The scene before me kept shifting with the flow of my thoughts. I could no longer count the number of possibilities I had witnessed—possibilities bearing the name Ethan Zhang. In this Realm of Karma, I bore witness to one ghostly event after another.
Yet no matter how the outcomes unfolded, at the end of every path, conflict between human and ghost awaited. Whether it was the Wraithlord or other spectral entities, Ethan Zhang would always be forced to confront evil spirits—again and again, facing different ghosts, until only ghosts remained before him.
Gradually, I sensed the Law of Karma dragging at my body becoming more docile. Time and again, I traversed these past worlds of karma, knowing that with just a small catalyst, karma itself could be altered.
In this moment, I seemed to grasp the meaning of my arrival here. Since I cannot defy karma nor erase it, I must create karma, control karma, and make this strange, nearly incomprehensible power serve as my ally.
In this world, my role is not simply that of a mere observer. I watch all that unfolds—everything that happens to Ethan Zhang, his interactions with ghosts, and the inexorable consequences they bring.
Once again, everything around me approached its end. I watched in silence as, within a Black Sand Sea, Ethan Zhang walked like a lone traveler. The only destination before him was a towering mountain piercing the clouds, from which a violent, overwhelming Ghost Aura emanated.
The scene shifted. Ethan Zhang now stood at the mountain's base, and thousands upon thousands of ghosts descended from above. They bared their teeth, shrieking as they lunged at him. Yet a smile appeared on Ethan Zhang's face—his eyes held not a trace of fear.
"For humanity's future."
With just those few words, Ethan Zhang sprang into action, charging up the mountain and cutting down ghost after ghost. Their numbers seemed endless, pouring down from the heights and attacking Ethan Zhang without pause.
Whether what Ethan Zhang did was right or wrong, evil remained evil, good remained good. There were no strict boundaries of black and white—only the gray that emerged from their constant entanglement.
I stood by, witnessing this scene countless times. In the end, what I must face may be myself. I quietly watched the already weary Ethan Zhang as he continued his ascent toward the mountaintop.
This world has already ended. I slowly descended, the vast majority of ghosts had been slaughtered, and many began to flee in panic.
“What path have you chosen?”
Ethan Zhang turned to look at me, smiling faintly.
“It's different from yours. I chose another path. Farewell.”
I turned away as I spoke. Behind me, Ethan Zhang kept running toward the summit. I landed on the ground and punched downwards, instantly causing the earth to cave in. Once again, I began to fall into the endless black abyss.
I don't know what the next Outcome Marker will bring, but in each one, Ethan Zhang's life takes a different trajectory, and even the people he meets change.
With a buzz, I stopped, suspended in this dark space. I sensed that the Law of Karma was deliberately halting me.
I'm growing familiar with all this, and I can truly feel the presence of karma now—it seems to be probing my heart.
“What are you trying to tell me?”
I shouted loudly, but the Law of Karma did not answer. Instead, I began to fall again, deeper into the void. In the surrounding darkness, countless images emerged—I saw many unfamiliar scenes.
I couldn't remember any of it; everything that had happened so far remained out of reach. But maybe, when I return, I’ll find a way to piece together those broken memories. Everything the Law of Karma showed me felt painfully real, and many of the images carried a haunting sense of familiarity.
Among all those visions, Rachel Lan appeared again and again. I watched in silence, a joyful smile on my face. Though death stole my body, soul, and memories, some feelings still lingered in the illusion. I was grateful that emotions remained within this aggregation of my consciousness.
Gradually, I sat down, sinking quietly as memories flashed before me. These were things I could never forget; only through the past could I become who I am now.
I couldn't suppress the surge of excitement and longing in my heart. I desperately wanted to return to the world of the living, to everything I knew. Memory is the thread that ties it all together.
Vast particles of light drifted around me as I stopped again. The visions faded one by one, and darkness enveloped me once more.
