Chapter 86: Isekai'd Florida Man Returns to Earth, Exorcises Ghost in His House, and Heads Back to Another World to Reunite with His Wife

Parents and guardians erupted in an uproar, none of them expecting such a dangerous challenge. Gall, concerned for Veetee's safety, openly protested.

"Your Majesty, the purpose of this examination is to allow young mages to compete against their peers and learn from their shortcomings. There's no need to risk their lives to prove their worth. This isn't the way to nurture our human resources."

Noblemen and knights echoed his sentiments. "All previous exams were harmless and straightforward. The candidates demonstrated their abilities before the judges or dueled against their peers. This expedition is far too dangerous, Your Majesty!"

The emperor smirked and calmly countered their objections. "The shadow monsters are only dangerous if your mind is filled with dirty and vile thoughts. Remember, the world of reflection reveals the true self of those who enter it. If they are pure of heart, their shadows will be as harmless as a deer.

But if their minds are full of deceit, arrogance, perversion, and dishonesty, their shadows will appear as savage monsters!"

The emperor paused, sneering at Veetee, Felix, Rosaline, and Envick, eager to see their true selves in the mirror. Then, he taunted the crowd.

"If you're confident in your honesty, righteousness, and virtue, you have nothing to worry about. The only risk here is your vices! Therefore, this is not just a regular practical test but a test of character! Go on, prove to the people that you deserve to join the Royal Magi Academy, founded by the Great Emperor Mao!"

The noblemen gasped, glancing at their children. Some waved their hands, signaling them not to take the test, uncertain of their children's mental fortitude. The headmaster of Nature Tower also looked troubled, knowing Envick's true nature.

Meanwhile, the elder nun brightly smiled, unconcerned by the threat. She was confident in her disciple's purity. Rosaline, the blindfolded priestess, also took the hint and walked toward the mirror.

Initially, Rosaline intended to walk around the mirror to reach the front, but the back of the mirror brightened, revealing a portal. Sensing the energy flow, she approached the gate and crossed to the other side without hesitation.

Several teenagers hesitated, including Felix. Unsure if he should skip the exam, he secretly consulted with Jessica.

'Hey, do you think I have a chance?'

<Have you ever committed a crime?>

'In this world or on Earth?'

<Both.>

'Not on Earth, for sure. I'm not sure about this place, though. I've already killed several people. Why do you ask?'

<Your hands are tainted. If the mirror counts your actions as sins, you'll face some difficulties inside. But as for your character and morals, you're far from being immoral. You just have a mild case of mental disability. Being dumb isn't a sin. There's nothing to fear.>

'HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING STUPID?!'

As they bantered, many candidates made their decisions and began approaching the mirror. Out of 2,211 qualified candidates, 774 teenagers braced themselves and crossed to the other side, including Valley.

Envick, the obese aura knight, grumbled but was unwilling to lose. He followed the others into the mirror world.

Veetee, as arrogant as ever, declared before striding toward the mirror gate, "Ha! A test of character? I am the pinnacle of all mages! I do not fear my shadows!" He then vanished into the mirror world.

After Veetee entered, the others hesitated, enduring the awkward silence.

The stillness brought Felix back to reality. He smacked his lips, pushed through the crowd, and entered the mysterious world as the 777th contender.

Once Felix was gone, the emperor's cold eyes glanced at the remaining candidates. "Is there anyone else who wishes to take part in this round? If not, I'll close the gate."

No one dared move, avoiding eye contact with the emperor.

The emperor scoffed and turned his attention to the mirror, raising his hand to close the portal temporarily.

But just then, a strange woman in a ragged tunic approached. Her long, dirty black hair, dusty skin, and dried mouth made her look like a beggar who hadn't eaten or drunk in days. Despite her apparent starvation, her eyes shone brightly as she gazed at the mirror.

Noticing her sudden arrival, the emperor found it intriguing. He turned to one of his followers.

Behind the emperor was the empire's sole star knight. A black-haired young man in a black uniform and long white leather coat nodded, accepting the silent order. His two long swords, under gemstone sheaths, emitted warm and cold air.

The star knight, Shin Tanaka, pulled out a plastic bottle of cold water from his coat and approached the beggar, offering it with a smile. "Here."

The woman briefly stared at the knight but ignored him, moving toward the mirror.

"HEY!" The knight was surprised. He reached out to grab her shoulder, but she took an odd step, blinking instantly and dodging his hand by a hairbreadth.

The emperor noticed this and raised his eyebrows, amused. He gestured for the two seventh-circle mages behind him to stand down.

"Let her."

"Your Majesty?" one of the mages frowned.

"I sense something similar in her. She smells like you three."

"…I see."

The men gave the woman a meaningful look as they understood the hidden meaning.

*WHOOSH*

Before anyone could react, the woman vanished into the mirror.

