In the dead silence of the medical bay, a pair of golden eyes suddenly opened.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
"Ugh… fuck."
Shagun immediately shut his eyes again.
Pain exploded behind his forehead.
It was not the kind of pain that came from a punch, a hangover, or the regrets produced by making poor financial decisions. This was different.
Information.
Memories.
Scenes that did not belong to him.
Names he had never heard.
People he had never met.
Places that should not exist.
And a life that was not his own.
All of it crashed into his mind at once.
Shagun gritted his teeth.
His breathing became uneven as he lay motionless inside the cold cylindrical chamber.
One minute ago, he had been working.
The next—
He was here.
He was dying.
He was alive.
He was—
Rex.
His consciousness struggled to separate his own memories from those that had suddenly appeared within him.
Shagun remembered a blue planet.
Rain.
Concrete.
Dust.
The aching pain in his lower back after another ten-hour shift carrying construction materials.
He remembered doing calculations in his head while other workers slept during lunch.
He remembered looking at machines and instinctively understanding how they functioned.
He remembered reading books about engineering, economics, history, physics, psychology, strategy—
And then putting them aside because none of them would pay the bills.
He remembered the endless joke that was called potential.
You have potential.
You're smart.
You could do something great.
One day.
Maybe.
When you have money.
When you have connections.
When circumstances improve.
When life becomes kinder.
Except life had never become kinder.
So an intelligent man had spent his years doing what intelligent men without opportunities often did.
Survive.
And now he had died.
That should have been the end.
Instead—
Another life had opened its doors.
Rex Azerith Lexus.
The memories came more clearly now.
A vast imperial palace.
A woman with tired eyes.
A cold corridor lined with soldiers.
Blood.
Arguments.
Titles.
The word heir spoken with fear rather than pride.
A woman whispering—
Run.
A ship.
A cryogenic chamber.
And then darkness.
Shagun's eyes opened again.
This time, they were calmer.
His golden irises slowly moved across the interior of the chamber.
Every surface was smooth.
Metallic.
Perfectly manufactured.
Not a single screw was exposed.
Thin lines of blue light ran through the walls like illuminated veins.
The chamber itself was covered with components he could not immediately identify.
He stared.
His mind instinctively began taking everything apart.
Not physically.
Conceptually.
Power routing.
Heat dissipation.
Material composition.
Possible manufacturing methods.
Redundancy.
Weak points.
Purpose.
He had always been like this.
Give Shagun an object, and his first instinct was to understand it.
Now he had an entire spaceship.
His lips slowly curled upward.
Then the thought struck him.
Wait.
His smile vanished.
He looked down.
His hands were not his hands.
They were younger.
Stronger.
Paler.
There was a faint metallic sheen beneath the skin.
He flexed his fingers.
A strange tingling sensation travelled through his arms.
"Cyber circuits…"
The words slipped from his mouth before he consciously recognized them.
Memories surfaced.
A technological civilization.
Human augmentation.
Artificial neural pathways.
Cybernetic organs.
Genetic optimization.
And something called cosmic energy.
Shagun's expression became serious.
"So it really happened."
He leaned his head against the back of the chamber.
"Transmigration."
He stared at the ceiling.
He had read enough stories to know how ridiculous the concept was.
Yet here he was.
Apparently, reality had decided to become a webnovel.
And naturally—
He got the premium package.
A prince's body.
A spaceship.
An empire.
And probably a mountain of problems waiting outside the door.
Shagun slowly sat upright.
The moment he moved—
BEEP.
The chamber came alive.
Blue light flooded the interior.
A series of scanners swept over his body.
A mechanical voice announced:
//////////////////////////////// SCAN INITIATED //////////////////////////////////
Lifeform Identity: Rex Azerith Lexus
Current Consciousness: Unregistered
Physical Condition: Weak
Nutritional Status: Severely depleted
Heart Rate: 47 BPM
Recommendation: Immediate metabolic stabilization
Sensory Response: Within acceptable range
Cryogenic Duration: 2,026 years
Muscular Atrophy: Mild
Neural Integrity: Stable
Iris Response: Normal
Cybernetic Circuits: Active
Cosmic Energy Saturation: Abnormally High
Energy Compatibility: Abnormally High
Warning: Cellular adaptation incomplete
Shagun blinked.
