Hunting: Memories (I Transmigrated as a Memory Hunter)

Partner Keys Part 2

CHAPTER 5: Partner Keys Part 2

"I can't enter any worlds?" Nephrite asked in shock.

Nephrite just finished signing his contract in Xei’s office when the researcher’s group suddenly called an emergency meeting.

The young-looking professor nodded at Nephrite, face visible with worry. He swept up his light brown hair then pushed his eyeglass's bridge upward. This man did not need his glasses anymore but he felt so restless so he kept them.

Nephrite remembered this person was called Ram. He asked again, “May I know why?”

"Mr. Wang, we were also perplexed over the matter. There were very few born gifted with the ability such as yours but none on the records had the same case as you."

Nephrite panicked. After he decided to cooperate and accept his fate, how could this happen now? He already mentally prepared himself. He planned many things after the "seminar" Xei prepared for him.

What would he do here if he became useless?

Free-loading was impossible and returning to his world was even out of question right now.

"But Professor Ram, isn’t the Core inaccessible for people who have no Enter ability?"

Everyone's attention shifted from Professor Ram to Xei who was sitting at the head of the table. His right hand was navigating on the holographic data in front of him. Sliding one panel after another as if he was just skimming over the information on it. He gave Professor Ram a short but cold gaze which made the professor nervous.

Nephrite's attention was also on the hologram. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the light-blue three-dimensional holographic “monitor” showing blurred data from the back, protecting the information from people who were not authorized to view it. Though holograms already exist in his original world, it was just a normal 3D image outside a lens. He was originally a tech geek so seeing something like this stirred him so much his drool could leak from his mouth from curiosity.

"Are you sure there was no incompetence behind this again?" Xei added, pulling his attention back to the main topic.

Zireon sighed, feeling bad for the professor being grilled.

"Our researchers are doing their best, Master Xei."

Sensing malice hidden in the simple sentence, Nephrite glanced in the direction of the speaker. The man, probably around the same age as Xei, had jet black hair and amber eyes. He was wearing a white tuxedo with gold accents giving off a regal look.

Nephrite usually liked this type of appearance. Despite that, this person was exuding too many bad vibrations. I should be careful around him, Nephrite noted to himself.

The tension-filled air in the room was so heavy, making everyone feel pressed as they silently observed how things would turn to.

The problem regarding the collapsing branch in Galaxy 520a had been a long time headache for the Core. Now that they found some hope, another unexpected situation arose.

"So tell me, why do you think things keep going wrong here, Director?"

Director Lu looked at Nephrite, "Our visitor really lacked that ability. As to why it happened, we could further investigate. However, we don't have much time left."

"Keep going." Xei’s face stayed at its default stoic expression but his voice sent a chill down everyone’s spine as each of the words he said was a drop of cold water.

Director Lu continued, "Our priority right now was to prevent the dead branch from spreading, isn't it?" Some of Director Lu's subordinates who were present voiced their agreement. "So how about we just make a key?"

Xei slammed his fist on the table, shutting down all holographic files.

Zireon stood up. Laced with fear, his voice cracked but his eyes betrayed his inner thoughts as they glinted from whatever emotion he felt inside. "A-Alright, alright. Calm down, Master. Director Lu was just imparting some solutions to this matter."

Xei smiled coldly, the atmosphere plunged straight to the freezing point, his gaze piercing straight through Director Lu.

“Are you suggesting that we kill someone who trusted us for the sake of self-benefit? What’s your difference with those illegal soul hunters who destroy souls for monetary returns?”

Director Lu swallowed nervously. He tried to suppress his embarrassment and anger. “We had to do something to fix it. As the Head of the Memory Bank, you should know it better than us. Is this how incompetent you are?”

Everyone could feel the below zero temperature Xei was exuding at the moment. If looks could kill, Director Lu’s life would have been smothered by now, It was a direct challenge to Xei’s authority.

