When the school day was done, Lin was driven home by his mother. Upon entering the front door, he made a beeline to his bedroom to better organize his thoughts.
He had to go to school as soon as he woke up in this world, so he didn't have the leisure to sort it all out before.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hao Lin immersed himself into his thoughts.
It was obvious that he wouldn't be doing anything for the next week and a half. In fact, the school deliberately stated that students didn't have to stay at school after the academic half of the school day and could leave early until cultivation classes were set to start.
'Should I go on the internet?'
If there was any place that would give the most information, it was undoubtedly the internet.
[Good idea! You should also go outside! It's like moving to a new country. You have to understand the area you're living in.]
'That's also a must.'
Lin nodded his head before reaching for a pair of socks.
"Let's go outside for now."
He made his way through the house and found his mom in the kitchen. Her hands were scrubbing away at some dirty dishes, and when she noticed Hao Lin, she looked up with a gentle smile.
"I'm going outside for a bit."
Lin told her.
"Oh, alright. Just make sure to be back at 6:30."
Having said that, she waved before returning her gaze to the sink.
While Lin was opening the front door, he quietly made a mental note to help with chores more when he had the time. How could he make his mom do such things at her age?
Squinting his eyes beneath the sun, Lin stuffed his phone into his pocket along with 725 yuan (~$100 USD).
Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, the currency was yuan, which proved quite convenient for him.
His family seemed to be quite affluent seeing that they owned a stand alone residence amidst a sea of apartment complexes.
The beating sun shone down on the wide sidewalk as Lin traversed the bustling streets. Storefronts and restaurants lined the sides of the roads and towering buildings showcased bright billboards every which way, resembling booming metropolises like NYC and Shanghai.
Lins eyes wandered every which way throughout the hasty crowds. He closely observed the clothes people wore, the food they enjoyed, and even their eye catching beast pets.
If you ignored the street tricks being performed by low-tier cultivators, the children enthusiastically sword fighting, and the peculiar animals peacefully roaming the streets, then it looked just like 2025… Except now it's 9027… On a different planet… With real cultivation powers… Teleportation tech… And intergalactic conflicts. But otherwise, it was practically identical!
Hao Lin had expected that he might see something more sci-fi like, like flying cars or some other advanced technology, but that wasn't the case. It was almost like they reenacted the past…?
'I'll look into it later…'
Once again, another task was added to Lin's ever growing mental to-do list.
As he walked, Lin would occasionally take a peek into a store that seemed interesting, but he mostly just dedicated his brain power to navigating the nearby areas.
That was, until a large poster plastered onto a wall caught his eye. It wasn't up on any of the billboards which indicated that it wasn't a very large business, but its fancy fonts and colorful designs nabbed his attention all the same.
{Pole-arm fighting lessons now available at Galaxy Gym! Come now and strengthen your body and skills with our brand new combat course! 450 yuan (~$62 USD) for each lesson! Don't miss out on this earlybird deal!!!}
Of course, the new course was quite intriguing, but what Hao Lin really focusing on was the Galaxy Gym part.
A gym! A place to get stronger!
Lin's heart began to race at this opportunity he coincidentally stumbled upon. The poster was in such an inconspicuous spot, he could only thank the heavens that he noticed it instead of obliviously passing it by!
This is where he could spend his free time! It was perfect.
Lin grinned excitedly as he pulled out his phone and rapidly typed the name into this world's main search engine, Numia-web.
He quickly found the gum's website and immediately clicked on the link.
{Galaxy Gym! A place for getting stronger and learning various combat skills. We have a variety of combat courses such as boxing, taekwondo, karate, sword fighting, and more! We also hold private cultivation rooms that have high concentrations of quality qi. There are multiple sparring fields along with blade training areas equipped with a plethora of weapon choices that can be either sharp or wooden. Finally, we have a standard equipment gym for exercise.}
{You can sign up for a monthly membership for ¥1,450 (~$200 USD)! The membership includes:
-10 free hours of a private cultivation room (renewed every week)
-free access to the sparring courtyards
-free access to weapon training areas
-free access to the standard gym
-2 free tryout lessons for each course (one time)
-8 free private lessons of one course of your choice (renewed every month)
You can also pay ¥14,500 (~$2,000 USD) for a full year of membership!}
The cost seemed like a lot, but considering everything the membership included, it wasn't bad at all! True to his Chinese origin, Hao Lin immediately began calculating the gains in his mind.
