The birth of every Chosen One began with a blessing from the Supreme Benevolences.

From the vast tapestry of time, woven from countless events, a fragment of essence would descend into the soul, responding to the Chosen One’s desires and prayers, as well as granting them power bestowed by the world itself.

Although there was no rule stating that receiving a blessing prevented you from receiving another, most Chosen Ones chose to focus on a single Supreme Benevolence path. Unless it was necessary, they did not come into contact with other blessings too often.

Every individual had a limit to what they could endure. For most people, even focusing on just one path was already difficult enough. If the number of blessings exceeded their capacity, the increasingly unstable blessings would eventually cause the fragile soul to shatter, damage the consciousness, or even lead to physical mutation.

What followed was something that made all Chosen Ones tremble with fear: corruption.

If you were lucky, you could still be saved after stripping away the blessings, and be left as a cripple or in a vegetative state. If you were unlucky enough for something beyond the Supreme Benevolences, such as a heretical or aberrant force, to notice you and turn its gaze upon you... the result was often a fate worse than death.

To prevent this from happening, a secret ritual system known as the Matrix was created.

After generations of exploration and trial and error, Chosen Ones created the soulimprint system of the Twelve Supreme Benevolences. It enhanced the soul’s capacity and guided a Chosen One’s progression along a predetermined path when advancing to prevent them from losing control. It was like a guide and a map for the path of the Supreme Benevolences.

At the same time, it also served as armor and protection for the soul, allowing it to resist the erosion and corruption of other heretical forces. More advanced matrices even contained precepts and oaths, granting abilities that ordinary Chosen Ones did not possess, just like the one Ji Jue had once seen from Wen Wen—Minerva.

Named after the war goddess from the time before the Cataclysm Era, it was a top-tier matrix of the Ruins Path. Not only did it push Wen Wen’s crystallization ability to its fullest, it also granted levels of corrosion resistance, defense, and destructive power unmatched by other matrices. In its highest form, it could even override reality itself, creating a domain that resembled another world.

“Hmm, so it’s basically like class templates tailored for twelve different power paths. You level up step by step and unlock predefined skills so you don’t accidentally ruin your character, right?”

Ji Jue felt like he totally got it, not just a little, but completely and fully.

“...While that’s kind of accurate, why does the way you say it make it sound so cheap?” Ye Chun’s eye twitched, but she didn’t dwell on it. “From the moment a Chosen one awakens, they begin to grow. They go through four stages: Resonance, Metamorphosis, Rebirth, and Transcendence, before crossing twelve levels. After that lies the Celestial Being realm, something most Chosen Ones don’t even hope to reach during their lifetime. Those who enter that level are, to ordinary people, no different from gods.

“But that’s not something you need to worry about. As a level 1 newbie, you should be thinking about your own matrix. Without one, even if the Supreme Benevolences grant you blessings again, you won’t be able to retain them.” With a teasing grin, she added, “The matrix passed down from Aunt is called Mo Ye[1]. It’s one of the top matrices in the Ember Path, especially strong in enhancing alchemy. Unfortunately, it’s limited to women only. Maybe you should consider going to the southeastern islands. I heard their gender-change services are pretty well developed.”

“Wait, it’s gender-locked?” Ji Jue was shocked, feeling a wave of indignation. He was almost moved to tears.

What kind of top-tier matrix has such restrictions? So unfair! This is a completely unreasonable matrix. So disappointing.

He almost felt like writing a rant about it.

“Gender isn’t the only restriction. The stronger the matrix, the more limitations it has. Some restrict implantation age, others restrict personality. Some require surgical procedures, like removing eyes or limbs. There are even some that forcibly alter your personality, or outright erase your emotions.” Ye Chun shook her head. “Restricting only gender is actually one of the least restrictive types.”

Ji Jue didn’t respond. For a brief moment, he wanted to crack a joke and laugh it off, but then he thought of Wen Wen and the emotionless, indifferent eyes she had when her domain unfolded.

