Chapter 6: I am Yun Che

Yuuki's consciousness gradually awakened.

"Well, looks like the fusion was successful," he murmured. However, his consciousness began to merge with unfamiliar memories this time, and he started to see images from unknown places. "Wait... What's happening...?"

[System initiating memory fusion between host and the body.]

As the memories merged, he vividly remembered jumping off Cloud's End Cliff. But how could he still be alive? He didn't feel any pain or discomfort. What was going on?

Cloud's End Cliff? What is Cloud's End Cliff?

Yuuki's memories were synchronizing. He had anticipated this, but the mention of a specific place triggered his mind. He found himself hearing two different thoughts in his head. It was as if two distinct consciousnesses were merging into one. It took a while for him to achieve complete synchronization. The system removed unnecessary thoughts from his mind, retaining his own consciousness along with the memories of the new body.

[Warning... Memory overload imminent. Synchronization failed. Reverting to Administration Control.]

[Syncronization Failed - The system will use the novel reference to assist you in this world. Please be mindful of any notifications sent.]

"Novel?" Yuuki tried to synchronize some of the generated memories, but he failed. He could only recall the name 'Cloud End Cliff'.

He strained to remember the words he heard earlier. "Cloud's End Cliff... Cloud's End Cliff..." As he repeated them, he suddenly realized that those words were from somewhere. Were they from a book or the internet? Perhaps both...

Wait...

A realization struck him. Those words were from a book, a novel that he loved. If his deduction was correct, the thoughts he experienced earlier could only mean one thing...

"This body is Yun Che's? That means... This world is the world of Against The Gods?" he exclaimed, realizing that he had been reborn into the world of his favorite novel.

"Wow!!!" Yuuki's excitement knew no bounds. Against The Gods had been his cherished novel. In his previous life, he often discussed it with his sister who shared his interests. Memories of their enjoyable conversations came rushing back.

But he needed to focus.

He managed to regain some sense of clarity amid his confusion. The flood of memories was overwhelming, even for HoYuu. He couldn't recall anything from his childhood. It seemed that Yun Che's first life was a blank slate. He remembered that Yun Che had lived three lifetimes, yet he could recall nothing from the first one.

Strange.

"Let's calm down first... In this world, I am Yun Che," Yuuki said, his consciousness still settling. He needed time to process everything.

"Anyway, let's find out where I am. System, wake me up."

[Consciousness connection in three... two... one...]

Yuuki's eyes suddenly opened, and he quickly sat up. He found himself in a comfortably soft bed, a red banner hanging above him, creating a festive atmosphere. More importantly, he was dressed for a joyous occasion. He patted and rubbed himself, realizing that he was now in Yun Che's body. He was the protagonist of this world. While Yuuki might be his real name, he was now Yun Che.

"Yun Che... I guess that's what I'll go by from now on. So, is this the first chapter or the second?" he pondered while examining his surroundings. "Red banner, festive atmosphere... Oh, I think I know where this is headed... I've read this novel, and I can guess what's happening." If his hunch was right, this was probably...

"Ah! Little Che! You... You're awake!" A girl's surprised gasp reached his ears, and the same girl appeared before him.

At first glance, the girl dressed in green appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen. Her fair complexion, rosy lips, and delicate nose gave her an enchanting look. More importantly, she seemed sincere. He briefly observed her before recognition finally dawned upon him.

"Who are you?" Yuuki's memories of the novel were still fragmentary, and he struggled to identify the girl.

Another part of his mind clicked.

"..Wait, wait, wait... She looks like... Tadokoro Megumi?" he exclaimed internally, though he quickly realized that this Megumi was quite different. Her eyes were blue instead of yellow, and her unbraided hair cascaded down her back. She wore a green dress that exuded a mature aura. Not bad for a fifteen-year-old. He internally celebrated his knowledge of "Shokugeki no Soma," but he knew he couldn't call her Megumi...

"Little Che...? This isn't good! Little Che lost his memories!" the girl cried out.

"What?" Indeed, his synchronization had failed, but before panic could set in, a system notification provided a quick recap of recent events. He used the information to play along, maintaining a groggy tone as he spoke, "Little Aunt?"

