Twelve-year-old Riley Morgan was a Texas tornado in pigtails, a preteen brat whose mind operated on a frequency lightyears away from other kids her age. Raised solely by her father, a die-hard fan of American action flicks, she'd been steeped since toddlerhood in a world of chiseled heroes, earth-shattering explosions, and cheesy one-liners. While other girls played with dolls, Riley marshaled her army men – armed to the teeth – staging epic backyard battles worthy of her home state. She was Texas-born and Texas-bred.
Her mother's absence, lost in childbirth, left a void her father unknowingly filled with his own passions. He taught her to shoot tin cans in the scrubland, to patch up the pickup truck, and to appreciate the bone-rattling glory of a good action movie. It forged her worldview: a place where grit and sheer determination were the only currencies that mattered.
Around age eight, Riley discovered science fiction. The vastness of space, the infinite possibilities it whispered, hooked her instantly. She devoured books, movies, shows, dreaming of star-hopping adventures and first contact with alien civilizations. But one thing always stuck in her craw like a burr under a saddle blanket. In nearly all those stories, humans were pathetic victims, helpless before superior alien intellects or tech. It made her blood boil. How could the most popular movie ever be about blue aliens who killed humans with bows and arrows? Ridiculous! To Riley, humanity was the apex species, top of the cosmic food chain. Anything suggesting otherwise was pure heresy.
Then she found video games. This was more like it! Men in powered armor mowing down aliens like it was target practice? Now that was living! She became their most devoted fan, sinking hours into blasting endless hordes of extraterrestrial scum, feeling a deep, primal satisfaction with every digital victory. It was validation. Proof positive that humanity was, indeed, the universe's dominant race.
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Adam slipped into an empty train compartment and shut the door behind him. Without a word, he deposited Riley onto the plush seat. The girl snapped ramrod straight in an instant, spine rigid, chin lifted, like a soldier awaiting court-martial.
"For the record," she stated, cold as stone, "I don't regret it. Give me another shot, I'd do it again."
"For the record, I'm Adam. A Golden Ticket holder. Just like you," he introduced himself, a faint smile touching his lips.
Silence.
"Alright, General," Adam ran a hand through his hair, letting out a weary sigh. "Just to clarify: you shot an elf… with a Glock. Why?"
"I've sat through three trilogies, six remakes, and two reboots where alien creatures end up wiping out humanity."
"But she just… smiled at you."
"That's always how it starts," Riley countered, deadly serious. "First comes the smile. Then the emotional manipulation. Then cultural infiltration. And finally? Human subjugation. It's all in the movies. Every extinction-level event kicks off with a friendly face."
"You realize you almost killed someone today, right? This isn't a movie. Or a game."
"I know," Riley replied, utterly confident, eyes narrowing slightly.
Adam stared at her, taken aback. "And you don't feel anything?"
"I do," she said, dropping her gaze, a flicker of genuine sadness crossing her face. "I missed."
A short, humorless laugh escaped Adam as he rubbed his temples. "Right…" he murmured, like a man grappling with the impossible. "So, what? You thought you'd get a medal? A trophy? Unlock a new skill?"
"A safer planet," she answered, as if stating a simple logical equation.
Adam knew a few words wouldn't reshape this girl. But he wasn't stupid enough to waste his only shot at steering his own fate. "Okay. Here's the deal: You behave yourself on this train. And please, please, don't shoot anything that isn't human. After we arrive… do whatever you want. Deal?"
The girl studied him for a long moment before giving a surprisingly cute nod.
Adam walked back down the corridor, struck by the bizarre sensation he'd just struck a tacit agreement with a pint-sized dictator – one who was, admittedly… kinda adorable. In her own weird, explosive way.
Back in the main carriage, Adam placed a firm hand on Riley's shoulder. "I guarantee this won't happen again," he announced to the group. He turned an irritated glare on Riley. "Right?"
Riley lowered her gaze. "Won't happen again…" she mumbled hoarsely. Clenching her fist, she added in an even lower whisper, "Until I get off this train."
"Apologize to Aeliena," Adam ordered, his voice hard.
"You… that wasn't the deal!" Riley protested, puffing her cheeks indignantly.
But under Adam's icy stare, she wilted. "I'm… sorry…"
The elf fixed her with an intense look, then sighed deeply. "Fine. She's just a child."
Hayato, ever hesitant, piped up. "Hey, are you guys seriously letting this psycho stay on the train? She almost killed you!"
"Thanks," Riley replied, flashing a smile.
