Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Chapter 38 Successor
Baal, who had been watching Han Yeong-min together with others, was slightly surprised to see the message that appeared before her eyes.
[Do you agree to lend your power to the Trial of the Tower of Trials Hell Difficulty 2nd Floor?]
[Yes / No.]
All 2nd floors of the Tower of Trials uniformly manifest the strongest existence that the player thinks of.
However, it was impossible for the Tower's system alone to manifest Baal's power and Domination Mana, so it was asking if she would allow borrowing the original's power in this way.
'How endearing.'
The fact that he created martial arts with her as the goal was already endearing, but she was very pleased that among the countless beings who had sent avatars to the tutorial, he recognized her as the strongest.
She knew very well that if Baal rejected the proposal here, the baton would be passed to the being Han Yeong-min thought was second strongest.
Baal wasn't rational enough to miss such an interesting opportunity. Rather than making complex considerations, she immediately pressed yes to respond to his will.
And she split her consciousness in half, keeping one here and dispersing the other into the escaping power.
She planned to invite him as soon as he reached the 11th floor, but a player who just reached the 11th floor could only receive five Constellation invitations per week.
Virtually all Constellations would send him invitations along with apostle contracts.
She didn't think for a moment that she wouldn't make it into the top five, but being able to meet him even one floor earlier was an event she, soaked in dopamine, couldn't refuse.
With the feeling of having succeeded at a fan meeting, she sent half her consciousness to the avatar created in the Trial of the Tower of Trials Hell Difficulty 2nd Floor.
Naturally, since it was an avatar that combined only part of Baal's power with the Tower's power, the total amount of power couldn't compare to the main body. But that was still fine.
Unlike the tutorial avatar that could only share vision, she could control movement to some degree.
That part made Baal even more excited. The avatar she had sent to the tutorial had too many frustrating aspects.
'I'm not just that much.'
Watching the avatar use her power and combat methods in such a frustratingly orthodox way, she had nearly turned inside out more than once or twice.
While it was admirable that he had stolen some of her combat methods from those movements, she still wanted to show him properly.
Vocal organs existed but conversation was impossible. Whether it was a restriction created by the Tower's system, expressing intent itself was impossible.
But just because expressing intent was impossible didn't mean she couldn't convey anything.
This is how you use it. There's still much more you can take. There was much she could show directly with her body.
So as soon as she could move her body, she threw a punch filled with the essence of combat techniques along with a smile at Han Yeong-min, who was making a bewildered expression.
It was a kind of courtship, saying he shouldn't look elsewhere but focus more on this Baal.
It was a signal that even without following others, he could become stronger just by following her.
She didn't know how he received that signal, but he skillfully deflected an attack that would have crushed another human with the same physical abilities like tofu.
Deflecting a fist wrapped in Domination Mana was only possible for one who possessed the same Domination Mana. She was even more excited by this first-time experience.
Her heart pounded watching him understand the true intent contained within and further develop his combat techniques.
Though he was currently weaker than the Demon Archdukes under her command, she was certain he would eventually rise to a level where he could have interesting fights with her.
And it wouldn't take very long to reach that level. It would take much less time than she had spent alleviating boredom alone.
'Because I'll make it so.'
Her chest swelled with anticipation at the thought of making him into a Demon King who could fight her on equal terms and battle every day.
If he became that strong, there would be many enjoyable things to do beyond just fighting.
Right now, she simply didn't associate with others because there were no opponents of suitable caliber, but if a being capable of equal relationship appeared, there were truly many things she wanted to do.
'Come. Take more. Take everything of mine.'
For that, he needed to see and learn more of her many things. He needed to become the driving force for his growth.
It was the moment Baal, who had never had the concept of a successor, gained her first disciple.
And not just any disciple, but one she was raising to take everything of hers and soar even higher.
"Baal. Why are you suddenly smiling?"
Even though her consciousness was split, she must have been unconsciously smiling on the main body side that was with the others.
Agares was asking with puzzled eyes.
"Just... because it's fun?"
