Within the endless void, a hurricane composed of nothingness moved without any pattern. In truth, because concepts such as time and space did not exist in the void, the Void Wind was more like something that rotated with infinite speed and infinite slowness at once, vanishing and reappearing instantaneously without pause. Then, after countless teleports, the Void Wind appeared beside a black sphere. By all rights, concepts such as shape and size should not exist in the void, yet this enormous black sphere possessed a distinct spherical form. This black sphere was a universe.
The second the Void Wind appeared beside the Black Universe, something that seemed even harder to comprehend than the void itself suddenly appeared within the utterly empty wind—a soul.
Punk drifted along with the Void Wind, stunned. He had been on his way home after buying stationery, still worrying about the approaching Gaokao. Then, in the next instant, he had appeared in this place that instinctively made him feel empty and cold.
"This is the void, an endless void where even the concept of existence does not exist." This was Punk's instinctive understanding. He did not know where that understanding came from, but he instinctively knew it was true, just as a newborn could breathe and cry the moment it was born without anyone teaching it how.
Strangely enough, Punk did not panic at all. His first thought was actually, Great, I don't have to take the Gaokao anymore.
Even he found that hard to believe. Still, he had been baptized by countless transmigration novels, so he recalled how the protagonists in those stories dealt with reincarnation and soul transmigration.
First, he had to gather information about his surroundings. Whether by listening with his ears, looking with his eyes, or trying the legendary spiritual perception, he needed to first understand whether he was in danger. At the very least, he could not die without knowing why.
Punk felt that he probably could not use human methods of perception to understand the outside world. He clearly knew that he was now in a soul state, and things like sight and hearing had already left him. Then I can only try the legendary sixth sense.
With that thought, Punk silently focused his mind and sent himself a powerful desire to perceive the outside world. Calming himself and concentrating like this had been impossible for him before, but now he easily mobilized his senses, and everything before him suddenly became clear.
The first thing Punk sensed was the Void Wind. The hurricane made entirely of nothingness seemed to have stopped moving. It silently spun in place at a position infinitely far from, yet infinitely close to, the Black Universe. Punk shifted his attention to that especially conspicuous black sphere, impossible to ignore even if he tried. He instinctively knew that it was the universe where he had been born.
Punk tried to move, but the nearly intangible Void Wind possessed an incomprehensible binding force. He felt as though he were embedded within it, unable to move even the slightest bit.
Looks like I can't go back, Punk sighed helplessly to himself.
There was no such thing as time in the void. Punk only felt as though countless years had passed, yet also as though only an instant had gone by. In reality, even that sensation was merely an illusion caused by his Soul Sense being unable to perceive time. The only fortunate thing was that, under the extreme conditions of the endless void, Punk's soul evolved. Even he did not realize that loneliness and fear could no longer become his enemies—life evolved. To prevent loneliness and fear from wearing away his soul, Punk's soul had removed the emotions of fear and loneliness.
As Punk struggled to move his soul, a massive purple sphere abruptly appeared within his perception. Punk knew that this was another universe. Yet this universe was more than five times larger than the black one—the universe that contained Earth, his hometown. It looked like an egg placed beside a soccer ball.
Just as Punk wondered why the Purple Universe was so enormous, the two universes collided in the next instant. Even the Void Wind surrounding Punk was scattered considerably. If not for the Void Wind's protection, Punk would already have been obliterated by the shockwave.
When the two universes collided, Punk sensed that something enveloping them had shattered. A great number of tiny gray fragments burst outward. A small portion vanished into the void, while most were swept up by the Void Wind and drifted along with it. The two universes also revealed more information that could be sensed.
Punk sensed that although his black universe was smaller, it was sturdy and powerful. The massive purple universe, though magnificent and enormous, contained many discordant parts. It was like a complete mecha that had been patched up with rubber clay. The more he looked at it, the more awkward it seemed.
However, Punk soon returned to a state where he could sense nothing at all. The protective layers of the two universes seemed to have recovered, blocking all information from both the Purple Universe and the Black Universe.
Somewhat unwilling, Punk watched the two universes press against each other and slowly begin to rotate. He guessed that it was like two masters testing their strength. Outsiders might see only two people with their hands pressed together, standing motionless, but only the combatants themselves knew the danger and turmoil within. Punk was now that outsider. He could not see anything.
However, he quickly discovered something new. A gray fragment swept along by the Void Wind had somehow drifted beside Punk's soul. As the fragment drew closer and closer, Punk's soul instinctively devoured it the moment they touched. He felt a warm current flow through his soul, as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring during winter.
What is this? Could this be the legendary World Origin?
Punk became excited. I need more of this good stuff.
Unfortunately, the fragments were too scattered and moved too unpredictably. Punk watched many fragments fly past him. They were clearly only a little short of touching his soul, but in the end, he could only watch them vanish into the darkness without a trace. Still, after an unknown length of waiting, Punk luckily absorbed five or six fragments. He felt his soul evolving, and instinctively knew that his soul would use this "excess" energy to evolve the ability that his subconscious desired most at this moment. However, the process might take an extremely long time.
Fortunately, time is the one thing I lack least right now, Punk thought with no small amount of complaint.
During the evolution of Punk's soul, the Void Wind gradually weakened until it disappeared completely. At the same time, the two universes began wildly drawing in every "existing" thing within the void, Punk included.
Punk felt himself approaching the enormous Purple Universe in an awkward state that was both infinitely fast and infinitely slow. He quickly realized that if he crashed into the Purple Universe like this, he would be devoured instantly. This was precisely why the two universes drew all "existing" things in the void toward themselves—to devour resources and replenish themselves.
Although Punk's soul could now survive in the void, it could only barely survive. In truth, it was still at a very low level and had no ability whatsoever to resist being devoured by a universe.
My soul, whatever you're evolving, hurry up and finish. Otherwise, if I get devoured in a moment, I won't even know what I evolved into.
The soul seemed to hear Punk's call. In the very next second after his thought was sent out, the evolution was complete.
However... Punk stared at his evolution in a daze, even forgetting the threat right before him.
"...A system," Punk muttered blankly.
"...I actually evolved a system... Could it be... I'm a chuunibyou...?"
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