Bab 60: Training Arc Conclusion
"Thanks for calling, Oppa!" Jinhee's voice echoed through my phone and she said, "I was starting to get worried you had gone on another one of your 'trips' again and lost track of time."
I laughed and adjusted my phone against my ear.
Since I could easily hop back and forth between Earth and Paradise now, I made sure to stop back to make sure things were settled on Earth every few days. Today was one of those days.
"Well, I AM on one of those trips. But since my dear baby sister gets so worried, I have to make sure to call in, you know?"
"That's right! I'm your precious baby sister, so you shouldn't do anything to make me cry! Got it?"
"Yes, yes. I got it, Jinhee."
While talking with Jinhee, I took a look around my apartment.
It was early in the morning, barely eight o'clock. A Wednesday.
It seemed like Hannah had been in and out of my apartment, since I noticed some files lying on my desk. Mainly papers to sign. Tax forms, business proposals... the like.
"So did you just take a break to call me, Oppa? Are you still busy?"
"Yeah." I flipped through the papers and materialized a pen to sign the more important forms. "I managed to squeeze a bit of time in between some training for the organization's next plans. I have to head back in a bit though."
"Oh. So we can't get breakfast then?"
I felt a twinge of guilt at that and sighed. "Not this time, Jinhee. Sorry."
"It's fine. Probably for the better anyway... Unni's been getting nosy recently and asking around for you."
"Unni... Seonhwa?"
"Mmhm. But don't worry. It's nothing important."
...I felt like Jinhee was hiding something from me. Or was she still upset at Seonhwa?
Either way though, there shouldn't be anything important that she needed to talk to me about... Other than our relationship, but the more I could put that conversation off, the better.
Especially with everything happening right now. Maybe after we got through the first 'wave' in Paradise...
"Anyway! Miss Seora's been really nice! Did you know? Yesterday she took me out to eat at a fancy sushi restaurant!"
I smiled. "Really? I'll have to remember to thank her then."
"You should! Though... Is it true that you gave her that pendant, Oppa? How much did that cost you anyway?"
I coughed.
Dammit, Seora!
"Sorry, the signal's pretty bad... I couldn't hear that."
"I said, how much- Never mind. Anyway, who was that woman you were with-"
I sweated and quickly used my abilities to distort the signal. "Jinhee? Jinhee? Are you still there?"
"Oppa? Wait, your signal really is dropping?! The connection... Upgrade your damned phone...!"
The call ended.
I sighed. Unlike most people, I actually could blame it on telephone service being bad.
But...
"That was a close one..."
I *really* didn't want to think about relationships at the moment... And the moment Jinhee got into grilling me about them, I'd have to deal with some emotions and thoughts that I'd been putting off for a while. So I didn't.
Some might say that was cowardly. I would say it was picking a time and place for the battle that was completely stacked against me. Especially if I wanted to resolve this in a way that didn't burn everyone and instead made everyone happy.
Anyway, after ending the call with Jinhee, I decided to call Hannah.
"...Hello?"
A grumbled and tired voice.
I blinked and frowned. "Good morning, Hannah... is what I'd like to say, but it sounds like you aren't really having one."
Hannah sighed. Shuffling papers echoed from her side of the line and then she said, "Sorry, Jihu. I've just been busy. Had to do a lot to fulfill your favor from last time."
I winced. "...Sorry."
"It's fine. I'm used to it. Besides, I'm getting paid well enough from your companies that I can write it off as a business expense."
"...I don't think that's how taxes work."
"I'm being metaphorical here, Jihu. Geez."
"Sorry, sorry."
"Anyway, what's up? Did you just call to check in? Last I heard, you were out training at that Hard Rocky Mountains or something."
"I still am. Just decided to pop back on Earth for a while to make sure things were running well."
"...How? Did you warp back to Haramark? Isn't that a bad idea?"
"Didn't I tell you last time? I figured out how to teleport between worlds."
"...It's too damned early for this shit." Hannah sighed.
"Sorry. Anyway, I filled out the papers you left me. Just wanted to let you know before I head back."
"Alright... I'll pick them up later. Now, could you hang up? I really need some coffee to stop this headache I got from hearing about your bullshit."
I let out a wry chuckle and then hung up.
After that, I glanced at my phone again.
There weren't many messages this time. Probably because it hadn't been long since I headed back.
Although Seora texted me. It seemed like she wanted to have dinner to talk about something.
...Was it time?
I frowned and then responded that I'd get back to her when I was free.
Surprisingly, I got an instant reply.
[Okay, Jihu! I'll reserve a sushi restaurant for us! Just tell me when!]
"Hm?"
Jihu?
I blinked and then glared at the message.
I kept bugging Seora to call me Jihu, but she still called me Oppa when she messaged me. Probably because she liked to tease me with it.
But right now...
"...I see."
[Yun Seohui's disguised message]
Yun Seora's phone has been stolen, and Yun Seohui is using it while disguised as her. Be careful.
A brief status window appeared in response to my suspicions, confirming them.
"...It seems like I'll have to handle it sooner rather than later."
Yun Seohui. Seora's older sister, and the manipulative sociopath running all of Sinyoung at the moment since their father had stepped down...
