Chapter 220
“How did you...” Taidzu trailed off.
“As orcs have an information network of their own, so do humans.”
Taidzu silently examined Seong-Hwi with deeply sunken eyes.
Seong-Hwi did not avert his gaze from Taidzu’s, thinking, Your story was quite well-known in my past life.
Taidzu was an orc who had appeared in the Mirror World like a shooting star, killing Bodonchar and taking his place as a World Ranker. However, he had not appeared out of nowhere; he was a sleeping dragon who had been waiting for the perfect time for revenge.
“That wound on your chest... looks deep. From the look of the scar, you were likely stabbed from behind,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
Taidzu placed his hand on his left chest and replied, “It’s a puncture wound. Bodonchar likes to make things certain.”
He closed his eyes and recalled the day it happened. It was a day of heavy rain, and Taidzu had set off on the Way of the Warrior with Bodonchar. The Way of the Warrior was one of Subutai’s five covenants that must be completed to be acknowledged as an orc warrior. It was akin to a coming-of-age ceremony, where an orc set out from the plains to experience the world’s vastness and broaden their views.
“Chwik. Look at this mountainous terrain, Bodonchar. It’s something we would never see in the plains,” Taidzu said.
“I see it, Brother. Chwik, it is grand.”
The two brothers stood over a cliff and admired the view—or Taidzu did, at the very least.
“House Solho must grow to become as grand as this. Chwik, we must strive to become overpowering to those who simply lay eyes upon us.”
“Chwik. I agree, Brother.”
“Bodonchar. We may not have the same blood running through our veins, but I think of you as my true brother. Chwik, if we join forces, the Solho name will reach the skies—”
As Taidzu was expressing his hopeful plan for the future, Bodonchar had already taken one step toward a different future. Taidzu felt a searing pain in his chest and noticed a blade edge sprouting from his left chest.
“Kurgh!”
“Gehehe! Do not resent me, Brother. Chwik, I will take Solho’s heroic soul.”
Taidzu slowly turned around and saw the smiling Bodonchar, his tusks almost reaching his eyes.
“Y-you—”
“Gahahaha! There can be only one successor! Did you seriously not expect this to happen, Brother? Chwik! Why in the world would I wait until the Battle of Heroic Souls? You’re too naive!”
Bodonchar pulled out the sword and was about to behead Taidzu, but Taidzu used every ounce of strength he had left to dive down the cliff. Bodonchar’s expression as he looked down at him was burned into Taidzu’s memory.
If my organs weren’t mirrored, and if I hadn’t met my benefactor at the bottom of that cliff, I wouldn’t be here.
Taidzu had situs inversus, a condition in which one’s organs were positioned in a reverse, mirror-image layout. Hence, his heart was situated more to the right. Thus, he survived Bodonchar’s attack, which would have severely damaged his heart.[1]
He pulled out his tusks, the pride of a warrior of the Tusk tribe, and swore a blood oath to take revenge, using it as fuel to obtain the support of the other four great orc tribes, and his blade of revenge had reached Bodonchar’s neck at last. The problem was how to shove the blade deep into that neck.
“The human information network, huh? I see... So, Underground has been keeping an eye on the plains as well,” Taidzu mumbled, and Seong-Hwi let him make whatever assumption he wanted. “We were mere frogs in a well. The world is moving for everyone else, while the orcs are fighting among themselves.”
“If this civil war drags on, the damages will be too great, even if you win,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“You’re right, not with all the packs of wolves in the Mirror World, waiting for their chance to strike.”
“May I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.”
Seong-Hwi examined Taidzu intently this time and asked, “Master Taidzu. Have you acquired your unique caliber?”
***
Back when Seong-Hwi, sweating profusely after ingesting the Fruit of the World Tree, was carried by Kang-San on his back as they escaped Elvenheim, he asked, “Lee Kang-San... Do you know what unique caliber is?”
Kang-San froze, stopping in his tracks as if he had been attacked, and said, “Who... told you about that?”
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Seong-Hwi momentarily remained silent before answering, “I... cannot say.”
He couldn’t tell Kang-San that Curiositas had told him about it. He recalled the conversation they had in his subconscious.
“There wasn’t anyone suitable to absorb the first Fruit. Of course, I had my eyes on someone. Lee Kang-San.”
“Lee Kang-San?”
“His unique caliber is special. I thought his Communication would make it possible. Hence, I had been waiting for the right time, but... someone more suitable than him appeared.”
Seong-Hwi formed many conjectures from their conversation.
Lee Kang-San ingested the first Fruit in my past life, he thought.
Kang-San then likely failed to absorb the Fruit, resulting in his death, which sent immense shock throughout the Union and humanity as a whole. Seong-Hwi was certain that Kang-San had participated in Curiositas’s experiment, willingly or not, but failed to clear the black quest, Indigestion.
Curiositas said... it might have been possible with Lee Kang-San’s unique caliber, Communication.
The fact that the Second Fiend even mentioned the possibility meant that this thing known as unique caliber could be the key to overcoming Indigestion. The problem was that Seong-Hwi had never even heard of unique caliber, neither in his past nor current life.
