When Chen Yuan opened his eyes in the musty smell of rotting wood, he felt a throbbing pain at his temples, as though rusty gears were grinding inside his skull. Above him, water dripped through the thatched roof—dark yellow straw stems leaking rain in irregular drops that splashed onto the mud floor. Instinctively he reached for his phone, but his hand felt too small, his skin nearly translucent; at his wrist was wrapped a coarse hemp bandage, darkened with blood.
"Where… am I?" His voice rang hollow in the empty hut, cracked and unfamiliar. His memories scattered like shattered puzzle pieces; the last fragment glowed in his mind—a jade pendant in the museum case humming with an otherworldly light. When his fingertip brushed the cloud-and-thunder pattern carved across its surface, the glass display case spider‑webbed with cracks, and darkness spun him away.
A mechanical voice exploded in his consciousness without warning, nearly toppling him off the mildewed mat:
[Magic System Initialization Complete]
[Host's physical strength detected: 0.3, below average for humans in the Cthulhu World. Recommend redeeming "Basic Refinement Technique" immediately to increase survival probability.]
"System?" Chen Yuan swallowed hard and stared at the semi‑transparent menu floating in the lower right of his vision. It listed sections for cultivation methods, artifacts, talismans—all locked in gray—except one red‑flashing entry: "Newbie Gift Pack." On impulse he whispered "Open," and three whirling mists of light appeared: a fragment of the Blood‑Death Seal, three Bleeding‑Stanching Talismans, and a block of explanatory text:
[This system provides only magic‑path inheritances. Host must refine Cthulhu organisms to earn experience points and energy. Warning: Over‑absorption of chaotic energy causes mental corruption. After each refinement, ingest "Spirit‑Purifying Herb."]
"Hard‑mode survival right off the bat?" Chen Yuan tugged his bandage and saw the flesh beneath bruised in sickly purples and blues. "No tutorial, either. What if I botch the refinement and turn into a tentacled monster myself?" He racked his brain for plot tropes from Earth's web novels, but in this dank hut they felt suddenly hollow.
A creak at the boarded window stiffened every muscle. He saw on the papered pane a twisted silhouette—human in shape, but with absurdly elongated limbs whose fingertips scraped the floor. Its head writhed, bulging into a sphere then sprouting wriggling tentacles.
Cold sweat traced his temples. He gagged back a gasp and flicked to the system menu. Two talismans remained. The Blood‑Death Seal fragment displayed that it required manually channeling his qi and blood. He remembered that this body once belonged to a boy mauled by wolves, who bled out and died in this very hut; now Chen Yuan had possessed the corpse.
"Sorry for… borrowing your body." He focused on the fragment's instructions, guiding his qi‑blood to his fingertips. The feeble shell of a body suddenly surged warm, and pale red light glowed in his palm like a dying ember.
As the monster crashed through the window, Chen Yuan saw its full horror: a humanoid chest split open in a gaping wound, writhing with dark crimson tentacles—each tipped with a tiny toothed maw. Its eyes were milky white, the sclera laced with spider‑web blood vessels, and its throat emitted a guttural roar: "Blood… Flesh… Sacrifice…"
"Ugh! Even Bloodborne's beasts aren't this gross!" Chen Yuan rolled back just in time to dodge a flailing tentacle, which struck the mat and burned a scorching black hole in it, the stench of sulfur searing the air. He grabbed a talisman at his waist and suddenly recalled the system's "refine" function—did he have to slay it like a game boss to level up?
[Refinable target detected: Lesser Flesh Aberration (Strength 0.5)]
[Recommend using "Basic Refinement Technique" to absorb its core energy. Failure rate: 37%. On failure: +10% mental corruption.]
"A 37% failure rate?" He bit back a curse behind a support beam. "I should've library‑crammed more artifacts at the museum. Might've unlocked an advanced skill." But there was no retreat. He saw the creature tearing at a support beam with its tentacles, wood splinters raining down. Taking a steadying breath, he activated the Blood‑Death Seal; the red glow in his palm flared and inscribed intricate runes on the floor.
When the creature lunged again, Chen Yuan thrust his palm onto its chest wound. Hot blood seeped through his fingers—but to his surprise, there was no agonizing pain. The tentacles recoiled as though repelled by a predator, and the beast shrieked, its form flickering, becoming translucent.
[Refinement Successful] the system chimed. A warm current flowed from his palm through his meridians; his aching muscles revitalized, and the wound at his wrist visibly closed. On the menu, his experience leapt from 0 to 15, and his energy points rose by 3.
But a walloping dizziness struck him. He staggered to the wall as fragmented visions flashed—damp caverns, stacked bones, and an indescribable presence whispering in the abyss. He bit his tongue to taste blood and steady his mind, recalling the system's corruption warning; cold sweat drenched his back again.
