After Returning, My Abilities are Infinite

Episode 140. Transcendents (2)

“…All these hunters volunteered?”

After returning with Lee Hyun-seung’s help, Lee Jin-woo murmured admiringly. The scene in front of him was that amazing.

“Apparently, someone anonymously called them in. Well… There’s no question. It was probably Jeong Si-woo.”

Hearing his voice, Lee Hyun-seung replied casually. Jeong Si-woo. Lee Jin-woo’s face darkened at his name. Although he saw a ray of hope amid the despair, thinking of Jeong Si-woo’s death made him feel sad and angry. His death was so so futile.

“I’m sorry to hear of his death. He wasn’t supposed to leave us like that.….”

“…….”

“But he laid the whole thing out for us, and we shouldn’t stay still. That would make his death truly be in vain. For people to remember his name and praise him, we need to make the most of this opportunity. Then we can proudly tell everyone that it was all thanks to a young hunter named Jeong Si-woo. That he was the reason we won the war and saved humanity.”

Lee Hyun-seung spoke firmly. Lee Jin-woo’s head was down, but his eyes shone. Lee Hyun-seung was right. They couldn’t stay still. Because that… that would be too sad.

“I won’t ask you to forget his death and help with hunting right away. I won’t force you. I know very well how painful it is to lose someone close.”

“…….”

“But don’t stay still for too long. The longer it takes to overcome your despair, the deeper the trauma remains. And the deeper you sink into the abyss, the harder it will be to get out. It may hurt, but you have to overcome failure and hold in your tears to gain the strength to live again.”

Tap.

Lee Hyun-seung tapped Lee Jin-woo on the shoulder before leaving.

He walked to the back of the Jeong Si-woo Division and stood at a high point where he was noticeable, looking at the hunters.

“It’s been a while since I’ve spoken like this in front of a crowd, and it’s been a while since I’ve spoken so politely. All of you are heroes that I admired and counted as my role models in the past.”

“…….”

“I’m sure you came here for different reasons. I don’t know them. Everyone has their circumstances. But could you push aside your urgent goals for a moment and do me a favor?”

Lee Hyun-seung spoke in an uncharacteristically nervous voice. All kinds of hunters were looking at him—those who fought on the dangerous front line, past heroes unknown to younger generations. Various people were there.

“Please help us. I’ll do anything I can do to compensate you. Even if you have lost your glorious power of the past, please help us with the little power you have. Help us drive out those monsters that are baring their teeth, about to topple the Wailing Wall built by humankind.”

Lee Hyun-seung’s strong voice spread out. Whether it was full of mana or his infinitely strong will, the voice resonated very clearly through the noise coming from outside.

“If all hunters were like that, I would have lived an honest life. Too bad.”

Seol Ah-rin murmured as she listened to his voice. Her expression was strange. She looked amazed and impressed as if she were seeing a fictional character from a book or a movie.

That was how powerful Lee Hyun-seung’s aura was. Powerful enough to persuade anyone who had even the smallest sense of justice in their hearts or anyone who had risked their lives as a hunter to protect humanity.

Even if they were neither, any human would have been captivated by him.

“…Lee Jin-woo.”

“Y-yeah?”

“Get me up.”

His voice also moved the -Jeong Si-woo Division- members’ grief-stricken minds. His words grasped their hearts, sunk in despair, and pulled them up to the surface.

Yoo Ji-yeon staggered as she stood up, and Sung Hyun-woo looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. Humans were creatures that could be easily swayed, either by despair or hope.

“Let’s go. Let’s end everything. And after we do that, let’s make sure that the world knows Si-woo’s name and everything that he did.”

“…….”

“Let’s make sure that every living person remembers Jeong Si-woo. Even the next generation that will live in the world we saved. Let’s do it. Together.”

Yoo Ji-yeon smiled. It wasn’t her usual smile. It was a bitter one, but you could definitely sense some hope in it. It meant that she had found a new purpose.

“Waaaaaa!”

As soon as Lee Hyun-seung finished speaking, the hunters roared. Lee Hyun-seung, with his conviction and purpose, had brought all the different human beings together.

Lee Hyun-seung raised his hand. Up towards the sky, which was blood-red.

Then, huge columns made of the material of the -Wailing Wall- rose into the air. It was the toughest wall created by humankind and an object that could be the most powerful weapon ever made by humans.

“Let’s go!”

The huge column slammed the ground. At the same time, bits of dead monsters flew up above the wall. Dust clouds rose, and loud howls rang out. The last shield protecting humanity had become the most powerful spear to pass judgment on the invaders. And that was the signal.

“Waaaaaa!”

The signal that aroused people.

Starting with the massive thud, all the hunters climbed the steps of the -Wailing Wall-. And then, one by one, they kicked the edge of the wall and dropped down into the Land of Death.

