Chapter 537: Giant of Sunlight (4)

Touin.

Lennok quietly repeated the word Purity had mentioned.

“A method to move the body with the mind, you say…”

“We call it Touin, as it is the power that leads warriors, who have reached their limits, back into battle,” Purity said, rising from his seat and lowering his gaze slightly.

“It’s a way to manipulate mental power, which inherently has no form. An application of Mind Imprint, re-established as a technique, a miracle that allows warriors at their limit to move one more time in a desperate moment.”

“……”

Lennok understood what Krod Azlan was saying.

Humans are not machines that simply stop fighting when their mana and stamina are exhausted.

Even the powerful adversaries Lennok fought to the death often drew out more power than they possessed by sharpening their Mind Imprint to an extreme degree.

A miracle that, at the very end of all exhaustion, allows one to take another step forward purely with the strength of their mental power.

To walk on the remaining spirit with a body scraped to its very bottom.

Turyeonmun was claiming that such an inexplicable surge of fighting spirit could be established and used as a technique.

“In that sense, I understand why your granddaughter reacted that way just now.”

Lennok leaned against the dojo floorboards and gestured towards Karia.

Karia averted her gaze, looking slightly startled. The recent sparring session probably wasn’t a pleasant memory for her.

“A method to draw out non-existent mental power… that kind of ability can’t be defined by the concept of martial arts.”

“Hmm.”

“It seems closer to an extreme, high-risk technique that one would throw out as a gamble. I’m not learning martial arts because I need that kind of power.”

From what he had just heard, wasn’t it closer to a gamble one would use to somehow continue an exchange after exhausting both mind and body in combat?

There might be ways to utilize it, but Lennok’s original intention for learning martial arts from Purity wasn’t like that.

He could already create improvisational gambles like that with his current power.

What Lennok wanted was to create a different kind of possibility, using his inferior physical condition.

The Mind Imprint of the Kaleidoscope was a power that could manifest such diverse experiences and possibilities into reality more concretely and powerfully than anything else.

That’s why he needed an opportunity to firmly establish a physical combat method, not just as a wizard.

At least, the Touin technique he’d heard about so far was far from the concept or purpose Lennok desired.

“You are not wrong. Our texts strictly forbid the actual training of Touin.”

Purity readily agreed.

“To move the body with the mind means, in other words, that an overflowing spirit transcends the vessel of the body. There are more than one or two people who have gone mad by obsessing over that concept.”

Purity nodded with a bitter smile.

“If a warrior is consumed by the Mind Imprint that draws them into battle, can you imagine what they would become?”

“……”

“They become a ghost, endlessly moving according to the consumed Mind Imprint, even after their body and mind have died.”

“Are you saying you offered me Touin as a price, knowing full well that would happen?”

“Offering to teach you Touin is by no means an attempt to jeopardize your mind.”

Purity opened his mouth with a thoughtful expression.

“Rather, it’s a method only possible for a wizard of your caliber.”

“What do you mean?”

“Watching your sparring session with Karia, I observed how you approach combat. It was truly impressive.”

“……”

“Faint movements reacting only within the limits of your motor skills. Awkward actions that felt ineffective beyond merely manipulating your body for combat. And an overwhelming perception and judgment that compensated for all those shortcomings and more.”

Purity’s gaze sharpened as he spoke.

“That is proof that you analyze even your own body movements within the realm of calculation and judgment, yet have learned no techniques or martial arts. This is something that can never happen to a typical physical ability user.”

“That’s…”

“Furthermore, the fact that you weren’t unilaterally overwhelmed in the sparring with Karia in such a manner is proof that your chosen method was not entirely wrong.”

Lennok possessed combat intelligence, judgment, and foresight comparable to high-level physical ability users, yet he had learned no martial arts or techniques.

His mind had reached a level surpassing that of a master warrior, but his body was a blank slate, no different from an ordinary person.

Purity was asserting that precisely because of these conditions, Lennok was most suited to learn Touin.

However, Lennok shook his head at Purity’s words.

“The reason I wasn’t pushed back in the sparring just now was due to a lack of information about me. Once they get used to the fact that I’m engaging in close-quarters combat through mana manipulation, it will be easier to exploit my openings.”

“……”

“It’s a flawed method, and it’s true that I’m looking for ways to compensate for it. Do you think the Touin technique can align with my goals?”

His condition had improved significantly after taking the Archangel’s Tear.

However, even with a body heavily dependent on painkillers and stimulants, Lennok meticulously avoided overexertion during his sparring with Karia.

He was currently in a situation where he had to participate in an operation to the restricted area with Purity and investigate the secrets of the Black Consumer Project.

If Purity was now recommending that Lennok take the risk of learning Touin, shouldn’t there be a sufficient reward for it?

“Those who learn Touin are essentially learning a different way to control and express their own Mind Imprint,” Purity replied.

“That Mind Imprint is merely an extension of existing martial arts or techniques. It holds little meaning for an Ascendant who has attained a Miniature Universe. But what if a practitioner with a spirit and mind strong enough to learn Touin has not learned any martial arts or techniques?”

