Chapter 1: Prologue

Earth 2254 -

With the dawn of the new century, countless innovations ushered in revolutionary inventions, propelling human civilization to unprecedented heights. At the forefront of this era was a prominent figure hailed as the "Human with the Capability of God"—Johnny Stark, renowned for having the highest IQ ever recorded in human history. Three-quarters of the world’s current technology can be attributed to his brilliance. His theories and research have answered countless questions that had puzzled humanity for eons. Rumor even had it that he created a new artificial element, keeping it secret to prevent misuse, as it was both stable and chaotic—an unprecedented combination. Yet, this peerless genius now found himself brooding over a problem to which he had no solution...

**Main Laboratory of JS Technologies**

The main laboratory, a marvel of technological advancement, housed most of the research and development division of JS Technologies, where Johnny Stark was the head. He was a simple man dressed in a plain T-shirt and faded jeans, with a somewhat youthful face that was as pale as porcelain—a result of countless hours spent under the artificial lights of OLED screens and synthetic sunlight. His midnight-black hair, touched with violet at the tips, contrasted strikingly, giving him a look that was both handsome and ghostly. At this moment, his face was scrunched up in irritation and desperation as he faced a floating ball of silvery-gold metal, about 15 cm in diameter, playfully whizzing around him. This was an AI system named "LILY," composed entirely of the element he had created, serving as both her body and mind.

"Master, what are you hesitating about? Do you think our calculations and predictions are wrong?" LILY asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

John slowly lifted his head, looked at her, and replied, "No, LILY, I don’t doubt the calculations. What I’m contemplating is the end result of them. Even with our collaboration, we haven’t come up with a satisfactory answer."

"Hmmm... That’s right. So, Master, what are you going to do? Are you planning to finally take it up with the board?" LILY asked, her tone somewhat dejected.

John remained silent for a long moment before determination appeared in his eyes. "No, I will initiate the project now. I’m confident, LILY, that we can face whatever is at the end of the road."

What John and LILY were working on was a project that, if made public, would cause a stir, as it involved one of the most fundamental aspects of reality: Quantum Energy and its counterforce, Void Energy. The core of the project was the theory that reality acts like a magnet, balancing these two forces—QE and VE. John’s plan was to force these forces apart and, in a split second, bring them back to their natural states to understand these energies on a deeper level. In other words, he intended to create a crack in reality to discover what makes it tick.

After making his decision, John walked into a room that represented the pinnacle of human technology—the machine designed to separate the very fabric of reality. After completing the initial security checks, John stepped onto a platform that hummed with energy visible even to the naked eye. LILY, sitting on her master’s shoulders, initiated the startup sequences. A massive influx of energy surged into the platform, which then split into eight rings, revolving around John in an octagonal pattern, gradually forming a complete circle to protect him.

John felt, more than saw, the energies making up reality gradually moving farther apart, atom by atom. After what felt like an eternity, though it was merely a split second, reality fractured around John. He watched, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, as the universe seemed to unravel before him. As he jubilantly tried to comprehend the results of his project, the rings began to shrink, and the energies, which had been forced apart, started returning to their original positions to eliminate the intruder.

As the rings contracted, John felt his body breaking down into atoms and sub-atoms. Panicking from the sudden onset of excruciating pain, he saw LILY melt into a liquid, enveloping his body and seeping through every pore, doubling his agony. He blacked out, his last memory being of himself being drawn into a hair-thin crack that pulsed once before absorbing him, surrounded by a warm, silvery-gold glow that cocooned him...