Chapter 741: Method of Use
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 741: Method of Use
The pitch-black underground cavern was dark and damp, its labyrinthine tunnels sprawling like a spiderweb. Walking through them, one could never tell where the encroaching shadows might lead.
"Cough, cough... I can't keep this up."
Standing at the edge of a precipice, Muen gazed out at the space flanking him.
After another long stretch of travel, the narrow tunnel had finally come to an abrupt end. Before him, the ground dropped away into a sheer vertical cliff, opening into a vast, cavernous expanse. The entire cave seemed to breathe a sigh of relief here, broadening into a massive chamber.
Muen cast an Illumination Spell, providing a faint light to the area.
Above him, stalactites of all sizes hung from the ceiling. Shades of emerald and jewel-like tones stained large patches of the rock, appearing translucent and breathtakingly beautiful under the magical glow.
The sound of rushing water echoed from the distance, suggesting the presence of an underground dark river. A light mist drifted through this vast space, which rivaled the floor of a mountain valley. The sight was so spectacular that it was hard to believe they were still deep underground.
In his previous life, if someone had just put up a sign, this place would have become a world-class tourist attraction.
"Too bad now isn't the time for sightseeing..."
Muen clutched his chest, his expression pained as he sank to one knee.
Several hours had passed, yet the mental exhaustion and the sensation of his mind being torn apart showed no signs of recovery. If anything, it was getting worse.
Every step now required a monumental effort of will. His vision split and shook constantly, blurring into double images. It felt like he had downed several bottles of high-proof liquor and was now sprinting through a freezing winter gale.
Muen knew he couldn't hold out much longer, but he had no choice but to persevere.
The crisis was far from over.
Even though he had successfully used the pages of the Black Book and his own Illumination Spell to trick Zagu, it was only a temporary fix. It had bought him nothing more than a brief moment to catch his breath.
Soon, a humiliated Zagu would return, even more enraged and using even more shameless tactics to hunt him down.
"So... the problem of being tracked must be solved."
Otherwise, if the enemy had a literal wall-hack while he was still stuck in the fog, how was he supposed to fight?
Muen looked down at his wrist.
That thin line—the tiny chain split off from the Eternal Cycle—remained quietly wrapped around his wrist.
There had to be a way to use this chain. For some reason, Muen’s intuition told him so.
But the problem was... how did the damn thing work?
Since waking up, Muen had been trying to figure out how to activate it whenever he wasn't focused on combat. He had tried pouring mana into it, infusing it with fighting spirit, chanting incantations... he’d tried every method he could think of, but he still didn't have a clue.
An hadn't left him any instructions either.
It was as if the wealthy An had waved her hand and tossed him a bank card, telling him he could spend as much as he wanted... but then forgot to give him the PIN.
It was maddening.
"In that case, I have no choice. I'm forced to use my final resort..."
Muen’s lips curled into a wicked, "overbearing CEO" smirk.
Then, he gracefully closed his eyes...
"Black Book, save me!"
【...】
No response.
He tried again.
"Lord Black Book, please, save me!"
Muen’s face was full of sincerity, pleading like a scum man who had just been caught cheating but was still desperately trying to maintain his "good guy" persona.
"I know you're the ultimate 'hands-off' type of cheat, the kind that believes in letting me fend for myself whenever possible. You're nothing like that flashy vixen Zagu has, which is useless for anything other than cheating. And I know you wouldn't hold it against me for saying you weren't as good as other cheats just now... So, please, save my pathetic life one more time."
"You don't even need to let me fleece the Evil God's wool again. I just want to know how to use this thing. You even know the Evil God's weaknesses, so you must know this too!"
【...】
"Lord Black Book!"
【Sigh.】
A familiar sigh echoed.
The heavy Black Book flew out from the depths of Muen’s fractured spiritual space. Its pages flipped, and standard, printed-looking text began to emerge on the white paper.
【The Eternal Cycle itself carries a security lock from a thousand years ago. Only those permitted by its creator can use it. Even Divine Will lacks the qualifications and authority.】
"Huh?"
Muen froze.
If even Divine Will couldn't do it, then he definitely couldn't.
Was his intuition wrong?
【However...】
The Black Book had apparently learned the art of the cliffhanger.
After those two heart-stopping syllables, new text slowly materialized.
【Muen Campbell, you have it.】
"I have it?"
Muen was stunned again.
Even Divine Will lacked the qualifications and authority, yet he had them?
Was it because of... An?
Thinking it over, that was the only possibility.
No wonder An hadn't said anything when they parted; she had already done everything that needed to be done.
"But... how exactly do I use it?"
Muen frowned in confusion. "I've tried every method I can think of, and nothing works."
He was just short of trying to bind it with a drop of blood.
Wait.
Did it actually require blood?
This was a Western fantasy setting; was it really going to get that "Xianxia" all of a sudden?
