The Innkeeper Novel

In a nascent universe overflowing with primordial energy, an ancient cultivator undertakes an endless refinement of a celestial treasure across eons. After fourteen billion years and countless more stretching ahead, he grows restless and devises an elaborate game: unleashing myriad systems across the cosmos to observe how its emerging inhabitants navigate their sudden gifts.

On Earth, a directionless young man finds himself alone in a park, gazing at the stars above and wrestling with purpose. A meteor streaks across the night sky. He closes his eyes and whispers a desperate wish. When consciousness returns, a voice resonates through his mind: "Assimilation complete. Launching System. Welcome to the Midnight Inn. Host Designation: The Innkeeper."