56 Devil’s Seed II
"It looks like he failed." Inside the Monitoring Chamber, a brunette woman sits comfortably on her chair while calmly watching the events unfold in her very eyes.
A series of drones are flying while under camouflage tech. It is the same tech Cube uses to monitor and patrol the external facilities of Cube. The drones surround the battlefield with ease and far from the fighters' perception. They observe the battle from a distance so that she can take a safe gander at the spectacle.
She has been playing as Yun Hyuk's secretary, and right hand for some time already. This is all so that she can prepare for this momentous occasion.
Something writhes from under her boot. She moves her foot to see what it is. A familiar little pinky finger wriggles toward her. "Hmmm… It has come all to this, so we can only resort to plan B."
She has been the very person who is responsible for the changes around Cube. Of course, she is not making good changes. As the real mastermind of this terrible incident, it is only natural to think of her as evil.
But she is not even a Djinn, but a complete fully pledged human… and... she has a name… Kum Seungyeon is her name, the second victim of Yun Hyuk, or that should have been the case.
"I want revenge so badly I have fallen this far already…" It is truly pitiful. More so pitiful because it is a choice she knows will not have any effect on the grander equation of the universe. As a villain, she is not fueled by some great sense of purpose... This here is her struggle... Becoming aware of the truth is more a curse than a blessing... of how her life will come to an inevitable end no matter how numerous that 'time' cycles from the beginning.
No iteration where Kum Seungyeon is alive has ever existed.
The Bleeding of Time, she calls that phenomenon with this namesake. It sounds very poetic yet the truth it carries cannot be crueler. Five years ago, this Bleeding of Time occurred to her.
Dreams she first thinks as nonsense are actually the remnants of a future past. Her life from the past iterations flows into her as if it is a given. Life resembling hers, but not hers. And death not should be hers, will be hers. Fear makes her tremble every time she recalls that particular memory.
Taken, killed, and sacrificed.
Yun Hyuk. Kim Hajin. Faces pass by her like a fleeting mirage.
Seungyeon must do something to save herself, but she is powerless. The tidbits of memories from the past iterations are like ghost stories that only serve to haunt her more and more.
She bites the squirming pinky finger with a crunch and then swallows it. "That's one-third." She feels nothing at all, but the small remnant of the Devil's Seed should calm down a bit. It is a miracle a part of Devil's Seed is even able to survive that Kim Suho's sword.
"Do you hear me, darling?" A serene voice echoes in her head. It is Lilith, the Devil of Enchantment.
Seungyeon answers her with a smile. "Yes, I hear you loud and clear."
An alliance between a human and a devil— that is the true nature of their relationship. Lilith has taken a liking to Seungyeon and her obsession with her only continues to grow more and more, especially after learning the Bleeding of Time from her.
Unlike Yun Hyuk, Seungyeon is Lilith's true apostle. For Lilith's power to fully express itself, it has to be in the hands of a woman. And for Lilith's descent into this world to be perfect, it has to be Yoo Yeonha who should be her host.
Seungyeon stands up from her seat eager to conduct her countermeasures in the possibility that Yun Hyuk dies. "Grace Lilith."
"Grace Lilith." The shadows churn and echo.
People wearing dark robes reveal themselves kneeling to Seunyeon. They all possess strength at the intermediate rank. They have more power abroad, but it is difficult to smuggle them to Korea as Djinns at high rank are so inhuman in terms of physical appearance that it is nigh impossible to sneak them.
"Who here has it?" Seungyeon asks her subordinates.
The Devil's Seed is divided into three parts. All three Devil's Seed have been changing hosts while they kidnap young girls to sacrifice them to the Devil's Seed. Now that they are at the final leg of their plan, there is no need to hide the Devil's Seed so secretively.
"I have it, milady…" A Djinn, while eyes still on the floor in fearful reverence, raises his voice at Seunyeon's question.
"Raise your head," She commands.
Seungyeon kneels at eye level and looks down upon the Djinn's lips, "I shall receive it," With a wicked grin, she presses her lips to the Djinn with an almost beastly passion to get the other one-third of the Devil's Seed.
Tongues intertwined disgustingly and with a squelch, blood begins to soak their gums.
The Djinn remains frozen, accepting the apostle's love. He feels the thrumming of power in him exponentially expanding while the Devil's Seed leaves him. He has been blessed, and as a temporary vessel, it has been his greatest honor to be of service.
Seungyeon can feel the malicious lump of tumor washing through her mouth and forcibly climbing on her throat. She feels uncomfortable at first, but quickly adapts to it, as she already has a third of the Devil's Seed inside her anyway.
