Chapter 67
Chapter 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Orsia Family (Illustration)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri and Ha-ryeong were each given an empty room in the mansion.
The Orsia Family, said to possess forces surpassing even the Five Great Clans or Major Sects of the East, had butlers who were anything but ordinary.
Not only were their bodies rigorously trained, but their precise movements left no openings.
In fact, this butler named Byron had appeared in the game as a named NPC. Unlike other named NPCs, he had no fancy title, but he was a high-level NPC over level 70.
Adding over thirty years to that, Byron was probably a 7th Tier powerhouse by now.
One had to reach 4th Tier just to become an apprentice in the Orsia Knight Order. 5th Tier was the average, with plenty at 6th Tier, and executives likely at 7th Tier or higher.
This meant that not all the world's powerhouses were the likes of the Boundless Venerable or Magic Tower Lords. The minimum requirement to even be called a Boundless Venerable was 7th Tier, so masters who had preserved their reputations for so long had long since broken through that wall.
‘Even Heavenly Thunder Orca must be at least 8th Tier.’
He wasn’t sure about Full Moon Night Reveler’s Tier. Probably not up to 8th Tier? Even within the same Tier, the gaps could be vast, so maybe late 7th Tier.
Yuri couldn’t help thinking about 7th Tier because of the Sea Annihilation Ghost Conclusion he’d obtained from the old crone’s house. Thanks to the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art, he’d entered higher realms in martial arts ahead of schedule, but he didn’t know if the same applied to magic.
Magic and martial arts were different. Martial arts Tiers weren’t determined solely by the amount of internal energy in the dantian, but magic Tiers placed heavy emphasis on soul force.
That was because soul force was a power entirely distinct from internal energy or mana. Soul force was the mage’s soul itself. It resembled a warrior’s will, but wasn’t the same. A magic Tier was determined by how much the soul had been tempered, unified with magic, and perfected.
A possessor’s talent specialized in magic. Thanks to that, Yuri had been able to use magic as support even while focusing on martial arts. But to properly wield the Sea Annihilation Ghost Conclusion’s Exhaustion Eternity, he needed to diligently train his magic and grow his soul force.
‘Magic...’
Just for one incantation? No, he couldn’t think that way. The Exhaustion Eternity of the Spirit Gaze Command was an incantation worth the time and effort. If Yuri reached 7th Tier and could use Exhaustion Eternity perfectly, he’d become a zombie in the truest sense—already hard to kill as a martial artist, and he’d gain the edge over most opponents, mages and warriors alike.
‘Reworking Exhaustion Eternity into a martial art with my own abilities seems tough.’
It was true that possessors had a talent for magic, but even a diamond in the rough needed polishing to shine. The original owner hadn’t reached beyond 5th Tier not just due to lack of talent.
Environment was key in the end. Yuri had reached 5th Tier at his age because he’d possessed this body and learned the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art, consumed the Azure Heaven Pill, and mastered the Cloud Heaven Flowing Mist Fist and Self-Rotating Thunder Flash Palm. Yuri had built his foundation learning supreme arts beyond the peak and receiving instruction from Kwon Rang.
But his magical training was lacking.
“Ah.”
Something flashed in his mind as he pondered magic from the plush chair.
Flame Bead Master Harabel Usia.
Two years ago, he’d received an offer from the Flame Bead Master to come along.
-I’ll take good care of you if you follow me, no regrets.
He’d said he’d teach once, and if Yuri didn’t meet the standard, he wouldn’t take him as a disciple but use him as a handyman. Yuri couldn’t bring himself to seek magical instruction from Orca, but maybe he could negotiate with the Flame Bead Master over magic.
‘Keep it in mind for now.’
He’d study the Sea Annihilation Ghost Conclusion alone, and if it proved too much, seek advice from the Flame Bead Master or another great mage then. Yuri reached that conclusion.
“What’s that all of a sudden?”
Ha-ryeong, sprawled on the large bed, propped herself up and asked. Assigned the room next door, she was now in Yuri’s room as if it were natural.