The girl's eyes were filled with concern as she looked at him. Yun Che shook his head slowly, as if struggling to gather his thoughts.

"Rest for a while. I'll go inform your grandpa that you're awake. Today is a special day! When you fainted, your grandfather was beside himself and even went to find Doctor Situ."

"Doctor Situ?" He asked internally, but he decided not to dwell on it. The girl was so flustered that she didn't notice the inconsistency in Yun Che's behavior. She gently guided Yun Che back onto the bed and hurriedly left the room.

As the door closed, Yun Che sat on the bed, his hands clutching his head.

[Ding... Initiating Fusion... Fusion successful...]

[Host's soul has merged with the body of the previous owner, Yun Che, due to the host having both human and shinigami modes. The host can switch between Shinigami Mode and Human Mode in this body. The host needs to command the system to switch bodies.]

[Body fusion is currently unavailable.]

"What does this mean?" He queried the system again.

[Host cannot use shinigami powers during Human Mode, and host cannot use Human Powers while in Shinigami Mode.]

"Well, it's similar to Ichigo's situation... Let me think... Let me think..." Yun Che contemplated. It did seem troublesome. Could he merge both Shinigami and Human modes? Swapping bodies might not be convenient for now. "System, perform a scan on this body..."

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[Scanning…Scan complete…]

Yukihira Yuuki

Aliases: Yun Che

Level: 0

Combat Prowess: None

Body Bloodline: Unavailable (Crippled)

Techniques

Divine Medicine Manual (25% Mastered)

Items

1) Sky Poison Pearl (Left-Hand Fused Mode)

The ability to purify all herbs, cure all kinds of poison, and create a medical item through thought as long as the host has sufficient herbs and recipes.

2) Mirror of Samsara

Able to reincarnate through multiple lifetimes. It is currently undergoing cool-down mode.

-----------------------------------

Yuuki looked at his stats and let out a sigh.

"Shinigami Mode level 50, but Human Mode..."

He paused, considering his options. "That's unfortunate. System, can I level up my Shinigami mode and Human mode simultaneously?"

[Yes, the host can gain experience from defeating opponents.]

"Well, that's a relief. I'll be able to make progress on both fronts. Let's explore what else this body has to offer." He mused while attempting to organize his thoughts. Recent memories flooded his mind, detailing how Yun Che had jumped off a cliff, travelled to different continents, and engaged in various events mentioned in the novel.

He activated the mirror, allowing him to shift back to the original owner of the body – not himself, but Yun Che. From now on, he would refer to himself as Yun Che, considering that he had essentially taken over this individual's life.

It was his timeline now.

Standing up from the bed, Yuuki examined himself in the mirror.

Hold on...

"Uchiha Sasuke? This is how Yun Che looks in this world. Lucky guy... No wonder they call him 'Scum Che'... Ugh, not important. I've got his body now. Let's proceed." Yuuki analyzed the appearance, noticing the resemblance to Sasuke. He couldn't help but smirk in a Sasuke-like fashion and muttered, "Sorry, buddy. I'll be borrowing your identity from now on... Uchiha Sasuke... Heh, that could be one of my aliases in the future."

Could this be an alternate dimension where Sasuke takes on the role of Yun Che?

Studying Sasuke's face, a thought crossed his mind.

"Man, Sasuke is pretty good-looking... No wonder all the girls are into him. But in this world, as per the story... meh." Yuuki evaluated before proceeding to interact with his new face. While he wasn't Sasuke, he appreciated the chance to see the world through this perspective.

While he examined himself, an unfamiliar scent wafted into his nose, causing him to feel nauseated. If not for his strong soul, he might have fainted or even died.

[Ding... Poison detected in nearby bowl.]

Guided by the system's notification, he investigated beneath the table, where he found a bowl containing a poisonous substance. Giving it a cautious sniff, he deduced it was "Murdering Heart Powder."

He recognized the composition and realized that he had been murdered. "So, this guy was murdered, and I ended up taking over his life. Quite the unfortunate fate."

"But how did I acquire Yun Che's memories?" He intended to ask the system, but a voice interjected, "Allow me to explain, my boy..."

"Old man Zangetsu?" Zanpakuto's voice echoed in his mind.

