Chapter Text
Zhou Mingrui woke up to pain.
Painful! So painful!
His first thought was that he had to get ready for work. His second was that, with such a painful headache, he ought to stay home instead and enjoy some paid leave.
Then he looked up and was greeted by a blood-red moon.
He stood up in shock, only for his weak legs to fail him. He fell back onto the chair he’d been sitting on.
Glancing around the room, he discovered a mirror. It reflected a young man of medium build with black hair, brown eyes and average features with a rather deep outline. He exuded a distinct scholarly air.
Looking back towards the open notebook on the desk, he found text written in Hermes. “Everyone will die, including me.”
...
Maybe he won’t get to enjoy that paid leave after all.
Silently, he snuck through the halls towards the communal bathroom.
As he washed the blood out of his clothes, he thought of his sister – No, Klein’s sister – who still had to go to school tomorrow morning. He resolved to clean up the blood stains left behind in his room.
He looked up at the mirror above the sink, staring at his reflection. Klein Moretti’s dull brown eyes stared back at him, boring into his soul.
Zhou Mingrui looked away.
He stayed awake until the sun rose, dyeing the horizon a brilliant golden. Unlike the moon, it was the same colour as the Earth’s sun.
Then, his sister – No, Zhou Mingrui didn’t have a sister – woke up, and he quickly realized he should have hidden the gun. He scrambled to shove it into the desk drawer.
The commotion caught Melissa’s attention, and Zhou Mingrui swiftly came up with an excuse. Melissa looked at her brother as though he was mentally retarded.
After the two had breakfast, and Melissa had left for school, Zhou Mingrui gazed unseeingly at the closed door.
Some time later, he stood up and got ready to head out.
As he walked through the bustling streets of Tingen, clutching the notes tightly, Zhou Mingrui couldn’t help but look around the unfamiliar yet familiar environment.
Filthy water splashed on a nearby pedestrian as a filthy-looking child rushed through the crowd as a vendor halted his hawking to shout profanities. “Grab that thief!” he yelled, even as the child vanished into the sea of people.
Zhou Mingrui’s eyes followed the little body as it ran into a dark and narrow alley.
A circus act? Melissa would definitely like it. However, how much does it cost?
“Would you like to do a divination?”
Zhou Mingrui turned his head to see a woman wearing a pointed hat and a long black dress standing in front of a tent. Her face was smeared with red and yellow paint.
He declined the offer. However, when the lady mentioned tarot divination, he was reminded of the man who invented it in this world, Roselle Gustav.
Is this a transmigration senior?
Reluctantly, and more than a bit worried about the price, Zhou Mingrui agreed to a divination. He followed the lady into the tent, seeing familiar tarot cards on the table.
“The Magician”, “The Emperor”, “The Hanged Man”, and “Temperance”… Could Roselle have been a fellow countryman of mine?
Before he could finish his inspection, the lady had gathered all the cards and shuffled them into a deck. She pushed it in front of him and told him to shuffle the cards and cut the deck.
After the lady had asked him what he wanted to have divined, she asked him to reshuffle the cards and cut the deck once more. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Mingrui did as she asked once more.
“There won’t be any problems this time, right?” he asked her, placing the already cut deck back on the table.
“No problem,” she responded. The fortune teller took a card from the top of a deck.
Her voice went lower as she spoke, laying the card on the table, “This card symbolizes your past.”
She placed a second card in front of Zhou Mingrui. “This card symbolizes your present.”
The third card was placed to his right. “This card symbolizes your future,” the fortune teller finished.
“Alright,” the lady said after having placed the card, gazing into his eyes, “which card would you like to see first?”
After giving it some thought, Zhou Mingrui chose to have a look at his ‘present’ first.
The fortune teller nodded slowly and flipped over the card that was directly in front of Zhou Mingrui. On it, a colourfully dressed character was depicted. He wore splendid headgear, with a stick over his shoulder. A bindle hung from the end of the stick, and a puppy followed behind him. The card was numbered “0”.
