One thing first in case you are a new reader!
I am currently doing a re-do of all chapters of volume 1!... Again!
This will go on until Chapter 17, so you can wait until those are all done to read, or you can try and read the ones already redone.
This is in order to fix some minor mistakes and makes things more readable...
You will see that there is a lack of commentaries, and that is because of Webnovel programming...
It deletes all comments if I edit even if a single word... Sigh.
In any case, enjoy!
Images will be added later, but I will drop a link to my discord server here
https://discord.gg/CfsXtGd4Yb(in case the link is broken just ask for another)
It isn't done, there are many things left to add, such as images and bots. So I ask you all to be patient with me since I am one guy.
If you see any errors or have any suggestions, make sure to comment in the chapter comments so they don't get deleted later.
PS: If you notice any typo, make sure to mark it so that I can fix it. I did the rework in quite a hurry so some things just got... Bad. I assure you that the grammar isn't that bad.
It's already hard to write and edit on my own, it would take too much of my time going over everything again to look for small mistakes. So if you see one, don't be shy.
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'Deep underwater, in a magnificent underwater city, on the last floor of the tallest building, an old man watched the city from above.'
(Image)
'His hair was fully white and his beard was around a palm long, however, his skin looked healthy and there weren't that many wrinkles on his face.'
'But his eyes looked tired as he gazed at the city... There was even a look of... Disgust?'
'His room was impeccable, filled with old trophies and medals, the woodwork on his furniture was the highest class available, the tapestry on the walls of the finest quality, this old man was without a doubt at the top of the world.'
'Yet his expression was dull. Was he not satisfied with everything he accomplished?'
/BUZZ/
'At that very moment, an old-style radio started to make some sounds…'
"...Hello everyone of Rapture! The city of dreams! A good morning for you all! I am your speaker of the day, Lousse Rouis! Richard is a little ill today so I am going to replace him for today. I hope everyone sends our loved Richard a good recovery."
"Now… Going back to the news! Today is an incredible day! Today is the anniversary of the founding of Rapture! 140 years! How time flies!"
"But! This isn't the only person having a birthday today! Does the name Antonoine Guilios ring a bell?... Last chance!..."
'A few seconds passed under a soothing song...'
"Of course, you know who he is! First-generation to be born in Rapture, leading researcher in Plasmid, technological and medical development! Retired CEO of Fontaine's futuristics, and ruler of Rapture for many decades!"
"Who doesn't know him? Who doesn't love him? His influence spreads in all fields of research. Hell, even your OVEN where you cook your delicious "spribles" was his idea!"
"Today he reaches an incredible 130 years! A superhuman, both in mind and in body, may he live many more years, leading Rapture towards even brighter futures!"
"Now for the news! The election for the next ruler of Rapture after the unexpected retirement of Antonoine has reached a boiling point..."
"Turn down the Radio. And the lights." Said the old man.
/Beep!/
'The wall suddenly opened up revealing a small metal ball. It opened up into a slim metallic robot, it went towards the radio and pressed the turn-off button before going back into its hole and disappearing.'
'The lights soon started to dim.'
'The old man was now left in the dark, only the outline of his figure could be seen due to the light of the city bellow.'
"...130 years have passed… Yet, nothing changed, the same boring life, the same end result."
It might surprise you, but this is actually my second life.
In my first life, I was nothing but a normal college student, studying and studying and… Studying.
This boring circle repeated until I couldn't tolerate it anymore, but I persisted nonetheless as I lived without rebelling for all of my life since I was happy with what I had, a good family, friends, food, and a nice big home.
But all of it changed when my parents and sister died in an accident, leaving me alone in the world.
I changed after that, trying to dedicate my life to prove myself to the world...
A stupid thought to have. I never achieved anything meaningful even until my death several years later. Dying from overwork.
But then, I woke up in the body of a 4-year-old: my body. Or should I say, I awakened my locked memories?
At the start, I thought nothing had changed, and I started to despair at the thought of repeating the same boring and meaningless life. But then I saw it. Lightning leaving my father's hands.
(Image)
My worldview shattered, and at that moment I started to have hope for the future.
I later learned I was in Rapture, the underwater city of "dreams". Just like the games, I played many years ago.
My enthusiasm disappeared as fast as it came, as I remembered the destruction and madness the future holds.
So I studied and studied. All in order to get access to the highest of powers, Plasmids and Gene Tonics. And like that, I learned of my "powers".
I could memorize almost everything I read once. If once wasn't enough, then twice, thrice… Never had anything surpassed four times. I also had increased comprehension, allowing me to understand everything really fast.
