Chapter 19: The Mirror of Destiny

Inside the Mystic Realm

Gabriel Stone's POV

"Th...th...this...!!!" Gabriel gasped, frozen in shock and disbelief. His chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe as he stared at the scene unfolding before him. It was surreal, as if everything he thought he knew was being ripped apart before his eyes. Though he was a modern teenager familiar with the concept—having read about it in countless books and seen it adapted on the big screen—nothing could have prepared him for witnessing it in reality.

What made the situation even more bewildering was the fact that he was somehow seeing all this, despite every piece of his body having turned to ashes.

In front of him floated a figure—a man, about 180 cm in height, his clothes tattered and stained with both dried and fresh blood. His body bore signs of severe beatings, and he was cloaked in a strange golden light. Gabriel's eyes were drawn to the man's lower right waist, where fresh blood gushed from a wound—a wound Gabriel recognized as having been caused by a very sharp object, his medical knowledge confirming the severity of the injury.

But what shocked him most wasn't the blood or the injuries. It was the fact that the man looked exactly like him.

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Gabriel's mind, a torrent of theories ranging from the plausible to the utterly absurd. Could this be a long-lost twin? His mind struggled to make sense of the impossible situation.

Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted as the man across from him lifted his right arm and pointed directly at him. The man's lips moved, as if trying to speak, but no sound came out. Gabriel sat there, frozen, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Li...li...light...I...I...im..." The man managed to utter these words before something incredible happened. A strange sensation began building within Gabriel, a powerful force gathering inside him. Before the man could finish speaking, a bright orb of energy burst forth from his body with a blinding flash. The force of the outburst caused the man's arm, which had been pointing at Gabriel, to fall limply to his side.

Before Gabriel could even process what was happening, a voice suddenly spoke in his ears.

---

[Warning!

Detecting two similar soul energies nearby. 

Warning! 

Warning! 

Identical soul found. 

Warning! 

The Essence Harmony system has limitations that prevent it from being compatible with two identical souls simultaneously. 

Initiating analysis, searching for alternate solutions...]

---

The robotic-like voice echoed in Gabriel's ears, and the first word that popped into his mind was "System." He barely registered the phrase "identical soul" as his mind raced.

As a child, Gabriel had loved reading fantasy novels. In many of them, the protagonist would die and then transmigrate to another world with a cheat-like golden finger, known as the "System." The idea of having a "System" and cheating his way through life had always thrilled him. And now, despite the bizarre circumstances, he felt a spark of excitement.

Although Gabriel was still uncertain about where he was, he had a vague notion of what was happening, and it filled him with an unexpected sense of thrill.

Then, suddenly, the robotic voice spoke again.

---

[Analysis completed. 

Alternate solution found. 

Essence Harmony upgrade needed. 

Soul fusion required.

Initiating Essence Harmony Upgrade... 

Upgrade complete. 

Essence Harmony upgraded to Yin-Yang Soul Harmony. 

Initiating soul fusion... 

Soul fusion failed. 

Analyzing error... 

Error found! 

Pre-determined main consciousness must be set. 

Main consciousness needed.

Choosing main consciousness...]

---

Gabriel had been lost in thought, daydreaming about the possibilities ahead, when the robotic voice abruptly interrupted his reverie. The notification jolted him back to reality, and he felt a wave of panic wash over him as he tried to process what was happening.

"Wh... Wh... What! Wai...Wait! D-Don't! Don't do this!" Gabriel screamed, his voice trembling with fear. His emotions were in turmoil, and his face was a mix of anger, confusion, and terror as he tried to grasp the situation.

Just as he was about to finish his desperate plea, another voice echoed in his mind. This one was different—human, clear, and authoritative.

---

"Greetings, Young One."

---

Gabriel's excitement quickly turned into dread as the voice addressed him. "What is this? Who are you?!" he shouted, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and anger.

For a few moments, there was silence, a tense stillness in the air. Then the voice responded, calm and deliberate. "I am the consciousness of this world. Some call me God, some call me Guardian, and others know me as the Voice of the World. Whatever the name, the mission is the same: to guide the people of this world in their fight against the strange creatures and monsters that threaten their existence."

Gabriel was bewildered as the world consciousness began to unravel the history of the world he now found himself in. But he interrupted, his voice tense with anxiety, "Where do I fit into all of this?"

The world consciousness responded, "To begin with, different realities should never interact with each other. Each universe in our cosmos exists on an isolated island of reality to prevent interaction with other universes. If a universe were to collide with another, it would be affected by the ripples from the other universe's bubble. Your world has a theory suggesting the existence of many versions of you in each reality, and I can confirm that there are indeed many different possible versions of you in other universes."

Gabriel's confusion deepened, his mind struggling to grasp the implications. The world consciousness continued, "Let me simplify it for you. Imagine multiple versions of you in every Earth, all occupying the same place in space but vibrating at a different frequency so they can't see or interact with each other. Therefore, you are not supposed to meet the other versions of yourself in those other worlds."

As Gabriel tried to wrap his mind around this concept, he glanced at the body of the man lying next to him. Before he could even form the question in his mind, the world consciousness interjected, "Yes, indeed! Whatever you're thinking right now is correct. That man, and the soul that floats above him, is another version of you—one that exists in another reality."

Gabriel was stunned. "How is this possible when you just said I'm not supposed to meet other versions of myself?"

The world consciousness explained, "There was an error in the execution of the plan. You were supposed to die in your world at the same moment the other you in this world also died. Then your soul would have been brought here to occupy the dead body of the other you. The books in your world refer to this as 'Transmigration.' However, instead of your soul, your entire physical body was summoned to this reality, leading to the current situation."

Gabriel's anxiety mounted as he asked for the fifth time, "Why did these events have to happen just to bring me here? What is the reason I was brought here?" Though he tried to calm down, his voice still carried a trace of agitation.

The world consciousness replied, "For now, you don't need to know the reasons why you were brought here. Just remember that you were brought here for a purpose, and in time, you will understand. As for the other person, even if this event had not taken place, he was destined to die at the hands of bandits just moments ago. The explosion saved him, but now only a thin thread of consciousness remains."

Gabriel was lost in thought, unsure of what to do next. The world consciousness continued, "No one escapes their fate unless they are strong enough to battle it. The fusion of your souls is inevitable, remember that."

As the world's consciousness began to fade, the fusion process—which had momentarily paused—resumed. The surroundings were suddenly filled with bursts of light and explosions, as if a switch had been flipped. The chaotic energy of the fusion surged through the environment once more, and then, just as abruptly, a notification echoed in the air—a signal that the process was beginning again.

---

[Consciousness activated. 

Initiating memory recovery process... 

Memory retrieval successful... 

Commencing memory preservation procedure... 

Memories have been saved. 

Transferring memories to primary consciousness... 

Memory transfer completed! 

Initiating soul fusion in 3, 2, 1... 

Soul fusion in progress.]