Parallel Worldline, Era of Mist (Part 2)

Shi Tiexin's original world was one of thriving technology and flourishing culture. Even with Shi Tiexin's social standing, he had access to all sorts of imaginative novels. In that world, they were called "scattered literature." Sometimes, free articles would be pushed to him, and he'd read them when they were cheap.

Shi Tiexin knew about transmigration novels. If he were to transmigrate to some world of beastmen or magic, Shi Tiexin wouldn't hesitate. He'd just train his Strength Arts and Heart Arts, and get to it.

But this wasn't some unrelated otherworld.

These two Earths were so consistent, yet had such different historical turning points. It was as if a main trunk of history, at the node of 1919, had branched out into two different limbs.

Moreover, both of these worlds had their own versions of him. What was the deep, intrinsic connection between them? Was there a reason he could spiritually descend into this body?

As Shi Tiexin pondered with a furrowed brow, the information in his vision suddenly shifted. In that instant, Shi Tiexin froze, completely stunned.

"Class."

"Stand up!"

A rustling sound of people rising. Although Class 28 was the Trash Class, they still had basic classroom etiquette. The students in the entire class, some obediently, some with indifferent expressions, all eventually stood up.

The substitute teacher was about to casually say "Sit down" when he noticed that in the third row from the back by the window, a large figure sat unmoving, showing no intention of standing.

Did this student have no basic manners?! The teacher couldn't help but feel angry, but he also knew that the Trash Class had many troublemakers. If he were to call out this big guy, it was more likely that he himself would be the one to lose face in the end. So, the teacher endured it, biting his tongue and suppressing the urge to reprimand him. He casually said, "Sit down," and intended to just start his lecture.

Why bother with these bad students? After all, at least half of them would be expelled by their second year of high school.

Although the teacher didn't make a fuss about it, the delinquents sitting in the back row saw it all clearly and instantly felt even more admiration for Brother Tie. To the delinquents of this age, a big brother who even ignored the teacher was the coolest big brother. What was the use of studying well? Studying well only made one an echo of their parents and a lackey of their teachers.

Look at our Brother Tie, not even moving during class. Didn't you see that even the teacher didn't say anything? That's what you call awesome!

The delinquents cast looks of admiration at Shi Tiexin, as if a prompt for "Delinquent Faction Reputation +10" had lit up on him.

If Shi Tiexin knew what these delinquents were thinking, he would have scoffed. Cool? Awesome? Was putting on these useless poses what made one cool? Learning skills was what was truly cool and awesome.

Besides, someone was publicly lecturing on Heart Arts, what a rare opportunity. Shouldn't respect be shown? If it weren't for the fact that Old Tie was really in trouble and truly hadn't noticed, do you think I wouldn't have stood up and respectfully said, "Hello, teacher"?

However, I truly couldn't spare the attention right now.

Because a diagram appeared in Shi Tiexin's vision.

Shi Tiexin didn't know where this diagram came from, nor where it was going. He didn't even know why it was triggered or why it was displayed. Perhaps Shi Tiexin's intense contemplation had triggered some mechanism, or perhaps some unexplainable logic caused it to appear at this exact moment. In any case, as soon as this diagram appeared, it occupied Shi Tiexin's entire field of vision.

Everything else, like progress bars and attribute descriptions, vanished.

He couldn't even see the real world anymore.

Only this diagram remained in his vision.

This diagram was incredibly complex yet incredibly simple, immensely grand yet incredibly detailed. Shi Tiexin couldn't describe the feeling. It was as if he had directly gazed upon some high-level concept beyond his capacity to bear, and infinite information surged towards him.

If not for a special mechanism that came into play, his consciousness and reason might have been overwhelmed by these infinite concepts in an instant, and his personality would have been washed away into a blank slate. Fortunately, a special mechanism acted like a dam, resisting the overload, allowing Shi Tiexin to merely freeze for a moment.

Looking at the diagram, with his current abilities, he could only see a part of it, a minuscule part. Or rather, the echoes of that high-level information and concepts that could be reflected in his consciousness were only a tiny bit.

They were streaks of light, forming patterns made of light. They also resembled trees, with branches and extensions. But they also looked like tridents, with each branching off into parallel lines of varying thickness.

Shi Tiexin saw a bright spot on the thickest, straightest, and brightest line. Within that bright spot, he felt a sense of familiarity. Then, on a thick branch, he saw a faint glimmer. This small glimmer also gave Shi Tiexin a sense of inexplicable closeness.

The positions of the two bright spots on the lines were different. The one on the main trunk was a bit further back, while the one on the branch was a bit further forward. Besides the main trunk and this one branch, there should have been something else, but Shi Tiexin's abilities couldn't see it at all.

The diagram flashed and then disappeared. It was merely a fleeting glimpse, but it struck Shi Tiexin like an electric shock, rendering him unable to move, think, feel, or act, leaving him in a state of chaos as if he were unborn.

It wasn't until the teacher began lecturing loudly that Shi Tiexin let out a long sigh and suddenly regained his senses.

"What... was that?"

Shi Tiexin was shocked, unable to help but be shocked. Even with just a glance, that diagram was impossible to forget.

After staring blankly for a long time, Shi Tiexin suddenly understood something.

Although there was no explanation, no text annotations, no voice narration, the diagram itself was a message. Shi Tiexin's brain automatically processed it, interpreting the information to the best of his ability. He suddenly had a vague understanding of his current situation.

Not much, only two points, but they were crucial.

Firstly, the world he was currently in and the world he originally belonged to were one and the same. To be precise, this world was a different possibility born from another world at a different historical turning point, a Parallel Worldline. And the "Scholar Stone" here was himself in another possibility.

He was indeed originally me, but due to the evolution of the world and different circumstances, different possibilities had emerged.

This could be considered my "Avatar."

Upon realizing this, Shi Tiexin felt his connection to this body and the other consciousness become tighter. The resistance from the other consciousness also weakened, and the Primal Vital Energy in his lower abdomen and the Thought Energy in his mind seemed to become more active.

The second point was even more important—I will not, and will never, stay here forever.

Although he didn't know when the time of return would come, Shi Tiexin knew very clearly that his consciousness would eventually return to his original body, to his "true self," and to his original "possibility."