And also a person who died a miserable death in Seol's timeline. Both the future and 'present' Seol, from what I remembered.
But I could also remember something else.
That vision I had a while back...
"Hero, huh...?"
I remembered how she looked at me and what she called me...
"Well. It'll be fine."
After all... In Paradise, Seohui might have the upper hand. But here, on Earth, where my powers were completely unhindered...
It'd be... interesting to say the least.
After checking everything again, I warped back to Paradise.
xxx
"Hm?" Maldong glanced over at me and said, "Did you have to run some errands?"
I brushed off my shirt and took a look around. "Yeah. Just checking in with the family on Earth, you know?"
Maldong nodded. "Good. A son should be filial to his parents, even in a situation like this."
Just outside the hideout. Maldong had been sitting on a makeshift log chair, sipping on some tea. Off in the distance, Seol-Ah and Sungjin were powering through a long jog, dragging logs behind them.
I made a chair for myself and sat down as well. "Well, I had a legacy of a misspent youth, so I'm doing my best to make up for it now."
"Hoh?" Maldong raised an eyebrow and said, "So you were a delinquent, you say?"
"...Something like that. We can talk about it sometime back on Earth over some soju and beef."
Maldong laughed and said, "Fine, fine. That's a promise then."
I nodded and looked over at the Yi siblings. "How are they doing? The kids alright?"
"Mm." Maldong nodded. "Seol-Ah's the real deal. She's a bit like you in that she's exceptional in every aspect... but she's also more of a jack of all trades than a ridiculous monster like you are. Still, she's got talent."
"And Sungjin?"
"Ah. He's..." Maldong frowned, rubbing his chin. "Both of them aren't half bad. High Ranker level for sure. Beyond that... Sungjin's a hard worker and he's keeping up well. But..."
"...But?"
Maldong looked at me and sighed. "Honestly, I don't see any special talent in Sungjin. He'll be able to reach level five, but... Bluntly speaking, he's only fit enough to be a meat shield."
"A meat shield?" I immediately looked back to Sungjin.
He was struggling. He was putting his all into the training.
But... that was all he would end up as?
Remembering his efforts and enthusiasms... I didn't want to accept that.
But-
Wait.
I paused and placed my hand on my chin, thinking. And then I looked at Maldong and said, "Hey, Coach. There's something I wanted to ask you about."
"Hm?"
"It's private, so can we- Actually, this is probably better." I materialized a lead bunker around us to neutralize any ambient energy and then made sure to block out any sound with Energy Domination while lighting up the interior.
After seeing the surroundings, Maldong's face grew serious and he said, "What is it? To go through this much... I take it that you have something important to say?"
I nodded. "Right. Do you remember how I said I got a certain ability from the Harmonious Wish?"
"I do. What about it?"
I carefully read my status... Specifically, I carefully reread the name of the 'violet' direction in my Karmic Eyes of Destiny.
Atma Refinement. I wasn't sure of it yet, but considering how it let me turn that cursed spear of resentment into Gae Bolg...
"...I think I can change the 'talent' of people."
Maldong's eyes widened. "What?"
I frowned and then stared at my status screen. Specifically, I stared at 'Atma Refinement' with the Insight part of my karmic eyes. Not a full reading with my actual insight, but it should be enough to get a handle on it...
[Atma Refinement - Violet]
Raises the level of existence by one grade. Further enhancement possible through ?????
"...Yeah. I'm not sure exactly what this means, but I can... probably turn someone from average to a genius?"
Considering that I turned a super cursed spear into a mythical weapon with a curse that reversed causality to attack... It shouldn't be much harder to just improve someone's talents.
Maldong stared at me and then placed his hand on his chin. "That... If that's true... Hm. It's a good thing that you kept this quiet." He sighed and said, "It's no small thing to be able to improve someone's talent, especially in this world."
"Hm?"
"Nothing. Then... I suppose we should try it, shouldn't we? Though... Are there any side-effects?"
"There shouldn't be. And if there are, I'm going to go rant to the gods about it and get them to fix the mistake."
Maldong cracked a smile. "Enough. I'm sure the others will be worried if we're trapped in this place for much longer."
"Ah, right." I got rid of the bunker and then looked at Maldong.
At that time, Sungjin returned from his jog. Seol-Ah was off in the distance still, practicing... Martial Arts? I wasn't sure, but it seemed like Sungjin's training was finished for now.
But he didn't look happy about it.
"Oh." He looked at me as he came back and waved. "Hey, Hyung. Master Maldong." He bowed his head to Maldong.
Maldong nodded and said, "Good work."
Sungjin sighed. "Yes, Master Maldong."
I stared at Sungjin.
There weren't any colors around him... No, there was a green thread around him. A sign of good will maybe? I wasn't sure about the color, but it felt calm at least.
But I ignored that and focused on his status.
...Putting it bluntly, I could see what Maldong meant.
While Sungjin was level three, his aptitudes were just 'average.' No special traits other than hardworking, and his stats were all just midway through low.
Sungjin stared at me and forced a smile. "Hyung's doing well in your training, right? It seems like the gulf between us is growing by the day, haha..."
Maldong shook his head. "There's no point comparing yourself to that monster. Even if you trained for ten million years, you'd never be able to catch up."
