Ken froze. A cold sweat crept down his back as he felt the weight of a gaze pierce through him. The statue that had once been immobile, lifeless stone... was now directly behind him. Its presence carried an eerie pressure, like time itself was bending around it.
The figure stood tall, its demonic mask grinning with an unnatural smirk, two horns curled upward like ancient symbols of forgotten power.
"Who... r..e you?" Ken stammered, his throat dry as he turned slowly to face the statue.
The mask tilted slightly. "Oh me? I'm Grim. The Guardian of the Parallel Realms," the statue spoke casually, as though it were greeting an old friend. Its mask shifted subtly, mouth curling into a more pronounced grin.
Ken took a cautious step back, eyes wide. The room hadn't changed, but everything felt different. The air itself now seemed alive with something unexplainable.
"Where am I?" Ken asked, still reeling from the impossibility of it all.
Grim chuckled, voice echoing as if from multiple planes. "Ahh, the classic 'Where am I?' trope. I'd rate that a solid seven out of ten. You're in a temple."
Ken blinked. "I mean, even I can figure that out... but what is this temple?"
The grin on Grim's mask widened, and the statue floated lazily through the air before settling atop the altar like an ancient king returning to his throne. "Now that would be a spoiler. And spoilers kill the fun. I can't reveal that."
Ken sighed, frustration barely hidden in his voice. "Okay, so what do I even do here?"
Grim clapped his hands with a dramatic flourish. "Well! You've gained the ability to control your parallel versions!"
Ken squinted. "What do you mean?"
"You can gain the consciousness of your parallel versions across other universes," Grim explained, leaning close until the mask was just inches from Ken's face.
Ken instinctively stepped back. The idea felt too big to grasp.
"Can I use it now?" he asked quietly.
Grim straightened. "Yes. You can. And may. Use it now."
Suddenly, a soft chime echoed in Ken's ears. A blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes, its glow reflecting in Grim's mask.
---
[Status UI]
Name: Ken Valors
Age: 18
Tier: 1-1
Str: 10
Agi: 10
Int: 10
Sta: 10
Skills: [Consciousness Transfer]
---
[Would you like to use {Consciousness Transfer} now?]
{Yes / No}
Ken stared at the screen. Every instinct told him to hesitate, but his curiosity was louder.
He tapped Yes.
A sudden, indescribable pull yanked at his very being. His vision cracked like glass, sound spiraled in reverse, and then—silence.
[Consciousness Transferred]
---
In a dimly lit room, four individuals sat in a perfect circle, their backs straight and faces calm. A single candle burned at the center, perched atop a circle of chalk and dark runes carved into stone.
"Let's bust this myth," said the red-eyed one, a cynical edge in his voice.
Without further words, they lit the candle at exactly 3:00 AM.
Then, in unison, they began to chant:
"Oh, the forgotten lands, the little hands, the death of the sea, the heir of the mist. May we welcome you so that you may be free, all is lost, all is lost..."
As the final word faded, the candle flickered once... then stilled.
"Was this ritual fake? I mean, did we really believe some ritual from the internet?" the red-eyed man muttered, irritation creeping into his tone.
Then the flame turned blue.
[Consciousness Transfer Completed]
[Downloading Memories...]
18%... 49%... 63%... 100%
[Memories Implemented]
Ken opened his eyes—or rather, Xen Xiao's eyes.
The ritual had cost Xen Xiao his life. Ken had arrived in a body freshly vacated by a soul torn apart by something far older than myths.
He looked around, still reeling from the newly downloaded memories, his pulse syncing with the flickering candle. The three others were unaware of what had just transpired.
Liyue Han: Blonde hair, crimson eyes, a flickering spark of recklessness in her gaze.
Wei Zen: Dark-haired, hazel-eyed, his posture calm but tightly wound.
Liang Yue: Brown hair, dark eyes, her stare sharp and quiet like a hidden dagger.
The ritual hadn't failed.
It had succeeded in the worst possible way.
---
A/N - Power System Explanation
TIERS:
Power is ranked in tiers, and each tier has 3 sub-tiers: Low, Mid, High. The lowest starting tier is 1. Reaching a new sub-tier requires training, cultivation, artifact use, or consuming special potions.
To break into a new tier, the individual must undergo a trial in the Dream Realm, a reality-bending challenge that tests body, mind, and soul. Survive the Dream Realm trial, then survive the Heavenly Tribulation. Fail either? You die. Succeed? You level up.
STATS:
Each person has four base stats:
Str (Strength): Physical power
Agi (Agility): Speed and reflexes
Int (Intelligence): Mental power, skill efficiency
Sta (Stamina): Endurance and energy control
Every new tier unlocks higher stat caps. For example:
Tier 1: Stat cap is 100
Tier 2: Stat cap is 500
Some gain skills from the Dream Realm. Others awaken talents. The true monsters? They get both.
That's all for now. More info will come naturally as Ken climbs. Until then, enjoy the ride.
---
A/N : Fun facts or just facts.
The World Xen Xiao is in is called Azure Lat of the Pir galaxy. An galaxy known for its beautiful sceneries.
The Pir galaxy is 6.9 million years away from the Mico galaxy. This galaxy is also the first galaxy Ken has transferred too.
The other knowledge would be spoken layer, till then, Peace Out 🤞🏻