I went to the hospital to see my father.
So many things had happened over the past few days that I couldn't shake the guilt of having neglected him.
He lay there, unconscious, his deteriorating organs barely sustained by machines.
His face was gaunt and pale.
Just as the doctor had warned, my father's life—now hanging by a thread—didn't have much time left.
The fact that he had been transferred from the ICU to a general ward, despite his condition not improving, said everything.
The intensive care unit is reserved for patients with a chance of recovery.
Leaving it without improvement meant that, in the eyes of modern medicine, recovery was no longer possible.
Starting this evening, I arranged for my father to be moved into a VIP hospital room.
The monthly cost alone exceeded tens of millions of won.
But in exchange, he would receive far more meticulous care.
By now, I was almost certain.
As long as I could use the knowledge and technology obtained from the Akashic Records, making money would no longer be a problem.
So hospital bills didn't matter.
If I could just extend my father's life until the Akashic Records granted me the technology to cure him—then any cost was worth paying.
The doctor looked at me with confusion.
Until recently, I had struggled to afford even a regular ward covered by national health insurance.
Now I was prepaying several months of VIP room fees without hesitation.
I explained vaguely.
"Fortunately, I came into a large sum of money.Please proceed with any and all medical treatments that might help. I can cover the cost."
"I understand. However…"The doctor hesitated."I'm very sorry to say this, but you should prepare yourself mentally.From a medical standpoint, the fact that your father has held on this long is already close to a miracle."
"Yes… doctor."
I knew it.
Modern medicine cannot restore a body destroyed by trichloroethylene (TCE) poisoning.
Still—
Just a little more time.
If only I could buy a little more time.
Knowledge About the Akashic Records I (Tier 1)
A compilation of foundational information required by the owner of the quantum computer.Only knowledge permitted at Tier 1 is included.
…
(Converting contents into the owner's cognitive language.)
…
The Akashic Records are a database created by an interstellar civilization that once flourished in our galaxy—the Milky Way.
This civilization ruled over hundreds of millions of stars and occupied an entire axis of the galaxy.
Their scientific capabilities were so advanced that they could partially interfere with the very order of time and space.
But that magnificent civilization has vanished.
No—By the era in which the current owner exists, it will have been utterly annihilated, leaving not even traces behind.
The colossal structures they built across the galaxy will have weathered away, becoming material for new stars.
The physical remnants of their people—once spread throughout the cosmos—will have been broken down into atoms, forming the foundation for new life and new civilizations.
Yes.
The Akashic Records are the final legacy of that civilization.
A last testament left behind by a species that once stood at the pinnacle of the galaxy, only to fade into nothingness.
Their trials, their crises, and their mistakes—
All were recorded so that future civilizations might overcome similar dangers more wisely.
Gathering the last of their remaining strength, they created the Akashic Records just before their extinction.
The only terminal granted access to this archive—the Luktic Quantum Computer—has spent countless eons searching for a suitable owner.
And at last, it found you.
Yes.
You are the sole intelligent being chosen after an immeasurable span of time.
From this moment onward, you shall be addressed as the Sole Successor.
Sole Successor—
The fact that you were chosen by the Luktic Quantum Computer is proof of your extraordinary potential.
Move forward with confidence, but also with humility.
Use the knowledge of the Akashic Records to make the world a better place.
As higher tiers of technology become available, you will gain access to far greater information.
Until that day comes, continue your efforts—and do not lose your integrity.
May you not falter before the crisis that once erased a mighty civilization from the pages of history.
When I first read this explanation of the Akashic Records, the same thought came to mind as before.
It sounded absurd.
Like the setting of a science fiction novel or a game.
If I hadn't personally witnessed iron turn into gold with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed a single word written here.
But now, I knew.
The Akashic Records were real.
They were a repository of impossible knowledge—knowledge that could rewrite reality itself.
Which raised another question.
Why me?
What criteria had been used to choose me?
I was ordinary.
A humanities graduate from an average four-year university.
A normal family.Average intelligence.Unremarkable looks.Nothing special physically.
No matter how I thought about it, I didn't stand out.
Unless—
This was some kind of miracle granted to someone pushed into absolute despair.
Just before I obtained the quantum computer, my life had been collapsing for years.
