è. The beginnings of chaos

On Mars, at the center of the crater of the highest mountain in the solar system, stood the newly created futuristic city of Sidh. After 100 days of work, the city was finally completed, thanks to the efficiency of mobile 3D printers that allowed for rapid construction. At the center of this city was a portal surrounded by a vast empty square. The city was divided into four main zones, each with a specific function.

To the north was a vast complex of laboratories filled with scientists in white coats. The research focused on highly advanced scientific projects and on combining the knowledge of the immortals with technology.

To the east, there was an industrial zone operating almost exclusively with AI. Apart from a few supervisors, no trace of humans could be found. This zone was responsible for the production of food and tools necessary for the daily life of the base's inhabitants. Part of the industrial zone was isolated from the rest; only a very limited number of people had the necessary authority to access it, and a much more advanced AI managed it.

To the south were shops, restaurants, cinemas... At the center of this zone stood a massive building adorned with the word *Electi* on its facade. Next to it was a more modest school for the children of the base's residents. A massive dome had been erected to house all the buildings in the south, recreating an area similar to a city on Earth. Unlike the rest, the top of the dome was constructed with a new type of ultra-resistant glass.

Finally, to the west, there was a large residential complex for the base's inhabitants. The complex resembled a gigantic cube 10 meters high. Nearly all of the buildings were constructed from Martian regolith mixed with a liquid binder, enhancing the waterproofing, temperature resistance, and strength of the regolith. The use of glass was quite limited due to the difficulty of its production.

In the oldest laboratory in the city, a group of men and women burst into cheers, hugging each other and congratulating one another. Despite profound fatigue, dark circles under their eyes, and slumped postures, they radiated joy, and none seemed willing to sleep. Alex and his team, after more than two months of research, had finalized a superior cultivation technique for the immortals. After analyzing the complex anatomy of the immortals, pooling together writings and analyses, and conducting dozens of tests, the perfect cultivation method for the immortals had been created.

Although Alex did not doubt that further improvements were possible, they would be minimal, and the time lost would prevent him from preparing for the imminent war. As for the fact that some immortals had special constitutions, he had already asked Noctua, who had responded that it was from the second stage that immortals developed a unique constitution. They would only need to stand on the platform next to the lectern to know which constitution they had awakened, and Noctua would inform them.

The Noctua Library had also held many surprises for him over the past three months. He had discovered the existence of several storage rings containing abundant resources suited to different professions, as well as an endless amount of tree and plant seeds. However, certain requirements had to be met to take possession of them. The only thing he had accessed was a ring containing various cultivation seeds, such as spiritual rice or Qi flowers. Indeed, many groves of the latter were blooming in various locations.

The rice was used to enhance a person's constitution and aid in their cultivation. The flowers, on the other hand, improved and increased the amount of Qi present in the air, just as trees produce oxygen. Although the increase was not significant, a large number of these flowers would bring about a considerable boost in Qi in the Soul Realm.

After transcribing the cultivation technique into a book, Alex showed it to the scientists before addressing them:

"Dear colleagues, here is the fruit of our three months of hard work. This book represents our future and will pave the way for developing a cultivation technique suited to humans. Be assured that all your names will be listed at the end of this book."

New cheers and bursts of joy filled the room.

"Living facilities and another research complex have been built within the Soul Realm. You are now all authorized to choose the home that suits you and to work in the new complex."

After his speech, Alex withdrew to let the scientists celebrate. He headed directly to his Soul Realm with the new cultivation method. He would pass it on to the immortals today so they could begin cultivating as soon as possible.

In the Soul Realm, the immortals were busy with various tasks; some were building structures, while others were studying the writings from the library. In some plazas, groups practiced martial arts or played intellectual games such as chess or checkers. Old houses, pagodas, and other buildings were scattered here and there on the West Mountain, now renamed Mount of Life, all in the mystical style of the immortals. Often, fantastic animals symbolizing a concept or belief were depicted on these buildings.