Sungjin sighed. "I know. Hyung is amazing. Still..." He clenched his fists. "...At least like Unni. If I could at least be as useful as her...!"
I stared at Sungjin. Particularly, I stared at the violet light starting to flare up around him.
"In that case..." I muttered and said, "Do you want to be?"
"Eh?"
I glanced at Maldong.
He nodded.
I looked back at Sungjin and said, "I'll teach you for a bit here. Not to discount Coach here, but I *do* know how you learned to fight and of your history. Maybe you'll make a breakthrough, eh?"
Sungjin blinked. "R-Really, Hyung?!" He smiled, looking happy. But then he paused. "But... won't that cut into your training?"
"It can't be helped. Since you guys stubbornly chose to follow me, I have to make sure you don't lag too far behind you know. Can't afford to have people who can't keep up, so I'll make sure you can at least run behind me."
"...Hyung is being too nice again."
I held out my hands and materialized a wooden shield and sword. "You still fight with these, right?"
"Yeah... But where did you get those, Hyung?"
"Trade secret." I tossed them over to Sungjin.
The teenager grabbed them and quickly took up a fighting stance, his eyes wide. "A-Are we sparring?"
"Relax. I'm just going to give you some pointers." I glanced at Maldong and said, "And keep an eye on us, alright? I want to get your thoughts on it after."
"Mm." Maldong nodded.
I materialized a copy of a sword and shield as well and then faced Sungjin.
He gulped.
"Now." I stared into his eyes and said, "Look into my eyes. Watch my gaze, and then copy me."
"That's..."
"You can do it."
I held up the sword and shield while staring into the violet light surrounding Sungjin.
As I did... I could get a vague sense of it.
His firm and unyielding will to stand against all odds. The determination to become stronger and protect not just his sister but everyone around him. The burning ambition to be as strong as me.
-An impossibility.
As I stared at him, I could see it.
The brilliant light of the soul, like a shining star in the sky.
His... was too dim. Like a candlelight, it illuminated the surroundings, but barely. Just enough to be useful, but not enough to warm the body or provide any comfort.
Not enough to meet his ambitions.
So then...
I stared at it. Unraveling the pattern of his powers, the trajectory of his star, the 'destiny' and 'karma' binding him...
"Hyung?! Your eyes-"
...I saw it. A power suited for him. The strength to overcome the limits the world placed on him and fulfill his ambition.
"Copy me." I stomped on the ground and held out my sword. Earth magic flowed through my veins, strengthening my body and stance. A firm and unyielding sword style that could only go forward, never yielding.
"That's...!" Maldong started to talk, but he quickly shut up.
As for Sungjin...
Like he was hypnotized, his body slowly moved, his eyes half-lidded and vacant. At the same time, a swirl of energy started around him, drawing in mana from the surroundings... and me.
But I didn't mind. Instead, I stepped forward and swung my sword.
In response...
"HAH!"
Sungjin rushed forward and blocked it with his shield. At the same time, he stomped on the ground and swung his sword in a vertical slash.
A basic move. One that should have been easy to dodge. Something anyone could read.
But that was only on the surface.
A heavy force pressed down on my body, as if gravity had been amplified. At the same time, his sword rushed down like a lightning bolt, aimed at my head.
And then it stopped.
Sungjin froze in the middle of it and blinked. "H-Hyung? What just...?" Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly fainted, collapsing on the ground. Even so, his grip never loosened on his sword and shield.
And when he did, I felt the feedback.
"Gah." I staggered, clutching my eyes.
The familiar scent of blood filled my nostrils, and I felt warm liquid in my fingers.
"Jihu!" Maldong called out, and I heard him come over.
"I'm fine." I waved him off and shook my head. "Just didn't expect this skill to be so tiring... Maybe I overdid it...?"
It definitely wasn't like this last time when I performed Atma Refinement on the spear.
"Enough about me. Check on Sungjin." I waved Maldong off, wiping my eyes.
He looked hesitant, but nodded. The old man adjusted his dark blue coat and then knelt beside Sungjin, carefully checking his pulse and various pressure points.
And then Maldong's eyes widened, a mixed expression on his face. "It's real." He muttered. "Not only his body, but his mana circuits, the rhythm of his mana, and the attribute..." He shook his head. "I know of some ways to enhance someone's natural talent, but to remake it entirely like this..."
"So I take it that it worked?"
Maldong adjusted Sungjin to be more comfortable and then turned towards me. "Better than anything I've ever seen. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Sungjin was a different person. That's how drastic the change is. To think that the Harmonious Wish could grant such a power..."
"Ah." I shook my head. "You're mistaken."
"Hm?" Maldong blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I didn't get granted this power. I always had it... Or at least the potential to have it. All the Harmonious Wish did was awaken it a bit earlier than I would have naturally attained it."
"...Jihu. I keep saying it, but you really are a terrifying monster. Do you know that?"
I shrugged. "I'm me. That's all that there is to it."
"Jihuuu~!" At that time, Flone's voice called out. "Train with me-! Wait, your eyes! What happened?!"
"Ah. Nothing much. I just-"
A wave of fatigue. My body, suddenly shutting down.
