1 Chapter 1: Farewell, Tokyo, Hello Douluo Dalu?

A greasy blur hurtled towards Shuichi Tanaka, the screech of metal piercing the morning symphony of Tokyo traffic. Shuichi, mid-rant over a dropped dango on his way to work, barely registered the danger before the world exploded in white-hot pain.

Then, he woke up. Not in a hospital, not in the afterlife, but beneath a vibrant canopy of jade-green leaves, sunlight dappling his face through the leafy filter. Disoriented, he sat up, his body creaking in protest.

"Huh?" A young girl with a curtain of midnight hair and eyes like polished obsidian gaped at him from behind a tree. "Who are you, and why are you sitting in my spirit beast hunting grounds?"

Shuichi blinked. Hunting grounds? Spirit beast? Had he gone bonkers in the ambulance? He rose unsteadily, his legs wobbly and unfamiliar. "Uh, hi? I..." He gestured vaguely at the alien landscape, towering trees unlike any he'd seen in his concrete jungle. "Lost my way? Time travel? Coma dream?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "You sound weird. Not from around here, are you?"

"Tokyo, actually," Shuichi confessed, "But... well, this isn't Tokyo, is it?"

The girl snorted. "No duh, Sherlock. This is the Holy Spirit Village, Douluo Dalu. Now who are you, really?"

"Just Shuichi, a... programmer?" he offered lamely.

"Programmer? What's that?"

Shuichi sighed. Explaining binary code to a jungle girl seemed futile. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head, clear and chiming.

[Welcome, Transmigrator Shuichi Tanaka! You have been chosen to participate in the Soul Land Integration Program! We apologize for the abrupt arrival, but the system malfunctioned in Tokyo. Don't worry, you'll receive a starter pack and tutorial soon!]

Shuichi blinked again. A voice in his head? Was this the afterlife after all? But why Douluo Dalu? He vaguely remembered reading a translated Chinese web novel with that title, a fantasy realm of spirit masters and soul beasts. This couldn't be real, could it?

"Hello?" he ventured tentatively to the voice.

[Present! What can I do for you, Transmigrator?]

"Uhh, can you explain what's going on? And maybe get me out of this... jungle?"

[Certainly! Tutorial commencing shortly. Meanwhile, please do not engage the young lady in front of you. She is a Spirit Apprentice and may misinterpret your... unusual arrival.]

Shuichi turned back to the girl, who watched him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "So, about being lost..."

Suddenly, a guttural roar ripped through the jungle. The girl's face hardened. "That's Big Mama! A 100-year-old Earthworm! Stay here, I'll deal with it."

She vanished into the undergrowth, leaving Shuichi alone with his chattering inner voice and a growing sense of bewilderment. A 100-year-old Earthworm? What was this, Animal Crossing on steroids?

[Tutorial initiated! Please select your starter spirit from the following options: 1) Blue Silver Grass - humble but versatile, 2) Clear Sky Hammer - powerful but slow, 3) Mysterious Box - unknown potential with high risk!]

Shuichi stared at the mental list, dumbfounded. Spirit? Blue Silver Grass? Was this really happening? He glanced at the tree trunks around him, suddenly noticing faint silver tendrils weaving through the bark. It felt... familiar, somehow.

He made a quick mental decision. "I choose... Blue Silver Grass!"

[Excellent choice! Your Blue Silver Grass has awakened. Remember, Transmigrator, with hard work and dedication, you can become a powerful Spirit Master in Douluo Dalu! Good luck!]

As the voice faded, the Blue Silver Grass surrounding Shuichi pulsed with energy, coiling around him like a welcoming embrace. He felt a strange strength surge through his limbs, a connection to the very essence of the forest. And in the distance, he could hear the girl's triumphant cry, followed by a thunderous thud.