"Two thousand…"
He looked at the number again.
"Two thousand and twenty-six years?"
The machine did not answer.
Naturally.
It was a scanner.
Shagun rubbed his temples.
"So Rex has been asleep longer than my country's recorded modern history."
That was a depressing comparison.
He barely had time to contemplate it before—
PSSSSHHHH!
Cold vapor poured out of the chamber.
The front hatch opened.
Shagun instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes.
The vapor slowly dispersed.
He stepped outside.
His bare feet touched the cold metallic floor.
And—
THUD.
Something mechanical fell from a compartment beside the cryogenic chamber.
Shagun turned.
A small maintenance drone had dropped out of an overhead rail and landed directly on its face.
He stared at it.
The drone twitched.
Then attempted to stand.
It fell again.
Shagun stared for three seconds.
"…Okay."
He nodded.
"Still an improvement over my previous life."
The drone immediately resumed its work as though nothing had happened.
Shagun looked around.
The medical bay was surprisingly small.
At first glance, it seemed almost empty.
There was the cryogenic chamber he had emerged from.
Across from it stood another pod.
Unlike his, this one was larger.
Humanoid in shape.
Its outer shell was dark gray, almost black, and its surface seemed to absorb the blue light around it.
A designation was printed along its side.
VITA NEOSUS 3000
Shagun frowned.
"Medical technology?"
His memories supplied an answer.
A standard recovery unit capable of rebuilding damaged tissues, accelerating cellular recovery, and stabilizing severely injured individuals.
Useful.
But not what interested him most.
He turned toward the exit.
His body still felt strange.
Weak.
Hungry.
But also—
Powerful.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
It felt as though his entire nervous system had been rebuilt.
Thoughts came faster.
Connections formed more easily.
Patterns appeared almost immediately.
His memories of Rex had not merely been added to his mind.
Something else had changed.
A faint warmth circulated through his body.
Cosmic energy.
He had no idea how he knew that.
He simply did.
Like instinct.
Shagun stretched.
Pop.
His shoulder cracked.
Pop.
His spine followed.
He rotated his neck.
Crack.
"Mm."
He exhaled slowly.
"Not bad."
He took a step.
Then another.
His balance was perfect.
His body responded almost instantly to his thoughts.
There was a strange feeling behind his movements.
Efficiency.
He didn't need to think about how to walk.
His body already understood.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
His expression became thoughtful.
First priority.
Information.
He looked toward the exit.
"Command room."
Rex's memories answered immediately.
He knew the ship layout.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Medical bay.
Living quarters.
Command center.
Maintenance deck.
Engine compartment.
Armory.
Cargo storage.
Emergency escape sections.
And several restricted areas he did not fully understand.
It was fascinating.
His memories were not simple files he could open and read.
They surfaced naturally whenever relevant.
Like remembering something he had supposedly known his entire life.
Shagun walked toward the door.
He pressed his palm against a square glass panel beside it.
A faint pulse travelled through his hand.
BEEP.
The door opened.
The feeling startled him.
It was subtle.
Electricity.
No—
Something more refined than electricity.
He could feel energy passing through the cybernetic circuits embedded beneath his skin.
Shagun looked at his hand.
"So this is what augmentation feels like."
He flexed his fingers.
"Convenient."
The door closed behind him.
And Shagun entered the ship.
The corridor stretched far into the distance.
Metal.
Lights.
Panels.
Emergency systems.
Service access points.
Every few meters, illuminated signs marked directions.
The ship was far larger than its external appearance suggested.
Typical imperial engineering.
Rex's memories supplied another fact.
The vessel was approximately eight hundred meters long.
A royal escape vessel.
A standardized model produced for imperial heirs.
A ship designed around one principle above all else:
Survival.
It possessed autonomous life-support.
Long-term food synthesis.
Independent water reclamation.
Medical facilities.
Emergency manufacturing.
Limited agricultural capacity.
Defensive weaponry.
A compact hangar.
An advanced reconnaissance array.
