Chapter 3: Life

[You were 45 years old when one day you entered your parents' room only to find them in each other's embrace with a bottle of pills spilled on the ground.]

[They had a smile on their faces.]

[Your parents committed suicide.]

[You found a note on the table. With shaky hands, you picked it up and read it.]

["Feng'er, don't be sad. We lived fulfilling lives; we don't want you to keep worrying about us.

You never once disappointed us. You were a genius blessed by God while we were blessed by God with you.

Intelligence, literature, and music, what more could we ask for? You even gave us three cute grandkids.

Feng'er, we love you so much.

Please don't feel sad; we were going to leave sooner or later, and if you loved us as well, you should know dying in each other's embrace is the happiest death we could wish for, especially knowing you will live out a happy life with your wife and kids."]

["Also, don't fight with your wife; she took care of us, a daughter we wished for. She was thinking of the bigger picture. If you dare make her cry, father will wait for you to join us and slap you, brat."]

["Feng'er... We'll watch you from above; don't do anything stupid and enjoy the gift of life we gave you to the fullest."]

[There were more words, but you couldn't bear it and fell on your knees. You cried your heart out before passing out.]

[Five years passed, and you were now 50 years old. Your business had grown considerably, maybe it was because you were no longer stressed about your parents.]

[Your wife and kids were unaware, but your parents' death had caused a huge change in your mental state.]

[You remembered your real identity. You were a transmigrator. You were unwilling to die like this; the reason your business grew was because of the underhanded methods you used.]

[You became ruthless to the world but were still the same gentle husband and father to your kids.]

[You mingled with the big shots of the world, and your identity as a genius intrigued them; some even respected you. They weren't like the sheep civilians; they truly understood the weight of the music and poems you produced.]

[You didn't hide your piano skills either and were often invited by the big bosses to play for them, earning millions per play.]

[Another decade passed, and you were now 60 years old. You could feel the fragility of your body and slowly started expressing your desire for a longer life.]

[Just as you expected, you weren't alone. You were invited into a secret group that focused on illegal trafficking to experiment on humans.]

[After paying a certain price and proving your sincerity by providing innocent civilians as test subjects, you were fully integrated into the group.]

[You also knew the harsh truth of the world. Should human experimenting become legal, science and medicine study would skyrocket.]

[You were ecstatic as the group you joined was clearly amazing. As a group that had fully focused on experimenting with humans and researching longevity, they could already provide you with a serum that increased your lifespan for about 20 years.]

[This was the result of having human test subjects and near limitless funding.]

[Your physical appearance had minuscule changes, but you could clearly feel that your body's physical state had regressed to when you were 40.]

[But this came at a price. You felt incredibly guilty and even had nightmares occasionally, but it didn't affect your life much. As a foreign soul, your mental strength was incredible.]

[Twenty years passed.]

[You were now 80 years old. Your wife had passed away as well. You weren't nearly as sad as when your parents passed away, but you still felt your eyes grow wet.]

[Your children had grown up incredibly well too. Your eldest son had become a famous streamer that enjoyed touring the world. His humble demeanor and good looks attracted a lot of attention.]

[Your second son inherited your business, and you occasionally helped him in certain areas before he finally stood on his own.]

[Your daughter refused to marry and traveled the world as well. You felt a bit regretful, but you didn't bother with them. They were adults and could live out their lives however they wanted, and if they needed help, you were always there behind them.]

[You never let your children know about the illegal business you ran behind their backs. You still looked as if you were in your sixties, which amazed some people, but they weren't puzzled. Many people had youthful looks even when they died.]

[The illegal group you were part of had been stumped for a decade before they switched over to nanobot testing. It was the only viable method left.]

[You grew anxious.]

[You felt that you could barely live up to a 100 even with 20 years of prolongation.]

[You grew irritable and often got angry. You even accidentally beat a servant to death.]

[It was a huge scandal, but since you were part of the Elite, the news was buried as quickly as it rose. The laws were only made to control the poor; there was no such thing as being a peak power and going to jail.]

[The death of the servant was a wake-up call to you. You suddenly realized how far you had fallen, but strangely you did not feel any guilt; a part of you felt disgusted, but a part of you was indifferent.]

[You understood that this was the way of life. Humans were nothing but mere ants living the grandeur illusion of being superior beings. Some humans were above other humans, but in the end, this was a world of mortals.]

[The nanobot technology would take many decades to perfect, and you would have returned to Earth's embrace by then.]

[With such a realization, you left the illegal group and wished them luck. You met your children one by one and spent a few days with them, reminiscing about life.]

[You returned to your hometown and settled down in your old house peacefully. You cooked, cleaned, and prayed to your parents and wife every day.]

[Fourteen years passed.]

[You died at the age of 94.]