“The Fool,” the fortune teller softly spoke, her eyes fixed on him.
After placing the four loaves of rye bread around the room, Zhou Mingrui came to the center of the room and took a few seconds to collect himself. Then, he took a step forward and went in a counterclockwise direction in the shape of a square.
When he took the first step, he chanted in a low whisper: “The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
When he took the second step, he continued, “The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
When he took the third step, he breathed out, “The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Lastly, on the fourth step, he chanted, “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Zhou Mingrui returned to his original spot at the center of the room, holding his breath. Would this work? Could he make it back home?
Suddenly, the surrounding air seemed to stop, turning thicker and mysterious. Murmurings resounded within his head, whispering into his ears – yet when he tried to comprehend what they were telling him, he could understand nothing.
His head felt like it was splitting apart once more, a re-enactment of his arrival in this world. He tried to open his eyes to assess his situation, but found himself incapable of even that.
As his body felt like it was being compressed, becoming tighter and tighter, Zhou Mingrui couldn’t help but mock himself, You wouldn’t die if you didn’t court death…
Just as he couldn’t bear it any longer, the murmurings let up and the pain faded into nothingness. His surroundings had become deathly quiet. When he tried to open his eyes this time, he succeeded with ease.
An endless gray mist spread out before him, hazy and indescribable.
What’s with this situation?
When he looked down, he discovered that he was floating right above a thick, endless fog. His eyes caught on countless red stars as he looked around. Just as he was about to instinctively reach out to one of them, he noticed two towering stone pillars that extended out from the fog beside him.
As he traced the stone pillars upwards with his eyes, he had to crane his neck to see the beginnings of what appeared to be a dome above him. Realizing that he’d been looking in the wrong direction, Zhou Mingrui turned around to inspect the vast dome from a proper angle.
The dome encapsulated numerous imposing stone pillars. Right underneath it stood a long, bronze table with ten high-back chairs on either side in a symmetrical arrangement, along with a chair on each of the two ends of the table. The back of each chair shone a faint crimson red, drawing the outlines of strange constellations that differed from reality.
Opposite him, at the head of the table, sat a figure enshrouded in fog.
Zhou Mingrui inhaled sharply, stumbling back in shock.
His thoughts raced as he took in the appearance of the figure. It was wrapped in a strange cloak; the robe’s outer lining was an ethereal pitch-black, while a warm and gentle glow radiated from its inner lining as though it was woven from liquid sunbeams.
The figure sat deathly still, but Zhou Mingrui subconsciously knew it wasn’t a corpse. Though there was no sound in this mysterious realm, he could inexplicably feel its slow and steady breathing. Though its appearance was distinctly humanoid, Zhou Mingrui instinctively knew it was far from mortal.
As he thought this, Zhou Mingrui’s eyes widened in enlightenment.
Perhaps… Is this a slumbering monster?
Zhou Mingrui, an experienced keyboard warrior, called upon the wisdom he had obtained from reading countless web novels to analyse his current situation.
I shouldn’t wake it!
However, his realization had come too late. The hazy veil of mist in the realm churned as the being stirred awake. Its head raised slightly from where it had slumped forward; its fingers unwrapped from the chair’s armrests. Mist gathered around it, condensing into a thick fog that hid its facial features.
Subconsciously, Zhou Mingrui lowered his gaze to the thick gray fog underneath.
A wave of hazy fog washed over him as the being slowly sat upright, tapping its finger against the armrest of its chair. Zhou Mingrui forcibly supressed the shivers wracking through his body, but his hands continued trembling against his will.
He braced himself for the deity’s wrath.
…
However, nothing happened.
Instead, an exhausted sigh resounded within the mysterious realm, echoing across the vast expanse of fog. Zhou Mingrui could feel its gaze roam across the realm, lingering on the countless red stars.
Finally, the being’s gaze landed on Zhou Mingrui. He could feel its eyes boring into his soul – could feel the gray fog swirl around him, wrapping around his legs and crawling up his sides, poking probingly at his skin.
