Black Tower.
568,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,123rd Teleportation Room.
The Teleportation Room holds one of John's most powerful teleportation devices. This device contains detection systems that mark, scout, and display everything within its range. Its coverage spans trillions of Omniverses—an impossible feat by today's standards. Even the most powerful beings, the apex of all existence, wouldn't dare hope to achieve that, even a planet is out of their reach.
The teleportation room is an endless white space with a vastness of ???—enough to contain ??? number of all of existence before the Great Change, and just enough to hold a small mountain on the planet surface today.
I was standing on a circular platform with beautiful, luminous lines that gave off a science fiction vibe. Each moment, the lights would dim and glow like they were breathing, and the platform's black metallic surface shimmered under the white lights of the room. Above me hovered a black metallic ring with similar luminous patterns. The ring matched the size of the platform beneath my feet.
I stood inside the Teleportation Device, waiting to be sent to my destination—somewhere in ??? away. This Omniverse was unlike the one we resided in: vibrant, full of life and stories. A stark contrast to the Empty, lifeless realm we called home.
"All pulses are normal, all safety protocols green. Device, energy, and coordinates—ready for the Jump," a Shipgirl said, her voice echoing in every direction.
The Shipgirl in question was the one operating this particular Teleportation Room. She sat inside a small chamber filled with holographic interfaces, touchscreen keyboards, and high-tech computers bordering on full sci-fi.
"The jump is commencing in—" the girl's voice halted, replaced by a flat monotone.
It was the AI, also responsible for this facility, assisting the Shipgirl to operate it more efficiently. The AI had a name and a personality as vivid as any person's, but that's a story for another time.
"10, 9, 8," the AI began to count down. "7, 6, 5." I waited silently until it reached zero.
"4, 3, 2, 1, 0."
The teleportation device began to hum and shift. A blinding light engulfed my vision—and the next moment, I found myself standing atop a mountain.
No matter where I looked, all I saw were mountains.
"I arrive," I remarked with a smile.
I was about to release my magic and move toward my destination when—
A voice suddenly called from behind me.
"Stop right there!" The voice was melodious, pleasing to the ears, and enough to make anyone fall in love. I turned my head toward it and saw a girl with long black hair tied in a unique style, red eyes, and wearing a black one-piece dress with a short skirt, exposing her back. She looked familiar. The name was on the tip of my tongue, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall where I'd seen her before.
I sensed nothing from her—not even a presence—but somehow, I still understood her nature.
"Are you the planet?" I asked.
The black-haired beauty smiled. "Yes, I am the planet. My name is Yor Tenkai—or you can just call me Tenkai, or Yor, pick what you prefer."
"Ms. Yor," I began to ask why she was here, but she interrupted me.
"Mrs., I'm already married, you see." As she said this, she raised her right hand. A wedding ring gleamed on her finger—gold, inscribed with magical runes I couldn't decipher or understand.
Upon seeing the ring, something tugged at my heart. It felt familiar—important, even—but I didn't know why. My curiosity flared. I wanted to unravel its secrets, but I held back. If I pushed, I might anger her—and that would be the end of me. Despite not sensing her strength, I could tell that without my trump cards, I stood no chance.
"Mrs. Yor, why are you here? Did I do something wrong?"
Mrs. Yor nodded. "You did."
"Beings of your power level are not allowed to enter the Old World unless you seal yourself and take a weaker form," Yor said.
"So ???-level entities—and those possibly beyond—aren't allowed here, huh. I only came to explore the dungeon, and I needed my power to do that."
"You can unseal yourself once you're inside the dungeon."
"Alright, I understand. I'll do it now." With a thought, I sealed all of my powers.
Seeing this, Yor gave a bright smile. "Better. But you need to change your race, too. Even sealed, your race's natural strength remains at the forbidden level. You can still reach ??? Level if you go all out. Transform into a human."
"No problem." With another thought, I changed my race into a human. An overwhelming weakness crashed into my senses, reminding me how frail I used to be. After all, I was once human.
Seeing that I didn't resist and simply followed her instructions, a gentle smile crossed her beautiful face. And then—she vanished, like a ghost. Leaving me alone in the mountains.
I didn't dwell on it. I turned and headed in a certain direction, following what the teleportation device scanned.
My powers were completely sealed. I was now a human with average magic and energy levels.
But even so, I was confident I could unleash devastating magic—enough to destroy anything below the Forbidden level. If I couldn't do even that, then all my experience and expertise would be laughable.