'That's 520 hours of quality cultivation, 96 course lessons, unlimited access to exercise equipment, and unlimited access to both training and sparring courtyards for just a year!'
Lin decided to check the place out. The website said that people could request a free tour upon entry, so he headed towards the gym's nearest facility with the assistance of a gps.
After ten minutes of walking, Hao Lin finally reached his destination, a large building towering on a street corner. Through a chain link fence, he could see a wide and level field systematically decorated with raised concrete platforms. The platforms had sturdy barriers, and to the side, various weapons were mounted onto steel weapon racks.
This was clearly the sparring field, and Lin couldn't help feeling that it had quite the satisfactory quality.
Feeling even more eager to get started, he walked into the huge building. Inside was a a small waiting room with a sturdy door on the opposite side. It looked to unlock with a keycard and probably led to the actual gym.
Beside the door sat a woman behind a counter, a computer reflecting blue light onto her dark colored irises. Upon hearing Lin enter, she lifted her head and flashed a very businesslike smile.
"Hello, welcome to Galaxy Gym. How may I help you?"
She greeted him courteously.
"Yes, I'd like a tour if possible?"
At his words, the woman's eyes lit up and she kindly told him to wait while she called someone for him.
"Someone will be here in a moment. Please wait a few minutes until they arrive."
With a nod, Lin took a seat in one of the cushioned chairs. With just a minute of waiting, another employee opened the sturdy door beside the clerk and called his name.
"Hao Lin?"
"Yes."
Lin stood up at his name being called and walked over to the employee, following him through the building.
Intricate murals decorated the walls as Lin passed by, drawn out with bright, galaxy colors. For Hao Lin, they served as landmarks while he navigated the foreign place, his mind rapidly associating them to direction.
The employee leading the way chattered animatedly, enthusiastically introducing the first accommodation of the tour, being the standard gym.
Truthfully, it was only standard in a cultivator's eyes with the heavier equipment reaching well over a few tons. Being a cultivator meant being stronger than even the strongest people in the world of the past, so regular equipment would hardly be a challenge.
After the guide thoroughly described the quality of all of the equipment, nearly lulling Hao Lin to sleep, they finally made their way to the next major facility, or rather, facilities.
A long hallway with multiple doors lining the walls stretched before them. The employee explained that these were the cultivation rooms, and the farther down the hall you went, the higher quality qi inside.
He continued to elaborate that the monthly membership could give 5 hours of the highest quality qi, 10 hours of the medium quality, and 15 hours of the lowest quality. Furthermore, the lowest quality cultivation room was still 5x better than the regular qi in the air.
Lin smiled happily at the incredible opportunity this gym gave him. The opportunity to become stronger and use his physique to its full potential filled him with excitement.
The employee glanced at Lin's radiant smile, feeling that this person would definitely join. With this premonition, he began speaking even more enthusiastically, leading Hao Lin to an outdoor field.
The area was around the same size as a relatively large park. Metal puppets dotted a portion of the leveled ground, acting as opponents for several people training.
In another portion of the field, people were sparring in pairs on raised platforms, clashing weapons with vigor. A bit farther away from the sparring area, instructors taught private courses with individual people, demonstrating and assisting their pupils with various martial and weapon techniques.
When the tour concluded, Lin immediately decided to get the membership. Calling Wen, he vehemently asked if he could pay for one month of membership.
"When would you use the membership. I don't think just using it after school would be productive…" His mother said hesitantly.
"I was thinking that I could leave school when the cultivation classes start. The gym is about a 20 minute walk from campus, and the school put a notice that kids could leave during the cultivation half of the day since we won't be doing anything for a week and a half." Lin spoke convincingly, his voice steady.
"Alright, I'll pay for it. You can use my debit card on your phone." Wen gave in quickly. This child was too persuasive…
"Thanks, mom!" Lin said with gratitude, excited.
"Come back right after you pay, okay? It's getting late." Wen reminded Hao Lin firmly. It was almost dinner time.
Lin obediently agreed before hanging up, paying for a month of membership. He then left the gym and headed home.
When he entered the house, making his arrival known, a delicious smell wafted to his nose, filling the house with a mouthwatering scent.
