't exactly the combat-oriented skills I'd often read about in those stories. No super strength, no instant mastery of sword techniques, no ancient artifacts appearing in my inventory. Just… information-gathering abilities. The "weakest system," indeed, just as I'd envisioned in my story idea. The irony wasn't lost on me.
For a while, I simply sat there, trying to process the sheer absurdity of my situation. Transmigrated. To a different world. With a system that felt more like a cosmic encyclopedia than a power-up cheat code. What was I supposed to do now?
Just as despair began to creep in, a faint, heart-wrenching cry reached my ears. It was the sound of a baby, thin and fragile against the backdrop of this alien wilderness. My instincts, something primal and unexpected, kicked in. Someone was in trouble.
I scrambled to my feet, my body still stiff and unfamiliar. Following the sound, I pushed through the thorny scrub, my senses on high alert. The Detection skill whispered in the back of my mind, a faint tingling sensation guiding me forward.
The scene that unfolded before me sent a shockwave of horror through my system. A small village, or what remained of it, lay in smoldering ruins. Huts were reduced to charred skeletons, and a heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant crackling of flames and that persistent, desperate cry. The Scan skill activated instinctively as I took in the devastation, painting grim outlines of what had clearly been a brutal massacre.
And then I saw them.
Huddled near the edge of the destruction, beneath the skeletal remains of a large, overturned cart, was a baby – no more than three months old, judging by her size. Her tiny face was red and tear-streaked, her cries weak but insistent. Beside her, lying on the ground with a visible wound bleeding sluggishly on its flank, was a baby tiger. Its fur was a soft, striped gold and black, and despite its injury, it was positioned protectively between the devastation and the infant, a low, rumbling growl emanating from its small chest. The tiger, despite its own distress, was the one who had saved the child. There was no one else. The scan confirmed it – no other signs of life in the immediate vicinity. Just the overwhelming aura of recent death.
My heart clenched. This little girl… she was the only one. Just like in my story.
There was no hesitation. I couldn't leave them here. They wouldn't survive on their own in this forsaken place. I carefully approached the pair, speaking in soft, soothing tones, the kind I'd sometimes used to calm my younger sister when she was upset. The baby tiger, though wary, didn't attack. It seemed to sense my intentions.
I gently scooped up the infant girl. She was surprisingly light, her small body trembling slightly. Her cries subsided a little as she nestled against my chest, her tiny hand instinctively gripping my shirt. I then turned to the tiger cub, its eyes watching me with a mix of fear and trust.
"We'll be alright," I murmured, more to myself than to them. "We'll figure this out."
In that moment, standing in the ruins of a fallen village, holding a defenseless infant and looking at a brave, injured tiger cub, my new life had truly begun. The weakest system or not, I had a new purpose, a new responsibility in this strange, dangerous world. And somehow, I knew, this was just the beginning of a very long journey.
My immediate concern was shelter. This ravaged village was no place to linger, and the setting sun cast long, ominous shadows across the desolate landscape. Clutching the baby girl securely in one arm, I kept a watchful eye on the tiger cub as we moved away from the ruins. Baihu, as the white tiger of legend flashed unbidden in my mind, limped slightly but stayed close, its gaze darting around nervously. It seemed as lost and scared as I was, despite its initial act of bravery.
Using the Detection skill, I cautiously explored the surrounding terrain. It felt like an internal radar, highlighting subtle anomalies in the environment. After about an hour of walking, the sky deepening into a twilight hue, I felt a faint but distinct pulse of energy ahead. It was different from the residual negative energy clinging to the destroyed village. This felt… calmer, more vibrant.
Following the sensation, I discovered what seemed to be a hidden pathway, almost concealed by thick, overgrown vines. It led downwards, and as we ventured along it, the oppressive atmosphere of the forsaken region began to lift. The air grew cleaner, and I could sense a subtle increase in the ambient energy around us.
The path opened into a secluded valley. The sight that greeted me stole my breath away. Unlike the barren wasteland we had just traversed, this place was lush and verdant. A small stream meandered through a meadow of vibrant green grass dotted with colorful, unfamiliar flowers. Towering trees with broad leaves provided ample shade, and the air hummed with a gentle, life-giving energy. In the center of the valley stood the crumbling remains of what looked like an ancient structure, partially overgrown but hinting at a grand past.
This had to be it – the hidden land. It felt like a sanctuary, a pocket of life untouched by the devastation outside. My Scan skill confirmed the presence of fertile soil and a noticeably higher concentration of spiritual energy compared to the forsaken region. This was definitely a place where we could try to build a life.
The infant girl stirred in my arms, her whimpers softening as if sensing the change in the environment. Baihu, too, seemed more relaxed, its ears perked up, its tail giving a tentative wag.
