Chapter Fourteen: The Primal Time and Our First Encounter

In the instant of disappearance, Qi found himself in a world shrouded in darkness, as if suspended in a starry sky. There was nothing here but countless stars shining with white light. Before him hovered a glowing sphere, radiant and white. Though it appeared no larger than a fist, Qi felt it was vast beyond measure; in its presence, he seemed a mere speck of dust.

At that moment, the Qi Codex appeared automatically, accompanied by the voice of the revered Divine One. “Hey, kid, how’s life treating you? Apart from missing an arm, you haven’t lost much else, huh?”

“Do you have urgent business, Divine One?” Qi’s feelings toward this god were complicated. The deity was perhaps the reason he had ended up on the streets, and he ought to hate him. Yet, these past five years had not been painful enough to foster true hatred—perhaps only resentment at being parted from his family. Moreover, the Codex had just saved him and the black cat, so Qi spoke with a calm tone.

“You’re so cold! I was going to share some news, but now… Well, I’ll still tell you. I shall win you over with virtue! Since you’ve entered this—Primal Time-Space—for the first time, I’ll grant you a fixed reward, a cultivation technique that’s sure to delight you.” The Divine One coaxed.

“A cultivation technique? But I have no spiritual root for cultivation. What use is a technique to me?” Qi’s expression shifted, but he quickly returned to indifference.

“Are you daft? Spiritual roots are a human trait—you’re not human; you can’t be measured by that!” the deity scolded.

Qi raised an eyebrow, pointing at the Codex. “You’re the one who’s daft! When you tossed me into that place, how was I supposed to know anything? Was it you who told me I wasn’t human—or my parents?”

“Well, that’s true. When I left you in that corner, you’d just been born, so you wouldn't know... Wait, how do you know I left you there? No, it wasn’t me who abandoned you! Who’s been slandering me—could it be that Misaka girl?”

“No one told me. I was just probing,” Qi replied, unperturbed, as he had prepared himself mentally.

“Ahem, let’s get to the point. About that cultivation technique... Really, it wasn’t me who abandoned you. Trust me!” the god insisted.

“I’m not blaming you right now. Let’s move on,” Qi urged with a helpless smile. Was this deity always so comical? Perhaps he really wasn’t the culprit.

“I only took you away with your kin’s consent and handed you over to someone else. I didn’t personally abandon you,” the Divine One explained, eager to clear his name and even revealing the true perpetrator.

Qi’s face darkened. “Taken away” surely didn’t mean his family was willing. And just because someone else abandoned him, the god was blameless? “Fine. I just want to know—are my family members well? Did you harm them?” Qi asked quietly, his solemn expression betraying his thoughts.

“I already said it was with your kin’s consent. There was some dissatisfaction, but no violence. Oh, and your mother couldn’t bear to part with you, so she followed along—two for one! If you ever grow strong enough to defeat me, the final boss, you may save her. Ha! Just kidding. I’m a god, not a demon lord. Let’s see how you do. Enough chit-chat, let’s get to the main topic,” the deity cleared his throat.

The word “mother” echoed endlessly in Qi’s mind. He remembered the silver-haired woman mentioned by Misaka—the one who must be his mother, always watching and caring for him. Warmth blossomed in his heart; he too was a child cherished by maternal love.

He still didn’t know what the god’s true motives were, but since his kin had not been harmed and he himself hadn’t suffered, and since his departure was with family consent, Qi had no cause for resentment—at least for now. If the truth ever proved otherwise, he warned himself to be wary.

“You aren’t human, so you don’t need a so-called spiritual root. Right after your birth, I made a few adjustments for your future growth and tailored this cultivation method specifically for you. Second, I’ll assign you tasks in the future. If you complete them well or to my satisfaction, there will be rewards.

To save trouble, I’ll say it here: Completing tasks earns you the most important thing—my favor. Let it be known that no matter how high your favor, there’s no ‘strategy’ option. I’m neither gay nor a gigolo. Anyway, it’s the bargaining chip between us—the most crucial one.