An agonizing eternity seemed to pass before Zhou Mingrui felt the fog inspecting him jolt. It promptly receded, taking the entity’s oppressive scrutiny with it.
Quiet words muttered in familiar Loenese resounded within the fog, bouncing off the stone pillars.
“I was hoping for another hour…”
The being’s voice reverberated within Zhou Mingrui’s skull, making his head pound – yet the contents of the message had his head snap up in shock and his jaw drop in bafflement.
How anticlimactic! he mentally exclaimed.
Is this what an all-powerful existence should be saying in this situation? Where is the heavenly retribution!? Where is the divine indifference!? I’ve been scammed!
Based on his experience as an experienced keyboard warrior, Zhou Mingrui had certain expectations of this mysterious entity. However, said powerhouse had completely failed to live up to his fantasies. His mental image of a powerful titan fractured.
Effectively shocked out of his reverent awe, Zhou Mingrui stared at the being in utter bafflement. The figure’s gaze stared right back at him through the thick concealment shrouding its facial features.
Zhou Mingrui looked down at his feet, where the fog swirled and twisted around itself, pushing uncomfortably at his calves. He looked back up at the being, whose lips were pursed together underneath a veil of fog.
This creature… is it somehow connected to the gray fog? When it awoke, the fog responded, and when it looked at me, the fog concentrated around me as well. Is it the personification of the gray fog, or is it in control of it to a certain extent?
Then, is the fog an extension of them? Does it reflect their mental state?
Subconsciously influenced by the gray fog’s reactions to his presence, Zhou Mingrui had started referring to the figure as a person.
There’s no way… Mentally, he shook his head.
Despite the fog covering their face, Zhou Mingrui subconsciously knew that the being slowly, tiredly blinked at him. They appeared to be in a bit of a daze.
…It seems I woke them from their slumber prematurely. Now I feel bad…
The silent stare-down continued as thoughts flashed through Zhou Mingrui’s mind.
What is this realm?
Why did the ritual bring me here? Evidently, this person did not bring me here – they were still sleeping when I arrived. However, it seems the ritual is indeed rather mysterious…
First, it seems to have been the trigger for my transmigration, and now it seems to be the cause of my arrival here. Ergo, this space should somehow be connected to my transmigration!
Although re-enacting the ritual didn’t transport me back home, this space may hold the answers to my questions, he finally solidified his thoughts, mentally nodding at the conclusions he’d made.
He zoned back into reality, inspecting the other person within this space. They were still staring at him silently, not speaking a word.
This space is definitely connected to this person. They must also play a role in my transmigration, then. However, they were completely caught off guard by my arrival – how much do they truly know?
If this were a manga, they would be the god that caused the main character’s transmigration. The god would give the main character a quest to fulfil, and in exchange they would allow the protagonist to go back home.
Mentally, Zhou Mingrui shook his head amusedly.
I should stop thinking ridiculous things. This is reality, and I am no main character in a web novel.
He decided to stay silent as he waited for this mysterious being to speak.
...
Yet, the person merely blinked slowly at him once again.
Uh… This situation is really quite awkward. Are they not going to say anything?
Thinking back on the extensive amount of time the other person had spent inspecting Zhou Mingrui earlier, he decided that he’d have to break the silence himself.
He walked towards the long table, standing beside the chair at the foot of the table.
“My apologies for disturbing your…” Zhou Mingrui hesitated, then. He searched through the recesses of his mind for a more dignified alternative to ‘nap’, before he finally found the word he was looking for– “slumber. However, where is this? Who are you?”
Through the mist, Zhou Mingrui could see the other blink slowly again. It seemed this was a quirk of theirs. Like a cat, he thought – before he immediately banished the thought.
The entity didn’t seem hostile, but they were still undoubtedly powerful. He had to stay cautious and respectful!
After a beat had passed, the fog jolted, pushing against Zhou Mingrui’s calves as the person seemed to come out of their daze, finally opening their mouth. “This…” they said, their voice trailing off.
Another beat passed, and then– “I am the current owner of this place.”
