"Hello there, Egyptian Gods."
Within the mental spiritual space, three figures—red, yellow, and blue—manifested before Aomori. However, their forms were significantly smaller than they appeared in the outside world, not even reaching Aomori's height.
After claiming the three God Cards, Aomori had proactively extended his psychokinesis to offer a greeting. He hadn't expected them to have such fierce tempers; instead of responding, they had charged into his spiritual space together.
However, upon seeing the giant-like figure of Aomori within this realm, they appeared somewhat dazed.
"What exactly are you? How can a human soul be more powerful than us, the Gods?" the hot-tempered Obelisk the Tormentor was the first to speak, his voice echoing wordlessly.
In this spiritual space, communication was seamless.
"Hey, watch your tone. No need for insults," Aomori quipped. "I'm a human, just a slightly powerful one."
"Our apologies. We have never encountered a human with power rivaling a deity; we were merely surprised," said The Winged Dragon of Ra, positioned in the center.
Slifer the Sky Dragon, circling above, added, "Furthermore, your sudden appearance obstructed our mission to assist the Pharaoh. We could not discern if you were friend or foe."
"Souls do not lie. You should be able to sense by now that I harbor no ill will," Aomori said with a smile.
"Indeed. That is why we ceased our attack."
"Human who rivals the Gods, what is your ultimate purpose?"
"Simple." Aomori nodded slightly. "I wish to learn and comprehend the deeper rules of power from you. In exchange, I will help you defeat the Great Evil God, Zorc Necrophades."
The Three Egyptian Gods looked at one another and nodded. "Deal!"
Following this, Aomori extended his psychokinesis into each of the three God Cards to explore their power. Although the strength contained within the cards was but a fraction of their true forms, it held the essence of their energy.
After studying them for a time, Aomori accepted Yugi's request to travel to Egypt to recover the Pharaoh's memories and true name.
Of course, Aomori had known Yami Yugi's name all along, but he intended to save that revelation for the most critical moment.
With Aomori's hidden influence, Zorc Necrophades manifested sooner than in the original timeline. While Aomori held the Great Evil God at bay, the Pharaoh reclaimed his name and successfully sacrificed the Three Egyptian Gods to summon The Creator of Light, Holactie.
The Great Evil God vanished into the boundless light without so much as a whimper; its darkness was simply no match for such power.
Benefiting from the clash of these two supreme entities, Aomori's understanding of Light and Darkness deepened further, reaching the pinnacle level.
Feeling a sudden thrumming deep within his soul, Aomori murmured to himself, "It is time to return and settle things once and for all."
He tore through space and leapt inside. From his soul, a faint, blurry white line extended, shooting toward the distance with unwavering persistence.
That was the final destination where his soul belonged.
…
Within the red mist floated a shattered white sphere.
A Mist Beast, roughly the same size as the sphere, lay draped over it. Two massive eyeballs peered through the fissures in the sphere, scanning the ruined land within with cold indifference. Its long body coiled around the white sphere again and again, while centipede-like legs bit into the surface, relentlessly devouring its essence.
In the distance, the clone sent by Aomori watched this scene with a deep gaze.
"It really is a Mist Beast..."
However, this beast was clearly weaker than the tentacled monster he had encountered previously. Aomori did not feel the absolute despair of certain death this time. But even if it were a more powerful Mist Beast, he would not easily abandon this chance for vengeance.
Unlike last time, Aomori didn't have a single thought of running away. He proactively dispelled the clone and returned to his original body; Aomori's eyes instantly turned as cold as ice.
After consuming a Senzu Bean to restore his energy, he created ten clones in one breath. They shot toward the Mist Beast like fish through water, while Aomori's original body circled around to the other side of the white sphere.
The ten clones unleashed their strongest skills, successfully striking the Mist Beast and tearing away clumps of mist.
One of the Mist Beast's giant eyeballs rolled over, reflecting the images of the clones. Scales on its back opened, releasing a swarm of one-eyed monstrosities armed with scythes that closed in on Aomori. These creatures were of a class that, in Aomori's past life, would have triggered the highest alert levels, monsters that usually required nuclear strikes to resolve.
