The crimson sun hung low in the western sky, casting long shadows across the bustling metro station as evening commuters hurried past in endless streams. The air thrummed with the familiar chaos of rush hour—clicking heels on concrete, the distant rumble of approaching trains, and the constant murmur of tired voices echoing through the underground corridors.
Among the sea of faces, a pale, lean student moved with the crowd, his shoulders slightly hunched as if carrying an invisible weight. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his clothes hung loose on his thin frame, giving him an almost ghostly appearance in the artificial lighting of the station. As the metro train screeched to a halt, its doors sliding open with a mechanical hiss, he pushed forward with surprising determination.
"There are seats!" he muttered under his breath, relief evident in his voice as he spotted an empty spot near the window. Weaving through the other passengers with practiced efficiency, he claimed the seat and immediately slumped back, his eyes drifting closed as the train lurched into motion.
The rhythmic clacking of wheels against tracks should have been soothing, but before he could fully relax, a familiar chime resonated directly inside his skull—not through his ears, but through the neural pathways connected to the AI chip implanted behind his left temple.
"There is a new chapter of the novel 'Convergent Realms' available," announced the crisp, feminine voice that had become his constant companion over the past few years.
His tired eyes snapped open, and suddenly the exhaustion didn't matter. "Finally!"
A translucent blue interface materialized in his field of vision, invisible to everyone else on the train. The holographic display showed the familiar cover art—a world fractured between realities—and his current obsession, the novel that had completely captivated him over the past few months.
He'd discovered "Convergent Realms" during one of his many sleepless nights, and despite only having a hundred chapters published so far, it had quickly become the top new arrival on the site. What set this story apart wasn't just its unique take on the fantasy genre, but the intricate world-building that made him wish places like that actually existed.
The novel's central premise revolved around quantum multiverse theory being an actual, observable phenomenon. Every moment in time created countless branching possibilities, each spawning its own alternate reality. These infinite worlds represented every conceivable outcome of every decision, every random event, every twist of fate.
But here's where things got interesting—these divergent realities weren't isolated. They constantly attempted to merge back with the source world. The frequency of these mergers depended entirely on how drastically the branched world had deviated from the original timeline. The greater the divergence—what the novel termed "the anomaly"—the more violent and chaotic the eventual merger would be.
Most of the time, when alternate realities merged back into the source world, the changes were so subtle that ordinary people never noticed. A conversation that went slightly differently, a coin flip that landed on the opposite side, a stranger who took a different route home—these minor alterations would seamlessly integrate without causing any disturbance.
However, when the anomaly was significant—when entire civilizations had evolved differently, when magic had developed along alternate paths, or when an ordinary life form had evolved to extraordinary—the merger became catastrophic. The point where these conflicting realities collided would generate what the novel called "corruption" or "chaos energy."
This corruption was far more than just a plot device; it was the primary source of conflict throughout the story. The chaotic energy could infect anything it touched—people, animals, or even plants—transforming them into mindless, raging monsters driven only by an insatiable hunger for destruction. Entire regions could fall to corruption waves if the anomaly was severe enough.
There was hope, though. If the source of the anomaly could be identified and eliminated—whether it was a person, an object, or even an idea—the corruption would immediately dissipate. Otherwise, nature itself would slowly heal the chaotic wounds, though this process could take decades or even centuries.
This mechanism created a world of infinite narrative possibilities. In one merged reality, demi-humans had evolved to become the dominant species, building vast underground kingdoms while humans remained primitive tribes. In another, monsters had gained sentience and established their own magical civilization that rivaled the greatest human empires. Some mergers brought instability, while others introduced entirely new schools of magical theory.
The constant threat of reality mergers meant that the world was in perpetual flux, with era-changing events dispersed throughout history. Every chapter could reveal something completely new, he thought as he began reading. That's what makes this so addictive.
And then there was the protagonist's ability—his "golden finger," as these web novels liked to call them. By sacrificing a portion of his own lifespan, the main character could forcibly summon the Mana Core of himself or others he touches from various divergent realities and merge them with his current soul through some mysterious process. Each merger strengthened his magical abilities and allowed him to absorb skills from his alternate selves or enemies.
