Chương 1: prologue

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a young man made his way to his car, the bustling campus of Harvard University surrounding him. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Game Design/Development, diving deep into the technical aspects of programming, software development, and computer science. His dream was to create the next big hit in the gaming world.

He stood at 6'1" tall, with a perfectly shaped jaw, slicked-back hair, and piercing black eyes. As he reached his car, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see a young blonde girl with brown eyes standing there.

"Hey, Cadmus, are you busy today?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

Cadmus smiled warmly. "Yeah, I actually am. I need to start designing my game. I'm hoping to either sell it or get it on the app stores to make some money."

"Oh," she said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Well, we're having a party on campus tonight. I thought you might want to come."

He chuckled softly. "I wish I could, but I really can't. You know I'm an orphan and I come from Romania, right? The only reason I'm at Harvard is because of a scholarship. Other than that, I don't have any money, so I have to work on projects to make ends meet. Maybe next time."

She pouted, clearly disappointed. "You're no fun, Cadmus. But I understand. Maybe next time, then."

"Definitely. Once I get my financial situation sorted out, I'd love to join you," he said, flashing her a sincere smile, which made her blush even more.

"Okay, I'll hold you to that," she said with a shy smile. "Good luck with your game."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. See you around," he replied, waving as she walked away.

After finishing his conversation with his classmate, Cadmus closed the door and started his car. He queued up his favorite track, "70s Pimp," and let the music fill the car.

AN [To hear the song, search for "70s Pimp" on Suno.]

The drive to his small apartment took about 30 minutes. Despite its size, the apartment was quite expensive. Cadmus had saved enough to afford a place with a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a bedroom.

Upon arriving, he turned off the car, locked it, and walked to his apartment. Once inside, he removed his shoes, headed to the bathroom, and took a refreshing shower.

Afterwards, he wrapped himself in a towel and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. He opted for a simple dinner: a salad with boiled eggs on the side.

He then settled on his couch and watched a few episodes of Fairy Tail. He was nearly finished with the series, with only a few episodes left.

Once he had completed his viewing, Cadmus moved to his computer to work on his game. He had been planning and working on it for months, and had even written down his programming notes in a Word document to keep track of his progress.

As he focused on his work, the world around him seemed to tremble for a brief moment. Distracted, he barely noticed. It wasn't until he saw a disturbing reflection on his monitor that he looked up. His eyes widened in horror as he saw a grotesque tentacle emerging from behind him. Before he could react, the tentacle ensnared him, pulling him into oblivion. In an instant, he was gone.

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In the vast emptiness of the void, a striking white manor with a blue roof stands alone. The manor itself is elegant, with intricate architectural details and a sense of timelessness. What truly captures the eye, however, is the multitude of shimmering bubbles surrounding the house. Each bubble swirls with galaxy-like colors, creating a mesmerizing, ethereal glow contrasting sharply against the dark void. These bubbles extend infinitely in all directions, forming a surreal and awe-inspiring panorama.

If you look closer at the bubbles, you'll find that each one contains an entire universe, complete with stars, planets, and cosmic phenomena. The sight is both humbling and breathtaking, as the sheer number and diversity of the universes become apparent.

From the manor, a warm, inviting light spills out, cutting through the darkness of the void. Stepping inside, the ambiance is cozy and homely. An old man with short white hair and a neatly trimmed mustache sits comfortably in a plush chair, watching TV. He wears a simple yet comfortable black t-shirt paired with brown pants. His relaxed posture suggests a life of contentment and routine.

In the kitchen, his wife moves with practiced ease, preparing a meal. The scent of home-cooked food wafts through the air, adding to the warmth of the scene. She is focused and serene, embodying the quiet joys of domestic life. The kitchen itself is quaint and well-kept, with a rustic charm that complements the overall feel of the manor.

Despite the extraordinary setting, the scene inside the house is one of ordinary, everyday life, highlighting a stark yet harmonious contrast between the mundane and the cosmic.

When people see this man, they immediately recognize him as Stan Lee, the legendary creator of the Marvel Universe comics.

As he was watching a show, Stan felt something and looked out the window. "Honey, we have a guest. I'll be out for a sec to fetch them."

"Okay, dear, just be careful out there. I'd hate for you to get dirty dealing with those pests," his wife replied from the kitchen.

"Okay, honey, but I don't think I'll run into any of those eldritch bugs," he reassured her, referring to the eldritch gods that lurk in the void.

he popped out of his room and found himself at the end of this Multiverse there he found a white soul the color of the whitest thing that could be found completely different from the darkness of the void.

"How did you get here, young man?" Stan Lee asked as he picked up the soul and examined it closely.

"I see... So some eldritch god wanted to use this soul to invade my universe. They planned to control his actions through a system, using him as a puppet. Because this soul is pure, they locked away all his memories, hoping to manipulate him into destabilizing my multiverse by disrupting the fate of this universe. This would create cracks in the multiverse wall, allowing them to invade.

"However, despite having his memories locked, this soul refused to comply with the eldritch god's plans. He resisted its control, fighting back with strong willpower, even without knowing he was doing it," Stan Lee mused to himself.

He placed his hand on the soul, removing all the seals on its memory and extracting the system from within. Once he had it in his grasp, he could feel the corruption from the system and promptly crushed it, transforming it into pure energy.

Once all that was done, he popped back into his living room. "Honey, I'm back," said Stan Lee with a smile. As he said that, he could feel the soul beginning to wake up.

Cadmus opened his eyes and was immediately struck by the warmth and comfort of the room. The living room was cozy, with soft, inviting furniture and the gentle glow of sunlight filtering through the windows. It had a sense of homeliness, adorned with various memorabilia and bookshelves filled with comic books and collectibles, each telling a story of its own. The air smelled faintly of old paper and a hint of coffee.

As his senses returned, he saw an old man looking at him with a kind and knowing gaze. He remembered the moment vividly—being in his room, working on his computer to design a game for extra college money, when a tentacle had suddenly grabbed him and killed him.

"Welcome back," the old man said softly. "You must have a lot of questions."