Chapter 686: The Oldest Bloodline (8)

The fact that the Lighthouse Keeper’s Domain, that of the previous Lighthouse Keeper, was observed in the new Lighthouse Keeper.

Upon hearing those words, the Doctor fell into an uncharacteristic silence.

The momentary exchange he had with Madrea Falcia, just before her death from a failed ascension, a conversation that pierced the essence of her being, which sought to calculate and judge all things in the world – the Doctor still remembered it.

“It’s hard to gauge the exact level, but it’s certain that she has at least completed her Hierarchy.”

Soryu continued.

“After completing the fifth Lighthouse and bringing the Central Front into view, she went quiet for a while. It seems she’s been focusing on strengthening her own power.”

“……”

“The news will soon spread to the Cult and the Order Alliance. You should consider it if it’s likely to become a variable.”

“Right… I’ll take care of it.”

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Domain, huh.

Even if it couldn’t compare to the Ideological Domain Madrea Falcia obtained when she became an Ascendant, if the current Lighthouse Keeper had acquired the unique ability of the Domain that Madrea Falcia once passed through in her lifetime, it warranted close observation.

If the Lighthouse Keeper’s mission, the grand qualification of observing the Outer Sea and delaying destruction, manifested itself within their Mind Imprint, then it was highly likely to contain something beyond a level that could be simply explained by brute force.

“To return to Kabahim, we need to break through the Central Front, and there’s a high chance we’ll encounter JeByeok. It seems we’ll need to borrow Ermont’s Consciousness Transfer Spell.”

The Doctor, who had been silently tracing his memories, quickly snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled.

“I heard you almost killed JeByeok. If you get caught this time, you won’t even be able to recover your bones, will you?”

“We tried to exploit a weakness using his grandson and failed, so he won’t be unfamiliar with us.”

“So, that’s how things went, because you made a mistake there of all places?”

“If Gapseon hadn’t intervened, the operation would have succeeded.”

Despite the Doctor’s scoff, Soryu remained unperturbed and responded calmly. He knew that any hasty reaction to this eccentric researcher would only prolong the conversation.

“It’s hard to call it a substitute, but we’ve secured that thing buried under Kaiushyu. We seized the opportunity while JeByeok joined the Eyes of Blue.”

“That thing? Ah, the Divine Trigram, you mean?”

Although it overlapped with the Well of the Codex operation, Soryu’s original reason for trying to kill JeByeok was to secure the object hidden in Kaiushyu. The operation failed, thwarting the plan, but perhaps that’s why JeByeok was away.

“Alright. I generally understand the situation…”

The Doctor yawned, then leisurely responded.

“But I can’t call Ermont for you.”

“Why not?”

“That fellow, surprisingly, has many uses, so he’s often called upon.”

The Doctor chuckled.

“The Consciousness Transfer Spell, as you said, is quite useful, isn’t it? He seems even busier than you these days.”

“……”

Soryu’s unspoken breath seemed to grow colder. Only then did the Doctor offer a proper answer, after checking how much of Soryu’s patience had worn thin.

“Myeong is directly making use of him. You probably won’t see him for a while.”

“……Myeong himself?”

Soryu, uncharacteristically flustered, retorted. “But he’s currently—”

“So, if you need to, you’d best find another way.”

At that moment, thousands of screens illuminating the room simultaneously began to display the scenery of a certain city.

KWA-AAAAANG!!!

A bizarre sight, as if drawing together the darkness of hell, a dense Black Wave swallowed the entire city in an instant.

The Doctor gazed at the screens, muttering with a slightly disgusted expression.

“Unless you want to try talking to a monster like that directly.”

“It’s been more than three days since his condition stabilized.”

In a dimly lit hallway, someone standing next to Lennok spoke quietly.

“The researchers say it will take at least three years for him to regain consciousness.”

“……”

“They are botanists who have worked in the Greenbelt for a long time. There shouldn’t be much wrong with their assessment.”

“Is that so?”

Lennok snorted softly and averted his gaze. Their eyes turned to the black sapling placed in a glass garden, far in the distance.

“Last time, that assessment didn’t seem to be very helpful.”

“……”

The middle-aged man with thick blond hair ran a hand through it and shook his head, as if resigned. He might have thought it was his first time seeing Lennok, but Lennok already knew him.

Senator Konrad Haven.

A City Councilman who attempted a terrorist attack at the Vulcan Magic Engineering Expo. He had given up his plan without hesitation and retreated after confirming Evan Vylun’s thesis.

After that, he had not shown himself at all, but he appeared belatedly to explain the aftermath of the situation to Lennok.

It was the result of a new councilman taking over the matter after Meyer, who had sought out Yakson, temporarily stepped down due to health reasons.

“I’m just relaying the reports that come to me. I didn’t attend this meeting.”

“That’s a rather poor excuse.”

“Think what you like. But how about that?”

Beyond the glass window Konrad pointed to, researchers in full protective suits approached the tree. They carefully extracted bark from what had become a withered sapling, the Senator Leisen Azamaha.

