Chapter 1: The Big Bang

Chapter 1: The Big Bang

Boom!

A thunderous explosion rocked the heavens, and a brilliant red fireball appeared in the sky, outshining the sun. The shockwave from the blast swept across thousands of square kilometers, as flames, strong winds, earthquakes, and dust ravaged the land, toppling countless trees in its wake. It was like doomsday had arrived.

"Ah..."

Ji Xinghuo bolted upright in bed, startled awake from the darkness.

The lingering aftermath of the explosion reverberated in his mind, filling his eyes with bewilderment and terror. It took several minutes for him to calm down and regain his composure.

"This damn nightmare again," he muttered to himself.

Ji Xinghuo cursed under his breath, shaking his head in frustration as he glanced at the luminous clock by his bed. It was one o'clock in the morning.

For the past week, he had been plagued by the same nightmare every night. In the dream, his perspective was locked, starting from outer space as he rushed through the Earth's atmosphere like a meteor, finally exploding above a vast forest.

Each time the explosion occurred in his dream, Ji Xinghuo would wake up, feeling as if his brain had truly been blown to pieces.

And the culprit behind all this...

"Lights on," Ji Xinghuo called out softly, and his bedroom gradually lit up.

Without waiting for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, he swung his legs out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. The reflection that greeted him in the mirror was one of exhaustion and fatigue—his face gaunt, dark circles prominent beneath his eyes, and a few noticeable bloodshot lines radiating from the corners. His mental state was clearly in a dire state.

Anyone would be weary after a week of restless nights.

"I need to put an end to this," he muttered to himself.

Ji Xinghuo opened the cabinet behind the mirror and pulled out a beautifully crafted braided necklace. The fine nylon rope was intricately woven into an elaborate band, and the pendant that hung from it was a gem encased in a mesh netting, creating a delicate and exquisite piece of jewelry.

As he gazed at the gemstone pendant, his eyes reflected a mix of emotions.

Over ten days ago, he and a few classmates had gone on a graduation trip to the Baikal Lake region. On the last day of their trip, he had purchased this necklace from a reindeer tribe stall for 20 Asian dollars as a souvenir.

There had been hundreds of similar braided necklaces at the stall, each with a unique pendant.

Ji Xinghuo hadn't noticed anything unusual about the necklace at the time and had bought it purely because he liked the way it looked. He had started wearing it immediately and returned to Chang'an that very night.

And that was when the nightmares began.

After experiencing the same nightmare for several consecutive nights, Ji Xinghuo was convinced that the cause was the necklace pendant—that glass-like gemstone with its mesmerizing colors.

The gemstone had a transparent outer shell, within which was encased a vibrant, multicolored nebula that resembled an eye. However, at the center of the iris, there was an empty void, as if the pupil had been gouged out. Radiating from this void were several fine cracks, giving it a peculiar, broken beauty.

It was obvious that this object was not a natural gemstone but an artificial creation, and thus, not particularly valuable.

Driven by curiosity, Ji Xinghuo had conducted some research on the stone.

To his surprise, he discovered that the gemstone's hardness was extraordinarily high, most likely several times harder than a diamond. In fact, it exceeded the upper limit of the hardness detection instrument he used. Attempts to measure its brittleness, melting point, water solubility, and electrical resistance yielded no results, and he was unable to determine its composition, which completely exceeded his understanding.

He had tinkered with it for a long time, to no avail, leaving no mark on the gemstone.

On one occasion, Ji Xinghuo had even soaked it in his own blood, yet the stone remained unaffected.

Frustrated by his inability to analyze the gemstone, Ji Xinghuo turned his attention to his nightmares, hoping to find some clues there.

The first thing that came to mind was the "Tunguska Event."

The explosion in his dream shared many similarities with the Tunguska Event: the explosion occurring in the sky, the absence of a crater or celestial debris, the scale of the explosion, and the extent of the destruction to the forest. All of these details aligned with the data from historical investigations.

However, the Tunguska Event had taken place in 1908, and the current year was 2223—over three hundred years apart.

Moreover, the explosion site was nearly eight hundred kilometers away from where he had vacationed at Lake Baikal.

There was a significant distance in both time and space.

Despite these discrepancies, Ji Xinghuo couldn't shake the suspicion that the gemstone in his possession might be connected to the Tunguska Event, or perhaps it was even the cause of that mysterious explosion.

"It's a shame I have no evidence other than my dreams," he thought. "Otherwise, I might have been able to solve a century-old mystery that has puzzled people for over three hundred years."

A wry smile crossed his face as he acknowledged the irony of the situation. For now, the pressing issue was finding a way to put an end to these nightmares.

He had already tried various approaches, including carrying the gemstone with him and even leaving it in another city thousands of kilometers away, but to no avail. The nightmares persisted as if there were some inexplicable bond linking him to the gemstone.

Ji Xinghuo returned to his bedroom with the necklace in hand. He untied the fine rope, carefully removing the gemstone from its mesh casing and holding it in the palm of his hand for closer inspection.

