(POV: Third-Person)
"You're brilliant, Professor!!" a young girl exclaimed, beaming at the man with black-rimmed glasses.
"I-I can't believe it… You actually created a new element…" An older man stared wide-eyed at the glowing, nugget-like object held up by a machine.
"Magnetic field… no errors… density is still within calculation… conclusion… the material is stable," the professor mumbled, his baggy eyes drooping with exhaustion.
"Oh! I didn't notice my colleagues were here. How impolite!" he exclaimed, startled, before hurrying off to fetch tea and refreshments.
Time passed as the group discussed the potential applications of the new element.
"With this… you could potentially reduce energy and time costs for lightspeed travel by leaps and bounds," the older man said, stroking his beard with a raised brow.
"Definitely so… but I'm worried about its potential for catastrophe as well..."
"Professor! Come look!" the young girl suddenly called, grabbing his attention. He turned—only to be met with a flash of light.
ZAP!
The professor collapsed to the ground, convulsing as electricity surged through him.
"Beesting 445… who would've guessed it'd be one of my own inventions that took me down…" he said with a grin, his body twitching.
"That was too early, Tasha..." the old man sighed, standing up from his seat.
"I'm sorry, Professor… but the old man offered me half of everything if I sided with him," Tasha replied, flashing a peace sign with a smirk.
"Truly… how pitiable," the old man muttered as he paced toward the lab's center.
"All this time, you've truly been a thorn on my side…" He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Now… I'll be taking everything you have… and with it, I will become the next cosmic emperor!" His voice was filled with fanatical conviction as he clenched his fist forward.
The professor looked on with distraught before turning towards Tasha.
"Hey, Tasha… I'm not sure if you knew, but the money and recognition from this discovery alone could buy you an entire planet. You sure you want to split that with him?" the professor chuckled from the floor.
"Brat! No matter what you say, it's too late to change your fate! There's no way she will fa—"
ZAP!!
The old man's words were cut short as a shock sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Old man… I've changed my mind," Tasha said with a grin, flicking her hair.
"I want 100% now…"
Greed burned in her eyes as she approached the machine housing the element. But as she reached the interface, her confident expression twisted into confusion.
"W-what is this?"
"I created my own language—only I can understand it. Safety precaution," the professor said, grinning as he slowly rose to his feet.
"How?!" Tasha cried, aiming her gun at him.
"Body augments. Took a while, but I adjusted my bioelectric frequency—among other things—to nullify the Beesting," the professor replied as he suddenly darted toward her.
ZAP! ZAP!
"Damn it!" Tasha's aim faltered as her shots missed.
"Stand still, bastard!" she yelled in frustration, before glancing back at the glowing material.
The professor's eyes widened. He knew what she was about to do.
"Tasha, wait! Don't touch that!"
CRACK!
The moment she grabbed it, space around her warped—reality itself seemed to fracture. Her body began to tear apart.
"Damn it!" the professor growled as he rushed forward and snatched the material from her grasp, pulling it free.
CRACK!!!
"ARGHHH!!" He screamed as reality fissures surged through his body, shredding him from within.
"P-Professor!" Tasha gasped, regaining her senses.
"I've got no choice!!" he shouted, scrambling toward the machine's interface.
"Tasha! Get the old man and leave!"
One of his arms exploded—torn apart, blood splattering across the lab.
"HURRY!!" His desperate voice shook her from her daze. She rushed over, grabbed the unconscious old man, and staggered toward the doorway.
But she hesitated. Turning back, tears welled in her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Professor! I-I got greedy!"
She saw him grinning, even as his body deteriorated.
"Go! Everything'll be okay!" he assured her, his voice full of conviction.
She nodded, pressed the terminal to open the metal gate, and fled.
As her blurry silhouette vanished, the professor exhaled in relief and began inputting commands with shaking hands.
TEAR!
His leg was ripped apart—only cracked bone remained.
"I guess this is it…" he smiled faintly, pressing the final key.
"Deathmarch Protocol activated," a glitchy, systematic voice rang out. Electricity surged through the room.
"A shame… I'll never get to eat fried chicken aga—"
SPLAT!!
His head exploded into a bloody mist as the chamber was swallowed by light.
(POV: The Professor)
Approximately 4,206,911 minutes and 25 seconds have passed.
Roughly… eight years.
I've been stuck in what seems like an empty void. If purgatory exists, this is it.
Honestly? It hasn't been that bad…
I don't feel anything. No hunger. No sleep. No exhaustion. Just… thoughts.
Which probably drove me a little insane here and there—but I kept busy.
I ran simulations in my head. Designed new schematics. And after eight years? I think I finally figured out a way to stabilize that element I discovered.
Let's call it… Aether.
Yeah. That's good.
If I ever escape this place, I have to try it.
If I ever get out, that is…
[&01001101!%01111001$]
A strange voice suddenly echoed through my mind.
And then—
CRACK!!
A beam of light split the void, and for the first time in years, my heart skipped a beat.
I ran toward it.
[%00100000!01100011@)01101000!(01101001@)01101100*01100100%]
The voice continued to ring, but I ignored it—I just needed out.
The light swallowed me.
It felt endless.
Then… something new.
Not darkness. Not light.
Just…
A f*cking corpse.
What the hell?
I can't move. Wait—no. I can't feel my limbs. And… Why is that corpse gigantic?
Wait…
Why do I have 360-degree vision?
I can see everything… without turning my head. Surreal.
But that's not even the weirdest part.
I'm stuck. Inside… some kind of leather pouch?
SCREECH!!
What was that?!
From the northeast, a horde of enormous rats came stampeding.
Hold on, Ratatouille!
CLINK!
I was dumped out of the pouch, rolling across rough stone.
That's when I realized the horrifying truth:
Conclusion! I got reincarnated as a mana potion.