2026-07-31 07:03:44The blue screen slowly disappeared.
Ethan remained standing in the hospital hallway, his eyes fixed on the emergency room doors.
Around him, doctors and nurses hurried from one patient to another.
Sophia sat on a nearby chair with her head lowered.
Her father leaned against the wall, looking exhausted.
No one spoke.
The silence felt heavy.
Ethan took a deep breath.
The system had never given him an impossible mission before.
If it wanted him to save Sophia’s grandmother, then there had to be a way.
Just then, another notification appeared.
Emergency Mission Details Updated
Current Objective: Obtain Advanced Medical Knowledge.
Hint: Opportunity nearby.
Ethan frowned.
“Nearby?”
He looked around the hallway.
Patients.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Family members.
Nothing seemed unusual.
Then…
His eyes landed on an elderly man sitting alone near the window.
The man looked to be around seventy years old.
His silver hair was neatly combed, and he wore a simple gray suit.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t looking at his phone.
Instead, he quietly observed everything happening in the hallway.
For some reason…
Ethan felt drawn toward him.
The moment he took a step forward, the system reacted.
Target Identified.
Name: Professor Adrian Hayes.
Age: 71.
Occupation: Retired World-Class Cardiothoracic Surgeon.
Achievements:
Over 12,000 successful heart surgeries.
Pioneer of the Hayes Valve Reconstruction Technique.
Former Director of the National Heart Institute.
Current Status: Retired.
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.
A world-famous heart surgeon?
Here?
What were the chances?
The system spoke again.
Mission Update
Convince Professor Adrian Hayes to save Sophia Bennett’s grandmother.
Reward: Master Medical Knowledge (Cardiology).
Ethan smiled.
“So that’s the opportunity.”
Without wasting another second, he walked toward the old man.
The professor looked up before Ethan even spoke.
“You’ve been staring at me for almost a minute.”
His voice was calm.
Ethan smiled apologetically.
“I’m sorry.”
“I think I know who you are.”
The old man chuckled.
“That makes one of us.”
“I’m Ethan Cole.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The professor shook his hand.
“Adrian Hayes.”
“So…”
“What do you want from an old retired doctor?”
Ethan got straight to the point.
“I need your help.”
Professor Hayes looked amused.
“Most people ask for my autograph.”
“You skipped that part.”
“I don’t have time.”
The old man raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting.”
Ethan pointed toward the emergency room.
“A woman inside needs emergency heart surgery.”
“I was told only Professor Daniel Ross can save her.”
Professor Hayes sighed.
“Daniel is excellent.”
“One of my best students.”
“But he’s overseas.”
“I know.”
“So you want me to operate instead?”
“Yes.”
The professor shook his head.
“I retired three years ago.”
“My hands aren’t what they used to be.”
“I don’t perform surgeries anymore.”
Sophia noticed Ethan talking to someone.
She slowly walked over.
“Ethan…”
She looked at Professor Hayes.
“Who is this?”
Ethan answered quietly.
“This is Professor Adrian Hayes.”
Sophia’s eyes widened.
“The Adrian Hayes?”
The professor smiled.
“I used to be.”
Sophia immediately bowed respectfully.
“Professor.”
“I’m Sophia Bennett.”
“I’m a third-year medical student.”
“I’ve studied your research papers.”
“I never imagined I’d meet you.”
The professor smiled warmly.
“Medical student?”
“Yes.”
“Which university?”
“St. Andrew Medical University.”
He nodded.
“A good school.”
Sophia’s smile quickly disappeared.
“My grandmother is the patient Ethan was talking about.”
“I know you’ve retired.”
“But…”
She struggled to hold back her tears.
“I’m begging you.”
“Please save her.”
The old professor looked at the young woman in front of him.
Her eyes were full of desperation.
He remained silent.
Finally, he sighed.
“I understand how you feel.”
“I truly do.”
“But surgery isn’t something you perform because someone begs.”
“It’s about responsibility.”
“If my hands fail…”
“If I make one mistake…”
“Your grandmother dies on the operating table.”
Sophia slowly lowered her head.
“I…”
“I understand.”
She couldn’t ask anymore.
It wouldn’t be fair.
Professor Hayes looked at Ethan.
“You seem like a smart young man.”
“You should understand my decision.”
Ethan nodded.
“I do.”
The professor looked surprised.
“But…”
Ethan continued.
“I also know something else.”