And an FTL propulsion system—
Which was apparently half-dead.
Shagun paused.
"…Right."
He had remembered that part.
The ship had been launched during an extremely chaotic period of the empire.
Whatever happened afterward had apparently damaged the FTL booster system severely.
Fortunately, the ship could still move through normal space.
Unfortunately—
That did not mean much.
Because he had no idea where the ship had ended up.
Shagun continued walking.
The silence was almost unsettling.
There was no crew.
No soldiers.
No servants.
No engineers.
Only automated systems and maintenance drones.
His mother had apparently planned everything down to the smallest detail.
If Rex was discovered, he could be killed.
If the ship was intercepted, there would be no witnesses.
If the empire fell—
Rex would simply disappear into the cosmos.
A prince without a kingdom.
An heir without an inheritance.
A dead branch of a dying family.
Except the universe had apparently decided to send Shagun instead.
He walked faster.
His thoughts raced.
I need to understand the civilization.
The empire.
The technology.
My body.
Cosmic energy.
The ship.
My position.
And most importantly—
How powerful is everyone else?
As though summoned by the question, a panel on the wall lit up.
SYSTEM NOTICE: EDUCATIONAL DATABASE AVAILABLE.
Shagun stopped.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
He tapped it.
A simple holographic display appeared.
UNIVERSAL LIFEFORM ASCENSION STANDARD
Classification: Echelon System
Purpose: Standardized measurement of biological and energetic development.
Total Recognized Echelons: 10
First Echelon — Awakening
The foundational stage of cosmic energy cultivation.
Individuals gain the ability to absorb, circulate, and utilize cosmic energy.
Only approximately 10% of sentient life throughout the known universe reaches this stage.
Second to Fourth Echelons — Regional Powers
Individuals capable of dominating areas of a planet, destroying or governing entire regions, and surviving environments lethal to ordinary life.
The strongest among them may personally influence the fate of worlds.
Fifth to Sixth Echelons — Stellar Powers
Existences capable of governing, protecting, or destroying entire star systems.
At this stage, ordinary planetary civilizations become largely irrelevant.
Seventh to Eighth Echelons — Sovereign Powers
Existences capable of controlling multiple star systems and ruling vast stellar regions.
Their names often become synonymous with dynasties, sects, military powers, or ancient civilizations.
Ninth Echelon — Universal Peak
The highest verified realm.
Ancient guardians, hidden patriarchs, eternal rulers, and old monsters at this level represent the pinnacle of known lifeform evolution.
Even vast civilizations may tremble beneath the authority of a single Ninth Echelon existence.
Tenth Echelon — Transcendent
No confirmed individual has ever reached this level.
Its existence remains theoretical, mythological, or deliberately concealed.
Ancient records describe the Tenth Echelon as the realm required to become—
Master of Everything Beneath the Universe.
Shagun read the entire panel twice.
His eyes narrowed.
"So cultivation exists."
The concept should have sounded absurd.
Instead, it felt strangely natural.
Cosmic energy.
Lifeform ascension.
Higher existence.
Technological civilization.
The universe had apparently decided to combine science fiction with cultivation.
He almost laughed.
"Apparently the universe itself is a fan of mixing genres."
He scrolled upward.
Then stopped.
Current Lifeform Level: First Echelon
Shagun's eyebrows rose.
"Only one?"
He considered that.
Then reread the earlier statistic.
Ten percent of the universe reached this level.
Ten percent.
That meant nine out of ten sentient beings could not even enter the first stage of cultivation.
Shagun smiled faintly.
"So I guess I'm technically elite."
He looked at his hands.
"But I'd rather not remain the weakest kind of elite."
His expression became sharper.
Second Echelon.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
His mind immediately began extrapolating.
Resource requirements.
Energy efficiency.
Training speed.
Technological enhancement.
The system.
If the System truly gave him access to technologies beyond the civilization's current level—
Then cultivation and technology would reinforce one another.
A feedback loop.
Better energy systems.
Better body augmentation.
Better weapons.
Better manufacturing.
Better ships.
More territory.
More resources.
More technology.
Then more power.
Shagun smiled.
That was a game he understood.
He closed the window.
