Infinite Evolution: From Orphan to Cosmic Overlord

The atmosphere in the low-level ruin was calm, the dim blue glow of ancient symbols on the walls flickering softly. It was supposed to be a routine training session for the Unison Junior Military School students—a warm-up before their entrance exam for the prestigious Luminous Military Academy.

Yet, out of nowhere, reality itself seemed to crack for a brief second before a blood-covered figure came crashing onto the ground in front of them, face-down and unmoving.

Silence.

"...Did… did that just happen?" a boy whispered.

"Someone just fell out of thin air!" another muttered, eyes wide.

A group of students, all in matching military-style uniforms, stood in a circle, staring at the body sprawled before them. Their uniforms bore the Unison School insignia, a proud symbol of the capital's elite junior military academy. These were the students training to one day join the Luminous Empire's top military force, and yet… none of them knew what to do about this strange, half-dead boy.

A girl with short silver hair took a cautious step forward, eyes narrowing. "Wait. What if it's a skin-walker?"

The moment she said that, the entire group took three steps back—as if the corpse might suddenly jump up and devour them.

"Good point," a tall boy with a spear muttered. "It could be some kind of ruin creature taking human form… or maybe an illusion trap?"

"Or maybe…" another boy gulped, "...he's just a dying human?"

The debate escalated quickly, with students arguing whether they should poke it, burn it, or leave it alone.

The teacher, Professor Ryen, sighed at their paranoia. He was a support mage, assigned to guide the students through this minor ruin as part of their field training. This was supposed to be a safe and easy mission, but now? He was stuck babysitting a bunch of teenagers scared of an unconscious boy.

"Alright, alright," he said, rubbing his temples. "Step aside. I'll check."

The students parted like the Red Sea as their teacher stepped forward.

Ryen grabbed a sturdy wooden branch from the ground—because touching unknown things directly was how you died in ruins—and cautiously poked the bloodied boy's back.

Nothing.

He poked again.

Still nothing.

One last, harder poke.

"...You sure he's alive?" a student asked.

Professor Ryen, deciding that poking wasn't enough, used the stick to flip the body over—the boy flopped like a dead fish, revealing his bruised, bloodied, and unconscious face.

The students gasped.

"It's a kid!"

"Wait… he looks about our age…"

"Is his face even visible under all that blood?"

They leaned in closer, intrigued yet hesitant.

Professor Ryen knelt beside the boy, waving his hand to check for breathing. After a few seconds, he exhaled in relief.

"He's alive," he announced. "But his breathing is shallow. He must've been severely injured before arriving here."

The students exchanged looks. Some seemed worried, others merely curious.

"Where did he even come from?" a boy questioned.

"That's the bigger issue," a girl added. "No one's supposed to fall into a ruin like that unless they were… thrown in?"

"...Or unless he triggered a hidden portal," another muttered.

A wave of unease spread among them. Portals in ruins weren't uncommon, but randomly falling through one? That was rare.

Professor Ryen, ignoring their chatter, placed a hand over the boy's chest, activating a healing and cleansing spell. His pale golden mana flowed over the unconscious kid, closing some of his lighter wounds and removing the dirt and blood covering his skin.

The students watched in fascination.

The magic cleansed the boy's injuries, revealing delicate features beneath the grime. Even in his battered state, his unusual silver hair and sharp yet slightly soft features were noticeable.

"...Okay, not gonna lie," a girl whispered, "he's kinda good-looking."

"Are you seriously thinking about that right now?" her friend whispered back.

The teacher sighed in exasperation. "Focus, people."

The boy's condition stabilized, but he remained unconscious.

Professor Ryen stood up, dusting his hands. "We'll set up camp here for the night."

One student frowned. "Here? But, Professor, isn't that risky?"

"This ruin is under school jurisdiction and has been explored dozens of times. It's as safe as a ruin can get," Ryen reassured them. "If anything does go wrong, the school's emergency response team will pick it up immediately."

"Still, what about him?" another pointed at the unconscious boy.

Professor Ryen shrugged. "He'll wake up eventually."

"But what if he's dangerous?"

"Then we restrain him," the professor said matter-of-factly.

"...What if he's secretly a prince in hiding?" one girl whispered excitedly.

"Yeah, and what if he's a banished criminal?" a boy retorted.

Theories flew left and right, some reasonable, some borderline insane.

Professor Ryen sighed, already regretting his life choices. "Enough. Just set up camp. We'll deal with him when he wakes up."

And with that, the Unison Junior Military students settled in for the night—completely unaware that the half-dead boy they found would one day shake the entire Luminous Empire.