Another night of deep, suffocating boredom for Lucas.
He lingered in his room, bathed in the pale glow of his monitor. Besides grinding League of Legends games or half-heartedly reviewing for an upcoming test, there wasn't much else on his schedule. Years of procrastination and choosing fun over responsibility were starting to take their toll. And he knew it, deep down, he'd always known. These were choices he'd made, knowingly. Now, he was facing the consequences.
Lucas had always been good at school, well, good enough to get by without much effort. But being "good" didn't mean success. He learned that the hard way during his first year in engineering school. A life of cramming last minute, barely opening a book, had collided head-on with a wall of demanding coursework and unforgiving exams.
The wake-up call had been brutal.
So he changed. Forced himself to study, to focus, to actually learn. Week after week, he pushed against his own nature. And slowly, painfully, it paid off. His second semester? In the bag.
But now that the pressure had eased, he had fallen back into old habits. Gaming. Again. And again. Maybe a little too much.
"That's enough matches for today," he muttered, shutting down his PC, eyes still lingering on the black screen. He stretched, cracking every joint in his stiff, overused body. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: I'll hit Master tomorrow morning… before class.
With a tired sigh, Lucas changed quickly and climbed into bed. Sleep took him almost instantly, the kind of sleep that pulled you under before you could even think. Four hours. Just four hours until his alarm would yank him back into another session of League.
But it wasn't peace he found.
The moment he closed his eyes, his mind was swallowed by darkness. Deep, weightless, absolute, until a sterile, robotic voice shattered the void.
[Welcome, host.]
He jolted awake. His eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust to the strange light. This… wasn't his room. Not even close. The world around him was empty, no floor, no sky, no gravity. Just an interstellar void.
Stars glimmered in the distance. No, not stars, entire planets, orbiting a distant, burning sun like cosmic jewelry. The air was cold, though he couldn't tell if it was real or imagined. The entire space felt detached from reality, dreamlike and surreal.
[You have been chosen by the Clan Creation System!]
The voice echoed directly in his head. Lucas sat up slowly, eyes wide. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a hallucination. He was here, wherever here was, listening to a robotic voice that spoke to him like he was a contestant on a twisted cosmic game show.
"What the hell is this bullshit?" he muttered, still half-dazed. His thoughts were scattered, chaotic. None of this made sense.
[This "bullshit", as you so elegantly put it, is the Clan Creation System. To make it simple… you're dead! Congratulations!]
A burst of glitter exploded in the void, followed by party horns and the tinny applause of a low-budget celebration. Even circus music. Lucas clenched his jaw. His left eyebrow twitched violently in irritation.
"Alright. I've had enough of this crap. Send me back. Now."
[I'm afraid that's not possible. You will not return until you complete this short questionnaire.]
The system spoke with infuriating calm. Lucas could only stare. This place… this emptiness… it stretched out forever. Stars frozen in place. Planets turning lazily. Time didn't move here. Only this.
A soft chime rang out. A glowing interface unfolded before him.
[Welcome to the Clan Creation Interface. Host: Lucas Laurent. Available points: 20.]
Lucas stared at the numbers without blinking. "Twenty points," he muttered. "Figures."
Create a clan. Of all things.
He dragged a hand down his face. Was this real? Had he died choking on his saliva ? Electrocuted by his charger? Who knew. All that was certain was that he was now apparently tasked with founding a goddamn clan in some mystical, unknown world.
[Please select the founding race of your clan.]
Without needing to touch anything, the options unfurled in glowing light, like digital calligraphy across a divine scroll.
Human. Simple, balanced, unremarkable.
Half-human. Enhanced traits, improved physique.
Nature spirit. One with the elements, vulnerable to metal-based powers.
Beastkin. Strong instincts, mutated bodies, feared by civilized societies.
Pure magic beast. Inhuman form, immense strength, no refinement.
Ancient forgotten race. Unavailable.
Sealed celestial entity. Unavailable.
Lucas read through them silently. Human? Nah. I'm not living another life with the same limitations. Magic beast? Sounds powerful, but if I can't hold a damn conversation, what's the point?
His eyes landed on Beastkin.
Half-beast, half-human. A hybrid. Fierce but still capable of thought. Wild, but not brainless. And more importantly… something free.
He nodded. "Let's go with something a little feral."
As soon as he confirmed, a warmth bloomed in his chest. Not pain, just something primal. Like a long-dormant instinct awakening.
[Choose your clan's territory of origin.]
A 3D projection of a world unfolded before him: endless landscapes, mountains, lakes, sky islands…
Plain. Safe, bland, resource-poor.
Dense forest. Rich in essence, but unstable.
Low-tier spiritual mountain. Isolated, cultivation-friendly.
Mystic lake. Ideal for yin techniques and meditation.
Corrupted wasteland. Risky, but rewarding.
Floating island. Rare resources, hard to defend.
Independent minor realm. Unavailable.
"A forest…" he murmured, watching the simulation of thick, breathing jungle. Wild. Hot. Dangerous.
He didn't hesitate. Dense forest. If he was going to be dropped somewhere, better to have cover and chaos than an empty plain.
[Select an elemental affinity for your clan. You may choose or let the system decide.]
Too many options. Too little context.
"Random. Knock yourself out."
[Affinity obtained: Fire]
He sighed, brushing his hair back. "Of course it is."
It wasn't subtle, but it made sense. Fire. Forest. Beastkin. The whole thing had a brutal logic.
[Now choose your bloodline talent.]
More choices. This system really expected him to design a bloodline like he was picking runes in a game.
Ordinary. No advantage.
Enhanced Qi sensitivity.
Natural affinity to an element (bonus with fire).
Rare spiritual perception.
Instinctive Dao comprehension.
Dual or triple soul.
Dormant divine body. Unavailable.
Primordial Chaos body. Unavailable.
He picked natural affinity with fire without a second thought. Might as well double down.
[Select your cultivation path.]
None. Create your own.
Ancient fragment.
Complete mid-tier path.
Lost technique from a great sect. Unavailable.
Original path of a forgotten world. Unavailable.
Creator's path. Unavailable.
Mid-tier complete path. Stable. Functional. It was enough. Lucas had had enough failed improvisations in his life.
[Select your clan's philosophy.]
Peaceful scholars.
Warlike conquerors.
Dao-seeking sages.
Nomadic wanderers.
Hidden recluses. Unavailable.
Disguised demonic sect. Unavailable.
Exiled ancient order. Unavailable.
"Warrior," he said simply. It wasn't ideal, but it was fitting. A forest of beasts. A clan of fire. They needed to fight to survive.
[You have 2 points remaining. Would you like to spend them on a bonus?]
He didn't answer. The system moved on.
[Choose the totemic beast of your lineage.]
Phoenix
Salamander
Blazing Tiger
Monkey King Unavailable
Three-legged Crow Unavailable
Moon Wolf Unavailable
Solar Dragon. Unavailable.
The Blazing Tiger caught his attention instantly. He didn't know why. Something proud, burning, alone. He selected it.
An immense tiger formed behind him. A beast of flame and smoke, its golden eyes locked onto his, silent and heavy.
Lucas didn't flinch.
"I didn't ask for this," he murmured. "But looks like we're both stuck here."
The image faded.
[Final step. Name your clan.]
He paused. Nothing poetic came to mind. Just a color. A feeling.
"Chì."
Red. Like fire. Like the frustration in his chest.
[Clan Chì founded. Transfer imminent.]
The void began to spin.
Lucas closed his eyes. No prayer. No dream. Just a single, quiet thought:
I just want to go home.