[Ding! Ninth Life mission completed.]
[All nine reincarnations have been fulfilled.]
[Host, please select your final destination.]
[1. Remain in the Ninth Life.]
[2. Return to the System Space and begin the Tenth Life, continuing the cycle of reincarnation.]
[Note: This operation is irreversible. Choose carefully.]
After deep contemplation, Elliot finally made his decision.
Return.
He had to return.
After nine lifetimes of effort and millennia of suffering, wasn't this the moment he had been working toward all along?
Elliot took only his power over time with him, leaving all other abilities to his shadow, instructing it to remain in the Ninth Life while he himself returned to the System Space.
[You have chosen to begin the Tenth Life. Please confirm carefully—this decision is irreversible.]
"I confirm."
In an instant, white light swallowed Elliot whole. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange place.
It wasn't the familiar endless white void. Instead, light screens filled the space in every direction, stretching infinitely. On each screen was an image of himself—reflections of all he had experienced across his past lives.
"What is this place..." Elliot murmured, glancing around.
[Please select the destination for your Tenth Reincarnation.]
As the system's voice echoed, eight screens detached themselves from the sea of images and hovered before him.
The first screen displayed Hu Tao. The second, Qiqi. The third, Shenhe...
Altogether, eight screens—each representing one of his past lives. The Ninth Life had already been offered as a choice earlier, but Elliot had not selected it.
"Can I only choose one?" Elliot sensed something was off.
[No. You may choose them all, but your fate pattern will not be reset.]
Hearing that, Elliot paused, then quickly asked, "If I choose only one, will my fate reset to the 'Happiness' pattern I once had?"
[Yes.]
Elliot understood now—the Tenth Life had automatically defaulted to the system's choice for him.
"Then... if I choose all of them, what happens? Will the eight worlds merge together?"
[The worlds cannot merge. Choosing all of them grants you the power to traverse these eight parallel worlds—but you may only visit each one once.]
Elliot fell silent, lost in thought.
He now faced two paths.
The first was to keep his current fate—the Lonesome Star. The benefit was that he could visit each world again.
The cost, however, was that this fate made him incapable of staying close to those he loved. He could only appear for a brief moment before needing to distance himself.
Considering the influence he had on their lives, even a short meeting could cause chaos.
Hu Tao, Qiqi—if they saw him alive again, standing before them, they would never let him leave. They would hold onto him forever.
And even if he managed to escape, it would only wound them again.
Imagine it—someone you longed for returns to life, spends time with you, and just when everything feels right again, they vanish without a word.
You'd question yourself endlessly: Did I do something wrong? Did I upset them? Why did they leave?
In the worst cases, it could shatter a person entirely.
So if he carried the Lonesome Star's fate, he couldn't face them.
Yet even without meeting them, he could still watch over them from the shadows—protecting them, keeping them safe, seeing them live out their lives in peace.
The second path was the one the system had chosen for him—and the best one.
To reset his fate to Happiness, though it meant he could only choose one world.
If he could only choose one, it would undoubtedly be Shenhe's.
But...
"If resetting my fate means I can only remain in one world, is there really no way to visit the other seven?" Elliot pleaded.
[......]
"There must be a way, right? Can't I just look at them once? Just one glimpse—I promise I won't stay long. Please?"
When the system remained silent, Elliot sensed a sliver of hope and pressed again.
[You may exist in a formless state—invisible and inaudible. Can you accept that?]
"You mean... they won't see me or hear me, but I can see them and hear their voices? Is that right?" Elliot's eyes widened as he asked eagerly.
[Yes.]
"I accept! I'll do it—just let me see them once." Afraid the system might revoke the offer, Elliot nodded frantically, desperate to agree.
[Please select your destination for the Tenth Life. For the remaining seven worlds, you may only remain for one hour in each. After one hour, you will automatically transfer to the next world, until finally returning to your chosen Tenth Life.]
Hearing this, light filled Elliot's once-dim eyes.
"Thank you... thank you..." he whispered gratefully, then declared, "I choose the Third Life."
[Initiating transition...]
[This is the First Life. You have one hour.]
When Elliot opened his eyes, the gates of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor came into view.
Under the dark, cloud-covered sky, more and more people gathered, their faces lined with concern.
"Hu Tao's so young... can she really handle such a heavy responsibility?"
"Ah... poor child..."
"I just hope the ceremony goes smoothly. She's always been such a mischievous little thing... conducting a solemn funeral like this must be so hard for her..."
They murmured softly as they entered, their tones and expressions heavy with worry. It was clear they feared Hu Tao might not be able to properly conduct Elliot's funeral.
A light drizzle began to fall.
Elliot stepped inside as well. There, standing in silence, was the young Hu Tao. Her plum-blossom eyes shimmered with deep sorrow.
"Little Tao..." Elliot walked up to her, standing quietly at her side.
But no one could see him—not even Hu Tao.
Soon, the hall was filled to capacity, and the ceremony began.
Raindrops fell softly on Hu Tao's face. Each step she took stirred faint ripples across the puddled floor.
Slowly, she ascended the steps toward the tombstone, placing the final white candle before it.
Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together. Two crystal-clear tears rolled down her cheeks.
Seeing Hu Tao weep tore at Elliot's heart. He could only lift his hand—untouchable, unseen—and rest it gently atop her head, stroking softly as if to comfort her.
"Little Tao..."
Perhaps sensing something, Hu Tao slowly opened her eyes.
Opening her small palms, she found two plum blossoms resting in her hands.
...