The last thing Haruto remembered was the deafening roar of the Yamanote Line train screeching into Shibuya Station. One moment he was crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with commuters, scrolling through yet another isekai novel on his phone, the next—nothing.
No divine voice. No goddess apology. Just cold tatami under his back and the coppery tang of blood on his tongue.
He tried to sit up. Agony ripped through his body.
What the hell...?
A translucent blue window materialized in his vision.
[Eternal System – Reinitialization Complete][Soul Transfer: Successful][Host Body: Haruto Kurogane – Age 16 – Cultivation: None (Mortal Body Failed)][Unique Protocol Detected: Zero][Error: Protocol Zero is sealed by Heavenly Mandate. Forcing access…][Welcome, Forsaken One. Your new reality begins now.]
The panel glitched and faded.
Haruto—no, he—stared at hands that weren't quite his. Slender, scarred, trembling.
Voices drifted from beyond the thin shoji screen of the rundown room.
"The young master stirred? Hah! The useless one finally wakes. Perhaps today he'll finally perish and spare the Kurogane Clan further shame.".
Mocking laughter.
His mind raced. Truck-kun? No—train-kun this time. Classic isekai. But... System? Cultivation world? And why 'Forsaken One'?
He forced himself upright. The room tilted.
Another panel appeared.
[Quest Generated: Survive the First Hour]Reward: Basic Qi Sensing (Lv.1) + 100 EssenceFailure: Permanent Death (No Respawn)
A timer ticked down: 59:59
His pulse thundered.
This isn't fiction. This is real.
But if it ran on stats and levels... he could treat it like a broken MMO build.
A faint, otaku grin crossed his face despite the pain.
"Alright, System. Show me what Zero can do."
Haruto stumbled out of the dilapidated annex that passed for his "residence" in the outer grounds of the Kurogane Clan estate. The air carried the scent of cherry blossoms, incense, and distant monster blood.
Two outer sect disciples—faint qi auras marking them around Level 4 or 5—blocked his path.
"Look who dragged himself out," sneered the taller one, a wiry youth named Ryuuji. "The young master who can't even sense qi. Come to beg for alms again?"
Haruto ignored the jab. He willed inward.
[Status Window]
Name: Haruto Kurogane (Soul: Original Haruto) Realm: Mortal (Unawakened) Level: 0 Essence: 0 Stats:
Strength: 4Agility: 5Vitality: 3Spirit: 8Qi: Locked
Skills: None Unique: Zero Protocol (Sealed – Glitch Active)
Spirit 8? Not bad for a mortal. Probably my years of grinding light novels and games paying off.
The System chimed.
[Hidden Trait Unlocked via Zero Protocol: Modern Insight]Effect: +20% efficiency when applying real-world science/logic to cultivation techniques. Bonus insight on System exploits.
Perfect.
Ryuuji shoved him. "Oi! Deaf now, trash?"
Haruto sidestepped—awkward but timed right.
[Agility Check Passed – Minor EXP +5]
He needed to survive the hour. Preferably without becoming a bloody pulp.
Idea forming.
"Hey," Haruto rasped, steadying his voice. "You two are at Qi Gathering, right? Bet you still can't form a stable qi thread."
Ryuuji barked a laugh. "And you can, cripple?"
"Bet 10 low-grade spirit stones I sense qi before you land another hit."
The pair exchanged greedy glances. Free money.
"Deal."
Haruto closed his eyes—not to sense qi yet, but to think.
In every xianxia he'd read, qi sensing started with feeling the world's energy. But with a System...
Mentally: Show Qi Sensing method.
[Tutorial Unlocked – Zero Protocol Override][Basic Qi Sensing Method – Fragmented]Inhale ambient essence. Visualize meridians. Force open channels.
The text was corrupted—glitchy lines.
[Exploit Detected: Apply Modern Insight]Convert breathing to box pattern (4-4-4-4 from Earth box breathing). Accelerate meridian opening by 300%. Risk: Minor qi deviation.
Risk it for the biscuit.
He breathed: In 4. Hold 4. Out 4. Hold 4.
A faint warmth sparked in his lower dantian.
The disciples lunged.
Haruto dodged—clumsy, but his gamer reflexes helped.
[Agility +0.1][Essence Gained: +2 (ambient leakage)]
Ryuuji's qi-wrapped fist swung.
Haruto ducked. It clipped his shoulder—pain flared.
[Vitality Damage Taken: -8 HP][Pain Resistance (Passive) Unlocked – Lv.1]
He retaliated with a precise palm to the solar plexus—pure anatomy, no qi.
Ryuuji wheezed, stumbling.
[Critical Hit – Vital Point Exploited][EXP +50][Level Up! Level 1 Reached][Free Stat Point +1]
The second disciple charged.
Haruto dumped the point into Agility → 6.
Everything slowed fractionally.
He twisted, grabbed the arm, applied a basic aikido redirect he'd practiced in high school club.
Snap.
[Joint Lock – Enemy Debuff Applied][EXP +80]
Both stared in disbelief.
"How... you're still mortal!"
Haruto smirked, breathing ragged. Timer hit 00:01.
[Quest Complete: Survive the First Hour]Rewards Granted
Basic Qi Sensing Lv.1100 EssenceZero Protocol Partial Unlock: Essence Devour (Lv.1) – Absorb defeated foes' residual qi. Efficiency: 10% (Scales with level)
Warm current flowed into him from the dazed pair.
[Qi Unlocked][Realm Progress: Mortal → Qi Gathering 1%]
The disciples scrambled away.
"You're... a monster!"
They fled.
Haruto stood amid falling cherry petals, qi trickling through damaged meridians like fresh code compiling.
Another notification.
[Hidden Achievement: Defeat Cultivators While Mortal]Reward: Title – Defiant ZeroEffect: +10% all stats when facing higher-realm foes. Stacks.
He let out a hoarse laugh.
One hour in, and the game's already glitching in my favor.
But from the main clan hall came a cold voice.
"The failure awoke? Drag him here. Young Master of the rival Takeda Clan arrives tomorrow for the betrothal annulment. Let him witness the trash we discarded."
Haruto clenched his fists.
Annulment? Classic young master face-slap arc.
He glanced at his status.
Level 1. Qi Gathering... just begun.
But Zero Protocol pulsed like forbidden code, hungry for more.
Come at me.
To be continued...