Third, regarding the world you’re about to enter: You have three choices. First, let me assign you an identity and grant a bit of favor. Second, you can be a ‘black market citizen’—an outsider, but as long as your identity isn’t discovered, there’s no problem. Third, random identity selection. Which will you choose?”

Only a bit of the god’s favor? Was it because it was so important, or was identity itself not worth much? But identity should matter—if he were a king or a cultivator’s disciple, that would be a great deal! Yet randomness carried risk, as the powerful were rare. So he’d choose the first option: gain favor and an identity, and surely the god wouldn’t assign him a mere commoner. He could look forward to this.

“Then I’ll ask the Divine One to select an identity for me,” Qi replied calmly.

“A wise choice, lad. You’re clever—I like that!” With a wave of his hand, Qi vanished from the Primal Time-Space.

...

Ayase Aragaki was a junior high school girl of exceptional beauty and talent. Not only was she lovely and academically gifted, she was already working as a model to earn money.

That evening, as usual, she finished reviewing materials for the next day’s lessons and stood up to take a bath—it was late, and time for bed. Humming a tune, she entered the bathroom, removed her clothes completely, and turned on the warm water, washing herself thoroughly. As she rinsed away the suds and prepared to soak in the tub, she suddenly froze.

Before her, a pitch-black fissure slowly opened, like the maw of a ravenous beast.

Ayase was terrified. What was this—a hallucination? As she stood dazed, a figure suddenly emerged from the fissure: a boy about fifteen or sixteen, his long hair flowing, radiating a sunny handsomeness. These details mattered little, however—for he was completely naked. More importantly... so was she.

Qi, after vanishing from the Primal Time-Space, felt himself traverse a black corridor for a few seconds before seeing the exit. Upon emerging, he witnessed a sight unprecedented in his life: before him stood a girl in her seventeenth year, her features delicate, long hair draped over her shoulders, her skin pale and perfectly formed despite her youth—standing there, utterly exposed, gazing at him.

As a pure-hearted boy who had never even held a girl’s hand—his first kiss recently stolen by the black cat—Qi was stunned by such an intense scene. In the bathroom, a boy and a girl, both unclothed, stared deeply into each other’s eyes, and an ambiguous tension filled the silence.

Ambiguous, indeed! Qi, steadfast in spirit, was the first to regain composure. Hastily turning away, he stammered, “Forgive me, miss—I did not mean to intrude.”

“It’s fine, just now was…” Ayase responded instinctively, then finally came to her senses. Her pupils contracted in shock, and she screamed, wrapping her arms around her chest and crouching.

Qi was startled as well, spinning around and dashing to her side to cover her mouth, abruptly halting the scream. But terror and confusion flooded her eyes, and she instinctively kicked at him. Her foot struck his thigh, but it felt like hitting a steel pillar—painful enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Qi pinned her against the wall, fixing his gaze on her eyes. “Miss, I apologize for this intrusion. Please, do not scream. I have some questions to ask; if you agree, please nod.”

Tears shimmered in Ayase’s frightened eyes. Had she fallen into utter despair—was she to be violated by this stranger? Lost in fear, she hardly heard his words. Though she dared not kick again, she struggled even harder, desperate to escape his iron grip.

Qi frowned, seeing she only struggled and did not respond. He was in a strange world and could not afford carelessness or wandering. He needed to find a household to learn about this world before searching for the black cat.

But his arrival was highly improper—why had he appeared in a girl’s bathroom? The girl was utterly uncooperative, and he could not truly harm her. With her exposed, he took care not to touch her, keeping his gaze fixed on her eyes.

“Ayase, what’s happening in there?” A woman’s voice called from outside the bathroom.

Trouble—the scream had attracted attention. Ayase’s face lit up with joy as she struggled harder, hoping to make some noise to alert her mother. Seeing through her intent, Qi quickly pinned her feet with his right foot, immobilized her, covered her mouth with his left hand, and gripped her hands with his right, securing her firmly.