Meanwhile, with his phone's connection still active underground, Bruce began to scour the news.
Seeing everything unfolding outside, he declared a ban on departures. The hospital would remain in lockdown. Fortunately, the underground storage was well-stocked — enough to last everyone for a month.
And so, as chaos raged above, Bruce and the other surgeons descended into research.
Observing.
Collecting clues.
Forming theories.
Testing them.
As a scientist, Bruce trusted his instincts. This apocalypse was no small matter, and he knew that if he could uncover its truths, he would be of great help to the world.
The results would be worth it. He could feel it.
Days passed, the surgeons surviving by sheer luck while chaos continued outside.
In that time, many things happened. The world was no longer the same. People awakened powers. They awakened systems. Even some of his fellow surgeons awakened.
Bruce, however, did not.
It frustrated him — such power could have been a breakthrough for his research — but it also drove him. Through their testimonies, he discovered the name of this strange and powerful energy.
Mana.
Curious, he began researching mana, performing multiple experiments using the awakened surgeons as references.
He experimented on how mana affected the human body, on how it influenced animals, and he made mind-breaking discoveries — discoveries that would shock the world.
He discovered that the human genome already contained dormant mana channels, proving humanity had been engineered for power long before the apocalypse.
He discovered that mana carried memory, recording the will and intent of those who wielded it, hinting at beings far beyond mortals.
He discovered that the soul was a crystallized mana lattice, editable like hyperdimensional DNA — capable of being mapped, altered, or even weaponized.
He discovered that mana did not originate within the universe. It leaked in through fractures in reality, pouring directly from the Universe Core, the singular heart that sustained existence. This meant that every spell, every beast mutation, every human power — was borrowed from the same source that held the cosmos together.
He discovered that the apocalypse was too systematic to be natural. Its timing, the beast mutations, the human awakenings — all aligned like parts of a design. He suspected this apocalypse was an experiment, though he could not yet fathom what the experiment was for.
Finally, he discovered that mana could be directly controlled — not merely channeled through preset system-given patterns to trigger spells. By consciously manipulating mana channels, one could achieve far more intricate and devastating results than any known magic.
This meant skills could be created. Variations could be evolved. As long as mana was circulated through precise patterns, new powers could be born! He could practically create his own skills!
This revelation shattered the foundation of the system itself, proving that the gods had only given mortals the illusion of choice, when true mastery lay beyond their imposed limits.
For the first time, Bruce saw a way forward. A way to turn everything around.
He was excited beyond words…
But then, a cold voice resounded in his mind:
[Mortal, you are peering into secrets far above you.]
The world collapsed into darkness. He didn't know if he was dead, erased, or simply trapped. All he felt was the void.
Until… he opened his eyes again.
A new body.
A new world.
And… notifications.
[DING!]
[Loki, the God of Mischief, has violated Multiversal Law by transmigrating a living human.]
[Loki is being punished.]
[A suitable body has been chosen for you.]
[You are currently in an Awakening Ceremony.]
[You have awakened the SSS-Ranked System: Godly Healing System!]
[You have awakened the Ex-Ranked Class: Godly Healer!]
[Akashic Codex acknowledges your existence.]
[Congratulations, you are now an awakened!]
Bruce Ackerman, Earth's greatest surgeon, was gone — transported to another world against his will.
His consciousness returned like a ripple breaking through still water.
For a moment, he was disoriented. Then, a strange awareness dawned on him. He could see inside himself.
His flesh. His bones. His organs. Even the flow of his blood, every cell coursing through his veins. It was as if his body had become a transparent map laid bare before his eyes. He didn't know how, he didn't know why… Maybe it was his class or a certain class skill. But he could see it, as if he were watching his organs from another perspective, like a third-person view.
But then, Bruce's expression darkened.
"…Poison?"
A sinister purple aura slithered through his blood vessels like ink in clear water. It corroded his red blood cells, gnawed at his marrow, and tainted his flesh. His skin bore faint purplish stains, hidden from sight by the clothes covering his body.
Bruce's brows furrowed. 'How frightful, it's very corrosive the poison has destroyed the cells of the blood, muscles, and bones. Is that why this body is so weak? Is that why the original owner of this body died and I was able to take over?'
Many questions spawned in his mind at this moment, after all, everything was so confusing.
'How did he get poisoned in the first place?'
'Was it in his food? In the air? A slow-acting venom?'
'Or maybe… he was targeted deliberately.'
The thoughts circled in his mind, sharp yet steady.
Bruce was yet to receive the memories of this body's previous owner so he had no context, no background — only questions. But strangely, his heart was calm.
As for this sudden transmigration, he wasn't actually afraid after what Loki, the god, had done to him. After all, he knew there were boundaries even powerful, omnipotent beings like gods couldn't cross — and the Akashic Codex punished those who dared to overstep them. From what he had seen so far, he suspected the Akashic Codex to be a fair entity guarding the universe, though he wasn't sure. For now, it was all speculation.
Besides, he read a lot, so he wasn't completely oblivious to systems and magic. In fact, it was his knowledge from fantasy books that had helped him most in his research, leading to those mind-breaking discoveries about mana.
His thoughts drifted briefly to his home world, a smile appearing on his lips. At least with my research, humanity should know more about the universe, about what they're up against, and how to fight it…
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He trusted his colleagues to push through with his discoveries. As for his own death and transmigration…
He had no regrets.
This was the willpower of the No. 1 Surgeon on Earth. A man who never turned back. A man who never faltered.
Nothing could stop him from pushing forward.
---
Suddenly, voices intruded on his focus, dragging him back to his new reality.
"That weakling Bruce has been lying there for two minutes. Do you think he's even alive?"
"Tch. Slumping to the ground like that in the middle of the Awakening? Pathetic."
"He probably failed again. Honestly, what a disgrace to his family."
"Why was he even allowed to attend the ceremony? Just another piece of trash wasting resources."
"Hah! I bet his class is worse than F-tier. Don't tell me he's going to awaken as a farmer or something."
"Farmer? Don't joke. Even a farmer has more backbone than him."
The sneers and ridicule came from all directions, voices dripping with scorn.
Bruce exhaled softly, unbothered. A sigh escaped his lips.
"So… his name was Bruce as well, huh?"
How coincidental.
Despite the jeers, his heart was strangely calm. He closed his eyes, focusing once more on the poison spreading through his body.
'First things first,' he thought firmly. 'It's time to heal myself of this damn poison. Whoever caused this… I'll deal with them later.'