His attempt at humor failed, and his voice came out dry instead.

“Sis, I once heard a piece of trash say that the Ruins Path is the path that needs human emotions the least. Is that true?”

“Hmm... There's some truth to that. After all, Ruins represents matter. And matter is probably the thing that cares least about things like emotion. However, it’s not absolute.”

To outsiders, Chosen Ones tended to exhibit certain traits depending on the path they followed. Or perhaps it was because they possessed those traits that they were granted the blessings of their Supreme Benevolence.

For example, Chosen Ones of the Ruins Path were often stubborn and rigid, cold both inside and out. In contrast, those of the Ascension Path, the path that governed the soul, tended to be emotionally intense and almost neurotic.

White Deer Chosen Ones were usually free-spirited and unruly, while those aligned with Origin tended to see them as undisciplined, unreliable, disrespectful, and impossible to control. Origin Chosen Ones followed rules and acted methodically, while White Deer Chosen Ones saw them as sly control freaks, dealing only in oppressive, one-sided contracts.

Chosen Ones of Swarm were often violent and prone to incidents; Heart Core Chosen Ones were schemers, calculating and deeply manipulative; Mirror Chosen Ones were liars who loved scams; Aether Chosen Ones were nosy, and obsessed with secrets and gossip; Entropy Chosen Ones were hot-tempered and quick to explode; and Ember Chosen Ones were all technical maniacs and borderline insane, sometimes saying things like “let’s play together, onii-chan[2]!” type of absurdities when they lost control.

Chosen Ones from different Supreme Benevolence paths were often in conflict with one another, and their mutual hostility was filled with the kinds of ingrained impressions and biases mentioned earlier. Truth be told, most of those perceptions were actually correct. Unfortunately, they weren’t just prejudices, they were facts.

Although a large sample size would always contain a few anomalies, for the most part, the Chosen Ones were in harmony with the Supreme Benevolence they belonged to, complementing each other.

“For example, you...” Ye Chun pointed at Ji Jue, who was still confused. “Aren’t you the same?”

“What? I haven’t gone insane over technology to that extent!”

“You really think so? I’ve been at Tianmen University with my Aunt all these years. I’ve seen people studying like crazy, even resorting to extreme measures just to pass exams. I’ve seen people pouring their heart and soul into producing results. But you are the only one who can be a total grind-machine and still enjoy it so much. Sometimes I found it annoying. I just wanted you to burn out and leave. If I didn’t take you out to eat, you'd have probably starved to death in a lab.”

“I’m just forced by circumstances, okay?” Ji Jue said firmly. “If I had everything like those rich young students who have nothing to worry about, why would I grind like this? I have no choice!”

Ye Chun looked at him with an unreadable expression and sighed. “You do have a choice, Ji Jue. You’re already a Chosen One. And you awakened on your own. There are plenty of jobs out there that are easier and more profitable than being an alchemist. Why didn’t you consider doing something else?”

Ji Jue had no response. Although he could say that he was shy, or that he was used to staying here at Professor Ye’s side and trusted her, the truth was undeniable. Even when things were difficult in the project team, even when keeping up was hard, he genuinely enjoyed the grind.

The blessings granted by the Ember Path had never gone to waste. Rather than ruling over others, or indulging in whatever he pleased, or resorting to killing and destruction, what he loved most was this kind of life. If he were to suddenly earn a large sum of money through his own ability and spend his days doing nothing, he would feel ashamed, as if he had betrayed time and life itself. He wanted to live a valuable life.

Even if he could not become a leading scholar who drove industrial change, or a once-in-a-generation grandmaster of alchemy, wouldn’t it still be a good thing to use his work to improve the lives of more people?

After a brief moment of surprise, he accepted this truth calmly.

Fine. So be it. I’m a mad scientist, then.

No, not even that, he was already beyond science. What would that make him? A magical scientist? As long as he was still human, that was enough.

