C1 He Had Transmigrated

"System binding successful. Activation in progress..."

Amidst a series of lengthy mechanical sounds, Zhou Ming slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?"

Sitting up on a stiff bed, Zhou Ming clutched his forehead, feeling as if his body was being torn apart.

"Brother, you're awake!"

A girl in a blue and white uniform approached him, her face alight with happiness.

"Wow, have I actually traveled to another world?"

As he laid eyes on the girl, a flood of memories washed over Zhou Ming, prompting him to murmur in wonder.

Zhou Ming was a minor employee at a publicly traded company, overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life. He would leave for work early and come home late, constantly working overtime until, two months later, he collapsed at his desk. When he awoke, he found himself in a different world altogether.

This world was called Getrall. Here, the level of technology was nearly identical to Earth's, with one notable exception: Getrall was home to individuals with extraordinary abilities, known as Essence Weavers.

Essence Weavers held a revered status in Getrall, representing an aspirational yet unattainable ideal for the common folk.

To become an Essence Weaver, one required an innate talent for Mana Channeling. Without this gift, becoming an Essence Weaver was impossible. It was akin to the difference between those born with silver spoons and those who entered the world with nothing—each had a distinct starting point in life.

Zhou Ming's sister, Zhou Youyou, was an Essence Weaver. Blessed with remarkable talent, she began practicing Mana Channeling at the tender age of eight. By fifteen, she had already achieved the rank of a four-star Essence Weaver. Her rapid ascent to the Aether Forging realm in just seven years had earned her the envy of many.

The path of an Essence Weaver was divided into three major realms: Source Tempering, Aether Forging, and Divine Martial. For many, advancing from Source Tempering to Aether Forging could take over a decade, with some never progressing beyond Source Tempering for their entire lives. Yet Zhou Youyou had breezed into the Aether Forging realm in a mere seven years, securing her status as a four-star Essence Weaver. Her aptitude was undeniably among the elite compared to her fellow cultivators.

Although his sister was exceptional, Zhou Ming was just an average guy. In his early twenties, he would hole up at home all day, glued to his computer, living a life of decay. Dependent on his sister for support, he was the epitome of a homebound "giant baby."

With this thought, Zhou Ming sighed deeply. It seemed he was quite the loser in this world. His gaze fell upon his sister's delicate face, his expression a complex mix of emotions.

"Bro, what's wrong? You're freaking me out!"

Zhou Youyou, noticing Zhou Ming's vacant stare, worried that her reclusive brother was having a mental breakdown. She quickly waved her hand in front of his eyes to get his attention.

"Oh, nothing."

Zhou Ming snapped out of his daze, attempting to get out of bed, only to embarrassingly realize his room was such a mess that there wasn't even a clear spot to step down. It was a wonder Zhou Youyou could tolerate the filthy, stinking mess.

"I'm glad you're okay. I brought you some food; it's on the table outside. I have to head back to the Divine Martial Academy soon, so make sure you take care of yourself."

Zhou Youyou let out a sigh of relief. She had only one relative; if anything happened to Zhou Ming, she wouldn't know how to carry on by herself.

"Hiss—"

As Zhou Ming stood up and his feet touched the floor, he sharply inhaled from the pain. His body was incredibly frail, almost as if it were deteriorating to that of an elderly person. It was no surprise that even the slightest movement caused him mild pain, considering how long it had been since he last exercised.

Zhou Youyou reached out to steady Zhou Ming as he nearly toppled over, offering a wry smile. "Brother, it's been what, two years since you've left the house?"

"Two years?"

Zhou Ming took a couple of shaky steps, realizing just how weak his body had become, even more so than when he was constantly overworked.

"I've told you to get out more, but you never listen. Now, you see, even walking is a struggle."

Zhou Youyou chuckled as she cleared a path through the litter on the floor for Zhou Ming.

Watching Zhou Youyou's continued tenderness towards him, Zhou Ming's heart ached. For years, she had been the one taking care of him, never wavering, despite knowing full well that her brother was nothing but a hopeless case.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

The ringtone sounded. Zhou Youyou took out her phone from her pocket and glanced at it, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Bro, I have to head back to the Divine Martial Academy. There's some frozen food on the table that needs reheating. Remember to..."

"You go ahead, don't worry about me."

Zhou Ming released Zhou Youyou's hand. He had gradually become accustomed to this body, and it seemed there were no issues with his mobility now.

Zhou Youyou looked at Zhou Ming, somewhat astonished. When had her brother become so empathetic? He used to be quite dismissive of her, but today he seemed like a completely different person.

"Okay, I'm off then. Take care of yourself and call me if anything comes up."

Zhou Youyou must have run into some urgent matter, as she didn't stay to help Zhou Ming with the chores as she usually did. After a quick reminder, she hurried off.

"What a mess."

After Zhou Youyou's departure, Zhou Ming shook his head in resignation and began to tidy up.

Two hours later, drenched in sweat, Zhou Ming collapsed on the floor, looking around at the now spotless home and finally allowed himself a breath of relief.

"Brother Zhou Ming, you could've been done in by your own laziness!"

He cast a glance at the eight bags of garbage in the corner, emitting a foul stench, and cynically speculated about the demise of the Zhou Ming from this world.

After a cold shower, Zhou Ming felt nearly drained. He grabbed the food Zhou Youyou had brought, heated it slightly, and devoured it hungrily, as if he hadn't eaten in years.

Most of the food Zhou Youyou brought was ready-to-eat, knowing Zhou Ming's temperament all too well. Getting a homebody like him to cook was out of the question, so she always opted for convenient, easy-to-prepare meals.

Before long, Zhou Ming sensed something was off. Zhou Youyou usually left him with enough food for three days, but now he had polished off 70% of the food on the table and still felt no sense of fullness. Had he turned into a bottomless pit?

After finishing the last can of beef, Zhou Ming finally felt some energy returning, though he was far from satisfied.

With the energy supply replenished, the system activated successfully. Would the host like to initiate the system?

Zhou Ming's head throbbed with pain as a chilly notification tone rang out, and a translucent window popped up in his mind.

What on earth? Zhou Ming was momentarily dumbfounded. Was he so hungry that he was hallucinating?

"Would you like to activate the system?"

The icy notification echoed once more.

You've got to be kidding me! Once Zhou Ming was sure it wasn't a hallucination or auditory illusion, his heart grew bolder. If something as wild as transmigration could happen, what else was there to fear? He might as well treat it like a game! Without hesitation, he commanded in his thoughts, "Yes!"

"System activation successful. Infinite Dream Project, commence!"

In that moment, the usually emotionless notification seemed to carry a hint of fluctuation.

"Warning! Energy is insufficient! Energy is insufficient! Please, Host, replenish your energy promptly!"

The window flickered, its light fading before it vanished altogether.

Damn it! What a rip-off! Stars danced before Zhou Ming's eyes as waves of dizziness washed over him. He felt his energy being sapped away in an instant. Now he understood why he had felt so insatiably hungry earlier—it was all because this damned system had siphoned off his energy!