[Brain Storage]
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window of his rented apartment, Phainon reached out and touched the sunlight that felt so warm against his skin.
“It’s been three years since I came to Blue Star, and I still can’t find a way home.”
Three years ago, during a true man’s heat-resistance competition in the bathhouse with Mydeimos, he had passed out and suddenly found himself in this place called Blue Star, specifically in Hua Country.
Over those three years, he had slowly integrated into this crumbling world.
With pollution worsening, conflicts between nations grew frequent, resources dwindled drastically, and the entire world was shrouded in thick haze.
Everything in sight was desolate.
If this were an age of prosperity, a person who appeared out of nowhere would have found it nearly impossible to establish a foothold.
But in this near-apocalyptic environment, merely maintaining order was already a monumental burden.
Relying on his physique, far stronger than any Blue Star native, Phainon had easily found stable work and moved into this rented apartment with a view of the setting sun.
Staring blankly at the fading afterglow, Phainon’s heart was filled with melancholy.
“Aglaea, Teacher Tribbie… without a way back, how can I shoulder the duty of a savior?”
Ever since he had inexplicably arrived in this world, Phainon had never given up searching for a way back to Amphoreus.
But even with power bordering on invincible, he still had no clue at all.
“If Teacher Anaxagoras were here, I’d probably be able to go back soon!”
Thinking of that stern mentor, Phainon shuddered silently.
“I hope my departure won’t affect the journey of the Flame-Chase. May you all be well in that other world.”
He shed his clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
Under his regular training regimen, every line of muscle on his body radiated explosive strength.
Putting on his yellow-and-purple pajamas, Phainon looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
“My aesthetic sense is definitely on point. Yellow and purple are the best color combinations in the world.”
…
Lying in bed, he called up the system that had awakened the moment he arrived on Blue Star.
Having spent so long in Hua Country, he naturally knew what a “system” was.
But this golden finger of his had remained in a dormant state ever since it appeared in his mind.
No matter how Phainon asked, it never responded.
The only function available was item storage; his greatsword and some clothes he’d brought from Amphoreus were all kept inside.
“Sigh… still no response, huh?” He let out a helpless sigh and closed his eyes.
“I was really hoping you could take me back to Amphoreus.”
With that, he drifted into a deep sleep.
…
The next morning, Phainon got dressed early.
Since it was the weekend, he planned to go out and buy something to eat.
But the moment he reached the ground floor, he was enveloped by the heavy haze.
Putting on his indispensable mask, he looked out at the gray world.
“Since I’ve come to this world, I’ll do everything in my power to save it! After all, that is my responsibility!”
Just as he silently made that resolution, the long-silent system in his mind finally transmitted something other than “Dormant.”
[Ding! Detected host’s intense desire to save the world. Host is currently in a different dimension. System activating. Host will be returned to your original world in thirty minutes.]
Hearing the system’s voice, even Phainon’s usually composed face broke into a genuine smile, one he hadn’t worn in a long time.
“I can finally go back?” he murmured.
“Then I’ll bring everyone some gifts from this other world!”
Moving at superhuman speed, he arrived at the largest mall nearby and spent all his savings within thirty minutes, buying gifts for each of his companions.
Incidentally, when he passed by a clothing store, he couldn’t resist buying himself a new set of yellow-and-purple pajamas.
In the fitting room, he changed back into the outfit Aglaea had woven for him back when he became a Chrysos Heir.
Not long after, he vanished from Blue Star without a trace.
…
Opening his eyes, Phainon found himself surrounded by what looked like a highly technological facility.
He realized he was standing in some kind of space station, but as for exactly where, being a native of Amphoreus, he had no idea.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on setting foot in Herta Space Station. Reward: All stats increased by 5%. Additional rewards can be discovered by the host independently.]
[Ding! Quest issued: Board the Astral Express, become a Nameless, and embark on the Trailblaze journey.]
“So this place is called Herta Space Station…” Phainon walked slowly along the corridor.
“I wonder if I can find a way home from here.”
He sorted through the information in his mind, pondering.
“The Astral Express… that must be a faction in this universe, right? Since the system issued this quest, that means this faction is currently at Herta Space Station.” He looked around.
Empty.
“For a space station, everyone’s gone. Could something have happened?”
As he walked, he questioned the system.
“System, what functions do you have?” he asked mentally.
[This system’s purpose is to help the host acquire power. The host can obtain rewards by defeating enemies.]
“I see. Understood.” Ending the conversation, Phainon continued forward.
Before long, he encountered his first enemy.
It was a spherical monster, composed of a blue-purple core and a metallic shell.
Arcs of electricity crackled between the two components as it slowly drifted toward Phainon.
“Voidranger?” The moment he saw it, Phainon immediately learned the enemy’s name from the system.
Without fear, Phainon approached the Voidranger slowly, summoning the greatsword that had accompanied him through countless battles and meeting its gaze.
“Blocking my way? Let’s see if you have what it takes.” With a single swing, Phainon struck the Voidranger’s metal shell, and the monster dissipated into motes of light and electricity.
“All bark, no bite.”
Without looking back, he continued onward, as if killing a Voidranger, something ordinary people could hardly handle, was no different from crushing an ant.
At that moment, the system chimed in again.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on achieving ‘First Blood.’ Reward: All stats increased by 5%.]
Feeling his power surge, Phainon’s eyes kindled with hope.
“At this rate, it won’t be long before I become a true savior!” He gazed up at the stars.
“Everyone, wait for me. I will stop the Dark Tide’s devouring! I will bring Amphoreus the true dawn!”
As he pressed forward, the sound of battle echoed from up ahead.
“Seems like someone’s in trouble. I’ll go give them a hand!” He dismissed his greatsword and ran toward the source of the fighting.