The lab was immense, silent. No humans were visible anywhere, but the building was packed with robots, each performing its assigned task with machine-like precision. The expected chaos or excitement was utterly absent.
As we moved toward the laboratory's core, a sign of life finally appeared: an 80-year-old man, skin and bones, wearing a lab coat. His long beard and unkempt hair showed he hadn't groomed in ages. The only thing separating him from a delirious homeless person was his posture—erect with an air of profound knowledge—and his eyes. Those eyes, shining with intelligence, darted about ceaselessly, as if performing countless calculations at once. His hands trembled slightly as they adjusted components on the floor.
The area around him was dominated by a massive circle, etched with indescribable, bizarre patterns and connected by countless cables. It resembled preparations for a sinister ritual.
Just then, a cough echoed.
*Cough, cough...*
Covering my mouth with my hands, my whole body swayed weakly, threatening to collapse. But I held on. I couldn't fail now, not after coming this close.
"Artemis, report the current status," I managed, my voice hoarse.
A cold, slightly robotic female voice resonated through the air. "Chief Professor Orion. Current power transfer and preparation rate: 87%. All systems are projected to be ready in 30 minutes and 28 seconds."
I nodded slowly. "Artemis, prepare the body injection systems and neural connections." As I spoke, I began walking toward a side chamber. But before entering, I glanced back. My eyes held a deep exhaustion, yet it was overshadowed by an unshakable, iron resolve. Memories of the beginning flooded my mind.
***
I was the child who excelled in exams and hobbies, respected in nearly every field, seen as a genius destined for countless achievements. Yes, that was me. Even at just 16, that's what people said. Honestly, it should have made me happy, excited. But it didn't. Since childhood, life had only ever felt... boring. Everything seemed like useless thoughts spinning around a meaningless core—pointless, wasted effort.
Yet, in this boring life, I found something that could entertain me: novels. That world made me happier than the real one ever could. It wasn't a place with a single person's limited impact. It was a world filled with miracles, where even one individual could perform wonders, change everything.
But unfortunately, that world would remain just a fantasy. At least, that's what I thought.
One day, walking home from school, my mind was set on quickly returning to the comfort of my room to read. On the way, I saw a man. He looked emotional, as if simultaneously happy and sad, radiating an intense feeling. Just as I thought, *It's none of my business*, and was about to pass by, I heard his words.
"Ah... so we've finally reached the end of this novel. Seeing the conclusion of something you've read for three years... it really makes you both sad and happy."
Hearing this, I stopped. Truth be told, I didn't have many friends who read novels. Seeing someone else so emotionally invested was surprisingly heartwarming. I thought about going over and asking which novel it was, but before I could, the man stared at his screen in shock and began reading aloud. I wasn't far, so I could hear him.
"Dear reader, thank you so much for reading this far. As a special gift for your support, I hope this gives you the chance to live the life you've dreamed of."
Then, a light erupted from the phone, enveloping the man. Before he could react, it sucked him into the device.
I froze. My body began to tremble. My bag fell to the ground, but I didn't care. Shaking, I walked toward the phone and picked it up, my hands trembling so badly I nearly dropped it. I looked at it. The phone was frozen, locked on a single image. The cover of a novel: **'The Golden Age of Cultivation: The Birth of Countless Heroes and Villains.'**
Seeing this, I trembled even more. One thought screamed in my mind: *The novels... they're real.* And with that thought, a vast, obsessive desire ignited in my eyes.
***
"Ahh... those were good times," I murmured, turning away from the memory and continuing my slow walk toward the chamber with my aged body. "Back then, fueled by the energy of youth, I did countless things."
After that incident, I devoted myself completely. For countless nights, I searched for a way. But how could opening a path to another world be so simple? Despite all my efforts, my resources were insufficient. Alone, an ordinary teenager, my limits were clear. When I realized this, I clung to my studies even tighter. Combined with my intellect, it only took 15 years to become one of the world's foremost professors. By 31, I was at the peak. Everything was ready, and with all I possessed, I began my search anew.
Many called me mad back then. Hahaha. I truly was the living epitome of the crazy scientist archetype. But it didn't matter to me. Love, wealth, fame—I pushed them all aside. I pursued my dreams even at the cost of losing them. Yet, it was still hard. I endured those painful times solely through sheer will.
