BXBX NOVEL Chapter 18: 18.
Chapter 18: 18.
All was resolved.
He conquered them all.
An accomplished smile was plastered on his face as he thought of this. Though he was stubborn at first, he realized why the system pushed him to face his past.
He was thankful for it.
During his internal monologue, he felt the activation of the teleportation array. His next steps were planned. Now that his mind was stabilized, he had to choose a fitting cultivation technique for his mind, body, and soul.
The traveling between worlds will affect one\'s soul no matter how strong it is. His current body was trained in light exercise techniques, it won\'t be harmful to take it up a notch.
"That takes care of all three. I guess wrapping up college life is next. Hmmm, gaining a few honors will be ideal. Should I look for a job or play around a bit as a taxi driver? That seems fun last time."
Chen Kai playfully mused about the things he can do for fun with his new life while waiting to be transported out of the pagoda.
Feeling the energy dissipate from the array, he opened his eyes. His brows furrowed tightly in confusion when he saw a bare white ceiling and two handling lights above him.
"Eh? Where\'s the dark skies and mystical pagodas? This is not in my plans," he complained. He planned to get to work as soon as he left the MindScape.
An amused chuckle alerted him of another presence in the room. He quickly sat up and came face to face with a mirror.
Not an actual mirror, per say, but an identical phantom.
Chen Kai was confused.
Why was there a phantom of this life? He didn\'t die nor was there much change. What\'s going on?
"You\'re at 95% stability. The remaining 5% is with me. The last of my memories."
Chen Kai folded his legs beneath him and looked at the identical phantom who was seated the same way on the single bed pushed in the corner. He led his eyes to look at the room he was in. This was Chen Kai\'s old bedroom at his home in Zhejiang Province. It was cramped but clean. The walls were painted in a subtle grey, a battered bureau was beside the bed, and opposite it was a second-hand desk with a cheap lamp on it. There was no carpet on the concrete floor, only a faded rug by the bed that had seen better days.
One look can tell anyone what was his position in his household.
He returned his attention to the phantom. This one was different.
It didn\'t pair them as one but differentiated itself when speaking.
Interesting. The phantom is probably a remnant of the original Chen Kai\'s soul.
He looked at the man carefully. He was truly looking at a mirror. Though his complexion was slightly darker, it didn\'t take away from his handsome features. From his black whimsy hair to his dark starry eyes - Chen Kai bore incredible genes and was nurtured carefully from young.
He frowned.
"It seems like you gained a bit more insight into my true background," the phantom said. His smile was plain. There was no feeling behind those words. It led Chen Kai to believe that he had no interest in what he left behind.
"If one was to look deeper, they will find it too."
The phantom nodded.
The two lapsed into silence once more. It wasn\'t uncomfortable, it was simply filled with curiosity. This was a phenomenon. Two souls of one body were communicating.
"You\'re not resentful," Chen Kai said to get things moving.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I know sooner or later I will either die in an \'accident\' or disappear like my mother."
".....Smart."
The phantom shrugged. "Being smart has its downfalls."
"True words," Chen Kai returned bitterly. When he was receiving the initial memories, he also received the original owner\'s deduction of his birth and his parents. It could be written into a novel but the deduction was commonly used by high achievers.
"I want to give you the memories I\'ve suppressed while growing up in that house. I can\'t even call it home. Now that you\'re \'me\' you should get an understanding of everything and decide on your own. You are now Chen Kai. I am a soul on its way to the Yellow River." The phantom grinned his way and waved his hand at the Standing Mirror in the corner of the room.
Memories from age four began to flicker in the mirror. The young Chen Kai held a photo of his mother in his arms with a bright smile.
In the background, his mother appeared with boundless love with a matching smile.
The young Chen Kai grew older, his smile dimmed, and his mother was nowhere around. It was only the man who was said to be his father in the background. He changed from a nice father to a stranger.
A woman came into the picture.
This was his stepmother.
She bore the man two children, two years apart.
As Chen Kai grew older, his smile disappeared but he still held on to his mother\'s photo. The background showed the hidden abuse by his family and the fake smiles they gave the public. He was bullied for his proficiency in academics and athletics by his classmates. They hated that he was good at what he did.
His stepbrother and sister joined the ridicule at home when they came of age.
He had no room to breathe when growing up but he pushed on. He wanted to be the perfect boy his mother told him he was. He also wanted to rely on his own efforts.
Eighteen-year-old Chen Kai filled the mirror. His accomplishment of being the top scorer in the entire Province was celebrated by everyone including the family who saw him as an eyesore. Oh, how they bragged about it.
Their gloating continued when he was accepted into one of China\'s top universities.
Hypocrites.
Leaving the house, he took what he can and made it to his university with the secondhand Jetta he paid for from his \'father\'.
