Chapter 1 – The Accident
That morning, the city looked the same as always. Cars rushed along the highway, people hurried to work, and the sound of car horns became the background music of modern life. Yet, if one paid closer attention, something was different. The air felt heavier, every breath pressed against the chest. The sun seemed paler, as though its light was veiled by something foreign.
It all began with last night's meteor shower. Thousands of streaks of light crossed the sky, shattering satellites, sending shockwaves, and carrying strange particles into the atmosphere. Some people saw it as a miracle, others as a sign of the apocalypse. But for most, life had to go on.
And among them was a young man who only cared about finishing his deliveries for the day.
His name was Lu Yuan, a twenty-year-old courier.
His hands gripped the worn handlebars of his aging electric scooter, a large delivery box strapped to his back. His helmet sat crooked, his jacket was shabby, and his face showed no trace of motivation.
> "I need coffee… or ten hours of sleep. Both would be perfect," he muttered, yawning without covering his mouth.
Though the streets looked normal, Lu Yuan noticed strange details: a stray dog that was usually docile now barked with eyes glowing like embers, trees in the city park seemed to give off a faint glow, and even the air itself vibrated with every breath he took.
> "… The world's cosplaying an apocalypse movie now, huh?" he thought flatly, speeding up his scooter.
But fate didn't give him the chance to joke for long.
From around a corner, a massive truck came hurtling forward at insane speed. The driver's face was pale with panic, the horn blaring nonstop. Lu Yuan barely caught the flash of black steel before—
CRAAASH!
His body was thrown into the air. His helmet cracked, blood streamed from his temple, and his vision shook violently. He didn't even have time to scream.
Then, everything went dark.
---
In that darkness, Lu Yuan felt strange. His body no longer weighed him down. There was no pain, only awareness floating in emptiness. Silent. Hollow. As if cut off from the world.
Suddenly, a voice echoed—not human, not mechanical, but something that emerged directly in his mind.
> [Initial Seal Detected. Excess Soul Fragments. Adjustment Process Beginning…]
> "Eh? A system voice? So I really did die, huh?" Lu Yuan thought, resigned yet confused.
The darkness stirred. From within, light emerged, forming a transparent interface with faint writing.
> [Manas activated. Emergency Mode. Opening partial reincarnation channel…]
Lu Yuan felt his entire soul being pulled apart. The pain was like being crushed from the inside, yet somehow he remained conscious. His awareness shattered like glass, but none of the pieces disappeared.
Then—a blinding light.
---
When he opened his eyes again, his body lay sprawled on the street. Blood pooled beneath him, his breath ragged, but his heart still beat. He was alive.
But what lay beside him made his eyes widen.
Another body. Human, but with a different face. Hair slightly longer, skin paler, frame slimmer. Though unconscious, its chest rose and fell with breath.
> "That's… me?" Lu Yuan could hardly believe it.
The voice returned in his head, clearer this time.
> [Chrono Avatar Lv.1 successfully created. Resource cost: 5 years lifespan + 60 stamina.]
[Avatar permanent. No upkeep cost.]
[Consciousness synchronization: 100%.]
His heart pounded. He stared at the unfamiliar body, then back at himself. When he tried moving the avatar's hand, its fingers twitched. When he opened its eyes, a new perspective appeared—sharper, clearer, as if the world was painted in different colors.
> "… I… can control two bodies at once?"
The avatar slowly stood, while his original body remained weak and broken. The sensation was bizarre—like trying to draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other at the same time. His brain strained, yet he was captivated.
This wasn't an illusion. The avatar was real. Flesh, blood, breath. Not a shadow, not a spirit, but a complete, living human body.
> "Insane… The world's going crazy, but I think I just went crazier."
In the distance, human screams echoed. Buildings crumbled, cars burned, and strange creatures prowled. The world was collapsing, never to return to how it once was.
Yet amid the chaos, Lu Yuan's gaze lingered on his new body, his lips curling into a faint smile.
> "… If the world really is falling apart, then maybe this is my best chance. With this power… let's see how far I can go."
Focusing his mind on the avatar, Lu Yuan felt it stir. Its eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of unfamiliar eyes—silver irises that glowed faintly, as though concealing something mysterious within.
The real Lu Yuan, bloodied and battered, swallowed hard. He could feel every movement the avatar made, as though he himself was opening his eyes a second time.
> "Truly bizarre… it feels like having two heads, two bodies, but just one mind. If my brain were weaker, I'd be insane already."
The avatar stood. Its breath was steady, its body fresh and strong—so unlike his original injured self.
> [Divine Ability: Avatar Lv.1 Awakened – Silver Eyes]
[Initial Effect: Able to perceive foreign energy flows in living beings and the environment.]
> "Divine… ability?" Lu Yuan was stunned.
Once again, Manas's voice echoed:
> [Avatar abilities can be used by the original body. Full synchronization.]
The silver eyes gleamed. Instantly, the world transformed before Lu Yuan. He saw faint streams of dark-violet energy swirling in the air, seeping into unconscious humans, flowing into tree roots, and even shrouding the corpse of a stray dog crushed by a car.
This was the alien energy humanity would one day call dark energy.
> "… So this is what's changing everything? If I can see it, then maybe I can—"
A scream cut his thoughts short. From down the street, a stray dog appeared. Its body was swollen, its eyes burned red, its teeth stretched into wolf-like fangs. With a low growl, it fixed its gaze on Lu Yuan.
> "Of course… this world doesn't give me a break."
The beast lunged. Lu Yuan's real body was far too weak to move, but his avatar stepped forward. Instinctively, he raised an arm to block. The claws slashed his avatar's flesh—real, painful, and bleeding.
> "So injuries on the avatar… are real too?!"
But panic quickly turned into a thin smile. Because at that moment, Manas spoke again.
> [Target: Evolved creature. Condition: deceased.]
[Feature activated – Lifespan Extraction Lv.1]
[Proceed with extraction?]
The avatar's silver eyes reflected the struggling beast. Without thinking, Lu Yuan grabbed a jagged steel rod from the wreckage and smashed it down on the dog's skull. Bones cracked. The creature collapsed, lifeless.
> [Extraction Beginning…]
[3 Years lifespan obtained.]
[Absorb or Store?]
> "Extraction… of lifespan?" Lu Yuan's mind reeled. "Not only can I create a new body, I can even steal years of life?"
He fell silent, then let out a soft, bitter laugh mixed with awe.
> "… The world's gone mad, but maybe I'm the maddest of all."
Foreign energy flowed into him. His real body's wounds eased, his weakness lightened. He could move again, though unsteadily.
Now, both of his bodies stood side by side. One blood-soaked, one fresh with gleaming silver eyes.
For the first time, Lu Yuan truly felt it—his original body and his avatar were both real, both strong, both capable of growth.
In the distance, more terrifying noises spread—screams, crashes, and mutated roars. The modern world was crumbling, replaced by one ruled by alien energy.
Lu Yuan took a long breath.
> "If that's the case… I'm no longer just a delivery boy. This new world… this world of dark energy… I'll live it on my own terms."
His gaze shifted between his wounded self and the silver-eyed avatar at his side. A strange conviction stirred in his chest.
> "I don't know how far this power will go. But one thing's certain… I won't die in vain."
And with two bodies as one, Lu Yuan stepped into the beginning of a new world.