For many years I wondered why. Was this a boon from reincarnating? Or was this body just that gifted? a mutation caused by my parent's work environment?
I rose to the top very quickly with these, gaining a position in Fontaine Futuristics when I was just 16 years old.
(Image)
Unfortunately, my parents died way too soon to see this event take place, due to the effects of early versions of Plasmids.
But the war never came, the conflict never happened. Fountaine died of a terminal illness before he could start the civil war, and Andrew Ryan somehow sobered up and fixed many of the political and social problems in Rapture, further extending the city's golden age.
(Image)
So I was left free, in a place without conflicts, where the highest talents this world has ever seen gathered together.
It took me 5 years to become the head of the research branch I worked at, and another 4 to become part of the decision-making of the organization.
I met many brilliant minds like J.S. Steinman, Julie Langford, Yi Suchong, Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum and more. Together we developed many ways to treat and cure ADAM dependency.
(Image)
(N1)
I was born in 1940 just when Rapture was at its beginning stages. With both of my parents being geneticists, the path I would take was obvious.
This raised some questions within me as to the timeline, but soon I realized this might be a parallel reality from the original series, one where ADAM was found and researched many years earlier than the original, and also a place where the civil war never happened, leading to Rapture never being destroyed.
A timeline where everything was set in the course towards an unbelievable future where...
'The old man opened his diary and started to read its entries:'
>In 1959 I found a way to properly treat ADAM dependency.
>1961, I finished the abandoned Teleportation Plasmid, becoming the head of my research branch.
>1963, I found a better way, together with other researchers, to harvest ADAM. Previously made by putting the Slug inside a little girl in a symbiotic relationship.
(N2)
>In 1964, I started research on a special kind of Plasmid, focused solely on improving the mind. I called it, Geni-Us. The propaganda for it was well-received later on. It became incredibly popular and sold in droves.
>1965, I took my first Plasmid, Greatly enhancing my mental power, further boosting my research capabilities, and gaining a position on the decision-making of the organization.
>1966, I developed and patented several new and interesting Plasmids over the years, such as Subanautian Bubble, that allowed its users to move underwater inside a bubble made of air. The basic model was capable of resisting pressures up to 400 Meters.
>1968, I finally found a safe and ethical way to produce ADAM in large quantities without using children. Using a certain species of succulent plants, found on the surface.
>1970, I started the construction of my own private lab in order to dive deep into more... Secret research, finishing it 1 year later.
…
>1997, I finally found a way to properly control the direction of the mutation granted by ADAM without using the dangerous Plasmids. Naming it Ambrosia. A liquid capable of turning one into a "God". This was only a joke on my part since this discovery was never made public.
'There was a small note below the entry. It read:'
'Although I wasn't that far from it, one of my regrets was taking too long to make it.'
…
>2010, I found a problem with the Ambrosia project. I could gain power and lifespan, but its effects would never reach what they could've been due to my old age. Only extending my life by about 30-40 years. I didn't care. More life means more time to research and eventually reach my dream. The dream of one day traveling to other worlds and having a proper adventure.
>2011, during my 71'St birthday, I drank the Ambrosia, gaining immense power and control over the Plasmids, some of which I might never fully comprehend even until my death.
>2012, I found another problem, and that is energy. I lack the energy in order to utilize my abilities at full power. So I once again delved into my research of EVE.
(N3)
…
>2020, I discovered the "Mutagen factor" after analyzing the Luminescent Biomass, the thing that mutated the Sea slugs and allowed them to produce ADAM.
This factor allowed me to pretty much allow anything to produce ADAM as long as I properly set up the creature in question genetically.
But once again, this discovery was kept in the dark, for now, only to be released 5 years later when I had done proper research on it.
>2030, time was running thin, now in my 90's, I figured it was time to start my dream for good. So I started to delve into the research of dimensional travel and "Tears".
Only to fail miserably due to never being able to find the Lutece Field. My guess is that this phenomenon does not exist in this parallel universe.
>2054, Amidst my normal research, I found out a strange phenomenon in my room, a box that I had never seen before appeared right in my room. After preliminary analysis, I deemed it as a product that came from a parallel dimension.
A theory that was soon confirmed when Tears started to appear around Rapture, causing chaos due to the population traveling across dimensions.
In order to stop this madness, I, together with many others, developed a machine capable of stabilizing space, negating the possibility of Tears forming inside Rapture for good.
>2055, after the event known as the "Dimensional Crises" Rapture technological development skyrocketed, due to the many stolen tech and devices from other parallel realities.