Their lips separate, and the Djinn begins choking on his own blood. Shortly after, the Djinn recovers, and Kum Seungyeon while not really of Djinnly flesh begins emanating horrific demonic power. Her magic power has integrated with the Devil's Seed completely.
Now that Seungyeon is carrying two-thirds of the Devil's Seed, she only needs to visit Yeonha and dump the rest of the seed on her... Seungyeon has no plans on being Lilith's vessel, additionally, it will be in the best of her interest and Lilith's ambitions if Yoo Yeonha does become Lilith's vessel.
This specificity is not out of spite of Seungyeon or the preference of Lilith... It is a matter of compatibility.
Yoo Yeonha is the perfect host for Lilith. Yeonha has beauty which even Lilith feels obsessed with. She also likes Rachel, but another Devil and Apostle has dibs on her already. Moreover, Yeonha is mighty rich.
With the assets Yeonha has, Lilith will have a leg up against her competitors if she does manage to take over her. By that time, it is not too late for her to obsess over Rachel.
***
"This is driving me nuts."
There is a reason why Invariable Stats like intelligence, perseverance, luck, and charm cannot be trained, it is because they are the results of divine providence. They are called invariable for a reason.
*Invariable Stats [Intelligence— 4/10] [Perseverence— 4/10] [Luck— 4/10] [Charm— 4/10]
No matter how much I hone and grind my memory, it will face its limitations as a matter of course... and yet... it will barely make a dent in increasing the Intelligence Stat which I am pretty doubtful is even humanly possible to increase considering that it is limited by an immovable ceiling. Becoming smarter is impossible even with hard work because the Thinking Process of every individual is unique to each and every individual. I believe that the Stats System of The Novel's Extra is extremely logical in this sense.
You can increase your knowledge, and hone your memory, but never increase your intelligence. Stupid people will always be stupid unless made aware to change their ways... to look less stupid...
For example, I may be able to become more knowledgeable but not smarter.
It is the same for the other invariable stats. No matter how much a person trains his endurance, he or she will never have the fortitude to maintain focus or perseverance for a long time unless they are born with it. This makes a person's perseverance static!
I may be able to build endurance and tolerance from the pain, but I will never be able to persevere more than I can handle.
Luck will be even worse! I cannot think of any way to improve and train luck unless a person masters probability, but that is equally just as ridiculous. Because it will not be luck anymore if they have certainty about the numbers being presented to them. Anyway, doesn't that mean a person is just intelligent if they can engineer luck through probability, and is not simply lucky?
Charm is a little bit complicated as it is relevant to age, but I have reasons to believe it is invariable too as even with age, people cannot just hide their charisma. No matter what beauty products a person uses, their original status will never improve in a permanent way. I recall the Hero Association's President appearing on TV recently. The dude must have high charms… I can tell that much as even I feel that the Hero Association's President is a good person after looking at him only once, when in fact dude has dirt everywhere from how I remember the novel.
That is why… THIS IS JUST CRAZY!
I sit on a lotus position just like Kim Suho teaches me to do. I breathe on a certain rhythm, however unlike before, I am no longer using Suho's method.
While sitting on a lotus position, all sorts of mechanical appendages are connected to me. Cube is uploading its [AI Network] through my nerve endings via magic power and is transferring the AI's Control System to mine.
I take my precious time circulating the breathing method Cube imparts to me.
The Great Sage Breathing Method.
It is a godly breathing method that can increase my Intelligence Stat. This is a breathing method that is worth the Great Sage's lifetime. I feel very complicated at the moment as according to Cube, only I am able to learn this.
The Cube AI is now my property, and it existing in my system is the minimum condition to execute the Great Sage Breathing Method.
I want Suho to learn it too, but as Cube says, he cannot. Apparently, the breathing method is only executable if you have Artificial Intelligence coursing from your nerve endings.
I know this is suspicious in a lot of ways. What if the AI can steal my body? While Cube does say to me that won't happen, it is only natural for me to assume the worst, right? I don't mean to be a cynic, but I hate to cause more problems to others.
Still, I will need the strength.
It is not like I don't have countermeasures in mind.
[Detected a System inside the Host's Body. Do you wish to integrate?]
The feminine electronic voice echoes in my head. Though it is electronic, it now sounds so much better. Hmmm… The system inside the Host's Body, huh? I ponder. I guess Cube means the Stat Sheet I can summon anytime from the corner of my eyes. I don't really see it as a 'system' I say... I think of it more as psychically recorded data in retrospection of my status.
