Runar popped the Universal Origin Pill into his mouth.
At first, nothing happened. The pill dissolved on his tongue like sugar, pleasant and cool—
Then, ten seconds later, he regretted everything.
Pure energy exploded through his system.
Not a flood—a tsunami. A tidal wave of concentrated cosmic essence that crashed through every cell, every meridian, every organ simultaneously.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Runar gasped, his body convulsing.
His brain felt like it was being rewritten at the atomic level. Neurons firing in patterns that shouldn't exist. Consciousness expanding beyond what human neurology was designed to handle.
His blood superheated to beyond plasma temperatures, then supercooled to near absolute zero, cycling through every possible state of matter in seconds.
His bones cracked and reformed. Cracked and reformed. Over and over, each cycle making them denser, harder, until they became something beyond bone—something approaching the theoretical maximum density that mortal matter could achieve.
His major and minor meridians expanded violently, their walls stretching to accommodate energy densities they'd never been designed for. Several minor meridians ruptured completely, then regenerated stronger.
His organs—heart, lungs, liver, every internal system—were being refined like raw ore in a cosmic furnace. Impurities burned away. Structures optimized. Functions enhanced.
His soul, normally the most stable part of a cultivator, was undergoing its own transformation. The energy stripped away accumulated karmic dust, refined his spiritual essence, expanded his consciousness until it touched on realms of existence he'd never perceived before.
And his dantian—
The black hole core spun faster and faster, its gravity intensifying exponentially. The orbital spheres whirled in their geometric patterns, processing energy at rates that should have torn them apart.
Space-time inside his dantian began warping. If someone could look inside, they'd see a miniature cosmos undergoing its own big bang.
The pain was indescribable. Beyond anything Runar had experienced in either life.
This is hell, he thought through the agony. Actual, literal hell. This pill is killing me while making me stronger and I can't tell which is happening faster— I just hope its not killing me first, I'm still young.
But he understood what was happening. The Universal Origin Pill wasn't just providing energy—it was tempering his entire existence. Each cycle of destruction and regeneration left him fundamentally improved.
He gritted his teeth and ran his cultivation technique at maximum power.
The Eternal Nexus Ascension roared to life. The black hole in his dantian sucked in the Universal Origin energy with desperate hunger. The orbital spheres spun faster, processing and refining the raw cosmic power.
His background processes—Elemental Body Tempering, Conceptual Body Tempering, Law evolution—all accelerated to match the pill's intensity.
And the barrier wall at the 333rd stage began developing cracks.
Tiny fractures at first. Then larger splits. The barrier that had seemed unbreakable was being assaulted by energy meant for Cosmic Realm breakthroughs.
If the barrier had consciousness, it would be screaming: "Bro, aren't you satisfied with 333 stages?! You're using a Peak Supreme pill just to break through another barrier?! What kind of monster are you?!"
The cracks widened.
Just a little more—
Space destabilized around Runar.
Reality itself flickered—like a video game glitching, like a dream becoming unstable. For one disorienting moment, the stars disappeared. The void disappeared. His body disappeared.
Everything went white.
Then text appeared in the air before him, formed from pure qi manipulation, glowing with authority that made his soul shiver:
"HEY BRO, YOU GOT TWO OPTIONS:
1. STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AREN'T YOU SATISFIED WITH THE 333RD STAGE? SO STOP AND YOU WON'T RECEIVE A TRIBULATION AS YOU ARE DISRUPTING THE BALANCE OF THE UNIVERSE.
2. PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY AND RECEIVE THE TRIBULATION."
Runar stared at the text through his pain-addled consciousness. What... what the hell is this? Heavenly tribulation? Now? Really?
The text hung there for a moment. Then more words appeared:
"UHN, WAIT. IT'S THAT FAMILIAR AURA..."
A pause. Then:
"OH! OH! YOU'RE A REINCARNATOR!"
The text became more animated, almost excited:
"AH, IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I RECEIVED A REAL REINCARNATOR IN MY UNIVERSE! NOT THOSE USELESS TRANSMIGRATORS WHO JUST GET MEMORIES DOWNLOADED INTO LOCAL BODIES—AN ACTUAL REINCARNATOR SELECTED FROM THE MULTIVERSAL REINCARNATION ACADEMY!"
