The academy grounds were lively that morning, the sound of chatter and footsteps filling the stone paths as students hurried toward their classes.
In the middle of the crowd walked a young man with long black hair tied loosely at the back, green eyes that reflected the sunlight, and features sharp enough to draw second looks.
He wore a clean white shirt tucked into black formal trousers, a pair of sneakers on his feet, looking more like a model strolling through campus than a teacher.
Yet his expression carried none of the confidence his appearance suggested. His brows were drawn together, lips pressed into a thin line, as though every step weighed heavier than the last.
"I need to recruit at least a few students this year… no matter what, otherwise the academy will throw me out!" Oliver sighed inside his heart, the thought alone souring his mood.
Students passing him lowered their voices yet made no effort to hide their gossip.
"Hey look, that's Oliver. The most useless teacher of our academy," a girl whispered, glancing at him before covering her mouth.
Her friend curled her lips. "You mean that teacher who hasn't had a single student in three years? Who would even want to join his class?"
Not far away, a senior male teacher shook his head, his tone mixed with pity. "Three years ago Oliver Ardent was a rising star, everyone called him a genius teacher. But his cultivation got stuck at Awakening Realm, Level Three mid stage, and he hasn't moved even half a step since then…"
Someone else added. "And his students left him one by one, and now nobody even bothers to look at him."
Oliver could hear every word. Their whispers weren't even whispers anymore, just sharp needles pricking at his ears. He kept walking with the same calm look, though inside he wanted to curse at the heavens.
"This is the role I ended up with after crossing over… a useless teacher abandoned by everyone?"
It had only been two weeks since he came to this world. Two weeks since the life he knew on Blue Star ended in a pool of blood.
He remembered that night clearly. Exhausted from another another endless twelve-hour shift, he had gone straight from the office to a bar telling himself just one drink before heading home.
His life had been nothing but a loop, office to home and home to office, he barely had time to breathe let alone live.
The drink burned his throat, dulling his thoughts when suddenly a group of masked men burst into the bar waving guns. Panic spread like wildfire.
And one man, too daring for his own good tried to grab a robber's arm. They struggled, the gun went off and before Oliver could even react, a bullet tore straight through his forehead.
When he opened his eyes he was no longer in the bar. He was standing inside a grand and luxurious palace. Around him stretched a vast cosmos creation and destruction swirling at the edges of existence.
At the center, upon a throne sat a woman who looked like a masterpiece shaped by the hands of heaven.
Oliver's breath was caught. Her long balayage hair shimmered like silk, one eye glowing crimson, the other a deep blue, as if time and space themselves were reflected in her gaze.
She wore a white lace Anarkali gown that hid more than it revealed, yet her figure left no room for doubt.
He forced his heart to calm and stepped forward. "Excuse me… do you know where I am? Is this heaven?"
The woman rose gracefully from her throne and with a wave of her hand the scene shifted. The palace melted into a breathtaking garden where stars and planets hung low in a golden sky. At the center was a table with two chairs.
She sat down, her movements elegant beyond description, and spoke in a voice that seemed to flow straight into the soul. "Come sit here we can talk here."
Oliver obeyed, sitting across from her. She poured him a cup of tea, the fragrance light and calming, before speaking again. "You can call me Solanya Eternia."
He raised the cup to his lips, took a small sip, then asked, "Solanya… where exactly am I?"
She took her own sip before answering calmly. "You are inside my domain, created by me. It is called the Creation Domain." Her tone softened, and for the first time she looked hesitant.
"I must apologize to you, Oliver. You weren't supposed to die in that robbery, that was due to my mistake. I was careless…"
Oliver almost choked, coughing until his chest hurt. His eyes widened. "What the hell!?"
He stared at her, wanting to pry open her head to see how this woman could make such a ridiculous mistake. To die as a corporate slave in a bar robbery it was really humiliating beyond words.
Solanya cleared her throat gently. "To correct my mistake I brought your soul here. I want to offer you a choice. Would you like to reincarnate into a cultivation world? A place where you can grow stronger, extend your life and chase power freely?"
Oliver narrowed his eyes, carefully listening. Something in his head clicked and he asked directly, "You're talking about this like it's nothing… who exactly are you?"
Her lips curved into a faint smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am the Cosmos Creation Goddess. One of the few who guard the laws of the universe and keep balance."
Oliver didn't understand everything but it was enough. His eyes lit up. "Just like the novels I read back on Blue Star… gods, goddesses, second chances."
Without hesitation he leaned forward. "Yes, send me to a cultivation world where I can rise like a protagonist!" His eyes sparkled with barely hidden excitement.
Solanya tilted her head slightly. Something about his tone gave her a strange feeling. "Why is this mortal acting so mysterious all of a sudden?"
Then Oliver smiled slyly. "But I have two wishes. Surely the great Cosmos Creation Goddess can grant them, right?"