Sadness, loss, and melancholy flooded my heart. I realized that what I was experiencing couldn't be summed up by the word 'karma' alone. It all seemed like karma, but in truth, it was the result of my own choices.
Gradually, the particles of light that had dispersed began to gather before me, slowly taking on my shape, flickering with a faint glow.
“This is what karma truly is. Do you understand?”
I gasped, raising my head. No matter what kind of Outcome Marker Ethan Zhang was caught in, the path he walked was always singular, the only one. I even glimpsed that ghost named John Chou at the very beginning, who first pulled me onto this path. Even without him, I would have ended up here.
"As long as you understand."
A streak of white light merged into my body. Gradually, I lost consciousness. When I came to, a breeze brushed my nose, and beneath me was something soft. I yawned and stood up—I was still on Zephyr's back, but Eugenia was gone. I sensed my surroundings; there were still many supernatural beasts nearby.
(Irrelevant system message omitted.)
But then, I was shocked to see everything before me begin to shift. The islands carrying my memories rumbled, cracks appeared, and countless supernatural beasts flew up from all corners, gathering toward me.
At that moment, I noticed Mother Goddess Nuwa standing beside me. I looked over.
"You've recovered your memories."
I gasped, eyes wide, smiling as I watched the islands collapse and shatter. Everything on them transformed into beams of colored light, converging before my eyes.
Hundreds of islands crumbled and broke apart, stones tumbling down, everything fading rapidly. Even the previously damaged black humanoid areas were restored, turning completely into light and gathering before me.
Gradually, a sphere flickering with colored light appeared before me, slowly rotating. Those were my memories, once broken, now pieced together again. I wanted to reach out and touch them, but I had neither body nor soul to contain them.
I looked at Mother Goddess Nuwa—her once cold expression had softened.
"When the time is right, you will return to the world of the living."
I nodded.
"Thank you, Mother Goddess Nuwa."
The sound of shattering gradually ceased. Before me, a sphere the size of a basketball rotated slowly, radiating colored light. I could feel my memories, now fully restored and alive, thanks to the power of the Law of Karma. Raising a hand, a swirl of rainbow-colored energy appeared in my palm, flickering like a flame.
Mother Goddess Nuwa gazed at me in silence.
"You’ve mastered new power. Work hard to refine it. In this illusion, the day you return will be the day disaster descends upon the world of humans and ghosts. Be prepared, Ethan Zhang—the remaking of your body and soul will begin once the weapon is forged."
I stared at Mother Goddess Nuwa in disbelief. But remembering she is the creator of humanity, I realized only she could possess such power—to resurrect me, a soul utterly destroyed.
The supernatural beasts grew restless. I took a deep breath and shouted.
"Thank you all. In the days ahead, I’ll do my best to host you. Please help out and bring some ingredients."
My call was met with eager responses from the supernatural beasts. For them, this was just a minor episode in their everyday existence.
The supernatural beasts gladly left Nuwa's Mirage to search for ingredients. Mother Goddess Nuwa did not close the entrance to the illusion, allowing them to come and go freely.
A gentle breeze swept by, and Eugenia appeared at my side.
"Ethan Zhang, you seem to have changed a lot!"
I nodded. The memories that once troubled me had been fully reclaimed. Looking at the sphere of colored light before me, I was filled with hope.
Yet what puzzled me was the disaster looming over the world of humans and ghosts. I turned and asked.
"Mother Goddess Nuwa, have you foreseen this?"
The six souls of the Wraithlord have already been sealed here. As long as I find one more illusion capable of suppressing the Soul Fragment of the Wraithlord in the Violet Blood Jade, all six souls will be sealed, preventing his resurrection.
The Wraithlord's three spirits are also sealed in different places. Now, it should be foolproof.
But Mother Goddess Nuwa shook her head.
"Even if you've done all that is humanly possible, you still cannot defy nature. Hell is beginning to revert to its original state. Even if the Wraithlord is not released, Hell will soon lose its restraints."
I stared at Mother Goddess Nuwa in astonishment.
"How do you know? What did you see?"