“What?”
“You came to this hospital today.”
“If you truly wanted nothing to do with medicine anymore…”
“You wouldn’t be here.”
The old man’s expression changed.
For the first time…
His calm eyes showed surprise.
“Go on.”
“You’ve retired.”
“You don’t owe anyone anything.”
“So why are you sitting in a hospital?”
“You’ve been watching every doctor.”
“Every nurse.”
“Every patient.”
“You haven’t stopped observing since I arrived.”
The professor didn’t interrupt.
Ethan continued calmly.
“I think…”
“…you miss saving lives.”
The hallway suddenly became silent.
Sophia looked at Ethan.
Her father looked at Ethan.
Even the nearby nurses stopped walking for a second.
Professor Hayes smiled faintly.
“You have sharp eyes.”
He slowly looked toward the emergency room.
“When I retired…”
“I promised my late wife that I’d finally rest.”
“For forty-five years…”
“I spent more time in operating rooms than I did at home.”
“I missed birthdays.”
“Anniversaries.”
“Family dinners.”
“My wife accepted all of it.”
He smiled sadly.
“Before she passed away…”
“She made me promise to enjoy the life I’d ignored.”
“So I retired.”
Sophia listened quietly.
“But…”
The professor continued.
“…every week…”
“I still find myself coming back here.”
“I sit in this hallway.”
“I watch young doctors.”
“I tell myself I’m only visiting.”
He laughed softly.
“But maybe…”
“…you’re right.”
“I miss saving lives.”
Ethan took one step closer.
“Then save one more.”
Professor Hayes looked into Ethan’s eyes.
Neither of them spoke.
Nearly a minute passed.
Finally…
The old man slowly stood up.
He adjusted his suit.
Then he looked at Sophia.
“Take me to your grandmother.”
Sophia froze.
“What?”
“I’ll examine her myself.”
“If I believe surgery is possible…”
“I’ll perform it.”
Sophia couldn’t believe what she had heard.
Fresh tears filled her eyes.
“Professor…”
“Thank you.”
Before anyone could move, another voice interrupted them.
“I’m afraid that won’t be necessary.”
Everyone turned toward the end of the hallway.
A group of men in expensive suits walked toward them.
Leading them…
Was Ryan Crawford.
He smiled confidently as he approached.
Behind him walked the hospital chairman.
Ryan stopped in front of Ethan and smiled mockingly.
“What a coincidence.”
His eyes slowly moved from Ethan…
To Sophia…
Then to Professor Hayes.
“I didn’t expect to see all of you together.”
Ethan’s expression turned cold.
Ryan glanced at the emergency room before looking back at Sophia.
“I heard your grandmother needs surgery.”
He smiled wider.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ve already arranged everything.”
Sophia’s eyes lit up.
“You found Professor Ross?”
Ryan shook his head.
“No.”
“I found someone even better.”
Professor Hayes frowned slightly.
Ryan slowly turned toward him.
“Professor Hayes.”
“I’ve already spoken with the hospital chairman.”
“I’d like to hire you.”
“I’ll personally donate ten million dollars to the hospital…”
“…if you become my family’s private medical consultant.”
The hallway fell silent.
Ryan smiled confidently.
Then he looked at Ethan with a look of victory.