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When Felix's eyes adjusted to the light, he found himself standing in front of his house on Earth. The quiet suburban street looked just as he remembered it. But when he took a closer look at the house, he couldn't help but smile wryly.

The entire structure was inverted. The porch, which should have been on the right side, was now on the left. Even the door handle was on the opposite side from where it should have been.

Approaching the house, Felix tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. With a shrug, he walked to the porch, lifted a familiar pot, and found the usual backup key underneath.

"It's still here. Well, this is convenient," he muttered.

Felix picked up the key, unlocked the door, and turned the handle to enter. But as soon as the door opened, he was greeted by a black silhouette of a young man holding a double-barrel shotgun aimed directly at his face.

"…Er, hi," Felix forced a laugh, trying to diffuse the situation.

The silhouette remained unmoved and tightened its grip on the trigger.

"!!!"

Felix immediately leaped away from the door as the shotgun roared.

*BOOM*

Buckshot scattered across the door and into the front yard, missing Felix by mere inches. Taking cover by the wall, Felix quickly brought out his own shotgun. He switched the rounds to buckshot and tried to negotiate.

"Hey, dude. I'm sorry I barged into your house! You could have warned me, and I would've left right away!"

The shadowy figure stayed silent, calmly lowering the shotgun, ejecting the spent shell, and loading a new one. With a smooth motion, he snapped the shotgun back into position, ready to fire again.

Felix, hearing the shadow reload, broke out in a cold sweat. He understood that from the shadow's perspective, he was the intruder. Knowing himself well, Felix realized that persuasion wouldn't work on this entity. Instead, he prepared for an all-out fight, pulling out his secret weapon: a high-explosive grenade made from a spirit stone.

After checking the system map for the shadow's location, he pulled the pin and threw the grenade into the house.

The shadow entity noticed the hissing tin can ricochet off the door and land by his feet. Reacting quickly, he leaped over a couch in a living room to take cover.

*BOOM*

The grenade exploded, blowing a large hole in the wooden floor and sending the couch flying, its backrests shattered. Felix seized the moment, darting out of his cover with his IWI shotgun and tossing another grenade into the living room behind the couch.

As the shadow entity leaped from the cover to dodge the grenade, Felix was ready.

*BANG*

He fired, and the buckshot riddled the shadow's torso with holes. The force of the blast knocked the entity backward, causing it to land directly on the armed grenade.

*BOOM*

The second explosion dismembered the entity, but instead of blood and gore, it disintegrated into dust, leaving behind a black orb.

Felix smirked, calmly reloading his shotgun with five new shells. "Too easy! Is this what they were afraid of?" he mocked.

Lowering his gun, Felix approached the black orb and picked it up. As soon as he touched it, the world around him began to blur and distort.

Felix paused, watching in awe as the environment warped.

The interior of the house stretched out, while the ceiling lowered, threatening to crush him. The walls curved inward, forming a ball, and the outside street began to grow larger. But when it touched Felix, a new street emerged from the smallest dust particles, replacing the distorted road. The overgrown street vanished, blending into the sky.

Stunned by the anomaly, Felix consulted Jessica. "Jessica, what do I do here?"

Jessica scanned the surroundings and replied calmly, <It appears there's an error within the artifact. I have two theories: First, this mirror artifact failed to replicate or recreate your hometown after the fight. Or second, it attempted to copy your abilities, bloodline, and character. However, the system OS has prevented it from accessing your data, causing an error in this world.>

"Well, they DID recreate my house. Why can't they do it again?"

<Probably because of your mental fortitude and the system. The mirror managed to generate your world by accessing your short-term memory. But when it tried to read deeper, it couldn't bypass the system's security. That's likely why your shadow was so weak. Otherwise, he could have used fire spells or other weapons against you.>

"…So, in short, they suck?"

<No. Your operating system is stronger than the artifact.>

For the first time, Jessica flashed Felix a cheeky grin.

.

.

Standing alone in the distorted space for what felt like five minutes, Felix suddenly noticed an oval energy portal forming in front of him. Its radiant light nearly blinded him, but it quickly dispelled the chaotic illusions surrounding him.

Felix tucked the black orb into his inventory and cautiously approached the portal. As he stepped into the warm light, he felt solid ground beneath his feet. With each step, the world around him became clearer until he found himself in a familiar room with stone walls and a king-sized bed. The glass doors leading to the balcony were open, letting in a gentle breeze.

Felix recognized the room instantly. It was the guest room he had stayed in during his early days at Roland's mansion in Aero City.

As Felix took in the surroundings, the door creaked open. A black silhouette, shaped like a seductive woman, entered the room. She began to undress as she approached him.

Felix turned around, his eyes widening as he recognized her familiar figure. With a mix of surprise and amusement, he muttered, "Well, damn. Even Jane's shadow is here."