Clear footsteps came from the staircase.

“Done?” Professor Ye came down from upstairs, carrying a box that looked covered in layers of dust.

“Yeah, more or less. The rest of the basics you can learn from books,” Ye Chun said with a sigh, rubbing her nose bridge. “Now I understand why Aunt said that even if I became a Chosen One, I would eventually regret it. Overthinking leads to hesitation, and having too many choices leads to paralysis. It’s not your fault. You’re just not suited for it. Forcing yourself isn’t a good thing.”

Professor Ye waved her hand at Ji Jue. “Come with me.”

Ji Jue stood up and followed. Ye Chun remained on the sofa, casually eating chips as she continued watching a variety show on TV, seemingly restraining herself from turning back to look.

Walking ahead, Professor Ye seemed to guess what Ji Jue was thinking without even turning around. “Don’t worry about her. She’s different from you. What you find fulfilling, such as dedicated study and exploration, is just too dull and tedious to her. She’s not like you. You should be more worried about yourself, Ji Jue.”

Ji Jue’s attention was pulled back, and he began to feel nervous. The basement was unexpectedly spacious. It was completely different from what he had imagined. It had dim candlelight, goat skulls, bizarre specimens on display, and complex magic circles drawn across the floor. If anything, it looked exactly like a machine shop!

Ninety percent of the equipment inside was identical to the laboratory setups provided to research groups at the university, and the specifications were far superior. Just the gantry machining center produced by Universal Heavy Industries in the corner was enough to make Ji Jue stare in awe. It was an unfamiliar model, yet it bore the Universal Heavy Industries logo, as if it were a custom-made unit.

Over nine meters long, the machine was taller than Ji Jue. Even in a factory, it would be the center of attention, yet here, it seemed like just another piece of equipment tucked away.

The most eye-catching thing, however, was a furnace door over two meters tall at the far end of the basement. Even from a distance, he could feel waves of heat radiating from it, as if it were still running non-stop day and night.

And right at the center, on the workbench, stood a steel construct resembling the corpse of a giant. It was a partially assembled powered exosuit. It hadn’t been painted, there were no markings on it, and it looked unfinished. Complex cables hung exposed from the chest and abdomen.

Even in the military, such a dangerous weapon would be strictly guarded, impossible to deploy without explicit orders from the armed forces. Yet here it was, casually placed right in front of Ji Jue.

He couldn’t help but swallow. An absurd thought flashed through his mind.

This is bad... If I know too much, I won’t get silenced, will I?

Walking ahead, Professor Ye seemed to sense it, but didn’t even bother to glance back at him.

“Interested in a classified development contract with the Haizhou military?”

“Uh, n-no!” Ji Jue shook his head frantically.

As his eyes lingered on the exposed harmonic reducers at the joints of the armor and the faintly recognizable fuel furnace hidden within the chest cavity, he finally realized what kind of dangerous thing his paper on new planetary gear applications was actually tied to. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

No, that wasn’t quite right. Perhaps everyone’s work across the entire Tianmen research group was, in fact, just supporting and building what was lying on the workbench right now.

“Come here,” Professor Ye said. “Put your hand on it.”

On another table, an aged suitcase had been opened. Inside, resting on a soft velvet lining, was a delicate object that looked exactly like something out of a fantasy novel—a crystal ball.

No... Ji Jue rubbed his eyes and looked again, making sure he wasn’t imagining it. It really is a crystal ball. Great, things are getting serious.

1. 莫邪 Mo Ye is a legendary female swordsmith from ancient Chinese history (Spring and Autumn period) who, along with her husband Gan Jiang, forged a pair of famous, mythical twin swords named after them. ☜

2. “Onii-chan” (お兄ちゃん) is a Japanese term of address that literally means “older brother.” It’s an affectionate, informal way to refer to one’s big brother, often used by younger siblings, especially children or girls, to show closeness or affection. ☜