“……”

“If no martial arts or techniques seep out, what will ultimately be contained at the fingertips will be one’s own Mind Imprint.”

Only then did Lennok realize what Purity was trying to say, and he slowly turned his gaze.

“Perhaps it may be possible to draw out the Mind Imprint within your inner self, not as a Domain, but as a Miniature Universe.”

A massive training ground located behind the main building of Turyeonmun.

Several martial artists in do-boks were engaged in intense combat around a single practitioner.

Thump, thump, thump!!!

Shockwaves laden with mana continuously erupted, pounding against the stone walls, but the woman with an inorganic demeanor calmly received them.

“……!!”

Without wavering, unhurriedly, one by one. As if undisturbed by the utterly fierce offensive.

She precisely manipulated the five spears circling her, stopping their tremors.

Her body rotated swiftly amidst the punches and kicks that savagely aimed at her ribs, solar plexus, respiratory organs, and internal organs.

Clang, clang, clang!!

She identified the flow of the combined attack, so complex and intricate it was impossible to discern the sequence, and broke free from the encirclement.

The tangled currents of sharp energy and ripples unraveled like threads, dissipating like waves on the spot.

Immediately after, the martial artists who had been unleashing savage attacks stepped back and bowed respectfully.

“Lady Ilya, it is time. You have worked hard.”

“Thank you for your efforts.”

Ilya, wiping away sweat and struggling to stand upright, nodded towards them.

Lennok, who had been watching the woman from outside the training ground with Purity, spoke.

“Even an android sweats like that.”

“Hmm. You noticed as well?”

Lennok replied calmly.

“I wasn’t the only one, nor Professor Richellen, who entered Sector 6.”

She was a skilled individual who had entered the restricted area under the pretext of escorting Lennok and Aris, and even participated in the mobile fortress interception operation.

A member of Sybrid Echo, and a physical ability user who wielded five super-vibration spears.

Ilya, too, had already received an invitation from Turyeonmun and was present here.

“But I didn’t expect to receive reinforcements from Sybrid Echo. The scale of the operation is greater than I imagined.”

Sybrid Echo, an organization largely composed of cyborgs and androids, holds a unique position within Vulcan.

Even before the Prohibition Edict was lifted, they ambiguously straddled both the underground and the surface, and their technology and products knew no market boundaries.

This was due to a legal loophole where members of the Sybrid Echo organization were not officially recognized as human.

Is a cyborg, entirely mechanically modified, human? Is an android, infinitely close to human, merely a machine?

It was natural that they, who toyed with ethics, morality, and the definition of machine and human, were not protected by city government regulations or laws, but were instead that much freer.

Therefore, they were an organization that maintained an ambiguous distance, detached from other organizations yet not in an adversarial relationship.

It was astonishing that reinforcements were approved, unlike direct requests for cooperation from the city government, such as during the Defense Force incident.

Meanwhile, Ilya spotted them and immediately walked out of the training ground.

“Lord Azlan.”

“How is your training progressing?”

Ilya quietly nodded at Purity’s words.

“It seems I am the one being given consideration, rather.”

Purity smiled, sweeping back his white hair, and said,

“How does it feel to actually participate in the training here?”

“It is surprisingly systematic and orderly.”

“Is that so?”

“While there’s no logic in the training methods or process, there’s an ingrained knack honed over a long period of experience. It’s very enlightening.”

“No, no logic…?”

Ignoring Purity, who looked slightly shocked, Ilya gazed around the training ground and murmured.

“If possible, I would like to stay here longer and refine my lacking qualities, but since Van is here, it must be time to leave.”

As she naturally turned to Lennok, he quietly nodded.

“Long time no see.”

“It’s the first time since the Defense Force incident, isn’t it? Ironically, I didn’t expect us to meet again because of that very incident.”

Ilya smiled faintly, shook his hand, then wiped away sweat and said,

“I heard this operation is for the safety of the city. Please leave the vanguard work to me.”

An 8-level spear master and a 7-level spear user.

Even considering the grand justification of entering the restricted area, it was an absurdly high-level team.

As Purity and Ilya would be at the forefront, Lennok wouldn’t have to worry about focusing solely on a rear-guard role.

“So, this completes the minimum conditions.”

Purity said that and abruptly turned his back, leaving the two of them.

“Would you mind waiting a moment? I will bring the remaining designated personnel who have been summoned for this matter.”

Purity vanished swiftly, giving no time for a reply.

Ilya, who had been discreetly observing Lennok, with difficulty spoke again.

“Actually, I was a little surprised, Van, that you would participate in this operation. I heard you suffered a severe injury…”

“……”

“Of course, your participation would be a great help, but wouldn’t it be better to prioritize your health?”

“There was a deal.”

Purity had said that the potential outcome of fully mastering Touin wouldn’t simply be limited to freely controlling his physical body.

Drawing out the Mind Imprint of the Domain in the form of a Miniature Universe.

It was an optimistic possibility, but hearing those words, he couldn’t not try.

If he could draw out the Mind Imprint of the Kaleidoscope in the form of a Miniature Universe, it might just solve the problems Lennok was currently facing.