“And naturally…”
“…that means you’ll have no time for anyone else.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 109: Legacy Reawakened
The blue screen flickered.It was unstable.Unlike the flawless interface Ethan had relied on throughout his journey, this one was fractured.Tiny cracks spread across its edges as though the system itself had suffered tremendous damage.The familiar mechanical voice spoke again.It was weaker than Ethan remembered.Yet…He smiled.After everything that had happened…It still sounded like home.Legacy System…Emergency Restoration… 7% Complete…Warning… Core functions unavailable…Reason… Legacy sacrificed during the Final Convergence…Ethan’s heart pounded.“So…”“You survived.”The screen remained silent for a moment.Then…A new sentence appeared.Correction…This unit did not survive.This unit… was remembered.The words struck him harder than any attack ever could.Remembered.Not rebuilt.Not repaired.Remembered.The blue screen slowly continued.Human belief…Shared memories…Legacy fragments carried within countless lives…Emergency reconstruction successful.Ethan finally un
Chapter 108: The Sky Breaker
The crack spread across the blue sky.It didn’t happen all at once.Thin fractures crawled outward like veins across glass, stretching from one horizon to the other.Each new crack released a faint silver light.The peaceful meadow beneath Ethan’s feet trembled.Birds that had been singing moments before suddenly took flight.The gentle breeze vanished.An unnatural silence swallowed the world.Ren’s small hand instinctively reached for Ethan’s.His fingers were trembling.“They found us.”Ethan looked down.“Who?”Ren swallowed.“The ones who don’t want us remembered.”Another deafening roar echoed overhead.This time…It was closer.The sky shattered a little more.Chunks of blue light drifted downward before dissolving into countless glowing particles.Ethan had seen worlds collapse before.He had watched stars disappear.Yet…There was something uniquely terrifying about watching the sky itself come apart.Not because it looked destructive.Because it looked…Wrong.Like reality w
Chapter 107: The First Face
Every step echoed inside Ethan’s helmet.Crunch.Crunch.Crunch.The lunar dust compressed beneath his boots as he followed the countless footprints stretching toward the enormous black doorway.Mission Control remained connected through his communicator.“Ethan, your oxygen levels are stable.”“Heart rate elevated, but within acceptable limits.”Dr. Brooks’ calm voice filled the silence.Professor Orion spoke next.“Distance to the structure: four hundred meters.”“Proceed carefully.”“I will.”Ethan answered.He never took his eyes off the doorway.The closer he came…The larger it became.From orbit it had looked massive.Standing beneath it…It was overwhelming.It rose into the endless darkness above him like a mountain carved from midnight.Its surface reflected nothing.Not sunlight.Not stars.Not even Ethan himself.It was as though the doorway refused to acknowledge reality.Back on Earth…Sophia stood inside Mission Control.Her hands remained folded tightly together.She h
Chapter 106: The Man Who Walked Through Silence
By sunrise…Ethan had made his decision.He would go.Not because he trusted the beings beyond the black doorway.Not because he believed they meant no harm.But because he had seen something in the message that no one else seemed willing to acknowledge.They had asked.Twice.First…May we speak?Then…One may come.An enemy didn’t ask permission.An enemy simply invaded.Whatever waited beyond that door…It wanted to be heard.Whether that was a blessing or a trap…Only one way existed to find out.The launch facility came alive before dawn.Floodlights illuminated the enormous launch pad while engineers hurried around the silver shuttle.Unlike the bulky spacecraft used during the early years of space exploration…This one had been built after the Seven Days.Human technology had advanced dramatically with knowledge recovered from the Architects.Its engines were cleaner.Its shields stronger.Its navigation system could cross the distance between Earth and the Moon in less than th
Chapter 105: The Invitation
No one celebrated.Although the footprints had stopped appearing…Although the black doorway had remained closed…Not a single person inside Mission Control believed the danger had passed.If anything…The silence felt heavier.It was the silence of two strangers looking at one another across a great distance.Waiting.Wondering who would speak next.Dr. Elena Brooks stood beside the communications console, replaying Ethan’s transmission.“My name is Ethan.”“You asked if you could speak.”“You can.”She listened to it three more times before finally muting the speakers.“I’ve worked in aerospace for seventeen years.”She slowly shook her head.“I spent my entire career preparing for first contact.”She smiled weakly.“I never imagined it would begin with… permission.”Professor Orion nodded.“Neither did I.”Hours passed.The black doorway did not move.The Moon remained quiet.Scientists continued monitoring every satellite, every telescope, and every sensor aimed toward the far sid
Chapter 104: Beyond the Black Door
The three knocks echoed through Mission Control.Slow.Steady.Deliberate.Every person in the room froze.No one spoke.No one breathed.The sound wasn’t coming from the speakers anymore.It seemed to resonate through the walls themselves.Three knocks…Yet it felt as though something enormous had struck the fabric of reality.Then…Silence.Emergency lights flickered back to life.Rows of monitors rebooted one after another.Technicians hurried to their stations.“Power is returning!”“I’m reconnecting to the lunar station!”“Signal stabilizing!”Dr. Elena Brooks leaned over one of the consoles.“Get me visual confirmation.”The largest monitor flashed.Static filled the screen.Then the image cleared.Everyone stared.The giant black doorway still stood on the Moon’s far side.Exactly where it had been before.Silent.Motionless.Almost…Innocent.Kai slowly let out the breath he had been holding.“I hate doors.”Lyra looked at him.“You hate everything.”“I especially hate mysteri
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