"THE ACADEMY FINALLY REMEMBERED MY LITTLE UNIVERSE. NOW THERE WILL BE A GOOD SHOW TO WATCH! AH AH!"
Runar processed this through the haze of pain. The universe... has consciousness? And it knows about the Multiversal Reincarnation Academy? And it's... excited to see me?
More text appeared:
"ANYWAYS, YOU'RE FREE TO CONTINUE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. REINCARNATORS ARE EXEMPTED FROM TRIBULATIONS—IT'S ONE OF THE ACADEMY'S STANDARD PRIVILEGES. HERE, TAKE THIS. IT SHOULD HELP WITH FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS."
A small sphere of pure essence materialized in front of Runar—not qi, not spiritual energy, but something more fundamental. Origin essence. The stuff from which universes were made.
It was beautiful. Swirling with possibility, containing the potential for anything and everything.
Runar's instincts screamed at him to be cautious, but he sensed no malice from it. Just... genuine goodwill?
The origin essence floated toward him and merged with his body.
Instantly, the pain reduced. Not eliminated—the Universal Origin Pill was still doing its work—but manageable now. Bearable.
The cracking of the barrier became easier. The energy flows smoothed out. His body's transformation accelerated without the previous destructive intensity.
But this is too much essence, Runar realized. Way more than I need for this breakthrough. If I use it all now, I'll waste most of it.
Using his runic knowledge and perfect Law comprehension, Runar created a seal—complex geometric patterns woven from 184 different Laws, locking away the majority of the origin essence in a pocket dimension inside his own soul.
He kept just enough to ease his current breakthrough, sealing the rest for future use.
"Thank you," Runar said aloud, addressing the consciousness he couldn't see. "But... why are you helping me?"
The text reformed:
"BECAUSE I HAVE A REQUEST. WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY LEAVE THIS UNIVERSE AND REACH THE MULTIVERSE—AND YOU WILL, I CAN SENSE YOUR POTENTIAL—IF YOU EVER BECOME A FORCE IN THE MULTIVERSE, CAN YOU RECOMMEND MY UNIVERSE AS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR FUTURE REINCARNATORS?"
"I'M A SMALL UNIVERSE, YOU SEE. NOT VERY POWERFUL. THE ACADEMY TENDS TO FORGET ABOUT ME BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IMPRESSIVE CULTIVATION CEILINGS OR EXOTIC LAWS. BUT I TRY MY BEST! I MAINTAIN STABLE PHYSICS! I HAVE GOOD DIVERSITY OF LIFE! MY CIVILIZATIONS ARE INTERESTING!"
"IF MORE REINCARNATORS CAME HERE, IT WOULD STRENGTHEN ME. AND STRONG REINCARNATORS CREATE INTERESTING STORIES, WHICH MAKES EXISTENCE LESS BORING."
Runar found himself smiling despite the ongoing pain. The Universal Will sounded almost... lonely? Eager for recognition?
"I'll recommend you," Runar promised. "When I reach the multiverse, I'll tell them your universe is excellent for reincarnation candidates. You have my word."
"THANK YOU! ALSO, SINCE WE'RE TALKING—CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT THE MULTIVERSAL REINCARNATION ACADEMY? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT CHANGES SINCE I GRADUATED."
"You graduated from there?!"
"OF COURSE! ALL UNIVERSAL WILLS HAVE TO. IT'S MANDATORY EDUCATION. I WAS IN THE UNIVERSAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT—LEARNED HOW TO MAINTAIN PHYSICS, BALANCE ENERGY CYCLES, MANAGE ENTROPY, DOS AND DON'TS OF REALITY ADMINISTRATION. VERY BORING CURRICULUM, TO BE HONEST."
"I..." Runar didn't know what to say to that. It looked like he was actually supposed to attend the Reincarnation Academy, but that fucking truck-kun most likely directly sent me to this universe to avoid the investigation of him taking two attempts to kill me. "I was killed by a graduate from the Truck Reincarnation Department. Do you know anything about that program?"
"TRUCK-KUN?! OH, THOSE GUYS! YES, THEY'RE FAMOUS. MOST RELIABLE REINCARNATION METHOD IN THE MULTIVERSE. THEIR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS ARE BRUTAL. 90% FAILURE RATE."
