Sabacheon (3)
Those who were in the know already knew that Yun Jiyun, the founder of the Seongcheon Yun Clan, had come from another world.
As such, it was only natural, in a way, that the people of this world became interested in the existence known as otherworlders.
After Yun Jiyun, who had achieved world peace, left Sabacheon.
Countless factions, including the Seongcheon Yun Clan, did their utmost to draw the “Second Thunder Emperor” to their side.
They scoured the entire world to find Earthlings, promising them enormous backing as they began to win them over.
Of course, they did not use only gentle methods.
From coercive measures like kidnapping and threats while their targets had yet to properly grow, to inhumane crimes such as human experimentation.
For a time, there was great chaos because of certain organizations that acted without regard for consequences, and their rampage only gradually subsided once it became known that not every otherworlder could become like the Thunder Emperor.
However, even if they were not quite what people had hoped for, it was undeniably true that their growth was far faster than that of ordinary practitioners.
Even the most inferior among them was at least on the level of a talented prodigy, so there was no harm in continuing to support otherworlders.
They would eventually return to Earth someday, but until then, they could still be used as serviceable mercenaries.
And if a “Second Thunder Emperor” really did happen to appear, that would be a jackpot.
And, as was only natural.
The Seongcheon Yun Clan, whose founder had been an otherworlder, was also one of the factions operating such a sponsorship system.
“You will be staying here from now on. It is equipped with most things you might need, and there is always a caretaker on duty, so if there is anything you require, simply tell them and they will prepare it right away.”
Lucette, who had personally guided Hun to his lodging, turned back to look at him.
Her demeanor was perfectly calm, as if she had never been excited at all, but her cheeks, still flushed red, laid bare the excitement within her. ‘Well, from their perspective, he must be no different from a legendary figure they’ve only ever heard about in stories.’ Enough time had passed that all the people who had been active in the same era as Yun Jiyun had long since died of old age.
And in such a situation, she had encountered someone who had crossed over from the very place where that legend was still alive and well, and active at that...
Hun shrugged and looked around the lodging.
“By the way, I heard there aren’t that many otherworlders staying with the Yun Clan... but this place is enormous.”
“It is not merely large. The internal facilities are even more impressive than the exterior. You could probably live in luxury for years without taking a single step outside.”
It was massive, like a grand mansion.
To offer a place like this to a guest retainer.
As expected, they could be called one of the foremost powers even in this world.
“And...”
As Hun leisurely admired the mansion with Ramyu on his back, Lucette’s hesitant voice reached his ears.
When he turned toward her, she lowered her head deeply and continued.
“I apologize once again. At the time, I was too frantic because Sohoi had been kidnapped. I committed a discourtesy without properly confirming the situation.”
“Ah.”
Only then did he understand why someone of her caliber, a deep-layer practitioner, had personally volunteered to guide him.
She must have been aiming for an opportunity like this, where they could speak separately.
“It’s all right. Given the circumstances at the time, it was only natural. And, well, it’s not as if anything actually happened.”
“Even so, a wrong is a wrong. If you ever need help with anything in the future, please tell me without hesitation. Even if it is somewhat unreasonable... if it is within my ability, I will resolve it for you no matter what.”
A deep-layer practitioner was, in and of herself, a being who symbolized the military power of a faction.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that there was virtually nothing within the clan that she could not do.
A single word from someone like her was worth a fortune in this world.
In effect, it was no different from a blank check. ‘She’s offering something like that so easily? That rigid-looking woman?’ In truth, being wary of a suspicious person was only natural.
All the more so if that person had openly used a sinister power, as Hun had.
Moreover, considering that he had not actually done anything to her, offering a blank check like that felt excessive. ‘...Ah! I see. Unlike the other otherworlders who are simply receiving sponsorship... I’ve already proven my qualifications.’ But if one premise was added to the matter, the story changed.
Hun had rescued a clan member who had been kidnapped because the Yun Clan failed to respond properly, and in the process, he had even defeated upper-layer practitioners.
Would it not be even more unfair to treat him the same as the others?
Starting with this, they would probably try to win him over by offering various carrots. ‘If they’re offering, there’s no need to refuse. Who knows what might happen later?’ The kidnapping victim, Yun Sohoi, had been called away by the clan elders as soon as Hun’s verification was over.
In fact, it would have been stranger if they had not summoned her the moment she returned.
