Chapter 653: Human World[R-18] (82)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 653: Human World[R-18] (82)
Lucia raised her hand. A pure white energy swirled at her fingertips.
“Can you feel this?”
I nodded instinctively.
“Divine power.”
Lucia smiled faintly.
“So that’s what you call it. The person who taught me this called it purification.”
“Purification?”
She nodded, gazing at the pure white energy swirling at her fingertips.
“Yes. He used this power to fight the bastards that came through the cracks. It was the perfect counter to their corrupted Aether.”
I watched Lucia’s fingertips in silence.
“The problem was… he was alone… and a traitor appeared among his people, so they were ultimately destroyed too.”
Her voice was tinged with bitterness.
“But what exactly is Aether? If they’re corrupted by it, doesn’t that mean Aether itself is dangerous? That guy, Alexander, once said that an otherworlder spread Aether on Earth, which is how ability users came to be… So, what are they?”
“Perhaps… the traitors came here first. They worship those beings like gods. So they cross dimensions on their own and deliberately spread Aether to worlds that don’t have it. The lifeforms there then adapt to the Aether, their bodies evolving slightly or becoming fully optimized for it.”
Lucia continued.
“The powerful ability users born that way are eventually used as sacrifices to open the cracks. Aether itself isn’t dangerous. To those things, it’s just a guiding signal, and at the same time, a nutrient. A kind of food.”
“So, the stronger we get… the more we’re just serving ourselves up on their dinner table.”
Lucia nodded.
“That’s right. The more humans crave great power, the more they become a delicious-smelling meal for them.”
I let out a short sigh.
So, the stronger people get, the more dangerous the world becomes…
I looked at Lucia, my expression as natural as I could make it.
“I understand your purpose.”
I extended my hand first. This wasn’t a reconciliation. I was just pretending.
“For now… I’ll trust you for the time being.”
Lucia took my hand.
For a moment, I considered using my charm on her, but I stopped myself. In our previous fight, this woman had been resistant to even that. There was no need to needlessly raise her guard.
The most important thing for me right now was saving Bi-yeon. That was all.
*
After my long conversation with Lucia Valencia, I quietly entered the room I was shown to. As soon as the door closed, I took a deep breath in and out, barely managing to suppress my emotions. I’d nearly died holding back the impulse to attack her during the occasional openings she showed throughout our talk.
I’m still too weak.
I had felt it in our last fight, but the difference between the strength I perceived from Lucia Valencia and the strength I experienced in actual combat was night and day.
I need to be more careful from now on.
Whatever nonsense Lucia Valencia spouted didn't matter anymore. I had only pretended to listen quietly to get my emotions in check. Whether it was cracks or something else, as long as I had the Libido App, I could get stronger. In the end, I would be the one to win.
Still… thanks to the information that bitch gave me, I can at least prepare for when a threatening enemy might appear.
I slowly looked around the room.
The space was a renovated old cathedral on the outskirts of Rome. The marks of time were evident at a glance, creating an exotic atmosphere. And—I had just learned from Lucia that I had been in a deep sleep for a full two days.
My mother-in-law and Hwa-yeon must be worried…
The first people who came to mind were my women back in Korea. The problem was that I had no way to contact them right now.
My smartphone was already smashed to pieces. In the end, I bought a new one to use for the time being.
The moment I turned on the new smartphone, the Libido App automatically began to install on the screen.
No matter how many times I see it… it’s strange.
I had experimented before, wondering how the app would react if I ever lost or broke my phone.
The conclusion was simple. The Libido App would invariably install itself on any new device I used.
I wanted to ponder the principle behind it, but I gave up on the thought, figuring it would just give me a headache.
I immediately typed keywords like ‘Innate True Qi recovery’ and ‘how to restore murim Innate True Qi’ into the search bar.
Innate True Qi is the source of one’s internal energy, something you’re born with. It’s far more powerful and pure than ordinary internal energy, but because it’s like a person’s fundamental life force, it’s not easily replenished.
Depending on the lore, once it’s fully depleted, recovery is nearly impossible. Even if they survive, they usually lose their martial arts or become crippled.
Still, in every murim world, a few methods of recovery exist.
Legendary elixirs, fortuitous encounters, or Yin-Yang Union—that is, sharing or exchanging Innate True Qi with another person through sex.
It’s not as difficult as I thought.
Among these, the one I could try right now was—
“Elixirs, fortuitous encounters, and sex are… impossible as long as Bi-yeon is in her sword form… Is the only option left to give her my own Innate True Qi?”
The problem was if even that didn’t work.
If even that has no effect…
I immediately shook off the negative thought.
Still, I have to try everything I can right now.
I went straight down to the basement beneath the cathedral, where Lucia Valencia was already sitting in front of a central lab table. Various parts, tools, and a half-disassembled suit littered the tabletop.
She had a cigarette in her mouth and was focused on repairing something.
“What are you doing?”
At my question, Lucia briefly set down the machine part and shrugged.
“Repairing the suit your girlfriend smashed. The self-repair system should be running, but… something’s messed up, and it’s completely stopped working.”
I glanced indifferently at the suit fragments scattered on the table and the sword mark left on the chest plate.
“I was suddenly curious. The world you lived in… what was it like?”
Lucia’s hands paused for a moment.
“…Why are you curious about that?”
“Just curious. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But I thought I should know what kind of life you’ve lived so we can cooperate better in the future.”
Naturally, it was a question aimed at gathering even a little information.
Hearing my words, Lucia stubbed out her cigarette on the floor and let out a low sigh.
“The place I lived was a world far more scientifically advanced than you can imagine. However, we developed everything through something called Aether.”
She stared into the distance for a moment.