“Do you know the Flame Bead Master’s recent whereabouts?”
“Out of the blue.”
Gluttonous Possession
67. Orsia Family (Illustration)
Thirsty Horse
“It’s because of the magic I found in the old crone’s house.”
“You’re not planning to sell it to the Flame Bead Master, are you?”
“No, I’ll study it myself, and if I can’t figure it out, ask for his guidance.”
“Huh.”
Ha-ryeong looked surprised.
“If you really need instruction, why not ask Orca... or Miss Elena?”
“Be reasonable.”
“Orca aside, I think Miss Elena wouldn’t refuse.”
“What right do I have to approach Elena?”
Yuri shot back, frowning. Ha-ryeong stared at his expression before shrugging.
“Fine, suit yourself. The Flame Bead Master’s whereabouts? I’m an assassin who knows a lot, but not everything in the world.”
“You don’t know?”
“I do, actually. There are plenty of rumors. The Flame Bead Master causes so much trouble, after all. Last I heard, he was sighted at Surtr Volcano.”
“After the essence of fire again? I thought it only opens once every century.”
“Probably not. Surtr Volcano, where lava flows like rivers, is a hellfire no ordinary person could survive a day in. But for mages who wield flames, it’s a holy site overflowing with fire energy. He’s likely there to raise his realm.”
Knock knock.
The knock came shortly after Ha-ryeong finished.
“Come in.”
He’d sensed the presence outside, so he wasn’t surprised by the entrants.
The Sword Dragon and Sword Emperor entered Yuri’s room together.
Their grandfather-grandson talk must have wrapped up. Yuri and Ha-ryeong stood to greet the Orsia pair.
“Together, huh.”
The Sword Emperor’s eyes gleamed at the sight of them side by side.
“Are you two lovers, by any chance?”
If Yuri had been sipping tea, he might have spat it at the Sword Emperor’s face. Fortunately, he wasn’t drinking anything.
“No.”
“It’s a secret.”
They answered simultaneously. Yuri glared at Ha-ryeong with a rotten expression. No meant no—what secret?
[That’s not admitting it.]
[Don’t make statements open to misunderstanding.]
[A couple secrets make a person mysteriously alluring like me.]
Yuri already had plenty of secrets; he didn’t want more.
“Which is it?”
The Sword Emperor tilted his head at the conflicting answers. Yuri shot Ha-ryeong a warning glance before replying.
“We’re not in that kind of relationship.”
“Hmm, I see.”
The Sword Emperor nodded slightly. It had just been idle curiosity, nothing more.
“Estor.”
“Yes.”
The Sword Dragon held a large box that looked extraordinary even at a glance. Covered in gold and adorned with exquisitely wrought jewels, the box alone seemed worth tens of millions, protected by intricate magic.
Stepping forward, the Sword Dragon grinned at Yuri and Ha-ryeong. Click. He pressed the side, and the decorative gems shifted, unlocking the box.
Whoosh...
As it opened, the room’s air changed. A floral fragrance bloomed as if standing in a field of full blossoms, and the mana dissolved in the air thickened to a sticky density.
“Do you know what this is?”
The Sword Dragon asked with a confident smile, but Yuri and Ha-ryeong were speechless.
Mesmerized, they peered inside. Two vials, like the box, adorned with gold and jewels. But the magic on the vials was far more complex.
Spells to perfectly preserve and protect the contents.
“Wha... what is it?”
Yuri stammered blankly at the vials. Just the reaction he’d hoped for.
“An elixir from the Ascard Family.”
The Sword Dragon grinned, and Yuri’s mouth fell open.
The Ascard Family’s artificial spirit medicine, the elixir.
Among artificial elixirs, it was supreme; even against natural ones, only millennia-old specimens compared, and barely.
A rare item in the game, essential for no-grind stat growth even at max level.
“E... elixir?”
Even Full Moon Night Reveler had taken an Ascard commission to receive one as payment—a medicine of immense value.