They cut off branches, placed them in thick sealed containers, and filled them with an unknown liquid to prevent the power from leaking out.

“A joint research project to weaponize matter corrupted and encroached upon by the Outer Sea.”

“……”

“We’ve finalized discussions with the Elder Council. It will officially begin once a supervisor is appointed.”

The moment Konrad turned his gaze, Lennok realized why he was explaining this to him.

“To join as a supervisor?”

“The Elder Council evaluates your abilities very highly.”

Konrad chuckled. “To think you could make those old-fashioned fogies so favorably disposed, I’m almost inclined to learn a thing or two from you as a politician.”

“……”

That was less about the Elder Council being fond of Lennok and more about him resolving the magical particle exposure incident that occurred in the restricted zone. Since they had confirmed his ability and knowledge to intervene in the project, they simply wanted to utilize Lennok in more diverse ways.

However, instead of mentioning that fact, Lennok shook his head.

“Receiving the results of the joint research is enough. You should look for someone else.”

Watching Lennok turn away without a hint of hesitation, Konrad silently lit a cigarette.

“Whether you know it or not, on the Central Front, research into weaponizing the Outer Sea’s power is in full swing.”

“……”

“At its pinnacle is the Cult, which has transformed the Outer God’s Apostles into strategic weapons… and organizations like the Order Alliance and the Superhuman Awakening Vanguard are following suit.”

Without waiting for Lennok’s reply, Konrad continued. “The Magic Towers are no different. If you wish to not only keep up with the latest academic trends but truly establish a new Magic Tower in this city—”

“I have no aversion to using the Outer Sea’s power as a weapon.”

Wasn’t Lennok himself effectively using the carapace fragments of Walter Martinez, an Apostle of the Cult, as a shield? There was no reason for Lennok, who had killed various Apostles and rummaged through their byproducts, to feel any aversion to the research.

But even so, the reason Lennok wasn’t interested in the research to weaponize the fragments of the Annihilation’s Tree was not due to some other reason.

“There’s no need to spend a long time on research that will proceed on its own.”

“What?”

The history intertwined between the oldest bloodline and the Annihilation’s Tree Acrotlinyr.

Lennok had clearly witnessed the miracle of processing the Annihilation’s Tree’s fragments and power by compressing them into the massive Black Coffin itself.

Scholars and researchers working in mega-cities actually had outstanding expertise in their specialized fields compared to Lennok. If it was about turning the branches of the Annihilation’s Tree’s avatar into weapons or artifacts, they would produce results much more efficiently.

Even without his involvement, Lennok already had one of the freshest branches extracted for tracking black wizards. Although it was a rather dangerous item and was preserved for storage, he could take it out and use it whenever needed.

From Lennok’s perspective, he simply had to sit back and reap the benefits of the research results and their applications.

There was no reason to spend time on research that would proceed on its own without his direct involvement.

Watching Leisen’s body twitch every time a branch was cut, Lennok spoke.

“However, if you want the research to continue for a long time, it would be better to reduce the dosage of the growth inhibitor.”

“……Reduce the medication, rather than increase it?”

“If he develops unnecessary resistance, Leisen will regain consciousness that much faster.”

Lennok replied, immediately turning to leave.

“I know this well from experience.”

How much hardship he had endured to suppress drug resistance and prolong the effectiveness of medication for as long as possible. Even Lennok, who personally formulated various doping agents, couldn’t completely overcome resistance and continuously refined his concoctions.

Even with a frail human body, one strives to adapt and cope with the given environment.

There was no need to explain what would happen to Leisen’s body, which was being encroached upon by the power of the tree that swallowed civilizations.

The moment Konrad turned his head to ask something, Lennok’s figure scattered like mist and vanished from that spot.

“Extend your wrist more and narrow your elbows.”

In the bustling midday city. A Pilates studio, sunlight streaming through its well-cleaned glass windows.

A training ground of hardship, where every visit meant enduring immense pain and regret.

After finalizing the deal with the Senate and awaiting Hylaea’s answer as advised by Myeong, Lennok consistently dedicated time to training his body.

Although it was difficult to achieve great results with this fragile body and its unresolved penalty, it was naturally necessary to check his condition and find deficiencies in preparation for what lay ahead.

And this time too, Lennok was paying a harsh price for his long-awaited return to this place.

“Twist your waist, and place your spine on your back. Then, spring back and turn left.”

“No, what does it mean to put my spine on my back…”

“Tsk!”

CRACK!!!

“……!!”

Lansia, the bronze-skinned instructor, holding Lennok’s shoulder as he squirmed without even a scream, shook her head.

“Your flexibility is still terrible. Even after a long time, there’s no improvement at all.”

“……”

“Well, I’ll admit you’ve managed your body better than I expected, though. Thanks to that, I’m enjoying teaching again after a long time.”

Lansia, running a hand through her tied-up white hair, removed her hand and stepped back a few paces, observing him intently. Lansia nodded slowly, gazing with satisfaction at Lennok’s trembling body.

“That posture is the basic stance of the martial art ‘Nine-Fold Dorye’ that I will teach you from now on, so be sure to remember it.”