“Just like this world, otherworlders came to our world long ago and spread Aether. We, who obtained that power, pushed civilization to its limits by replacing everything—life sciences, energy, technology—with Aether.”
I just listened quietly.
“There weren’t many ability users like here. We used Aether systematically.”
Lucia casually brushed the soot from her fingertips.
“We developed endlessly. Stronger energy, more efficient lifeforms, even more lethal weapons. But we were just as arrogant, and we didn’t know when to stop.”
“Back then… were you as strong as you are now?”
“No. It’s been less than fifty years since I reached this level.”
“Fifty years? How old are you, exactly?”
“Me? Exactly 300. My birthday is March 15th on the lunar calendar.”
I blinked, dumbfounded.
“Are you not human?”
Lucia shook her head lightly.
“Huh? I am human. It’s just that one of my abilities is reversing my aging, so as long as I don’t die, my body stays young.”
I suddenly remembered what she’d said when she first came to my house.
She said she made deals with various governments, selling ‘youth.’
What was more serious was her comment that she was at “my level when she first saw me.”
When was that? It was probably when I had the public duel with Ryu Ja-ho, the self-proclaimed Cheonma.
“Wait, how many powerhouses like you were there back then?”
Lucia answered with less hesitation than I expected.
“At least a few hundred? Honestly, I was about average back then. There were about ten people as strong as I am now.”
“You had that many powerful people gathered in one world, and you were still destroyed?”
“That’s right. That eyeball monster you fought, that was literally just for scouting. In Korean terms… just a fucking weakling.”
A sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
…We’re well and truly fucked.
I wished this whole situation was just a story this crazy bitch made up.
My plan to just enjoy life from now on had gone up in smoke. Now it looked like I’d have to bust my ass just to keep the world from ending.
Just then, Lucia met my gaze and spoke quietly.
“The real ones are still stirring on the other side of the crack. If a real one comes out here, you won’t be able to stop it alone, no matter how strong you get.”
A brief silence fell. Then, feigning nonchalance, I asked what I wanted to know.
“Then why haven’t you told the various countries about this?”
“Because of the traitors in this world, of course. There are probably guys hiding in governments and major organizations right now. They’re probably busy deceiving people and pulling them to their side. The monsters summoned in each country this time were all part of the traitors’ first ritual to connect the dimensions.”
“Wait… each country? Things like that appeared in other countries too?”
“Yeah. I took care of the ones in Europe and then went straight to your house that day. As for America… what was that guy’s name?”
“Aiden Crowe.”
“Right. That guy handled it. The other countries seem to have managed to fend them off somehow.”
I frowned and muttered.
“The one that appeared in Korea used mind control that even high-ranking ability users found hard to resist… How did the other countries stop it?”
Lucia answered calmly.
“It was probably because the sacrifice in Korea was the strongest. The other countries weren’t on that level. In the first place, they were for testing—literally to check how many humans with ‘strong Aether’ there were.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed.
This is annoying.
“Anyway, why did you suddenly come down here? I doubt you came just because you were curious about my past.”
“I came to see Bi-yeon. Can you take her out for a moment?”
“It could be dangerous to take her out… Are you sure?”
“It’s fine. It’ll just be for a moment.”
“Alright. Wait a second.”
With a few simple movements, Lucia pressed some buttons on a terminal. The transparent cover encasing the tube opened with a hiss, and the blue liquid slowly drained away.
A moment later, the sword floated gently in the center.
I approached and received the sword with both hands as if in reverence. The cold touch of metal, the faint vibration. It was as if I could feel a heartbeat through my fingertips.
I gripped the sword tightly and whispered.
“Bi-yeon. Can you hear me…?”
There was no answer. But I had the illusion that the sword trembled faintly. It was incredibly weak, but it felt like a sense of someone calling to me from far away.
A system message appeared.
[Spirit Sword Bi-yeon]
The Flying Heaven Sword has absorbed Minerva’s essence and awakened to its original form.
[Warning! Her current state is extremely critical.]
I slowly closed my eyes, focusing all my senses on the sword.
Bi-yeon… just hold on a little longer.
Suddenly, another system message appeared.
[Warning! This action may result in a permanent stat reduction!]
I ignored the warning. To save my woman, I didn’t give a damn about some stats.
Ignoring the message, I carefully channeled the Innate True Qi stored within me into the sword. As the energy drained from my meridians, a profound exhaustion washed over my entire body.
Thank god, she’s absorbing the Qi.
Cold sweat poured down my body.
I heard Lucia’s urgent voice from the side.
“Are you crazy right now?!”
I gritted my teeth and answered curtly.
“I need to concentrate… so be quiet.”
Soon, the sounds of the world faded away.
I focused my consciousness solely on the sword, on Bi-yeon. But at a certain point, the Qi stopped flowing in. I could feel a resistance, as if this was the limit.
At that moment, Lucia muttered in disbelief.
“My god… is she stable now? What on earth did you do? Even my power didn’t work…”
I took a deep breath. My head was pounding, and I felt like I’d lost a gallon of blood.
Bi-yeon, are you alive?
And then—
Seo-yun… I’m hungry… I want chicken…
A familiar, incredibly welcome voice. I let out a sigh of relief.
I’ll buy you as much chicken as you want when you recover.
Okay… And… that woman next to you hit me… You’ll punish her for me, right?
Of course.
Then, can I… sleep for a little while…?
Yeah, sleep well. Don’t worry about a thing.
I couldn’t hear Bi-yeon’s voice anymore.
What worried me, however, was the state of the sword. The blade was cracked, in a precarious state where it looked like it could shatter at any moment.
I had to find a master craftsman who could repair Bi-yeon.
I’ll have to go see Ma Wan-yong.
Getting stronger would have to wait until after Bi-yeon had recovered.