Infinite Awakening: My Exp Doubles Everyday novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Cultivation 101

In a small, weathered hut perched on the Mountain Heart Pavilion of the Azure Cloud Sect, a young man lay sprawled across a makeshift bed of dried leaves. The humble dwelling offered little comfort—its wooden floors worn and cold, the walls barely keeping the mountain chill at bay—yet the boy remained motionless, vulnerable and unguarded as if impervious to his harsh surroundings.

The peaceful scene didn't last. Without warning, the young man's body began to twitch. Subtle movements escalated into violent convulsions as sweat beaded across his forehead, drenching his simple garments. His face contorted in agony, features twisted as if trapped in a nightmare so terrifying it transcended the boundary between dreams and physical pain.

With a desperate gasp, he bolted upright, chest heaving as he gulped down air like a drowning man breaking the surface. His wide eyes darted frantically around the unfamiliar space, confusion evident in every panicked breath. After several moments, his breathing steadied enough for him to speak.

"Where am I?" he whispered hoarsely, voice cracking from disuse. "Wasn't I just at work?"

He braced himself against the rough floor and attempted to stand, his limbs trembling beneath him like a newborn fawn's. Once, twice he stumbled before finally finding his balance, taking tentative steps across the hut's worn planks. As he moved, something caught his attention—a reflection in the small glass window pane, distorted but clear enough to reveal a shocking truth.

The face staring back wasn't his own. Or rather, it was, but fundamentally altered. Different bone structure, different features, the same consciousness trapped in foreign flesh.

"What the hell is happening?" he croaked, the words barely escaping before white-hot pain lanced through his skull. It felt like molten metal being poured directly into his brain, every nerve ending screaming in protest. He clutched his head between his hands, a primal howl tearing from his throat as he collapsed to his knees. The agony was too intense to remain conscious through—his body convulsed violently against the hard floor, limbs thrashing uncontrollably.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the pain receded, leaving him panting and disoriented but mercifully clear-headed. Slowly, he pulled himself into a sitting position, understanding dawning with terrible clarity.

He was Xiang Yu—not the historic general, but a painfully average office worker with an equally average life. A man who had been unceremoniously yanked from his comfortable, predictable existence and hurled into... whatever this place was. This place was actually a different world entirely, and not just any world—a cultivation world, where immortals soared through the skies and monsters lurked in ancient forests.

This was supposed to be the dream scenario, wasn't it? The fantasy every bored office worker secretly harbored while staring at spreadsheets? Wrong! This was Xiang Yu's personal nightmare. He hadn't asked for adventure or power or destiny. His dreams had been simple: to live quietly, to grow old with a loving wife, to raise children in peace. Now he'd been cast into a realm where the weak perished without ceremony.

One would think that Xiang Yu was overreacting, after all, couldn't he just live that normal life in this world? Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! How was he supposed to survive? A normal person without spiritual roots in a world of immortals and demons? He'd be instantly spawn killed the moment he set foot outside this pathetic hut. As despair threatened to overwhelm him, a translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes.

[Infinite Awakening System is binding to the host]

[Please wait...]

Xiang Yu stared in shocked silence as the text hovered in mid-air. After a few seconds, another notification appeared:

[System bound successfully]

The screen expanded, displaying his pitiful status:

[Name: Xiang Yu]

[Realm: Mortal]

[Species: Human]

[Spiritual Root: null]

[Techniques: null]

[Scriptures: null]

[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]

...

Xiang Yu stared at the glowing interface hovering before him, his mouth agape with disbelief. The transparent blue screen confirmed what countless webnovel protagonists had experienced—he'd actually received a system upon transmigration. The webnovel gods hadn't been lying after all.

Within seconds, understanding of the system flooded his consciousness, as though the knowledge had been directly uploaded to his brain. His particular system centered around experience points—when practicing cultivation techniques or studying scriptures, he would earn their respective exp. The true power lay in its unique function: every 24 hours, all accumulated exp would double automatically. And this doubling would continue indefinitely, creating exponential growth that, theoretically, could reach astronomical levels.

A hesitant smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This changed everything, didn't it? With a system backing him, surely he could seek out legendary opportunities, unearth ancient treasures, and eventually conquer this cultivation world, right?

Wrong again! Are you stupid?

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