The artificial night sky of Eden's Elite Institution stretched endlessly above, woven with artificial stars flickering against a glassy firmament. The barrier dome above the academy gleamed with streaks of artificial auroras—Neo Terra's way of mimicking nature's forgotten beauty. Beneath it all, Vaughe Crimson sat alone on a silent stone bench, one leg pulled up against his chest, surrounded by the glow of bioluminescent lumen trees.
It had only been a day since he awakened in this new body—this new life. Since the Space Deity System branded itself into his soul. Since the alien memories began whispering ancient truths into the back of his mind.
He couldn't sleep.
He didn't need to.
Sleep felt useless when the weight of the cosmos now rested somewhere deep within his chest.
—[Welcome, Vaughe Crimson. Synchronization: 87% Complete.]—
The system's interface hovered in front of him, visible only to his perception. Transparent, neon-blue, and filled with galaxies of knowledge he hadn't yet begun to touch.
"Eighty-seven percent…" he murmured to himself. "What happens at one hundred?"
The system did not answer. It rarely ever gave full responses—just suggestions, prompts, and cold, logical truth.
Below the synchronization bar was a locked tab pulsing faintly.
—[PROFESSION: All-for-One — Class: Fighter — Status: HIDDEN]—
It was the most bizarre thing he'd seen since arriving.
In Neo Terra, no one was supposed to have more than one profession. Not even Monarchs or Mythical-Tier Talent Bearers. But this… this All-for-One didn't even behave like a normal profession. It had no listed skills, no public records, no affiliated talent tree. And most tellingly, it was marked as hidden to all but self.
Even the system had warned:
> "This profession is not of this world. It is intrinsically bound to the Space Deity's Body and cannot be revealed unless user attains Sovereign Clearance."
What in the hell was Sovereign Clearance?
A shadow passed over the moonlight.
Vaughe looked up and saw a figure standing at the edge of the training field nearby. A student. Female. Slender and tall. Long silver hair caught in the wind like silk.
Caelia.
His heart jumped.
Not because she was beautiful—though she was, painfully so—but because she looked like her. The Caelia he knew from Earth. His first love. His last love.
The one who died before he ever got to say goodbye.
She didn't notice him at first. She stood silently, looking up at the stars, her arms wrapped around herself. A deep sadness haunted her features. Vaughe found himself holding his breath.
Then, she turned.
Their eyes met.
A flash of something passed between them. Recognition? Confusion? A strange déjà vu?
But she said nothing. She simply gave a small nod, then turned and walked away.
Vaughe sat in silence.
His pulse thundered in his ears.
"Was that really… her?" he whispered.
He wasn't allowed to spiral. He had to stay focused. The system, the danger, the secrets—it all demanded clarity.
---
The Next Morning
Eden's Elite Institution was a sprawling fortress of learning, cultivation, and combat training. Students came from powerful bloodlines, noble families, and elite cities. The halls buzzed with gossip, magic flares, and energy manipulation.
Vaughe walked through it all in silence, his black uniform crisp, his posture calm, his jet-black hair neatly combed back. The moment he entered the classroom, the room fell quiet.
It wasn't reverence.
It was confusion.
The old Vaughe was supposed to be a powerless, bullied nobody. But the way he walked now—shoulders squared, gaze direct, exuding a calm dominance—was different. Unsettling.
He sat at the back of the class, eyes half-lidded, watching.
"Crimson," someone sneered.
He didn't need to look. Brax Thorne. Again.
The brawler stood near the front, cracking his knuckles. "Try not to jump off any more rooftops. You might break the floor next time."
Laughter.
Vaughe didn't respond.
Brax frowned. He expected a reaction.
"You deaf now, no-rank?"
Still nothing.
"You—"
A single beep interrupted them all.
—[Training Simulation Arena: Activated.]—
The instructor entered. Tall, armored, with a cybernetic eye and a voice like thunder.
"Combat pairs. Randomized. You win, you get ranking points. You lose, you clean the courtyard latrines."
The students groaned.
Vaughe leaned forward.
This… was perfect.
---
Simulation Arena: Combat Dome #4
A neon-blue dome shimmered into existence. Vaughe stood inside, arms folded behind his back, waiting.
Across from him—Brax.
The brawler grinned, hopping on his toes. "Oh, this is too easy."
The spectators outside laughed. Many had gathered to watch the infamous loser get crushed.
"Begin!"
Brax charged, fists wrapped in kinetic gauntlets glowing red.
Vaughe didn't move.
He didn't need to.
—[Spatial Calculation: Active.]—
Time slowed.
Every movement—Brax's shifting foot, the muscle tension in his thigh, the wind pressure from his fist—was calculated, analyzed, predicted.
To the crowd, it looked like Brax punched—and missed.
To Vaughe, it was art.
He sidestepped gently, tapped Brax's ribs with two fingers, and released a surge of internal energy.
Brax screamed.
Collapsed.
Unconscious.
Silence fell across the arena.
Vaughe walked out without a word.
---
Later That Night
He sat on the roof of the dormitory building, legs dangling over the edge. His system screen glowed in front of him.
—[Profession Advancement Unlocked: All-for-One Tier I]— —[You have unlocked: Passive Skill – Eternal Adaptation]—
> Description: Any profession-based technique observed can be mimicked and permanently recorded by the user's Space Deity System. Only one technique per profession may be stored at a time unless tier is increased. Current Slot: Empty.
He blinked.
"I can copy any profession technique I see…"
He didn't feel joy.
He felt terror.
Because deep down, he knew this ability—this All-for-One—wasn't just broken. It was wrong. The system wasn't from Neo Terra. The body wasn't natural. And the Space Deity's Body?
He remembered its voice when he first awakened:
> "You are the chosen fragment of infinity. The vessel of collapse. The child of the dying cosmos. All shall return to you."
End of Chapter 3