A Cold Shower

'Today is January 7th', just when I was finally getting the hang of our combat training, I was summoned into the Transcendence Space.

A silent message vibrated through my ring: [Entering Transcendence Space in ten minutes. Please prepare yourself.]

Taking a deep breath, I lay down as comfortably as I could, silently waiting.

Ten minutes later, before I could even react, I found myself transported from my bedroom to an unfamiliar room.

I stood up, glancing at the beam of light before me and the glowing figure standing beside it.

The transcender smiled and waved, greeting me, "Ah, Lucas, it's been two months. You've changed quite a bit. Are you ready?" I gave a wry smile. "I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Excellent. I assume you're already somewhat familiar with your target. Since this is a novice mission, I'll go over the mission details with you."

"Generally, there are no pathways between worlds, and traveling through time and space requires specific power and opportunity. Even if you manage to enter a new dimension, you need to be wary of that world's Will rejecting you. Outsiders are seen as invaders—a virus—so unless you slip through undetected, or in rare cases, gain the world's own permission, the Will of the world, or the Heavens, will try to destroy you."

"There are various ways to slip through, one of which is to descend by borrowing the form of another you in that world. The Lucas of Earth—you—is just one of countless Lucas across the multiverse. If you possess enough power and the right channels, this Lucas can communicate with other versions of himself in different dimensions, allowing for a smoother 'Transmigration' experience."

"This method is the primary one we use for transmigration in the Transcendence Space. Since I don't have counterparts in many dimensions, my most efficient approach is to recruit people capable of crossing over to carry out tasks on my behalf."

"Now, I won't waste time explaining the obscure theories of philosophy or metaphysics, like self-will or the soul. All you need to know is that this method isn't foolproof. If it's a dimension I've already established a presence in, it's manageable, but your target dimension is an unknown world. I went to considerable effort just to find someone like you who has a counterpart in that world and to open a gap. Once inside, you'll need to leave a mark to avoid being rejected by the World's Will."

"Leaving a mark is simple: just get involved in the progression of that world's history. In simpler terms, you need to leave your name in history. Of course, it doesn't mean you have to make a huge splash. You could pull off some legendary feats and still remain anonymous. What matters is involvement, not fame."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Senior, I get that, but isn't our goal of sneaking in kind of at odds with participating in big historical events? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

The transcender laughed, "Do you believe in fate? Or destiny? In some worlds, a person's life and achievements are predestined at birth, and anything outside of that is an anomaly. Some dimensions work that way, but most are far more flexible. So, if you do something extraordinary in the guise of an ordinary person, the World's Will usually won't notice. It has a lot on its plate, after all. Only if you mess with the fundamental laws, or completely derail history, will you risk backlash."

"Take Earth, for instance. Humanity is meant to develop along a technological path. If, as a transcender, you somehow wiped out all scientific knowledge and forced everyone to embrace magic, only then would the World's Will start paying attention."

"Frankly, being rejected by the World's Will is rare, or this method of transmigration wouldn't be so common. Of course, there's a higher risk in unexplored dimensions, but since you're a novice, your soul is still as fresh and unassuming as the native inhabitants'. This makes it even harder for the Will to notice you."

"Otherwise, I'd never throw a beginner into this kind of mission. And while the dimensional exploration mark might sound intimidating, it's really just a tiny tracker. It lets me collect information, detect the rules, and find resources. It's like a scientist observing animals with a non-intrusive camera, just checking in occasionally."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Understood."

The transcender summed it up, "As I said, I'm a researcher, not a conqueror. I aim for coexistence and collaboration. Even if I have to occasionally sneak around, I don't want that to be the primary approach of the entire Transcendence Space. So, here are four words for you: Go with the flow."

"Because your mission is unique, there's no strict time limit. But ideally, you should finish within two years. Otherwise, due to the way time flows between dimensions, it'll be tricky to pull you out without a trace if you haven't left a mark."

With that, he wished me luck and assured me he had faith in my success.

I thanked him and stepped into the beam of light.

Darkness swallowed me, and I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a completely unfamiliar place.

I was lying on a broken, dingy mat filled with straw that pricked me uncomfortably. I sat up, looked around. The room was small and cluttered, with just a few scattered objects besides the mat I was on. Looking down at my hands, I saw calloused palms and rough, yellowish skin—'a worker's hands, no doubt.'

I closed my eyes, letting foreign memories flood my mind, leaving me a little disoriented. The me I'd become in this world was named Han Er, the second son of the Han family. At around twenty years old, he had lost his family to famine and disaster years ago. Taken in by a small inn, he'd spent the past four or five years working as a laborer and all

stoker.

Maybe the trauma of famine had made him complacent; Han Er seemed almost content here. The Great Ember Dynasty had unified the Central Plains, with over a century of relative peace. The last famine was nearly a decade ago, a rare period of tranquility.