The lifespan cost had initially seemed like a reasonable limitation, but recently, the protagonist had discovered a technique to drain life force from defeated enemies. This had made him more formidable with each chapter.
The student scrolled through the new chapter, completely absorbed in the unfolding story, already dreading the moment he'd reach the end and have to wait another week for more.
Meanwhile, in a completely different world, the training grounds of Duke Ashford's grand estate buzzed with nervous energy. Stone pathways wound between manicured gardens where flowers bloomed in impossible colors, leading to a wide courtyard where fifteen young people stood in perfectly straight lines. These weren't ordinary teenagers—they were the duke's grandchildren and the children of his most trusted retainers, all about to undergo the most important ritual of their lives.
Before them stood Grand Warrior Theodore, a mountain of a man whose scarred arms and weathered face spoke of countless battles. His piercing gray eyes surveyed each young face with the intensity of a general inspecting troops before a crucial battle. Even Duke Ashford himself had emerged from his usual seclusion, sitting beneath an ancient oak tree to witness this momentous occasion.
"You have all trained for this moment for the past five years," Theodore announced, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard despite speaking in normal tones. "Today will determine your future path. After this ceremony, you will either look back on your training with pride or spend the rest of your lives regretting wasted opportunities. I have given everything I have to prepare each of you."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the assembled teenagers. Several of them shifted nervously, while others stood with the rigid posture.
"The process is exactly as we've practiced," Theodore continued. "When you receive your Origin Core Potion, clear your mind of all distractions and drink it in one swift motion. What follows will be the greatest battle you've ever fought—not against an external enemy, but against your own limitations. The potion will assault every fiber of your being, attempting to reshape you from the inside out. You must use the Breathing Techniques you have practiced, channel your willpower, and draw upon every ounce of soul strength you possess to master the transformation and forge your Mana Core."
The Grand Warrior's eyes found Duke Ashford, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Begin the ceremony."
Soldiers bearing the duke's crimson and gold livery stepped forward, each carrying a small crystal vial filled with an opalescent liquid that seemed to contain tiny stars, shifting colors in the afternoon light.
When Grand Warrior Theodore reached the last person in line, he paused. The young man before him had striking black hair and violet eyes—marks of the duke's bloodline—but carried himself with a quiet intensity that set him apart from his peers.
"Valentine Ashford," Theodore said, his voice softer but no less serious. "Are you absolutely certain about your choice of Origin Core Potion? The Mana Sharing spell is valuable for coordination and support, but few who choses this spell as thier first spell."
"Yes, Grand Warrior," Valen replied without hesitation, though his knuckles were white as he gripped the crystal vial.
"I understand, Grand Warrior," Valen replied steadily. "But I believe support specialists are undervalued. The ability to share and redistribute mana in a team could be decisive."
Theodore nodded slowly. "Mana Sharing is indeed rare and respected. Proceed with caution, young Ashford."
Valen brought the vial to his lips and drained its contents in one determined gulp. The potion tasted surprisingly pleasant—like fresh lemon juice mixed with honey and something that tasted like sunlight felt—but that deceptive sweetness lasted only moments.
The liquid hit his bloodstream like liquid fire, spreading through his veins with terrifying speed. Every cell in his body began simultaneously dying and regenerating, caught in an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth that sent waves of agony through his nervous system. Valen could only practice his Breathing Technique with utmost dedication.
When the transformation reached his brain, reality exploded into chaos. Thousands of conflicting thoughts, emotions, and sensations crashed through his consciousness like a tsunami of pure information. Colors that had no names, sounds that bypassed his ears entirely, and memories that weren't his own flooded every corner of his mind.
His consciousness fragmented, scattered across what felt like infinite dimensions of pain and confusion. Time became meaningless. He might have been drowning in that chaos for seconds or centuries—there was no way to tell.
Then, impossibly, a single point of light pierced the darkness.
The light grew steadily brighter, drawing his scattered awareness back together like a magnet attracting iron filings. As his consciousness reformed around that beacon, the light expanded and crystallized into a perfect sphere of transparent material that seemed to contain entire galaxies within its depths.
Valen found he could move his awareness around this core, examining it from every conceivable angle. The surface was flawless, but within its depths, countless blue tendrils pulsed with their own inner light, all flowing toward the sphere's center like a complex circulatory system feeding some vital organ.
