Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 140: Stars Beyond the Mist

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Stars Beyond the Mist

The silence that followed Atlas’s disappearance was oddly loud.

Liora stood still, staring at the empty space where he had just been. A part of her kept expecting him to pop back in, crack another joke, roll his eyes like nothing had happened. But the moment stretched on, and reality sank in.

He was really gone.

She didn’t know what to do with the sudden heaviness in her chest. It sat there like a lump, dull and quiet, making her feel... hollow.

Why did she care anyway?

She scowled at the floor.

She didn’t even like him. He was annoying, smug, always acting like he knew everything. He threw her through windows. Literally. Who does that?

Still... her heart felt strangely empty.

Before she could spiral deeper into her thoughts, a small hand tugged at her sleeve.

She looked down.

Eli stood beside her, his big eyes blinking up at her with quiet reassurance. His little hand didn’t let go of her sleeve.

"We can see him again," he said in his soft, serious baby voice. "Don’t be sad."

Liora blinked. Then blinked again.

That innocent confidence and the way he was trying to cheer her up immediately melted her heart.

She smiled at him and suddenly laughed. It burst out of her like a hiccup, catching her off guard. She clutched her stomach and laughed again, snorting at herself.

"What am I even sad for?" she muttered under her breath. "I don’t even like the guy."

Her voice sounded more defensive than honest.

Then she looked down at her hand, still clutching the teleportation ball. That sleek silver surface was warm to the touch. Something about it felt... precious.

Her fingers tightened around it. Why had he given her this? Why would someone like him give something this valuable away for free?

"...It’s probably guilt," she told herself, not convinced. "I feel guilty. That’s it."

She slowly placed the teleportation ball into her space.

The moment she did, a familiar system chime echoed in her head.

[DING!]

[Item Acquired: High-Grade Teleportation Ball (Nuvexis Spire Edition)]

[Classification: Ultra-Rare]

[Function: Single-person short-to-long-range instant teleportation; limited by core purity and destination complexity.]

[Warning: Requires High-Level Crystal Core to function.]

Liora’s eyes narrowed.

"...Nuvexis Spire?" she muttered aloud.

The system responded promptly, its voice more crisp and confident than before.

[Affirmative. This item originates from the Spire of Nuvexis, one of the most advanced technological civilizations in the galaxy.]

She stared at the empty air. "...Galaxy?"

[Yes. The Nuvexis Spire exists on a different planet in the Eirenthus Star Cluster. It is not located on this planet.]

Liora’s breath caught. "Wait, hold on. Are you saying this thing came from... space?"

[Correction: From another inhabited planet. Nuvexis Spire is known for its cutting-edge tech, heavily guarded trade routes, and astronomical pricing. Only the wealthiest clans and high-tier civilizations can afford products from Nuvexis.]

Liora felt her stomach twist. She couldn’t help but glance at her space, half-expecting the ball to start glowing or explode.

"You’re telling me that teleportation ball is... priceless?" she asked weakly.

[Estimated market value: 94 billion credits.]

She choked on her own spit. "What?!"

[To be precise, only high-tier military organizations and noble clans in the Nuvexis economy are permitted to legally purchase them. Unauthorized possession is a felony offense on the planet itself.]

"Okay," she whispered, trying to make sense of it. "So this thing is... from another planet. Not just a different country or continent. A whole different world."

[Correct. The Spire of Nuvexis is not connected to this planet’s civilization. They are advanced in both magic and science beyond anything known here.]

Liora took a deep breath.

"So that means there are... other planets? Other worlds? Existing right now?"

[Yes. You have stepped into a broader existence, host.]

Liora rubbed her temples. "And Atlas just gave me one of the most expensive items from that place like it was a piece of candy."

She paused.

"Wait... how the hell did he even get it? You just said only the super-rich clans can buy it."

The system was quiet for a moment.

[Unknown. The origin of Atlas’s access to Nuvexis technology is not within currently available data.]

"So he’s not from there?"

[Data inconclusive. You may ask him directly, if possible.]

Liora frowned but didn’t press.

Too many answers were crashing into her mind already. Just days ago, the most advanced thing she’d seen was a rifle or pistol. And now she was holding a goddamn alien space device worth billions.

"...Why are you telling me all this now?" she asked slowly. "You barely spoke before, when I asked about other worlds."

The system’s tone shifted slightly.

[Previous host level was insufficient for system updates. Data capacity and permissions expand as host levels increase. During your time in the Misty Forest, you reached Level 12, triggering multiple auto-upgrades and data synchronizations.]

"Wait," she whispered. "You were updating this whole time?"

[Yes. Data feeds from ambient mana fluctuations, monster kills, quest completions, and proximity to time-based anomalies increased processing speed. Current system version: 3.2.1 Hyper-Link.]

"...Okay," Liora muttered. "Sure. That makes total sense."

She sat back, her fingers brushing over her hair again.

Liora stared into the air, her mind full of questions. After a moment, she asked softly, "So... if there are other planets out there, does that mean my world is also floating in space like them?"

The system answered right away.

[Yes. This planet exists in space like the others. But—]

It paused for a second, like it was unsure how to continue.

[But your previous world is not part of the present time. It belongs to a different timeline.]

Liora frowned. "What do you mean? What timeline?"

[Host has transmigrated from a past timeline. The world you were born in no longer exists. It was part of an older time that has already ended.]

She stood still, feeling like everything around her had gone quiet.

"...So the world I came from is gone?"

[Yes. That timeline was erased. You are now living in a different world—one that exists after everything in your past has already ended.]

Liora looked down at her hands, her chest feeling heavy.

"So... I’m not just in a different world. I’m in the future?"

[Correct. You came from the past. Your world and its time no longer exist.]

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. It felt strange... like a part of her had been completely cut off.