Like those stories where a protagonist gains power at the brink of defeat.
Still, no matter how wildly my imagination ran, there was no way to find the answer right now.
The only knowledge I was permitted at Tier 1 was what I had just decrypted.
One line, in particular, lingered ominously in my mind.
May you not falter before the crisis that once erased a mighty civilization from history.
What kind of crisis could wipe out a civilization that ruled the galaxy?
And would that same threat eventually reach us?
Questions piled endlessly in my mind.
But speculation wouldn't help.
To obtain answers—and to save my father—I needed to continue deciphering the Akashic Records.
Step by step.
The knowledge I had decrypted this time was [Skin Regeneration Agent].
Skin Regeneration Agent (Tier 1)
Effect:Accelerates skin regeneration by stimulating cell division in both the epidermis and dermis, replacing damaged skin with completely new tissue.Effect strength can be adjusted depending on the recipe.
Materials:Silver + Quartz + Protein + Mineral-rich fruit + Collagen + Water + Glycerin + Luktic Basic Catalyst Stone
Method:
Mix water (10), collagen (1), protein (1), and glycerin (2).
Blend mineral-rich fruit (2) into juice and add to the mixture.
Add powdered silver (0.005) and powdered quartz (0.01).
Insert the Luktic Basic Catalyst Stone.
White steam will rise, and the mixture will heat to approximately 60°C.After one hour, the reaction stops and a thick white cream forms. This is the Skin Regeneration Agent.
By adjusting only the ratio of water, the strength of the agent can be controlled.Do not alter the ratios of any other materials.
The substance may be used not only for medical skin regeneration, but also for cosmetic purposes such as skin whitening.
Despite its unbelievable effects, the recipe itself was surprisingly simple.
Once again, the decisive factor was the Luktic Basic Catalyst Stone.
A few days earlier, I had proposed a partnership to Dong-sik.
Having grown up around relatives who ran businesses, he was understandably cautious.
Starting a business for the first time was notoriously difficult.
Even successful ventures often destroyed friendships.
That was why I told him to decide only after seeing the product with his own eyes.
Unfortunately, after being detained at an NIS facility, I hadn't had time to prepare the materials.
So I sent Dong-sik home, telling him I'd call once everything was ready.
Today was that day.
All the ordered materials had arrived.
I went to Dong-sik's house and called him over.
He looked reluctant—more than usual.
"Si-woo, seriously. Think about this again.Business is dangerous.And friends becoming enemies through partnerships isn't rare."
"Just come and see it once.Have I ever hyped something like this for no reason?"
I practically dragged him home.
I wanted him as a partner for a reason.
No matter how good the product, a business fails without experience and execution.
And on a more personal level—
I wanted to share the wealth and success that would come from the Akashic Records with Dong-sik and his family.
They had supported us when we were at our lowest.
I brought Dong-sik into the bathroom, where the chemical equipment was set up.
He looked surprised.
"What is all this?This looks like a lab."
"My father was a chemistry major.He bought these to show me experiments when I was young."
"…I see."
His expression darkened slightly.
He knew better than anyone what had happened to my father.
"Anyway, this is my business item.It'll take a little over an hour to make."
"…Is it dangerous?"
He eyed the beakers nervously.
I began mixing the ingredients.
Silver.Quartz.Protein.Collagen.Fruit juice.Water.Glycerin.
And finally—
The Luktic Basic Catalyst Stone.
As soon as I dropped it in, white steam rose and heat spread.
"W-What the hell?!Isn't this going to explode?!"
"Calm down."
After exactly one hour, a thick white cream remained.
"Done."
Dong-sik stared at it warily.
"This… is the business item?"
"Yeah."
"It smells nice, but what is it supposed to do?"
"Universal cosmetic.Burn treatment.Skin recovery agent."
"…You're joking, right?This isn't one of those street medicine scams, is it?"
I smiled and shook my head.
"Try it."
I dipped a brush into the cream and moved it toward the small burn scar on his calf—a mark from childhood.
"W-Wait!Why are you putting some unknown substance on my skin?!"
"Would I ever harm you?"
Reluctantly, Dong-sik let me apply it.
He went home looking unconvinced.
The next morning—
Someone pounded on my door.
"Si-woo!What the hell is this?!"