"During the fusion process, another soul briefly collided with yours. Your powerful soul overwhelmed and consumed it without you even noticing. The memories, abilities, and items within that soul were absorbed into yours." Old man Zangetsu elucidated the collision of his powerful soul with Yun Che's smaller one, akin to a fly hitting a windshield.

Sure he had everything except the memories.

"So, you're saying I collided with Yun Che's soul and essentially absorbed it?" He inquired, understanding the process as described by Old Man Zangetsu.

"Yes," Old Man Zangetsu confirmed.

"Well, it seems I accidentally merged with Yun Che's soul and took over his life. I apologize, comrade, though it was unintentional. Such things happen." Yuuki expressed his regrets internally. While his collision with Yun Che's soul might have been unavoidable, the outcome was unfortunate for Yun Che.

[Ding... Sky Poison Pearl successfully integrated with the host's left hand.]

Shifting his focus, Yuuki recognized the presence of the Sky Poison Pearl in his hand. "How did Yun Che obtain this? Never mind... I don't need all the details. I read the novel; I know the events." He accessed the system's stored trivia, which contained information from his mind and the novel. Selecting Yun Che's entry, he read...

[In the Profound Sky Continent, profound strength was of utmost importance. Despite being born in the Xiao Clan and being the grandchild of the powerful Fifth Elder, Xiao Lie, Yun Che's profound strength remained at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, even at the age of seventeen. He started training at seven and reached the first level at eight. For the next eight years, his progress stagnated, leading to ridicule from the Xiao Clan. Eventually, Xiao Lie invited the top-tier doctor, Doctor Situ from Floating Cloud City, to examine Yun Che's body. Astonishingly, it was revealed that Yun Che had severely damaged profound veins, almost irreparable.]

Absorbing the information, Yuuki shook his head, summarizing the situation. "Yun Che has faced hardships. System, can you restore his body to its healthy state?"

[System can restore full health within an hour for 5000 system points.]

Considering the situation, Yuuki hesitated. "Hmm, I could spare the..." Then he had an epiphany. "Wait... The Evil God aspect... I almost forgot. System, perhaps later. There's something I need to address before allowing the recovery. For now, I have a score to settle with this clan for abandoning Yun Che and attempting his murder."

As the system registered the term "Evil God," a new notification appeared.

[Ding... Activated Exclusive Mission. Acquire the Evil God's Indestructible Blood.]

Reward: Unknown

[Ding... Activated Exclusive Mission. Establish dominance in Floating Cloud City.]

Reward: Achievement "Dominant Force" achieved, 7000 system points, 10000 XP, and Zabimaru.

"Zabimaru...?" Yuuki recollected from the anime how Renji wielded Zabimaru, carving a path to prominence. He contemplated the potential power of another Zanpakuto in battle.

"Zabimaru might prove useful in tight situations. The system truly has an abundance of power. Yun Che's life is about to diverge slightly from the original story."

"Oh, right. Profound strength. I can't cultivate in this body yet. The system rewards are inactive until my recovery is complete. If I recall correctly, I'm meant to encounter that Jasmine girl after a brief interaction with Megumi – I mean, Little Aunt. Having knowledge of the story is a spoiler, but I'll undoubtedly shake this world up someday. For now, I need to overcome the absence of profound strength. My status shows that I'm currently at level 0." He observed his new body, aware of the changes he needed to make.

Yun Che could be considered an expendable character, with few caring about his fate. Today, however, someone had attempted his murder using the rare and valuable Murdering Heart Powder. Yuuki understood the motive.

Today was his wedding day with Xia Qingyue.

Xia Qingyue, also sixteen, was known for her profound strength, which had reached the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm – on the cusp of advancing to the Nascent Profound Realm. Additionally, she possessed remarkable beauty and charm, earning her the title of Floating Cloud City's most beautiful girl. Numerous youths admired her capabilities.

"Xia Qingyue," Yuuki thought, having read about her in his original world. She was someone dedicated to her cultivation, a trait he admired but also resented for its cold and arrogant disposition.

Today's event marked the wedding between him and Xia Qingyue. Intent on turning the tables, he declared, "Sure, I'll marry you... Let's see who leaves whom tonight."

As he ventured towards the door, Yuuki pondered if this choice was the right one.