The void welcomed Souta once again, vast and silent, yet strangely inviting. The endless white expanse shimmered softly like fresh snow under a pale sun, stretching in all directions without a single landmark to mark its vastness.
Before him floated the translucent system interface, now more detailed than before. The numbers and symbols gleamed gently, like distant stars in this boundless space:
Lifespan: 39 Years
Brain Processing Power: 1.0x
Life Points: 0
Followers: 0
Two small [+] buttons floated beside Lifespan and Brain Processing Power, but they remained dimmed and unresponsive. A soft mechanical voice echoed gently within his mind, clear but devoid of warmth:
"Life Points required to activate enhancement protocols."
Souta's fingers hovered over the buttons, pressing lightly. Nothing happened. The interface was stark—no help text, no tutorial, only numbers and symbols waiting silently to be unlocked. The quiet was heavier than he expected, almost oppressive.
His thoughts tumbled, the floodgates opening.
How many Life Points would he need? Could he earn them somehow? What exactly were Followers, and how would they figure into this new reality?
Before he could dwell longer on these questions, the white void around him began to shift. It folded in on itself, folding like a curtain being drawn aside. Slowly, a small floating island materialized in the endless emptiness—a serene garden suspended in the void.
Beneath his feet, the soil was soft and fertile, the scent of fresh earth unmistakable even here. A lone sapling, young and fragile, stood ready to be planted in the rich ground.
Next to the sapling, a translucent control panel floated silently, displaying vital information:
Time Acceleration Ratio: 1 day outside = 1 year inside
Soil Status: Healthy
Souta knelt, fingers trembling slightly, and gently took the sapling. He pressed its roots into the soil. The sensation of real earth grounding him was oddly comforting in this strange realm.
As soon as the sapling settled, a message flickered softly on the interface:
"1 tree planted. Estimated yield: 0.001 Life Points per simulated year."
Souta blinked, whispering the words under his breath.
Life Points. A currency generated by nurturing life itself.
His eyes moved toward the time acceleration control. Heart pounding with a mix of excitement and doubt, he adjusted the slider upward.
Suddenly, time around the sapling sped up.
Leaves unfurled, branches thickened, and the slender trunk grew sturdier—all within moments stretched into years inside this magical realm.
He watched the tree grow with fascination and wonder, realizing the immense potential hidden in this pocket dimension.
If a single tree could yield Life Points, then planting more—hundreds, thousands—could create a steady source of this precious resource.
Yet his mind raced even further.
Could animals or other plants generate Life Points too?
Could knowledge, effort, or even human potential somehow be grown here?
And the Followers.
Who were they? Allies? Students? Tools? Could they be trusted? Could they be guided?
The quiet pulse of the interface seemed to sync with his heartbeat—a steady reminder that this was not a dream, but a new reality.
Then, as if waking from a trance, the island dissolved. The white void collapsed into the rocky mountain path once more. The cool evening air filled his lungs, sharper now with the scent of pine and moss.
He looked down at his palm. The faint glowing sigil remained, pulsating softly—a permanent mark of what had passed between him and the fragment.
His vision shimmered again, and the system interface appeared faintly at the edge of his sight, blending into the real world like a second skin.
Souta's thoughts swirled, fast and wild.
If growing trees here earned Life Points, then cultivating more—hundreds, thousands—would accelerate his progress. But it would take time. Patience. Discipline.
And what about sharing this system? Could he entrust others with a subsystem? His best students? Those who showed promise, diligence, and curiosity?
The images of his students came flooding to mind—Yamada, the quiet genius who never spoke but excelled in every subject; Kana, the fearless questioner who challenged the status quo; Takeshi, the mischievous tinkerer with a hidden talent for machines.
Could this secret gift nurture their minds? Extend their lifespans? Sharpen their intellects?
Could it build something greater—a hidden society of enlightened minds, working in harmony beneath the surface of ordinary life?
The sun dipped low behind the mountains, casting long shadows over the trail. The sky blazed with soft hues of orange and pink.
Souta took a deep breath, the weight of the secret settling firmly on his shoulders.
A seed had been planted—not just in the magical space but inside him.
He vowed silently: First, he would master the system alone, understand its limits and possibilities.
Then, with careful judgment, he would share this power with those he trusted—those who could become the roots of a new future.
The path ahead was uncertain, vast, and filled with danger.
But for the first time in years, Souta felt a spark of hope burning bright.