...
As the words reverberated within his skull – the feeling as though a thousand ping pong balls were bouncing off the insides of his skull – Zhou Mingrui tried his best to suppress an eye twitch.
Was this how Melissa had felt when he had asked her to repair their father’s watch earlier this morning?
That answers absolutely nothing!
He breathes out. Calm down, calm down.
At the very least, this answers one of my questions. This person is indeed connected to this space – they’re the owner! Hence, they must somehow be related to my transmigration. Perhaps they can tell me how I can go back...
However, they were asleep when I arrived here... This doesn’t align with my hypothesis. If they were the one who summoned me here, then why would they leave me with their ‘IP address’, only to forget about it later?
With no further information, all Zhou Mingrui could do was to investigate further. Hopefully, the entity would provide hints that he could use to grasp the truth behind the matter. However, he had to remain cautious.
Though they are likely already aware, it’s best to keep my cards close to my chest. Until I can confirm with certainty that they are aware of my transmigration, I won’t bring it up myself.
I wouldn’t want to be burned at the stake if anyone were to find out that the soul within this body isn’t Klein Moretti, but Zhou Mingrui!
The method to determine whether the being was aware of his transmigration was simple. If the being questioned him on how Zhou Mingrui had gotten into their realm, they likely knew nothing; if they did not, they were probably already in the know.
As he was thinking, the person across from him raised a hand and rapped their index on the long table as the fog swirled uncomfortably around Zhou Mingrui’s legs. When they spoke again, their voice did not cause his head to ache.
“There’s no need for apologies,” they spoke in a strangely familiar, masculine voice that sounded both gentle and velvety. “I should have expected your arrival.” Subconsciously, Zhou Mingrui thought their voice sounded rather pleasant.
After the being said those words, they – along with the fog – stilled. However, Zhou Mingrui’s attention had already been captured by the information the being had just revealed; he didn’t notice their change in demeanour.
They knew I might come here? Then they must be aware of the ritual – and more importantly, my transmigration!
Unwittingly, Zhou Mingrui had already stepped towards the edge of the long table at this realization, smacking his hands on its cold surface as he leaned forward. Eagerly, he asked, “Do you know how I can go back?”
The question was intentionally vague. To anyone unaware of his transmigration, it would seem as though he was merely asking how to leave the mysterious realm. However, those who knew would understand the hidden, underlying meaning – made obvious by Zhou Mingrui’s sudden excitement:
Do you know how I can go back to my own world?
The person across the table reeled back in their chair at his sudden assertiveness, though they quickly calmed down. With a sigh, they assumed an upright position – their posture relaxed despite the serious manner they regarded Zhou Mingrui in.
Focused on the being’s reaction, Zhou Mingrui barely registered as the fog turned heavy, emitting a dark and oppressive feeling. A suffocating pressure pinned his feet in place, threatening to cut off the circulation within his legs.
“That is something I cannot answer yet,” the figure said, locking their ten fingers together above their lap as they crossed their legs.
But why? Zhou Mingrui thought.
The lips under the veil of fog thinned. As though they could read his mind, the being elaborated, “If I told you the answer as you are now, you would die.”
Stunned, Zhou Mingrui turned silent, taking in the information.
“Then,” he said after a second passed. “What can I do to obtain the right to know?”
He did not ask why or how he would die if he received an answer. Whether the entity would have to kill him if he knew, or if there was some other reason for their secrecy: this all came secondary – all Zhou Mingrui cared about was going home.
The being had the answers to his questions; they were the key to his return. Zhou Mingrui would do anything they asked him to – so long as it didn’t conflict with his principles – if, at the end of the road, he got to return home.
The person at the head of the table raised their entwined fingers to their lips, hiding their mouth. They gazed at Zhou Mingrui; the oppressive fog unmoving at his feet.
Feeling anxiety bubble up within him, Zhou Mingrui keenly awaited their response.
Seconds passed in silence.