Xei rubbed the center of his forehead, “Yes, I know it very well enough to say that we’ve waited long enough,” then he stared straight into Director Lu’s eyes. “A moment longer would not add another injury to the injured. Don’t tell me that b*llsh*t sacrificing one for the benefit of the other. I don’t believe there’s no way around it.”

"Master Xei," Professor Ram called out. Swallowing all his hesitation, he continued, "There is a book that mentioned a similar case. But, it was not an official document, that is why I did not dare use this information."

“I don’t mind. Send the files over.”

Professor Ram took his personal tablet and sent the files to Xei right away.

Xei gave a surprised look once he saw it, “a novel?”

"Yes, that is why it was not in the official documents we have. Despite that, we discovered that this novel was written by a wife of a former soul hunter. The characters were actually based on them. The wife has no ability to enter worlds. She was just an ordinary traveler. However, she was able to cross worlds because of her husband. Though they were not able to determine the reason why this happened, her husband called this ‘partner keys.’"

“Partner Keys?” Nephrite couldn’t help but frown, not just him but the rest in the room as well. All of them heard it for the first time.

“Yes. Though their only explanation in the novel was them being soulmates. After all, it was a romance novel. But it actually gives a fitting conclusion with Mr. Wang’s situation.”

He looked at Xei intently, “You brought him here, Master Xei.”

Xei nods. Professor Ram continued. “It only means there was a certain unknown condition that has been fulfilled between Master Xei and Mr. Wang. If we can conduct a trial, we can prove if the two of you are partner keys or not.”

“If Master Xei will go along with Mr. Wang, then who would act in his stead as the headmaster?” a subordinate asked.

Xei noticed Professor Ram eyeing someone. He gave a rare warm smile, “It’s not a problem. Someone can fill in for me,” he stood up.

“Zireon will be the temporary head of the Record Bank. If anything befalls me during transmigration, he would replace me permanently. As for Zireon’s role, Ram will take his place. Move your things to the main office.” His last sentence was for Ram.

Xei grabbed Nephrite's wrist, “Let’s go and prepare. Don’t waste time.” They walked out of the conference room, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

“Is it really alright to leave like that?”

"I trust them. For now, my top priority is to clear those dead branches."

After attending the short seminar, Nephrite became aware that Galaxy 520a was in a declining state. The only way to save it was by entering those already locked worlds using his ability.

This might cause some confusion, but though he views those dreams as his past, it was actually a parallel world that existed.

Normally, once travelers or humans with strong souls or quantum light made an important decision, it can affect the current world. A new path would be born. It was like playing those interactive games which give multiple options and each path leads to different outcomes.

Once a traveler passed away, their quantum light will be categorized into three. Weak, mediocre, and strong.

Strong and mediocre Q-light will experience a rebirth. While mediocre Q-light owners will return with no memories, strong Q-lights can see their past(from the other parallel world) in the form of dreams. In most cases, it was perceived as seeing the future while in a few rare cases, it was their whole life in the past world.

The Q-light owners who remembered their past mostly choose rebirth. However, some don't want to go through "hell" again. These souls can sign a contract to go to the Core and be a Soul Hunter.

Weak Q-light had no ability to rebirth on their own. So after storing their soul records in the Record bank, they will return to the center of the Core as “nourishment”. After some number of unknown years, it can be summoned in a different world with a new identity. This was their process of rebirth. On the other hand, some mediocre Q-light owners can also choose to return to the center and experience rebirth the same way as weak souls.

Even so, some weak Q-light owners carried strong resentment, did not willing to leave. Soul hunters deal with this kind of soul and make contracts, fulfilling their resentment for them in exchange for their vessels.

Without a vessel, Q-light owners will lose their "protective shield" while passing through the center. Only a five percent chance that their Q-light will survive in the "nourishing process" and rebirth as a human has a zilch chance.

The Universe stayed alive through this cycle.

However, if the strongest Q-light suddenly fails during rebirth, it will cause consequences. If no soul could create a new path, that world will start to rot and will automatically lock, depending on how high the damage dealt.