This also included me, and my ventures to Columbia, the floating city. That for some reason didn't exist in my original world.
There was one interesting detail in all of that, and that is the fact I never found a copy of myself in any parallel reality I went.
I never found the reason why.
…
>2063, After over 120 years since I came to this world. I felt as if I had lost my way. The only thing I did ever since I was a child was research and research, nothing different from my previous life, and now, all of my friends and family I made in this world are either dead or dying.
You could say I gained immense power, but this power came too late in this life. By the time I was strong and almighty, I had already forgotten the thrill of having lighting leap out of my hands.
>2064, I lost my motivation to live.
>2065, In order to recover my self-esteem I traveled the world, something I did very few times when I was younger.
From the Americas to Asia, I went everywhere, seeing a world very similar to my own, making me remember and long for my long-lost friends and family. I Travelled across parallel dimensions, seeing things and creations I thought absurd previously.
I added those discoveries to my research and shared some with other researchers to boost whatever project they were working on.
I started to indulge in video games, manga, and books. Just like when I was small.
-2069, I had ridden myself from my despair and boredom.
I was happy and satisfied, but at the same time disappointed. I reached the very top of this world, yet I felt empty.
My research in Tears never really went anywhere. I could only open a random Tear and see where it leads, but every time it will be a variation of what I already have. Never once did I truly find something "new".
Never once did I achieve my dream of going into another completely different world.
-2070,... Is this the end?
End of the Journal and only biography of " Antonoine Guilios".
…
I thought about everything I did since I came to this world. It wasn't a meaningless life, much on the contrary, I helped many, and saw even more things.
The magical abilities were everything I always wanted. But for some reason, I always wanted more. Something else. Perhaps my soul is just flawed, cursed to never find satisfaction.
My romantic life was as non-existent as you would've expected. But I did have some experiences, I saved many people in my adventures, and ever since I used Ambrosia, my aging became much slower, and my appearance reverted a few years.
It's just normal that some girl got attracted to me, and as I was bored, decided to go for it. Although... I can't say I ever got far. I am not that good at romance at the end of the day.
And I couldn't really maintain a long-lasting relationship due to the fact that all of the girls I met and liked were from parallel realities.
I was never a fan of one-night stands. Perhaps it was due to when I was a teen in my previous life, hearing about my friends' love life, and their tales of cheating and other shenanigans.
"... What am I really thinking? Romance and shit… The years passed and I didn't even realize I got old, look at me, thinking like an old man! Humph!"
'The old man took a very old photo of his parents with him from the desk.'
'Remembering the old times, he took out his jacket and prepared for what would most likely be, his final performance.'
"If I am leaving this world, let me do it with a bang!" He said in a firm tone
'He pointed his hand to the side and a wooden door appeared, opening it took the old man to the top of a small green hill, flowers and sheep were everywhere.'
'In the end, I never managed to come here with you two..." He said as he looked at an old yet perfect wooden house on the side.'
This was the place where my parents met each other, and the place where I buried their ashes many years after their deaths.
There used to be a village here, but it was already wiped out by time, that small house was the only thing I preserved.
"This shall be my final gift for you two. If it wasn't for you two I wouldn't be here."
'He raised his right hand...'
/Tremble!/
/Crack!/
'The mountains around me started to tremble.'
'The sheep ran around like headless chickens.'
'As the trembling got progressively stronger, the mountains started to break apart into multiple giant rocks. They levitated and were remodeled as if they were clay. Slowly piling up into a large structure.'
'One mountain… Three mountains…'
'Eventually, the surrounding mountains all disappeared, creating a barren, flat ground with a misshaped object in the middle.'
"Step one don… COUGH!"
The old man spat some blood on the ground.
"Is this too much? I am truly old…"
Even an enhanced body such as mine would eventually meet its end if not properly cared...
It's just a shame that I was born in the first generation if I was to be born right now...
'The old man shook his head, it wasn't time to dwell in the past.'
'The deformed mass of rocks, several hundred meters tall started to take a more Humanoid shape under his control. It became a beautiful sculpture of two people, one man, and one girl, dancing.'
"Step… Two done…"
/SNAP!/
'The old man snapped his fingers.'
/FLASH!/
'With a sudden green light, flowers and plants started to grow all around the place, transforming the once barren ground into a beautiful paradise. Rivers changed course, and the mountains far away were rearranged, creating a valley that could only be described as a paradise.
'The old man doing all of this now looked malnourished and weak. But his eyes were still firm.'
"For the final touches…"
'Many smaller details were added to this sculpture. Including some carvings and the hardening of the stone and soil all around in order to make the statue last even longer.'
