Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 232
Chapter Title: The Cosmic Inner World
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Information on mid-level Chakra transcendents is exceedingly rare. Unlike other Emperor Classes that shake the world and cause massive cosmic events as their power grows, there's no news whatsoever about mid-level Chakra transcendents anywhere.
The pinnacle of Chakra ability is ultimately Channeling.
As their realm advances, they become deeply attuned to and assimilated with specific elements. The few scraps of information left behind are just tales of them departing for some vastly larger—or impossibly smaller—world.
[Wait... where am I? What is this?]
A girl with jet-black hair races through an empty world with a utterly bewildered expression. In a world that's nothing but white, her sole patch of black stands out starkly.
"Hey—! Human! Han Jaeyeon! Where the hell is this? You're watching right now, aren't you?!"
She's shouting with a hint of terror in her voice. It seems the vastly expanded inner world feels utterly alien to her.
"Don't yell. My head's ringing because you're not used to it yet."
[Han Jaeyeon!]
Focusing on the [Viewpoint], I shape a body out of thin air where there was nothing. But the sensation is far more vivid than before.
'This is... definitely the inner world, right?'
Information on mid-level Chakra transcendents is scarce, and descriptions of the realm are all over the place. That's because the direction of their abilities changes completely depending on the elements they wield and their enlightenments.
'No... actually, that's not the real issue. Even if you brought in any Atman, their situation would be different from mine.'
I've trained Chakra diligently enough, but my Chakra realm is abnormal in several ways. In martial arts terms, it's like having about 100 jia of inner energy—enough to swing around, but that's it.
To be honest, even with nine layers of Chakra, I couldn't use most of it properly.
[What the hell happened? Why's it gotten so huge in here?]
"Because I conquered the Heavenly Origin."
[Even so, this is ridiculous...]
Leaving the confused Hyperion behind, I check my status.
Conquering the Heavenly Origin elevated the rank of my Chakra abilities. Based solely on the inner world, I'm at Emperor Class level now.
But is that really the case?
'Not... at all.'
There's zero increase in capacity.
The inner world has expanded, so I can now handle more elements and higher-realm Chakra spells... but when was the last time I even fought with spells?
Once my capacity reached transcendent level, Chakra became little more than a side gig. At best, the elemental martial arts reaching Celestial Gate level contributes to my combat power.
'Even back with nine layers, I had Chakra to spare... Honestly, my spellcasting is way behind my Chakra realm.'
But training spells now? It'd take ages to grow them to transcendent level. No joke—decades of training might not even guarantee it.
[Hey, send me to the ocean.]
"Why? You've been fine here before."
As my connected sword spirit, Hyperion can exist anywhere in my mindscape.
Sure, she's been killing time reading novels in the great ocean lately, but her original home is the inner world.
But she shakes her head.
[It's different from before... I can't stay here. Quick...]
Her extreme anxiety and unease are so palpable that I grab her shoulders.
Pop!
The moment we shift to the great ocean, her tense face relaxes.
[Phew... much better. Thanks.]
"...This is really serious, huh."
Her completely uncharacteristic attitude makes me serious too. It seems the newly expanded inner world is putting intense pressure on her.
'I'll have her stay in the great ocean from now on, or send her back to the demon sword.'
Of course, since she's hooked on novels, she's unlikely to return to the sword.
Pop!
Back in the inner world, I survey the endlessly white expanse.
"Well... I expected as much."
I smile bitterly.
"So expansion is all it did."
I'd had huge expectations for Emperor-level class all-mastery. Conquering the Heavenly Origin felt more like checking off overdue homework.
The realm beyond the Immeasurable Nine Layers—commonly called the tenth layer—is something only Emperor Class Chakra users can attain... but without matching Chakra capacity, it's just half-baked. I knew that.
"Well, I'm still stronger, no doubt. Martial arts aside, I need to find ways to use this. But first..."
I mutter, crouching slightly.
"Let's see how big this place really is."
Boom—bang—bang!!
I charge forward with monstrous momentum.
Blazing far past the speed of sound, I run for a while before a massive wall blocking the white world comes into view.
My transcendent senses pick up an opaque dome-shaped space, and its scale is anything but ordinary.
"What the hell. This has to be way over a thousand kilometers..."
Figuring out what it is isn't hard.
"Ardenia..."
The mini-universe that existed as an independent dimension has been absorbed into my inner world. Touching its surface, I confirm I can pass in and out without issue.
"...Let's go further."
Leaving Ardenia behind, I keep charging.
A thousand kilometers, ten thousand.
'It's huge.'
I accelerate. Pouring on full power, I cover hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions of kilometers in an instant.
Finally, 100 million kilometers.