...Oh. It looks like I really did spend too much on helping Sungjin out.
"JIHU!"
I staggered. Before I could fall though, I felt a pair of warm arms grab me. Following that, the familiar sweet scent of vanilla filled my nostrils. Flone.
"What happened? Are you alright!?"
Her worried voice echoed in my ears.
I sighed. "Sorry to worry you Flone... But I think I'm going to take a nap now. Night."
"E-Eh?! What-"
Before I could catch the rest of her words, my consciousness cut out.
xxx
[Hoh.] A somewhat arrogant but familiar voice called out to me. [You've really made a mess of things now. To think that your version of Nine Eyes would be even crazier than that guy's... Stellar Evolution is one thing since it just changes destiny, but to refine the very record of one's existence and rewrite it... You know, there's a reason why everyone's calling you a monster, you crazy bastard.]
Well, if a monster's needed to fix this mess, it's better that I am one, right?
[Heh. That's true. But... you be careful now. He's going through the same path as you, but the circumstances are different now. All of the waves you made are going to smack you in the face soon. Be ready.]
Thanks for the heads up.
[No problem. I'm curious anyway. I can't see how you'll end up like 'him'... And I can't help you either. Not directly. So... it's going to be tough.]
What, you can't lend me your spear skills for a while, Blackie? I even got a fancy new spear, you know?
[Pft. I'd love to mess around with that thing, but you're pushing things enough as it is. If I pop in, another dark god might actually show up, you know?]
Yeah, no thanks.
[Thought so. We can chat like this because of a loophole in how you got here and how your powers work, but anything more is... Well, better safe than sorry.]
Gotcha. Then... any other useful hints you want to pass along, Blackie?
[Can't say too much else... But I gotta say. You're even more of a scumbag than I was. Dragging along all those women and playing dumb while building up goodwill... That guy's actually stupid since he does that by accident, but you really are a cunning bastard, aren't you?]
...Alright. I think this chat is over.
[Heh. Fine, fine. It'll probably work out in the end anyway, since you're such a crazy bastard. See ya.]
I could see it. In the void, a familiar figure walked away, his back turned towards me.
Black armor, a rusted spear, and a face that looked similar to mine.
"...Yeah. Catch you on the flipside, Seol. Try not to be too hard on your past self."
He raised his arm up and waved without turning back.
And when he did...
xxx
I woke up.
A crackling flame.
That was the first thing I noticed.
The second was the scent of vanilla, sweet and calming.
And the third...
Eh?
...Was that I was using Flone's lap as a pillow.
"Oh? You're finally awake." A soft hand brushed my bangs. Afterwards, a familiar beautiful face came into view. Flone's. She smiled and said, "You're overworking yourself like usual again, aren't you, Jihu?"
I blinked and then sighed. "Seems like it." I looked around and said, "Where's everyone else?"
"Grandpa Maldong was really fired up to go train Sungjin, and the two siblings wanted to work harder after seeing you faint. Yuhui said she wanted to go gather some more herbs, so she went off somewhere. And as for that red-headed hussy... I'm not sure?"
I sat up and chuckled. "Red-headed hussy, huh? Sora's not that bad."
"She's not... but it's fun teasing her."
I sighed. "Still, you should be nicer to her. She's been through a lot you know?"
"And I haven't?"
"Still."
Flone frowned. "Fine... But don't get wrapped up with her. Someone who gets jealous of you doesn't deserve to be by your side, Jihu."
"Eh?"
Flone sighed. "Playing dumb again... Fine, fine. If that's what you want. But anyway!" She smiled and said, "I wanted to show you what I learned! Let's play!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
"Play?"
"Yeah!" Flone held out her hands and materialized a shimmering white sword and shield.
I blinked. "That's new..."
"You're not the only one who can make magic weapons now, Jihu! Let's go!"
I looked around.
We were in a forest clearing, so it wasn't too big a deal. But...
"Are you sure? It's kind of cramped."
"But it's private! And you owe me for the lap pillow, so come on!"
I laughed. "Fine, fine." I held out my hands and materialized a basic iron sword. "Let's have some fun then."
The moment I said that, Flone flew forward in a silver blur, her sword aimed at my side.
I blinked and swung my sword to block her attack, but it met air.
"Hoh?"
It was similar to how I avoided the orc attacks at the Banquet. Similar, but different.
The blade kept coming, cutting towards my side.
Like with Sora, I quickly brought up my knee and elbow, grabbing the blade. But I also made sure to wrap both of them in my energy.
A loud clang echoed.
"Huh?" Flone blinked, eyes wide in surprised. And then she huffed and pulled the sword back. "That's not fair, Jihu! You figured it out too quick!"
I chuckled. "Can't be helped. I already knew you were a ghost, remember? Though... Have you been using that on Sora?"
It would explain why the red-haired beauty had been a bit upset recently.
Flone let out an innocent smile and said, "Who, me? I would never do that!"
"Sure, sure..." I went back to my ready stance, holding my sword in front of me and said, "Is that all you wanted to show me, or-"
Before I could finish, a bright beam of white light shot down at me from above.
Pure energy, the same frequency as healing magic, but intensified... and harmful.
It was almost divine, but not quite.
