Chương 33: The Strong, The Fallible
A bit after he snuck back, Hyuk cam downstairs to meet two researchers with immensely tired eyes.
He was a little shocked.
"…Where's the other kid?" He asked the man fiddling with strange box with wires running into it.
It looked like a hidden weapon the Tang Clan would come up with, but strangely majestic in design.
As if it had some other purpose.
Begrudgingly, Sebas got his face off the living room table he was plastered on and talked to him.
He got a blanket to cover the sleeping young girl still holding onto the tools bought for soldering.
The topics they spoke varied from nature to tone.
Hyuk started to gain an understanding of what had happened, even though it sounded unrealistic.
The whole 'time travelling' part was something he wasn't going to touch on. It sounded too unreal.
"That's kind of sad… I wanted to talk more to that boy. He reminds me of my own kids." There was a look of regret on his face, but he knew going back home was better than being stuck in this place.
Even finding the fact that child could return home a stroke of fortune. A treasure the rest couldn't have.
"Anyway, that's not the point."
"Yeah, I understand… So you want me to help you put the finishing touches to 'render' our friend."
"Pretty much… What? Are you against this?"
"Hehe~ Against? I'd lose face if you think I can't put faith in your plan. I'm sure you have everything covered. It's just… what kind of effect will it have on him?" Hyuk wanted to be clear on this matter.
The moment of hesitation before Sebastian's answer felt like a wave being hid by an ocean.
An overwhelming feeling of silence… stagnation.
But the world moved again with his lips:
"Rendering concepts is like the creation of a Unique Skill. Both parties involved are related to it."
"You mean like your 'Death Inconsistency' thing?"
"Yeah… Maybe parameters can be set beforehand to what effect a Rendering will bring, and the effect of it can even be calculated beforehand, but the result will always be unseen unless experimented."
"Your world sounds complicated."
"Right. It was… Now let's go after you're ready. We don't need your 'Plan B'. This will save them." The Magician got up and was about to explain how to use the 'MagiQi Morpher' that had been finished.
A look of impatience plastered across his face…
"Whoa there! No rush… We have a few hours." The handsome man grabbed his friend by the wrist.
When Sebas finally has the time to look closely at his friend, he gulped… Something was a little off…
He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but there seemed to be a new feminine charm to the pervert.
His smile seemed more enchanting for a moment.
'…What magic is this?' Was what he thought to his first time feeling a man was aesthetically pleasing.
Did he get somehow 'curvier'…?
"Did something happen while you were away?" He hit the nail on the head, but Hyuk instead teased:
"Sounds like you want to check me out~!" The handsome man dramatically covered his chest.
"No… That's…"
"I'm joking. Let me make something to wake you up." Hyuk offered to show his home brewing skills.
"I don't need anything."
"Don't refuse. I've just learnt how to make coffee?"
"…And who taught you?"
"A tea shop owner taught me a few days back."
"It was a woman, huh…?"
"When did I say that? Not everyone who likes me happens to be a girl." He took that as a 'yes'.
The pervert got up and brought some things from the kitchen to whip him up a batch, and Sebas didn't refuse. In fact, he could really do with a swig right now. He'd overexerted himself recently.
Lucia's soft snores made them talk quieter for her sake, allowing a harmonious atmosphere to arise.
The two of them held their cups in different ways.
Sebas put both his hands on the round Chinese cup from the tea set, while Hyuk held it elegantly.
His right hand brought it up to his nostrils so he could savour the scent of this whipped up blend.
Steaming the steaming cup, Hyuk tilted his head:
"Didn't you want 'Black Coffee'? Or are my skills not as good as I believed?" He gave a small smile.
"No, you made it fine." The Magician took another sip, which felt like a wave washing away his fatigue.
"I'm glad you like it."
"…Should we be relaxing away like this?"
"Going now won't be any different than going earlier. As a witchcraft user, don't you ever use preparation?" The Magician felt like correcting the handsome pervert, but let him off this time 'round.
There was no need to nitpick over everything.
"So… don't you need some time teaching them?"
"I'll defy do that… AFTER I've tried this 'Darjeeling' tea. You never get to taste things like this often."
"Is this a hobby?"
"Tut tut tut… A real gentleman knows the inner workings of the tea ceremony. Tea is a great thing."
