AV怡红院一区二区三区

Chapter 219

Then, when Se-Hoon confirmed Manuel’s unwavering stance, he clenched the air with his right hand and activated the Veil of Whitespace.

Swoosh-

Grasping the pure white veil that emerged naturally from the empty air, Se-Hoon spread it over Manuel\'s head and began manipulating the space around him.

Rustle, rustle.

Eveloped by the Veil of Whitespace, space started to condense into droplets, which soon began falling one by one. But unlike rain, the droplets were intangible and dissolved naturally when they touched Manuel\'s body, making them unable to be felt by Manuel at all.

Yet Manuel remained still under the soundless rain, waiting.

Smack!

Suddenly moving, Manuel swiftly snatched something out of the air with his right hand. It was a clean, precise motion. Feeling what was in his hand, Manuel then showed it to Se-Hoon and Ludwig.

Woong- Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

Within Manuel’s hand was one of the space droplets created by the Veil of Whitespace, still holding its form. The sight made Se-Hoon smile subtly before glancing at Ludwig.

“Is this be good enough?”

“Hmm. Yes, that should suffice.”

Having gained Ludwig’s approval, Se-Hoon began writing a word on Manuel\'s palm with his finger: Passed.

“Kraaaagh!”

The moment Manuel understood what Se-Hoon was writing, he let out a scream he\'d been holding in and violently threw his blindfold and earplugs to the ground.

“Ugh...”

Suddenly exposed, his senses were rushed by a flood of light and sound all at once, overwhelming them. It was so intense that Manuel squinted in pain.

What kind of stupid training method was that...?

Manuel could accept that cutting off his sight and hearing was to enhance his perception of space, but he hadn’t expected to wear the blindfold and earplugs for two whole days, unable to remove them even once due to being told it would dull his senses.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay to you...?”

The most difficult part of the training method wasn\'t the amplified pain due to his sharpened senses—it was the lack of sleep.

Even normally, Manuel had trouble falling asleep due to constant thoughts swirling in his mind. So, with his senses heightened due to his sight and hearing being blocked, he was unable to get any sleep at all.

“Huff... Huff...”

Rubbing the dark circles under his eyes with his palms, Manuel asked Se-Hoon, “Is the training over now?”

“For now. It’ll come down to whether you can cut through space or not.”

Though Manuel had successfully perceived and touched space, slicing through it was an entirely different challenge. It required a certain level of skill and talent, making it something best learned through personal experience.

“Got it. Well, thanks for your help. If we ever meet again, ask me for whatever you need. I don’t need any farewells, so take care. And thank you, Chairman, for watching over me the entire time. Now, if you\'ll excuse me, I\'ll just—”

Thud!

Unable to finish his sentence, Manuel collapsed on the spot, asleep. Dumbfounded, Se-Hoon just looked down at Manuel, unmoving.

A second later, a notification message popped up in front of him.

[A bond has been successfully established with the subject ‘Manuel Ortega’.]

Hmm. Well, I guess this should do.

Having formed a bond and gained more familiarity with the Veil of Whitespace during his training in the Whitespace, Se-Hoon considered it a decent outcome.

Still staring at the sleeping Manuel, Se-Hoon was organizing his thoughts when Ludwig, who had been standing beside him, spoke up. “Is it okay if we move to another location?”

“Ah, yes. That would be fine.”

Whoosh-

The surroundings instantly changed. They were now under a vast, cloudless night sky, standing above the glowing cityscape of Babel.

“Where is this...” Se-Hoon remarked, stunned by the view he had never seen before.

“I frequently come here to observe the academy. The height and angle make it an ideal vantage point.”

At Ludwig’s words, Se-Hoon looked down at the night view of Babel below them. From where he was, the massive artificial island built in the North Pacific, centered around a Tower of Heroes, could be seen entirely, leaving Se-Hoon in awe.

He really did build this well.

The countless facilities on the island were intricately connected, functioning as if they were the parts of a living organism.

A serene silence fell as Se-Hoon admired the view, and after a moment, Ludwig questioned, “What do you think?”

Pride filled Ludwig’s expression as he gazed down at Babel.

“Don’t you think I’ve taken good care of it?”