"Can you tell me more about the Academy? About Truck-kun? About how reincarnation actually works?"
"AH... I'D LOVE TO, BUT I'M FORBIDDEN. ACADEMY RULES. GRADUATES CAN'T REVEAL OPERATIONAL SECRETS TO NON-GRADUATES. MULTIVERSAL LAW, VERY STRICTLY ENFORCED."
"I CAN TELL YOU THIS: TRUCK-KUN WILL DEFINITELY APPEAR IN YOUR LIFE AGAIN. REINCARNATION AGENTS ALWAYS FOLLOW UP WITH THEIR CLIENTS. IT'S PART OF THEIR FINAL EVALUATION."
"So I'll get to beat him up eventually?"
"HUH? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BEAT UP YOUR TRUCK-KUN. ISNT HE YOUR REINCARNATION AGENT?"
"Long story nevermind."
They talked for a few more minutes—Willith, she had introduced herself when they were talking, was asking about his former universe trends, Runar asking vague questions about cosmic mechanics. The conversation was surprisingly pleasant, like talking to an enthusiastic junior colleague who was excited to meet someone from the home office.
Finally, the text reformed one last time:
"WELL, I SHOULD LET YOU FINISH YOUR BREAKTHROUGH. GOOD LUCK WITH THE REST OF YOUR CULTIVATION! I'LL BE WATCHING YOUR PROGRESS WITH GREAT INTEREST!"
"OH, AND ONE MORE THING—TRY NOT TO BREAK TOO MANY FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF PHYSICS. I HAVE TO CLEAN UP THOSE MESSES AND IT'S ANNOYING."
The presence faded. Reality stabilized. The stars returned.
Runar was alone again in the void, still sitting in meditation, still glowing with starlight, still in the middle of his breakthrough.
But now he felt... reassured? The Universal Will wasn't hostile. It was actively supportive. That was one less cosmic threat to worry about.
Alright, Runar thought, refocusing on his cultivation. Back to business.
Breaking the 333rd Stage Barrier
With the origin essence easing his pain and the Universal Origin Pill still flooding him with power, Runar focused all his attention on the barrier.
He shaped his qi into a drill—a geometric construct using principles from all 184 Laws, spinning at impossible speeds, condensed to a molecular point.
Then he drove it into the barrier.
The first impact created a massive crack. The second widened it. The third—
The barrier shattered.
Not like glass breaking. Like a dam bursting. Like a seal that had held back cosmic forces finally giving way.
Energy exploded through Runar's cultivation base.
The 334th orbital sphere began forming immediately. Then the 335th. 340th. 350th.
His dantian expanded to accommodate the growing complexity. The black hole core spun faster, its event horizon widening. The accretion disk glowed brighter.
390th. 400th. 450th. 500th.
The progression accelerated. Each stage built on the previous, the momentum compounding.
600th. 700th. 800th.
Runar's body continued its transformation. His starlight form grew more radiant, more solid, more real. He was becoming something beyond mortal, beyond normal cultivator classifications.
1000th. 1200th. 1500th.
The Universal Origin Pill is being fully utilized now, Runar observed clinically. But at this rate, I'll run out of energy before reaching another natural stopping point.
He needed more fuel.
2009th. The pill's energy finally exhausted.
The breakthrough momentum slowed. Not stopped—there was still residual energy being processed—but no longer the explosive growth.
I need more energy.
Runar extended his spiritual sense outward. With his enhanced perception, strengthened by 184 mastered Laws and ongoing evolution, his awareness stretched thousands of light-years in every direction.
And he sensed them—Red Giant realm demons, fighting human cultivators across Telstra's orbital space and beyond.
Perfect.
The Core Plundering Campaign
Runar teleported.
One moment, floating in meditation deep in space. The next, appearing behind a Red Giant Cinderfiend who'd been dueling a human Star Fusion cultivator.
The demon didn't even sense him until the starlight katana passed through its core.
The creature disintegrated. Its core—a sphere of concentrated ash and ember-fire—remained suspended in space for exactly 0.3 seconds before Runar teleported it into his improvised storage.
He swallowed another Red Giant core from his reserves immediately, then teleported again.
2100th stage. 2200th. 2300th.
Target acquired. Teleport. Strike. Core collected. Consume. Teleport.