There are inferior, intermediate, and superior calibers, but what is unique caliber?
“It must have been one of the Ten Lords and Fiends. Only they could pay the Akashic Records the required causality,” Kang-San mumbled with certainty.
Unable to understand, Seong-Hwi asked, “What did you... Just say? Akashic Records? Causality?”
Kang-San turned around in disbelief. “Wha... Did you just... understand me?”
Seong-Hwi stared at Kang-San and asked in confusion, “Were you... using some sort of alien language?”
“No, that’s not what I... Akashic Records! Aether Plane! Unique caliber! Recorder! Repeat those words back to me in order!” Kang-San shouted urgently.
Seong-Hwi complied. “Akashic Records... Aether Plane... Unique caliber... Recorder?”
“I can’t believe it! He really did understand! There’s no static noise? How did he break the lock? Is someone paying the causality in his stead?” Kang-San mumbled to himself, seemingly unable to understand.
“Huuu... What are you talking about? Please... Explain to me in a way that I can understand.”
“Wow... Junior, you’re so... You never fail to exceed my expectations.” Kang-San shook his head as he began to think, then started running again. “I won’t ask who told you anymore. They might be the source of your information that has always been scarily correct.”
Kang-San acted as if all the puzzle pieces had finally come together. Seong-Hwi knew that he was misunderstanding something, but did not correct him since he couldn’t tell him about Curiositas.
“Okay... You know about unique caliber, and are not under the lock. Hah, in that case... My role is crucial.” The confusion vanished from Kang-San’s voice, replaced with seriousness. “I can’t explain everything. It’s meaningless if you don’t find out for yourself. But... I can explain the key concepts.”
“I’m... listening.”
Seong-Hwi wondered what unique caliber could be for Kang-San to react so seriously.
I’m guessing it’s not simply a stage above the inferior, intermediate, and superior calibers.
He set aside such simple thoughts, opening his mind and ears for the important information.
Kang-San began, “Unique caliber is... as its name suggests, a caliber that makes one unique from others, and a star that allows them to shine brightly.”
“A star... Shining brightly?” Seong-Hwi mumbled as Mother Maria’s warm voice replayed in his head.
“From now on, your name is Seong-Hwi, meaning brilliant splendor. Become someone who shines as brightly as your name.”
“Do you see this, Junior?” Kang-San asked, pointing at the sky.
Seong-Hwi looked up, but all he could see were rapidly passing leaves and branches, and the sparsely visible night sky.
“What am I... supposed to be looking at?” he asked.
“I see, you don’t see the star yet. Okay, then.” Kang-San nodded and continued, “Once you realize what your unique caliber is, you will reach a place known as the Aether Plane. There, you’ll meet your star.”
“Meet... my star?”
“Just keep listening, even if you don’t understand. Not a lot of people throughout all the dimensions fully understand this concept, me included,” Kang-San said with a smirk. “That’s why I can only explain superficially. It would only hinder you if I mixed in my subjective thoughts. Where was I?”
“You mentioned... Reaching the Aether Plane and meeting your star there.”
“Right. Once you meet your star, you will be connected to the Akashic Records and be granted the right to record.”
Seong-Hwi did not understand, but continued to listen to not interrupt the flow.
“The Akashic Records are the memory of the world. You could call it the library that contains clear details of every incident, thought, emotion, knowledge, and memory that ever existed in the past, present, and future.”
“A library...”
“You could also call it a super-aggregation of records of every dimension that exists in every universe. It’s also where the Akasha Messages come from. It’s like the library of destiny.”
“Destiny...”
Seong-Hwi’s heart pounded quicker as Kang-San explained more and more.
Why does it feel like... it has so many connections to me? Shining brightly, a library, and destiny...
He had dreamed of becoming a librarian in the past; he was doing his best to shine brightly in the present; he acquired Destiny Force to rewrite a predetermined future. It was likely a coincidence, but his heart pounded intensely.
“Unique caliber is the ticket to access the Akashic Records, and the pen that can rewrite a fixed destiny,” Kang-San added.
“Rewrite... a fixed destiny?”
“It may sound grandiose, but it’s not that miraculous a power. It can only slightly distort the predetermined system.” Kang-San clarified, “For example, the Contendo, the shoes that I’m wearing, used to have a skill called Ten Thousand Steps. I used my unique caliber to distort the item’s predetermined rules and unlocked a new skill, Void Steps. It allowed me to escape from Keter.”
“Does that mean... You forcibly increased the item’s limit—its potential?”
“Something like that.”
“What the...” Seong-Hwi couldn’t hide his shock, then recalled what Curiositas had mentioned.
Curiositas said Lee Kang-San’s unique caliber is Communication. Does that mean he talked to the item to increase its potential?
If that were the case, Curiositas likely hoped for Kang-San to talk to the Fruit of the World Tree to control its power.
“Not all unique caliber holders are capable of it. It’s just how my unique caliber works. Anyway, you understand the principle, right?” Kang-San asked.
