Chapter 1: Prologue

It happened so fast. Too fast for me to react, too fast for my mind to process.

A moment ago, everything was fine—panels blinking, monitors displaying expected readings, the low hum of the collider filling the room.

The next, chaos.

". . . ev. . n. . Umm. . . Steven. You sure are working hard, man. Come on, let's take a short break," my friend and coworker Ethan said.

"Yeah, I'm done with this part anyway," I replied to him. Shutdown? A dialogue message written on the screen.

[Outside the lab, in front of a vending machine]

"Here, man." Ethan passed me a canned coffee.

"Thanks," I responded.

"Hey, you two. Come on, guys, it's time for the first run test of the collider," Nicole called us. She worked in administration, but she was just as invested in the project as we were.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding.

When we got back, we proceeded with the collider test and then prepared to go home.

Before leaving, we celebrated the official run of the collider. One of our coworkers, Maya, saw something strange—a little spark in one of the rings where power was unleashed before the collider was turned off. She hesitated but didn't want to ruin the mood, so she remained silent about it.

But she wasn't the only one who noticed.

During the final diagnostics, Ethan frowned at the monitor. "That's weird… Did anyone else see a spike in energy output just before shutdown?" he muttered, mostly to himself. He glanced toward the collider chamber, a flicker of unease crossing his face before shaking his head. "Maybe just a miscalculation."

Maya hesitated, her fingers tightening around her glass. She wanted to speak up, but laughter and congratulations filled the room, drowning out her thoughts. It was nothing… right? she convinced herself.

With that, they all went home, got some rest, and returned to work the next day. That was when the horrific incident happened.

[ERROR] [ERROR]

My breath hitched. The red warning messages flickered across the main screen, an ominous prelude to disaster.

"What is happening?!" I shouted, my voice barely cutting through the rising panic.

"There's an unknown error occurring in the collider!" a coworker responded, frantically typing away at his console.

"We need to shut it down!" another coworker yelled, his hands trembling.

Then, an unknown energy surged.

A blinding burst of light swallowed the room. Electricity crackled through the air. My ears rang as a deafening roar filled the lab. I barely had time to shield my face before the explosion tore through everything.

I gasped, choking on the thick, acrid smoke. The stench of burnt metal and something… worse clung to the air. My head pounded, and my vision swam as I struggled to push myself up.

"Guys! Are you okay?!" My voice wavered with fear. Silence answered me.

My chest tightened. My hands trembled as I reached out in the dim light. Bodies. Twisted, unmoving forms. The same coworkers who had been shouting just moments ago. Dead.

I coughed again, my breath shaky. "Did the space inside the testing chamber collapse?" My thoughts raced. The collider—I need to shut it down.

I forced myself to my feet, every muscle screaming in protest. But then…

A chill ran down my spine as the world around me seemed to slow. No, not slow—it seemed like time suddenly stopped. The smoke hung motionless in the air. The flickering lights froze mid-blink. My own heartbeat sounded distant, sluggish.

Huh? What's happening?

My gaze snapped to the center of the room. Where the collider once stood, a void had taken shape. A black sphere, darker than the deepest abyss, pulsed ominously. It wasn't just still—it devoured motion, light, everything. And it was growing.

It was pulling everything in.

The void pulsed again, and I felt it—an undeniable force latching onto me. My limbs stiffened as if invisible hands were dragging me forward. My boots screeched against the shattered tiles, but resistance was meaningless. The darkness was swallowing everything, and I was next.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The air thinned. My thoughts blurred. Then, everything—sight, sound, feeling—vanished.

Nothingness.

There was no pain, no sensation—only an endless abyss stretching in all directions. I couldn't tell if I even existed, yet something was there, breaking the void.

A screen.

It floated before me, glowing faintly in the darkness. Its presence was absolute, undeniable, the only thing anchoring me in this emptiness.

[System Initialization…]

[Analyzing Neural Patterns…]

A strange sensation tingled through my mind, as if something were rummaging through my memories, organizing them like files in a database. I wasn't just recalling my past—I was being dissected, my thoughts laid bare.

Flashes of my past life surfaced, disjointed and scattered. Science, logic, technology—everything that had defined me—began intertwining with concepts I couldn't understand. Flow, manipulation, essence. A new foundation was being laid, merging seamlessly with what I once knew.

[Adaptation Process: 3%... 12%... 27%...]

The numbers climbed steadily. The deeper they went, the more alien yet familiar the knowledge became. This was something beyond Earth, beyond the realm of physics I had studied. A force that dictated existence itself.

[Adaptation Complete.]

Without warning, a force pulled me forward, overwhelming and absolute. A sudden rush of sensation flooded in—heat, movement, weight. The suffocating blackness shattered, replaced by blinding light.

A piercing cry echoed in the air—my own. My lungs burned as I gasped for breath, my body weak yet alive. Blurred figures loomed over me, their forms massive, their voices unfamiliar yet strangely comprehensible.

My vision adjusted slowly, taking in the lavish surroundings—ornate carvings on the walls, shimmering chandeliers, and richly embroidered fabrics. Nothing resembled the sterile labs and technology I once knew. Everything was unfamiliar, yet strangely warm.