His looks and smarts attracted a lot of females in the first year of college but lessened when they got wind of his financial status. He didn\'t care.
There were a certain group of girls who will find ways to care for him. They were from classes he attended with them. He knew better. He thanked them and stayed at a distance. They all had a tacit understanding.
Social classes were one of the main factors.
Zhang Rui came into the picture. She was used as a shield and a reminder hence the feelings for her were platonic. She was a social climber and he knew it. He didn\'t care.
He was going through the motions of life, waiting for a specific moment.
His death was shown in the mirror. There was no comment from the phantom or Chen Kai. They understood each other clearly. With all the memories bestowed on him, Chen Kai understood what the original soul went through and felt in his last days.
" I always felt like I was pushing at a door that wouldn\'t open. When that poison did its job, the door opened. I happily went through it." The phantom smiled his way.
"Did they hire you?" Chen Kai asked warily. He didn\'t want this soul to go through what he experienced.
The phantom grinned, the appreciation was clear in his eyes.
"I was given two options to choose from after I release this remnant. Eternal Rest or Reincarnation. I chose the latter. I want another shot at this family thing. The Gods of this world assured me that I will have good fortune."
A sigh of relief he didn\'t know he was holding escaped from Chen Kai.
"That\'s good."
"I have no lingering wish to fulfill. You have full reign of the body and name - Chen Kai. I was told it was your retirement gift for your exceptional duties as a transmigrator. Congrats! Don\'t you think it\'s best that we both enjoy life the way we want?"
The two looked at each other with playful grins. It was a glimpse at how close their personalities were.
Carefree. Unbothered. Ruthless. Observant.
"Hehehe! I already made plans to do so. It will be interesting to see what comes my way." Chen Kai had a cheeky grin on his face as he looked at the phantom.
"Even though I won\'t remember this life, I hope I will be able to have some freedom in the next."
"And I wish that for you." Chen Kai\'s words were genuine. The guy was living to perfect the persona his late mother saw him as and was waiting with a knife over his head. Freedom is the best thing for him.
The phantom bowed his head in thanks and gave a small wave of goodbye as its body fades.
Chen Kai took a deep breath and smiled. For the first time in a long while, he was relaxed.
[Mental Faculties - 100%]
~~~~~~~
{.... 78% ......82%...... 91%..... }
{Establishing connections to worldwide information centers.}
{Firewall Upgraded.}
{Internet Security Upgraded.}
{Anit-Virus Program Upgraded}
{User Interface Upgraded.}
{Administrator\'s profile Updated.}
{....100%. Update Installation Successful.}
On the carpeted floor, Chen Kai\'s body finally relaxed as he slowly regained consciousness. A sharp intake of breath broke the silence of the formal living area. Opening his eyes, he saw the five dimmed status screens that were still in their extraction phase.
\'System?\' he called out inwardly.
He groaned when he moved his body. His muscles ached tremendously with every move. Stretching his limbs, he decided to stay on the carpet in that position as he watched the extraction process.
[Yes, host, would you like a full diagnostic?]
\'Not needed. I can feel the changes already. Can you help me find compatible mental and soul cultivation techniques?\'
[Yes, host. They will be available in your next sign in.]
\'Thank you system. Why are my records being handled like this?\' He gestured to the transparent screens above him. He was curious as to why the system was doing such a thing within this world. It\'s usually done in a special pocket dimension within world travel.
The system didn\'t answer. It didn\'t need to.
The extraction stopped. The soft monotone voice filled Chen Kai\'s ear. When it spoke, each screen was stamped with bold red letters.
[Li Yun - Transmigrated.]
[Son Of Destiny: Emperor Vincent Xuan Deluge - Completed]
[Son Of Destiny: SSS Tier 7 Awakener Rok Naline - Completed]
[Son Of Destiny: Divine Doctor Kalum Rennison - Completed]
[Son Of Destiny: Business Tycoon Emmerson Lee - Completed]
[Five exceptional lives have been lived. All respective stars have been stabilized due to the host\'s impressive efforts. Records have been sealed. New Record has been created.]
[Host: Chen Kai - Retired Transmigrator. All skills and talent from past lives have been extracted and placed in the host\'s Tycoon Inheritance. Skills and Talents will be distributed during the host time of natural unconscious state. For optimum retirement, the host\'s personal AI system has been upgraded.]
[Host, rest is required.]
Chen Kai looked at his new record. A sleepy smile was on his face when he read two words over and over before the screens faded.
Retired Transmigrator.
"Not bad." He reached over to the nearest sofa and grabbed the cushion.
"It said the house AI has been upgraded. That\'s nice," he grumbled. Sleep was his top priority now.
Shifting to a better spot, it wasn\'t long before he fell into a deep sleep.
Another day awaits.