A new ad.
A new app.
Not flashy. Not overdesigned.
Just a clean title:
"Cultivation Life (Beta)"
Beneath it, a tagline that felt oddly familiar:
"Tired of ads that promise Freedom in cultivation world stories but never deliver? Try a simulation that responds to you in real time."
"…Okay, that's actually kind of good, i guess."
I tapped Download.
The progress bar filled faster than normal.
Too fast.
"…Huh."
No loading lag. No background processes slowing things down.
It finished instantly.
I opened it.
A simple interface appeared.
No cinematic intro.
No music.
Just text.
---
SYSTEM: Welcome.
SYSTEM: Please select your preferences.
Gender
Background type
Difficulty
Starting situation modifier (optional)
---
"…Wait."
I blinked.
"This is it? This is the game?"
It looked exactly like a chat interface.
Like… ChatGPT.
"…So it's just prompts?"
A button appeared at the bottom.
[Proceed]
But below it, smaller text flickered in.
---
SYSTEM: Advanced Start Available
"Watch an ad to begin with a better cultivation scenario."
---
I leaned closer.
"…Better start?"
Another line appeared.
---
SYSTEM: Options include:
Enhanced talent body
Noble lineage
Rare starting artifact
Favorable early encounter
Reduced early hostility
---
"…Oh."
Now that was interesting.
I paused.
"…So it's like those reroll mechanics in gacha games."
My thumb hovered.
"…Yeah. Why not."
I tapped Watch Ad.
The screen transitioned.
Not a video player like usual.
But still an ad.
Clean. Interactive.
---
AD: "Overmortal"
"Damn, Bad starting conditions!"
"Wait a minute ill select 3 talents and conquer the world!"
"Of courses ill choose the kunlun sext!"
"Taught by Li Xiao Yao?! Of course"
"MYTHIC SWORD?!"
"OF course ill take this pill for myself!"
"Which should I choose: Revenge or Ascendation???"
"Overmortal! Download now and start your cultivator journey!"
---
"…Of course it's playing that."
I exhaled.
"…Fine."
The ad played.
Short.
Bright.
Generic cultivation imagery.
Mountains.
Floating swords.
Silhouettes reaching higher realms.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing alarming.
Just marketing.
When it ended,
---
SYSTEM: Ad engagement confirmed.
SYSTEM: Please configure your character.
---
A character creation screen appeared.
---
Select:
Name: ______
Gender: Female / Male
Background:
Other (custom)
---
"…Hmm."
I tapped.
"Name…"
I typed:
Yang Mei
"…Sounds fine."
Gender: Female.
Background…
My finger paused.
"…Let's go with noble."
I selected:
Noble
"Sounds more interesting."
A confirmation appeared.
---
SYSTEM: Processing…
SYSTEM: Generating starting scenario…
---
The screen flickered.
Just slightly.
Not enough to be noticeable at first.
But something in the UI… shifted.
The text spacing tightened.
The background dimmed.
Like the interface was no longer just a screen.
---
SYSTEM: Loading initial environment…
SYSTEM: Assigning starting body…
SYSTEM: Syncing user consciousness…
---
"…Okay, that's a lot of system messages."
I leaned back in my chair.
Still calm.
Still normal.
"Is this the part where the game starts?"
A small prompt appeared.
---
SYSTEM: Final confirmation required.
Begin simulation?
Yes
No
---
"…Yeah."
I tapped Yes.
---
For a split second,
Everything went white.
Not like a flash.
Not like a transition.
More like… the screen stopped being a screen.
And became something else entirely.
---
Then—
---
I opened my eyes.
Cold air hit my lungs.
My body moved before my thoughts did.
Stumbling forward.
Running.
Breathing hard.
Footsteps behind me.
Real ones.
Not audio.
Not simulation feedback.
Actual presence.
My vision sharpened.
Trees.
A path.
Mud.
A sense of urgency already embedded in this body.
And then
Text appeared.
Not on a device.
Not in front of my eyes.
But directly in my awareness.
---
SYSTEM: Welcome, Yang Mei.
SYSTEM: You are currently: Fleeing pursuit.
SYSTEM: Background confirmed: Fallen Genius Noble.
SYSTEM: All users begin at mortal level.
SYSTEM: Survival recommended.
---
"…Wait."
My breathing steadied.
Not from training.
Not from bravery.
From something else.
From the strange mismatch between expectation and reality.
"…This isn't a chat AI."
A pause.
A realization forming slowly.
"…I didn't just open an app."
My thoughts aligned.
Clear.
Too clear.
Like my mind had been optimized for processing this situation.
Not panic.
Not confusion.
Just structured awareness.
---
"…I got put inside it."
Another pause.
Footsteps behind me grew louder.
Closer.
Threat confirmed.
But my reaction?
Still… measured.
Not because I wasn't scared.
But because the system didn't give me space to spiral.
It kept presenting information.
Continuously.
Like a live prompt stream.
---
SYSTEM: Threat detected: 3 individuals approaching.
SYSTEM: Distance decreasing.
SYSTEM: Recommended actions updating…
Run
Hide
Engage
Attempt deception
---
"…So you're just… ChatGPT with a survival mode."
My voice came out quietly.
Not calm in the sense of peace.
Calm in the sense of processing overload being organized into something usable.
"…And you're going to keep generating situations no matter what I do."
Another update appeared.
---
SYSTEM: Correct.
---
I exhaled once.
Long.
Slow.
"…Yeah."
My grip tightened slightly.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Something in between.
"…This is definitely not what I signed up for."
A beat.
Then, under my breath:
"…But if this is the start template…"
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I'll make it through."
The system text flickered again.
Always updating.
Always watching.
Always generating the next situation.
SYSTEM: Next situation initializing…