I quickly devoured the energy, melding it with my core, and then frowned. "Hey. Cheap attacks are no good."
"Tch." Flone clicked her tongue. "I thought for sure that would have got you..."
I started to sweat. "That was enough energy to vaporize an ordinary person, you know?"
"It's fine! The Jihu I know wouldn't die from something like that. I mean, you were crazy enough to blow up an entire fortress with your own magic and lived, right?"
...Note to self. Don't tell Flone about the time I set off a mana nuke to erase a mountain range.
"Fine." Flone pouted. "Enough tricks. This time... I'm going all out! If I win, I'm pushing you down, Jihu!"
"Wait, what?!"
Flone's eyes turned crimson- No, those were red hearts!
Sensing danger, I quickly held up my sword.
The private forest, wanting to spar with me... That was just an excuse!
The real reason...!
White light flashed around Flone, mixing with her shadowy resentment. "I'm not holding back Jihu!"
"Dammit, Flone! I told you no crazy yandere stuff! And it's too soon for this!"
xxx
"Gah. Dammit. Note to self... love... makes women crazy..."
From dusk to dawn. That was how long Flone went at me.
...There was probably an innuendo in there somewhere. But either way, I eventually managed to get her to settle down.
Mostly by knocking her out with a full-powered sleep spell.
It was a good thing that I memorized that spell ball pattern a long time ago...
Anyway, after making sure she was out for a nice nap, I made a fancy tree house in the middle of the woods with secure windows, doors, and stuff and placed her in a bed.
After that, I limped out towards the direction of the lake. After taking that beating and fending off Flone's advances, I desperately needed a bath to calm down.
I technically could warp back to Earth for that... but with how mentally exhausted I was, that could end poorly.
So lake it was.
I trudged along the mountain path, watching the sun slowly rise in the distance.
And then I saw someone crouched behind a boulder. Seol-Ah.
"Eh?"
Her body was trembling and she clamped her hands against her mouth, as if desperately trying not to make a sound. At the same time, her eyes were tearing up, the wet trails on her cheeks betraying her emotions.
"Seol-Ah?"
I called out to her. After all, I couldn't just ignore her when she was in this state.
She tensed up and then looked at me. When she saw me, her eyes grew wide and then she started shaking more. But she forced a smile and lowered her hands. "G-Good morning, O-Oppa."
I walked over and said, "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"
It was possible. The training was pretty intense, and Maldong knew exactly how much to push someone to get them to their limit.
Well, except for me, but we didn't talk about me.
She sniffed and rubbed her tears away. "N-No. I'm fine. Master Maldong makes sure we aren't injured. Just..." She lowered her face. "...It's hard."
As if those two words were the last straw, she started sobbing. "I-It's so hard, Oppa! I know you brought us here and want us to get stronger, but I... I don't know if I can do it...!"
After that, she crouched back onto the ground, covering her face.
"Ah..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well... In that case, you don't have to."
Seol-Ah froze and then looked up at me. "...I don't?"
I shook my head and let out a soft smile. "I told you, didn't I? You and Sungjin deserve to live a happy and normal life. There's no need for you to work so hard out here in Paradise."
And seeing her on the ground like that... It reminded me too much of Jinhee to be comfortable.
I walked over and patted her head. "If it's too much, then you should just go home. I'll make the arrangements... Actually, my partner should have already started things to help out your mom, so you don't have to worry. Besides... you and your brother should be living a normal life at this age, not fighting for your life."
Seol-Ah was silent and then she said, "What about you, then?"
I blinked. "What about me?"
Seol-Ah slowly stood up and stared at me. "...Oppa's going to keep fighting, aren't you?"
I nodded. "Of course. But I'm me, you know? I'm used to running headfirst into my limits and dragging myself through hell."
"...I heard a story from that pretty Unni. Miss Flone." She stared at me and said, "Is it true? Did Oppa really break every bone in his body and keep walking back to Haramark?"
"Hm?" I paused to think about it. "...Ah, she's probably talking about after that mission. If it's the one I'm thinking of, 'breaking' my bones is putting it lightly... 'Pulverizing' is more like it." I rubbed my legs, feeling a phantom pain as I recalled that time. "You never realize how useful bones are until you have to forcibly hold your limp fleshy limbs together with raw magical power."
Seol-Ah gave me a blank look and then laughed. "Oppa. You're insane."
I smiled. "Yeah... I've been called that more than a few times." I put on a serious face and said, "But that's me. I hate saying it myself, but I'm a freak of nature, Seol-Ah. This sort of world is right up my alley. But someone like you and Sungjin... it isn't meant for you. So it's fine if you cry. It's fine if you want to quit... And it's fine if you do quit." I let out a gentle smile and placed my hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to feel obligated, you know? And didn't you call me your big brother? Well, as your big brother, I'm happy if you're happy. I don't want you to force yourself to do anything you don't want to do."
And that was the truth.
While it'd be great if Seol-Ah went all out in her training and maxed out that potential of hers... It'd also be great if she could live a happy life too.
She had already suffered the pain and despair of dying once already. And I was sure that left a trauma on her, probably just as bad as the one Jinhee had.
I wasn't cruel enough to force her through that.
