Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Muhammad's Group Goes Missing
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“The sorcerer with the black skull was likely one of Rapin's three primary direct disciples.”
Back within the city of Theopolis, during a strategic meeting with Pang and Ilryeong, Geon-woo recounted the harrowing events that had transpired in the southern jungle. He sat with a focused expression as he speculated on the true identity of the mysterious black skull sorcerer he had recently encountered.
“That assessment seems logical, as his power level would certainly have to be higher than that of the fifth disciple, Marake,” Pang noted with a firm nod.
“Even so, because of that confrontation, all Tebrus forces have completely vanished from the Crossus region, my lord,” Ilryeong added, reporting on the recent shifts in the local power dynamics. In the brief few days since Geon-woo's return, the members affiliated with the Tebrus faction had retreated, and the watchful eyes that had been monitoring the clinic were nowhere to be found.
“With Marake dead and the black skull sorcerer having received a harsh beating, they have clearly become cautious. They have realized that our clinic is not a target to be trifled with so lightly.”
“Although Tebrus has pulled back their overt presence, the fact that our clinic's membership remains stable suggests they are still not giving up on sourcing high-quality materials through us,” Pang observed.
“From the perspective of Tebrus, those members who have undergone body enhancement are top-tier materials. They would not easily relinquish such assets and are likely pretending to retreat while continuing to scheme behind the scenes,” Ilryeong replied, following up on Pang's assessment. The materials the faction coveted were the very people under Geon-woo's care, who were being used as undead assets for Tebrus's dark magic.
Olka had previously mentioned that a secret clause in the Tebrus dominion contract likely enabled this loyalty, and ever since hearing that, Geon-woo had grown intensely curious about the details of those agreements. However, since every faction treated their dominion contracts as top-secret documents, obtaining one felt like a distant pipe dream.
“Speaking of which, the sudden appearance of the demon tribe member Shepalt was a genuine surprise,” Pang said, shifting the topic and summoning a mental image of the formidable adversary.
“I was shocked as well when he manifested,” Geon-woo admitted.
“But there was a significant gain from that encounter,” he continued, noticing the puzzled expressions on the faces of his companions. “That individual turned out to be far less imposing than I had feared. Realizing that he is nothing special means I no longer need to worry or stress over his potential interference. That is a gain worthy of the effort, isn't it?”
“I see your point! It has lifted a heavy weight off your mind,” Ilryeong said, beginning to clap in celebration. Pang, caught up in the positive shift in the mood, grinned brightly and joined in the applause. The unease that had stemmed from the unknown strength of Shepalt in this higher dimension had finally been dispelled.
* *
After his return from the southern jungle, Geon-woo set a new goal of advancing his primary technique, the Heavenly Brain Split Soul Command Spirit Corpse Technique, and immersed himself in deep training. He had previously acquired the mind power known as Growth through a rare essence, but the complexity of the power was so vast that he had distributed its various branches among his elite warriors to better integrate the whole.
However, his recent encounters had made him painfully aware of his own deficiencies. The fact that he had allowed the black skull sorcerer to escape so easily was a tremendous shock to his pride. He realized that he had lost sight of his original identity; his roots were in the art of the jiangshi, and if he could not elevate his physical form to the realm of true soul force, he would stagnate in mediocrity.
‘My physical form, built upon the foundation of the Jiangshi Technique, already rivals many mind powers in its own right. No, it can easily shrug off most of the mental influences I have experienced thus far,’ he mused. The indestructible attribute of his body had evolved to an impressive degree, likely due to the power he had absorbed from the giant in Onbiroad properly blooming in this higher dimension without Earth's system constraints.
‘I simply need to refine the indestructible core of my body to raise my overall realm. The more urgent priority is the Heavenly Brain Split Soul Command portion of my style. The integrated technique has split back into its original components, and the widening gap between them is destroying their synergy.’
He decided to dismantle and rebuild the three core elements: the Heavenly Brain, which expanded his mental capacity; the Split Soul, which governed its application; and the Command Soul, which wielded that mental power to control other spirits. He spent a long and peaceful period focused entirely on this task, isolated within his training chamber.
* *
Boom!
“Geon-woo! We have a major problem!” Pang shouted as she burst through the training chamber wall by smashing the stone with her bare hands. Geon-woo had used telekinesis to keep the room isolated, but he was forced to open his eyes and pause his meditation at the sudden intrusion.
“What is the matter, Pang?” he asked calmly.
“Muhammad and the others have gone missing! Cheon Su-wan, Tucker, Ivan—every one of them has vanished!”
“What of Jumper?” Geon-woo asked, feeling a brief moment of relief when Pang confirmed that Jumper had not accompanied them. “Tell me exactly what happened and how this situation developed.”
Geon-woo listened as Pang explained that the incident began at the Theopolis auction house, where Jumper had acquired a memory crystal containing information on dimensional passages. Jumper believed he could use the data to open a path back to Earth, but he required a specific magic tool to confirm his theory. Muhammad and the others had volunteered to retrieve the item.
“Where did they go? Did they cross into the territory of a hostile faction?” Geon-woo asked, concerned about the unpredictable rules of other regions.
“No, the location was within the Crossus region, specifically the city located in the central Demon Hole Mountains,” Pang replied. Geon-woo’s expression hardened upon hearing the name of the destination. The mountains were named for the numerous "demon holes" or caves that spewed out a volatile mix of various magics.
“Word has reached us that they entered one of the demon holes itself,” Pang added, causing Geon-woo to click his tongue in disapproval. He realized that his subordinates had grown arrogant because of their recent skill improvements. He explained that if the entrance was connected to a "great demon hole," it was part of a vast network that acted like its own independent world, where the very laws of the system functioned differently.
“They went into a tributary of a great demon hole? Are they completely insane?!” Geon-woo bellowed. Pang defended them, noting that they were trying to find a chaos magic stone to power Jumper's new tool. When Geon-woo asked about the danger of magic poisoning, Pang revealed that the tool itself created a barrier capable of blocking such effects.
“I see. That changes things,” Geon-woo muttered, realizing how the situation had twisted. If the tool protected against chaos magic, he might have been tempted to enter the cave himself. “We must go and search for them immediately.”
Geon-woo stood up and began his final preparations to depart for the Demon Hole Mountains, his mind already racing with potential rescue strategies.