For the next week, I focused on making the ruins habitable. Thankfully, a portion of the main structure was still relatively intact, offering shelter from the elements. My days were spent clearing debris, securing the perimeter, and exploring the valley for resources. The Scan skill proved invaluable, helping me identify edible plants (after cautiously testing small amounts, of course) and locate a source of fresh water from a small spring near the stream.
Caring for Ling Hua (the name felt right, the "spiritual flower" in this new world) and Baihu became my top priority. I fashioned a makeshift cradle from some sturdy branches and soft leaves for the baby, and I shared what little food I could forage. Baihu, surprisingly, was adept at hunting small creatures in the valley, bringing back a few scrawny but welcome additions to our meager diet. A strange bond began to form between the three of us, forged in shared vulnerability and the need for survival.
During this time, I also ventured cautiously towards the edge of the forsaken region. Using the Detection skill, I managed to locate a few items of value amidst the ruins – mostly intact tools, some bolts of relatively undamaged cloth, and surprisingly, a few books that had somehow survived the inferno. The script was unfamiliar, but the system's Scan skill readily provided translations, revealing titles on basic farming techniques, rudimentary blacksmithing, and surprisingly, an introductory text on something called "Qi cultivation."
Hope flickered within me. This was a start. If I could learn about cultivation, perhaps I could protect Ling Hua and Baihu, and maybe even find a way back home someday.
About a week after finding the hidden valley, I decided to make a trip to the small town I had sensed at the edge of the forsaken region. I left Ling Hua safely nestled in the ruins with Baihu curled up protectively beside her. My heart ached at leaving them, but I knew I needed supplies.
The town was small and dusty, but bustling with life. People wore simple, practical clothing, and many carried swords or other weapons. The air thrummed with a faint energy that I now recognized as Qi. Using the Scan skill discreetly, I observed the townsfolk, gathering information on their levels of cultivation and the local economy.
I managed to sell some of the salvaged tools and cloth I had found, earning a few crude coins. With this meager wealth, I purchased more books: a more comprehensive guide to Qi cultivation, an introduction to blacksmithing, a basic history of the surrounding lands, a book on local flora and fauna, and even a surprisingly detailed text on scroll writing. My pack was heavy on the return journey, but my spirit felt lighter. Knowledge, the system had granted me, was my greatest weapon.
Back in the hidden valley, with Ling Hua gurgling happily in her cradle and Baihu dozing peacefully nearby, I began to study. The system's Infinite Epiphany skill was a game-changer. Concepts that would have taken me weeks to grasp on Earth clicked into place almost instantly. The flow of Qi, the principles of tempering metal, the history of this world – it all unfolded before my mind with astonishing clarity.
Days turned into weeks. I practiced the rudimentary Qi gathering techniques outlined in the books, slowly but surely feeling a faint warmth gathering in my dantian. I experimented with blacksmithing, creating crude tools and even a small, protective charm for Ling Hua. I learned about the different types of flora and fauna in the valley, understanding which plants could be cultivated and which creatures to avoid.
My focus, however, was primarily on the Dao. The cultivation books spoke of fundamental principles that governed the universe, the very essence of existence. With the system's help, I devoured these texts, the Infinite Epiphany skill allowing me to see the underlying connections between seemingly disparate concepts. I studied the Dao of the sword, the Dao of nature, the Dao of healing… each principle, each path, adding another piece to the grand puzzle.
Then, one quiet evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, I sat beneath the ancient tree at the center of the valley, contemplating all that I had learned. I focused my mind, drawing upon the nascent Qi within me, and with the system's guidance, I began to consciously weave together the fundamental principles of the various Daos I had studied. It felt like assembling a complex tapestry, each thread representing a different aspect of existence.
A feeling of profound understanding washed over me, as if the universe itself had momentarily revealed its secrets. And then, it happened.
A surge of energy erupted from my core, expanding outwards in waves that resonated through the valley. The very air seemed to vibrate, and the plants around me pulsed with newfound vitality. Within my mind, a vast and boundless concept unfolded – an understanding that encompassed all Daos, all principles, all of existence.
[Omniversal Dao Awakened.]
At the same moment, I felt a change within my very being, a profound transformation at the deepest level. My muscles felt stronger, my senses sharper, and an inexhaustible wellspring of energy coursed through my veins.
[Omniversal Physique Awakened.]
[Passive Skill Activated: Universal Dao Assimilation – Host learns all Daos with astonishing speed.]
[Passive Skill Activated: Infinite Epiphany – Host's understanding of all concepts is continuously enhanced.]
I opened my eyes, and the world seemed different. Clearer, more vibrant, full of interconnectedness. The tree above me seemed to hum with a deeper energy, and I could sense the faint stirrings of life in the soil beneath my feet with unprecedented clarity.
I had taken my first step on the path endless mastery.