He walked into the dining room to find four plates steaming with flavorful steak, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. A typical, but tasty, western dinner.
"Lin, go ahead and sit down. The food is ready."
"Alright." Lin responded to his mother with a smile.
He sat down in one of the seats and waited for the rest of the family to come. Once everyone was seated, they all began to eat.
Hao Lin savored the food, voicing praises between relished mouthfuls. Once he had finished, he returned to his room and got ready for bed.
"Bai, how does my special ability work?" Lin asked the air.
Bai's furry fox form appeared on his desk as he started to explain.
[When you fall asleep, a screen will ask whether you want to use your ability. If you choose yes, you'll be sent to a random environment with beasts that fit your current level. You won't encounter any dangerous beasts unless you go through ominous areas.
For example, you could be sent to a forest and might encounter dangerous beasts in thicker areas of the forest. Or maybe the trees will look dead and the forest becomes barren. Another example could be a swamp and the shrubbery could be thorny or tangled, indicating danger.
Just trust your gut and you'll be fine!]
Bai said with an optimistic voice
"Wait, dangerous?? Can I die?!" Lin raised his voice in worry, eyes wide.
[No, no! You might feel pain, but right before you die, you'll be sent out of the space. The ability doesn't have any setbacks for being sent out, so there's no need to worry. Though the pain will be as if the situation was real, so be careful!] He answered, easing Lin's fears slightly.
Lin nodded slowly in understanding before resuming his night routine. Soon, it was 9:00 pm. He got into bed and closed his eyes, heart beating with excitement as well as nervousness. After much struggle, he finally managed to drift to sleep.
He was brought to a pitch black space, floating in the darkness. In front of him was a large screen that said:
~Use 'Dream Cultivation' ability?~
~[yes] or [no]~
Lin chose yes without hesitation, eager to see his ability.
~What time would you like to wake up?~
~[_:_ _]~
Lin set the time for 6:00 am, and suddenly, the black around him morphed into a plain surrounded by trees. The sun high in the sky beat down on his back and a cool wind ruffled his hair.
'Everything feels so real…' He thought in awe.
A sword lay in his grip, the blade glinting in the sunlight. Hao Lin swung the sword around, trying to adjust to its weight. The sword sliced the air in ungraceful and amateurish swings. One couldn't expect too much from him as this was his first time holding a sword, let alone knowing how to use it.
Suddenly, a rustling noise caught his attention. His gaze vigilantly turned to a white rabbit hopping out of the shrubbery to his right, nibbling on grass idly. Lin observed the small animal, immediately noticing its sluggish movements.
Why was it so slow…? It was common knowledge that rabbits were relatively quick.
'Maybe the ability slowed it down to match my speed? That would make sense or else I'd never be able to slay it.' Lin quickly reasoned, not taking too much time dwelling on it.
With a quiet inhale, Lin slowly creeped towards the rabbit, his intentions clear. He tried to keep quiet so as to not scare the animal, but it was to no avail as a twig snapped beneath his foot.
Upon hearing the noise, the rabbit flinched, its head snapping up to look at him. Its glowing eyes stared at him with an ominous glint, and it made threatening sound, showing its razor sharp teeth inside its mouth.
Lin froze, his eyes locked onto the sharp teeth revealed by the creature's snarling snout. In a moment of impulsiveness, he took one more step forward…
That was a mistake. The animal instantly pounced at him, jumping rather far for the tiny rabbit it was. A large growl sounded as it attacked him.
The sudden movement startled Lin as his nerves were already on edge. Out of surprise, he swung the sword in his hand, its flat side bashing the rabbit.
The creature flew to the side, yet it was barely harmed by Lin's rookie attack. He hadn't hold the sword right, so the blade never even touched the rabbit, clearly showcasing his lack of skills with the sword.
Even so, he didn't become disheartened and wasted no time rushing at the rabbit. He didn't give it a chance to get up and ruthlessly hacked at its neck. The swings created a mess of blood, and a gruesome sight was revealed as the rabbit with its head half off lay in front of him.
Lin gagged at the scene, the graphics so realistic it made him recoil in disgust. After the gagging stopped, he could finally open his eyes through streaming tears. That was when he saw both the rabbit and blood turn into pixels and disappear, leaving behind a glowing orb radiating black light.