"Yes, please do," But whatever suits the AI, I guess. "Please integrate it."
[Confirming. Confirmed.]
After a couple more minutes of breathing the Great Sage's Method, Cube finally tells me that the procedure is complete.
[Two systems have been successfully integrated. Cube has set up a new main server. Delegating prior main server as sub server. Nerve Synchronization is at 23%. To increase Nerve Synchronization, training is required.]
I summon my Stat Sheet excited to learn the changes.
***
Hyon Hyung Old Data
▷ [Nobody Knows] [Low-intermediate rank] [Null attribute] [Evolving — Grade 8] [Proficiency EXP 3%]
— Always Here: Blend with the background and be unnoticeable. Can attach effects on other objects.
— Not Here: Become invisible. The more Magic Power, the longer the duration, and stealthier the effects. Instant activation. Can attach effects on other objects.
*Variable Stats [Strength 3.91] [Stamina 4] [Speed 4.3] [Perception 4] [Vitality 3] [Magic Power 3.1]
*Invariable Stats [Intelligence— 4/10] [Perseverence— 4/10] [Luck— 4/10] [Charm— 4/10]
> Gift (1/1)
> Arts (0/3)
> Physique (0/3)
***
Hyon Hyung New Data
▷ [Nobody Knows] [Low-intermediate rank] [Null attribute] [Evolving — Grade 7] [Proficiency EXP 43%]
— Always Here: Blend with the background and be unnoticeable. Can attach effects on other objects. Can attach effects to separate body parts.
— Not Here: Become invisible. The more Magic Power, the longer the duration, and stealthier the effects. Instant activation. Can attach effects on other objects.
*Variable Stats [Strength 3.91] [Stamina 4] [Speed 4.3] [Perception 4] [Vitality 3] [Magic Power 6.1]
*Invariable Stats [Intelligence— 4.5/10] [Perseverence— 4/10] [Luck— 4/10] [Charm— 4/10]
> Gift (1/1)
> Arts (0/3)
> Physique (1/3)
The increase in strength has been dramatic. The level up from my Gift comes from straining myself on using it to escape and fighting Shin Jonghak, the abominable bastard! But the more glaring change is the increase in my stat attribute and the new physique.
From 4 Intelligence Stat, it rises to 4.5 from the short while I have been using Great Sage's Method. On top of the change in intelligence, my magic power has also doubled from 3.1 to 6.1.
Then there is this new physique.
> Physique (1/3)
> [AI Nerve Function] [Artificial Intelligence is built on your body. Even if you want to die, your AI might not. You now possess various AI functions such as perfect memory, analysis, software installation, and any imaginable abilities an AI can do.] [You now have access to True Cube] [Your Reflex has increased.] ["I am at your disposal," Cube AI.]
This is astounding. But I feel bad. The first thought that crosses my mind after seeing this new physique is that I can now cheat in exams.
***
I play with my dagger [Wolf Fang] for some time. I don't have any combat-focused Gifts like Dagger Mastery, but I feel like I can move my dagger a lot better.
Initially, Wolf Fang's only function is its wail which can inflict a Nightmare on my enemies, but after Hajin spends his SP to make it better, it now has increased accuracy. With the increased accuracy comes the more often activation of the wail. I can fairly recall the instances when I tried to escape the low-level Djinns while an intermediate rank tussled with me.
I glance at Yeonha who is redder than usual. I check for her temperature, and she is burning up. "Do you detect something from Yeonha?" I ask Cube.
[Nothing.] She succinctly replies in my head.
I hear Hajin's voice for the first time in a long while through the earpiece. "Hyon, do you hear me? We need to regroup to tie up the loose ends. I already sent a distress signal to the Association. Several more buildings around us seem to be compromised."
We already agree that all four of us decide to keep our identities secret. Now, we need to build our alibies, but what about Yeonha and Rachel? Hajin should have a plan for this.
I think involving them with the club will be a cinch if we push the right buttons.
"Uuuh… There is… like a problem… dude…" I glance at the few CCTV cameras that I have Cube hack for me. I see the outside of the Detention Center through my system that there are still a lot of mind-controlled individuals outside with a few I suspect to be Djinns pretending to be humans. "I think it is not yet over… Please delay calling the Association... We are time-sensitive as it is. I, Yeonha, and Rachel are inside the Detention Center, and is surrounded by lots of low-level mobs…"
"I understand, I, Suho, and Nayun will come and get you guys… Just wait there." Hajin briefly responds.
"Neat," I smile to no one in particular. I am just happy. With rescue on its way, I can relax for some time, right?