Finally, the person sighed quietly – barely loud enough for Zhou Mingrui to perceive. Their gaze turned downward as they spoke in an ethereal voice, “I shall warn you now: the path you seek will not be easy. Your journey will be fraught with danger, and you will constantly have to face both mental and physical challenges.”
They looked up again, staring intently into Zhou Mingrui’s eyes. “At the end of that journey, the answers you will find may not be the answers you wish for.”
Silence descended upon the realm of fog once more as the words echoed in Zhou Mingrui’s head. As a creeping dread crawled up his spine at the depressing future the figure laid out for him, a dark, mocking thought appeared at the front of his mind.
You speak exactly like that charlatan from earlier.
“Or,” the being said, “you could choose to continue your life in Tingen as Klein Moretti. You could get a good job and offer a better life for your siblings. You could make new friends, find someone to share the rest of your life with, and become a proud uncle.”
They uncrossed their legs, placing them firmly next to each other. Their hands lowered to rest on their knees, revealing their mouth. Their jaw was clenched – tense; their lips were pressed firmly together in a thin line.
“I ask you,” the being spoke solemnly, “Are you certain you wish to walk this path?”
...
For a moment, Zhou Mingrui wondered whether this person truly wanted him to follow their machinations. For a moment, he wondered why they seemed more concerned about his decision than he was.
For a moment, he thought that they were kind.
...
However, their consideration mattered little to Zhou Mingrui. He had already decided the lengths he was willing to go to. To him, little mattered more than his return to his home – his little apartment with his games and rowdy neighbours, his family and friends.
“Yes,” he responded.
The being across from him looked at him for another second, before they sighed, resigned. “Alright then,” they breathed out, briefly closing their eyes. “In that case, I will aid you – in return for your future aid.”
When they looked at Zhou Mingrui again, they leaned forward, resting their elbows on the table and clasping their hands together underneath their chin. “You will have to become strong,” they said. “I will provide you with the means to grow – however, you will have to handle certain matters yourself.”
That’s fine. Zhou Mingrui nodded. He hadn’t expected them to help him at all, beyond providing him with a general direction. This was already more than he had been expecting.
The figure pursed their lips as they considered their next words. “As for where you have to begin–” The corners of their mouth twisted up into a wry smile. “–you are quite lucky. Your first step into the world of Beyonders has already been prepared by your body’s previous tenant.”
...What?
His befuddlement must have shown on his face, because suddenly a light laugh rang out through the mysterious realm, tinkling like windchimes as the fog danced around his feet.
The person sat at the head of the table had a hand covering their mouth. The fog concealing their face let up slightly, allowing a pair of starlight eyes curved into silver crescents to peek through.
At the sight, Zhou Mingrui was hit by a wave of nostalgia. He balled his hands into fists as his chest tightened with a deep, nameless yearning.
The tinkling laughter faded, and the starlight crescents softened into a dim, silver gaze heavy with pity. A gray veil returned, hiding the majestic sight from Zhou Mingrui’s gaze once more as the fog swirled quietly at his feet.
A light tap resounded within the mist, breaking the silence as the being rapped their finger against the table. “You don’t have to worry about anything for now – is what I’m trying to say. The stairs you must climb have already been laid out for you.”
“You will understand what I mean in due time,” they said with a gentle smile. “For now, you merely have to go on with your day as you would have otherwise.”
Zhou Mingrui mutely nodded in response. Inside of the privacy of his thoughts, however, he couldn’t help but lampoon.
What a charlatan…
How vague are these directions – are you truly helping me, or are you pulling this out of your potentially non-existent ass?
The fog pushed uncomfortably at his ankles, pulling him out of his rude thoughts. He focused back on the person across from him and found a thinned set of lips on their face.
Eh – don’t tell me they can read my mind…
Deciding to stay blissfully ignorant, he decided to ask the being a different question.
“May I ask why I would die if you told me the answer to my question now?”
Initially, he had theorized that the entity would have to kill him to keep the information from spreading. However, over the course of their conversation, he had found them to be far too considerate of him to do such a thing.