"Could this really be an alien artifact?" he wondered aloud.

This wasn't the first time such a thought had crossed his mind.

From the very beginning, he had suspected that the gemstone might be an alien artifact, but its characteristics didn't match any of the known alien artifacts in the databases of the Astral Defense Council (ADC) or the official website of the National Astral Affairs Department.

These so-called "alien artifacts" were objects imbued with extraordinary abilities.

All alien artifacts on Earth originated from the Astral Realm.

In the year 2033, thirteen star gates suddenly opened across the globe, providing passage to the Astral Realm.

The revelation of this mysterious and vast realm shocked the world, challenging the scientific community's understanding and defying the known laws of physics.

The opening of the stargates brought unprecedented calamity to humankind, who were utterly unprepared. Alien invasions, nuclear wars, and the third and fourth world wars plunged the world into nearly two centuries of chaos and extinction crises, completely reshaping the destiny and trajectory of human civilization.

Now, in the 23rd century, Earth has reshaped its order and landscape.

Humans have adapted to the existence of the Star Realm and harnessed its unique resources to propel technological advancements and boost productivity.

However, the most significant impact on humanity comes from the supernatural abilities originating from the Star Realm.

These abilities are commonly referred to as "alien powers."

Within the Star Realm, whether among intelligent civilizations or beast-like lower life forms, individuals with extraordinary powers emerge.

Their abilities vary, from controlling lightning and possessing immense strength to shape-shifting and invisibility. These are just the most common alien powers, with many more wondrous and bizarre abilities existing as well. The further one advances in the path of evolutionary development, the stronger these alien powers become, even leading to extended lifespans!

By defeating the beings of the Star Realm, one gains the opportunity to acquire their alien powers.

And the key to harnessing these powers lies in the "Exotics."

Humans are not inherently born with supernatural abilities, but by fusing with Exotics, they too can master alien powers and evolve their lives.

During the "Stargate Era," humanity was able to repel the invasion from the aliens of the Star Realm, not only by resorting to nuclear weapons but also because there were pioneers who had acquired alien powers and evolved their lives step by step, attaining powers that could rival those of the strong aliens.

Now, in this century, out of a global population of over 40 billion, more than 2 billion are "Alens" who possess alien powers.

Ji Xinghuo is not an Alen, but he has extensive knowledge about Exotics.

In this era, everyone has studied to some extent about Exotics and has likely encountered them in their daily lives.

Exotics are not solely born within the bodies of Star Realm beings; they can also form naturally within the environment of the Star Realm. They exhibit diverse forms, resembling plant fruits or roots, minerals or gems, energy crystals, and many other peculiar shapes that challenge identification.

The "Star Realm Defense Council," with branches in countries worldwide, has established the largest database of Exotics on Earth.

Ji Xinghuo meticulously browsed through over 12,000 entries in the database, paying particular attention to the several hundred Exotics that resembled gems.

However, not a single one matched the gem in his possession. It differed not only in appearance but also in the fundamental characteristics of Exotics.

All Exotics exhibit "activity."

Ji Xinghuo had come into contact with Exotics on several occasions, and regardless of their form, he could easily sense their "activity" when holding them in his hand. They felt akin to eggs about to hatch, emanating a palpable vitality that required no special identification.

Yet, he detected no such activity from the gem, which seemed unmistakably inert.

Thus, he initially dismissed the notion that it was an Exotic.

But now...

"Nothing is absolute," Ji Xinghuo thought, his eyes fixed on the gem in his palm. "Perhaps this is an extremely rare exception, appearing dead but actually being an exceptionally uncommon Exotic."

If it were an Exotic, then fusion was possible.

There are no clear standards for determining whether a human can fuse with an Exotic. Generally, the better one's physical condition, the higher the success rate of Exotic fusion.

Ji Xinghuo stood up and looked toward the training room connected to his bedroom. His reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall showed a man of just the right height—a meter and eighty tall, neither too tall nor too short for an adult male, only a couple of centimeters taller than the average height. His body was well-proportioned and slender, with an upper and lower body ratio close to the golden ratio. Broad shoulders, an arm span of nearly two meters, long arms and legs, and a muscular build hinted at his exceptional explosive power.

This was the result of his years of diligent training.

In the pursuit of power and the dream of becoming an Alen, everyone on Earth embraced fitness.

Especially the youth, brimming with expectations for the future, threw themselves enthusiastically into various physical training regimens, preparing their bodies for the potential fusion with Exotics.

Ji Xinghuo was no exception.

He had started his training at the age of fifteen and had rarely slackened his efforts since, persisting for seven years.

Although he had not yet become an Alen, Ji Xinghuo possessed a strong conviction. As long as the Exotic he fused with was not of an exceptionally high grade or possessed an extremely unique alien power, his success rate of fusion would be at least 80% or higher.

"I had planned to continue training for another year or two after my graduation trip and then take the physical ability tests to apply for a super-limit-grade Exotic."