I made my first major discovery 20 years later, at age 51. When it happened, I danced with joy and rewarded myself with my favorite foods for days. This discovery came from an ancient relic found during historical excavations—it told the story of entities that traveled to other worlds. I had acquired it under the pretext of research. I poured resources into studying the civilization that left this relic. It wasn't in vain. Five years later, I held an incomplete ritual document in my hands.
Even incomplete, its contents were utterly staggering. It revealed that in ancient times, our world was a place where dragons and countless magical beings lived. That era was called the "Great Age of Despair" because humans, weak and powerless, were subjected to the whims of these god-like existences who brought torment and ruin.
That age was ended by a single human. This person, in an unknown way, discovered how to harness the power of space itself and used this very ritual to banish those monsters to other worlds. He left this ritual for his descendants, to aid them should such a threat ever recur.
Reading this filled me with immense joy—I nearly jumped for happiness—and a profound gratitude. This person was both the savior of all humanity and my personal savior, for creating the very path of escape I sought. But his name wasn't recorded; only a symbol represented him. There was just one problem: the ritual was incomplete, and the required materials either didn't exist in our world or went by different names. I had to complete it somehow.
But this didn't discourage me. Such details were irrelevant. All I needed was a path, and now it was laid before me.
Preparing everything took a full 24 years. I hadn't expected it to be so grueling and difficult. I could have attempted it four years earlier, but I didn't want to take the risk. Furthermore, I was simultaneously working on another major invention that I knew would be absolutely essential for this journey.
With these thoughts, I entered the chamber and saw the capsule before me. This was the invention I had been perfecting for the last four years. I slowly lay down inside, and the capsule lid sealed shut.
"Chief Professor Orion, please prepare. The process will commence shortly," Artemis's voice chimed in my ears.
Simultaneously, syringes within the capsule began injecting substances into my body. Over these years, with the dawn of the space age, technology had accelerated further. As the lead researcher, I was the one who developed and held complete control over this technology: Micro-Level Body-Assistant Robots. Their task was to protect and strengthen the body while monitoring all metabolic activities, tending to any injuries, and performing self-repair and upgrades. They were a swarm of micro-robots linked to an artificial intelligence.
I closed my eyes and waited. It wasn't intensely painful, but it was a strange sensation—the feeling of something moving within me. When the capsule opened, I stood up, feeling much better.
"All scans complete. No errors detected. Integration successful. Henceforth, I will be your directly linked assistant, Chief Professor Orion," Artemis's voice sounded in my mind.
I nodded to her and began walking slowly toward the research chamber. The greatest feature of this invention wasn't even its own. About 50 years ago, new quantum computers surpassed all predecessors. In doing so, they discovered a remarkable property: when processing information, they drew data from their counterpart versions in parallel universes. This led to the discovery of technology that could transmit information anywhere simultaneously.
This was the feature I desired most. It could provide me with a two-way communication channel with this world.
With this thought, I slowly made my way to the center of the circle. Before I could even ask, Artemis reported, "Master, preparations have reached 100%. We may begin now."
I gave my immediate approval. There was no need to wait any longer. I couldn't bear it. Knowing I was just two steps away from my dreams excited me beyond measure.
With that, countless electronic devices around the lab whirred to life. A massive surge of electricity began flowing into the circle, causing it to glow brilliantly. Then, from the exact center of the circle, a pillar rose. Atop the pillar sat a phone.
Yes, *that* phone.
I couldn't gamble on the unknown. With a confirmed world at my fingertips, I didn't want to risk searching for others. But, unfortunately, I couldn't find any information about that specific book. It was as if that novel existed solely for that man.
I looked at the title on the phone's screen once more: **'The Golden Age of Cultivation: The Birth of Countless Heroes and Villains.'**
My eyes gleamed with madness once again. *This* was the world I wanted and desired. A place where I could obtain eternal life and power.
The circle's glow intensified further. Light arced toward the phone, and the device—which had seemed frozen in space and time—suddenly powered on. A white portal began to form.
When it reached human height, I waited no longer. I ran and leaped into the portal.
It felt as if the world around me was spinning, everything changing. Then came a sensation of falling, as if I were at the deepest, darkest bottom of the ocean. At the final moment, when I thought I might die... everything vanished.
I found myself on the ground, staring up at a sapphire-blue sky.
I succeed it.