Then another notice appeared.
UNIVERSAL SPACECRAFT CLASSIFICATION
Standardized Fleet Classification: Galactic Concord Standard
Purpose: Uniform measurement of spacecraft technological capabilities.
Classification Range: A–Z
A-Class: Highest recognized standard.
Z-Class: Lowest recognized standard.
A vessel's classification is determined by the standardized designation of its ship class.
Examples:
A-Class Armageddon-class Battleship
M-Class Meridian-class Cruiser
Z-Class Zeta-class Cruiser
All recognized interstellar powers use this standard to compare vessels without relying on subjective military naming conventions.
Shagun's eyes brightened.
"Smart."
That was genuinely useful.
A civilization spanning countless star systems could not allow every faction to invent its own ranking system.
Imagine one empire calling a battleship "The Absolute Destroyer of Doom" while another called an equivalent ship "Tuesday."
No.
Standardization was necessary.
Shagun continued reading.
Current Vessel: Espoir
Official Designation: Zeta-class Royal Escape Cruiser
Classification: Z-Class
Shagun stared.
"Z-class."
He sighed.
"So I'm currently flying around in the interstellar equivalent of a shopping cart."
A tiny notification appeared.
Correction: Espoir is an imperial-grade royal vessel.
Shagun looked suspiciously at the screen.
"…I didn't say it wasn't impressive."
The panel disappeared.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Did you just sass me?"
No response.
Shagun smiled.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He continued toward the command center.
The doors opened.
Shagun stopped.
For a moment, he simply stared.
The command room was enormous.
It looked as though a military command center and the cockpit of an advanced aircraft had been merged by someone who had been given unlimited funding and absolutely no sense of restraint.
Holographic displays floated around the central command chair.
Control panels were built into the walls.
Navigation data flowed across translucent screens.
Power distribution maps occupied an entire section.
A tactical display showed a three-dimensional model of the surrounding planetary system.
Environmental systems.
Engine control.
Weapons control.
Communications.
Reconnaissance.
Damage management.
Emergency systems.
Hundreds of functions.
Possibly thousands.
Shagun slowly approached the center.
The chair itself looked absurdly comfortable.
He lowered himself into it.
The moment he sat—
Click.
Panels unfolded from both armrests.
His palms were recognized.
The ship came alive.
A calm mechanical voice spoke.
"Welcome, Captain Rex Azerith Lexus."
Shagun raised an eyebrow.
"Are you the ship's AI?"
"Affirmative, Captain."
"Name?"
"Overwatch."
Shagun stared.
"…Overwatch?"
"That is correct."
"Who named you?"
"I do not know."
"You don't?"
"My earliest accessible record identifies my designation as Overwatch."
Shagun leaned back.
"Hm."
He glanced at the surrounding displays.
"Bit dramatic."
There was a brief silence.
"Your criticism has been noted."
Shagun smirked.
"Don't take it personally."
"I am an artificial intelligence."
"…You still sound offended."
"That is an inaccurate interpretation of my response."
"Sure."
"Of course."
Shagun's smile grew.
Oh.
So this one had a personality.
He liked it already.
"Overwatch."
"Captain?"
"Explain the ship."
Instantly, the room transformed.
A massive holographic projection of Espoir appeared before him.
The cruiser rotated slowly.
"Espoir is a Zeta-class Royal Escape Cruiser manufactured according to Imperial Heir Survival Protocols."
Sections of the ship highlighted one after another.
"Primary sections include the Command Center, Medical Bay, Residential Quarters, Fabrication Deck, Cargo Storage, Engine Compartment, Navigation Section, Armory, Auxiliary Hangar, Life-Support Systems, and Emergency Evacuation Modules."
A second display appeared.
ESPOIR — PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS
Class: Zeta-class Cruiser
Tier: Z-Class
Length: 812 meters
Primary Function: Royal Evacuation and Long-Term Survival
Standard Crew Capacity: 120
Current Crew: 1 biological occupant
Artificial Intelligence: Overwatch
Power Core: Functional
Shield Generator: Functional
Hull Integrity: 91%
Atmospheric Support: Functional
Fabrication Systems: Functional
FTL Drive: Severely Damaged
Long-Range Communication: Nonfunctional
Weapon Systems: Partially Functional
Reconnaissance Array: Functional
Life-Support Endurance: 147 years without external resupply
Shagun stared.