Ultimately, Lennok had agreed to learn the Touin technique from Purity sporadically during the operation as a compensation for this endeavor.

When Lennok somewhat selectively relayed what had transpired with Purity to Ilya, she showed a slightly surprised expression.

“I see. I didn’t know a wizard of your caliber would be concerned with physical training.”

“While waiting, you seemed to be sparring with the martial artists of Turyeonmun. What’s it like to actually experience the martial organizations of the surface?”

Since he had decided to learn Touin, he needed to investigate the techniques and martial arts used by Turyeonmun in more detail.

Since Ilya had also been sparring with Turyeonmun martial artists while waiting for others, she should be able to offer good advice.

At Lennok’s words, Ilya showed a troubled expression.

“Hmm… I don’t know how to explain it. This is an area that’s difficult for others to understand.”

Saying that, Ilya shook her head, deep in thought, and then spoke.

“Compared to how surface organizations professionally train superhumans, that rarely happens in the underground, doesn’t it?”

“It’s almost non-existent.”

“If you consider how important the presence or absence of professional training institutions is in other fields, the power disparity between the surface and the underground should normally have been overwhelming.”

Ilya, who had just exchanged greetings with the martial artists she had been sparring with, stood in a corner of the open space and said,

“But even though quite some time has passed since the Edict was lifted, the balance hasn’t collapsed on one side. What do you think is the reason?”

Lennok immediately answered Ilya’s question.

“Are you saying that the existence of training institutions isn’t very effective in the field of superhuman training?”

“It means there are pros and cons to each. Underground superhumans grow stronger by surviving real combat, and naturally find the best methods that suit them, don’t they?”

Lennok unconsciously chuckled at her words.

“It’s quite a skill to express what happens in that underworld so euphemistically.”

The words sounded plausible, but they were quite distant from the various disgraceful acts Lennok had witnessed in the outer districts.

Wasn’t it too grand a euphemism to attach to the criminals of the outer districts, who routinely betrayed and stabbed each other in the back, where theft, arson, murder, and abandonment were frequent occurrences?

Ilya, perhaps internally acknowledging that thought, gave a small cough.

“…Ahem, anyway, it’s undeniable that they develop their aptitudes more freely in that process. But the way surface organizations train superhumans, which I’ve experienced, is completely different.”

“In what way?”

“Rather than imparting order, they try to confine the practitioner within it.”

That was a rather aggressive statement, considering she had just praised Turyeonmun’s training methods.

“They present a standard established through long time and history, and continuously force people into it. If you meet the standard, you rise, and if not, you are eliminated.”

“An interesting perspective…”

Only then did Lennok understand what Ilya meant by each method having its pros and cons.

The advantage of being able to stably train skilled superhumans, unlike the underground where people died like trash.

However, to maintain that system, individuality was thoroughly suppressed, and people were forced to fit into the system’s logic.

Could Turyeonmun’s logic somehow be related to the background that led to the establishment of the Touin technique?

“If a practitioner’s aptitude doesn’t align with the training process provided by Turyeonmun, they inevitably take longer to find their true calling,” Ilya said.

“An excellent practitioner might realize why the training method doesn’t suit them and quickly change direction. But that would be a very small minority of exceptions.”

“But it’s also true that the efficiency of a training curriculum like Turyeonmun’s cannot be denied.”

A deep voice sounded from behind Lennok.

“Ultimately, it’s just a matter of direction. It’s not something where one can judge right or wrong.”

An overwhelming physique that towered over both Lennok and Purity.

The impressive sight of a majestic bird-headed giant, resembling an eagle, perched atop a thick neck, was striking.

Lennok slightly furrowed his brows at the unexpected appearance of an acquaintance.

“…Felix?”

“You were having an interesting conversation, Van. Have you finally taken an interest in how the city’s system works?”

Felix’s piercing eyes seemed to look down at Lennok with a touch of approval.

“For a wizard of your caliber, broadening your understanding in these areas isn’t a bad thing. Ultimately, such talents gathering together might help the city’s gradual development. Have you heard about the recently developed anti-gravity technology?”

“You’re talking about something irrelevant. What brings you here?”

“What do you think it means, me being at Turyeonmun?”

Felix let out a light snort from between his beak and grinned.

“This operation to resolve the distortion within the restricted area. I’ll be participating as well. I look forward to working with you.”

“This means we have gathered all the minimum required forces.”

Purity, with a somewhat tired look, finally walked into the training ground.

The clear gaze he had just moments ago when discussing martial arts with Lennok was gone, replaced by the murky, intense eyes he had at first.

He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache, then looked around and slowly nodded.

“I don’t know if more members will join, but if you are ready, I wish to depart. Do you need more time?”

“Are you planning to head directly to the restricted area?”

“There is a place we must visit to be granted access. The powerful individuals who formulated this operation and entrusted us with full authority.”

If Purity spoke to that extent, they must undoubtedly be the foremost, formidable elders of the city government.

“I didn’t expect the Senate to be so actively involved in reinforcements. I thought the unrest hadn’t been settled due to disagreements over the expo agenda…”

“No. Not the Senate.”

As soon as he heard that, Purity shook his head.

“Higher.”