Chapter 106
"Divinity is passed from heart to heart,It continues because it is true.So it is with consecration."
—Saint King Aldemain
Boom───!!
With a deafening roar, the bullet, transformed into a streak of light, pierced through every obstacle in its path.
It was the moment of premeditated acceleration.
Everyone saw the ripples of wings unfold.
It was an unnecessarily sacred sight.
Even more so because the one who pulled the trigger flailed about like a drunken fool performing a folk dance.
"Ugh."
Jin furrowed his brows.
The recoil was far stronger than he expected, wrenching his arm back violently.
The bullet's propellant, the secondary propulsion charge, the divine power infused as it spun through the rifling—
The triple-stacked kinetic energy was naturally overwhelming.
Jin rubbed his sore wrist and took another look at the weapon in his hands.
Gravis GZ.
Its dark body, having made a spectacular debut, shimmered faintly, scattering radiance like a spring mirage.
"…Jin."
Anna had approached him before he knew it, her eyes flickering between Jin and the Gravis in his grasp.
"You used divinity."
"Looks like it…?"
"W-what? Brother, that gun—what is it?"
Before Jin could fully process his own affirmation, Dayor's voice followed, full of disbelief.
Apparently, he and Anna had rushed over the moment they saw the shot.
His stunned gaze flitted between Jin and the shattered ice.
"…Ten."
A new record.
The previous best was Kendrick, who had thrown a lightning spear through nine obstacles.
Even then, the last one barely counted—the hole on the far side was so minuscule (though Kendrick swore it was visible) that debates raged over whether it should even be recognized.
Jin's shot, on the other hand, had left no room for argument—all ten had been cleanly pierced through.
Naturally, a vein bulged on Kendrick's forehead.
"Use your sword, damn it! You traitor!"
"…Damn it."
At the same time, Katrina muttered under her breath.
Kendrick's insane competitive streak had been triggered.
Now, until he could destroy all ten obstacles himself, he would relentlessly demand more ice blocks.
And Katrina, despite everything, wasn't the type to flatly refuse such requests.
"This is so damn annoying."
As she exhaled a long sigh,
"…."
Carlos stilled the spear he had been spinning like a disc.
Then, with a peculiar gleam in his eye, he compared the engraving on his weapon's shaft to the markings on Gravis.
"…R&D."
Unlike him, who seemed intrigued, Ryukard simply continued swinging his sword as usual.
As everyone reacted in their own way, Jin shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fist.
It worked!
He had found a way to wield divinity.
No longer would he have to rely on that ridiculous mid-air sword draw from his chest.
Who needed swords?
Cyberpunk was all about guns.
This wasn't because he lacked talent—absolutely not.
Right, Gravis?
A strangely reverent feeling overtook him.
For some reason, he felt like reciting a prayer for firearms.
My gun shines with light,Its trigger delivers judgment.It shall avenge my enemies,…avenge them,…avenge them?
Wait, what came next?
Whatever.
He'd remember it later.
Jin looked at the gun in his hands again.
His expression was bright as he gazed at his partner, now far stronger than before.
The tournament ended without a winner.
Many had desperately hoped for its continuation, but for safety reasons, the event was abruptly concluded—even without a closing ceremony.
[What a shame. This could've been remembered as one of the greatest matches in history.]
[Oh, it'll be remembered—just for entirely different reasons.]
[Fucking black mages. The dregs of a bygone era.]
[Isn't that the same for the noble families?]
[Say that in front of the Sword Saint and see what happens.]
[Forget all that—shouldn't city security be the priority? It wasn't even the 40th district; how the hell did a black mage appear in the Primus Zone?]
[If you ask me, the Florence family should issue a statement first.]
Disappointed voices echoed everywhere.
A flood of 'words, words, words.'
Naturally, one topic was inevitable:
[If nothing had happened, who do you think would've won?]
The "What if" debate.
One of the most passionate yet meaningless pastimes of humanity was about to begin.
Ryucard, who had displayed unparalleled skill.
