June 16, 2500, World of Celestia
In the capital of one of the world's largest nations, the metropolis pulsed like the true technological heart of Celestia. At night, beneath a sky distorted by artificial lights and vibrant neons, the city seethed with relentless activity. Imposing skyscrapers pierced the clouds, adorned with glowing holographic panels. Drones flew silently overhead, patrolling the skies. The constant flow of people in the streets mirrored the breakneck pace of the modern era.
Orion moved slowly through the crowd, his towering figure standing out against the frantic rush around him. The city's chaos didn't faze him—he'd faced disorder in its cruelest forms on the battlefield's front lines. His salt-and-pepper hair and piercing gaze hid the fifty years weighing on his shoulders—years marked by invisible scars earned through decades of military service.
Then, a shot sliced through the urban noise. A sound nearly imperceptible to anyone, but one that Orion—with trained ears and sharp reflexes—isolated with precision amid the confusion. His eyes widened, scanning the horizon for its source. With firm steps, he broke away from the crowd and grabbed his phone.
"Target confirmed. Need reinforcements on Central Avenue."
His voice emerged steady and controlled—an order, not a request—before he hung up and quickened his pace.
Taking refuge in the shadows of a narrow alley, the city's vibrant lights faded behind him. Tension hung thick in the air. At the alley's end, a young blonde woman waited, her plain clothes masking her true nature. Their eyes met in silent recognition. Without exchanging words, they entered an underground bar together, hidden from prying eyes.
Inside, seated at a secluded table, they found a tall, burly man. His scarred face and muscular frame revealed he was no ordinary civilian. The meeting was brief but heavy with dark intent—the atmosphere dense, as if something monumental was about to begin.
Hours later...
Back home, Orion collapsed into his worn leather armchair. The weight of years of secrets and duties pressed down on him. A swig of liquor couldn't drown his mounting fatigue, but something else nagged at him: the sharp sense that the world was on the brink of change.
The phone's shrill ring shattered the silence. He answered reluctantly. The familiar voice on the other end carried unsettling concern. The conversation dragged on longer than expected, its cold, meticulous tone only heightening the warning. After hanging up, Orion sat in silence, staring at the ceiling as he tried to order his chaotic thoughts.
Something was coming—and it wasn't good.
The next morning, the armored jeep arrived punctually. Without a word, Orion climbed in. His eyes watched the outside world, but his mind wandered through distant memories, piecing together fragments of an obscure puzzle.
Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted ahead. Armored vehicles blocked the road. Masked men emerged, opening fire. The jeep's reinforced glass cracked under brutal pressure. The firefight was intense. Adrenaline surged through Orion's veins as he tried to react.
Then a searing pain tore through his chest.
He looked down to see his shirt soaked in blood. The agony spread rapidly, clouding his consciousness. Before he could grasp what was happening, everything went dark.
The Infinite Void
Orion opened his eyes.
There was no darkness. Only an infinite space where time and reality dissolved into an eternal flow. He floated, weightless, at the heart of the cosmos. The silence here wasn't absence—it was the presence of a profound calm that filled everything. Nebulae pulsed with exotic colors. Black holes devoured the light of dying stars. Distant galaxies spiraled slowly like whirlpools in a cosmic ocean. Orion felt poised on the edge of the universe itself.
At the center of this void stood an ancient altar—its presence unsettling, hypnotic. The stones forming it glowed with an azure light, as if guarding an age-old secret.
After what felt like eternity, an invisible force began pulling him toward the altar. Suddenly, a holographic screen appeared before him:
[...Mortal... Orion Oliveira... of planet Celestia... sector ********...]
[...detecting...soul...failure... Soul did not enter the Reincarnation cycle...]
[...Searching for solutions...]
[...Accessing equilibrium protocols...]
[...@^#^@:$-%@%-%□"-%-%■^^@%****%$#...]
[...Accepted...]
[...Reincarnating...]
[...3]
[...2]
[...1]
Blinding light erupted from the altar. Orion was engulfed.
Before darkness took him, minor details seared into his subconscious: The altar's blue runes formed spirals identical to his war scars. A voice echoed. [...Reincarnate...]—and for a moment, it sounded like his own voice, distant and resonant.
As he hurtled into emptiness, images of a barren, lifeless place flashed through his mind—fragments of a dream that dissolved as consciousness faded.
Immortal World: Aeternum
In the mountain ranges west of Aetherion continent, an intense light shattered the ancient darkness lingering there. The glow lasted hours, yet strangely, no one seemed to notice anything amiss. When the light dissipated, it revealed a vibrant forest. Colossal trees scraped the sky. Creatures roamed their domains. Giant birds rested in nests resembling natural fortresses.