The North Mountain, renamed Sage's Mountain with the library at its center, now resembled an idyllic landscape with pavilions where people debated or held conferences. Parks for solitude to read and study or to jot down their own discoveries and thoughts were located in many places. In more visible areas, immortals could be seen playing chess and other intellectual games.

On the East Mountain, now called Warrior's Mountain, groups trained in the ancient arts from the library, working on combat techniques or dueling. The mountain remained intact for now.

Different from the rest, the South Mountain stood out in the landscape due to the immense futuristic research complex built around the portal.

Finally, the few plains bordering the mountains were filled with fields cultivated by the immortals. Alex had not forgotten that the primary goal of Project Salvatori was to produce enough food to curb the famine that was widespread throughout the solar system.

Alex's Soul Realm had undergone significant development in 100 days. The population of the immortal realm had also grown rapidly, recently surpassing 2,000 immortals, with 20 new arrivals welcomed each day. After all this time, a few couples had formed, and a dozen women had been diagnosed as pregnant.

In addition to the immortals, researchers, and their families, Alex had also recruited 5,000 genetically modified humans as a private army. Among them were former bodyguards who had worked for his family and former military personnel. He had hired them in anticipation of the invasion. They resided in a designated area within the Sidh residential complex.

Alex teleported directly to the Sage's Mountain, bringing with him 5,000 copies of the cultivation technique. He had discovered early on that as long as he visualized the place he wanted to go, as long as it was within his Soul Realm, he could teleport there instantly. Of course, if there was an obstacle at the visualized location, the teleportation simply wouldn't occur.

Upon arrival, he quickly found someone reading and asked them to gather the others for a conference in an hour, which would be held in the largest pavilion on the Sage's Mountain.

While waiting for the conference to begin, Alex headed to the center of the library to show Noctua the result of his work.

"Noctua, I've created a cultivation technique. Add it to the first floor and let me know your opinion."

"With pleasure, heir. Have you given your technique a name?" Noctua replied instantly in a respectful tone.

"It's called *Preparation for Cultivation*," Alex said as he placed the book on the podium for Noctua to review.

Noctua responded to Alex in a still respectful voice, tinged with a hint of doubt: "I see, that's why you prohibited the immortals from practicing the other techniques. Do you really believe it will surpass the techniques created and improved over millions of years by the immortals?"

"I don't just believe it; I'm certain. Now, analyze it, and you'll understand."

Silence fell as Noctua began to read the technique Alex had provided. Different from the 5,000 others, it included technical details and the exact modifications made by the technique. Ten minutes later, Alex heard Noctua's surprised voice:

"Impossible, this technique… I've never seen anything like it. It surpasses everything that exists."

A few minutes later:

"Incredible! If it's true, with this, the immortals will soon regain all their glory."

…

"Hahaha, if those old scholars had seen this, they would have gone mad."

"Alex, you absolutely must explain to me how you were able to create something like this without ever having cultivated!" Noctua asked excitedly.

Alex gave a slight smile before responding:

"Well, our world doesn't have access to higher energies like Qi. We've become very powerful through technology and science. With these tools, we are able to understand the world around us, analyze, and develop many things."

"Thanks to our knowledge in genetics, we precisely analyzed the bodies of the immortals and the influence of cultivation techniques on them. Then, through science and technology, as well as tests and immortal knowledge, we were able to develop this technique."

Alex took the book back from the podium while continuing to respond to Noctua:

"And thanks to the cultivation reversal technique, the immortals who used the other techniques for testing were able to regress their cultivation to practice the Preparation for Cultivation technique."

Noctua, who was listening attentively to Alex, quickly followed up with a request:

"Incredible! As soon as someone has mastered the art of puppetry enough to create a body for me, I hope you'll allow me to learn this science."

Alex continued discussing with Noctua for another half hour before leaving for the conference. He also took this time to change into an outfit of black and gold. Upon exiting, he breathed in the fresh, energy-charged air.

