My setting is above yours!

Chapter 1 A new era
Moen, Ideal City, a certain high school.

teacher's office.

"It has a similar reaction to telekinesis, but it's far from reaching the Lv1 rating... Unfortunately, your telekinesis can't even bend a spoon."

The old teacher glanced at the glaring "incapacitated" assessment on the experimental file in his hand, then looked at the simply dressed boy in front of him with a complicated expression, his tone full of regret:
"I remember you came to Ideal City through the Outer City Talent Development Program, right?"

I know you're not satisfied and want to conduct a few more ability-stimulating experiments, hoping to gamble on the chance to activate your abilities.

However, you participated in three ability activation experiments in total. Even if you did very well, you would have to exhaust your loan limit to participate in another experiment.

You need to understand that if you don't get into one of the three top universities, the student loans provided by the giant corporation cannot be delayed even for a single penny...

But there are only a dozen days left until the college entrance exam. Have you thought about what to do?

Seeing the old teacher's regretful look, Ron really wanted to say that he had a solution.

But after spending eighteen years in this future world controlled by superpowered individuals and giant corporations, the first thing he learned was that human resources are sometimes limited.

No money, no talent, no luck—

Ordinary people like him, with nothing to their name, are destined to become the most basic cog in the machine of the ideal city, struggling to make a living at the lowest level of the giant corporation, unless they awaken to their personal reality and become superpowered.

Seeing Ron remain silent, the old teacher sighed and couldn't help but shift his gaze to the side.

A girl with short brown hair was leaning against the wall, chewing bubble gum and blowing pink bubbles idly.

Silvery-white arcs of electricity danced in her hair, like silver fish swimming among algae, producing a faint crackling sound.

She awakened the rare ability of "magnetic field rotation," and the personal reality she constructed was enough to influence the environment around her at every moment, reaching at least the Lv.2 ability level.

Students who possess such potential during high school either gain admission to one of the top three universities and secure important positions in large corporations after graduation, or join the Moen municipal government and embark on a political career, making their lives incredibly easy.

Thinking about this, the old teacher felt a little tired. His two favorite students were both from the outer city and were both exceptionally talented, possessing computing power far exceeding that of ordinary high school students.

However, because Ron has failed to activate his personal reality so far, their futures are visibly worlds apart.

"If only you were as talented as An Hui, with your computing power, you would definitely be able to become a Level 2 and get into one of the top three universities once you awaken your abilities."

He sighed, but still managed to think of a solution for Ron:

"But you don't need to worry too much. There are a few guaranteed admission spots for Noah Medical Professional Technical School in the school. The teachers can try to get one for you."

I know you have good grades, but a good junior college is not necessarily worse than a bachelor's degree!
This is a professional school jointly run by a subsidiary of Noah Pharmaceuticals. If you can seize the opportunity, you can complete an internship and start working after only one week of study, becoming an employee of this giant company and saving yourself years of detours.

That's way too many detours avoided...

In large corporations, a college diploma offers no hope of promotion or salary increase throughout one's life, and the average lifespan of low-level employees at Noah Pharma is less than thirty years.

While this avoids the worry of being sent to a lab for dissection by a giant corporation because of an inability to repay loans, it's still just a slow death.

As expected, Ideal City doesn't believe in tears.

If you can't become a superhuman, then you can only choose between the death penalty and a suspended death sentence.

Thankfully, Ron got a cheat code.

He shook his head: "Teacher, actually I have another way to become a superhuman."

Hearing Ron say this, the old teacher was somewhat taken aback:
"You have a way? You're poor... uh, what way could a student like you possibly have?"

Throughout the entire high school, everyone knew that Ron was not only from a poor family but also all alone. He couldn't even find an emergency contact to take out a small loan, and no amount of extraordinary potential could be squeezed out of him. So how could he expect to build a personal reality?

"Teacher, have you ever heard anything about the previous era?"

But Ron seemed quite confident:

"Decades ago, Tianting Media successfully deciphered the script of the previous era and interpreted the relics and books left over from the previous era."

Through ancient texts, people learn that before the historical rupture caused by the Great Cataclysm, there existed multiple extraordinary entities in the world with unimaginable power.

Human civilization once revered them as gods, followed in their footsteps, and relied on their blessings to concoct a substance that, once ingested, could grant extraordinary abilities; this substance was called the [Sequence Potion].

Tian Ting Media generously included all the translated documents in the Municipal Library, and I heard that some of them contained potion recipes.

Perhaps I can use the information they've revealed to try and concoct a potion for myself, thereby becoming a superhuman.

"..."

Hearing Ron's idea, which was almost like a daydream, the old teacher's gaze towards him changed.

The initial pity for the good students turned into pity for the fools.

He paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words:

"Hmm... Do you think it's possible that what you're saying is so vague and ethereal, that it dates back to an era many years ago?"