Anna, the victor of the fiery battlefield.
Cecile, the turncoat who nonetheless defeated Carlos.
And Jin, who had both delivered the tournament's greatest duel and won its most absurd forfeit.
Thus, the discussion flared even hotter, fueled by the distinct character traits of the four who had made it to the semifinals.
(Unsurprisingly, Raph wasn't even mentioned.)
And at that very moment—
Unaware that his name was on countless tongues and fingertips, one individual lay silently in bed, eyes closed.
Jin, having naturally slipped into his inner world, gazed at the constellation-filled expanse before him.
A night sky made up of his mind's own light.
The view had taken on a proper shape now, resembling the Milky Way.
Just a year ago, only a single, lonely fist-shaped constellation had lingered in the void.
Compared to that, the change was dramatic.
Much like Jin himself.
As he blinked in quiet contemplation, something in the distance caught his eye—a strange radiance.
[Light of the Old Era]
It was different from ordinary constellations.
Like the North Star on a clear night, it stood alone, yet its divine brilliance did not falter.
"Let's work well together."
Jin welcomed the new member with a lighthearted greeting, but his gaze soon landed on the constellation in the shape of a clenched fist—[Transcendent].
Perhaps it was because the starlight he had harbored for so long felt strangely new today.
What is this?
His eyes narrowed instinctively as he examined the details.
Then, sequential messages surged before him.
[True Blood, Passive Mode Complete][Integrated into the existing constellation (Transcendent)]
──「One Who Swallowed True Blood」────────────
There once was a flame that burned accursed blood.
The great battle was forgotten in history,
But its will has been inherited today.
────────────────────
Oh?
A glimmer of interest flickered in Jin's eyes.
At last, True Blood had been fully assimilated.
Below the clean-cut caption, various explanations followed in succession.
The ability to gain an advantage over the True Blood clan.
Resistance to various magical laws.
Enhanced recovery and physical abilities—among others.
A title?
An achievement?
A hidden trait?
Jin read through the long list of additional perks and nodded.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
That damn vampire is dead.
Even now, Jin's bones ached at the memory of the spell bombardment from the Apostle.
The final punch he had landed was merely the beginning—
But first, there was something else to do.
Jin's gaze moved from [Transcendent] to [Mana Circuit].
Ignoring everything else, he focused on a towering pillar reaching high into the sky.
[Mana Circuit Lv5]
In terms of output and capacity alone, Jin was unmatched within his tier.
But he wasn't satisfied.
His ashen eyes were already looking higher.
The experience required increased exponentially with each level, enough to make his hands tremble.
But this time, he had acquired a whopping 30,000 XP.
He poured that overwhelming, intangible force straight into the extinguished star.
──!
A streak of light stretched infinitely, disregarding depth and distance.
It pierced the vast darkness and finally reached its destination.
Whoa.
At that moment, Jin felt a scorching sensation in his head.
Was this what they called the Baihui point?
The searing heat at the crown of his head soon spread throughout his body.
It was like growing pains—except a hundred times worse.
Jin gritted his teeth.
If someone had seen him lying on the bed, they would have witnessed his trembling body, eyes shut tightly.
His nearly perfect circuit expanded even further.
But it wasn't just getting bigger—it was becoming smoother, like a well-paved road.
This was to ensure the seamless flow of mana.
Some called it 'taming.'
Jin, however, found that comparison incomprehensible.
Unlike others who painstakingly refined their circuits by moving mana tens of thousands of times like polishing a surface with sandpaper, he skipped the entire process.
As the pain intensified, the muscles in his jaw bulged.
He thought he heard a faint grinding noise from his molars—or perhaps it was thunder echoing in his mind.
Then, suddenly—
Jin found himself standing before a line that stretched endlessly behind his heels.
Hm?
Glancing sideways, he recognized it instantly.
It was the very same boundary he had crossed when he swallowed True Blood.
The one that seemed to say, "From here, the Second Tier begins."
