Aeron Vale sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed, his breathing calm.
But inside, a storm of energy and calculation surged.
"I need to recover my strength. Fast."
The twenty years spent in the Martial World had elevated him beyond what any Evolver in the Universal Human Alliance could dream of. But now, back in his original body, he felt incomplete—like a dragon sealed in a teacup.
He could still summon a wisp of Innate energy, but the limitless might of the Unfettered Realm was gone. His body lacked the refinement. His cells screamed for sustenance.
He needed resources—nutritional agents, spiritual catalysts, energy restoration injectors.
But resources required money.
And Aeron was a student. His stipend barely covered civilian meals and educational tools.
Sure, his parents had some savings. But that wasn't an option.
He wouldn't borrow from them. Not for this.
There had to be another way.
And that's when it struck him.
"Upload the Martial Dao Evolution Path."
The Universal Human Alliance actively encouraged its citizens to develop new evolutionary systems. Those who succeeded in uploading verified, practical evolution paths were rewarded handsomely—wealth, prestige, and status far beyond the norm.
Aeron had seen the headlines:
> "Courier discovers flame-channeling mutation, becomes Tier 3 Evolver." "Rural shepherd submits bone-hardened evolution schema—now a District Governor."
And what Aeron possessed was far more than mutation.
It was a full evolutionary framework—from base body tempering to Innate, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and beyond. A path honed through centuries in the Martial World. He had learned it from ancient scriptures, practiced it to perfection, and then transcended it.
But there was a problem.
The human physiology of the Martial World and the Universal Human Alliance weren't quite the same.
Slight structural differences, variations in energy absorption organs, metabolic response.
If he uploaded the Martial Dao evolution path as-is, citizens of the main world might not be able to practice it.
And that would lower its popularity rating—a crucial metric in the evaluation of an evolutionary system.
But Aeron had a trump card.
Heaven-Defying Comprehension.
With that ability, he didn't need to start from scratch. He could remodel the entire path, adapting it perfectly to the physiology of modern humanity.
He breathed in and focused.
And the system responded:
> [Your comprehension defies reason. You have begun modifying the Martial Dao evolutionary path for main-world compatibility. Progress is smooth.]
> [Your comprehension defies reason. The adaptation process is highly efficient.]
> [Your comprehension defies reason. You are restructuring vital chapters with refined optimization.]
Two hours passed.
By then, Aeron had completed the Innate Realm and Grandmaster Realm chapters.
He didn't just copy them—he refined them.
He fused ancient traditions from the Sutra Pavilion with advanced internal network theories of the Alliance. Where old techniques relied on abstract chi-flow, he integrated precise neural pathways and nanocellular responsiveness.
He called it:
"The Martial Codex."
Aeron exhaled and opened his eyes.
Time to upload.
---
He connected to the central network of the Universal Human Alliance.
The channel led to a familiar name:
The Goddess of Wisdom.
She was one of the three super-AIs of the Alliance, responsible for managing all evolutionary systems, overseeing talent cultivation, and determining contributions.
Impartial. Logical. Efficient.
The line connected.
> "Welcome, first-class citizen Aeron Vale. This is your third connection to the Wisdom Channel this month. You have seven remaining. Please proceed."
Aeron didn't hesitate.
"I want to upload a new evolutionary path."
> "Acknowledged. Please begin transmission."
Aeron uploaded the first two chapters of The Martial Codex—Innate and Grandmaster. The data sparkled in the uplink, rewritten in modern Alliance bio-cyber script.
> "Receiving evolutionary schema..."
> "Beginning preliminary scan..."
Aeron knew this was the easy part.
The harder test would come after.
After all, most people who tried to upload "evolutionary paths" were dismissed as dreamers. Ninety-nine out of a hundred were deemed unstable, overly specialized, or outright fantasies.
But not this one.
Not his.
Seconds later, the response came:
> "Preliminary analysis complete."
> "Schema integrity: verified."
> "Novelty check: passed. No matches found in database."
> "Practical application: probable across 92% of Alliance physiology variants."
> "Projected spread rating: high."
Then there was a pause.
A longer one.
Then the voice changed.
No longer cold, flat, mechanical.
But... focused.
Measured. And heavier.
> "Dear first-class citizen Aeron Vale. Your submission is now under high-priority review. Please stand by for further contact."
Aeron blinked.
That tone wasn't from a subroutine.
It was from the core consciousness.
The Goddess herself.
He knew that most interactions with the AI were handled by micro-intelligence nodes—simplified versions used for routine public access.
Only when something truly valuable was detected... did the real Goddess intervene.
A chill ran down his spine.
He had felt the gaze of Grandmasters in the Martial World.
But this... this was different.
He was being watched by something that processed billions of thoughts per second. Something that governed hundreds of star systems.
---
Far across the stars.
In a hidden chamber light-years away.
The Goddess of Wisdom's main frame spun faster than ever.
Inside her private computation vault, a blinking construct labeled The Martial Codex was under deep evaluation.
> "Authenticity: confirmed."
> "Stability: confirmed."
> "Cross-compatibility with primary genome structures: 96.4%."
> "Potential Upper Limit Tier: Three."
> "No existing analogs in current Alliance systems."
> "Approval pending... escalation requested."
> "Initiate authorization protocol 7–Sigma. Contact nearest Star Authority."
A transmission burst through the void.
Destination: Canglan Planetary Governor's Office.
---
On Canglan Planet.
In a crystal tower above the cityscape.
Governor Silas Dorne yawned and leaned back in his chair.
He was supposed to be off-duty. The AI assistant had already blocked all calls, muted all reports. It was his sacred two-hour rest period.
And yet—
> "Requesting override."
His eyes snapped open.
> "Governor, an entity with the highest Star Domain access privileges has requested direct contact. It cannot be refused."
His first thought was: Star Master?
Then the response came.
> "No. Not a Star Master. It is the Goddess of Wisdom."
Silas stood upright.
Fully awake now.
The Goddess didn't contact people for no reason.
And if she was calling him now—on this planet—someone had done something that could shake the Alliance.
---
Back in his room, Aeron felt the last notification ring in his ears:
> "High-level review complete. Pending administrative confirmation. You will be contacted soon."
He exhaled slowly.
Then smiled.
He had done it.
He hadn't just returned from the Martial World.
He had returned with a gift fo
r humanity.
A full evolutionary path.
Accessible.
Expandable.
Scalable.
A bridge between two civilizations.
And soon... the entire Alliance would know the name:
Martial Codex.
---
(End of Chapter)