"I've actually been living inside you for a long time... I hope you won't disappoint me..."
—A soul within Taga
In the darkness... the surroundings were eerily quiet, save for the rustling of pages turning...
In the unknown void, an old man with a long beard sat on a red sofa, slowly reading the words.
The old man casually picked up a cup of coffee from the table beside the sofa and took a sip.
The book was almost blank, except for a few scattered names, and on one page was a familiar name...
It was... Taga
Meanwhile, on Taga's side...
He was walking down the street with Tina and Syl. He walked through familiar streets and saw familiar faces, but Taga felt something was different.
For example, the friends he and Tina met during their military service—they hadn't joined the army; instead, they had taken up jobs in other industries.
"This place is so similar to my original world, just a few things are different."
Taga sighed, strolling down the street, admiring this different world.
"Here, even the names of countries are different. This place is called the Republic of Cruzlatan."
Tina replied with a smile. It had been a long, long time since she had chatted with Taga like this… even though the Taga beside her wasn't the one she knew.
Just then, Syl came running up from behind, carrying a large bag of food.
"Damn it!! You didn't wait for me again!"
Syl stomped up to them, pouting, as some of the food in his arms spilled out.
Taga immediately used his magic to catch the food and then magically put it back into Syl's bag.
"Don't run so fast…look, the food is falling out."
Taga shook his head helplessly, looking at him like he was a child.
"Who told you to have such long legs!"
Syl stuck out his tongue and picked up a piece of bread to eat.
"Taga, have you ever thought about the possibility that in another world... we never met..."
Tina suddenly fell into thought, slowly uttering these words.
"I don't know... but I know... no matter where we are, we're family. Aren't we?"
Taga shrugged, indicating he didn't know, but then turned and smiled gently, signifying that they could trust each other no matter where they were.
"Hey... you little rascal..."
Tina chuckled and sighed, lightly punching Taga's arm.
They hadn't played around like before for a very, very long time. As time passed... they had gradually grown up...
They walked and looked around like this.
Soon it was noon...
They came to a restaurant. Tina touched her stomach, which rumbled like an earthquake.
"Want to go in and get something to eat? I'm hungry."
Tina pointed to the restaurant, her expression clearly saying how hungry she was.
"I have no objection. Anyway, I'm just a skeleton; whatever I eat will just slide off."
Taga said jokingly, then led Syl and Tina into the restaurant.
Ten minutes later…
Tina looked at the food slowly being placed on the table, then lowered her head and began to eat heartily, her eating manner incredibly appetizing.
"I'll go pay the bill first; this meal is on you."
Taga smiled and took out two gold coins from her pocket, slowly walking towards the counter.
Meanwhile, a white-robed figure sitting at the counter downed a whole glass of beer, slammed the gold coins heavily on the counter, and turned to leave.
Taga was walking towards the counter when the white-robed figure also walked towards her.
Taga and the man in white bumped shoulders face-to-face. The instant their shoulders touched... a deep-seated fear surged into Taga's soul. This fear... was strangely familiar... seemingly the fear he had recently felt...
"Sorry..."
The man in white slowly turned his head, revealing his pale purple mixed with red pupils, apologized, and then walked out of the restaurant.
Taga clutched his chest tightly, his soul trembling wildly with fear... his soul was so terrified that his body couldn't move... even his vision gradually darkened and distorted...
"Boy! Quickly accept this energy! Otherwise, your soul will shatter!"
Suddenly, a voice appeared from the depths of Taga's mind, and a warm power surged into his soul.
Taga closed his eyes, feeling the energy enter his soul, and then he felt the area around his body slowly relax.
Taga then opened his eyes, clenching his fists tightly. He saw that the divine power emanating from his fists had become even stronger.
Taga then took a deep breath and slowly walked to the counter to pay the bill.
After a whole afternoon, Taga, Tina, and Syl returned to the inn to rest.
Taga went back to his room and slowly sat on the bed.
"Come out… I know you're in my mind, I believe you can come out."
Taga said, his head bowed, his tone filled with doubt and confusion.
"You found out… Long time no see, kid!"
At that moment, a figure appeared before Taga, and Taga slowly raised his head to look at it.
"Aren't you a senior from my previous dream? Why did you help me…"
Taga asked疑惑地, clenching his hands tightly.
"That's right! I am the source of the power within you."
The figure emitted a blurry light, its face indistinct.
"Then why do you reside in my body, and why have I gained your power?"
Taga's face was full of suspicion yet also respectful.
"First of all, I don't know why I came into your body. I only remember being beheaded by a one-eyed monster, and then appearing deep within your mind. As for why I gained my power, I don't know either, but I do know that my power chooses the most perfect host."
The indistinct voice spoke to Taga.
Taga lowered his head in silence. He wasn't sure if the other was telling the truth or lying, but it seemed there was no benefit in lying to him…
"Alright, sir, I thank you for your help today. Is there anything I can do to help you? I will do my best."
Taga looked up at the figure and began to ask what kind of help it needed.
"I need resurrection. I need to restore everything."
The figure uttered these words indistinctly, its tone filled with longing.
"Resurrection… I also need to resurrect my friends… I wonder if I can help you with this."
Taga smiled at the figure.
"Thanks, kid. I need to return to your body. I can't stay in reality for too long."
The figure gradually disappeared after speaking. "Sir, what is your name?"
Taga asked the figure's name, raising his palm.
"My name is Zorn!"
The figure replied, its voice gradually fading from reality.
Taga sat on the bed, looking at his palm… He began to recall the white-robed man from earlier that day…
"Who exactly is he…"
Taga pondered…
Meanwhile, within him, Zorn
"The Chosen One… truly a powerful body…"
Zorn uttered these words softly…
And in the rift between the multiverses, the white-robed man Taga had met earlier that day appeared in the rift as well. He removed his white robe, revealing a face identical to Taga's.
"Taga…you're really weak…it seems you can't protect anything…"
Then he vanished into the rift…leaving no trace…
And above all this, a figure was reading a book, his body sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes an unknown form, constantly shifting in every scene.
He gently turned the pages of the book, watching the words slowly appear and disappear.
The figure slowly closed the book, then looked up, quietly enjoying the chirping of the birds.
The surrounding emptiness vanished instantly, replaced by a vast forest.
The figure slowly bent down and picked up a cat, gently stroking its fluffy body.
The cat purred contentedly, nuzzling its head against the figure's arm.
The figure then turned to look at a certain spot, where he had transformed into the old man from before, a kind smile playing on his lips.
"Readers, this is only a small part of the story! Everything is still unknown, so please look forward to it!"