Chapter 141: The Limits of the Body
To Kalpas, Rin was nothing more than an innocent child. If Kevin hadn't physically restrained him back then, he would have torn those soldiers to bloody shreds without a second thought. Even with the shackles of Aponia's Discipline binding his instincts, he was certain his fists would not waver in the slightest when facing men like that again.
"At least this can be considered a blessing in disguise," Rovel sighed, his voice soft. "It allowed them to reunite, in a way."
Kalpas didn't respond. He simply turned his back, a silent dismissal, and began to walk away.
"Kalpas," Rovel called out, a new edge to his voice. "I have to leave in another day. I don't know when I'll be back. How about a long-overdue spar? I've gotten quite a bit stronger since we last met."
Kalpas's footsteps ground to a halt. The air around him seemed to thicken, and a terrifying, oppressive pressure erupted from his frame, crashing down upon Rovel's heart like a physical weight.
"Oh, really?" Kalpas's voice was a low growl, laced with a dangerous curiosity. "Then let me see just how much you've improved."
He would never refuse a challenge from Rovel. Besides, he could already feel it—a distinct and potent shift in the young man's presence. Rovel was, indeed, much stronger.
For this battle, Rovel used no swordsmanship. He didn't employ the complex techniques of the Cun Xin Fist Style. There was only the raw, brutal collision of flesh and bone. They discarded all technique, all defense, and met each other with nothing but pure, unadulterated physical force.
It was a fight like that of beasts, a primal clash of wills.
And for Kalpas, this style of fist-to-flesh combat was almost intoxicating, sending a thrill of pure excitement through him. If Rovel hadn't ended up sprawled on the ground, utterly spent, Kalpas might have been tempted to land a few more punches just for the sheer joy of it.
"Not bad," Kalpas grunted, the wounds on his own body already knitting themselves back together at a visible rate. "You really have improved."
Rovel simply stared up at the artificial sky of the Elysian Realm, a faint, weary smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. The feeling of that power, that raw, unbridled strength coursing through him... it was truly fascinating.
"Have you also been modified into a MANTIS?" Kalpas asked, his tone flat.
"I suppose so," Rovel said, pushing himself into a sitting position. The sharp pain of broken bones immediately began to dull as they snapped back into place, the entire process taking only a few seconds.
He glanced at his status, at the word 'Taiyi'displayed in the race column. He wasn't entirely sure if that counted as a MANTIS. What if every MANTIS had a different designation? For example, Eden was Varuna, Fu Hua was Garuda, and Mobius was Shesa. Or was it possible they were all uniformly labeled'MANTIS,'and he alone was'Taiyi'?
A quick check of the time revealed he had about half a day left. He needed to say his goodbyes to Hua. Bidding a brief farewell to the still-recovering Kalpas, he made his way to her dojo.
He found her practicing her punches in the serene courtyard. Seeing Rovel approach, she showed no sign of hurry, calmly throwing one final, perfectly executed punch before slowly relaxing her form.
"Hua, long time no see," Rovel said, a proud grin spreading across his face. "I've already mastered Dead Force."
Hearing this, Hua's placid expression flickered with surprise. She paused, then nodded slowly. "Dead Force is the art of discarding the shackles of 'form.' It is condensing one's will, one's life, and one's entire understanding of martial arts into a strike that transcends technique. You have taken the first step on the path of returning to simplicity."
Her eyes, however, held no joy, but were instead filled with a quiet worry. "That is to say... you have already experienced a life-and-death crisis?"
"Yeah," Rovel admitted with a soft sigh. "The situation was a bit critical at the time, but fortunately, it was a close call. I made it through."
"It is good that you are alright," Hua said, her voice gentle but firm. "Although Dead Force can unleash power far exceeding the body's physical limits, the damage it inflicts upon the user cannot be underestimated..." She studied him for a moment longer, her gaze sharp. "However, I see that your aura is steady and restrained, yet several times more deep than the last time you were here. You... have already become a MANTIS?"
Hua had seen through his transformation at a single glance.
"Yeah... but Hua, how did you perceive the change in my aura?" Rovel asked, his curiosity piqued. "Can I learn that?"
