The World of Imagination, Where Anything Is Possible

"Breathe—in—"

Richard took a deep breath in the virtual universe of Outer Space, glanced around at the stars in every direction, and finally fixed his gaze on one of them.

He slowly raised a hand, aimed it at that star from afar, and gave a gentle pull.

In an instant, the entire universe began to warp and distort. The other stars fled rapidly into the distance, while the star Richard had chosen rushed toward him, appearing before his eyes.

It was a young main-sequence star in the hydrogen-burning phase, slightly larger than the sun and orange-red throughout.

Seven planets orbited it. The planet in the fourth orbit was a vast blue expanse, with only a patch of green at its equator, like a decorative speck.

Richard reached out and pulled the planet closer, taking a clear look at it.

It was a life-bearing planet, similar to Earth, but more than ninety percent of its surface was ocean. Only a massive island existed at the equator—the green patch he had seen earlier.

After seeing it clearly, Richard did not hesitate. He adjusted his posture and descended toward the island on the planet's equator.

A few minutes later, Richard passed through the dense atmosphere and landed lightly on the island.

Lush forests stood on both sides of him. Ahead, beyond a bluestone path, a magnificent library rose from an open clearing.

The entire library had a classic Gothic style: soaring spires, slender stone columns, exquisite flying buttresses, and dazzling stained-glass windows. Rather than a library, it looked more like a church.

Richard admired it for several seconds before walking to the library doors. He pushed open the somewhat heavy oak doors and entered.

The library was quiet—utterly silent, without a single person inside.

Yet it was not eerie. Afternoon sunlight streamed through