Another day in the Underworld of Universe 7, Level 1.
Anita was on the treadmill again, doing a four-hour super speed sprint while locked into Blitz Mode. The gears around the machine buzzed violently as she pushed herself faster than the wind. Meanwhile, I was lying lazily on the soft cushions of our living room, a strawberry soda in one hand and my PQC screen floating before me, looping my favorite anime series. My fingers gently stroked the feathers of my favorite pet rooster, a proud Banaba breed I named Number 35.
He cooed softly and fluffed his chest, his glorious feathers shimmering under our strange green sky.
Anita, drenched in sweat, completed her fourth hour and collapsed to the floor.
"Thirty minutes of rest, right?" she gasped, wiping her brow.
"Nope," I said without looking away from my PQC. "Go again. Another four hours."
Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?!"
"Super serious," I replied, sipping my drink.
Without another word, Anita dragged herself up and went again. The treadmill roared like thunder. Four more hours passed.
"Done! I swear, that is it!" she shouted.
I lazily lifted my head. "Again."
"AGAIN?! That is twelve hours, Master! I am not a robot!"
Before I could respond, she stormed toward me, Kali blades drawn. She snatched up Number 35.
"Where the hell did this animal come from?!" she screamed.
"No! Do not hurt him, please! Take any of the others! But not him!" I bolted upright, panicked.
She held the blade to his neck. "Why? What is so special about this chicken? Maybe I will roast it for lunch!"
I dropped to my knees, tears streaming down my face, sobbing like a five-year-old.
"Have mercy on Number 35's life! If you do not, I will lose my mind!"
Something in my voice must have struck her. Anita blinked, looked at the trembling bird in her hands, then sighed. She gently placed Number 35 back on the cushion.
I immediately hugged him tight, petting his head like he was a newborn baby.
"You are insane," Anita murmured, plopping herself onto a cushion. "You love those chickens more than your disciple."
I stood, still cradling Number 35, and looked Anita dead in the eyes. "Come. There is something you need to see."
"What now? More anime?"
"No. Inside my Quantum Vault."
Her brow furrowed. "That tiny black hole-looking thing? You cannot fit a person in that."
I snapped my fingers. The swirling black sphere grew, stretching to the size of a cave entrance.
"Hop in," I said, stepping through.
She rolled her eyes but followed.
Inside was a corridor of floating doors. Each door shimmered with glyphs and digital locks. One door had a glowing sign: Patricia Maggie Dela Cruz's Secret Integrated Aquaponic Poultry Farm.
Anita read it aloud. "Who is Patricia Maggie Dela Cruz?"
"A fake name, made up by someone who pretended to be my biological older sister. She went by Antoinette, but her real name was Patricia Draconia. But that is another story."
I placed my palm on the door. It slid open with a hiss.
Anita gasped. Beyond it was an enormous dome lit by soft sunlight simulators. Automated drones floated through the air, tending to crops. Dozens of Banaba roosters strutted alongside tanks of tilapia, all in perfect aquaponic harmony.
"This is paradise," she whispered.
"Designed by Xia Sparks. Powered by her AI bots."
Anita's jaw dropped. "Xia Sparks? The ZGU engineer?"
"My bestie for life," I said with a wink.
At the center was a transparent cage with reinforced fields. I returned Number 35 to his perch.
"These are not just any roosters," I said. "Each holds the life of a universe within them."
Anita snorted. "What if I kill the one with tag 7? Do we vanish in a puff of smoke?"
"Exactly. We are in Universe 7 right now."
She burst into laughter. "You are tripping again, Master. These are not cosmic roosters. They are portal keys."
I smiled. "Wanna test it?"
The truth is, we would be instantly teleported back to Daggerdale due to our quantum entanglement with that location, and we would not be able to return to Level 1, Universe 7 unless a new cosmic egg linked to that universe was born again.
I picked up Rooster Number 84. It was one of the empty ones, no intelligent life, only primitive planets and animals. From my pocket, I took a tiny capsule and fed it to Number 84. The moment it swallowed, its body began to vibrate.
I grabbed Anita's hand. In a blink, we were standing on green grass beneath blue skies. A gentle wind blew. Trees rustled. Waterfalls cascaded from the cliffs.
"Where are we?" she whispered.
"Earth of Universe 84, Level 1," I replied.
"Did we get sucked into another dimension?!"
"Nope. The rooster just opened the portal. We are linked here through it."
"I knew it! Portal keys!" she snapped. "You just did not want to admit I was right."
I ignored her and reached into my satchel. "Time to go back." I took out a short ceremonial blade.
"Wait, what are you..."
I beheaded Rooster Number 84.
In a flash, we were back inside the farm. The rooster's body was lifeless in my hands.
"NOOO!" Anita screamed. "You killed the universe?!"
"It is fine. Just wild planets, no intelligent beings, only basic creatures inside."
I walked to the auto-kitchen, dumped Number 84 into the cooking pot, and within minutes, served us a hearty chicken soup.
Anita stared in awe and horror.
"You are actually feeding me a universe."
"Bon appetit," I said, handing her a bowl.