Yuri stammered in disbelief.
An elixir, viewable only late-game, right before his eyes.
“That’s too much.”
Ha-ryeong spoke up. Composing her shocked expression, she looked at the Sword Emperor and Sword Dragon.
“Isn’t an Ascard elixir a treasure beyond treasures, unobtainable no matter the money?”
Even the Ascard Family considered a year successful if they produced one. Sometimes years passed without any.
So painstakingly crafted, elixirs were strictly controlled and never hit the market. No amount of money could buy one from the continent’s top tycoons, the Ascard Family.
Outsiders could obtain one only by earning the Family’s gift through deep friendship or monumental service. No 5th Tier, no matter how talented or strong, could ever acquire one.
“Too much? I don’t think so.”
The Sword Emperor replied.
“You played a decisive role in resolving Pantheon’s long-standing headache and saved the life of my sole heir, called the future of the Orsia Family.”
“But...”
“And this is also an investment.”
A gentle smile played on the Sword Emperor’s lips.
“You’re young and overflowing with talent. Most in the world are mediocrities, geniuses are rare, prodigies rarer still. To me, you two seem exceptionally special even among prodigies.”
“...”
“Before Sword Emperor, I’m the head of the Orsia Family. So I wish to forge ties with young prodigies who’ll surely shake the world someday. What I hope is that you won’t forget this gift today and remain friendly to the Orsia Family henceforth. And carry on that bond with my foolish grandson, who’ll one day succeed me as head.”
His words brimmed with determination to give the elixir no matter what. Ha-ryeong could only nod slightly and yield.
It was an overwhelmingly excessive reward that felt burdensome, but she didn’t truly dislike receiving the elixir. If alone with Yuri without the Sword Emperor or Dragon, she’d have cheered “Yay!” in earnest.
“The Ascard Family has made alchemy its trade for generations. The current head, Alfreon, is called the greatest alchemist among them.”
In the game, elixir farming’s key was not killing Alfreon Ascard. Kill him, and no NPCs respawned in the Ascard fields, no elixirs dropped.
Alfreon was boss-tier, mandatory to kill for the hidden boss route. Lee Soo-hyuk had slain him dozens of times.
Level 70—high, but he barely used attack magic, and what he did wasn’t strong or tricky, so not a tough foe.
“As the Ascard Family’s symbol, the elixir has improved over eras. The ones I’m gifting you are Alfreon’s personally refined versions.”
The Sword Emperor took the two vials from the box and handed them to Yuri and Ha-ryeong.
“Utterly different from any elixir you’ve consumed before. When I took one, it felt... like the elixir itself was alive.”
“I felt the same.”
The Sword Dragon nodded.
“Better to drink and feel it than hear explanations. Advice beforehand: no need to force-guide the elixir’s energy. It’ll ‘settle’ into you on its own.”
Yuri swallowed hard, staring at the elixir in his hand. The jewel-like vial felt body-warm.
“And about my grandson’s requested spar.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s set it for a month from now. How’s that?”
“I’m fine anytime...”
“Not possible right away. Even minimally, it takes four or five days for the elixir to settle.”
“Yes?”
“I told you, elixirs differ from others. It took my grandson and me three days for full settling. Then adaptation time...”
The Sword Emperor glanced at the Sword Dragon.
“And time to prepare my grandson.”
“Prepare how?”
“He says he might lose if fighting now. I believe even defeat teaches, but winning’s preferable.”
The Sword Emperor smiled, patting his grandson’s shoulder.
“I don’t want him losing easily, even if he does. So, could you check his swordsmanship for a month?”
“If that’s your will, Sword Emperor, I understand.”
Staying a month in the Orsia Family? With free elixirs, what was the big deal?
“And one more thing. We must formally announce the subjugation of the heretics who infested Dark Fragrance. Is that alright?”
“Not sure what you mean by that question.”
“Dismissing the congregation and slaying the bishop.”
