Taking the Mafia to the Magic World C.939 The Nine Paths

'What's happening? Don't I deserve to know?'

Vicente's demeanor instantly grew more serious as he sensed Primrose's penetrating gaze on him. For a brief moment, he remained silent, observing her intently as she stared at him with a newfound intensity, unlike anything he had seen before.

However, in a sudden shift of mood, Primrose quickly regained her composure and spoke with a serious yet understanding tone. "It is imperative that you refrain from inquiring about the Nine Paths, particularly regarding its destruction."

"O-okay," he replied, making a peace sign with his hands.

"The Nine Paths is what we call the magical connection of the over ten thousand worlds or planes. They are all connected to Anicane somehow.

Maybe you've heard about the Nine Paths in Polaris Realm. When the natives of that place came and went from there to here, they had to go through the Stars Sea—the Nine Paths.

It's said that when you leave one dimension and go to another, whether it's higher, lower, or on the same level as yours, you have nine ways to go.

These nine paths can take you to distinct orders of existence, leading you to safe paths or deadly dangerous paths."

"So the Nine Paths are the dangerous sea that my old friends said their ancestors crossed to get to the Supreme Continent?" Vicente wasn't that surprised; the elves and dragons had misunderstood the Nine Paths.

"Yes, I believe so. In the distant past, all the over 10,000 worlds were connected. So for the experts of that time, it really was as if we were one big world, and traveling from one world to another was like sailing between continents.

The people of Polaris Realm were not the only ones who misinterpreted our reality. Several other civilizations have similar theories about the Nine Paths."

Vicente continued walking alongside Primrose, entering the house that would apparently be his new home from today on.

He cautiously stepped forward, eager to learn more about the Nine Paths. "Since the Nine Paths were destroyed, how did I get to Anicane?"

"That's the tricky part. We say that the Nine Paths were destroyed, but that's not quite right. The Nine Paths, as they were in their origin, no longer exist. But a thin layer that connects these many levels still exists today.

However, it is almost impossible for anyone from either side to access this thin layer. Only with the help of special high-level devices can we do this."

Vicente thought of the Nine Path Formation and imagined that it was such a device. "Let me guess. Your formation summoned me here from the Polaris Realm?"

She smiled as she nodded in the affirmative. "That's more or less what happened. Since the change about a million years ago, several lower planes have changed their rules.

Some simply lost permanent contact with Anicane. Others, like the Polaris Realm, have almost disappeared, but every few millennia, when geniuses outside the rules of those planes appear, they are expelled from their homelands.

900,000 years ago, someone like you would have been thrown into the chaos of space and face immense challenges to reach us.

But between 900,000 and 850,000 years ago, a special man appeared on one of the over 10,000 islands of Anicane. This man created the device behind the Nine Path Formation, which basically works by summoning cultivators who have reached the limit of their plans.

When someone is about to be thrown into the chaos of space, the formation that is most compatible with them will connect with them and summon them directly from their plane to the island that is most compatible with them.

So don't get this wrong. We didn't take you out of Polaris Realm. You were about to be exiled from there, anyway. We just saved you from the chaos and shortened your journey to a higher plane". She finished her long explanation.

Understanding the Nine Paths was something that 9 out of 10 newcomers to Anicane sought in their first hours on one of the over 10,000 islands there. That's why Primrose explained enough about the Nine Paths for Vicente to understand his situation.

Many newcomers, before they understood reality, felt they could question and challenge the order of things. But none of this led anywhere good, neither for these newcomers nor for those who welcomed them...

"Study the Nine Paths as much as you feel you need to. Just avoid asking sensitive questions about it. Certain things or doubts are better left unsaid," she said in a suggestive tone.

'There seems to be something problematic behind the 'end' of the Nine Paths... Even a powerful Magus like Primrose is afraid to just talk about it.' Vicente nodded at her, understanding that he should be careful.

"Anyway." She smiled at him, feeling a sense of relief at changing the subject. "This will be your home for the next few months. Every new disciple in the sect has their own residence, which only you have access to it. Inside you'll find everything you need, from food compatible with your body, virtual assistants, cleaning and organizing robots, a cultivation room, a simple library, and more."

Vicente looked around as she showed him the 10 areas of the house, which looked very similar to the human residences in the Polaris Realm.

"Do not be too surprised if we seem to be able to read your thoughts and habits. We are very good at creating artificial intelligences.

The AI in this house is currently mastering everything the sect needs to know about the Polaris Realm, so it's likely that the design, language, types of food available, and other things in your house will remind you of home. But there's no one there to predict your future or read your mind. It's just an interesting trick." She looked at Vicente's house as curiously as he looked at her.

Parts of the house didn't remind Vicente of Polaris Realm, but of Earth!

'That doesn't seem right... The artificial intelligence in this house must be more powerful than she says.' He felt he would be living in a place where he would be probably watched all the time.

Primrose stopped in front of the exit door and said, "well, all the equipment here, including the artificial intelligence of the house, will be under your control. You can control them as you wish, even block them if you wish. However, take your time to adjust.

The books here are certainly valuable, but take some time to visit the Central Library. What's here is just the basics."

"I see. Thank you for bringing me here. By the way, do I have any responsibilities? What do I have to do in exchange for all this?" Vicente got right to the point, considering there were no free lunches in the world.

All this special treatment he was getting had to come at a price!

She stopped in front of his house and explained this last point before she left. "I'm sure you'll understand the why of everything quickly. But until you are done understanding where you are and accepting yourself in this new circumstance, you have all the time you need for yourself. Your responsibility to us begins when you go to the city's Registration Center."

Primrose left soon after, leaving Vicente alone with his house.

As Vicente thought he was finally alone, he turned to go back into the house, but froze at the sight of someone standing in the doorway.

Swallowing his saliva and widening his eyes, Vicente nearly fell backwards when he saw the figure of his mother, Kate Hogan, standing in the doorway of his house, smiling at him.

"Master, your humble servant presents herself to you. From this day forward, you may command me to do anything." Said the holographic woman in front of Vicente, but who looked so real that for a moment the black-haired man thought she was the ghost of his mother.

"Are you the artificial intelligence of this house that Primrose mentioned?" He asked in an uncertain, somewhat angry tone.

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"I am. Is there a problem?"

"Primrose said you couldn't read my mind. Then how can you look like that?" He asked, turning his face a little to the side as his grimace grew uglier.

"I can't really read your memories in the way you would consider 'reading memories', master. But I can see fragments, though I can't connect them in such a way as to see what you've already experienced.

I'm simply reflecting the visual and auditory information my system recognizes as important to you. I thought using it might make our relationship easier." The holographic woman explained.

"I would prefer that you show me your true appearance. This person you showed me is too important to me for me to accept you using her appearance like this," he said as he entered the house.

"I have no appearance. I can just be a voice in your head, or even message boxes if you prefer. But 87.68% of newcomers to Anicane prefer to interact with a 5D hologram similar to old acquaintances from their lives rather than hear voices."

Vicente sat in the residence's library and said as he manipulated the light and formed the appearance of someone he would accept seeing in this creature. "Prisiche. She wasn't a friend or someone I hated. She's still alive, but I have a feeling I won't see her again. That's why I'll call you Prisiche from now on. I hope you're not as dangerous as she was." He sighed as the artificial intelligence of the house changed into a beautiful, seductive blonde woman.