At the heart of this spectacle lay a motionless man. His breaths were shallow. Curiously, the creatures nearby ignored him, moving as if he were invisible.
Over time, his fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered. The man opened his eyes in alarm, finding himself awake in a dark forest where his vision stretched only meters ahead. Confusion flooded his mind, but soon his clouded eyes regained their brown hue as memories of his life returned.
Yes. He was Orion Oliveira. He remembered dying in a shootout, waking in an incomprehensible place, seeing holographic messages before being swallowed by light.
"Damn it, what happened? Didn't I die?"
He finally stood, examining his body as he scanned his surroundings, relieved to find himself whole and unharmed.
Orion scratched his head, lost. Was this the legendary hell?
"Nothing useful around. Damn, am I still in Celestia?"
He found nothing of value nearby.
"This forest is too dark. I can already see the danger of wandering without intel. Thank god my army years weren't wasted."
Resolved to explore, Orion took a deep breath and decided to go right.
"They say starting with the right foot brings luck. Yeah—I'll need plenty of luck in hell."
As he lifted his right foot, a peculiar sound echoed in his mind, jolting him alert. Instinctively, he stilled and scanned the area. But when he raised his foot again, a translucent screen materialized before him.
Startled, he exclaimed: "What the hell is this? Am I dreaming? AHHHHHH DAMN IT!"
He pinched himself, confirming he wasn't dreaming. Leaning closer, Orion read the messages:
『DING』
『Congratulations. You have been chosen as the sole owner of the Primordial System.』
『The Primordial System existed before the Primordial Chaos began Creation.』
『Its purpose is to help the owner achieve their dreams in this new life.』
Confused, Orion didn't understand. He raised a hand to touch the screen, but his fingers passed through it.
『DING』
『Host need not attempt to touch the screen. The System resides within your soul. Simply think, and all follows naturally from your desires.』
"New life? I died in that shootout? Where am I? Grrr, this is giving me a headache."
『DING』
『Host died. During the multiverse's equilibrium process, your soul should have entered the Reincarnation cycle like all souls. But through my intervention, you now reside in another world...』
『...You are currently in the world of Aeternum—a cultivation world.』
『Would Host like to know more about the current situation?』
Orion pondered the recent events deeply.
"System, tell me about—"
『DING』
『...System judges the current forest location as danger-free. The continent has low Ether concentration. Nearby kingdoms and clans are merely beginning their cultivation path, thus posing no long-term threat. Distant realms are where Host must focus attention—but with the System, nothing is beyond your reach...』
"So I'm in a cultivation world. Like those webnovels from Celestia."
Orion's thoughts spun in disbelief.
"Now tell me what functions the System has."
He murmured the words low and expectant.
『DING』
『The System exists to fulfill Host's desires. I can accomplish anything. As the list is infinite, I can transfer all functionalities directly to Host's mind.』
Orion contemplated deeply but decided to see it through—he had no choice in this new life but to rely on it.
Transfer the memories to me.
Without warning, a storm of information formed within his mind. His eyes squeezed shut. A shudder racked his body. Pressure mounted with each new memory. Each piece of data was like a shard—sharp, painful, crushing.
"No! What's happening?"
He tried to scream, but his voice barely escaped. The pressure threatened to explode his skull. Memories overlapped in a chaotic whirlwind.
"Aaagrhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
Suddenly, an avalanche of information slammed into him. Thousands of memories piled atop one another.
Hours later...
Orion awoke again on the forest floor. His shirt was drenched in sweat. He felt groggy.
"Damn, that was worse than dying. Glad I didn't croak after less than a day in my new life. W-wait..."
Knowledge flooded his mind—System information organizing itself. He understood instantly: The System could do anything.
"INCREDIBLE"
Orion marveled at the possibilities. He pondered his next move. Then he remembered: In every cultivation world, strength ruled supreme.
"System. I want to know the immortal cultivation realms in this world. Then raise my cultivation to the strongest level you can."
He whispered the command with a wicked smile.
"And since I have a new life... I want to be different. Give me a new body."
『DING』
『...Aeternum's cultivation realms are as follows...(be aware higher cultivation levels exist in upper worlds)...』
『...Spirit Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Core Formation Realm, Innate Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Eternal Palace Realm, Immortal Divinity Realm, Path Sage, Enlightened Sage, Transcendent King, Quasi-Emperor, Great Emperor, Celestial Great Emperor Realm, Quasi-Immortal...』
『...These are Aeternum's cultivation levels...』
『...Now commencing physical transformation...』
『...3』
『...2』
『...1』
Orion's body began emitting sacred light so intense that forest beasts fled, their instincts screaming to escape the miniature sun now blazing at the forest's heart...