I come to a stop.
"...No way. Even if this isn't the physical world, isn't this too much?"
For a moment, I wonder if the space is infinitely vast, but the [view] of my inner world gradually entering my perception range tells me otherwise.
Bang! Bang! Boom boom bang!!
I dash endlessly at near-light speed. Unlike reality, there's far less strain.
This is my inner world, not the material realm.
Here, I'm practically a god.
Rumble!!
Thunder cracks as I charge. Fortunately—or unfortunately—around 300 million kilometers in, I reach the space's edge.
"Wow... Even if someone from Ardenia came out here, they'd almost never reach the end."
Considering the Earth-Sun distance is 150 million kilometers, it's an insanely vast size.
And at the edge of that world,
A dazzlingly radiant massive star hovered.
"...The sun?"
An incomprehensible sight. Because that sun wasn't in my inner world—it was [beyond it].
Is it because it's outside the inner world? I hadn't felt any light or heat the whole way here.
"But more than that... how can my inner world even have an [outside]?"
Puzzled, I place my hand on the space's edge.
Unlike Ardenia, where inside info flowed instantly upon touch, the dimensional boundary completely blocks my senses... yet something is felt.
[@!#!@$!@#]
Incomprehensible noise rings in my head. I focus my mind to interpret it.
[Azzak!@#Dryad!@$Hey!@#$]
After intense concentration, the result: that massive star clearly has a will.
The finalized info is.
Watch.
"It's... watching me?"
The massive celestial body visible beyond the inner world gives no reply.
But I have a hunch about its identity.
"No way... is that [her]?"
Makes sense—she's no human, so a stellar form isn't weird. Plus, this isn't the material realm but the inner world. If it's a [symbol], any appearance is fine.
'No... something's off. Up to here is definitely inner world... but that [outside]?'
The moment I puzzle over it.
Whoosh.
The blazing star begins receding in an instant. Massive things always look slow even at high speeds, but this sun-sized giant shrinks from tire, bowling ball, apple, to ping-pong ball size at blinding speed.
Other things emerge. Planets, moons, countless bodies orbiting the star.
"Solar system... no, stellar system?"
Even as I'm stunned, they keep receding.
Whoosh.
My view fills with countless stellar systems, then they recede too. The original star that filled my sight is now just one among hundreds of billions of light-years.
But it keeps going. Galaxies housing countless stars appear, then galaxy clusters gathering those galaxies.
The viewpoint pulls farther. Galaxy clusters recede endlessly, revealing superclusters.
And even then, it continues...
"My god."
The universe unfolds. From the inner world's edge, I stare blankly.
I've seen the universe plenty. No reason to be overwhelmed by its vastness now.
The problem... is that it's not just any universe.
The receding stars.
Form a single [shape].
"Crazy..."
The supercluster of countless stars drapes like lush hair.
Hundreds of billions, trillions of stars outline a sharp nose bridge and slightly upturned eyes.
It's a small girl.
She bends at the waist, looking down at me. Her eyes narrowing isn't from a few centimeters of brow movement—it's thousands of galaxies shifting millions of light-years.
"Ah."
I gaze vacantly beyond the inner world.
She, who is the universe itself,
Looks
Down
At
Me.
"Jaeyeon!!"
"......"
I open my eyes inside the steel cube. Dazed for a moment, amid the confusion, I recall logging into the Steel Realm.
[You're awake. Your body's condition is fi—]
The Five Dragons rush in, cutting off Genie.
I mutter blankly. The image of the inscrutable being made of hundreds of billions, trillions of stars lingers.
'Crazy... totally insane.'
This isn't a difference in level.
It's a difference in dimension.
It's unbelievable that a [colossal] existence like her could even perceive a puny thing like me.
"Her...?"
"What 'her' right after waking up?"
I shake my head at the sharpening voice.
Reaching for my nape, I feel cold sweat streaming down. No, it's beyond cold sweat.
Absolute zero chill.
Crackle crack!!
Sizzle!!
Steam erupts from my body. Extreme cold cools the magma-boiling flesh.
Crackle zap!!
Boom!
Jumbled senses explode as thunderbolts in all directions.
"What the hell is this now?"
Now I see elemental powers raging wildly. If the Five Dragons hadn't encircled me with barriers and spells, the outburst would've wrecked the surroundings.
"Calm down and regulate your power carefully. It's all power belonging to you, Jaeyeon."
I nod at Flower's words and close my eyes.
This runaway—more overflow than rampage—happened as the final fire point was conquered, all elements' ranks rising with the dark attribute.
Yes.
With conquest complete, all fire points resonated... opening the Celestial Gate of every one of the nine elements.