Lin Mo didn't believe in fate.
If something happened, it was because of cause and effect—nothing more. That belief had kept him out of trouble for most of his life.
It did not save him that afternoon.
The rain came suddenly, heavy enough to blur the street into streaks of gray. Lin Mo glanced up at the faded sign above him.
Antiques For Cheap.
He frowned.
He walked this street every day. The shop was not here yesterday.
After three seconds, he stepped inside.
A bell rang, a dull sound, like it hadn't been used in years.
The shop was narrow with the shelves stacked with objects that didn't belong together: cracked porcelain beside rusty blades, polished jade.
Behind the counter sat a fat man.
He was middle-aged, round-faced, his eyes small and sharp. A smile spread across his face the moment he saw Lin Mo.
"Customer," the man said happily. "Rare day. What brings you here?"
Lin Mo nodded once and began browsing without replying.
The shopkeeper didn't seem offended. He leaned back into his chair, watching Lin Mo with interest.
Everything in the shop felt wrong.
Not dangerous. Just… misplaced, unorganized.
Lin Mo stopped in front of a small bronze mirror resting in a wooden box. It was old, heavily used, the surface dull enough that it barely reflected light.
Nothing about it was impressive. Nothing really made him want to buy it.
Which was exactly why it stood out.
"How much for this?" Lin Mo asked.
The shopkeeper's eyes brightened.
Then he laughed. "Good eye! That's a rare piece. Ancient. One of a kind. It's worth thousands I tell you."
Lin Mo waited.
The shopkeeper leaned forward. "Ten thousand for it."
Lin Mo turned and put the mirror back.
"Too expensive, why would you not sell it if it's worth so much" he said flatly.
The shopkeeper kept smiling. "Five thousand my brother."
Lin Mo shook his head and walked toward the door.
"Two thousand! My good brother, I can't go any lower than that. I need to feed my family too."
Lin Mo didn't stop.
"One thousand, young man," the shopkeeper said quickly. "Final price."
Lin Mo paused.
He turned around, studying the man carefully now.
A shopkeeper who dropped his price that fast either knew the item was worthless, or desperately wanted it gone.
Both were suspicious.
"Why so cheap now?" Lin Mo asked.
The shopkeeper shrugged. "Bad luck item. People say it brings trouble."
Lin Mo considered this for exactly five seconds.
"I'll take it," he said.
The shopkeeper froze.
Then his smile widened, relief flashing through his eyes.
"Excellent choice my good brother."
They completed the transaction quickly. The mirror was wrapped in old cloth and handed over.
As Lin Mo took it, the shopkeeper hesitated.
"Once you leave," the man said, "no refunds."
Lin Mo met his gaze. "I wasn't planning to come back."
The shopkeeper laughed a little too loudly.
"Good," he said. "Very good."
The rain had stopped when Lin Mo stepped outside.
He took three steps.
Then stopped.
The shop was different.
The storefront was there, empty, boarded up, the sign faded and fallen as if it had been abandoned for years.
Lin Mo stared.
He checked his phone.
No signal.
He checked the package in his hand.
The cloth had shifted. The mirror's edge had cut into his palm.
Blood welled up.
A single drop fell onto the mirror's surface.
The bronze glowed.
Pain exploded behind his eyes.
The street vanished.
Lin Mo hit the ground hard.
Cold stone. Thin air.
He rolled instinctively, coming to his feet in a low crouch, heart pounding.
The world around him was strange huge mountains rising in the distance, air thick with a pressure that made his skin prickle.
He inhaled.
Something entered his lungs that had never existed on Earth.
Not electricity. Not heat.
Something alive.
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Blood Contract Established]
Artifact Bound: Thousand-Realm Exchange Mirror
Descent Initializing…
Lin Mo clenched his fists.
This wasn't a dream.
Dreams didn't hurt this much.
As light swallowed his vision, one thought cut through the chaos, sharp and calm.
So this is how it starts