Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: The Transcendent's Body
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* * *
"What the hell is this? I heard there wasn't any major damage, so why drag me all the way out here?"
A woman with black hair cascading down to her waist in three distinct layers grumbled under her breath. She'd just set foot on Earth after a long time away, and now they were sending her straight to the scene without even letting her change clothes. How could she not be pissed?
"It's a target we can't just kill or subdue recklessly."
"Who the hell is it? Some daughter of Uncle Jaeseok or something?"
"It's beyond that. He was just appointed as the apostle of the great and mighty Game Master..."
The woman's adjutant spoke, and Kim So-hyang, the Space Force Chief of Staff, who had been walking with a sour expression, stared in disbelief.
"The Game Master's apostle caused a supernatural disaster? What's the damage?"
"Fortunately, it wasn't severe. It could have killed thousands and caused billions in property damage if things had gone wrong, but... luckily, there was a riot police officer with a forced logout device right nearby."
"Guess we should be grateful they didn't have to arrest the Game Master's apostle."
She muttered to herself while tapping the watch on her wrist.
[Logout process initiated.]
[Entering the Back World.]
Flash!
She plunged into the other side of reality in an instant. A space that resembled the real world but wasn't quite.
It didn't take long to reach her destination.
Roooar—!
In the center, surrounded by numerous gigas and soldiers, a naked man floated in the air.
No one could approach. An overwhelming heat swirled around him in midair.
"Whoa, what the hell is that?"
So-hyang eyed him. Even at over two meters tall, his proportions were flawless, making his height unnoticeable. His beautifully sculpted muscles resembled a statue carved by non-human hands.
"Ooh. Look at those muscles. Packed tight like kimchi jars right after stuffing them."
So-hyang whistled as she approached the scene. Nearby, an In-Grade Gigas—Gwak Jaewoo's chest plate opened, revealing a middle-aged man with stark white hair.
He waved at So-hyang.
"Oh, sis! Loyalty."
"Cut the creepy shit and just call me Chief, you punk."
"Aw, come on, sis. We've got history—don't be like that."
So-hyang grimaced at the grinning Major General Shin Donggyu.
"History my ass. You're the one creeping everyone out by aging alone. You've got money—why not stock up on some elixirs? What the hell is that look?"
Her words were sharp, but Major General Shin just chuckled heartily.
"Hey, I'm not sick or anything. Besides, I've got plenty of places to spend it."
"You... don't tell me you're still playing that crap game?"
So-hyang narrowed her eyes, and Donggyu protested.
"Crap game? It's a hit with the latest tech!"
"Tsk tsk. Games are meant for skill-based ones like Blade & Magic!"
"Eww~ old fogey vibes."
"What did you say? You decrepit mug...!"
Their bickering was short-lived. So-hyang soon turned serious.
"What's with the heat?"
"We can't pinpoint it exactly, but judging by the mana pattern, it's internal energy."
"Not chakra?"
"Internal energy."
"Hmm... that's odd."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't be sure just by looking. Warlord."
[War Constellation. Warlord.]
[Loading... complete.]
Wung!
Without warning or precursor, a 20-meter obsidian giant materialized. From its cockpit, So-hyang finally confirmed it.
Flash!
She sent Warlord away and let out a hollow laugh.
"That guy's at the 9th layer?"
Everyone at the scene, including Major General Shin, gasped at her words.
"What!? A chakra transcendent? At that young age?"
"How old is he?"
"Just... 25."
"...Whoa. That's something."
Even So-hyang, who had been hailed as a genius since childhood, was left speechless in astonishment.
Reaching master level at 25 was genius territory, but grand master? That defied all common sense.
And though she didn't say it... there was something even more troubling than the 9th chakra layer.
'That physique...'
Jaeyeon was currently unconscious. So this immense pressure she sensed was purely from his body, without his mind active.
Crunch! Grind!
Roooar—!
His body writhed ceaselessly, emanating energy.
Time passed.
One day, two, three, four...
One month, two, three, four...
More and more people came to see Jaeyeon. Only those approved by the South Korean government, of course.
So-hyang visited often. The bizarre chakra fluctuations from him sparked strange inspirations in her.
"As always... damn huge."
Major General Shin sighed at So-hyang's sudden remark.
"Ah, please, sis. You're looking young—can't you talk young?"
"What? Young people say stuff like this all the time."
"Yeah, yeah. Guess the guy desperately wished for big size. Vitality fulfills your deepest desires, right?"
"Nothing special about it. They say not a single male vitality cultivator has a small one."
Their idle chatter turned serious.
"He was in your unit."
"In more ways than one, he was no ordinary guy. I knew his name as a lowly soldier. Figured I'd see him again someday, but not like this."