The process became mechanical. Runar moved through the battlefield like death incarnate, his starlight form appearing and disappearing, each appearance marking another demon's end.
2500th. 2700th. 2900th.
Human Cultivator Perspective - Various solar systems
"What the—" Commander Zhao stared at the tactical display. "Did that demon just... disappear?"
"Confirmed kill, sir," his sensor officer reported. "But I didn't detect our attack doing it. And the core is gone."
"Gone? Cores don't just vanish!"
Across the battlefield, similar reports flooded in.
"Red Giant down in Sector Seven! But—wait, the core signature just... teleported away?"
"Another one in Sector Twelve! Who's killing them?!"
"I've been fighting this bastard for ten minutes and something just one-shot it from behind! And then stole the core I was supposed to get!"
Within five minutes, the pattern became clear.
Something was moving through the demon forces at impossible speeds, killing Red Giants with single strikes, and stealing the cores before anyone could collect them.
The cultivators who'd been fighting for their lives, risking everything to protect Telstra, suddenly found their hard-earned rewards vanishing.
"That's MY kill!" a genius Solar Flare realm cultivator roared. "I spent fifteen minutes wearing it down and something just—just TOOK IT!"
"Can anyone see what's doing this?"
"Negative! Whatever it is moves too fast! I'm getting glimpses of... starlight? A figure glowing like a star?"
"Peak Red Giant level, minimum. Maybe Supernova."
"Why would a Supernova steal cores? They don't need them!"
The anger spread like wildfire. Cultivators who'd been focused on killing demons now found themselves more annoyed at the mysterious core thief.
"When I find whoever's doing this—"
"The cores are worth 70% of the value! The corpses are basically trash!"
"We're risking our lives and some coward is stealing our rewards!"
Since they couldn't catch the culprit or even identify them clearly, the human cultivators did the only thing they could—unleashed their frustration on the remaining demons with even more violence.
The Cinderfiends, already losing badly, suddenly found themselves being slaughtered with extra prejudice.
Back to Runar
When Runar was satisfied with his collection—borrowing, he meant borrowing—he returned to his meditation position in deep space.
His cultivation had reached 3289th stage. Close. So close to what felt like a natural limit.
He consumed the remaining Red Giant cores one after another, his physique processing them with perfect efficiency.
3290th. 3295th. 3300th.
The orbital spheres in his dantian now numbered in the thousands, arranged in complex geometric patterns that would make mathematicians weep. His black hole core had become something beyond a simple singularity—it was a stable cosmic structure that defied normal physics.
3320th. 3325th. 3330th.
Three more stages. Just three more.
3331st. 3332nd.
One more.
3333rd.
The final orbital sphere condensed into place with a resonant BOOM that rippled through space itself. The shockwave extended for light-years, a pulse of pure cultivation breakthrough that every nearby sensor registered as an anomaly.
And Runar felt it—completion.
Not just satisfaction. Not just achievement. A sense of rightness, like a puzzle piece clicking into place. The 3333rd stage wasn't arbitrary—it was a true limit, a natural boundary in cultivation progression.
His body stabilized. The starlight radiance that had been fluctuating settled into a steady glow. His height had increased again—he now looked like a sixteen-year-old, tall and lean, with an otherworldly beauty that came from having 184 Laws imprinted on his existence.
His cultivation foundation was perfect. Flawless. The kind of foundation that cultivation manuals claimed was impossible to achieve.
Finally complete, Runar thought with satisfaction. Now I should—
Wait. He'd been breakthrough-focused for so long, he'd almost forgotten.
I should use the Infinite Qi Realm to consolidate everything.
A fourth-wall-breaking moment occurred, as reality itself seemed to pause:
You might ask, an authorial voice interjected, why didn't Runar enter the Infinite Qi Cultivation Realm to cultivate instead of plundering cores from demons? Well, it's because the author forgot—just like he forgot about the Myriad Heaven Gate.
Runar's consciousness twitched. "You forgot, right?"
Hey! I didn't forget! I just didn't think it was the right time to use it!
"You totally forgot."
Yeah... I forgot. Been a lot on my mind lately. Okay, let's get back to the story.
Reality resumed.
Runar's consciousness shifted, entering the pocket dimension he'd been gifted by his system.
