The pressure surrounding Liu Musk grew heavier with each passing day.
It was invisible.
But real.
Even breathing on Earth had started to feel uncomfortable.
For years, Musk had planned to adapt his body to one hundred times Earth's gravity. That was supposed to be his next step in cultivation.
Now—
He had abandoned the idea entirely.
Because for the first time in thousands of years...
He felt danger.
Real danger.
Another year on Earth, and he might lose more than his chance to advance.
He might lose his freedom.
Or his life.
So he made a decision.
He would leave Earth temporarily and head to the Moon.
Not for exploration.
Not for ambition.
But for distance.
For silence.
And perhaps—
To prepare himself for whatever was coming.
"Good evening, Master."
A soft female voice echoed beside him.
Musk didn't respond immediately.
The bracelet on his wrist emitted a faint blue light.
It was his personal AI assistant.
One he had created thousands of years ago.
At first, it had only been a simple program.
But after centuries of upgrades and self-learning, it had evolved into something far beyond ordinary artificial intelligence.
Even so, Musk no longer found it impressive.
After living too long, even miracles became ordinary.
Still—
He continued wearing it.
Not because he needed it.
But because it remained.
Everything else in his life had eventually disappeared.
People aged.
Friends died.
Civilizations vanished.
Only this small artificial companion had stayed beside him through the ages.
Perhaps that was why he never replaced it.
---
Far beyond Earth's dimension—
The three ancient entities continued watching silently.
To beings like them, a thousand years was shorter than a blink.
And after observing Liu Musk for so long, they had reached a conclusion.
Among humans—
He stood at the very top.
His intelligence surpassed the limits of ordinary civilization.
But he was still human.
His knowledge came from Earth.
His thinking followed human logic.
Even his understanding of the universe remained incomplete.
If an average genius possessed intelligence valued at ten—
Then Musk might stand at sixty.
Terrifying by human standards.
But insignificant before truly higher existences.
Still—
The creatures admitted one thing.
For a mortal trapped in a dying world to reach this level alone...
Was extraordinary.
---
Inside the underground launch platform, the shuttle slowly activated.
Blue lights illuminated the silver vessel.
The AI voice sounded again.
"Destination locked."
"Moon Base One."
"Launch authorization required."
Musk calmly stepped inside.
"Authorization granted."
The hatch sealed shut.
The next moment—
The shuttle rose silently into the air.
No explosions.
No roaring engines.
Only a faint distortion in space itself.
At five hundred meters above the ground—
The shuttle vanished.
Its speed instantly exceeded modern aircraft by absurd levels.
Satellites detected the launch immediately.
But no one paid much attention.
Humanity had already entered the age of space exploration.
Hundreds of ships traveled between Earth, the Moon, and nearby stations every day.
To modern society, space travel was normal.
And most people never realized that the foundation for all of it—
Had been quietly built by Liu Musk himself.
---
Beyond Earth, countless satellites floated in orbit.
They formed massive interconnected arrays known as Safelites.
Each satellite amplified the others, creating giant scanning networks capable of mapping deep space.
Even Musk occasionally admired the design.
Not because others created it.
But because humanity had finally learned to improve upon his foundations.
That alone was enough.
Ten minutes later—
The shuttle landed smoothly on the Moon.
No shaking.
No instability.
The energy source powering it was decades beyond public technology.
Musk stepped out calmly.
The Moon's weak gravity barely affected him.
Ahead stood a massive glass-covered structure stretching across the lunar surface.
His private residence.
A self-contained ecosystem built beneath reinforced transparent domes.
Forests.
Water.
Artificial atmosphere.
Everything needed for life.
Many powerful corporations owned lunar residences now.
But none compared to Musk's.
Because he had personally designed the technology behind all of them.
The moment he entered the structure—
Gravity increased instantly.
Three times Earth's normal gravity.
For ordinary humans, even standing would be difficult.
For Musk—
It felt natural.
He had designed this place specifically for cultivation.
To temper the body.
To sharpen control.
As he walked deeper into the residence, he suddenly stopped.
About a kilometer away—
A young woman sat cross-legged atop a circular metal platform.
Sweat covered her body.
The gravity around her distorted visibly.
Beside the platform, glowing numbers displayed her current training level.
14.5x Gravity.
Musk quietly observed her.
His only disciple.
The only human he had personally taught in thousands of years.
Not because she was the most talented.
But because she had survived his tests.
That alone made her exceptional.
The young woman remained completely focused on cultivation, unaware of his arrival.
Musk said nothing.
After a few moments, he silently turned away and continued walking.
At the edge of the massive glass barrier, he stopped again.
Behind him hung a simple black travel bag.
He opened it slowly and removed a helmet.
Immediately, the AI voice sounded urgently.
"Warning."
"External environment unsuitable for direct human exposure."
"Warning! Please wear standard protective equipment."
Musk ign
ored it.
His gaze fixed on the endless darkness beyond the glass.
On Earth, the pressure of heaven and earth had become unbearable.
So now—
He wanted to test something.
Without hesitation, Liu Musk stepped forward.
The glass barrier opened.
And he walked directly into outer space.