From the Orsia Family’s standpoint, nothing to hide. Publicizing that the young Sword Dragon subjugated the Chaos Church bishop—vilified as world-destroying evil—would skyrocket the Dragon’s and Family’s reputation.
“Will you mention the Demonic Cult’s young lord too?”
“His aid was factual.”
The Sword Emperor replied, then chuckled lowly.
“Of course, I’ll draw the line. We didn’t join hands. And naming the Demonic Cult outright pressures the heretics. They’ve never openly clashed with the Cult before. Even cockroach-like heretics never invaded the Subduing Demon Hall.”
Whatever the Heavenly Demon’s intent in sending the young lord, the Sword Emperor wanted to entangle the Cult in the announcement, solidifying hostility between Chaos Church and Demonic Cult.
“What do you think? Alright to mention your names and merits in the statement?”
A matter of fame.
Yuri pondered briefly. He’d entered Dark Fragrance as “Jugaek,” an alias for contacting the church.
With the bishop dead and congregation dissolved, no need for aliases.
Fame was a double-edged sword for possessors, but Yuri had safeguards against the blade turning on him. Officially credited with subjugating heretics alongside the Orsia Sword Dragon, it could mitigate if the War Church discovered he was a possessor.
‘If my name spreads... Lorellia will know too.’
He wanted to meet Lorellia again.
One concern: heretics retaliating for the shattered congregation.
That was exactly what Yuri wanted. With the goal to kill the Evil God, he needed to eliminate as many heretics as possible.
“No issue.”
“None for me either.”
Ha-ryeong’s glance showed a crooked curve like a smile, oddly twisted unlike her usual.
Hearing the answers, the Sword Emperor and Dragon left.
Normally, spirit medicines required guardians nearby, but this was the Orsia mansion. Few places safer.
“Why the face earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“You smiled weirdly.”
“Now you’re critiquing my expressions? You’re one nasty piece of work, Yuri.”
Ha-ryeong plopped onto the bed.
“I did smile, but not weirdly.”
“Why?”
“If my name and fame spread alongside the Sword Dragon’s, the Nangong Clan will hear too.”
“...”
“And Miss Elena in Lutran will learn I’m with you. Imagining that made me smile.”
Hearing Elena’s name pained and discomforted Yuri. He asked no more.
Ha-ryeong knew that. It amused her greatly.
“The elixir. Drink here?”
“We got it together; eat together. Hate that?”
“Not hate.”
Click.
He twisted off the lid. Without tilting or shaking, the vivid red liquid floated up from the vial. The floral scent intensified, the air’s mana turning heavy beyond sticky.
The glistening red droplet wriggled in midair like a kid’s Earth slime toy.
Forewarned by the Sword Emperor, Yuri didn’t panic. The wriggling elixir slowly approached him.
In opening the vial, its owner had locked onto Yuri. He gazed at it before his face, then opened his mouth.
The elixir entered. As said, no need to swallow—it squelched down his throat.
A fist-sized slime passed without discomfort. Like inhaling mist, not liquid—no choking or coughing.
Thump.
The elixir plunged through his meridians into his dantian on its own.
*
Thick blackout curtains let slivers of light pierce his eyelids.
He must not have closed them properly last night. Sprawled corpse-like on the sofa, Elena felt irritation at the throbbing headache and orange glow seeping through her lids.
‘Maybe switch to magic...’
Mages living on coffee and buried in incantations and papers usually had wrecked schedules. Blocking sunlight on windows? Trivial.
She hadn’t until now because a woman occasionally entered the living room, nagged, and drew the curtains. But now even she was gone.
“Ugh...”
Throb, headache surged. Elena groaned, moving her hand. The limp arm from the sofa trembled, struggling upward.
Thud.
It bumped the table before the sofa. Slightly shaken, a liquor bottle precariously placed fell.
Thump.
Annoying noise. Elena grimaced, forcing open her glued-shut eyes to glance aside.
The wrecked living room came into view. The dropped bottle spilled the liquor she hadn’t finished last night.
Blood-red and sticky, it spread across the carpet.