“More or less... The power distorts the rules of the Mirror World to make the impossible possible... right?”
“Exactly. And when those who have realized their unique caliber use skills, whatever skill it may be, the fatalistic power of their star is applied to them.”
“Fatalistic?”
“Deterministic, inevitable, whatever you want to call it. In short, they are recorded as the victor in the Akashic Records.”
Seong-Hwi remained silent. He didn’t fully understand it, but he at least knew that Kang-San was telling him something completely absurd.
“Though it requires a corresponding amount of causality,” Kang-San added.
“Causality... Is that something like Karma?”
“It is. I’m sure you’ve heard Akasha Messages that go, Eternally recording this feat in the Akasha.”
“I have.”
“The power of one’s causality depends on how many feats they have accomplished that have been recorded in the Akasha, and how rare and impressive those feats are. That’s why unique caliber holders do their best to make history.”
Seong-Hwi’s eyes were opened by the secrets of the inner world that he had not even come close to in his past life.
So that’s why... World Rankers are always at the center of world-changing events!
The same went for Curiositas. He had mentioned it was because of curiosity, but he had likely also started the World Tree War to acquire causality.
“This is why someone of common caliber cannot defeat someone with unique caliber, even with similar stats,” Kang-San said.
“Is it because... their defeat is not written in the Akashic Records?”
“It’s not that omnipotent. It has many restrictions and variables, but... You cannot survive in the nescius without it,” Kang-San said with certainty. “I don’t know how you broke the lock, but... the fact that you know about this truth alone puts you above the Spare Rankers.”
Seong-Hwi remained silent.
Kang-San added, “I hope you find your unique caliber and become a Recorder who can write victory for humanity in the Akashic Records.”
***
“Master Taidzu. Have you acquired your ■■?” Seong-Hwi asked.
Taidzu’s expression stiffened, and Tasha picked his ears as he asked, “Chwik? What did you just say, Seong-Hwi? I couldn’t make it out.”
Taidzu remained silent for a moment and said, “Leave us, Tasha.”
“Chwik?”
“Now.”
Tasha looked back and forth between the serious Taidzu and Seong-Hwi, then left the tent, scratching his head.
Silence lingered inside the tent before Taidzu broke it. “You know about unique caliber.”
“More or less.”
“Did Lee Kang-San tell you about it? Tortoise Emperor... He is quite the monster. How did he collect that much causality?” Taidzu mumbled in confusion. He grabbed a new wooden bowl, poured some of the soup into it, and handed it to Seong-Hwi. “Drink. You must be cold after facing the cold winds during your travels.”
“Thank you very much.” Seong-Hwi accepted the wooden bowl and sipped the savory soup made with stock and milk.
“I can tell how much Lee Kang-San values you. Yes, it is safe to say that such a man represents humanity.” Taidzu stared at Seong-Hwi, drinking the soup, and continued, “Yes. I recently realized my unique caliber and used it to persuade the four tribes.”
He had chosen the simplest method: challenging the tenth-tier Sahahuns of the Blade, Hawk, Wind, and Sun tribes to a duel and defeating them, which was why Tasha, a Sahahun of the Hawk tribe, was so respectful toward Taidzu.
“So, you have unique caliber... Great. You will be a match for Bodonchar,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
Taidzu shook his head and replied, “Not yet. Bodonchar has perfect control over his star, but I have only just become a Recorder.”
“Is that why you decided to kill all of Bodonchar’s children? To use the disorder to buy enough time to learn to control your unique caliber?”
“Yes. I have been waiting a very long time for my revenge. Just a little longer, and...” Taidzu trailed off.
Seong-Hwi shook his head and thought, You will undoubtedly defeat Bodonchar with time, as you had in my past life, but that won’t do. I don’t have that kind of time.
[87 of the Grace Period Chains remain.]
[87 days remain until the termination of Indigestion.]
[13% of the Fruit of the World Tree’s power is available.]
He needed a better understanding of what unique caliber was to resolve the Indigestion quest. He was sure of it, hence why he had ignored Lina’s warnings and come here.
There’s nothing better than practical experience to figure something out!
Seong-Hwi had to either fight someone with unique caliber, or observe a battle between such individuals. He judged that it was a much better use of his time than waiting around in the Capital, twiddling his thumbs.
“How many orcs must be sacrificed until you are ready?” Seong-Hwi asked.
Taidzu remained silent after Seong-Hwi’s provocative remark. Seong-Hwi was certain he had hit the mark from Taidzu’s subtle furrowing of the brow.
“I have a much easier way. Would you like to hear it?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Hm?”
Seong-Hwi did not give Taidzu the time to think and immediately continued, “It’s simple. If you’re not stronger than him, we just need to make him weaker.”
He smiled nastily as he fiddled with the pouch in his pocket, containing the ayahuasca.
It’s time... to borrow a seven-card destiny!
1. Many Korean authors seem to think the heart is on the left side of the chest, but that’s incorrect. Although more of it is on the left side, it is situated in the center. So, I worded the translation a little differently. ☜