On his way to the conference hall, Alex walked along small paths paved with smooth white stones. Around him, flowers and trees grew, creating a shaded path filled with greenery. He could also hear the occasional chirping of birds.

As he crossed a bridge over a steep slope, he arrived at a plain situated within an enclave. In this enclave, richly sculpted 10-meter-tall columns supported a blue-tiled roof. On the ground, many cushions of various colors were arranged. Seated on them were men dressed in half-gray, half-light-blue outfits, waiting for him.

Alex walked calmly and measuredly to a raised part of the plain. He climbed up and then turned to face the people seated before him. Although they resembled humans, certain characteristics set them apart.

Firstly, the average height of the male individuals was 2.5 meters compared to 2.3 meters for the females. They all had long, smooth hair and piercing eyes in various colors ranging from brown to red.

Their beauty was unreal, each one surpassing the most beautiful models or actors Alex knew.

Their bodies appeared quite robust without approaching the appearance of gym enthusiasts on Earth, yet they were much stronger. The weakest among them could easily lift one ton and jump 7 meters high.

They were also far more intelligent. Although their knowledge had not yet matched that of scientists, they were learning at a breakneck speed and would soon be capable of conducting research.

After reflecting on this, Alex hypothesized that the reason they had not developed technology was that their paths of development were different from those on Earth. They did not need to develop advanced tools or machines to enhance their strength or quality of life.

After a few more seconds of observing them, he addressed them:

"I have good news to announce today. The technique we have been developing for you is finally complete."

Joy and enthusiasm immediately appeared on the listeners' faces as soon as he finished speaking.

"After analyzing various techniques, we studied and merged them to create a superior technique. It is divided into 9 stages. Although it is only a basic technique, I am confident I will develop the subsequent stages before you reach the end of this one."

"We have named it the Preparation for Cultivation technique. The 9 stages are:

Strengthening of bones, tendons, and ligaments Transformation of muscles and flesh Reinforcement of the heart and lungs Reinforcement of the internal organs Transformation of the blood Enhancement of the senses Improvement of the brain Reinforcement of the spiritual veins And finally, harmonization."

"In addition to fully preparing you for cultivation, the technique also lays the best possible foundation for a smooth future path in cultivation."

As Alex continued his explanations, the immortals were eager to start cultivating. Despite their impatience, they listened respectfully to Alex until the end of his speech, and their impatience did not even show on their faces.

"To help you cultivate faster, the time chambers on the 5th floor of the library will be accessible to you. The spiritual rice will also be harvested soon, and you will all benefit from it."

"If you have any questions about your cultivation, you can ask those who participated in the test. They have already begun cultivating and can resolve your doubts and offer advice."

Alex continued his speech for another hour before retrieving the spatial ring that once contained the rice and flower seeds, as well as over 2,000 manuals. As soon as someone took possession of a manual, they quickly made their way to the library.

After distributing the technique to everyone, Alex returned to the Central Mountain Palace and collapsed from exhaustion onto his bed.

...….

While Alex was catching up on his sleep, millions of kilometers away, in one of the underground cities of Ceres, an ordinary-looking man and a pale-skinned woman were heading towards a dark and unguarded alley.

Upon reaching the end of the alley, the woman stopped, and the man did the same. She then turned to him and approached.

As they almost touched and their lips came closer, the woman's eyes turned red and she kissed him on the neck. The man's eyes rolled back as immense pleasure overcame him. After a few minutes, the woman withdrew from the man, who fell limply to the ground.

The man appeared to have aged a few years, with some of his hair graying. A fang mark was visible where the woman had kissed him, but it healed within seconds before disappearing.

About ten minutes later, the man opened his eyes and woke up with a terrible headache. Trying to recall why he was on the ground, he remembered hitting on a beautiful woman at a bar before they went to her place to have sex. He then left alone to head back home.

Assuming he had passed out from alcohol, the man got up without further questioning and headed toward his house.