Now, Aomori's clones could eliminate them with a single punch.
Five clones focused on intercepting the one-eyed beasts, while the other five continued to harass the main Mist Beast.
Growing impatient, the Mist Beast turned both eyeballs toward the clones, yet its body remained tightly coiled around the white sphere, refusing to let go. Compared to Aomori, the white sphere nearly within its grasp was far more appetizing.
However, disturbing its meal was an unpardonable sin. A large lump suddenly bulged on the Mist Beast's back, and ten mountain-sized, miniature versions of the beast crawled out, lunging at the clones with bared claws.
Now! Aomori's eyes flashed. Concealing his aura, he used teleportation from a blind spot near the beast's head to reach the surface of the white sphere. He gently tore a small slit in the surface and slipped inside.
…
Aomori walked slowly through the rubble and ruins, his gaze filled with nostalgia.
"I'm finally back."
Including time spent in the dungeons, he had been gone for nearly five years. Five years. In all that time, he had never forgotten what happened here. On the contrary, as his spiritual power grew, those childhood memories had become even clearer.
Back then, he was the apple of his parents' eye at home and a model student at school. Life was carefree; every day was a happy time. He remembered his seatmate, a cute little girl named Nana. She talked so much, her little mouth rattling like a machine gun, that Aomori often thought about sewing it shut or knocking her out with a stick. Every day after school, he would pack his things at lightning speed to see who could race out of the school gates first. Upon running home, he'd immediately turn on the TV to watch cartoons.
"It was so good..." Aomori smiled faintly, though it quickly vanished. His face clouded as he stared at the ruins of what used to be his home. He stood still for a long time.
Only when all ten of his clones had finally fallen did Aomori slowly close his eyes. A second later, they snapped open, now shrouded in a deep purple glow. His body quickly sank into the ground and vanished.
Through his True Sight, Aomori moved through a layer of white mist, heading toward the core. Soon, he saw the World Tree Sapling at the center of the world.
However, the stunted sapling was bare, without a single leaf. Its branches and trunk looked shriveled and dry. Beside it, several miniature Mist Beasts were relentlessly attacking the shield protecting the sapling. The shield was covered in cracks and looked like it wouldn't hold much longer.
Seeing this, Aomori let out a cold snort. Donning his Gold Cloth, he charged without hesitation and slammed a fist into one of the beasts, causing ichor to splatter everywhere.
To his surprise, this full-power punch didn't kill it instantly; it only heavily wounded the creature. The small Mist Beast let out a screeching hiss, its long body thrashing wildly as it tried to coil around Aomori.
This tough? Aomori frowned and delivered a second punch to its head, finally finishing it off.
This delay allowed the other small beasts to launch their attacks. This time, Aomori didn't use his fists. He simply pointed at them and shouted, "Back! Back! Back!"
The charging beasts miraculously began to move in reverse. Then, Aomori took a deep breath and shouted again: "Mist Beasts are forbidden to exist here!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the small beasts collapsed one by one, turning into ash and drifting away. He had mastered the ability to establish his own rules.
There was no time to celebrate. Aomori hurried toward the World Tree Sapling. The death of these small beasts would surely be sensed by the main body outside; the next wave would be a ferocious assault. He had to take the sapling and leave within this brief window.
"If you have a consciousness, you should know I am here to help. Please, do not resist," Aomori said, reaching toward the sapling.
The shield that had held off the Mist Beasts vanished, allowing his hand to pass through. When he touched the World Tree Sapling, a brilliant light erupted. Within that light, a message flowed into Aomori's mind.
"I see. By proactively severing the bond between us, I can reach a state of transcendence?" Aomori said softly. "In that case, I could probably deal with the big guy outside."
"But, if I, as the last living being, sever my connection with you, this world will cease to exist."
He lowered his head as memories surged like a tide. If he chose that path, his parents, relatives, friends, and all the beauty of the past would vanish forever.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse." Aomori looked up with a gentle smile. "I didn't fight my way back here to say 'farewell.' I came back to say 'I'm home.'"
He grabbed the withered World Tree Sapling and pressed it into his chest.
"Since you can no longer survive, let me take your place. I will become the world!"