"If you say so. Now, let's talk some business." The Magician went on to listing out a bunch of things.
How the MagiQi Medallion worked, along with how their plan will work to get Simon to stop fighting.
"And if all else fails. We have our honey traps." This comment made the magic user hold onto his head.
His brain was in pain…
"You're not going to assume that old bastard will stop because of a girl, right? He has no interest."
"Maybe that would be the case normally, but I can tell the current 'Simon' had the air of a monarch."
"And how does that relate to anything?" His inquiry caused the pervert to gulp down the entire cup.
Steam rising from his mouth when he replied:
"Yin and Yang prevalently contrast one another, but they also attract to subdue each other constantly."
"Does that mean they fight?"
"I mean they have sex." Sebas spat out a spray of his coffee when the man shamelessly spoke this.
The Magician quickly looked at the asleep Lucia and gestured the pervert to follow him elsewhere.
This wasn't a topic for even a teenager to hear.
"…You did that on purpose." He turned to corner the bastard in the corridor, only to see him blush.
He seemed to be chuckling away at his own joke.
"Your reaction was funny though." Again, the Magician felt like this man wasn't 'normal' at all.
'I feel like I will end up gay at this rate.' He decided not to drag things out and thought of the future.
"You say Yin attracts Yang, so they're like negative and positive polarities? If so, doesn't that mean two Yins or Yangs will push against each other?" The Magician tried to put himself in a different mood.
Hyuk could almost see him pushing up the imaginary glasses he'd put on to show intellect.
"That's an interesting way to look at it."
"You didn't say I'm wrong."
"I think the attraction and repulsion you're talking about are different from mine. For me, all things eventually become one. Try as one may, the path to the Tao leads all things in creation to one point."
"That's sounds like a bunch of nonsense."
"You'd likely growth as a sorcerer if you figured out what I meant. Yin and Yin don't necessarily repulse. Just like how Yang and Yang don't necessarily attack one another." Hyuk's eyes lit up.
His eyes filled with nostalgia while continuing: "I've seen male Dual Cultivation users who purposefully learnt opposing arts. One learning the Nine Yang Flame Manual, and the other the Nine Yin Ice Manual. They'd overcame the imperfection of life."
"I'm not sure what's 'imperfect', and I don't want to know any further. So all in all: Two positives repulse each other." This way of putting everything down to one short explanation felt unconvincing to Hyuk.
However, he decided to show him something instead of arguing over a 'random' topic like this.
In his right hand appeared the icy manifestation of Yin Energy, and on the right arose a burning flame.
The vitality of Yang Energy coursing through it.
"Both men and women have both Yin and Yang Energy, although in different equilibriums. Males tend to have more Yang Energy, and females more Yin Energy… but the fact that they also have the other must mean something to you, right?"
"…" Sebastian didn't admit it.
"So… does that mean I myself attraction everyone around me, or repel them away?" He licked his lip.
*Slap*
"Huh? Why did suddenly you hit your head?"
"Nothing… My face wanted to greet my palm."
"O… Kay…?"
"Let's say what you said was right."
"You're wondering how that plays into my plan, or am I wrong?" He knew Sebas would ask of this.
"Right…" He couldn't hide it.
"I've gave them a Manual and showed them how to use a seduction technique earlier, along with some other stuff." Hyuk thought back the the hour of pleasure they had not too long ago in that hotel.
He remembered the main skills they'd explained.
Apparently, Nyaura's 'Grudge Stripes' were only as strong as those who hated her in the world, so it probably wouldn't work if they went through the timeless dimension. Space was also disconnected.
It was likely her powers would diminish drastically.
In contract, he wondered how Velma would act.
Her Semblance 'Photographic Eyes of Style Imitation', was a gift beyond what he'd expected.
Hyuk went out to find a willing prostitute, but ended up finding a phoenix with rabbit ears.
Not only could she perfectly copy anything he'd taught her, but she could understand the inner workings of a technique instantly. Their use, along with creative ways to alter and improve their base.
She was a perfect teacher for External Arts!
If they managed to get Simon back, then there was a good chance she'd be able to teach Adam the knowledge the old drunkard was bad at explaining himself. She'd also be able to cultivate too.
The only problem was that she couldn't copy the hyper-specific techniques needing Internal Energy.
