Chapter 61: Gift of Talent

"Was the world of fantasy created by you?" Now that Si Kongxu knew Ye Fei could answer the doubts in his heart, he was the first to ask this question.

"Haha, so that's what's been on your mind." Ye Fei burst out laughing after hearing Si Kongxu's question, seeing right through the little scheme in his heart at a glance.

"You're worried about the one you've contracted with, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"This space can be considered my domain, so from the moment you stepped in, I already knew about your two innate skills," Ye Fei explained with a smile. "So I guessed you must be troubled about the world of fantasy. Very well, I'll take this opportunity to explain to you in detail the origins of the world of fantasy."

"I don't know why you think the world of fantasy was created by me. That's a misunderstanding. My innate skill simply allows me to travel freely to any plane."

"Innate skill?" Si Kongxu repeated.

"That's right. My innate ability lets me traverse any plane at will. I could even return to our original world, but I simply don't want to." As he spoke, a faint trace of sorrow appeared in Ye Fei's eyes.

Yet that trace of sorrow was quickly hidden away. "It's precisely because of this ability that I could rapidly grow stronger in a short time. However..." Ye Fei suddenly shifted the topic back. "The reason you all can travel to fantasy worlds to train now is that before I died, I used my innate power to connect to other planes. As for why they are all anime, novels, and other ACG worlds... well, I was an otaku back in our original world, too."

"Seriously...? How could you be so casual about it?" Si Kongxu couldn't help but complain.

"Nonsense! I've always been a proper person. Used well, the powers gained from ACG worlds are more than enough to face the world of Barklire."

Ye Fei continued, "So you can let go of your worries. Each world of fantasy truly exists, and each is unique. The characters you've contracted from those worlds are all real!"

Hearing Ye Fei's earnest tone, Si Kongxu finally felt at ease. He had feared the world of fantasy was a fabricated illusion, in which case Mikasa would also be false. He might have lost his mind if that were the case.

"It seems you've relaxed a lot," Ye Fei said with a smile.

"I suppose so," Si Kongxu replied with a soft chuckle as well. "By the way, if I want to return to a fantasy world I've already visited, is there a way?"

Si Kongxu knew that the fantasy worlds chosen for training in the Academy were assigned at random. With so many fantasy worlds, the odds of drawing the same one twice were extremely low. That was why he asked Ye Fei this question.

"Hmm..." Without even thinking, Ye Fei answered at once, "In the Dimensional Academy, if you want to enter a fantasy world, it's random. So out of thousands upon thousands of worlds, drawing the same one twice is virtually impossible. The Academy simply can't do it."

"The Academy?" Si Kongxu, ever observant, quickly caught the oddity in Ye Fei's words.

"Haha, you're sharp," Ye Fei said, seeing through Si Kongxu's suspicions. He decided to come clean, "That's right, the Academy can't do it. But just because the Academy can't, doesn't mean it's truly impossible."

"You mean... you!"

"That's right. Although I'm only a soul now, I can bestow my innate skill upon you," Ye Fei said resolutely.

Si Kongxu was stunned. "Bestow it on me? The ability to traverse any plane?"

"Exactly. But because I now exist only as a soul, the innate skill I give you will have its flaws. The greatest of these is that to activate the ability, you'll need my power as a medium."

"Your power?" Si Kongxu pondered for a moment. "So if I gain your innate skill, I have to come here in order to use it?"

"That's about right. And just so you know, this place has the same cooldown time as your 'Dimensional Summoning Art'—you can only come in once every half a month, and you'll have just one hour."

"Well... that's not really a problem. But are you truly going to give me your innate skill?" Si Kongxu's voice was tinged with excitement. After all, this was an ability defying the very heavens.

"Indeed, that's why I called you in."

"But... why me?"

Ye Fei smiled. "Because we come from the same place. Both of us otaku are the most familiar people with the worlds of fantasy. Is that reason enough?"

"Uh..." Si Kongxu was momentarily speechless.

"Alright, time is short... Si Kongxu, are you willing to inherit my innate skill?" Suddenly, Ye Fei's expression turned solemn.

"Of course, I'd be only too glad." To gain such an unparalleled ability was a wholly unexpected delight. As for whether Ye Fei harbored any intent to harm him, Si Kongxu had wondered, but his intuition told him Ye Fei meant him no harm.

"Then let us begin." Ye Fei's already ethereal body suddenly seemed to solidify. He extended his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together, and gently touched Si Kongxu's forehead.

Whoosh!

At once, the three-dimensional galaxies and stars within this space shuddered violently. Great galaxies devoured smaller ones, stars underwent supernova explosions in an instant—the entire panorama of the cosmos was thrown into chaos.

Struck by Ye Fei's touch, Si Kongxu immediately lost all consciousness, his body floating in midair, surrounded by stars on the verge of exploding.

The cosmic scenery within the space continued to writhe and expand in scale, even the entire space trembling. At this moment, Ye Fei's figure had completely vanished, as if he had never existed.

Finally, as the tremors reached their peak, all the stars and galaxies in the universe erupted in a thunderous explosion. A vast energy surge poured forth, coalescing into a singularity—like the birth of a new universe.

The moment the singularity formed, it too burst open in a cataclysmic explosion, unprecedented in magnitude—just like the Big Bang!

Boom—

Vast energies erupted from the singularity, racing to every corner of the space. Bit by bit, a new cosmic panorama gradually came into being in this space... and by now, there was no trace of Si Kongxu left.