“This posture, where I can’t even breathe properly, is the basic one?”

“That’s just because your respiratory organs aren’t flexible enough.”

“If you use flexibility as an excuse for everything, it actually loses its persuasiveness…”

“Your waist. It’s twisted again.”

CRACK!!!

Lansia looked at the now-silent Lennok and said contentedly, “It might be painful right now, but accept it, because it’s proof that your posture is being corrected.”

“……There was a reason you chose to be a Pilates instructor, I see.”

Though she called it a martial art, this was essentially an extension of the intense flexibility exercises Lennok had been doing at this Pilates studio.

Lansia nodded with her arms crossed. “Originally, a simple posture correction curriculum would suffice, but I’m teaching this to you specially.”

“Why did you decide to teach me a martial art?”

Lennok asked. “It’s awkward for me to say, but I don’t seem to have much aptitude for martial arts.”

The last time he visited the studio, Lansia had mentioned teaching him a martial art. He had thought it was just a passing remark, but he couldn’t believe she still remembered it. He was now more curious than ever where she had seen any aptitude for martial arts in him.

“Well…”

Lansia scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed. “That… the two years of instructor fees you paid in advance. I’ve used it all up.”

“……Excuse me?”

“According to Vulcan labor law, 30% of any prepaid amount must be refunded at any time, but I’m not in a position to do that.”

“……”

“I thought teaching you a martial art might make the balance sheet work out…”

Under Lennok’s cold gaze, Lansia subtly recoiled her shoulders.

“B-but I’m not teaching you useless techniques. The Nine-Fold Dorye is known as the first martial art learned by a legendary warrior.”

“……A legendary warrior?”

“It’s effective for maximizing body flexibility to refine nine different weapon techniques and for preventing unavoidable injuries by training unused muscles.”

“……”

“I thought it was nonsense when I learned it, but now that time has passed, it doesn’t seem entirely wrong.”

“Are you calling that an excuse now?”

“Ahem.”

Lennok sighed, watching Lansia subtly avert her gaze. “Alright. That’s enough, let’s continue.”

“Oh, are you agreeing to learn the martial art?”

At Lansia’s brightening expression, Lennok asked, maintaining his posture, “That martial art, it’s not a normal one, is it?”

“Huh? Well… it’s a long story.”

Lansia nodded with an awkward expression. However, Lennok thought that perhaps her explanation wasn’t entirely far-fetched. Nine-Fold Dorye. A legendary warrior. It could be dismissed as nonsense, as Lansia said, but Lennok knew that among the Ascendants who died centuries ago, there was a berserker nicknamed ‘Dorye’. If that name was indeed mixed into a transmitted martial art, it might be a secret technique related to him.

‘I can’t expect such a coincidence…’

But instead of dwelling on that fact, Lennok focused on following the posture correction method Lansia taught him. Whether the legend was true or not, as Lansia said, he just needed to concentrate on improving his physical abilities by incorporating the martial art.

Lennok’s reason for returning to the studio was, in the first place, to check his physical condition before the tasks ahead. The existence of the Outer God and the meeting with Pandemonium, stemming from the oldest bloodline.

Considering Myeong’s message to seek out Hylaea, he needed to check and adjust his condition in advance.

“Good. It seems you’ve adapted to the posture, so let’s try a few more movements.”

Lansia lightly rotated her shoulders, took a stance, and twisted her shoulder. “The most basic self-defense technique used in the Nine-Fold Dorye martial art. It’s called ‘Eight Reversals’.”

Lansia, clenching her fist, lightly twisted her wrist, rotating and unfolding it. Simultaneously, she rotated her waist, shoulders, and knees, extending a light punch forward.

Lennok also maintained the basic stance Lansia taught him and loosely followed her demonstration of Eight Reversals.

‘So it’s a method of sequentially changing the body’s central axis, drawing circles within the body.’

Learning about the Nine-Fold Dorye, he generally grasped the profound principles it sought. Lennok, influenced by Touin which he learned from Krod Azlan, already understood the subtleties of martial arts. Naturally, analyzing the martial art itself was not difficult.

The principle of Eight Reversals that Lansia was teaching now was to intentionally break the body’s central axis, then restore it one by one to regain balance. It wasn’t simple repetitive motion, but a principle of returning to the origin, where the initial movement trailed its own tail and came back to its starting point.

“……Hmm?”

“Well, I say this, but it won’t be easy. As a self-defense technique, it involves deflecting force.”

For a moment, Lennok tilted his head at the sense of déjà vu triggered by that idea.

“Unless you practice for a long time to acquire it, a beginner will quickly lose their balance just by lightly pushing like this—”

Lansia chuckled and lightly touched Lennok’s outstretched palm with her fist. The moment she did, the magic that bloomed up Lennok’s forearm rotated, igniting a dazzling golden pillar of light.

KWA-AAAAANG!!!

The brilliant radiance that erupted in the middle of the studio swept past the space right next to Lansia and vanished.

Lansia, who had extended her fist, stared blankly at the gaping hole in the studio wall.

“……Huh?”