She huffed, her pride refusing to back down. "Nothing is impossible for me, speak your wishes!"
Oliver's smile widened. "First, I want a unique godly talent. Something strong enough to let me survive and surpass everyone. And the second…" He leaned a little closer. "I want you!"
"What!?" Solanya shot up from her chair, truly startled for the first time in her life. Her aura flickered, and she stepped back quickly, her cheeks flushing red. "What did you say?"
Oliver stood as well walking slowly toward her, watching as her goddess-like presence cracked and revealed the startled, embarrassed girl beneath. His voice was steady. "I said, I want you."
He explained with a grin, "From the moment I saw you my mind went blank. Your face hasn't left my thoughts even for a second. So I thought, why not make you mine?"
Her eyes narrowed, her voice turn icy cold. "You are just a mortal. Don't dream too big it's impossible!"
Oliver smirked. "You're the one who said nothing is impossible for you. Now you're going back on your word? Tsk, I didn't think the great Cosmos Creation Goddess would be so quick to take her words back."
Solanya bit her lip, unable to deny it. Her pride wouldn't allow her to contradict herself. "How did I fall into a mortal's trick so easily…"
Finally she straightened her back and regained her aura. "Fine, I will accept. I will be yours… but only if you surpass me. Become stronger than I am, and I will be your eternal companion. Do you dare to accept?"
"Yes," Oliver said without hesitation. "I accept. Now give me the talent and send me to the world you promised."
Solanya waved her hand. A green orb of light appeared in her palm. "This is a forbidden talent even gods covet. It is called Future Vision. It allows you to glimpse into another's past and future, letting you survive where others would fall."
Then another orb appeared, this one purple and glowing with profound energy. "This is Omniscient Insight. With it you can remember everything you've ever seen, find weaknesses, trace origins, and even correct techniques."
She held out both, expecting him to choose one.
But Oliver's eyes gleamed as he said in a steady voice, "I want both."
Her brows furrowed. "Greedy, choose one!"
He tilted his head and look at her with like puppy eyes. "Can't my wife even give me such little things?"
Her expression remained neutral, but her ears turned red. She felt her face heat up like fire. With a huff she tossed both orbs at him.
"Take them and get lost! And don't call me your wife!"
Oliver caught them easily and without hesitation swallowed the glowing lights. Power spread through him instantly. He grinned. "Now my wife, send me!"
Her lips trembled, her hands forming a seal. His soul began to fade, thinning like smoke. Oliver knew the time had come so he stepped forward suddenly, pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. Their tongues intertwined and the kiss is deep and lingering for a long time.
When he finally stepped back, a thin strand of saliva still connected them. He smirked at her dazed expression, enjoying the way her breath hitched.
"Goodbye wife. We'll meet again soon. Take care until then."
His soul vanished completely, leaving only silence in the garden.
Solanya stood frozen, her mind went blank, replaying that kiss again and again. Her fingers brushed against her swollen lips from the contact, her heart stuttered in a way she couldn't name.
Her face burned crimson. She stomped her foot in frustration, her voice ringing through the domain.
"That bastard! He tricked me over and over in such a short time! AHHHHH!"
When his eyes opened again, he was no longer Oliver the overworked corporate slave. He was in the body of a young man of twenty-one year old, lying in a small room that didn't belong to him.
The memories of this world slowly settled into his mind, the past of the body's owner blending with his own. A world of cultivation where powerful experts could shake the entire continent with a glace, alchemists who refined pills that defy death and artisans who forged treasures that amazes everyone.
For a moment, Oliver thought he had won the jackpot. This was just like the webnovels he used to read in his spare time. A new world, a young body, surely his golden finger will appear that he got from Solanya.
But days passed, and nothing happened. No system, no cheat, no sudden inheritance. All he had was this ruined reputation, a cultivation base that refused to move, and the title of a teacher who had been abandoned by even his own students.
Oliver laughed bitterly to himself as he walked through the academy grounds. "Of all the people I could transmigrate into, it had to be the academy's biggest joke."
The sun's rays were warm on his face through the window, and the classroom and training ground below were filled with the sounds of instructors guiding their students. Cultivation techniques echoed in the air, and bursts of spiritual energy crackled like fireworks.
Everywhere he looked, young talents worked hard under teachers who commanded respect. And then there was him, empty-handed, walking through the campus like a ghost.
A boy passing by gave him a mocking bow. "Teacher Ardent," he said with fake politeness before laughing with his friends.
Oliver's jaw tightened but he said nothing. He had been powerless in his old world, trapped in an endless cycle of work, and he refused to believe his second life would be just as pathetic.
"Solanya… Where was the Future Vision Talent she promised? Where is that Omniscient Insight she claimed to grant?"
His instincts screamed the truth. She had given him a lie. But he crossed worlds for a purpose. And he wouldn't let it go to waste!