Chapter 19: The Hidden Key to the Outside World

Shree lazily dangled his feet in the lake, the refreshing water washing away his mental exhaustion. He sighed, leaning back slightly, letting the misty air settle on his skin. Just as he was about to close his eyes, something in the water shimmered, catching his attention.

"Huh?" His eyebrows furrowed as he straightened. "Chat, did you see that?"

Chat's voice hummed in his consciousness. "See what? Your reflection? It does look a bit weird after two days without sleep—"

"Tch! I mean that shiny thing in the water," Shree interrupted, pointing at the faint glow beneath the surface. "I don't remember seeing it before. Did you?"

Chat paused for a moment before replying. "No, I don't think so… And considering how long we've been here, we would've noticed something glowing like that. It's almost like… it appeared out of nowhere."

A mysterious silence stretched between them as they both stared at the lake. Shree's curiosity only deepened.

"Something appearing out of nowhere, in a place that has already been so strange? Sounds like my luck is either out of this world… or I'm about to be scammed again," Shree muttered.

"Well, your luck is weird. First, the transmigration disc, then the chaos life disc, and now another mysterious disc? Maybe you should start calling yourself the Disc Collector."

Shree rolled his eyes but couldn't deny the eerie coincidence. Am I really some kind of magnet for these things?

Deciding to investigate, he reached into the water. As his fingers brushed against the object, he felt a smooth, cold surface. He grabbed it and pulled it out, the water cascading off its intricate patterns. His eyes widened in astonishment.

Another ancient disc.

It had similar patterns to the transmigration disc, but its engravings seemed slightly different, like they belonged to a set yet served different purposes. A divine radiance pulsed from its surface, faint yet undeniable.

Shree held it up, turning it over in his hands. "Chat, what do you think? Another legendary artifact? Maybe I should just start digging randomly—who knows, I might find more discs lying around."

"Forget discs, you might just dig out an entire lost civilization at this rate," Chat snickered.

Shree chuckled, but his mind was already running through possibilities. "It looks similar to the transmigration disc… Should I try the same method?"

"Well, the last one activated with blood, so maybe this one works the same way?"

Nodding, Shree pricked his finger lightly and let a drop of blood fall onto the surface of the disc. Instantly, the patterns lit up with an ethereal glow.

Before he could react, the disc shot toward his forehead like a streak of light.

"Shit!"

Shree instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too fast. He braced himself, expecting searing pain—but nothing happened.

Instead, the disc phased into his consciousness, vanishing into the vast white space where the Ancient Chaos Life Disc resided.

Shree was frozen for a moment before exhaling sharply. "Damn it, Chat! I thought I was about to be knocked out cold!"

"I thought so too! But… wait, look at that!"

Shree's gaze snapped toward his consciousness space, and what he saw left him utterly stunned.

The new disc, the one he had just picked up, was moving toward the Chaos Life Disc, almost as if drawn to it.

The closer it got, the stronger the pull became. Shree and Chat watched in silence as the two artifacts—one unknown, the other the ultimate innate chaos artifact—began merging.

The process was slow, intricate patterns shifting, rearranging, becoming one. As the final glow faded, only one disc remained: the Ancient Chaos Life Disc.

Shree and Chat exchanged a look of pure shock.

"What… just happened?" Chat asked, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

Shree gulped. "I… I think we were right. The transmigration disc must have also merged into this artifact before, and now this new one did too. But why?"

Before they could speculate further, a sudden wave of information flooded Shree's mind.

Not just vague memories. Actual information.

He clutched his head, trying to process it all. Slowly, the meaning became clear.

"This disc… it was a teleportation disc!" Shree exclaimed.

Chat was silent for a second before responding. "Wait… You mean… a disc that lets us leave this place?!"

Shree nodded frantically, excitement surging through him. "Yes! This confirms it—this paradise realm isn't part of the outside world, but an independent space! And this teleportation disc was the key to getting out!"

Chat let out a virtual whistle. "So you were one shiny object away from being stuck here forever. Damn, your luck really is something else."

Shree let out a breath of relief, his heart still racing. "For a moment, I thought I was going to grow old and die here, alone, like some tragic hermit. But now, we actually have a way out!"

A huge weight lifted from his chest.

For two days, he had searched, trying to find an exit, hoping there was a way to leave this paradise. Now, that answer had fallen right into his lap—literally.

"So how does it work?" Shree asked, focusing on the information he had received.

Chat processed it as well. "It looks like the teleportation function requires energy. The distance determines the amount of energy needed. Right now, it only has enough to teleport between this paradise realm and the outside world, but further uses will require it to recharge using atmospheric energy or other energy sources."

Shree nodded, absorbing the details. "So it's not unlimited… but that's fine. The important thing is that we can leave."

For the first time in days, he felt truly exhilarated.

"Chat, we're finally going out," he grinned. "We're going to see what's beyond this place."

"About damn time!" Chat laughed.

Excitement, caution, and anticipation swirled in Shree's mind. What kind of world was waiting for him outside?

The mysteries only grew deeper.

But for now, he had one clear goal—leaving the paradise realm.