Back then, his legs had barely been able to make the jump.
But now—
With a confident stride, Jin stepped forward.
The world welcomed him.
He realized it instinctively.
He was now fully immersed in this realm.
And with that came an ever-deepening realization.
***
It was a long spiral staircase.
Winding around a massive metal pillar like a twisted braid, it descended endlessly, its depth unfathomable.
Beyond the railing, there was nothing but an abyss of darkness.
Yet, the footsteps descending the steps showed no hesitation, as if the pitch-black void ahead posed no obstacle.
How much time had passed?
The surroundings began to brighten faintly.
It meant this space, which had seemed like a bottomless pit, indeed had a floor.
Eventually, the figure reached solid ground, stepping off the metal stairs onto the firm surface.
As they moved, the beaked mask on their face tilted slightly, scanning the area.
"You're here?"
A voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of fingers tapping rapidly on a keyboard.
Before a wall of dozens of monitors, surrounded by tangled wires that sprawled like veins over a cocoon, a haggard-looking man lifted his head to meet the newcomer's gaze.
"..."
In response, the beaked mask wearer ran a gloved hand over their face.
In an instant, the silver-white mask vanished.
Revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
"Long time no see."
It was Michelle.
But she was far better known by another name—Crow.
The man, who had been silently staring at her bare face, turned his gaze back to the monitor and spoke.
"You joined the rotation."
"Yeah."
"Can I ask why? I'll give you fifty million credits."
"Hmmm."
Michelle pretended to think it over for a moment.
Then, with a bright smile, she said,
"No."
"A hundred million."
"No."
"So you're not selling, no matter the price."
At her firm rejection, the man simply shrugged.
Then, tap, tap, tap. His fingers danced lightly over the keyboard, eyes fixed on the monitors before him.
A thick cable, as wide as an adult man's wrist, extended from the back of his head, connecting him to something unseen.
Meanwhile, Michelle walked past him and perched on a sofa.
Across from her sat a massive figure, likewise sinking into the couch.
His limbs, reminiscent of logs, dwarfed even most beastkin.
But Michelle only smirked, unfazed by his imposing presence.
"Hey."
At her greeting, the giant, Killgit, spoke.
"Crow."
"What?"
"Have you seen Solard's woman?"
He was assuming she had participated in the match.
Michelle nodded.
"Yeah."
"Did she show any signs of mastering the Perfect Flame?"
"Not sure. When she fought Marzie's kid, she only used the White Flame."
"I see."
With that, Black Flame fell silent, and Michelle chuckled, lips painted red.
Whether it was the Perfect Flame or not, she had seen those transparent flames burn bright.
Of course, even if Killgit offered billions of credits, she wouldn't breathe a word of it.
Jin is mine.
Just then, a voice came from a man lounging on a swaying hammock.
"Kashion?"
"What."
The man's sunken-eyed response was met with another question from the hammock.
"So when's the captain getting here?"
"Curious?"
"Yeah."
"Five million credits."
"Hm. Hold on. Sent."
A transaction so casual that Jin might have wet his pants if he had seen it.
After what seemed like a confirmation, the man called Kashion replied,
"He'll be here in thirty-two minutes."
"Still taking his sweet time, as always. So, what's this meeting about?"
"Five million credits."
"Hm. Hold on. Sent—"
Ten million burned away just like that, yet the man remained perfectly unbothered.
Even with Michelle and Killgit listening in on every word.
"Seems like he wants to talk about the airborne fortress, Apophis. You'll have to hear the rest yourself."
"Apophis? That so-called 'last ark' built by those dwarves? Huh."
At the response, the man hummed a tune, intrigued.
Killgit remained silent, while Michelle busied herself searching someone's solo intranet on her terminal.
A dim glow cast a lazy light over the underground space.
On one of the walls was a massive mural, depicting a flowing river.
Styx.
A mercenary group composed of criminals rated Level 5 and above.
Within their secret hideout, the rhythmic tapping of keys echoed like ambient white noise.