Endless Ascension

Chapter 1: The Miserable Otaku

Qin Ze woke up to find that the world had changed.

At the very least, his bed had changed. Before, it was a seven-year-old, second-hand Simmons mattress, slightly worn but still comfortable, soft, and bouncy. Occasionally, when he invited a girl over for some "exercise," it would even emit a creaking "yi-ya yi-ya" melody as accompaniment. Now, however, he felt cold and hard beneath his back, lying on something extremely uncomfortable.

What puzzled him even more was the unbearable air quality. It stank, like sleeping in a pigsty. He admitted that his own "doghouse" had its own peculiar smell, but it was far more tolerable than this.

As he prepared to sit up and see where he was, he realized that every part of his body ached, causing him to wince in pain. "What the hell? What's going on with me?"

Suddenly, he noticed something even stranger. He was wearing clothes! He was always a naked sleeper, and the color and quality of these clothes seemed oddly archaic. "Why do they look like ancient costumes?"

"What's happening? This doesn't make sense."

Just as he lay there pondering, a sound came from the next room, "Huff, huff, huff..."

"What's that noise?"

"Is it a pig making that sound?"

"Do I have a pig as a neighbor?"

"Holy shit, I've lived here for years and didn't know my neighbor kept a pig..."

"A pig? Wasn't it the meat-selling girl who usually left late and returned early...?"

Qin Ze lay there frozen, as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at the thatched roof above him. Sunlight peeked through the cracks in the tiles, casting gentle rays on his face. In that moment, he was stunned.

He couldn't believe what was happening.

A seasoned otaku, Qin Ze spent his days immersed in the worlds of games, novels, and anime. He never believed in the time-travel tropes found in novels, knowing them to be mere gimmicks. If he could truly travel through time, he would be the first to try it, as it would be the only way to change his life.

He hated his current existence but refused to face reality, earning a living through game-leveling services. The night before, while leveling, he encountered a wild BOSS, which was strange since he knew the game intimately and knew that wild BOSSes didn't spawn. Without hesitation, he prepared to engage.

To his surprise, the BOSS spoke. "Don't attack me, don't attack me, I have something to say..."

"Something to say? Fuck off, where would I get my gear if I didn't fight you?"

Feeling no wrong in his actions, Qin Ze relentlessly assaulted the BOSS, who had no defense. Its health quickly dwindled.

"Die."

"You'll regret this." The BOSS glared at Qin Ze with a haunting look that sent shivers down his spine.

The BOSS didn't drop any loot, not even experience. Disappointed, Qin Ze was about to leave when he noticed a mysterious scroll left behind where the BOSS had vanished. Engraved with ancient patterns, it seemed like a seal.

Without hesitation, Qin Ze activated the scroll, and his computer screen erupted with a blinding light. Then, he lost consciousness...

Qin Ze struggled to sit up, taking in the spartan room. Besides a worn-out table, there was only a murky green liquid in the corner, its stench emanating from a mixture of pig urine and feces. He couldn't help but curse, "Fuck, is this where humans live?"

As his words echoed, a loud "clang" sounded from the next room. "Young Master, are you awake?"

The voice was loud and filled with incredulous excitement.

"Yeah, I'm awake."

Qin Ze replied unconsciously, his head throbbing. Frowning, he snapped, "Young Master? The fuck am I a Young Master? Can a Young Master live in a place like this?"

Having inexplicably traveled through time and become some useless young master, Qin Ze was in a foul mood. What was wrong?

His background was bad, his health was bad, his servant was bad, and worst of all, his mind wasn't right. He'd wasted fifteen years accomplishing nothing, unable even to woo a girl. What else could it be but a faulty mind?

"Boom, boom, boom..." Heavy footsteps approached from the next room.

"It's Fatty."

"You're the one who's silly."

Qin Ze's mood had sunk to its lowest point. Complaining to the heavens was futile; he had to confront reality. How was he supposed to survive in this world where strength reigned supreme with his frail body?

It was indeed a vexing problem, yet one he had to face head-on.

From the memories in his mind, he knew that the owner of this body was also named Qin Ze, A concubine's son of the Qin Family, the third most influential clan in Qinghe City. Orphaned since childhood, he had been overlooked within the family. At the age of ten, he fell ill with a strange disease that damaged his Dan Tian, rendering him unable to cultivate Qi and subsequently forgotten by the family until he was expelled last month.

His tumultuous life had forged in him a timid, self-effacing nature, leading him to never retaliate when bullied, even offering the other cheek when struck on one.

Yet Qin Ze couldn't help but admire his perseverance. With a shattered Dan Tian, cultivation was akin to a death sentence, dooming him to a life without Qi cultivation. Yet, for five years, he had never ceased his efforts, braving the mountains at night to train, only to find his cultivation level stagnant at the first stage of a martial artist.

His tragic life had ended, but Qin Ze's had just begun. How was he going to grow stronger or at least acquire some wealth?

Cultivation was out of the question. Qin Ze didn't fully understand the implications of a damaged Dan Tian, but the memory of endless nights of futile training told him that there was no future in it.

"Gods above, I'm a time traveler for crying out loud! Can't you throw me a bone?"

After pondering for a while, Qin Ze still couldn't find a shortcut to prosperity. He was nothing more than an otaku, clueless about business or making money.

If only there were online games here, he could've quickly turned his life around.

Qin Ze had a special affinity for gaming. Killing monsters, leveling up, completing quests, and raiding dungeons were his forte, surpassing even professional gamers.

But this world didn't even know what a computer was, let alone online games.

"Ah, you're awake?"

Z"Zhang Dafu, the owner of the Hibiscus Tavern, stepped into the room, a hint of surprise flickering across his face as he saw Qin Ze sitting on the edge of the bed. 'To still be alive after that beating, you're one tough bastard,' he said."

"Uh-huh," Qin Ze mumbled, glancing up at Zhang Dafu.

"Awake and you're just sitting there? Get your ass up and start working, you lazy piece of shit! What kind of face do you have to show after waking up?' Zhang Dafu bellowed, spittle flying everywhere."

Zhang Dafu was an outer disciple of the Qin Family who, unable to advance in cultivation, had taken up managing the family's businesses. The Hibiscus Tavern was one of his ventures.

Qin Ze found it incredible that Zhang Dafu's voice didn't rupture his own throat.

"Master, our young master just woke up, and his body isn't fully recovered yet. I can handle the work alone," said Meng Lei, a simple-minded man, a trace of fear in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Dafu.

Zhang Dafu sneered at Qin Ze and spat, "Young master? How did the Qin Family end up with such a waste? If it were up to me, I'd throw you into the Kunlun Mountains to feed the beasts, saving us all the embarrassment."

The Kunlun Mountains were one of the ten most dangerous places on the Tianyuan Continent, filled with perilous creatures and dangers that even the bravest avoided. Legends spoke of monstrous beasts that could take human form, their strength terrifying.

Located eighty li north of Qinghe City, the Qin Family ancestors had carved a path leading into the mountains, making it a must-pass for countless adventurers and contributing to the Qin Family's rise as the third most powerful clan in the city.

The Kunlun Mountains were both a peril and a treasure trove, filled with rare herbs and beast cores coveted by martial artists. However, for every person who entered, few returned, their fate often sealed.

A martial artist of Qin Ze's first stage would surely perish if thrown into the Kunlun Mountains.

"Master, how can you..." Meng Lei's face darkened, anger boiling within him. He had known Qin Ze for years and was willing to follow him through thick and thin, enduring hardships without complaint.