Seol-Ah was silent. And then she wiped her tears away and slowly started heading back up the mountain.
I blinked. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to talk to Master Maldong."
I followed after her. "Oh. In that case, let me explain. He'll probably need a proper explanation on why you're heading back to Earth."
Seol-Ah paused and then turned to look at me. "Who said I'm heading back to Earth?"
I blinked. "You aren't?"
Seol-Ah laughed, as if all the weight on her from before had vanished. After that, she shook her head, a faint smile on her face. "No. I'm not." She turned her gaze back to the mountaintop and said, "I can't. Because... Because...!" She grit her teeth and started running.
Caught off guard, I stood there for a moment just watching her. And then when I heard her last words, I couldn't bring myself to follow her.
"Because... I want to protect Oppa too!"
"...Hah." I stared at Seol-Ah's back. Specifically, at the violet light flaring up all over her body.
"...It seems that I'm surrounded by nothing but stubborn women, huh...?"
xxx
"Are you sure it's fine for us to be hanging around like this, Hugo?" Chohong frowned, leaning back in the lounge chair at Carpe Diem HQ. Pouring herself a glass of red wine, she took a sip and frowned.
Hugo sat down across from Chohong and cracked open a can of beer. After taking a big swig, he looked over at Chohong and said, "What's there to worry about? Jihu's a training maniac and we aren't. It's as simple as that. Besides..." He reached over to a basket filled with jerky and plucked one out. After tearing off a piece with his teeth and swallowing, he said, "We haven't been able to cut loose since the old man got back. Might as well take the chance while we have it."
"True, but..." Chohong's frown deepened.
She had instinctively run away earlier, but now that she had the time to think about it and some days to cool her head, she was starting to regret it.
"...Jihu seemed like he really wanted us to come along."
She couldn't forget the slight look of disappointment in his gaze as she left.
"Bah." Hugo waved his can of beer and said, "Who cares. I'm fine just as I am. Besides, with my new weapon and that chain belt Bro gave me, I'm plenty strong."
Chohong sighed. "...Looks like there's no point talking about this with you."
"You worry too much anyway, Chohong." He paused. "...Oh. OH!" He grinned and then leaned forward. "Are you worried about him spending time with his other girls instead of you? Come to think of it, he seemed a lot closer to Miss Yuhui and Flone than you recently..."
"Shut up if you know what's good for you."
Hugo held up his can and said, "I'm just saying. If you were that worried, you should have gone with them. I've read a lot of hentai where-"
A blur through the air, followed by red liquid flying towards Hugo.
His eyes widened and he caught the glass. Unfortunately, he couldn't catch the wine. "H-Hey!"
"...I'm going for a walk." Chohong narrowed her eyes and stood up. But just as she got up, there was a knock at the door.
Hugo froze, slowly turning his head. "...You don't think that's Bro, do you?"
Chohong frowned and walked over to the door.
Jihu had sent out notices to everyone that he was going to be out for a while, so there shouldn't be anyone visiting... And Ian had keys, so he would have walked in. As for Jihu himself... Well, that guy had a crazy ability to pop up at the most convenient times, so...
Hugo quickly wiped the wine off his face and stood up as well, following after Chohong. As he did, he said, "H-Hey. If Bro asks, I'm on board with training, alright? I didn't say nothing about-"
"Oh shut up already." Chohong opened the door. "Sorry, O- Huh?"
It wasn't Jihu. Instead... When Chohong saw the person standing there, she gasped. "You were alive?"
Marcel Ghionea snorted and said, "I haven't seen you in ages and you're already spouting shit."
xxx
The days blurred past. After that little confrontation with Flone, it became a daily thing trying to fend off her attacks... and Sora had started joining in as well, deciding to toss away her pride in order to knock me down just once.
Yuhui watched it all with an amused look while Maldong had completely ignored me, focusing on training the Yi siblings with renewed vigor after the two underwent Atma Refinement.
Between that and making the occasional trip back every few days to check in on Earth, I focused on my training.
Despite being a bit stressful, I was quickly becoming more familiar with my new powers from having to fend off Flone and Sora.
Flone because she resorted to using spirit form, making me have to figure out ways to get around intangible opponents. And then Sora because she was just improving in real-time fighting me, her swordsmanship slowly starting to get into the crazy Wuxia territory where the world itself seemed to start pulling me into her attacks.
Fortunately, I was improving as well.
And then, one evening after just knocking Sora and Flone out for the... I didn't know what number time, I got a call from my personal communication crystal.
"Hm?" The only ones connected to my communication crystal were Chohong, Ian, Hannah, and Seora. Chohong because she was the temporary leader when I was out of the picture, Ian in case he needed me for something, Hannah because of Earth things, and Seora for the same reason.
"It's... Chohong?"
What could she want at this time?
I frowned and then connected the line. The moment I did-
"Yo! Look what we've got, Bro!"
Hugo's voice and face popped up in the crystal. He waved around a beer can and a giant slab of steak.
I blinked and then let out a sigh. "Really?"
"You idiot! Give that back!" Chohong's voice echoed and then the scenery blurred. Before long, Chohong's beautiful face appeared in the crystal.