"That wasn't a compliment," Adam warned, sighing again.
"Hehe," Riley chuckled, relaxing slightly.
"Well… moving on," Dr. Vega announced, already heading back to her seat and inputting a command into the train console. "Let's get going."
Curious, Adam asked, "Where are we headed?"
"Lumi!!!" the Doctor shouted without turning.
A hologram shimmered into existence in the center of the carriage – a loli dressed like a train engine. "Hello everyone! I'm Lumi, the train's AI!" she chirped with a cute smile. "Welcome aboard, passengers from Earth!"
Adam blinked, surprised by the loli design, and shot Dr. Vega a weird look. Seo, beside him, looked oddly euphoric.
After the introductions, the carriage lights pulsed softly blue. Lumi, the holographic train-dressed AI, pirouetted gracefully, her virtual metal skirt gleaming.
"Route update complete, passengers! Our next thrilling stop will be… the Central Continent!" She stretched the syllables with childish enthusiasm, doing a little spin in the air.
Adam, still perplexed by the AI's appearance, frowned. "Central Continent? Where exactly is that? And… what is it?"
"Ah! Sorry, Passenger Adam! I sometimes forget newcomers from Earth might not know the System World!" She tapped her forehead lightly, making a soft ping sound. "I'll explain properly!" A massive holographic map bloomed behind her, dividing into five distinct continents floating in starry space.
"This is our world! Divided into five great continents!" A tiny light-wand appeared in her hand, pointing to each one.
North: The Celestial Continent: The image showed floating mountains, cultivators in traditional robes dueling with gleaming swords, and ethereal dragons coiling through misty peaks. "The realm of Qi and Cultivation! Here, cultivators seek immortality through martial arts and unraveling the cosmic laws!"
Lu Wei stroked his beard, eyeing the cultivator continent. 'Interesting…'
South: Technópolis: The hologram shifted to a cityscape of impossible skyscrapers, spacecraft streaking across kaleidoscopic skies, giant mechs patrolling streets, and shimmering dimensional portals. "Home to supreme science! Advanced AIs like me, cyborgs, interstellar and multiversal travel! Here, you'll find everything from space marines to dimensional demon hunters, sprawling galactic empires… and even multiverse experiments! It's where technology redefines the possible!" Lumi made a funny face, but her holographic eyes shone with pride.
Riley stared at the image of humans battling aliens aboard starships. Her eyes seemed to burn as she envisioned her own human empire, colonizing alien species amidst a multiversal war for supremacy.
East: The Neon Continent: The map displayed a vibrant megalopolis bathed in neon light. Superheroes and villains clashed dramatically atop skyscrapers, while shadowy alleys hinted at mysterious guilds. "This is Neon! The smallest continent, but bursting with infinite possibilities! Intense urban life, powerful corporations, heroes with incredible powers, megalomaniacal villains… and secret organizations, urban dungeons! It's chaotic, unpredictable, and never sleeps!"
Seo Min-Gyu stared at the scene before him and instantly flashed back to the manwhas he'd devoured. This—this is exactly where I need to be.
West: The Archaea Continent: The image transformed into ancient forests, majestic medieval castles, robed mages casting spells, knights in gleaming plate armor, and fire-breathing dragons soaring over citadels. "Archaea! The realm of classic magic, feudal society, honorable knights, mythical beasts… and lots of lost transmigrators! With elves, dwarves, gods, and ROBs. Someone's always trying to summon a hero… or a demon legion."
Hayato gazed at the image—a place ripped straight from his favorite manga and games. He pictured himself as a grand sorcerer, robed and crowned with a pointed hat, dwelling high in a crystalline tower. Wielding magic that could bend weather patterns and shake the foundations of time and space itself.
Center: The Central Continent: The final map revealed a colossal metropolis where elements of the other four continents fused seamlessly. Floating temples hovered beside futuristic skyscrapers. Robed mages argued with lab-coated scientists in bustling plazas. A towering mech strode alongside a knight mounted on a griffin. "And at the heart of it all, the Central Continent! It's the ultimate melting pot. Here, celestial cultivation meets Technópolis science! Archaean magic blends with Neon's urban power! Everything coexists… more or less peacefully. Only the strongest from the other four continents survive here!"
Adam gazed at the sprawling continents before him. This… this was what he'd wanted from day one. A place that wouldn't cage him. A realm of infinite possibilities. Each region unfurled like an ocean of choices, paths branching into the unknown.
'Well now…' he mused, a faint smile touching his lips. 'This future might just be interesting.'