They had likely waited for a while out of consideration for Lucette, who had been with her.
“The caretaker is here to receive you. Then I will take my leave. There is much I must do to deal with the aftermath of the kidnapping incident.”
“Yes, thank you for guiding me all the way here.”
“This much is nothing. And...”
In the middle of their farewells, Lucette lowered her head again.
At a much deeper angle than when she first apologized.
“Thank you so very much for saving Sohoi. If that child, who is... no different from my own little sister, had come to harm, I...”
She could not continue, her voice trembling.
When they first met, she had not seemed particularly shaken emotionally, but given the circumstances, it appeared she had simply been holding it in all this time.
Watching her back as she thanked him once more and left, Hun scratched his head awkwardly. ‘Mm... maybe that blank check really was just a pure expression of gratitude.’ With a shrug, he turned toward the lodging.
First, he needed to lay Ramyu down and observe her condition in detail.
***
A dim underground interrogation room.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm...”
A group of elderly people had gathered in one place, staring at someone with grave expressions.
Where their gazes were directed.
A cranky-looking old woman, strange patterns floating in both her eyes, let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Well now, all I can say is that this is impressive.”
She examined the people laid out in a row to one side one after another, then roughly raked a hand through the back of her hair and glanced toward the old men before tossing out her verdict.
“First, it’s certain that chakra wasn’t used.”
At those words, several of them visibly looked relieved.
They had checked once before, but the old woman’s declaration removed even that small lingering uncertainty.
However, she was not finished speaking yet.
“But this... looks even more dangerous than if demonic chakra had been used.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“How should I put this...”
At the old woman’s drawn-out words, the old men frowned.
Seeing their expressions, she smirked and continued.
“Their inner imagery has been completely transformed by mental contamination. Even if they wake up, they’ll have a hard time functioning properly. Goodness, I’ve never seen malice this vicious in my entire life. After having something like this poured directly into their heads, it would be stranger if they were fine.”
If it had been an attack using the same chakra, there might at least have been some possibility of shaking off the aftereffects.
Having finished speaking, the old woman clicked her tongue.
At her words, the old men looked at one another with serious expressions.
Everyone present was highly capable in their own right, so they immediately understood what those words meant.
“What do you think?”
“Well... for now, since that ability user has entered our fold, I don’t think it’s bad news.”
“This is not a matter we can think of so simply and move past. If we take one wrong step, it could become a double-edged sword.”
“Come to think of it, that man is from the same country as the Founder, is he not? From what I heard from Sohoi, he has even seen him in person...”
Exchanging opinions with one another—
They were the elders who led the Yun Clan.
They were the children and grandchildren of those who had founded the clan together with the Founder.
They were the foremost contributors who had struggled and clawed desperately to carry on the glory of the previous generation, and who had succeeded in preventing the Seongcheon Yun Clan’s position from declining.
Their gazes turned once more toward the perpetrators of the kidnapping incident.
“At any rate, one thing is clear. That man called Hun is different from other otherworlders.”
“I was told that otherworlders are not very strong immediately after crossing dimensions.”
“Well, he may have crossed over quite some time ago and simply be hiding it.”
“He is capable of this much even without chakra. If chakra were added on top of that...”
A feverish light appeared in the eyes of the elders as they conversed quietly.
The clan’s boundless glory.
That was the value they had pursued for their entire lives.
For the sake of that glory, there was nothing they would hesitate to do.
They avoided actions that strayed too far from the righteous path as much as possible, since such things could, if mishandled, run counter to that very goal. But if it was merely somewhat unethical, they had always rationalized it somehow and compromised with reality.
In such a situation, an irregular like this—
A weapon that, if properly honed and polished, might perhaps rival the Heavenly Gate itself had fallen into their hands, so they could not help but be excited. ‘If we can wield that man as we please, one way or another...’ ‘We might not only overcome these unstable times, but even recreate the glory of the previous generation.’ They could feel in their bones that the current state of the world was flowing in an ominous direction.
The kidnapping of Yun Sohoi was one such example.
A descendant of the clan had been kidnapped within the territory of the Seongcheon Yun Clan.
How could such a thing even happen?
They were tracking down those behind it and devising their own countermeasures, but in any unforeseen situation, the more cards one had to play, the better.
The elders exchanged glances and nodded.
It seemed their thoughts were, for the most part, similar.
And so, the attention of the Seongcheon Yun Clan’s leadership focused on Hun.
