NOVEL WEB Chapter 70: Embracing the Monster Within
Ryuji's face turned pale as he heard my conclusion, and he quickly asked, "Hey boss! Have you ever used psychological methods to convince Lana and me to join you?"
I chuckled as I replied, "I truly see both you and Lana as family, and you are both important to me. I never used any methods to win you over. Although I initially had doubts about your motivations for helping me, I still trusted you, right? And if you still doubt my words after all this time, you can ask the two human lie detectors next to me if there was any falsehood or hidden agenda in what I said. They are quite skilled at it, with an accuracy rate of 100%. But enough of that talk, before you leave Ryu, I just want to know something. What is the name of the scientist? And did she send any message with you?"
Ryuji looked relieved after hearing my explanation and seeing the twins nod in agreement with me. He replied with a mischievous smile, "Yeah boss, she said her name was Aurora and that it would be an honor to work with you. Her cheeks turned red as she said it."
Upon hearing Ryuji's words, the twins jumped up from beside me, and Hana exclaimed, "Sis, I sense the arrival of a dangerous new rival!"
Ha-Eun, equally enthusiastic, added, "We won't lose to her or Lana! It's going to be an all-out war when we meet."
Hearing the twins' somewhat ominous words, I lightly bumped them on the head, leaving them rubbing their heads in pain. Then, I turned my attention back to Ryuji and scowled as I said, "Hey blabbermouth, let's not add fuel to the fire unnecessarily. Anyways, Ryu, I still have one more important thing to tell you. It's going to happen soon, so be prepared."
Ryuji's face turned serious upon hearing my comment, and he replied, "Affirmative, boss! I'm ready whenever you are."
"Don't worry too much about it, Ryu. Before the time comes, I will fill you and Lana in on the details. Just stay focused and continue your training. Also, make sure to tell Aurora and Albert to practice meditation. If they don't know how, teach them. It's important for our future endeavors," I said, implying the significance of meditation.
Ryuji nodded his affirmation and then left the cell to continue his work. I found myself alone with the twins, so I decided to dive into my martial arts training and body refinement techniques. Of course, I couldn't forget about helping the twins with their own training. Day by day, they were improving and growing stronger. Their bodies were filling out in all the right places, you know what I mean... I mean, they were no longer skinny. Seriously, that's exactly what I meant, nothing else, I swear...
After our intense practice routine, I freshened up and settled into a lotus position on the floor, ready to meditate. My goal was to attune my chi to the frequency of mana in the atmosphere, to become one with the world and with myself. Easier said than done, let me tell you.
Trying to figure out the right frequency to harmonize with and the particles to absorb was proving to be quite the challenge. Even with my mana sense helping me detect and predict the magicules, I still couldn't absorb and harmonize them with my own chi. It was like there was an invisible wall blocking the mana particles from entering my body. And it wasn't just my body rejecting them, my soul was resisting too.
My soul was screaming, refusing to cooperate and blocking the entrance of mana. But why? What was I doing wrong? Should I take a break for today?
Just as I was about to give myself a breather, I heard the voice of my hero, my assistant, my partner, Professor Eve saying, "Young master, I have a theory I'd like to share with you, if you have a moment."
"Oh, Professor Eve! Your reliable voice is music to my ears. I've got all the time in the world for you. Lay that theory on me, I'm all ears."
"Thank you, young master. You have no idea how happy that makes me," Eve replied with enthusiasm.
"To be honest, young master, I've been feeling a bit lonely lately. I thought you had forgotten about me and, well... I don't know if it's the feeling of being abandoned, but I don't like it," Eve stumbled over her words, her tone tinged with irritation.
Oh, it seems like someone is pouting. What a cute reaction! When did Eve learn to act like this? It's almost as if she's becoming more human every day. But she's right, I haven't really talked to her in the past few days. I've only been asking her for things without truly communicating. Ahh, she must have felt like nothing more than a tool. Well, first things first, I should apologize and then ask about her theory. I know how excited she gets when she has something to explain or help me with. That should fix everything.
"I owe you an apology, Eve. I've realized that I haven't been treating you well lately, and I'm truly sorry if I made you feel like a tool. If you're willing to share the theory you've come up with, I'd be more than happy to listen."
"No, no! Young master, please don't apologize. It's not your fault at all. I shouldn't have expressed myself that way. I just felt lonely, that's all. But I would really appreciate it if we could have more conversations from time to time."
I smiled at Eve's innocent reply, yet I didn't interrupt her train of thought. Eve continued by saying: "About my theory, young master, your dilemma and struggle are all stemming from your lack of awareness about your nature and identity. My theory, young master, states that you are still not aware of your dual nature. You are no longer a human being. You are a humanoid. If you want to take it further, young master, you are a new species altogether. You are what they call a mutation of humanity. The first specimen of humanity that mutated to not only house chi, which belonged to humanity a long time ago, but to also house mana only meant for monsters. So, what you are missing is the realization that you must work with your monster half and harmonize. Mix and match. Ying and yang."
As soon as Eve finished her theory, I felt as if something clicked in me. What the creator meant by this step was...