"Now, I'm about to fuse with an unknown Exotic..."

A hint of hesitation crossed Ji Xinghuo's face.

As a citizen of the "Asia-Pacific People's United Community," upon reaching adulthood, he would be eligible to take four physical ability tests. Passing any one of them would entitle him to receive a free Exotic and the chance to attempt fusion to become an Alen.

In the future, when the need arose, aliens must unconditionally respond to the government's enlistment once and serve the country until their term was completed.

Ji Xinghuo had been confident of passing the physical ability tests since he was eighteen, but he had never taken them, as he wanted to achieve a higher score.

The higher the score, the more exotic abilities one could choose from, and the better the quality.

The exotic abilities provided by the state were ranked from low to high: Basic, Premium, Excellent, and Super-Limit.

The vast majority of citizens who passed the tests could only choose abilities from the first three levels.

Only by passing all four tests in strength, speed, endurance, and willpower with high scores and then undergoing multiple rounds of assessments by the "Star Realm Department" could citizens apply for the highest-level super-limit abilities, enter the queue, and obtain these abilities according to the order of their applications.

Ji Xinghuo's original goal had been a super-limit ability, for which he had estimated a thirty percent chance of success.

But now, things were different.

"If this really is an exotic," Ji Xinghuo muttered to himself, "Just based on the hardness of the gemstone and the special phenomenon of giving me nightmares, the ability it contains is at least super-limit level. Moreover, it's very likely to be even higher, reaching the quality of a 'Starfall-level' ability!"

Starfall-level! Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat.

Abilities of this level were incredibly powerful, their value immeasurable in monetary terms. In history, the few publicly known Starfall-level abilities were not sold but exchanged.

"It's worth taking the chance to obtain a Starfall-level ability, even if the fusion fails!"

"At worst, I'll recover and try again. It'll just set me back a few months."

Ji Xinghuo no longer hesitated.

However, there was a problem at hand: how should he fuse with it? The two most common methods of exotic fusion were:

The first was ingestion, swallowing the exotic and digesting it.

The second was injection, dissolving the exotic in a specially prepared solution and then injecting it into the bloodstream for absorption.

There were also some less common fusion methods: for example, turning the exotic into a gas and inhaling it; establishing a spiritual resonance with the exotic and merging it with one's brain; and in rare cases, some exotics could directly penetrate the skin and enter the body.

The most troublesome fusion method was implantation, generally applicable to organ-like exotics extracted from biological entities. It was like performing surgery, implanting the exotic into one's body.

If given a choice, Ji Xinghuo would, of course, prefer to fuse through "ingestion."

The gemstone wasn't too large, about the size of a human eyeball, and could be swallowed whole. However, he doubted whether his body could digest it, considering its hardness.

What he feared most was that "implantation" would be the only option.

Implanting an exotic wasn't as simple as placing it anywhere in the body. It required prior research and consideration of the body's rejection response. Sometimes, medication was necessary to counter the rejection, along with wound suturing and post-operative recovery, all of which had to be handled by a professional surgeon.

The most critical factor was that the implantation site was usually where the exotic ability would be exerted.

For example, "Thunderclap Hand" involved an exotic in the form of an electric-discharging tendon that had to be implanted into the palm, connected with one's own tendon, to master this ability.

Ji Xinghuo gazed at the eye-like nebula within the gemstone.

"An eye!"

"Do I have to implant it into my eye socket?"

Ji Xinghuo felt his scalp go numb at the thought. The eye socket had limited space and couldn't accommodate two eyeballs. One of his eyes would have to be removed before implantation.

That was too high a price to pay.

What if it failed...

Although modern medical technology made it possible to re-implant an eyeball and regain sight quickly, the pain and psychological impact during the surgery were unbearable for most people.

Ji Xinghuo held the gemstone up to his eyelid.

"This gemstone really looks like an eye!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind, and without much thought, he gently touched the gemstone to his right eye.

The eye was the most sensitive organ in the human body, and Ji Xinghuo immediately felt a slight sting, causing him to blink involuntarily.

However, the sting intensified, as if sand had gotten into his eye, and tears began to flow uncontrollably.

It wasn't just his right eye; both eyes were in pain.

"What's going on?"

Ji Xinghuo forced his eyes open, but his vision was blurry, as if a thick layer of mosaic obscured his sight.

He touched his cheek and felt a warm, sticky substance, faintly recognizing it as blood.

"My eyes are bleeding..."

Ji Xinghuo's heart tightened, and he realized, "Where's the gemstone?"

At some point, the gemstone that he had been holding had disappeared. Before he could rejoice that this method had actually worked, a sharp pain shot through his mind, as if a drill were twisting his brain matter. He cried out in agony and fell to the ground, blood flowing from his seven orifices.

Boom!

In the darkness that enveloped Ji Xinghuo's vision, he saw the scene of the big bang once again, just like in his dream. Before his consciousness faded into darkness, a thought flashed through his mind:

"Is my head really going to explode this time?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end