"Tranquil, my foot." I cursed internally. "In what 'peaceful era' would a guy's entire family die of hunger?"

Han Er knew little about the world of martial artists. Occasionally, travelers with swords and daggers passed through, and while the innkeeper was used to them, Han Er would watch curiously.

As for martial arts and sects, they were distant concepts for a small-town guy like him.

It took me ten minutes to sort through all this. Han Er really knew nothing of his surroundings.

He had a vague sense of history but only knew that a different dynasty had ruled before Ember. As for geography, he only knew his hometown was Jian Nan, and he'd escaped to Shun'an Prefecture's Tongcheng Town during the famine. Education? None to speak of. He was familiar with farm work and odd jobs but nothing beyond that.

'So, this is what they call starting with nothing', I thought bitterly, scratching my head, 'Why can't I possess some rich young master or noble scion? With what I have right now, how am I supposed to influence history?'

'But wait… I still have something to work with', Focusing, I willed a stray straw on the ground to float into the air, freezing it mid-air.

'Alright, at least I still have some powers. Not completely empty-handed, after all', Just as I lay back on the straw mat to plot my next steps, someone banged on the door.

"Han, up already?" called a rough voice.

I responded, got up, and opened the door. Standing there was a broad-faced, middle-aged man who nodded at me and said, "Wash up. A guest's checking out today, so help carry their bags and clean the room afterward."

With that, he walked off without another word. This was Guo Gui, the innkeeper. Though I'd worked under him for nearly five years, we hadn't grown particularly close beyond basic job interactions.

'This body managed to save around five taels of silver after all these years—roughly 3,00 dollars in modern currency. Not bad, given the standard of living here.'

Following Han Er's memories, I fetched a ladle of water from the backroom, splashed it over my face, and rinsed my mouth. In the morning light, I caught a glimpse of my face reflected on the water, 'square brows, messy hair—basically, the face of an ordinary, forgettable guy.',

Shaking my head, I began my day's work. Tongcheng wasn't big, nor did it have much foot traffic, but it was a stop on the main road, so I often saw travelers passing through.

By noon, I'd only served about ten customers, mostly merchants and travelers. At lunch, I sat with a bowl of porridge mixed with a few pickled vegetables, chewing through each bite with a frown.

Next to me, crouched a man in his thirties with a sly look in his eyes—Jiang Dachuan, one of the inn's two cooks, happily slurping noodles.

"Brother Jiang, got any interesting news lately? Care to share with your younger brother here?" In my memory, Jiang Dachuan was a big talker, and I was starving for information.

Jiang Dachun slurped his noodles, revealing his yellowed teeth as he smirked. "It's rare that you'd be so eager to hear my tales."

He leaned back, ready to dive into his stories. "Alright, let me fill you in on the big events shaking the world these days." And with that, he launched into a grand, endless spiel, detailing recent rumors and happenings, though I suspected half of it was stuff he made up.

"Word is," he began, "that His Majesty's planning a grand tour of the empire over the next three years. He'll first head east to lands, then south to the coast, cross the Western Desert, and finally visit Heavens Mountain in the north to inspect the border troops. Supposedly, the special agents from the Six Guards and members of the Phoenix Pavilion have already started contacting righteous sect leaders to make sure everything goes smoothly for the Emperor's journey."

"Apparently, there's been an uptick in bandit activity in a few provinces recently," he went on, "and it's possible some fools might be planning to cause trouble for His Majesty. They'll need to be dealt with swiftly."

He lowered his voice, leaning in. "Then there's the issue of those folk religions—small, odd sects that popped up during the last famine. The imperial court crushed most of them back then, but it seems they're reappearing and stirring up trouble. I heard that the Taiqing Sect on Taixing Mountain has sent its young disciples down the mountain to investigate these cults."

"And just last month, we had a big incident in the martial world," Jiang said, savoring the suspense as I waited for the details. "The notorious demon cultivator, 'Blue Demon Hand' Lin Han, got taken down outside Yuecheng, a couple hundred miles from here, by none other than Jiangdong's own 'Blazing Blade' Wang Ting. They say it was at the invitation of the Phoenix Pavilion."

He paused, eyes gleaming. "That fight was supposed to have been intense—lasted a full three hours before Wang Ting finally came out on top."

'Three hours? That's like... six hours straight of clashing blades. Isn't that a bit over-the-top? What level is this world running at—low martial, or maybe something closer to mid?

Just then, Jiang abruptly slapped his thigh. "Ah, enough talk. Duty calls. Let's pick this up later."

He shoved the last of his noodles into his mouth, gave my shoulder a friendly pat, and shuffled back toward the kitchen.

Later that night, after the inn had finally closed, I managed a simple dinner, washed up with a cold splash of water, and began running through my basic exercises in the privacy of my small room,'Judging by the vibes here, it seems this world does have some form of special ability.'