They didn’t train or plan together, but it was enough. All of the individuals there were seasoned hunters that could come up with hundreds of plans on the spot.

“Let’s go.”

With those words, Kim Seung-hyun nodded. And the members of the Jeong Si-woo Division also jumped back into the Land of Death.

“Oh….”

Han Yeon-soo.

The Queen caught in the deepest depths of despair. All hunters except her ran to the battlefield.

“Ah…”

Han Yeon-soo blankly stared at their backs.

To Han Yeon-soo, they looked like moths drawn to a flame.

A bunch of stupid moths that thought they could put out the flame with their wings. But the wind from their flapping wings would just feed the fire, thought Han Yeon-soo as she sat still.

* * *

“First of all, the most urgent matter is your resurrection.”

“…Resurrection?”

“Yes. Remember how your head fell off your body? That means you lost your physical body. And mortals cannot wander around in the real world without a body. It’s the same for Transcendents. Without a body made of flesh and blood, no matter how powerful, it’s almost impossible to interfere with the real world.”

Said the Traveler. He had changed back into his familiar mountain god-like appearance.

“So, transcending is the next problem. What’s important is a body that fits well with your soul. We need to find a body made of flesh and blood. A relative’s body would be most suitable… But you don’t have any children hidden away, do you?

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, then. Making an artificial one should be most efficient.”

Said the Traveler as he nodded. Making an artificial one? I couldn’t understand what it meant. Was it like making mannequins and dolls out of the same materials that made up the human body?

“We’re going to make a powerful new body. A vessel that fits well with your spirit but is much more powerful than humans.”

“A vessel more powerful than a human being?”

“Yes. Honestly, wasn’t your human body inadequate for your power? And the human body isn’t really fit for battle. Just look at how many creatures there are in your world that are more fit for combat than humans.”

“…….”

He was right. The way humans were physically built didn’t suit combat. A person with no weapons who didn’t Awaken particular abilities could die from just encountering a predator or wild animal.

“If you go against the rules set by the system, you’re going to lose all the stats you built up. So, your physical ability will be even more important.”

“My stats… So you mean all of my skills, characteristics, and abilities will disappear?”

“Yes. If you transcend in your original body, you would be an ordinary person who worked out a bit.”

“An ordinary person who worked out a bit…….”

“There’s no need to worry too much. Transcending the system means opening up your true power that was tied up in characteristics and skills. You’ll be seeing the world in a whole new perspective.”

I nodded. Yeah, there should at least be some advantage like that.

“Then… What do I need to do?”

“What you need to do?”

“Making a body and transcending……. To do those things you mentioned, what do I need to do?”

“Oh, that’s what you’re talking about.”

The Traveler nodded. Then he came up to me and put his hand on my head.

His hand was about a span bigger than my hand. But it was unbelievably heavy. Strong pressure weighed down my body as if a huge boulder was pressing it down. The pressure was so great that I couldn’t even move my fingertips.

“Think. Think constantly.”

“…….”

“Right now, you are wandering around as a spirit without your body. Some may describe you as a dead man’s spirit… But some may say you’re closest to transcendence. After all, transcendence is a phenomenon that starts with breaking away from your body.”

“What should I think about?”

“A body.”

A body? What did he mean?

“The most powerful body you can think of. Draw a picture, including every single detail about the body’s components and physical strength. And when you imagine one so detailed and precise that you end up forgetting your original body and even your current spirit state, the body you drew in your mind will become your second body.”

“…….”

“We call it molting. A body beyond that of a mortal. Not a body that your parents gave you, but one that you made with your own will. That is what it means.”

The Traveler raised his hand with a small smile. As he lifted his wrinkled hand, a bizarre phenomenon occurred. The Traveler, who had looked like a mountain god, was constantly changing his appearance.

Sometimes he looked like a huge mountain, sometimes like a mythical monster, and sometimes he looked like a vast ocean and the marine creatures living in it.

“After this first step, you’ll be able to reach this level. You will not only escape the shackles of your body but also be able to change it at will. Once you reach that level, no human being will be able to harm you at all.”

“Oh….”

“Okay, then. Give it a try.”

The moment the Traveler said so, I closed my eyes. And I started thinking the way he explained. I forgot my body and thought of a powerful one. I imagined everything from its cells and all the tiny components that made up its skin, and I organized them systematically piece by piece.

“You won’t be able to do it quickly. Since it requires a kind of enlightenment, no matter how fast you manage it, it will take years…….”

And then.

“…at least.”

Crack.

I felt something sprouting out my back from inside my body.

“…Hmm?”

It was the most suitable part of my body that I thought could have the most powerful effect during combat.

And a big, shining wing sprouted out of my back.

“…My God.”

The Traveler who was looking down at me opened his mouth. It was a rare sight.

It looked like he was a bit surprised.

“Since I made a left wing, should I make a right one now?”