Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: They Better Have a Damn Good Reason for Wrecking My Island
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With the system's soul seal unlocked, I could now create far more powerful jiangshi spirits than before.
Of course, stronger jiangshi spirits didn't mean a massive boost in the jiangshi's overall combat power.
The jiangshi spirit was just the software that moved the jiangshi's body, after all.
But sending these new jiangshi spirits into the demon dimension changed everything.
Their survival rate would skyrocket compared to the old ones.
The reason? These new spirits could possess demon corpses as hosts.
Previously limited to tiny bugs or small animals, they could now latch onto much stronger bodies.
More important than possessing powerful hosts was the expanded range of potential targets.
Success in possession was the first step, big or small—and with more options, the odds went way up.
And if they lucked into something bigger and tougher than bugs or critters?
Their survival chances would soar.
= But it wasn't just unlocking the system's seal that made this possible.
"Of course not. Without stronger spirit-summoning arts and soul restraints, those unsealed souls couldn't have become jiangshi spirits."
= It was all thanks to Your Lord's Heavenly Brain Multi-Heart Spirit Command Jiangshi Technique.
Ilryeong praised Geon-woo with a proud expression.
"If we're getting technical, that technique—and the Unbreakable Jiangshi Art—came from you, so you'd get the lion's share of the credit."
= Your words alone fill me with gratitude.
"Cut the sudden historical drama act! It's creepy."
= Yes, my Lord.
"Still, the demon dimension is no joke."
= You're not saying that just because the counterattacks with Molties haven't yielded much, are you?
Ilryeong guessed at the reason for Geon-woo's disappointed look.
"You knew the ones raiding Earth and Onviroad were low-rank nobles. And that there were higher nobles and even kings above them."
= Yes. But those demons were just a fraction of the demon dimension.
"Right. The demons—made up of over seventy tribes—are just one of that dimension's massive factions. Mind-blowing, huh?"
= Yes. We casually call it the demon dimension, but that's inaccurate. The demons are only part of it.
Every time Geon-woo recalled a Moltie from the demon dimension, he gleaned more intel.
And amid that, he'd learned the demons were merely one power among many in that world.
This hadn't been known before because the system had sealed not just souls but specific memories too.
Knowledge of the dimension as a whole was locked away, so no demon on Earth or Onviroad had recalled it.
"Think of it like higher dimensions, ranked by tiers. The system seems hell-bent on keeping that classification secret."
There had to be a reason the system hid it.
Geon-woo had bypassed its gaze while conquering the demon dimension and uncovered it anyway.
= Even the demons have conquered and subjugated countless dimensions—and there are multiple groups like them? Incredible.
"Yeah. Demon dimension—no, can't call it that anymore. The scale is beyond imagination."
Geon-woo sighed shortly after speaking.
The sheer vastness briefly crushed his spirit.
His humble straw-mat world paled against this oak-tree realm, hundreds or thousands of times Earth's size.
Peeking into it left him feeling oppressed at times.
But.
"It really fires up the challenge."
Geon-woo shook off the intimidation, chest out, striking a bold pose.
A bit forced, but it chased away the shrinking sensation.
= My Lord, you may wary of the demon dimension and its inhabitants, but your personal prowess already matches theirs.
Ilryeong offered encouragement to bolster his spirits.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be scraping the bottom if I went there. And I've got the Molties."
Geon-woo accepted the comfort without pushing it away.
With Molties retaining nearly full demon dimension power, he'd rank as a quasi-noble in a strength-based hierarchy.
Lucky, and maybe even a low baron.
"But no way to get there right now, and no plans to."
Geon-woo reined in his demon dimension ambitions.
No safe path yet—and even if one appeared, he wouldn't rush in.
'More prep first.'
He gritted his teeth.
= Naturally, more preparation is needed. Yes, my Lord is right.
Ilryeong showed no urge to prod him.
"Which is why I'd love to catch that bastard for sure."
Geon-woo's eyes blazed as he glared into empty space.
= Preparations will be complete soon. Then we can catch him for certain.
Not "we might"—Ilryeong said "we can."
Geon-woo nodded with a satisfied grin.