Over thousands of years, everything from the past has changed dramatically.

Even if you could ignore the passage of time and concoct that so-called Sequence Potion... it would have absolutely nothing to do with superpowered individuals.

After all, we all know that the first superhuman was the CEO of Moen Business [α].

She conducted the first experiment in human history to stimulate superpowers, constructing her own personal reality and thus ushering in a new era for superpowered individuals.

I advise you to focus on more realistic things instead of indulging in such unrealistic fantasies…

But Ron ignored the old teacher's advice and instead asked him with a strange expression:

"So you know about the previous era, and you know that it was an era where one could become a superhuman by relying on Sequence Potions, right?"

The old teacher was taken aback, not quite understanding what Ron meant by this question:
"Of course... the history of the previous era was written into textbooks when I was still in elementary school."

"Teacher, although I'm old, I'm not an old man who can't remember things. This is all the verifiable information from the previous era; how could I possibly not remember even this?"

Ron turned to the brown-haired girl beside him, "You know her too, Megumin?"

An Hui popped a bubble and gave Ron a questioning look:
"We both got full marks in history, how could I not know that? Why ask such a meaningless question?"

why?
Ron lowered his head, hiding the slight upturn of his lips, and glanced at the light screen that only he could see.

Because of this—the previous era, the mystery, the magic potion…

Before yesterday, before Ron chose to change this world, none of this existed!
……

"Dimensional Update Manual," that's the name of that light screen.

This thing had been in a loading state ever since Ron first arrived, and it only finished loading a few days ago.

Heaven have mercy, after he, a transmigrator, came to this world, every day he either studied with all his might, hanging himself by his hair and pricking his thigh with an awl, or worked odd jobs on cheap nutritional supplements, just to eke out a living in this world where superpowered people are supreme...

In comparison, he even started to miss the good fortune of working 996 in his previous life!

So the moment he saw the manual load, he was moved to tears, wishing he could immediately open a command prompt, type "whosyourdaddy," and then dominate the entire world, venting his rage as the fourth Scourge.

But after a brief study, he realized that this thing was not very supportive of his ambition to dominate the entire world right now.

The manual's screen only displays a handful of options and a player panel—

[Create a New World]

[Enter World Save]

[Player Panel]

Name: Ron

Level: Lv.0
Occupation: Superpowered Person

Setting: [Fantasy Dissolution]

Looking at the stats, you can tell that Ron is just a pathetic level 0 player, completely powerless. Even a stray dog ​​on the roadside can fight him to the edge of the road, and he can't defeat him no matter how hard he tries.

The remaining two options are somewhat special; they cannot be selected when the manual is first loaded.

The handbook only began to respond after Ron accidentally knocked over a bookshelf in the dorm and picked up a dusty copy of "Tarot Divination and Medieval Herbalism":

[Set anchor detected; world setting generated: "Mystery" and "Potion"]

[Please select a world setting to fill the blank world frame and create a new world.]

[Currently, the world's maximum capacity is set at 2.]

The option to "Create a new world" lit up, and Ron then realized that this manual could use the generated world settings as filler to create a new world.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find a new anchor for the setting. The only thing that caught the handbook's eye was the occult novel he bought from a roadside stall.

With a "let's give it a try" attitude, Ron had no choice but to select the only two settings, "Mystery" and "Potions," and pressed the "Create New World" button in the manual.

The next second, a small megaphone symbol appeared on the manual—

[Version Update Announcement: In version 3.000, we extinguished the initial flame, banished everything from the Age of Gods to the stars, and added a new setting to the world: "Potion Sequence".]

Now, people can become superhuman by taking magic potions.

But apart from this nonsensical prompt, nothing happened.

He initially thought his cheat system was a half-finished product that looked good but was actually useless. However, when he discovered that the occult novel he used as an anchor had turned into an unopenable magic book, and that a new chapter about the previous era had appeared in the history book, he realized that his understanding was wrong.

The so-called creation of a new world is not about creating something from nothing, but about altering this world and fabricating a new era out of thin air in the untraceable ancient past!
Unfortunately, the "Enter World Save" option on the manual is still not enabled; only a new prompt appears for the new spellbook that Ron has:

[To establish an anchor—charge "An Introduction to Mysticism" with extraordinary power to open the portal to the created world, the "Potion Age."]

Current charging progress: 0%

—So here's the question.

Where can he recharge this magic book?
This thing could never be exposed to anyone; it must rely on his own telekinetic ability to barely lift a piece of paper...

Recalling all this, Ron, who had just returned to the classroom from the teachers' office, sighed, held his breath, and used his extremely weak telekinetic power to touch the ornately decorated spellbook—

[Charging progress +0.01%]

[Current charging progress: 0.03%] Well, it seems there's still a long way to go before we reach the Potions Era...