A person such as this wouldn’t resort to such extreme measures, even if they were worried about an information leak; they would, at most, imprison him. Hence, Zhou Mingrui deduced that there must be some other reason for their secretiveness. As this being had been nothing but forthcoming with him, he deemed the situation safe enough to ask.
The other tilted their head to the side at the question – like a cat, Zhou Mingrui faintly thought, before quickly dismissing the notion. They tapped the armrest of their chair in thought, before shaking their head with a small smile on their lips.
“You will investigate this later anyways – why ask now?” they said, shaking their head with an exasperated smile on their face.
Despite their words, they explained, “In this world, information that is too complex for your brain to comprehend will cause you to go insane. The only way to learn these secrets without losing your mind is to grow stronger.”
...
Huh.
Zhou Mingrui stared blankly at the person across from him. Then, his jaw dropped, his mouth and eyes widening in shock.
Wait, what?
This world is very dangerous!
At his feet, the fog licked at his ankles. The being in front of him continued to smile quietly, though the corners of their lips twitched up slightly in amusement.
You sure have a morbid sense of humour, don’t you, Zhou Mingrui lampooned inside of his mind.
The two sat in silence as Zhou Mingrui processed the information he had obtained during their exchange, until he was abruptly jolted out of his thoughts. The fog below jumped – a brief pressure against his legs – before it settled down again, brimming with restless energy.
Questioningly, he directed his gaze inquisitively towards the head of the table.
The person sat in the seat of honour chuckled. “Ah,” they acknowledged, offering Zhou Mingrui a polite yet sheepish smile, “I’m supposed to attend to something else today as well.”
When Zhou Mingrui’s eyes turned even more curious, their smile turned strained. They tapped their armrest in thought, while the fog churned quietly at Mingrui’s feet. “There are still matters to discuss…” they muttered.
A gaze hidden from Zhou Mingrui’s sight turned its direction on him. The being pursed their lips as the rhythmic tapping waned.
Finally, they let out a quiet, tired sigh.
“Would you like to join the club I’m about to establish?” they asked, folding their hands together above their lap.
“A club?” Zhou Mingrui subconsciously asked out loud. Internally, questions popped up.
Why would a being as mysterious as this create a club, of all things? What are they planning to do with it – have the members compose poems to honour their existence?
In his mind, images had already begun popping up based on his experience in his home world. The figure shrouded in fog played the lead role in each of them – presiding over a group of high schoolers as they cooked, watched movies and did arts and crafts.
The being’s lips curled up in a polite smile, but he noticed the tension in their jaw. “I suppose it is more of a gathering of unique individuals,” they said as the fog writhed against Zhou Mingrui’s pants.
The person leaned back in their chair, their smile becoming more subdued; the fog below stilled. “I intend to create an organization where the attendees can share information and materials with one another.”
They looked up, meeting Zhou Mingrui’s eyes through the haze covering their face. “You could use it to become stronger,” they said.
Zhou Mingrui blinked at the revelation. Truthfully, the creation of this ‘club’ seemed too coincidental – it almost felt as though the being decided to create the organization purely for his benefit.
Of course, this was a ludicrous thought. Mentally, he mocked himself, You sure think highly of yourself, Zhou Mingrui.
However, the person’s decision to create a probably illegal, underground – abovefog? – organization did bring up certain questions. Was this group the being’s preparations for their future plans that they may need Zhou Mingrui’s help with?
The organization has not yet been established, so I won’t have to worry about being treated an outsider. A gathering of unique individuals… How powerful would these people be, is the question.
As if reading his mind, the being spoke up again, interrupting Zhou Mingrui’s thoughts. “These individuals will come from different places and will join for different reasons. Their strength and influence will vary, although most will be beginners, like you.”
Thoughtfully, Zhou Mingrui nodded. After a moment of consideration, he made his decision. “I will join.”
The person nodded, and that was that. Before he could ask any follow-up questions, they reached out to two nearby stars that glowed bright red in the fog, and Zhou Mingrui’s vision was overtaken by a flash of red light.