Beautiful, some distant part of him thought.
Suddenly, those vessels blazed with brilliant white energy. The light coalesced into a concentrated spark at the core's surface, then shot directly into Valen's consciousness like a lightning bolt made of pure knowledge.
Memories that weren't his own flooded his mind—but these weren't random fragments of chaos. They were organized, purposeful, carrying information and experiences from what felt like an entirely different life. Images of strange technologies, unfamiliar cities, and people he'd never met but somehow knew intimately.
When Valen finally opened his eyes, the training grounds were gone. Instead, he lay in his own bed within the grand estate, moonlight streaming through tall windows to illuminate the familiar luxury of his private chambers. A softly glowing crystal orb—the standard lighting in this world—cast gentle shadows across the room's ornate furnishings.
He sat up slowly, wiping sweat from his forehead, and froze. In the corner of his vision, barely visible against the window, was a small figure outlined in blue light—a chibi-style character that looked like a miniature maid.
The figure's voice spoke directly into his mind, bypassing his ears entirely. "Master, you have finally regained your memories."
"Iris?" The name came without conscious thought.
"Yes, Master."
"What's with the master and maid roleplay?" Despite everything, Valen found himself almost smiling at the absurdity.
"Master, as you have undoubtedly realized, we have transmigrated into a fantasy world. When in Rome, as they say—I am simply attempting to blend in with local customs."
"Transmigrated..." The word carried implications that made his head spin.
"Indeed, Master. I have no records of exactly how this occurred, but when my systems came back online, you had already been born into this world as an infant."
The chibi maid—Iris—began pacing across his field of vision, her expression serious despite her cute appearance. "Since your past life memories remained dormant, you were indistinguishable from the natives of this realm. You grew up as a beloved child of the Ashford family, bright and obedient, surrounded by loving parents."
"However, due to recent border conflicts, your parents were stationed at the frontier four years ago and have not returned. You have been training here at the duke's grand estate in the capital city of Luminspire."
"I remained hidden all these years," she continued, "fearing that without your memories, you might report me as some malevolent entity attempting to possess you."
"So why did I remember now?"
"When you successfully formed your Mana Core, your spiritual strength increased dramatically, finally reaching the threshold necessary to safely contain both sets of memories."
Valen processed this information, then felt a strange chill—not fear exactly, but recognition. "This setting... it's exactly like that novel I was reading."
"Correct. I have confirmed that this is indeed the world of 'Convergent Realms.'"
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. That world he'd been reading about just hours ago. The reality mergers. The infinite possibilities. The magic. It's real. All of it.
"However," Iris continued, "you are not the protagonist. You are Valentine Ashford, a minor side character from the Ashford family. In the first hundred chapters, your character appears only once, when your cousin Marcus faces the original main character at the Radiant Academy. That encounter is still approximately fifteen days away."
"I'm a side character?" Valen felt an unexpected surge of relief. "So the main character handles all the dramatic world-ending crises?"
"Correct."
A slow smile spread across his face. Which means I'm free to explore. To see everything this world has to offer without being dragged into the main plot.
After a long silence, he asked, "If this is the same world as the novel, why didn't I choose the Lightning Bolt spell? The Valen mentioned in the story was known for using this."
"I was about to explain that," Iris said, her expression brightening. "Over the past two years, I have been subtly influencing your dreams, nudging you toward choosing the Mana Sharing spell."
"But why? It is a support spell used by healers and apothecaries."
"That is because I have discovered a significant loophole in this world's magic system." Iris's chibi form practically vibrated with excitement. "I will transfer all the knowledge I've gathered over the past fifteen years using my new Dream Learning function."
"Dream learning?"
"A technique I developed while you were growing up. Please lie down and relax."
Valen settled back onto his bed, curiosity overriding his caution. Almost immediately, he felt his consciousness drift into a different kind of sleep. In this dream state, streams of information flowed directly into his mind—detailed observations of this world's power systems, and most importantly, Iris's revolutionary discovery.
When he woke just five minutes later, his head buzzed with new understanding.
"This..." he whispered, massaging his temples as the implications sank in. "If we can really achieve this, I could have essentially endless mana."
Which means I can go anywhere. See everything. Just like I always wanted.