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wormnovel 200 . xyz
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"It worked. I actually did it!"
Inside a cave tucked away in a desolate, frozen wasteland, a young and handsome man stared with frantic excitement at the miniature, glowing tower before him. The grin plastered across his face had long since become impossible to contain. Had the ground beneath him been softer or more comfortable, he likely would have spent this moment squirming around like a maggot.
I am a genius. Truly, a one-in-a-million genius.
Su Ran was a transmigrator—someone both lucky and cursed. Half a year ago, a truck driver had sent him to this parallel world to meet some sort of otherworldly quota. Most young people in his position might have been ecstatic, but not him. He had started his new life in a complete disaster, stranded in the middle of a vast, endless snowfield.
Fortunately, he was bound to a system that granted him choices and rewards for completing tasks. To offset his hellish start, the system had provided one free choice and a year's worth of supplies.
The choice had been between Power capable of thrashing every living thing in this world or Wisdom beyond imagination.
Su Ran had been too frozen to move at the time, but the biting cold had kept his mind surprisingly sharp. He had not been seduced by the promise of invincible power; instead, he chose wisdom. The reason was simple. With a system in hand, there would surely be other chances to gain power in the future. He chose to upgrade his brain so he could make the most optimal decisions whenever those future opportunities arrived.
It turned out to be the right call. After applying this enhanced wisdom for a while, he realized it wasn't just a simple intellectual boost. It was more akin to the power of pure, unadulterated conviction—the ability to make things work simply because he willed them to.
With this, what did mere physical strength matter? He was no brute who favored his fists. To be able to smile while watching his enemies turn to ash—that was the definition of style. In just half a year, fueled by this conviction, he had successfully manufactured something akin to the Plasma Spark from the Ultraman series—an artificial sun capable of evolving humanity.
The light illuminated the entire cave. It was definitely more efficient than a campfire.
Considering the importance of this power, he pondered for a long while before deciding to take the light and thrust it directly into his own chest. It had been designed to adapt to the human body, after all, and having been built with scarce resources, it lacked the potency of the true sun. It would not kill him.
A sharp hiss escaped his lips as he shoved the light into his body. It didn't explode, but the sensation of that energy fusing with his flesh was harrowing. He felt a power seeping into him, radiating from his chest, and soon, he lost all control over his limbs.
Did I get the wrong script for this?
As his body went limp, his sense of balance vanished. Su Ran slumped to the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling. Before he lost control of his eyes, he squeezed them shut once, and then, everything plunged into darkness. There was no sensation, not even a glimmer of light—not even the phantom light of his imagination.
Did I screw up big time?
Just as despair began to set in, a blinding red light erupted, filling his entire field of vision. A machine appeared before him.
I thought I built a Plasma Spark. What is this thing?
He looked up at the massive mechanical head with vacant eyes.
Question: What is your species?
The giant machine posed the question.
I… perhaps I am still human?
He raised his arm. Through the red glow emitted by the robot's eyes, he could see his own skin. Human skin. It was a pity he hadn't turned into an Ultraman. Was the power of conviction not enough? He really shouldn't have expected logic from a being driven by its own sense of reality.
Denied. You are not a carbon-based life form.
The machine dismissed his answer.
I am not? Then I must have succeeded!
His joy over the experimental success far outweighed his curiosity about the strange machine.
Question: Are you a living being?
Su Ran didn't answer immediately. He took a moment to savor the thrill before steadying his emotions to reply.
Of course! In my view, if one possesses the capacity for thought and emotion, it is a life form—even if the heart does not beat.
The red light flickered for a moment.
The machine spoke again.
Are you willing to become an Emanator treading the Path of Erudition?
Su Ran went silent. He began to think. The isolation of the past half-year and his fanaticism for research had made him forget the game he once played: Honkai: Star Rail. He had even forgotten what the Aeon of Erudition looked like, which was why he hadn't recognized this machine at first glance. After all, in the game, you only ever see the side view of that massive red light, not the front.
He had simply been too busy using his wisdom for research to reminisce about old games.
Wait, this snowfield… Is this Jarilo-VI?
No. This is a primitive planet. The beings here are incapable of interstellar travel, the Aeon Nous replied, shattering his expectations.
Fine.
Su Ran felt a twinge of disappointment. He had hoped to meet Bronya or Seele here.
I accept your blessing. There is no harm in becoming an Emanator for me.
He wasn't a conspiracy theorist. He remembered the lore of the game well enough to know that humans could not judge the morality of an Aeon with their own values.
His vision returned to the light. Su Ran woke up in the cave, sensing the surging power within his body. The joy that had settled earlier erupted once more.
Not long after, a message rippled across the cosmos.
『Su Ran, Genius Society #85. Residing on a remote and insignificant planet. Created a near-perfect intelligent life form. Computation impossible. Composition incomprehensible. Possesses characteristics of a long-lived species.』