Deep beneath the surface, in a facility hidden from daylight and morality, the cold echo of steel met the suffocating silence of cruelty. Hundreds of metal cages filled the cavernous space, each one holding a person whose dignity had been stripped and spirit worn thin.
They were mutants—hated, hunted, and feared for the rare X-gene that granted them abilities beyond the human norm. This genetic gift had cast them into the jealous sights of ordinary people and the greedy reach of world governments. So began the purge. Troops were deployed, laws bent into snares, traps set across cities and countrysides. Mutants were rounded up like animals, herded into concentration camps, and dissected in illegal laboratories.
One such lab held Alex Garley, no older than eighteen, collapsed in a rusted cage. His body, pale and skeletal, bore the marks of months of neglect. Cuts and bruises told tales of silent suffering. He didn't cry or resist anymore. He simply existed—in pain, in silence, in stasis.
Then, without warning, something foreign and mechanical rang out from deep within his mind.
[Ding!]
"Host has spent 19 years in the Marvel Universe. System initializing."
[Ding!]
"Swallowed Star system successfully bound to host."
Alex's eyes flew open. In one motion, he rose from the icy metal floor, slamming his head against the low ceiling with a dull crack. He blinked rapidly, disoriented by the foreign voice that echoed inside him.
"System, what's your function?" he asked mentally.
"This system grants access to the techniques, technologies, weapons, equipment, territories, and legendary characters of the Swallowed Star universe. As the host advances in strength, the corresponding power tier will be unlocked. Daily check-ins grant rare rewards. As a new user, your first check-in has been elevated to Undying-level."
Alex barely hesitated.
"Yes! I want to check in. I've suffered in this damned place long enough."
The system responded immediately.
"First check-in initiated."
[Rewards (Upgraded to Undying-level)]:
• Technique: Light Space Body
• Bloodline Elixir: Void Monarch
• AI Consciousness Upgrade
• World Ring: 10 million sq. km
• Mixed Yuan Units: 5,000
He grinned, nearly breathless.
"Damn... I knew Swallowed Star gear was cracked."
After the excitement faded, Alex zeroed in on the bloodline liquid. Designed to evolve both body and mind, it was the gateway to a new self. At his command, a crystalline test tube materialized in his palm, filled with glowing gold fluid streaked with shimmering violet. Usage instructions flowed into his thoughts.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered—and drank.
Pain erupted through his body like wildfire. His cells ignited, died, and regenerated, over and over, stronger each time. Energy surged through every vein as his physiology shattered its limits. His height rose from a modest 5'11 to a towering 6'7. Muscles thickened, skin smoothed into a resilient sheen, and golden hair fell perfectly into place, giving him the look of a wild celestial prince reborn.
As clarity returned, Alex felt the pulse of a miniature rotating cosmos within his chest—a dense core of energy, silent yet infinite. He could feel it move through him, ready to be unleashed at will. With trembling fingers, he summoned the system interface:
Name: Alex Garley
Level: Universe 1
Bloodline: Void Monarch (Special Lifeform)
Strength: 7 million tons
Speed: 7,000 km/s
Talent: 1st Grade
Technique: Light Space Body
Treasures: None
Alex stared at the stats in stunned silence.
"Aren't I a bit too overpowered?" he muttered, chuckling nervously.
As a long-time system-novel fan, Alex knew exactly what it meant to be Universe-level. He could destroy a planet with a punch. On Earth, only beings like Binary-form Captain Marvel or the Ancient One within the Mirror Dimensionmight dare challenge him.
Yet with great power came dangerous responsibility.
"I need to control this," he said aloud. "One wrong move and I could reduce this base—and everything within 100 kilometers—to dust."
He remembered the technique reward—the Light Space Body.
"System, grant me the technique."
An influx of memories streamed into him: battle scenarios, elemental formulas, and breathing methods. He trained in silence, letting the space and light elements merge. Spatial mastery enhanced his speed and perception. Light imbued his attacks with searing heat and precision.
As he mastered the first level, his body began to glow subtly. He felt a new presence—two energies striving to be released. He opened his palm, allowing a controlled portion to leak out.
Two spheres emerged: one brilliant gold, radiating light; the other deep violet, dotted with shimmering stars. These were the elemental domains of Light and Space—raw power in his grasp.