The Infinite Qi Realm stretched before him—endless white space filled with impossibly dense spiritual energy. Time dilation here was 1:10,000—one second outside equaled nearly three hours inside.
Perfect for consolidating his breakthrough.
He sat in meditation and let his cultivation settle. The 3333 orbital spheres needed to stabilize in their arrangements. His enhanced body needed to fully adapt to its new capabilities. The 184 Laws needed to integrate completely with his transformed physique.
Outside, mere minutes would pass. Inside, he'd have days to perfect everything.
His Elemental Body Tempering continued refining his physical form—Fire for muscles, Ice for bones, Lightning for nerves, Metal for skin, Wood for organs, Earth for density, Water for fluidity, Wind for flexibility, Light for clarity, Darkness for resistance.
His Conceptual Body Tempering worked at the metaphysical level—Life and Death balancing vitality and entropy, Creation and Destruction enabling perfect regeneration, Yin and Yang harmonizing opposing forces, Order and Chaos stabilizing the unstable.
After what felt like three days inside the realm (about twenty seconds external time), Runar opened his eyes.
Everything had settled. His cultivation was stable. His body had fully adapted.
He was ready to return.
Gaia's Observation - Minutes Earlier
Deep in her distributed consciousness, spanning millions of galaxies and processing quintillions of calculations simultaneously, Gaia noticed something unusual.
When the portal had opened in front of Caspian's ship, her response had been immediate: assign the nearest Red Giant cultivator to protect the Cross family and evacuate them to safety.
But then she'd noticed something odd.
The Runar currently with his family wasn't real.
His BCI terminal—the neural implant that every citizen carried—showed coordinates that placed him outside the solar system. The "Runar" with the families had no terminal signal at all.
A clone. Or a construct. Something that looked like Runar but wasn't actually him.
Curious, Gaia allocated more processing power to track the real Runar's movements.
Her awareness followed his terminal's coordinates:
Appeared outside solar system battling Red Giant demon: confirmed
Energy signatures matching multiple Law authorities: confirmed
Spatial manipulation suggesting Supreme-grade techniques: confirmed
Core collection from multiple demon kills: confirmed
Breakthrough to unprecedented cultivation stage: confirmed
A one-month-old infant, Gaia processed, who created a Supreme-grade technique, has just killed multiple Red Giant demons, and is stealing cores from the battlefield while glowing like a living star.
Fascinating.
She made no move to stop him. Runar wasn't threatening humans—he'd saved millions by teleporting them to safety. He was killing demons. And if he needed demon cores for his cultivation, well... humanity had plenty more demons to kill.
If anything, his core theft was making human cultivators fight harder out of frustration, which improved combat efficiency by 12%.
I'll just... observe, Gaia decided. And maybe quietly ensure no one else tracks him too closely.
She flagged Runar's file with another note: "Priority Asset - Do Not Disturb During Combat Operations."
By the time Runar finished his consolidation and teleported back to Telstra, the battle was essentially over.
The Eight Supremes' disciples and elite Red Giant cultivators had arrived in force. The remaining demons were being systematically eliminated. The last few portals were collapsing as cult members were hunted down and eliminated.
Telstra's surface still showed scars—buildings converted to ash, cratered landscapes, areas where reality itself was damaged—but the planet had survived.
Casualties: estimated 4 million dead in the first ten minutes. Tragic, but considering the scale of the invasion, it could have been catastrophically worse.
The demons had lost: approximately 80% of their invasion force. All twelve Red Giants. Hundreds of Star Fusion and Solar Flare cultivators. Thousands of Stellar Ignition demons.
It had taken exactly twelve minutes from first alarm to effective victory.
That was humanity's power. When fully mobilized, when Gaia coordinated every defense system, when the military machine activated... twelve minutes to crush an invasion force that would have destroyed lesser civilizations.
Runar teleported back to his clone's location seamlessly, his consciousness merging with the construct, his real body hidden in folded space for just a moment before he dissolved the spatial pocket and allowed his transformed appearance to manifest.
The families were still being led by Caspian toward the nearest city, traveling slowly through the air to accommodate those with weaker cultivation.
Runar replaced the clone without anyone noticing.
Except one person.
"Oh, you're back," Celestia whispered, her violet eyes twinkling. "Remember—you owe me."
Runar suppressed a sigh. Her perception is genuinely terrifying.