Chapter 1: Glass Marble

"Brain cancer was caused by radiation from the starry sky. Although there is no possibility of a cure in theory, if you are lucky and cooperate with my treatment process, there may be a miracle..."

Dr. Willow Whitrock looked at the test report he held in his hand, his tone one of persuasion, as even he knew that such types of brain cancer meant certain death. But how could he say such a thing to his patient? At least he could still give his patient hope.

"No," Ismali said, his face devoid of hope. He knew that death was inevitable for him.

He got up, picked up his coat, and calmly began walking outside the hospital, even though the doctor tried to encourage him to undergo treatment. But Ismali knew it was pointless and just a waste of money.

…

As hours passed, Ismali reached the train station with a small suitcase. He was going home.

"Leaves fall back to their roots. Not returning to one's homeland is ultimately like drifting duckweed," he thought when he booked his train ticket. Of course, he still wanted to visit the place where he grew up and had so many memories.

As the train whistled and the sound of metal against metal filled the air, the wheels of the train rolled, and the carriage Ismali had booked began to shake. The train had begun to move.

Sitting alone in a carriage meant for four people was peaceful.

The quiet and peace were what Ismali needed, as his entire life had been turned upside down in these few days.

As he looked at the fast-moving scenery, he began to reminisce about his life.

He was born into an ordinary family that owned a small aquarium shop in the suburbs. They weren't wealthy, but they were well off. But Ismali still studied his ass off and obtained a degree in biology.

But in the end, he developed brain cancer. Even the doctors were uncertain about the cause, but the symptoms he exhibited during his hospital stay were similar to those of other patients who had been identified as individuals affected by radiation from outer space.

But what caused this radiation? No one knew, and the public was unaware of it, as patients and their family members were "forced" to sign an NDA by the hospitals and the government.

It was a pity that his parents had passed away two years ago. Well, he was going to join them soon anyway.

…

After many years of absence from his hometown, as soon as Ismali set foot in Emerald Valley, he felt an inexplicable sense that everything had changed, as if he had entered a completely different world.

His first stop was his parents' graves, where he meticulously cleaned off the moss that had grown over time and adorned them with fresh flowers. Only then did Ismali make his way back to the courtyard of his childhood home.

Over the years of neglect, the yard had become a tangled wilderness of weeds. The once vibrant laughter and lively conversations had long faded away, leaving behind a haunting desolation.

With a deep breath and a gentle swipe at the corners of his slightly moist eyes, Ismali set down his luggage, switched on the electricity, and embarked on the task of restoring the yard to its former glory.

"What's this?"

As he cleared away the overgrown weeds, Ismali's attention was drawn to an oddly shaped object that resembled a glass marble.

The surface of the marble was etched with marks reminiscent of axe and knife cuts, evidence of enduring the test of time.

Instinctively, Ismali reached out and tapped it with his hand. The marble felt cold and unyielding, akin to the icy touch of winter, and a faint electric sensation tingled upon contact.

"Glass marbles shouldn't be this cold, should they?"

A shiver ran down his spine, and he furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

"Creak..."

Just as he finished speaking, a sound resembling cracking shells suddenly reverberated in his mind.

In the next instant, before Ismali could react, he found his vision engulfed in a dense white mist. Without even uttering a word, a surge of overwhelming, fragmented, and intricate memories flooded his mind like a relentless tide.

After a while, the deluge ceased.

"The Origin of Evolution? The struggle for existence among species, the survival of the fittest. Species evolution is not merely a matter of size; only through mass production can qualitative change be achieved. The smaller the species, the more abundant the conditions and foundations for qualitative transformation, the more comprehensive the metamorphosis. However, it is not about being exceedingly minuscule; the premise of species evolution necessitates a complete life structure as its foundation..."

"Life is the genesis of all evolution and the ultimate destination of all evolution. It is a path of destiny, a battle with the heavens for survival, a contest with the earth for advantages. It radiates like stardust, exuding the brilliance of summer flowers, with boundless possibilities..."

...

Ismali looked at the glass marble in his hand with astonishment, experiencing a tidal wave of memories in his mind that left him speechless.

Simply put, this was actually a sort of platform.

The Origin of Evolution provided the foundation for life's evolution—a spore capable of rapid evolution, differentiation, and division. Ismali only needed to provide the cellular DNA of other organisms to the Origin of Evolution.

At that time, the spores would freely combine with the cells of other organisms, forming the initial unique cellular body of the evolving life, heading in an uncertain direction.

However, there was one limitation. As Ismali was the host, he couldn't use human genes to cultivate a combination with the spores.

That was just a minor problem...

"Carbon-based life has its own limitations, but what if the token species I create is silicon-based life or some other form of life? Free from ailments, immortal... In that case, couldn't I cure my cancer... or even... when the species evolves to a certain stage, could I 'revive' my parents?"

Ismali's mind quickly began to formulate ideas.

The evolution of life is an unknown existence, where life and death are not the only outcomes, especially when empowered by the Origin of Evolution, opening up infinite possibilities.

"The birth of life should be diverse, and the elements constituting a living organism should not be limited to carbon-based life alone. However, since I am currently unaware of any other forms, it is safest to consider water as the most suitable nurturing ground for the origin and evolution of life. Following Earth's evolutionary history, single-celled life in water is the source of almost all existing species today."

"The foundation of species origin may not necessarily rely on water, but it is currently the most stable method of life generation known to me. Therefore, I might as well adopt this most reliable approach."

"All species on Earth originated from the ancient superocean. While I can't create an ocean, I can certainly turn a aquarium into one. Considering the size of the spore organisms, an aquarium is no less than the ancient superocean," Ismali murmured, his eyes shining brighter.

Ismali went to the storeroom of his house, where he found many aquariums wrapped in plastic. He searched and found the perfect one.

It was a 180-gallon aquarium typically used to keep stingrays. It measured around 72 inches (183 cm) in length, 24 inches (61 cm) in width, and 24 inches (61 cm) in height.

Gently picking up the aquarium, Ismali brought it to the living room and placed it on the table in front of the sofa.

As he gazed at the empty aquarium before him, Ismali began formulating his future plans, contemplating the path he wanted to pursue next.