"But no matter how you slice it, it's abnormal. Transcendent realm with no history or achievements? True divine blood?"
"Come to think of it, the Game Master was a similar case."
So-hyang shot him an incredulous look.
"Hey, the Game Master didn't just ascend because of divine blood. He spent thousands, millions of years in stopped time..."
She trailed off, then turned to stare at Major General Shin.
"What if the kid has another 'time'?"
"There's a day that comes to mind. Rabid dog one day, mature the next... Not impossible, but not normal either."
"So he might be older than he looks..."
As they conversed gravely, Green Dragon Flower, the archmage guarding the site, gazed silently at the closed-eyed Jaeyeon and placed a hand on her abdomen.
'It resonates...'
It was instinctual. Her prior attraction to him had been spiritual; this was raw, physical.
In other words.
'He's... no longer human. At this level, we could call him a transcendent species.'
Dragons and humans could produce offspring.
But such children were neither fully human nor dragon. Dragon blood dominated as the superior trait, overwhelming most races, yet the half-human side prevented full draconic transformation.
The result: dragonkin. Draconians.
Dragonkin stood out among humans with exceptional talent and prowess... but that was merely human perspective.
Dragons viewed them differently.
'A handicapped child. Or even lower...'
Mating with a lesser being was despised everywhere. If a chaebol heir married a convenience store clerk, parents would freak; if someone wed a poor woman, they'd assume it was for money.
Even identical humans stratified and scorned; how much more for inferior species?
In extreme cases, it was likened to bestiality. Cosmic egalitarianism curbed overt hate, but instinctual revulsion lingered.
'But he's different.'
Conversely... if not lesser, it didn't matter. No issue if not inferior.
In human terms: if your friend married a poor woman who was actually a chaebol heiress or CEO.
That changed everything.
Dragons were the same.
'Intriguing...'
Flower pondered.
'What kind of child would come from mating with him? Not divine kin, so not divine dragon level, but...'
Such mad thoughts surged with intense mental and physical urges. She'd felt drawn when he was human; his transcendent body amplified it.
But one major issue with that urge.
She was still.
A minor.
* * *
He reached out.
Clack.
Empty air gripped like solid matter.
Not some transparent something.
"Seizing space..."
A familiar phenomenon.
"Resistance to All Things."
Vitality's most unique property.
Vitality resisted all 'forces' and could even interfere. One could step on dimensions to leap or shatter sword auras with a punch.
This rarity explained why vitality martial artists were scarcer than magic swordsmen or chakra summoners. Resistance made buffs hard to apply and healing magic ineffective. Divine power worked somewhat as an exception.
"It's different from what I expected in some ways."
He'd thought regaining consciousness would grant dozens of cycles of internal energy, but reality differed.
Not that it was disappointing.
"Hey! I get you're proud of that body, but maybe put some clothes on already?"
"Ah... right."
Only now did he realize he was buck naked, without a stitch.
But he felt no shame or panic.
'Judging by the atmosphere... I've been like this a while. A full-on nude show, huh.'
Too late for embarrassment.
Better to play it bold.
"Jaeyeon-ssi."
Flower approached from the side, holding a suit.
"Ah, thank you."
He took it and dressed. Then noticed.
"Huh, this."
"You seem to wear suits often, so I prepared one. No fancy functions, but it's enchanted with ultimate magic—durability won't lose to anything."
Unexpectedly, the suit fit perfectly—Flower's gift, not his own.
"No way... this is a supreme magic item?"
Supreme class: 7+ 8th-circle spells or 9th-circle+ enchantments.
Even on 34th Earth, where magic items abounded, supreme ones cost billions. And she just gave it away?
"J-just something extra I had."
Flower blushed, leaving him stunned. He'd noticed her favor before, but even he could tell this vibe was different.
"Preparations done?"
A woman approached.
Tall and slender, with lush black hair tied up—unmistakably familiar.
"Lion Queen. An honor to meet you."
"Likewise. Never thought I'd meet the third transcendent born on 34th Earth like this."
He shook hands with the smiling So-hyang. Around them, a dozen gigas and dozens of people watched.
Before anything else, he needed to assess his body.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat to mask the login. Unexpectedly...
Whoooosh—!
"Ugh!"
"Wind—!"
"Whoa—!"
A sudden gust! Panicking, he proceeded anyway.
"Login."
Entering Ardania, he reflected.
He'd expected dozens of cycles of internal energy upon waking, but no.
Yet he couldn't complain.
Not with a conscience.
[Transcendent Stat Unlocked: Vitality]
[Target: Han Jaeyeon]
[Transcendent Stat Unlocked: Recovery]
[Target: Han Jaeyeon]
"Whoa."
A groan escaped. His status window left him no choice.
"Insane. For real."