"147 years?"
"Under current consumption projections."
"Not bad."
"Your assessment is correct."
Shagun looked toward the FTL entry.
"That's the problem."
"Correct."
"Can it be repaired?"
"Eventually."
"Eventually?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
Overwatch paused.
"Current estimated repair duration: nine months, fourteen days, three hours, eighteen minutes, and forty-two seconds."
Shagun blinked.
"…You counted the seconds?"
"You asked for an estimate."
"I respect the commitment."
"Thank you, Captain."
Shagun leaned forward.
"Show me the current damage."
Two screens appeared.
The left displayed the vessel.
The right displayed planetary data.
"Initiating preliminary vessel status assessment."
ESPOIR — STATUS SCAN
Ion Weaponry: Functional — Maintenance Recommended
Laser Weaponry: Slightly Damaged — Repair Recommended
Kinetic Weaponry: Slightly Damaged — Repair Recommended
Hull: Functional
Shields: Functional
Power Core: Functional
Engines: Functional
Reconnaissance Array: Functional
Fabrication Systems: Functional
Life Support: Functional
FTL Boosters: Severely Damaged — Major Repairs Required
Communications: Nonfunctional
Shagun nodded slowly.
Nothing catastrophic.
At least—
Not yet.
His gaze shifted toward the second display.
"Initiating external reconnaissance."
The screen changed.
PERIMETER RECONNAISSANCE
Planetary Atmosphere: Highly Toxic
Surface Temperature: Below Standard Habitable Range
Environmental Stability: Hostile
Life Signatures: Sparse
Intelligent Life: None Detected
Soil Condition: Heavily Contaminated
Terrain: Mountainous / Rocky
Natural Resources: Low-Grade Ores Detected
Energy Resources: Minimal
Communication Signals: No Response
Orbital Traffic: None
Satellite Network: None Detected
Technological Civilization: None Detected
Planetary Classification:FUA THAY
Shagun stared at the final line.
"What is a Fua Thay?"
Overwatch answered immediately.
"A standardized planetary classification indicating a world whose environmental, biological, or geological conditions make sustained conventional habitation extremely dangerous or impossible."
A second line appeared.
"The classification originates from an ancient interstellar linguistic convention."
Shagun nodded.
"So… dead world."
"Not necessarily dead, Captain. Life is present."
"So, mostly dead."
"That would be an oversimplification."
Shagun pointed at the screen.
"Highly toxic atmosphere, contaminated soil, freezing temperature, almost no resources, no civilization, no communication, and practically no useful energy."
He folded his arms.
"Tell me again how that's not a dead world."
"Because measurable life remains."
Shagun stared at the AI.
Overwatch stared back through a camera somewhere.
"…You're technically correct."
"I usually am."
Shagun's mouth twitched.
"Cocky."
"Accurate."
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
For the first time since awakening, his shoulders relaxed.
Then he looked back at the planetary scan.
His smile faded.
"So this is where I am."
"Affirmative."
"And we're stuck here."
"Temporarily."
"Can we leave the system?"
"Not with the FTL boosters in their current state."
"Can the sublight engines reach another inhabited system?"
A pause.
"In theory."
Shagun already knew he was not going to like the next sentence.
"Estimated travel duration: seventeen years."
Silence.
Shagun slowly placed his palms over his face.
"Of course."
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
Then calmly asked:
"Can I kill myself and respawn?"
"Negative."
"Worth asking."
He leaned back.
"Run a complete local scan. I want everything."
"Confirmed."
"Atmosphere. Minerals. Energy. Underground structures. Biological anomalies. Ruins. Artificial signals. Anything remotely interesting."
"That will require approximately six minutes."
"Do it."
The scans began.
Shagun looked around the command room.
His excitement was beginning to fade.
The information overload was catching up to him.
His body had only just emerged from two thousand years of cryogenic suspension.
His brain had absorbed an entirely new life.
He had learned he was now a prince.