She looked a bit flustered, but when she saw me, she coughed and let out a strained smile. "Sorry about that, Leader. Hugo was a bit too enthusiastic celebrating his 'freedom.'"
From the back, Hugo's voice called out. "Well excuse me for not being crazy like you for not enjoying it!"
Chohong turned her head back and said, "Shut up! This is important!"
"Tch. Whatever. I'm grilling some more meat." After saying that, Hugo's form vanished off the crystal.
I chuckled. "Don't be too hard on him, Chohong. Hugo's just that kind of guy. Besides, we're all friends here. No need to try and be too formal."
Chohong nodded. But then she gave me a sly smile and then said, "If you say so, Op~pa~."
I rolled my eyes and then conjured a chair. After sitting down, I said, "What's up? You don't usually call me, so I'm guessing something happened?"
Chohong straightened and her expression turned serious. "Yeah." She nodded and said, "A guy we thought was dead suddenly showed up at our doorsteps and asked if we knew anyone who had been near the Forest of Denial recently."
"Hm?" I paused and said, "Flone and I *did* go training around there for a bit... but Ian went that way a while back for research too."
"That's what I told him. Seems like he already checked with Ian though and it wasn't him, so he wanted to check with you. We told him you weren't here, but after asking where you went, he suddenly dashed off."
I frowned... and then I remembered it. That archer that had gone missing... Wasn't he looking for his benefactor? And since I was the one who tore through those monsters...
"Hm... now that you mention it, I probably do have business with that guy if it's who I'm thinking about."
"Huh? Really!? Great!" Chohong grinned and said, "Try to recruit him then! Ghio's not as good at scouting as Dylan was, but his combat powers are top notch among Archers. He'll definitely be a great addition!"
"Ghio, huh?" I nodded and said, "I'll keep an eye out then."
"Alright. That's pretty much it... Though." She squinted, staring at me. "...Are you doing alright? Don't overdo it, okay, Oppa?"
I groaned. "Not you too... Dammit, does every women in my life think I'm going to suddenly drop dead or something?"
"What?"
I sighed. "Don't worry about it. Night Chocho. Love you."
"Night- Wait a minute! Lo-!?"
I hung up the connection after seeing her crimson face. "Well... that cheered me up."
I glanced back at Sora and Flone's unconscious bodies and then hummed. "Mm... I should probably take care of these two. After that... back to the grind."
I lifted the two up with Energy Domination and brought them back to that makeshift shelter I made for Flone the other day before tucking them into different beds.
After that, I headed towards the mountaintop to contemplate my abilities.
If I was planning to defy the heavens, what better place, right?
So I went and I meditated. I reflected upon what I needed left to do to advance my abilities.
To begin with... Everything was connected. Or rather, my ability allowed me to treat everything as connected.
Then, in that case... Could I defeat the eternal? A 'God' was an 'Absolute' with a domain on their own. And some were timeless, but that didn't mean they were immortal. But even then, it would be hard to kill.
Physical strength might be enough, but I had to be able to strike at the core of the divine power itself.
But how?
...Maybe it was that?
For a god to lose their divinity means to sever the authority. The 'absolute' power they had.
Then... I see.
A gamble.
The faint rays of sunrise. Before I realized it, morning had come. The golden sun was starting to shine over the horizon in the distance.
And with it, I saw something. A person wandering around the woods in the distance.
Tall and lithe with sculpted muscles. Neatly combed ash-gray hair, but with scars around his face. Intense steel eyes searching the area.
And a man with a shining golden thread of karma connecting me and him.
I set aside my idea on how to destroy a god's divinity for the moment and then headed over there.
Space bent, and I arrived in a forest clearing nearby.
Almost immediately, the man drew a crossbow from his side and aimed it at my head. But then his eyes widened and he quickly put the crossbow away. "My apologies." A husky voice rang out.
I waved my hand. "It's fine. I did show up unannounced. Though, I didn't expect anyone to be wandering around the mountain while we were training."
"Again, my apologies. I did not mean to disturb. However, I am searching for someone." He stared at my face and said, "...And I believe I have found him. Would you tell me, is your name Seol? No, Jihu?"
"Yep. That'd be me." I stared at his face, carefully considering his features.
Now that I was closer, I could get a better look at his features. His steely eyes were sharp and intense with a barely concealed obsession towards something. Even so, that obsession was suppressed with an unwavering will. Paired with his features, a cold and handsome face that wouldn't have looked off depicting a nobleman from somewhere, he looked like a man on a mission. Like a fallen noble determined to gain his revenge at all costs.
"...And I'm guessing that you're Ghio?"
He flinched before nodding. "So you knew... Yes. I am. And if it would not be rude, may I ask a few questions?"
I waved my hand, conjuring a pair of chairs and said, "Sure. I've got time... Make yourself comfortable though."
Ghio's eyes widened at my actions, shock and admiration flashing in those steely orbs, before he shook his head. "Thank you, but I am fine standing."
"Alright. Then I'll be a bit impolite and sit down." I did and then stared at Ghio.
He nodded and said, "I heard from Chohong that you recently returned from a training trip to the Forest of Denial. Is that true?"
I nodded. "Yep. Though I went with my dear friend Flone."
