The cat nuzzled his cheek while the dog licked his chin, showering him with affection that no one else ever gave.
These two small cuties were just like him, abandoned from birth. Han Suo had seen something of himself in their eyes and couldn't bring himself to leave them on the streets. Even though he barely had enough to feed himself, he brought them home anyway.
He placed a shallow bowl of milk and a small plate of leftover rice from the day before on the floor. The dog wagged its tail excitedly, and the cat purred softly as they began to eat. Han Suo gave them a faint smile, then turned and headed toward the cramped bathroom.
The mirror reflected a worn face stained with sweat, grease, and exhaustion. The stench of food, drink, and a long day clung to his clothes, and his knuckles were still covered in dried blood and grime. He turned on the tap and began to scrub.
Fifteen minutes later, he stepped out, hair damp and a towel around his neck. The dog was already dozing in the corner, belly full, while the cat was curled up near the window.
He moved to the small kitchen and began preparing dinner. It was a simple meal, just a bowl of plain rice, boiled greens, and a side dish of pickled.
He had no money for meat. In this world, most meat came from Magical Beasts or animals that were close to becoming one, and even the cheapest cuts were far beyond what he could afford. The only time he tasted meat was when he was still at the orphanage.
After eating, he washed the dishes, then dropped onto the couch, letting out a long breath. He stared up at the ceiling, eyes unfocused.
It had been 29 years since he transmigrated into this world.
His first life on Earth had been… average, to say the least. He grew up, went to school, got into a decent college, and worked a regular nine-to-five job. Nothing special.
Then, one evening, on his way to a blind date, fate struck, quite literally.
He remembered it clearly. As he crossed the street, he saw the familiar figure of Truck-kun running a red light and barreling toward him. But this time, he was ready. He reacted quickly, jumped to the side, and smirked inwardly.
'Not this time, you bastard,' he had thought, triumphantly pointing a finger toward the sky. Even the Heaven couldn't stop him from finding love!
The next moment, a speeding sedan came out of nowhere and hit him from behind.
It turned out that when he dodged the truck, he had stepped into the wrong lane. Just like that, his comfortable life on Earth ended, turning the page to a brand new chapter.
When Han Suo first arrived at this world, he thought it was a parallel Earth. Everything looked kind of similar. From the buildings, the streets, even the clothes people wore. They only differed slightly in style. But after living here for a while, he realized there were a few differences.
This world's technology was a bit different. There were no modern firearms, no aircraft, no warship... Instead, magical artifacts took their place. Most modern weapons had been replaced by cold weapons enchanted with unique properties.
And yes, in this world, martial masters reigned supreme. They could perform unimaginable feats: stepping on air, unleashing energy blasts that rivaled missiles, and even controlling swords with their minds. Who needed guns when a single saber slash could cleave a house in two?
Sadly, he couldn't do any of that even if he trained for another 100 years.
Since this world's technology focused too much on the 'fighting' side, there was hardly any entertainment. No phones, no YouTube, hardly any video games... They only had a basic wristwatch used for communication. With no real entertainment available, he had no choice but to read a few novels and call it a night.
He often lost himself in those stories, imagining himself as one of the powerful martial artists in those stories. He saw himself battling giant Magical Beasts in the wild, earning fame, gaining respect, and being admired by many. Sometimes, he even dreamed of being surrounded by a harem of beautiful women.
But after a dose of fantasy wore off, reality set back in. He was just a broke bump who couldn't even step into the Ki Gathering Realm. No one would spare him a second glance.
Han Suo closed the book and walked over to the corner of the room. He gently kissed Young Sister and Old Mother goodnight, then climbed into bed. The room went dark as he turned off the light and lay still.
A while later, just as he was drifting into a dream of wandering the world as a great expert, a loud noise inside his head jolted him awake.
[Ding!]
[Middle Age Support System starting up.]
Startled by the strange sound, Han Suo shot up from bed, a string of drool still clinging to his lips. His eyes darted around the dim room in a panic. For a moment, he thought a thief had broken in. After all, the security of this building... It was best not to say.
Then he noticed it.
Hovering right in front of his face was a translucent blue screen softly glowing in the dark.
[Initializing... 50%... 51%...]
His brows furrowed in confusion. He blinked a few times, unsure if he was still dreaming.
"What the hell is this?" he mumbled groggily, rubbing his eyes.
He reached out to touch the screen, but his hand passed straight through it like mist. His expression turned serious.
"Is it… perhaps… a system?" Han Suo said, slowly realizing that maybe something extraordinary was happening to him.
After staring at the strange screen, which felt both magical and scientific, for a while longer, he finally confirmed it. His 'golden finger' had finally arrived!
'This system better be worth it! I've been stuck in this miserable life for 29 years already!' he thought in anticipation.
[Initializing... 70%... 71%...]
Just when he thought the process was about to be completed, the blue translucent screen abruptly turned red.
[ALERT! System anomaly detected!]
[Attempting to recover corrupted files... Recovering... Recovering...]
[Recovery failed! Commencing adaptation protocol... Adapting... Adapting...]
[Success! Initializing... 80%... 81%...]
Han Suo was sweating bullets as the notifications popped up one after another.
"Phew..." he let out a shaky breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
If he had waited all these years only for the cheat to fail at activation, he might as well just call 'GG' and move on to the 'next game'!
After five more minutes, the words he was eagerly waiting for finally appeared.
[System successfully activated.]
A mechanical, crystal-clear female voice echoed in his mind.