From what she'd explained: Unless they both had the same energy, she couldn't copy Internal Arts.
That just wasn't possible.
That's why he'd only taught her how to manipulate the innate Yin Energy within her in ways that wouldn't expend it. After all, the lifespan of a woman diminished if their Yin Energy depleted.
And then she'd be in charge of passing them to Nyaura, who had a higher chance of succeeding.
When he explained this to Sebas, the Magician found that he was way too focused on one person.
"If this 'Velma' girl has already learnt the Seduction Technique you taught, then why are you insistent on bringing the other one?" It sounded like blatant favouritism. They could do the plan with the bunny.
The tiger woman wasn't needed.
In fact, the less people in this… the better.
Sebastian wasn't the type to allow unrelated innocents get wrapped up in what's THEIR job.
However, Hyuk felt much differently:
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" It was a weird way to start a topic, especially in this position.
However, the Magician managed to respond to it:
"I believe in lust at first sight. No matter how good the initial meeting is, all you know is their name."
"That's true… Next: How about hate at first sight?"
"Let's stop wasting time on pointless debates."
"Wait wait, this one is really important."
"…Yeah, you can hate someone on first sight."
"That sounds like personal experience."
"Whatever. Anyway, you're probably going to say Yin and Yang has to do with this. Like always."
"Exactly~ There's a such thing as 'incompatibility' between two people. The same for 'resonance'."
He was excited to explain about how Nyaura's grudge drenched Yin Energy and natural tenacity was a perfect fit for Simon's self-loathing and regretful Yang Energy, but he suddenly stopped.
He picked up a darkness in Sebastian's eyes.
The man's gentle giant of a tall figure looked down on him intimidatingly, causing him to stop talking.
It was a silence broken by the Magician himself:
"Is she a bad person?" He'd already heard some random details, but he wanted things to be clear.
"…No."
"Then she's just a pitiful person who has lived a hard life, and you preyed on her deep insecurities."
"That's…" He wasn't exactly wrong, but…
"But you did that for Adam… for Simon…"
"For all of us. We won't be able to live if something happens to the only person who showed kindness."
"And this is your way of giving it back?"
"I don't like the way you're saying it. Do you think they're innocent? They agreed to this plan."
"But they haven't thought of what comes after. You yourself don't care what happens to them, right?"
Hyuk felt like he was turning into a criminal under those interrogating eyes. Like he was the bad one.
"Don't make me out to be the evildoer…" He hit away the arm that cornered him and responded.
There were no doubts in his eyes.
Perhaps it may seem cruel, but he came from a world where everyone were 'Martial Artists' first.
Even before they were people.
If seen in that sense, what had he done wrong?
He persuaded the two, but he hadn't lead them on with a string of lies or threatened their well-being.
…And he wasn't planning on ever doing so.
"What will you do if they fail?"
"I'll protect them wholeheartedly." He puffed out proudly. His eyes held an unshakable resolution.
Even if Simon gave off a feeling invincibility, like he was hiding an incredible secret, he'd stand strong.
Ideals of this nature was just like a warrior.
However, the next question had thrown him off:
"Then what if they succeed?" It wasn't as if he didn't know the answer, he just didn't say anything.
"Then we get both of them back."
"You know that's not what I asked about."
"I don't know if you're feeling protective of them because they are women, but they aren't weak."
"Especially the tiger woman?"
"Especially her." Hyuk answered as if it was a matter of fact. Her tenacity was of top grade.
Whatever happens, she'd be able to endure.
"Just because she's strong, doesn't mean it's right to let her get hurt." He turned and left those words.
His short words striking Hyuk speechless.
Despite being a smooth talker, the Martial King could barely say anything to stop the Magician.
Only being able to let out a few stutters…
"W-wait…!" Sebastian acted like he couldn't hear him, leaving him to ponder on what he'd meant.
The handsome man knew what he meant, it just never occurred to him he was doing any 'evil'.
If he'd done wrong… then should he call it off?
Then what would happen if Plan A failed?
He'd already done too much to regret now. There was no other way but to go through with things.
But then, what about what Sebas said?
Simon was a strong person, but the man had gone through so much that he couldn't recover anymore.
Was he pushing Nyaura on the same path?
Hyuk spent some time alone to put ponder what should be done, and renewed his earlier resolve.
He'd make sure nothing happened to them…!
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