He packed up his admission agreement and test records, stuffed them into his schoolbag along with the magic book, walked out of the school gate and started his journey home. Looking up, he saw a leaden gray sky.

Ron rode his somewhat old electric scooter, and the neon-lit floating traffic squeezed him in the middle, carrying him forward like a tidal wave.

Glancing through the traffic with my peripheral vision, I caught a fleeting glimpse of this ideal city—

Here, the entire land is covered with steel and concrete, with towering buildings standing on both sides of the road. Every now and then, streamlined cloud rail trains flash by, forming an endless river in the gaps between the giant city, together with the floating traffic that Ron squeezes into.

In 2077, humanity completed its first anti-gravity project.

Based on this, the three major companies invested in and launched the "Ideal City Plan".

The endless steel industry has swept away nature, and the layered cities have covered half the planet.

This is Moen City—the singularity of the world, an ideal city.

Here, technology and the extraordinary go hand in hand, leading humanity to conquer nature and strive to set foot in the stars.

Even the poorest people in Ideal City who survive by selling their blood will unconsciously straighten their chests when talking about the industrial miracle created by the combined efforts of these three giant corporations.

Even the most critical critics would agree that this is a progressive era, and another leap forward for humanity seems imminent...

But this has nothing to do with ordinary people like Ron.

Even if there is another leap forward, it is a leap forward for superpowered people. The ideal of the ideal city is nothing but a dream bubble for ordinary people. They have to do their best to even survive.

As you walk through narrow alleys, the towering buildings around you gradually become shorter, the bright neon lights become sparse and flickering, and the noisy voices can no longer be heard, making you feel desolate.

Ron rented a student apartment in Zone D of Ideal City. Although the surrounding environment and facilities were poor, the room was small and the soundproofing was bad, and he could hear the young couple next door playing ranked games every day, the price was cheap and he could afford the rent by working part-time. He was quite satisfied with the place.

But this place is usually so chaotic... why is it so quiet today?
"Squeak-"

Ron gripped the brakes, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over to the side of the road, frowning.

The hum of the air conditioner's outdoor unit, the dripping sound of condensate, the chirping of sparrows flying by...

There was not a single human voice to be heard.

Ideal City's D district is a well-known slum with a population density far exceeding that of other areas. How could you not hear a single human voice?
No, let's run first.

Ron's doubts made him turn the car around without hesitation and try to go back the way he came, but he saw the alleyway he came from suddenly explode with a burst of green light. The illegally piled scaffolding and steel plates on the side of the alley were blown down and scattered, piling up haphazardly and blocking his way.

He had nowhere to retreat.

"A keen eye; no wonder he's the master thief who stole the forbidden book."

A hoarse voice sounded behind him. Ron turned around and saw a hunched figure in a cloak walking towards him, clapping his hands.

He pulled back his hood, revealing a withered, pale face, gave Ron a grotesque, awkward bow, and a cold, emotionless smile:

"I set up a barrier to ward off people, a simple and easy-to-use magic trick, to ensure that the two of us will not be disturbed by others for the next period of time."

The barrier will give hints to all ordinary people who are unaware of the mystery, driving them away from this place... Unfortunately, in a lowly slum like District D, the law enforcement officers of your Ideal City won't even give it a second glance.

Otherwise, if a superhuman with special abilities happened to pass by, they might be able to save your life.

What do you mean by saving my life?
Feeling the man's sinister gaze sweep over his throat, Ron instinctively shuddered, a chill creeping up his spine.

He realized a serious problem—

Although what this person said sounded almost like the ramblings of someone in a daydream, he was clearly not filming some kind of prank show, nor was he a lunatic who had escaped from a mental hospital.

He really wanted to kill himself.

The old man ignored Ron's increasingly serious gaze, simply looking at him coldly and saying to himself:
"Silently infiltrating the Church of the Embers and stealing the forbidden text, 'The Key to the Beginning,' is an act akin to that of a master thief, yet he concealed the forbidden text without any container and repeatedly attempted to trigger its mysteries..."

I can't understand whether your actions stem from pure confidence or a deliberate provocation against the Mage's Association, but now that I'm here, you only have one choice left.

As he spoke, he rubbed the emerald ring on his finger, and the dark green face of the ring gradually lit up, while symbols shimmering with a dark green light appeared on the walls of the alley.

“Morti vocatum meum audiunt…”

The incomprehensible murmurs brought a chilling aura, and circular magic circles bloomed around him out of thin air. Bright green demonic patterns lit up his body, and his face became ferocious.

The next moment, the concrete ground in front of him suddenly cracked open, and a swollen, rotting, withered hand emerged from it...

A staggering corpse crawled out, its cold eyes fixed on Ron, and opened its mouth, a sinister green light emanating from its throat.