"Flone..." He muttered to himself, as if trying to recall his memories. After a bit, he seemed satisfied and then looked at me again. "I see. Then, by any chance did you fight with a herd of Tarneras on your way back?"
I rubbed my chin.
Tarneras... the name didn't ring a bell. But...
"I'm not sure. Probably. I was testing out a new ability and roamed around for a while exterminating the monsters in the area... And I was pretty thorough about it, so I'm fairly sure they were in there somewhere." I frowned and said, "I ran across quite a few monster nests, so I couldn't tell you exactly what I killed. I just know that I killed a lot."
Ghio's eyes widened and then he gave a content smile. "I see. Then..." He quietly kneeled to the ground and said, "My name is Marcel Ghionea." Placing both his fists on the ground, he lowered his head in a kowtow and said, "I greet my benefactor."
"Oi." I quickly pulled him up and said, "There's no need to go that far, man. And it's Jihu! I don't need any more weird aliases added to my-"
[Great Benefactor has been added to your list of Aliases.]
Goddammit.
xxx
Like always, the Parasite Queen sat upon the Corrupted Throne of the Empire. Her smoldering emerald eyes stared out into the space before her, seemingly vacant and staring into nothing at all.
Of course, that was just how it appeared to an observer. To her...
After devouring the Chief Deity who overlooked the planet Paradise was on, the Parasite Queen recovered her divinity that had been driven to the verge of destruction and gained new powers on top of those.
And one of those powers was to see the destiny of all things on the planet.
However, the Parasite Queen who always had a vacant and leisurely expression was different today.
She suddenly leaned forward, her eyes narrowed and glaring into the movement of the stars.
[Strange.]
Her smoldering emerald eyes flitted around the place, carefully scanning the trajectories of the stars.
[Strange, strange.]
All Stars of Fate traveled along their destined path.
However, there were exceptions to every rule.
A shining star larger than any other and with a brilliance that outshone them all. Once such a star exceeded a certain threshold, it would be reborn as an existence that could not be compared to any other stars around it.
Brighter than any sun, more intense than any supernova... Every time such a star orbited, it would attract the surrounding stars, some voluntarily entering its orbits.
The Parasite Queen had seen such an existence before. A terrifying existence that cut through the heavens and the gods before becoming unparalleled. One that almost stripped her of her divinity and life in a single sword stroke.
But there was no such star on Paradise.
At least. There had not been. And there still was not. Yet, for some reason...
[Why...?]
Three of them.
She had ignored them at first because they appeared to be ordinary stars. But three stars suddenly changed. Blossoming in a violet light, the dim stars flared and grew in intensity. Not to the level of the unparalleled star that she feared, but enough to where the orbits of the other stars were starting to change.
And they showed movements of gradually heading towards a certain direction.
Before, the Parasite Queen had been relieved at the disappearance of a strong star a while ago. But now that star had been replaced with one just as bright, if not brighter.
But it didn't end there.
A gigantic star emitting a shine greater than any other star she could see. A smaller star that shone almost as bright, as if trying to compete with it.
The two stars tightly embraced a dead star- No, they stood guard around it, as if prepared to give up everything to defend it.
But that still wasn't all.
That dead star... While lightless, it still moved. Although it couldn't be seen by its light and only seen by its shadow, the star still squirmed as if it was alive. And not only that, but it continually drew other stars towards it.
At first, the Parasite Queen would have ignored it. But now... it was impossible to.
She recalled what she had seen before and carefully observed the stars surrounding the dead star.
A flickering old star on the verge of death that suddenly regained its vigor.
A star with silver light as sharp as a blade. It had been sputtering out and close to death... but now it flared back and began shining with even more intensity.
A star with the destiny of destruction and aimed towards other stars suddenly withdrawing its killing intent and moving in harmony with other stars.
An impossiblity.
Stars of Fate that were on the trajectory of self-destruction had begun to shift. Not only that, they were actively going against the tide and breaking free from the preordained path.
But that was impossible. Humans could not resist the flow of destiny. Even turning back time could not allow such a feat as destiny was predetermined.
Yet.
Right before the Parasite Queen's gaze, the impossible feat was occurring.
[Tsss.....]
After staring at the stars for a long time, the Parasite Queen finally resolved herself.
*BOOM!*
A loud crack echoed as she slammed her hands down, standing up from the throne. At the same time, the fourteen pairs of bone wings on her back unfolded.
It was time. If the Stars of Fate were going against the tide of destiny... then she would just correct their course herself-
Wait.
The Parasite Queen stared at the dead star, suddenly realizing what she was thinking.
'Did I just... intend to descend to eliminate one star? And a dead one?'
It made no sense. It made no sense, but her very core told her to move. That it was dangerous.
The Parasite Queen continued to stare at that dead star. And then she scoffed.
'No. There's no need for that.'
A trap. She was sure of it. The moment she acted like that, it would give those puny seven gods an opportunity to tip the scales back. Instead...
The Parasite Queen shifted her gaze and spoke out.
[Come! Undying Diligence!]
-Undying Diligence (Industria). The title of one of the Parasite Queen's Imperial Guards... and the leader of the Nosferatus.
The moment she called for him, he appeared in a flourish of shadows. The Parasite Queen glanced at the dead star one more time and made her decision.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone