102 [102] You Can’t Go…!
Chapter 102: You Can't Go…!
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His eyelids slid open, casting an eerie, blood-red glow in the dimly lit room. He rose from the bed, his movements eerily smooth, as if a marionette string guided him upright. A moment of disorientation washed over him as he absorbed the familiar yet distant surroundings.
His gaze drifted downward, lingering on remnants of a healing energy on the bed, that resonated faintly with his senses. "Huh."
His mind almost spiraled down to an abyss of thoughts, but he brushed them aside, choosing not to dwell on them in his current state. Instead, he levitated from the bed, his feet hovering inches above the floor. The door swung open silently from a gentle manipulation of wind aura guiding its movement, as he floated through the threshold.
Gliding through the hallway, his feet never touching the ground, Aqua passed the sleeping figures of three women and four tiger cubs. 'They hadn't bothered to sleep in their own room,' he thought but spared them no more than a fleeting glance, his focus elsewhere.
He was thirsty.
Descending the stairs like a specter, he emerged in the living room, a soft hum accompanying his movement. As he passed the sound box, music filled the room by his presence, creating a surreal atmosphere. He approached the fridge, which opened of its own accord to the tune of the song playing in the background.
- Tell me, do you see her? She's livin' her life, Even if she acts like she don't want the limelight…
"Where is the alcohol?" he scowled while [Popular] grew louder in the room. How could there not be a single beverage inside? Not even light alcohol?
- But if you knew her, yeah, she lives a lie, She calls the paparazzi, then she acts surprised, oh~
The absence of any beverage, not even a light one, irked him. He recalled that the woman had stopped buying alcohol after the incident where he pretended to get drunk and kissed her. He scoffed, 'How is that reason enough to keep the fridge empty?'
He grabbed the gallon of milk instead. The cap was flung aside as he began to drink, milk trailing down his lips, meandering over his shirtless chest. Clad only in pants, the fabric darkened where the milk made contact.
The moment was interrupted by a hesitant voice. "Aqua...?" He turned to find Ai Hoshino at the door, her purple-pink hair framing a face marked with concern. She eyed his altered appearance – the red eyes, the longer hair. "Aqua, is that you?"
'She has the sense to notice?' The Venerable Immortal Over Heavens studied her for a moment, a yawn escaping him as he ran a hand through his hair. The room felt suspended in time before he looked at the wall clock and broke the silence. "It's well past morning, the market nearby should be open by now. Go fetch me some alcohol."
"…."
Only the song broke the silence of the room, as the two stared at one another.
- Beggin' on her knees to be popular, That's her dream, to be popular (huh), Kill anyone to be popular, Sell her soul to be popular (popular), Just to be popular (uh-huh), Everybody scream 'cause she popular (huh), She mainstream 'cause she popular, Never be free 'cause she popular
Ai Hoshino gazed at the man before her, recalling their previous confrontations filled with harsh words. After a short silence, with a snap of her fingers, she transformed into a typical ninja, complete with hand signs that conjured a puff of smoke. Out of it emerged a clone, identical to her, to whom she handed a card before it departed the house. The clone should return with the required alcohol.
The Venerable Immortal Over Heavens watched the clone's departure, his attention then refocusing on Ai. She returned his gaze, still clad in her ninja attire - that was required to sustain her clone - and cautiously stepped into the room.
"Who are you?" Ai asked tentatively, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "And when will Aqua return?"
"I am the Venerable Immortal Over Heavens," he declared, pointing toward the sky. He saw no need for deception. "And your second question is misguided. Aqua is the foundational form, a composite of myself and some others, he is always present. But at this moment, my mind is more dominant."
He suspected that his near-death experience under the influence of the Crown Icon triggered this shift. "As for his return, it's uncertain. Hours, months, years? You'll have to get used to me."
In truth, he was toying with her; it wouldn't take months or years. This type of situation has happened before, and based on those previous occurrences, he estimated only a few days, but he relished the troubled look on her face.
Ai remained speechless, stunned into silence until her clone reappeared. The clone handed her a bag filled with a dozen cans before dissipating into smoke. Ai, still dressed as a ninja, handed the bag to him. With a flick of wind aura, he pulled the cans toward himself, opening and consuming them one after another.
Can after can tumbled to the floor, empty. Finishing the last, he let out a satisfied burp, a sign of his contentment. Running a hand through his now longer, black hair, he reflected aloud, "What a waste of time. By now, I should have ascended to Monarch, yet here I am, lingering at Underlord."
Advancing from Underlord to Overlord was easier than from Gold to Underlord. He should have done that by now. If he was Overlord, the backlash from connecting to too many Icons wouldn't have happened.
He pondered the nature of the Overlord revelation, comparing it with his Underlord experience. The latter had been driven by a simplistic motivation, which was – what got you started on your journey into the sacred arts? What pushed you forward? What fear drove you on?
The answer he had given was: 'For I had to keep my mother safe.' A resolve that was laughable to his current mindset.
'Really?' Looking at Ai Hoshino in front of him, who stood silently and nervously, the Venerable One found himself crackling up. 'For this woman, I went so far?'
How did 15 mere years make him this weak? Or was it his prior knowledge of this world from a meager anime? He couldn't believe this.