Baal didn't realize that this was the first time in her life she was finding enjoyment not in life-or-death battles, but in raising someone else.
The moment she realized this, her obsession with Han Yeong-min would become even more intense... there was no need to mention that.
*
'What is this...? She's definitely charging at me like she wants to kill me, but...'
Each strike was powerful enough to kill me if it hit directly. But rather than trying to kill me, I had the illusion that she was teaching me.
Much more systematic and powerful than the combat techniques I had stolen with Deep Insight.
Domination Mana wasn't just wrapped around and deployed, but utilized simultaneously for offense and defense, varying the concentration only on parts touching the body.
Offense and defense didn't exist separately, but flowed like water in one continuous stream.
She was opening new horizons in combat techniques.
Each time I acquired and applied one of her techniques, she showed new techniques to keep me from getting bored.
Though it couldn't be true, her movements seemed to appeal that she had this much to teach me, not to look elsewhere, that she alone was sufficient.
Certainly, I had recently been touching various fields simultaneously, so after learning the Transcendence Limitless Path, I hadn't achieved much meaningful growth in pure close combat techniques.
Right now I couldn't use Authority.
I couldn't use Manifestation.
Even my physical abilities were restricted, creating an extreme situation, so there was no better environment for training combat techniques than now.
My combat techniques, which had been stuck at intermediate level due to tutorial restrictions, were growing very steeply.
[The level of Intermediate All-Mastery increases.]
All-Mastery's level was rising through pure combat technique growth alone.
That the foundation that makes me was growing fat was proof that the current path wasn't wrong.
"Give me more. I need more. This isn't the end."
I craved everything of hers. I didn't miss a single movement with Deep Insight.
Movement of toes, muscle tremors, minor habits, every single breath - I savored it all.
All of it was study. The driving force that made me grow. There was so much to see and learn that it was enjoyable.
Originally an absolute powerhouse's fight that humans couldn't even reach.
But I was reaching it.
Sharing breath in the same space with an avatar closer to the main body, reaching out to obtain even one more thing.
'Too delicious.'
When was the last time I had focused so purely on growth alone?
In the tutorial, I did invest in my own growth, but my attention was somewhat divided between the growth of all Earth people and my companions.
But now I could just forget complex thoughts and simply follow where she led.
[The level of Intermediate All-Mastery increases.]
Baal's movements - that was the optimal path leading directly to growth. With the answer right before my eyes, there was no need to worry.
When I clumsily imitated, she showed perfect teaching materials right before my eyes, so I strived to catch up to that ideal through countless repetitions.
Effort. Wasn't that what I was best at in the world?
Even when there were no particular results, I had endured that cold reality and made crazy efforts, but now that results returned proportional to effort, effort wasn't difficult at all.
Rather, it was enjoyable. That I could make effort. That I could burn myself more.
I wished this moment could last forever.
But even time you don't want to end eventually comes to an end. Eternal moments don't exist.
[You have passed the Trial of the Tower of Trials Hell Difficulty 2nd Floor.]
[Calculating rewards.]
The avatar before my eyes began disappearing slowly from the toes up. Her eyes were filled with the same regretful emotions as mine.
I offered a formal bow toward the disappearing Baal.
At least for this moment... no, for all my days and all my moments, she was my master.
All the growth I had achieved so far could never have been accomplished without Baal's existence.
Mental techniques, martial arts, movements - everything down to the smallest details was colored by her, so that said it all.
Just before completely disappearing, the avatar who had been unable to express intent changed her lip shape.
As a Harmony Stage martial artist, reading the opponent's lip sync wasn't difficult at all.
-See. You. Up. There.
With those words, the avatar completely disappeared.
Perfect communication that needed no analysis.
'She means let's meet again.'
I understood it as saying let's meet on the 11th floor of the Tower where I could accept Constellation invitations.
So I had one more reason to definitely go to the 11th floor.
Because I had to meet my father, no, my mama.
'Come to think of it, I have three mamas too?'
Yoo So-eun, Estelle, and now Baal.
I have multiple fathers and multiple mothers too... I had the crazy thought that the balance actually seemed right.