BOOM!
An unprecedentedly powerful light burst forth, instantly expanding through the entire white sphere and easily vaporizing the incoming small Mist Beasts.
For the first time, the giant eyeball outside closed. The beast retreated in panic, avoiding the piercing light, but, perhaps unwilling to give up, it lingered at a distance, squinting at the glow.
Within that light, the white sphere turned into a realm of chaos. At the center, Aomori's figure had vanished. He had transformed into a purple light, enveloping the World Tree Sapling, slowly melting and becoming part of his own body.
Within the purple light, light and shadow intertwined to give birth to a new world. Lightning transformed into rules, permeating every corner of the world to become its supporting framework.
After a long time, the light gradually faded. The white sphere was gone. In its place stood a completely naked Aomori. He opened his eyes, and a beam of purple light shot out, dispelling all the surrounding red mist.
A sense of impending doom flashed through the Mist Beast's mind. Before it could even move, a purple glow reached its eyes. Its massive body vanished in a blink, turning into red mist as if it had never existed at all.
"Safe travels. I won't be seeing you out." Aomori retracted his gaze and snapped his fingers to clothe himself. He then opened his palm to inspect a small, cube-like object lying there.
It looked like an electronic chip, covered in integrated circuits so dense that even Aomori couldn't see them clearly, flickering with a strange, faint light. During the process of merging with the World Tree Sapling, this chip had suddenly emerged from the depths of his soul, releasing a peculiar light that had provided him with crucial assistance. Otherwise, the fusion would not have been so smooth.
Sensing a familiar aura from the chip, Aomori was certain: "This thing must be the so-called 'System'."
As he turned the system chip over in his hand, Aomori thought he saw a row of tiny characters inside. He read them softly: "A Skynet Product. All rights reserved; violators will be prosecuted."
As he finished the words, the chip suddenly glowed, transforming into an elliptical portal of light. Before Aomori could react, a scene completely out of place in the red mist appeared within the portal.
It looked like a laboratory filled with miscellaneous equipment. A young man in a white lab coat was inside. At the moment the portal appeared, he happened to look up at Aomori, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"After all these years, someone finally cleared the game. Hmm, your level is average, but proactively merging with a world... interesting."
"My name is Aomori. Are you the one who created the System?" Aomori asked softly, looking at the man in the lab coat who appeared to be an ordinary person.
"Yes. You can call me Dr. Merlin."
"Dr. Merlin?" For some reason, Aomori's heart skipped a beat, as if he had a bad premonition. "Why did you create the System?"
"Why? Well, at first it was just for fun. Later, I suppose it was to develop some 'subordinates.' After all, when doing scientific research, one needs to see different worlds to obtain suitable materials."
"Develop subordinates? Is it necessary to use such an inefficient method?"
"It can't be helped. The guys in the other sectors are far too wary of our domestic sector. We had to take a more indirect route." Dr. Chen explained patiently, "Besides, competition in our domestic sector is too fierce. We're generally short-staffed."
"So? Want to join our organization? The benefits are great, and we have plenty of 'Big Shots' to back you up." With a wave of his hand, several phantom figures emitting terrifying auras appeared around Aomori.
Among them was a gentleman in a top hat, a white-haired man in long robes with overwhelming killing intent, a man carrying a massive hammer...
Aomori took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and asked, "What do I have to do?"
"Stay undercover in a sector and help me gather materials from time to time. Of course, I'll provide rewards to help you grow even stronger."
After a moment of contemplation, Aomori nodded. "Fine. I accept." Only by continuing to grow stronger could he survive in this Red Mist.
"Heh. Welcome to the 'Illuminati'."
"...?!!"
…
After ending the communication with Dr. Merlin, Aomori took everything out of the system chip and sealed it, transforming it into a ring that he wore on his hand to use solely as a communication device.
Then, he closed his eyes and entered the world within his body. Before him stood rows of skyscrapers and bustling crowds, exactly as he remembered.
Aomori arrived at an ordinary house. Watching the family of three inside living together in warmth, he showed a genuine, unmasked smile for the first time.
"Mom, Dad... I've become a hero too..."
.
.
.
THE END