One had to be at the peak of Underlord to trigger the advancement to Overlord, at least if you ever wanted to advance again. Thanks to the Heaven and Earth Purification Wheel, his Qi was more than an Overlord's even now. He had also stabilized the Underlord advancement due to all the big fights he had after that. So he was ready to advance to Overlord.
Except for two problems. First, the problem was the Overlord revelation. It was a bit different from the Underlord revelation.
The Overlord revelation is who you are now, in the present. Based on that, the advancement would lead your future toward that path. For example, if he massacred a thousand children and then did the Overlord advancement, his fate would lead him to darker opportunities. While nobler actions promised brighter prospects. The difficulty was high for both, and the process was different.
Most people didn't care what it would lead them to, they let fate choose their path, but the Venerable One didn't bow to fate. This Immortal, ever enticed by the allure of darker paths, as he truly enjoyed committing evil, wished for the darker opportunities. Dark opportunities were often more fun than the other. So now that he had taken over this body for a while, he should be pursuing Overlord advancement toward a darker fate.
That should force this life's future path to be fun and interesting, with his growth speed a lot faster – his neutral self, Aquamarine, will appreciate it for sure.
Yet, a significant hurdle remained: the lack of treasures to accumulate the required Soulfire. He had zero treasure in hand… 'Well, maybe not.' He did have the gifts from Poseidon, and he could also ask his slave, Ranefer Phenex, to provide him with a bunch more. She was rich.
His immediate plan, then, was clear: commit a heinous act, ensuring his present form was seen as a murderer – perhaps he should destroy a couple of churches or mosques – and then advance to Overlord.
"Your hair, it's grown quite long," Ai's voice softly broke the silence, interrupting the stream of his thoughts. She stepped forward, her movements hesitant yet deliberate, as she reached out toward the unruly locks of his hair. Her gaze locked onto his and her fingers hovered just shy of touching.
The air between them was charged, thick with unsaid words and unacknowledged tensions.
Her hand finally made contact, brushing gently against the strands. "I always thought you looked more like your father, but with dark hair, I can see my resemblance in your face. I should have noticed before," she observed, her voice a whisper of nostalgia mixed with something akin to concern.
She ran her fingers through his hair, feeling its texture, the weight of it. She hesitated before smiling, "Do you want me to cut it for you?"
"...."
His response was instantaneous.
He smirked, and in a blur of movement, his hand shot toward her neck, slamming her against the wall with a force that would have been fatal for an ordinary human. Ai only groaned under the impact. Her enhanced strength and speed, thanks to the Psyker Potion she had consumed, still couldn't match his. He could end her life with a single move, yet he chose not to.
His laughter filled the room, a sinister sound that echoed with the music. He leaned in close, biting her earlobe and eliciting a wince of pain from her. "Oh, 'mother', if you talk like that, my heart might flutter and I might just drag you to my room," he taunted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Try this with your 'son' when he's back. Oh wait, he's not your son anymore, is he?"
Releasing her, he watched as she collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. He turned away, his gaze falling on the clock. "I could have killed you just to provoke the Main. But while speaking of him in the third person narrative... It's not like he and I are different. We are the same, in the end, and I don't enjoy causing myself pain. I'm leaving now. It's Sunday, and I have a date, remember? And don't worry, I won't be coming back here, so consider yourself safe."
He dressed swiftly, a shirt and a fresh pair of pants materializing out of thin air. He stood in front of a mirror, extending his hand. A blade of Sword Qi emerged, and he skillfully ran it through his hair, shortening it to his shoulder-blade length.
[Image Here]
The sudden ring of his phone pierced the silence, drawing his attention. It was a notification from Akane, his date. He couldn't help but let a sly grin curl his lips as he glimpsed her profile picture.
"Ah, a young virgin," he mused, an edge of dark amusement in his tone.
His fingers scrolled through her photos, each image fueling his anticipation. He whistled softly, not out of admiration, but more so in anticipation of the mischief and mayhem he could weave into this seemingly innocent date.
After a brief yet calculating judgment of her images, he finally read her actual message: [Ready for our date?]. The message, innocent and expectant, only deepened the grin on his face.
"Perfect timing, in more than one way. Starting my dark path by deflowering a virgin," he thought, a spark of devilish delight in his eyes, "Now, that sounds like a fun beginning to my Overlord ascension."
He sent a confirmation reply and prepared to leave.
But he couldn't. Someone was blocking the path. Ai, still recovering, stood defiantly in front of the door, now clad in battle armor. Her hair was blonde, eyes blue. "I can't let you leave, not like this. It's Aqua's date, and you have no right to go to his place."
He shrugged, pointing at himself. "Oh, 'mother', I am Aqua. Do you plan to stop me from meeting my girlfriend? This isn't [Moon Knight] where one personality can't fuck the other personality's wife. 'We' aren't that type of different personalities. Be sensible and stand down. I won't be holding back like last time if you try to stop me."
"My son would have held back," she said firmly. "That means you're not Aqua, quit lying."
"Heh, 'my son'?" His laughter rang out again. When he stopped, his blood-red eyes focused on her. "What now?"
The tension in the room was palpable as Ai stood her ground, her expression a mix of determination and concern. The standoff between her and the Venerable One, fraught with complex emotions and unresolved conflicts, might not end well for the people sleeping upstairs.
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