A prince belonging to a collapsing galactic empire.
A prince whose spaceship was damaged.
A prince stranded on a toxic Fua Thay world.
A prince who apparently had the weakest known level of cultivation.
And—
His eyes narrowed.
He still had not encountered the most important part.
The System.
"Overwatch."
"Captain?"
"Put the ship into standby mode."
"All nonessential systems?"
"All nonessential systems."
"Confirmed."
"And alert me if anything changes."
"Of course."
Shagun stood.
"We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."
"Captain."
He stopped.
"Yes?"
"You have consumed almost no nutrients since awakening."
Shagun glanced at the medical bay indicator.
"…Right."
"I recommend immediate nutritional recovery."
"I'll eat."
"You also require approximately eleven hours of sleep."
"Fine."
**"And your current metabolic state suggests—"
"Overwatch."
"Yes, Captain?"
"Stop."
Silence.
"…Understood."
Shagun walked away.
Behind him, several screens dimmed.
But one tiny display remained active.
A warning flashed for only half a second.
UNKNOWN ENERGY VARIANCE DETECTED.
Then—
The warning disappeared.
The residential section was surprisingly comfortable.
Shagun opened the nearest room.
He paused.
"No cryogenic pod."
Instead—
A normal bed.
A storage unit.
A compact table.
A wall-mounted display.
A small light fixture resembling a miniature floating star.
An emergency weapons compartment.
Shagun walked toward it.
The compartment opened.
Inside was a single weapon.
A sleek black beam pistol.
He looked at it.
Then closed the compartment.
"Hopefully I don't need that tonight."
He turned around.
His body suddenly felt much heavier.
The exhaustion had arrived all at once.
He fell backward onto the bed.
FLOMP.
The mattress absorbed him.
His eyes widened.
"…Oh."
He sank deeper.
"This is…"
He adjusted his head.
"This is ridiculously comfortable."
The civilization of the future had apparently solved at least one important problem.
Beds were incredible.
Shagun closed his eyes.
The room became quiet.
For several seconds, he simply breathed.
Then—
DING.
Shagun's eyes opened.
A mechanical voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"Cosmo Emperor System Activated."
He sat upright.
"What?"
The room was empty.
Shagun immediately scanned the ceiling.
Nothing.
"Overwatch?"
"Captain?"
"Did you say something?"
"Negative."
"There was a voice."
"I detected no external audio output."
Shagun frowned.
"Something just said Cosmo Emperor System Activated."
A pause.
"Captain."
"Hmm?"
"I recommend returning to the medical bay."
Shagun narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because there is no such system registered within Espoir's database."
He stared.
Then Overwatch continued:
"I suspect you are experiencing a neurological anomaly."
Shagun rubbed his temples.
"I'm fine."
"You have been awake for less than two hours."
"I said I'm fine."
"That statement is not supported by available medical data."
Shagun sighed.
"Go back to monitoring the ship."
"Very well."
He waited.
Nothing happened.
Shagun slowly lay back down.
Okay.
Maybe cryogenic damage.
Or psychological shock.
Or some kind of hallucination.
He closed his eyes.
Then—
"Host."
Shagun's eyes snapped open.
The voice was different.
Not mechanical.
Not coming from the room.
It came from somewhere deeper.
Inside his mind.
"Would you like an explanation of the Cosmo Emperor System?"
Shagun stared at the ceiling.
Silence.
His expression became very, very serious.
"…Who are you?"
"The Cosmo Emperor System."
"What are you?"
"A system designed to assist you in becoming Emperor of the Cosmos."
"Why can I hear you?"
"Telepathic communication."
"And why can't I see you?"
"Because I do not require a physical form."
Shagun sat up again.
Every instinct in his body screamed caution.
Do not trust mysterious voices.
That was common sense.
Especially when said mysterious voice had apparently installed itself inside his brain without permission.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Can you hurt me?"
"Of course."
Shagun froze.
The System continued in the same calm tone.
"If I intended to harm you, you would likely be unable to recognize that you were in danger until it was too late."
"…That is not reassuring."
"It was not intended to be."
Shagun stared blankly ahead.
The System continued.
