《Legendary Periodic Elementalist (A progression fantasy with periodic elements)》 Prologue Marco always believed that something was missing from the periodic table. Sure, it was structured based on atomic number, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. Yet, there was something absent¡ªsomething no one dared to explore. He had been chasing it. Like a madman. Was atomic number 118 really the end? Marco never agreed with that. People had different theories, but one thing was clear: some elements might exist in extreme environments, such as the depths of black holes or the chaotic energy of neutron stars. Some reports even suggested that dark matter and strange quark matter could be new forms of elements. Yet, no one had reached a point where they could prove their theories. Not anymore. Inside a glass chamber, shadowy tentacles writhed, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly glow. The chamber was so small that Marco had to use a quantum microscope just to glimpse inside. But it was there¡ªalive, moving, undeniable. His heartbeat pounded. His years of research, his obsession, had finally led to this moment. The 19th group of periodic elements. Element 119. It had never been part of the recognised 18 groups of the periodic table¡ªbecause it was different. Vastly different. Different in a way that defied reality. One moment, the element was inside the chamber. The next moment, he was inside. A wave of nausea overtook him as his body convulsed, mirroring the chaotic movement of the writhing mass. "Wha¡ª" Marco staggered back, his breath shallow, cold sweat clinging to his skin. His hands trembled as he forced his gaze back to the quantum scope. It was gone. The element he had spent seventy years searching for¡ª The element he had sacrificed everything to obtain¡ª The element he had finally discovered¡ª Vanished. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His pupils contracted. Then, the world shifted. Something pulled him. To far way from bustling atmosphere of earth. Marco''s eyes snapped open, assaulted by a blinding white light. His vision blurred, his senses disoriented. A sharp, acrid metallic smell filled his nostrils. The sting of sodium hydroxide. His breath hitched. Sodium¡­? There was no doubt. The air reeked of it. But this wasn''t just the faint whiff of a controlled reaction¡ªit was thick, unnatural, overwhelming. His vision adjusted, and he nearly lost his composure. He was standing on an enormous platform, surrounded by dozens of teenagers, all soaked in an abnormal amount of sodium hydroxide. He wanted to scream. To run. But his body refused to move, as if locked in place by an unseen force. Wait¡­ Something was wrong. Aside from the overpowering smell, he felt nothing. No burning sensation. No pain. At this concentration, sodium hydroxide exposure should have been lethal¡ªeating through flesh in seconds. And yet, his skin remained untouched. His gaze darted to the other teenagers. They stood eerily still, their expressions blank, their eyes frozen forward. Unblinking. Unbreathing. Then Marco followed their gaze¡ª And his blood ran cold. An old man floated in midair. Yes¡ªfloated. His very presence distorted the air around him. An unnatural aura of sodium surrounded him, reacting with the moisture in the atmosphere, forming a fine cloud of sodium hydroxide particles, flickering like ghostly embers before dissolving. Marco''s mind screamed at the impossibility. How was this happening? He swallowed hard, his throat dry. He had dedicated his life to scientific logic, to the certainty of equations and atomic structures. But this¡­? This violated every law of chemistry, of physics, of rational thought. And yet¡ªit was real. A horrifying possibility crept into his mind. Did he lose his sanity after losing the element? His breath quickened. His pulse pounded. Then his eyes widened as a more terrifying realisation struck him. ''Where am I?'' ''Did someone¡­ kidnap me?'' Impossible. His lab was one of the most secure locations on Earth¡ªa fortress of steel, quantum encryption, and reinforced containment fields. There was no way someone could have broken in, drugged him, and teleported him to¡­ wherever this was. No. This wasn''t just abduction. Something far worse had happened. He forced himself to breathe. To focus. But the world around him remained wrong. The teenagers stood like hollow statues, their chests unmoving, their gazes frozen. Not a single twitch. Not a single breath. Like projections, rather than people. His vision blurred¡ª Then¡ª A flash. A life not his own. Faces. Places. Words. Fragments of memories that did not belong to him crashed into his mind like shattered glass. His knees buckled as an alien flood of emotions surged through him. "No¡­" His voice trembled. "That''s not mine." The visions faded, leaving him with only the pounding of his own heart. His stomach sank. ''Did I just¡­ transmigrate?'' A stunned silence filled the air. Then, a grin spread across his face. "¡­Into the world of Periodic Elementalists?" Impossible. Absolutely, practically, physically, chemically¡ªimpossible. But¡­ theoretically? His eyes darkened. His mind whirled. ''What if Element 119 isn''t just a normal element¡­ but something that connects Earth to another dimension?'' A sudden shift overtook him, and he was back on the platform. But this time¡ª The teenager standing beside him moved, stiffly at first. Then, like a chain reaction, the entire scene came alive. The frozen crowd stirred. Their lifeless gazes blinked awake. And then¡ª A thunderous voice echoed through the air. "¡­And so begins the Attuning Ceremony of Lavester."