【As a security measure from a thousand years ago, mana, fighting spirit, passwords, and even blood are all insecure, as such things can be forged.】 The text continued to appear on the Black Book.
"True."
Muen nodded in agreement.
Not long ago, Zagu had been fooled by exactly those kinds of things.
【Therefore, you must use your soul.】
"My... soul?"
Muen’s eyes widened. This answer was unexpected, but upon reflection, it made sense.
What was more unique than a soul?
But the problem was...
"How do I 'use' my soul?"
Although Muen had devoured plenty of souls with his Black Flame, no one had ever taught him how to use his own soul power.
After all, a living person usually didn't need to learn how to use their soul.
【Sense it carefully. You will know.】
Flip.
The last of the text finished appearing, and the Black Book snapped shut, flying back into the depths of his spiritual space.
"..."
Watching the Black Book, which clearly had no intention of further communication, Muen was speechless.
Fine. Another riddler.
Or should he call it a "riddle book"?
Muen opened his eyes, his gaze falling back onto his wrist.
"The soul..."
Two simple words. "Sense it carefully" was also simple enough, but how was he supposed to sense his soul?
Muen was currently at a total loss.
But speaking of souls, there was someone who should know a lot about the subject.
Muen turned his head to look at the girl sleeping behind him.
Ariel. Or rather, her teacher—that classic "old grandpa hidden in a ring" trope.
Of course, since this was a Soaring Phoenix story, the "old grandpa" was actually a gentle, mature older sister.
Regardless of whether it was a grandpa or a big sister, that teacher’s mastery over souls had to be profound. After all, she was nothing but a soul now. She could likely answer his question.
Except...
"The fact that she hasn't shown herself even at this point suggests my guess is right. This is another classic trope: the Ring Sister has fallen into a deep sleep for some reason, leaving Ariel to handle the plot on her own."
Muen sighed in frustration.
In the end, he had to rely on himself.
"Sense it... carefully?"
The only time he’d had a tangible sensation of his own soul...
Was that feeling of being pulled when his soul was locked by the Eternal Cycle.
Yes, that pulling sensation—the feeling as if he were about to drift away. He needed to recall that feeling.
Muen gripped the chain on his wrist, calmed his mind, and began to reminisce, to sense...
...
【Ding—】
In a daze, Muen heard a sound.
【Soul fluctuation detected. Soul information confirmation beginning...】
【Ding... Detection function incomplete... Detection speed slow...】
【Ding... Detecting... Ding... Detecting...】
【Ding... Detection complete... Soul information confirmed...】
【Ding... Identity confirmed... Identity is ▌▌▌▌▌... Ding... Error. Identity information has been locked by the highest authority holder. Unable to display...】
【Ding... Usage authority confirmed...】
【Ding... Welcome to the Seventh Branch of the Eternal Cycle, Mr. ▌▌.】
...
"This is..."
Muen looked at his wrist in surprise.
After those blurred, archaic, and difficult-to-understand words—clearly composed of Ancient Script—flashed through his mind, the tiny chain on his wrist seemed to flip a switch, undergoing a very distinct transformation.
Tiny, dense, blood-red runes floated up from the chain, circling about ten centimeters away from his wrist. At a glance, they looked like a Star Ring made of cosmic dust and meteorites.
It lacked the mysterious grandeur of a true planetary ring, yet it still felt indescribably exquisite and profound.
"What is this? A control interface?"
Even though he couldn't understand the structure of the thing at all, Muen instinctively reached out a finger and lightly swiped across the "Star Ring."
Click, click. The "Star Ring" slowly rotated three clock positions following his finger's movement.
Muen’s vision blurred, and the world before him changed instantly.
It was as if he had put on a pair of red-tinted glasses; the entire world was bathed in a faint, blood-red hue.
Beyond that...
Muen turned to look at Ariel. He was surprised to find that her outline in his vision was now blurred, as if he were seeing two of her—one solid, one phantom—overlapping perfectly.
And at the ring on Ariel’s finger, a dense mass of light and shadow radiated an incredibly powerful presence, so bright it almost blinded him.
"I see. This allows me to see souls directly with my eyes?"
He had seen a million distorted souls at the bottom of the Lost Homeland, and he had "sensed" crumbling souls with his Black Flame several times, but this was the first time he had looked so directly at the soul of a living person with his own eyes.
Muen looked down at himself.
Just like Ariel, the edges of his own body now showed overlapping phantoms—one was his physical flesh, the other his soul.
However, a third layer of phantom appeared around Muen. It was a young girl, but her phantom was only visible because she existed; after all, his outward appearance was still that of "Miss Muse."
And besides that, on his left arm, a chain about the thickness of a baby's finger was connected to his soul at one end, while the other... passed directly through the thick stone wall, leading off to parts unknown.
"So that's it."
Muen let out a cold sneer.
"This is how they've been tracking my soul's signature."