Chapter 26 Part2 (1/2)
<chapter 26.=”” new=”” element=”” -=”” 2=””>
[There's nothing more for you to gain here. So, don't come here anymore... and try to gather them.]
G.o.d said enigmatically, and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was chased out of G.o.d's garden. As expected, Jin seemed to have come back before him, as he was waiting with a sour expression (Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could see past Jin's Steel Heart armor now and could tell what expression he was making).
”Hey Jin.”
”What's up, s.h.i.+n Woo.”
”Why do I feel even more confused than before I went to clear things up?”
”You shouldn't be asking me. I'm dumb, so don't ask me anything in the future either.”
”It's nice to see you so confident... Hooo.”
By meeting with G.o.d, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo realized that he was the center of this situation. That's just how powerful the ability he'd gained was.
...To be honest, it was really troublesome. He had clearly done his best to roam around the world, as well as figure out the truth, grow step by step, and focus only on ensuring his own safety, but he hadn't really planned on becoming the protagonist and go wild on the main stage.
”After you gain great power, you get caught up in trouble, huh.”
”I feel like I've heard that line before...”
Jin tilted his head and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo continued to play dumb; and in no time, Kratia returned. Even though she was the first to leave, she was the last to return. ...But there was a reason for that.
”s.h.i.+n Woo, take a look at this.”
Once she found him, she rushed over to Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, put her palms together, and pushed them forward. There was a tiny ice crystal floating above them... it was the artifact that exponentially increased her strength, the Orb of Eternal Ice.
”It got a lot smaller.”
”It'll eventually get so small that you won't be able to see it. But that's not what's important right now.”
She yelled and tightened her palms together causing the orb to instantly break apart! Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was shocked, yet Kratia remained calm... Soon, he found that the energy that comprised the orb flowed through her body.
Her once light purple hair and sky blue eyes turned silver, and were radiating light. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could feel the power of that light, as it seemed to push her magic in a certain direction.
”Is that Lightning Shadow?”
”No, it's different from that idiotic technique. Think of my goal as a.s.similating the Eternal Ice, the high rank magic formula. And the power I gain from doing so is...”
He could tell without listening to her explanation. Since Kratia had invoked her catalytic magic through the Eternal Ice. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was well aware that now that she'd a.s.similated the Eternal Ice, the surrounding mana was quickly being sucked into her and turning into cold air.
Contrary to before, where she used the orb to transform the surrounding mana, gather it, and launch it, she could now finely control her magic. It was all due to concentrating the Eternal Ice's mana internally.. Therefore, it was like she had gone from Imperialdramon Dragon Mode to Paladin Mode. [1]
”To make this, I had to use the artifact you gave me, but it's ok since its ability is still intact.”
”But if you were going to do this, wouldn't it have been better to ask to absorb it instead?”
”I'm not you...”
”Ah, that's right. My bad...”
She talked about how amazing this technique was, and how much stress it put on her body; she made sure to emphasize a few times how a human's body was unable to handle catalytic magic, so she used this inconvenient method of storing the orb's power into her body, and that he wouldn't be able to understand her. And she added just one more thing.
”You should be able to turn yourself into a catalyst without this.”
”I told you I can't.”
”Watch and learn!”
”You know it's not something I can just 'watch and learn'!”
No matter how he thought it, Kratia's expectations of him were way too high. Kratia released her catalyst mode, and pestered him a bit; after that, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo sighed (though nothing came out) and stood up.
Then, he watched over to the Lv7 (Elite) Chimera Avenger that had... just been watching him until now.
[What will you do now? Are you going to go look for another general?]
”No. We were only able to defeat him because of our information, and our adaptation of the situation. But things won't go this smoothly next time, so now we have to thoroughly prepare and gather our strength.”
[Gather our strength...! How right you are. Then how should we do that?]
The other Chi Pauls heard him and their eyes gleamed. It seemed as though they were still misunderstanding something, so Lee s.h.i.+n Woo decided to be honest with them.
”You guys will move separately from me. You need to become stronger your own way, and I have to get stronger my own way as well. Of course we're not going our separate ways forever.”
[How can that be... We weren't going to continue to travel with you?]
[That's... I don't feel that we can burn with hatred and revenge without you there to guide us.]
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo smiled bitterly at their response. Of course, they were a powerful force. They were a group of level 6 elites with even a level 7 elite as well, so if he were to travel with them, he wouldn't die in most situations.
...However, objectively speaking, neither side would be able to properly grow. It would almost be like a restriction on them. It would be restricting to both Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and the Chi Pauls.
”I don't plan on controlling you through your hatred alone. For now, go where your feet take you. Watch the current world with your own two eyes... there should be something you get from it. It's fine if it's hatred or a completely different emotion. In the end, you'll be able to get even stronger.”
[The current world...]
Rather than bring them along with him, it'd be better to release them onto the world's stage. Moreover, he could just bring them when he really needed them. They'll eventually fight together, even if he didn't want to.
So, for him, as well as for the purpose of purifying the Empire and their own growth, it would be best to go their separate ways.
[We still don't really understand. It's much too vague.]
”Ah, before you go, there's something I need to show you. It might even encourage you.”
[A place you need to show us?]
[Something that will... encourage us?]