'When everything was done the old man, now looking like a bag of bones, fell in the ground filled with flowers.'
"Good… Bye."
Thank you for giving me this life...
"..."
'And just like that, he died with a smile on his face. A man known as a legend, a monster, a genius, a devil to some, a God to others. Leaving behind a Legend, a Myth of his immense power and knowledge. To be passed down across millennia.'
…
'On the Northern outskirts of an immense city with a large tower in the middle. A couple of Humans, a man, and a woman walked down the streets of their village quickly.'
/Shuaaa.../
'It was raining heavily, turning the ground into mud. This rain was a sign indicating the rainy season had come, and that it was the start of a new year.'
'They continued to walk until the man started talking.'
"A new year, huh. It seems this time the crops will be plentiful. It was about time, things had been hard already with those goblins and wild beast attacking us. Thankfully the Cronus Familia recently cleaned the area, else we would've been in some trouble." Said the man
"I heard they killed a Loup Garou group right?" Asked the woman\
'The man nodded, but he seemed worried.'
"Let's just hope no more monsters appear in these parts." He replied
"You know… It's already time, right?" She said as she touched her belly.
"We tried many times before… We can only pray to the Gods for a child at this point in time." He said dejectedly.
Even though we tried again a little while ago, I am not confident...
'They've been trying to have a child for over a year already but to no success.'
/SNAP!/
'A massive bolt of lightning suddenly hit the girl!'
"Ahhh!" Screamed the girl as she fell to the ground
"Are you, alright honey?!" Said the man as he ran to help her
'She surprisingly only had some minor burns, but she was unconscious.'
"Did we do something to anger the Gods?... I can think about this later, I need to bring my wife home!" Said the nervous man
'He picked her and started running with all of his power.'
…
'Eight minutes later, he placed her cautiously on the bed. And after making sure everything was fine, he bolted out of the house in order to gather the herbalist and priest in the area.'
'As for the house itself, it was a big house, having three floors, an attic and a basement, an immense garden with several types of herbs and plants in it. Beyond the garden were several other smaller buildings, most likely a warehouse and a workshop.'
'It had that rustic feel.'
(That's because the technological development of the world isn't that high)
'It was hard to say due to the storm, but the house was located in an open field of grass. You could say it was valley due to the mountain circling the village at all sides in the distant horizon.'
'This wasn't the only village in this plain, as many others were located there due to the fertile ground and fresh air. But that isn't important right now.'
…
'10 minutes later, he came back with several people, a priest in blue clothes, a middle-aged man with a bag filled with herbs, and some other people, probably friends and family.'
"Alright, let me, Jeorge, and Hiom take care of her. Marcus, you can stay here and wait for us." Said the priest to the husband.
'Marcus nodded and led his family and friends towards the living room.'
…
'1 hour later the three people came back.'
"Tell me Gerdo, is my Rubia alright?!" Said a taller but older middle-aged man, he had the same hairstyle as Rubia.
'At his side was a woman with the same green eyes as Rubia.'
'Those two were clearly her parents.'
'His grip was strong, hurting the doctor a little.'
"She is perfectly fine, Saphos. Just some light burns. In fact, I have some great news to share." Said the man wearing the blue priest robe.
"She is actually pregnant!" Said Hiom, the girl with the healing magic.
/Gasp!/
/THUD!/
'Marcus… Fell on the floor.'
.
.
.
Notes
N1
ADAM Is a chemical substance that has the ability to rewrite genetic material, allowing the user to alter their bodies, their genetic makeup, and their natural abilities without any direct limits whatsoever aside from their imagination. From the wiki
This often causes a series of side effects due to how ADAM does this.
N2
ADAM was made by a mutated Sea Slug. It was found that having it live inside little girls in a symbiotic relationship could create up to 30 times the usual amount.
N3
EVE is a substance that powers the use of Plasmids. In its liquid form, it glows bright blue and can be seen in the dark. From the wiki
What do you all think of this reworked chapter?
I recommend the new readers to wait a little since I will re do the other chapters as well.
DISCLAIMER FOR NEW READERS!
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You must've noticed that I dont use the standard writing style of "" for speech '' for thoughts and blank for narration, that's because by the time I started this I didn't know much about the traditional so i ended up keeping my style as to not mess with my pace by having to redo all of these chapters.
Its not really that hard to get used to but I also understand that as a reader, you are not forced to keep up with some author's strange writing style just because he says so.
Sorry my friends.
Also, if you see any sort of grammar mistake, make sure to mark it with some sort of comment so I can fix it soon!