Location: Chen family home, Neo Singapore mega-city, New Terra Prime
By his second birthday, Alex had developed sufficient motor control and vocal ability to begin what would appear to his parents as remarkably precocious development, while internally representing the gradual revelation of capabilities that could reshape their universe.
The Chen family apartment occupied level 2,847 of Neo Singapore's residential district—a vertical mega-city that stretched five kilometers into the sky and two kilometers underground, housing over 200 million inhabitants on New Terra Prime, the capital world of their local galactic sector.
"Mama, what is Origin energy?" two-year-old Alex asked during breakfast, his innocent question masking knowledge from another dimension entirely as he gazed out through their apartment's transparent aluminum walls at the controlled weather systems maintaining optimal atmospheric conditions across the city.
Sarah Chen nearly dropped her coffee cup, exchanging a meaningful glance with Michael. "Sweetheart, that's a very advanced question for someone your age. Origin energy is the cosmic force that flows through everything in our universe. Cultivators absorb it into their body, dantian, and soul to become stronger and manipulate world rules."
A beautifully simplified explanation, Alex thought while maintaining his childlike expression of curiosity. But she's describing what appears to be systematic energy cultivation that allows direct reality manipulation—far beyond anything my previous Earth achieved.
"Can I learn about it?" Alex asked, his adult consciousness carefully modulating his infant vocal cords to produce appropriately childish enthusiasm.
Michael laughed with parental pride. "When you're older, son. Most people don't awaken their talents until they first absorb Origin energy, usually around age eighteen. But yes, if you want to study cultivation theory now, we can access the educational databases."
Talent awakening, Alex noted with interest. This suggests that humans in this universe possess inherent supernatural abilities that manifest when they begin cultivation. Another significant advancement beyond Earth's natural human limitations.
Accessing Universal Knowledge
The cultivation universe's information infrastructure proved to be even more revolutionary than Alex had initially realized. Unlike his previous Earth, where knowledge was compartmentalized and access was limited by institutional barriers, this Type 3+ galactic human civilization had implemented what Sarah explained as "United Humanity's universal education mandate."
Every citizen has free access to all human knowledge. The average high schooler today has knowledge equivalent to what my previous world would have called PhD-level research. They've been sharing information freely across our multi-galactic empire for over three thousand years."
Three thousand years of collaborative knowledge advancement, Alex marveled as holographic displays materialized around their living room. No wonder their civilization has achieved integration of technology and metaphysical principles that my Earth couldn't imagine.
By age two and a half, Alex had convinced his parents to grant him access to the children's learning databases—systems that provided age-appropriate presentations of humanity's complete knowledge base. What Sarah and Michael saw was their brilliant son engaging with educational content. What Alex experienced was systematic analysis of a civilization that had solved problems his previous world hadn't even recognized.
The Scope of Human Civilization
The holographic displays revealed the staggering scope of human expansion across the cosmos. Humanity controlled forty percent of their universe through a multi-galactic empire that had grown from a single planet nearly conquered by elven invaders three millennia ago to a dominant cosmic civilization.
Remarkable evolution, Alex observed as he studied historical records showing humanity's rise from near-extinction to galactic supremacy. They survived the elven invasion and they used it as catalyst for systematic advancement that transformed them into a cosmic power.
The government structure was elegantly simple: United Humanity operated as a single planetary authority that had scaled to multi-galactic proportions while maintaining democratic principles and merit-based advancement. Leadership positions were held by the most accomplished Qi Researchers—individuals who discovered new cultivation techniques, developed innovative theories, or created breakthrough technologies.
Qi Researchers valued above even Universal-level fighters, Alex noted as he reviewed the civilization's hierarchy. This society prioritizes intellectual advancement and innovation over pure combat power. A refreshing change from typical cultivation stories where strength determines everything.
But the records also revealed a growing crisis that threatened this peaceful civilization.
The Void Creature Crisis
"Daddy, what are Void Creatures?" Alex asked during one of their family education sessions, having encountered references to chaotic battlefront zones in the historical databases.
Michael's expression grew serious. "They're entities from outside our universe, son. About fifty years ago, they began breaching the barriers between realities, creating chaotic zones where normal laws of physics break down. Our cultivators and researchers are working together to understand and counter the threat."
Interdimensional invasion, Alex realized with growing concern. Entities that can break universal barriers represent a threat beyond normal military solutions. This civilization's emphasis on research and innovation suddenly makes perfect sense—they need breakthrough technologies and techniques to counter an enemy that operates outside conventional reality.
Sarah nodded grimly. "It's why the Nexus Records system has been issuing more defense quests lately. The universe itself is calling for champions to eliminate cosmic beasts before they can establish permanent footholds in our reality."
The Nexus Records system, Alex thought with fascination. Some kind of universe-wide recording and reward mechanism that tracks individual achievements and issues quests for cosmic defense. This suggests that reality itself has developed systematic approaches to managing threats and encouraging advancement.
Understanding the Nexus Records
Over the following months, Alex's parents explained the Nexus Records system that governed much of human civilization's development and defense coordination.
"Think of it like the universe's own record-keeping system," Sarah explained during one of their learning sessions. "It tracks everyone's cultivation progress, techniques mastered, and achievements. When someone creates something truly outstanding—a new technique, a revolutionary theory, a breakthrough manual—the system rewards them with Enlightenment Chances."
Fascinating, Alex observed as holographic displays showed examples of Nexus Records interfaces. A cosmic system that encourages innovation by providing tangible rewards for genuine advancement. This explains how humanity has maintained three thousand years of accelerating progress.
Michael demonstrated his own Nexus Records display, showing his achievements in cultivation engineering and the modest accumulation of Enlightenment Chances he'd earned through his professional work.
"The system is completely private unless you choose to share," he explained. "You just think 'Status' and can review your own progress. But the real value comes from the defense quests—when cosmic beasts threaten inhabited systems, the Nexus Records issues elimination quests with Enlightenment Chance rewards for successful defenders."
A universe-wide system that gamifies both innovation and defense, Alex mused. Brilliant approach to maintaining civilization-scale motivation for advancement and protection.