"Why no heads‑up about side effects?" he panted, peeling away the bandage. The healed flesh beneath shimmered with faint red lines, as if conduits of light flowed under his skin. Was this a result of absorbing the monster's energy, or a side effect of magic‑path cultivation?
Rain whispered on the hut's roof. Chen Yuan peered through the shattered window: the forest at dusk seemed more sinister than ever, branches twisting like countless crooked arms. He knew this was just day one—and the Cthulhu World held far deadlier threats than a lone aberration.
The system flickered again:
[First refinement complete. Unlocked: Skill Exchange (Low Tier), Artifact Forging (Basic).]
He opened the cultivation section: beneath the Blood‑Death Seal fragment now lay corpse‑toxin scripture and bone‑contract art, costing 10 and 15 energy points respectively.
"With only 3 points, I can't even redeem a proper skill." He checked his status panel:
Host: Chen Yuan (Human/Magic‑Path Novice)
Rank: Qi‑Refinement Level 1 (0/100)
Mental Corruption: 5% (Below 10%—sanity intact)
Special Ability: Basic Refinement (can absorb energy from Cthulhu creatures weaker than self)
"Corruption stacks?" Chen Yuan frowned, recalling the Spirit‑Purifying Herb hint. "Better gather alchemy ingredients fast. But first—gotta get out of this rotten hut. If another monster shows, I'm not sure I'll win twice."
He scooped up the creature's leftover bone shards—dark red, pitted with honeycomb holes, crumbling to powder at a light squeeze. The system offered no clue as to their use, but in a world of scarce resources, every oddity could be lifesaving; he stored the powder in his satchel.
Stepping outside, rain had soaked through his hemp tunic. He surveyed the temperate forest—trees tall yet sickly, bark scarred with eyeball‑like lumps. From afar came wolf‑like howls, but with a wet, gulping timbre that sent a chill down his spine.
"I need a safe shelter." He tried to summon a map in the system, but the feature remained locked; trusting instinct, he headed uphill. Passing where the monster had fallen, he saw only a puddle of dark red slime, sizzling as rainwater hissed against it.
Before nightfall he found a natural cave halfway up the slope. Vines hid the mouth; a faint sulfur scent wafted from within, but no signs of other creatures. He tore large leaves to cover the entrance and arranged a crude perimeter of dry sticks—better than nothing.
Inside, Chen Yuan sat against the stone wall and reviewed his situation: transmigrated to the Cthulhu World, his only boons a magic‑path system, surrounded by power‑hungry humans and lurking monsters. Refinement was his path to strength, but each use risked mental corruption. Caution was vital.
"If only I could redeem modern weapons—like a pistol…" He laughed at the thought, recalling the system's "no technology" rule. "Guess I'll stick to magic cultivation. As long as I hide my refinement, I can pass as an ordinary human."
His hand brushed empty air where the jade pendant once hung—it had merged with the system as its core. He closed his eyes and called the system; the menu sprang up in his mind, the gray icons patiently awaiting activation.
As the night rain waned, hunger gnawed at him. No food options in the system. He ventured into the forest for wild edibles. With vague memories from the original body, he identified several nonpoisonous berries—but each bore tiny hairs that glinted in the moonlight.
"Cthulhu‑world apples of death?" He hesitated, then sampled one. Sweet juice flooded his mouth, followed by a metallic bitterness. He watched his body for minutes—no ill effects—then gathered more.
Back in the cave, he leaned against the wall. In the distance, a monster's low moan echoed, and stones rattled further in. Yet for the first time since arrival, he felt clarity. Shock gave way to survival instinct and curiosity.
"Tomorrow, I must level up." He stared at the empty experience bar. "Refinement is fastest, but I must control corruption. Maybe I'll start with weaker creatures, build points gradually. And my magic-path skills are top secret—can't risk showing them to other humans."
Fatigue tugged at his eyelids. On Earth he'd been an ordinary student, worrying over exams and papers—never imagining he'd be battling monsters in another world. But the lingering warmth in his palm was proof this was no dream, but a terrifying reality.
When the last sliver of moonlight vanished, Chen Yuan drifted into fitful sleep. In his dreams, he saw the glowing jade pendant, its cloud‑thunder pattern flickering in the dark, whispering of an ancient magic‑path legacy. Deep within the pendant, something slumbering seemed to stir, uttering an almost imperceptible sigh.
Outside, the forest remained restless. A many‑legged creature crept across the vines draping the cave entrance; its slime plopped onto the stick perimeter with a soft "psss." But Chen Yuan was too exhausted—even the system's occasional prompt flicker failed to rouse him.
After all, this was only his first day in the Cthulhu World. Beyond lay countless dangers—and opportunities—awaiting this fledgling magic‑path cultivator from Earth.