A new day began quietly in South Alley Lane. The sunlight had just begun to seep through the thin newspaper-covered windows when Leon Ford woke up. His head ached slightly from last night's drinking, but he forced himself up, splashing cold water on his face to wake up completely.
Yesterday had been overwhelming.
He had finally realized that he was living inside the terrifying Three-Body universe—a world where humanity was no more than an insect before the cosmic powers. That realization shook him so deeply that, for the first time since arriving in this era, he became depressed enough to drink heavily.
But now, with his hangover fading, his spirit slowly rekindled.
"Even if the Three-Body world is terrifying… I'm not just any normal human," Leon whispered to himself as he fixed his messy collar. "I'm a traveler. I see what others cannot."
He had a unique perspective—one no human of this era would ever understand. He could stand mentally outside Earth and observe humanity like a cosmic spectator. He saw the universe as a dark, endless forest filled with the ruins of thousands of civilizations. Anyone who first opened their eyes to witness that horror would naturally be terrified.
But after terror came acceptance, and after acceptance came hope.
"In this universe… everyone is an insect," Leon murmured. "If every civilization is a bug in the dark forest, then the only thing that matters is—who survives longer."
He had something that might help answer that question.
Something he had not used for an entire year.
His golden finger: the Civilization Search System.
He straightened his worn-out cotton jacket and spoke with quiet confidence:
"History will say: insects are never truly wiped out. What matters is which insect fights harder."
He glanced at the old clock on his wall, then nodded.
"System, begin today's civilization search."
A cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind.
'Remaining searches today: 1. Civilization search beginning…'
Leon held his breath.
Then—
'Ding.'
A crisp sound rang inside his mind.
Leon froze.
This sound had never appeared once in the entire year he had used the system.
His heart pounded.
"Could it be…?"
Then the message came:
'Civilization search successful.'
'Civilization discovered: Inception Civilization.'
Leon's eyes widened. For a full second, he forgot how to breathe.
Then his face slowly lit up with excitement.
"Inception… It actually found Inception!"
Suddenly, a stream of information rushed into his mind. Memories, rules, concepts, technologies—everything about this civilization entered him at once.
---
Understanding the Inception Civilization
"Inception Civilization:
Origin — the movie Inception
Main Technology — Dream-Stealing Device"
It was a world much like the modern Earth he came from, except for one unbelievable technology:
A device that could enter dreams, build dream worlds, and implant thoughts.
The multi-layered dream realms…
The giant bending city bridges…
The floating streets…
The ability to question what was real or illusion…
Leon remembered it all.
He could hardly contain his excitement.
---
The System Extracts the Technology
A new message popped into his mind:
'Extracting civilization technology…
Extraction complete.
Obtained: Dream Machine (Union Dream Device).'
A sudden buzz of energy filled the room.
Next second—
A vintage suitcase appeared on Leon's old wooden desk.
It perfectly matched the style of the 1960s—brown leather, steel corners, and a workers' pattern engraved on top.
Leon's mind then received another wave of knowledge—how to:
design dream layers
stabilize dreams
break into others' dreams
prepare dream chemicals
and build shared dream architecture
He became, in one instant:
a master dream-thief,
comparable to Cobb, the protagonist of Inception.
He opened the suitcase carefully.
---
Inside the Dream Machine
The old-fashioned exterior hid modern, almost futuristic technology inside:
automatic chemical syringes
LED monitors
high-tech locks
retractable infusion lines
dream-stabilizing circuits
Leon gently picked up the infusion line. At the end was a small, patch-like injector.
He smiled.
This injector was genius.
Attach it to your wrist—
the needle automatically deploys, entering the vein with no pain.
Inside the suitcase were five glowing orange-red vials.
Leon recognized them from the memories the system gave him—
Automatic Dream Potion.
This potion allowed a person to:
dream while staying conscious
safely enter shared dream worlds
stabilize multi-layered dreams
remain mentally awake even deep in the dream realm
"Even in the Three-Body universe," Leon said quietly, "this potion is something unique."
Because he now had the knowledge of a dream chemist, he could craft various dream-related substances. But the Automatic Dream Potion required special materials he didn't have.
He closed one vial and looked toward the corner of the suitcase.
There were three small objects:
A metal spinning top
A black-and-white chess piece
A metal dice
He immediately recognized them.
Dream Markers — tools to determine whether you were in reality or a dream.
Leon laughed softly.
"So the system even extracted these… It really is thorough."
He understood:
every technology extracted by the system was complete and usable.
---
Testing the Dream Machine
Leon clenched his fists.
He couldn't wait anymore.
"I have to try this."
But he wasn't reckless.
He couldn't let people of 1960s Earth see this advanced machine.
He needed a test subject.
His eyes drifted downward.
An ant crawled across the floor.
Leon smiled softly.
"Any living creature can dream."
According to the knowledge in his mind, even some plants had dream-like states.
He picked up the ant and placed it carefully inside a clean teacup. Then, he added a single drop of water so it couldn't climb up the smooth sides.
Next, he took a tiny version of the dream patch and placed it on the ant's antenna.
The ant reacted instantly—its tiny legs flailed wildly, its body twisting in panic. But the wet glass made escape impossible.
"Alright. Let's begin."
Leon placed a patch on his own wrist and sat upright.
He pressed the center button on the Dream Machine.
Buzz—
Leon's vision darkened instantly.
When he opened his eyes again—
He was somewhere else entirely.
---
Inside the Dream World
Leon stood in the middle of a wide avenue.
Cars sped past him.
Tall skyscrapers reached into the sky.
Overpasses curved above the roads.
People walked quickly, their steps echoing in the distance.
This was—
the modern city he once lived in before traveling to the past.
Leon slowly inhaled.
The warmth of the sun.
The cool wind brushing his face.
The hardness of the pavement beneath his shoes.
Everything felt real.
Just like the memories of his previous life.
"I've really returned… even if it's a dream," he whispered.
The Inception Dream Machine truly blurred the line between reality and illusion.
Just then—
He heard a faint, barely audible noise at his feet.
Like a tiny scratch in the air.
Leon looked down.
A tiny ant stood beside him.
It looked around at the giant world, trembling, confused, overwhelmed.
It let out faint chirping sounds—its version of panic.
**The ant was dreaming.
And it could see Leon's dream world.**
Leon stared in disbelief.
The experiment had worked perfectly.