Soul of Searing Steel - Chapter 28: The Secret Letter

When he arrived in this world, many familiar stories had yet to begin: Sleeping Beauty had not yet been born, the magic lamp lay buried at the bottom of a treasure vault, Snow White’s father had just remarried, and the Little Mermaid was still playing in the sea with her sisters. In the heart of the desert, the Land of Oz had not yet welcomed the girl named Dorothy.Then he came—the wizard of miracles and wishes.…Many years later, even illiterate children knew his legend: If you find yourself in the darkest abyss or hold the most fervent desire, you might encounter a handsome boy cloaked in robes in a distant forest or lonely mountains.He is the omnipotent wizard, the all-knowing prophet, the sage revered by kings, and the mentor of legendary heroes. He gave Pinocchio life, granted the Little Mermaid an immortal soul, and heard the pleas of both princesses and beggars.Now, it’s your turn.

Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am powerful

In the year Stardate 1, mankind entered the interstellar age, with interstellar migration, spaceships, alien races, and outer gods...arriving one after another.By the year Stardate 717, Fang Xing looked out upon the cosmic backdrop teeming with dense armies of foreign races and declared that all aliens, cultivators, tentacles, esoteric teachings, and evil gods would be intimidated by his supreme talent and smashed to pieces with his iron fist...Well, this is actually the story of a transmigrator, who whimsically dominates many different worlds with the help of his professional panel...

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?