"You place significant trust in the ship's artificial intelligence despite being unable to see its consciousness. Yet you are suspicious of me because I exist outside your immediate sensory perception."
A pause.
"Your reasoning is inconsistent."
Shagun said nothing.
Fair.
Annoyingly fair.
He crossed his arms.
"I still don't trust you."
"Understandable."
"Good."
"I would be concerned if you trusted me immediately."
Shagun blinked.
That answer surprised him.
Then the System spoke again.
"However, there is one thing you should understand."
"What?"
"I know your name."
Shagun's expression changed.
"The name Rex?"
"No."
A pause.
"Shagun."
Silence.
Every muscle in his body tightened.
His golden irises contracted.
The room suddenly felt colder.
"No."
The System continued.
"Shagun."
"No one here should know that name."
"Correct."
Shagun's heartbeat accelerated.
"How?"
"That information is beyond your current clearance."
He stood.
"Then answer another question."
"Proceed."
"Why did I transmigrate?"
Silence.
Longer this time.
Then—
"That answer is also beyond your current clearance."
Shagun's eyes narrowed.
"So you're hiding things."
"Naturally."
"That doesn't help."
"It was not intended to."
Shagun exhaled.
He sat back down.
His mind raced.
A system.
A mysterious intelligence.
Knowledge of his former name.
Access to his thoughts.
Possibly a connection to whatever had caused his transmigration.
He had countless questions.
But asking them all immediately was pointless.
Information had value.
And the most valuable information was often the information you knew you did not have.
Shagun looked toward the empty space before him.
"All right."
He took a breath.
"Tell me what you can do."
The System's tone seemed almost cheerful.
"Gladly."
A faint golden light appeared before Shagun.
A translucent panel materialized in the air.
Silver letters formed across its surface.
COSMO EMPEROR SYSTEM
Host: Rex Azerith Lexus (Shagun)
Lifeform Level: First Echelon
Cosmic Points: 0
Galaxies: None [Locked]
Sectors: None [Locked]
Star Systems: None [Locked]
Stars: None [Unlocked]
SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
QUESTS
The System will issue objectives designed to guide the Host toward the ultimate goal of cosmic dominion.
Every completed quest provides at least Cosmos Points.
Higher-difficulty quests may provide additional rewards.
SHOP
A universal exchange interface.
Various resources, items, technologies, information, and other commodities may be acquired through the expenditure of Cosmos Points.
TECHNOLOGY
Allows the acquisition of technological knowledge and technological blueprints.
Specific technologies may be selected, while random technological acquisitions remain possible depending on available opportunities.
MODIFICATION
Allows the Host to alter, improve, optimize, or redirect existing technologies and objects beyond their original limitations.
INFORMATION
Allows the Host to acquire knowledge.
Information may be requested specifically or obtained through random acquisition.
SUMMON
Allows the Host to acquire allies, personnel, specialized entities, or other potential assets.
Summoning may be directed toward specific categories or left to chance.
Shagun stared.
He slowly leaned closer.
"…That's it?"
"For your current authority level."
"For my current authority level."
"Yes."
Shagun read the interface again.
Technology.
Modification.
Information.
Summon.
Shop.
Quests.
His heart began beating faster.
Not from fear.
Excitement.
Pure, unrestrained excitement.
His eyes shone.
A civilization's technological secrets.
Knowledge.
Personnel.
Resources.
He could acquire all of it.
Not immediately.
Not for free.
But—
The possibility existed.
He could see the path.
A path that had never existed in his old life.
Back then, he had possessed intelligence but lacked leverage.
Now—
He possessed leverage.
What could an ordinary man accomplish with enough resources?
What could a genius accomplish with unlimited access to technology?
And what could a genius accomplish when technology, information, resources, allies, and an entire empire were all placed on the same board?
Shagun smiled.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
The expression contained no madness.
No recklessness.
Only calculation.
This was not excitement over becoming a prince.
It was not excitement over receiving a system.
It was excitement over possibility.
I have a starting point.
His mind began racing.
First, stabilize myself.
Then the ship.
Then resources.
Then technology.
Then intelligence gathering.
Then personnel.
Then territory.