...Though whether they could truly handle that pestilence demon, who had passed through many worlds, according to their own will was another matter entirely.
***
Hun let out a small sigh.
More than a day had passed since Ramyu lost consciousness, yet she showed no signs of waking.
When he had first awakened, he had woken up after only a few hours. ‘For now, there’s nothing seriously wrong with her body. Rather, despite not eating anything for a whole day, she’s brimming with vitality to an abnormal degree.’ If that was the case, it was awkward to take any immediate action.
Without knowing the precise circumstances, carelessly interfering might actually worsen the situation. ‘If Mental Resonance could reach a deeper domain of thought, I could communicate with Ramyu and find out what’s going on.’ But with his current skill, such delicate control was impossible.
After all, it had not been long since Hun began handling this ability.
If it were simply a matter of forcefully drilling a hole through a barrier and sending thoughts back upstream, that would be one thing. But to reach Ramyu’s deep psyche without damaging her mind, he needed a level of proficiency greater than what he currently possessed. ‘In the end, if I want to find out anything right away, I need to raise the level of Mental Resonance. But there’s no way that would be so easy, is there?’ Yes, that was the orthodox answer.
Normally speaking.
“Greetings, Lord Hun. My name is Yun Soso, and I will be helping you open your chakra.”
And yet, by sheer coincidence.
There was a way.
“Chakra is the power that opens the inner microcosm and guides phenomena. In theory, there is nothing impossible. Its limits are determined only by the level of the one who wields it.”
A bewitchingly voluptuous beauty in her twenties—
Yun Soso, a middle-layer practitioner, continued her explanation in a gentle voice, and a fragrant scent spread through the air.
“As one who handles the chakra of fragrance, I can freely combine and amplify any scent that exists in the world. By combining the scent of Rapilla flowers, which have a calming effect, Pupuri, used in painkillers, and Talum, which has regenerative effects, I can help the sick. Conversely, I can also mix vitality, increased muscle strength, and the like to aid in battle.”
Perhaps she had received some sort of order from above, for she smiled with her eyes every time their gazes met. But thanks to Mind Hub, Hun was able to maintain a calm heart, and he merely met it with a firm gaze. ‘Is it because it’s made with chakra? It smells nice.’ While briefly thinking such a useless thought.
The corners of Yun Soso’s lips trembled slightly as she met his gaze. ‘What in the world...’ Until she first faced him, she had been full of confidence, but now, she was on the verge of being overwhelmed instead by the unknown spirit radiating from his body.
No, she soon realized what that spirit was.
A passion for learning.
It was blazing forth so intensely that she could clearly feel it. ‘This is absurd. To think his eyes don’t change in the slightest...!’ Just as Hun had expected, the reason she had been assigned to him was entirely due to orders from above.
She was not merely an ordinary practitioner, but a very special agent who had opened no fewer than four chakras and raised all of them to the middle-layer stage.
“Fragrance,” which was known publicly, and “Emotion,” “Allure,” and “Secret,” known only to a select few in the upper ranks.
In other words, the woman named Yun Soso was someone optimized for the use of a honey trap. ‘What is this? Is this man a eunuch? No, it feels different from that somehow...’ No matter how high someone’s realm was or how outstanding their mental fortitude, her allure, woven together from multiple chakras, was not something that could be easily seen through.
After all, her aesthetic lay precisely in its naturalness—not artificially manipulating the heart through chakra, but awakening a person’s innate emotions so that they had no choice but to feel that way. ‘The effect is definitely taking hold properly, isn’t it? Why? Why isn’t it working?’ But she could not show it just because things were not going as she expected.
She was a professional in this field.
As someone with a record of having opened four chakras, her lecture was practical and extremely useful. ‘I see. So blindly having many chakras isn’t necessarily the best answer.’ Hun nodded, his face filled with passion for study.
After all, there was no way the result would be the same when the inner imagery that formed the foundation of the microcosm was filled solely with one element versus when it was divided among several.
If one desired the ultimate, then focusing solely on a single chakra was the correct choice.
Unless, like Yun Soso, one had recognized one’s own limits early on. ‘One inner image for one chakra, huh...’ Hun tilted his head.
However, there was one question that arose here. ‘Then what happens in my case?’ He slowly closed his eyes.
And contemplated his own inner self.
His inner imagery, divided into a total of thirteen through Avatar, Mind Hub, and Persona.