The magician, his face noticeably paler and his steps unsteady, coughed twice and said in a chilling tone:
"Return the forbidden texts to me...or die."

What forbidden text? What magic trick?
Ron couldn't understand a word.

Go to churches and museums to find forbidden texts, and perform magic tricks properly on stage. Why are you coming to me?
But looking at the rotting, hoarsely screaming corpse not far away, Ron thought it best not to put this kind of performance on stage.

This would definitely not pass the age screening at Ideal City...

With this thought in mind, Ron did not sit idly by and wait for his death.

He calmed down and scanned his surroundings—

If you knock down the scaffolding that's tilted, the illegally placed steel pipes on it will fly down like arrows, turning that person into a sieve.

Tear off the window railing over there and smash down the old, dilapidated air conditioner unit. It will hit the bullseye like a falling rock and kill the person half to death.
That manhole cover...that streetlight...

In an instant, Ron thought of many things. He possessed computational power comparable to a Level 2 superhuman, enabling him to devise various ways to avert danger, but…

No matter how many methods he had, no matter how many flaws this strange man who clearly looked down on him had, he had absolutely no ability to defeat him.

Because his telekinesis could only blow up a piece of paper, it couldn't knock over scaffolding or break the window railings.

Because he is a Level 0 powerless user.

In an instant, Ron couldn't help but grit his teeth. If he were a superhuman, how could this person dare to be so arrogant?
If he could possess that power...

No, even if he were weaker, even if he were only a Level 1 superpowered user, this person would still have no chance of defeating him!

Such powerful supernatural abilities...wait, supernatural?

Looking at the increasingly bright green light in the zombie's throat, Ron suddenly thought of the book "Introduction to the Occult".

His telekinetic powers would immediately vanish upon touching the book, being channeled into it as supernatural energy, which the manual used to power it...

So, what about this zombie?

Without even thinking about it, even someone who had never actually seen magic like Ron knew that this zombie would probably soon unleash some kind of death shriek or soul blast, turning him into a corpse.

But if it's used to charge a spellbook...

Seeing Ron's changing expression, and not knowing what he was thinking, the magician finally lost his patience and sneered:
“I know the forbidden book is in your bag. The magic ‘Screaming of the Decaying Dead’ won’t work on it, so I’m not afraid of damaging it.”

The forbidden arts of the Necromancer school are utterly unbearable for the living; a single breath from them would reduce you to ashes… You don’t want to die without a proper burial, do you?”

As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Ron:

"I'm giving you one last chance. Hand over the forbidden book to me now!"

But Ron calmed down:
"If you want it, come and take it yourself."

The magician saw no fear on Ron's face, only heard him say calmly:
"If your magic trick actually works."

"Ridiculous!"

A hint of anger flashed across the magician's face. He abandoned all pretense of being a gentleman and activated the spell with all his might, causing the magic circle to flash with a blinding green light.

The zombie opened its mouth wide, letting out a piercing shriek, and spewed a green breath at Ron—

But Ron was already prepared.

Without hesitation, he flung his backpack in front of him, and the deep green sound waves instantly rotted it into dust upon contact, revealing a beautifully decorated magic book.

In an instant, the chilling magic suddenly stopped.

The next moment, the chilling breath was as if it had been siphoned back and swallowed up by the magic book in an instant, as if it had never existed.

The manual's prompt tone rang in my ears—

[Charging progress +99.97%]

Current charging progress: 100%

[The anchoring artifact, "Introduction to Mysticism," has been fully charged, its seal unlocked. Its charging attribute is now biased towards the world of "The Potions Era," opening its doors.]

The last unselectable option on the manual's screen finally lit up, and Ron clicked "Enter World Save" without hesitation.

"..."

Instantly, Ron felt a slight dizziness, his vision went black for a moment, and then a dim light illuminated his vision.

He smelled a pungent coal smoke and saw the glowing kerosene lamp.

Looking up, what comes into view is no longer the towering concrete buildings of Ideal City, but cold stone brick walls covered with sticky moss, exuding a faint fishy smell.

Beside the wall, a emaciated corpse was chained to the wall with cold bronze shackles. It had been dead for an unknown period of time, its flesh rotting and infested with maggots and flies, with the white bones barely visible beneath the rotting flesh.

Ron frowned. Cold shackles had somehow locked onto his feet, and he felt a sharp, cutting pain in his ankles, clearly from the sharp edges inside the shackles.

Turning my head, I could see a small window sealed by cold railings. Looking out through the window, I could see towering bell towers and churches, and steam trains roaring past, puffing out plumes of smoke.

Gentlemen in top hats hurried by, ladies lifted their skirts and tiptoed across the mud, and public carriages sped along the road.

The church bells rang, reminding Ron that he had entered a new era, an era of mystery—

However, he was a prisoner.

　New author, new book, please be kind to me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)