His Clear Mirror Sword Intent and Sword Ki of Taixuan could sense the presence of an aura, but perceiving its subtle shifts and changes was difficult. Most of the time, he could only make a rough judgment in the heat of battle.
"Ah? You wish to learn..." Hua seemed taken aback by his interest.
[Learned new skill: Observation Art.]
[Observation Art: Can detect the attributes of enemies whose level does not exceed your own by more than 50 levels. Can detect partial attributes of enemies whose level does not exceed your own by more than 80 levels. If the level or attribute gap is too large, this skill will fail.]
'Now this feels more like an online game!' Rovel thought with a flicker of amusement. To think a skill like this had to be learned through a special interaction. In some of the older games he'd played, it was a built-in feature. The differences were certainly interesting.
He immediately turned his gaze to Hua and activated the new skill.
[This target is too powerful to observe.]
Well, that wasn't surprising in the least.
Having gained a new skill from Hua, and with his time in the Elysian Realm running out, Rovel could only take his leave for now, promising to visit again soon.
After a bit more wandering, he found himself back at Mobius's laboratory. The infamous warning sign was still hanging on the door.
'Rovel and dogs are not allowed inside.'
With a mischievous grin, Rovel walked up, flipped the sign so the blank side faced outward, then cracked the door open and peeked inside.
"The Doctor is out," Klein's calm voice announced from within.
That made Rovel breathe a sigh of relief as he pushed the door open and strode in.
"I must say, you are quite bold," Klein commented dryly.
"Don't let my appearance fool you. I'm the 'carnivore' type," Rovel said proudly. Then, as if a thought just struck him, he looked at Klein with a suspicious glint in his eye. "Speaking of which, Klein, you weren't watching while Yae Sakura and I were..."
"I am not that bored," Klein replied, not even bothering to look up from her work.
"I haven't even said what we were doing yet..." Rovel pouted. "But I'm serious! Snake is so cute, what's wrong with me having some immature thoughts about her?!" he declared loudly to the empty lab.
"..." Klein was utterly speechless.
"You didn't come to the laboratory just to discuss such boring matters, did you?" she finally asked, glancing at him.
"Oh, right, I remember now," Rovel said, his demeanor shifting. "Klein, do you know about 'artificial stigmata'?"
"No," Klein shook her head.
Rovel proceeded to explain the origin and severe drawbacks of artificial stigmata. "They have numerous flaws. A teacher of mine, someone I deeply respect, had them transplanted and doesn't have much time left. Schicksal in the outside world seems to have a solution, but it involves completely erasing the power the stigmata grants."
He leaned forward, his expression serious. "So I want to ask, is there any way to eliminate the drawbacks of artificial stigmata without removing the power they bring?"
Klein listened intently, her fingers tapping silently on a console. "It sounds as though 'artificial stigmata' are akin to transplanting a genetic defect into the body. While they grant the recipient great power, the recipient also suffers from the erosion they cause."
She paused, processing the information. "Currently, the two most viable solutions are: one, to use the power of a naturally awakened stigmata to complete the incomplete genetic circuits of the artificial ones. The other is, as you said, to eliminate the affliction at its source, along with the power."
She turned to face him fully. "However, I will relay your thoughts to the Doctor. We will see if she has any ideas."
Klein carefully recorded Rovel's request.
"Alright, then I'll leave it in your hands," Rovel said gratefully, pressing his palms together in a gesture of thanks. "Next time I come, I'll treat you to milk tea."
He headed for the door. "I'm going now. Please say goodbye to Snake for me."
With that, Rovel left the laboratory to go pick up Higokumaru.
Not long after he departed, a figure slowly emerged from the inner depths of the lab. Mobius glided into the room, her expression unreadable.
"Doctor, everything Rovel said has been recorded. Do you need me to play it back?" Klein asked.
Without waiting for an answer, she pressed a button on her keyboard. Rovel's voice, loud and clear, echoed through the sterile room.
"Snake is so cute, what's wrong with me having some immature thoughts about her?!"
A long silence descended.
"...Klein," Mobius said, her voice dangerously smooth. "Have you been corrupted by Rovel lately?"
"No, Doctor."
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