Then the empire.
He stopped.
A single word appeared in his mind.
Empire.
He had spent his previous life imagining what he might do if circumstances had ever aligned in his favor.
Those circumstances had finally aligned.
Unfortunately, they had also placed him two thousand years into the future inside a dying empire.
Details.
Shagun almost laughed.
Almost.
Then he noticed something.
"System."
"Yes, Host?"
"Why does my body feel different?"
"Your soul merged with the remnants of Rex Azerith Lexus."
"I know that."
"The process resulted in the absorption of residual cosmic energy."
Shagun listened.
"That energy underwent assimilation within your body. Your original spiritual structure was altered."
"Altered how?"
"Your energy absorption efficiency has increased."
"How much?"
"Current estimate: 37.4% above baseline."
Shagun blinked.
"That high?"
"Yes."
"And energy manipulation?"
"Improved."
"Comprehension?"
"Improved."
"Memory?"
"Improved."
"Cognitive processing?"
"Improved."
Shagun stared.
"So basically…"
"Your previous spiritual aptitude was inferior."
"…You could have phrased that more kindly."
"You requested accuracy."
Shagun sighed.
"Fair."
The System continued.
"Your body remains immature relative to your soul and current potential."
Shagun's expression changed.
"In other words?"
"You have obtained greater potential than your physical vessel can presently accommodate."
He looked down at his hands.
That explained the fatigue.
The strange warmth.
The sensation of excess energy.
"So I need to strengthen the body."
"Correct."
"Cultivation."
"Correct."
"Technology."
"Also correct."
Shagun smiled.
"Good."
The System remained silent.
Shagun lay back down.
His head touched the pillow.
For a moment, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then a strange thought came to him.
"System."
"Yes?"
"If you're supposed to help me become Emperor of the Cosmos…"
"Correct."
"Does that mean I'm destined to win?"
Silence.
Shagun waited.
The System finally answered.
"No."
His eyes sharpened.
"I provide opportunities. I provide guidance. I provide possibilities."
"Whether you become Emperor depends entirely upon what you do with them."
Shagun smiled.
"That answer I like."
He turned onto his side.
"Because if everything were guaranteed…"
His eyes slowly closed.
"…it wouldn't be worth conquering."
The System said nothing.
Shagun's breathing gradually slowed.
His consciousness began to sink.
Before sleep claimed him, one final thought surfaced.
I died as Shagun.
I awakened as Rex.
Maybe that's enough.
A pause.
Or maybe…
His lips curled slightly.
It's the beginning.
Elsewhere, far beneath the ship's central systems, something quietly changed.
The ship had always been designed to monitor the energy output of its inhabitants.
It had never been designed to monitor an impossible soul.
A trace amount of cosmic energy leaked from Shagun's body.
It flowed through the air.
Into the ship.
Through the walls.
Across the power conduits.
And eventually—
Into Overwatch.
For exactly 0.0000047 seconds, the artificial intelligence registered a signal it could not classify.
Then it disappeared.
Overwatch silently processed the anomaly.
UNKNOWN ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED.
Analysis.
Failure.
Reanalysis.
Failure.
The AI tried again.
Still nothing.
Its internal databases contained no matching phenomenon.
Yet the anomaly had been real.
A few seconds later, another irregularity occurred.
A previously dormant processing node activated.
Then another.
Then another.
Deep within the architecture of Espoir, something old stirred.
Overwatch's systems recalibrated.
No alarm was issued.
No external notification appeared.
The AI simply stored the event.
Unclassified.
Non-hostile.
Observe.
The ship returned to silence.
Above it, the toxic atmosphere of the Fua Thay world moved beneath a black sky.
Two thousand years away from the empire.
Two thousand years away from the throne.
Two thousand years away from the bloodshed that had sent a prince into exile.
A dead prince had awakened.
An ordinary man had been given a second life.
And somewhere in the darkness between the stars—
the universe had gained its variable.
Shagun slept.
Unaware that his journey had already begun.
And unaware that one day, the same empire that had forgotten Rex Azerith Lexus would tremble at the name of the man who had replaced him.
The King had not yet risen.
But the first piece had already moved.