A gentle touch cradled me, and I turned my gaze toward a beautiful woman with golden hair and kind eyes filled with warmth. Her expression radiated love, and beside her, a tall man with a proud yet tender smile watched me with joy.

"Our son..." the woman whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "He is finally here."

The man chuckled softly, his eyes shining with pride. "He's so cute. He has your eyes."

"And your nose," the woman added playfully, gently caressing my tiny hands. "I can already tell he's going to be strong."

I tried to move, but my body was weak and unresponsive. My mind, however, was racing.

But where am I? And more importantly, who were these people?

A new voice entered the room, firm yet respectful. "My lord, my lady, may I enter?"

"Come in, Velius," the man—Aldric—said, his tone commanding yet warm.

A tall figure clad in deep blue robes stepped forward, bowing slightly. His sharp eyes studied me with a mix of curiosity and reverence. "A healthy boy. Congratulations, Lord Aldric, Lady Clara."

"Thank you, Velius," my mother—Clara—responded. "We have long awaited this day."

Aldric nodded, his expression softening as he gazed down at me. "No matter what, he is our son first and foremost. That is what matters."

Velius hesitated for a moment. "My lord, the astrologers have spoken of the stars aligning in a rare formation on the night of his birth. Some believe it signifies a great change."

Aldric scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "The astrologers always find something to say. Give them silver, and they'll tell you he is destined for glory. Give them gold, and suddenly, he is to become a king."

Clara frowned slightly. "Still, there is a pattern in their readings..."

Aldric sighed. "I will not deny that some forces exist beyond our understanding, but I will not let fate alone decide his future. He will become who he chooses to be, shaped by his own will."

Velius chuckled, bowing slightly. "A wise stance, my lord."

Aldric smirked. "Now, let us not fill this room with old men's ramblings. Our son is here, and that is all that matters."

Clara smiled, her grip on me tightening ever so slightly. "Whatever the future holds, you are our child, and we will love you always."

I could feel my consciousness fading once more, the warmth of my mother's embrace lulling me into sleep. But even in the depths of slumber, I knew—

This was only the beginning.

As the days passed, I began to understand my new world better. My parents, Lord Aldric and Lady Clara, were nobles—powerful ones at that. The term "essence" continued to appear in their conversations, often spoken in hushed tones.

One evening, as I lay in my cradle, Clara spoke to Aldric in a low voice. "Do you truly believe there is something special about him?"

Aldric exhaled slowly. "I do not know. But I have seen how the very air shifts around him. We cannot ignore it."

Clara looked down at me, her expression torn between love and concern. "Then we must prepare him. We must give him the strength to decide his own path."

Their words lingered in my mind as sleep overtook me once more. Strength. Power. Destiny. Whether or not I was fated for something great, one thing was clear—I would not be a passive observer in this life.

A steely resolve burned within me. I would carve my own path, forge my destiny with my own hands, and—

[Skill Acquired: Baby Babble (Lv. 1)]

Wait.

What?

Another screen popped up in front of me, nearly causing me to choke on my own spit.

[Baby Babble (Lv. 1) – Your attempts at coherent speech result in adorable nonsense. Mildly effective at manipulating caretakers.]

I… I was ready to defy fate, and this is what I get?!

Determined, I tried again, focusing every ounce of my will into saying something profound.

"Gwah!"

[Baby Babble (Lv. 2) – Increased adorableness detected. Caretakers are now 5% more likely to grant requests.]

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

Clara beamed down at me. "Oh, my sweet little one! He's trying to talk!"

Aldric chuckled. "With that enthusiasm, he might be a great orator someday."

I felt an existential crisis creeping in. A legendary figure in the making… reduced to weaponized cuteness.

Fine. If this was my fate, I would use it to my advantage. Time to grind skills.

Days turned into weeks, and I dedicated myself to the art of babyhood with newfound determination.

First, physical training. Wiggling my fingers? Check. Kicking my feet? Maximum effort. Rolling over? A challenge worthy of a warrior.

[Skill Acquired: Roll Over (Lv. 1) – You have conquered gravity. Barely.]

Next, social manipulation. Staring into my mother's eyes with the biggest, saddest baby expression I could muster? Instant cuddles. Crying strategically? Summoned servants in record time.

[Skill Acquired: Tearful Appeal (Lv. 1) – Your cries now have a 10% chance to evoke immediate response from caretakers.]

The system was a blessing and a curse, feeding my absurd growth while mocking me at every turn. But I wouldn't let it break me. No, I had a goal now. If I was stuck in this world, I would master it.

And so, I trained.

Every coo, every flail, every adorable giggle—honed to perfection. My parents thought they were raising a normal child, but in reality, I was building the foundation of something far greater.

[System integration: 0.3%]

By the time I could crawl, I had a plan.

Step one: Get stronger. Step two: Learn about this unknown energy that this Screen says to me. Step three: Take over the world. Probably.

With my strategy set, I gazed at the ornate ceiling, fists clenched in determination.

This world wasn't ready for me.