"Right. Once the Moltie jiangshi fill out the guard and the hundred-man elite, we'll nab him. Flip Earth upside down too."
* * *
Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!
A shrill, nerve-grating alarm.
The first sensation hitting Geon-woo upon arriving on Earth was that sound.
"What the hell?"
The capsule beside him hissed open as Paeng leaped out.
"Looks like intruders. That's why the security kicked in."
"Who doesn't know that? Which bastards?"
Paeng glared at the ceiling in fury.
Their capsules were in the island's underground cavern, so he eyed the suspected enemy above.
"Assess first. If it's holdable, log back in via sanctuary avatar. Otherwise, handle it ourselves."
Geon-woo and Paeng were now in their real bodies, out of capsules.
Avatar logins to Earth required the sanctuary—sudden capsule threats forced physical ejection.
"Yeah, let's check."
Geon-woo activated the emergency terminal screen in the capsule room.
He scanned the island's feeds.
"They've punched pretty deep. But isn't this weird?"
Paeng tilted his head, peering over his shoulder.
Geon-woo agreed.
Under heavy attack, penetrated far—yet stalled.
Like they'd stopped on purpose.
"That's Commander."
Paeng pointed at a split-screen figure.
Geon-woo enlarged it to main view.
"Yeah, Guardian special team."
The feed showed about a dozen people; five were the Guardian special ops from the Cheonjungchon raid.
"So what? Bayrun's attacking us now?"
Paeng shot Geon-woo a baffled look.
"Guess we'll find out."
Geon-woo patched comms to the Guardians' location.
"Aah! Can you hear me?"
The figures on-screen startled, glancing around.
"Director Kang!"
Commander spotted the room speaker and called out.
"Commander. Care to explain?"
Geon-woo addressed the man on-screen.
"Sorry, Director Kang Geon-woo."
Commander bowed toward the hidden camera.
"I didn't ask for apologies. Explain."
Geon-woo brushed off the sorry, demanding details again.
"Director Bayrun urgently requested your aid."
"So you came?"
"Yes. But even after reaching the island, we couldn't reach you..."
"So you trashed my house?"
"Standard defenses auto-reacted to lighter probes. We had no choice but heavy hits."
"What...? You wreck the house to summon the owner? That's your excuse?"
"The situation was critical—no time for alternatives. Neuron Age HQ is under attack now."
"What? Who's attacking where?"
Geon-woo jolted at the words.
"Demon-possessed, bio-armor implants, plus rogue user Awakeners—all ganging up on Neuron Age HQ."
Commander elaborated to the stunned Geon-woo.
"Didn't they agree to 'live and let live' or whatever?"
Two years back, the US, Russia, China, UK, France, and others had surprise-announced a truce.
Earth had been peacefully divided, conflicts avoided.
Geon-woo had spent most of it on Onviroad, building Molties.
"We got complacent. Never saw the ambush coming."
Commander replied grimly.
"Root cause identified? And what do the attackers want from Neuron Age?"
"Director Bayrun thinks it's the capsule activation gear."
"Capsule activation gear?"
"Yes. The central processor enabling Ark Capsule access to Onviroad..."
"Bullshit."
Geon-woo cut in coldly as Commander elaborated.
"Pardon? What...?"
"No such central processor exists. Bayrun knows that. Their goal's that? And he wants me guarding it? Make sense!"
"N-no, impossible. Director Bayrun..."
"Ah, Director Bayrun sent a separate message for Director Kang Geon-woo. Here."
Jumper interjected behind the flustered Commander, holding a small data drive.
"Left side—there's a slot. Plug it in."
Geon-woo decided to check Bayrun's message first.
"You good?"
"Don't worry. Not getting hacked by that amateur crap."
Paeng fretted over viruses, but Geon-woo confidently accessed the drive.
A brief buffer, then Bayrun's face filled the screen.
"Finally connected."
"What? Not data—a live link? You hacked my island's defenses?"
Geon-woo half-muttered in shock at Bayrun.
"Not science—ability-based. Don't be too shocked."
Bayrun explained to the gaping Geon-woo.
"Ability?!"
Geon-woo's gaze snapped to the Guardian feed.