Looking at Ludwig, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but recall Babel’s nickname.

The Emperor of Ascension\'s garden.

For decades, Ludwig had meticulously cultivated Babel, and his pride in being its caretaker was evident.

“I think it\'s truly extraordinary.”

He was being honest. He acknowledged that Babel was the world’s top training facility and research center, a place equipped with numerous conveniences that also made it an excellent place to live. It truly was the ideal space that both heroes and ordinary citizens aspired to be.

“Babel is the realization of my dream of an ideal world,” Ludwig remarked.

“An ideal world...”

“A world where everyone strives to become better than they were yesterday. Making the current world like that has been my lifelong dream.”

Listening to Ludwig’s aspirations, Se-Hoon recalled the speech from the entrance ceremony.

He did mention something about trials and challenges back then, too.

Though many strove to improve themselves, Ludwig wasn\'t just focused on personal growth; he was someone who aimed to encourage and lead those around him. He was someone fully determined to overcome the immense trial known as the Abyss of Demons together with others.

If anyone was well-suited to lead a world as chaotic as this one, it was Ludwig.

He may be a bit demanding sometimes, but... Se-Hoon gazed out at the nightscape.

“And now, both Babel and I stand at a critical crossroads, one that will determine whether or not my dream can be realized. Even I cannot guarantee its outcome yet.”

Despite being at a pivotal moment in his life, Ludwig was calm.

“So, even if I can’t help you this time, I hope you can understand.”

At those words, Se-Hoon’s eyes widened. Is he worried about how he treats me?

To Se-Hoon, Ludwig was being surprisingly considerate.

I didn’t expect him to be so concerned about me.

At first, Se-Hoon thought Ludwig was treating him like some lab rat, throwing him into the Whitespace like a dog left to fend for itself. But now, it didn’t seem like that was the case at all.

With this new discovery, Se-Hoon fell into contemplation, thinking about how to respond.

And in the end, he said, “With all the help I’ve received from you so far, how could I possibly think otherwise?”

Although Ludwig wasn’t able to help him this time, the assistance Se-Hoon had received from both Ludwig and Babel up until now was far from insignificant. Feeling disappointment over a single instance and distancing himself would be something only a lunatic, or a mad dog, would do.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. I was worried that you might hold a grudge for this, thinking I was testing you and not offering any real help.”

“Ha, no way. Who would be so ungrateful as to harbor such thoughts?” Se-Hoon said with a smile.

At that, Ludwig, too, smiled softly in response.

“Thank you. Speaking of which, this is a small reward for your accomplishments.”

With a wave of his hand, a golden keyhole appeared in the air. Like many times before, it rotated ninety degrees before splitting open to reveal a white void. And now that Se-Hoon had learned to handle the Veil of Whitespace, it looked different.

I thought it was just a special kind of void pocket, but now I see that it’s linked to the Whitespace.

At that thought, Se-Hoon began to wonder if Babel had more hidden spaces concealed by the Whitespace. Meanwhile, a ring had floated out of the opening to hover before him.

Examining the ring, it was a golden one with a white line etched through the center. It looked ordinary, and Se-Hoon couldn’t sense any power from it.

Noticing Se-Hoon’s puzzled expression, Ludwig explained. “It’s a ring I crafted specifically for you... but due to certain circumstances, I’ve placed restrictions on it. You’ll have to break the seal to use it properly.”

“What kind of restrictions?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, either.”

Though having to break the seal without knowing what would seem like a joke to anyone else, Se-Hoon saw that Ludwig was completely serious.

This must be some tricky piece of equipment.

Though rare, Se-Hoon previously had seen equipment with restrictions layered so heavily that it was almost unusable. So, not thinking much of it, he just grabbed the ring and inspected its information message.

[Hero’s Ring]

[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Average]

[A ring created by Ludwig Schubert, the first to successfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.

*All functions are restricted.]

Hmm... the restriction must be pretty severe.

Though such restrictions tended to give off the sensation that they were binding something, the ring’s restrictions didn’t feel like that at all. The ring\'s craftsmanship was also so intricate that careless activation could lead to its destruction.

It shouldn’t be something as absurd as climbing the Tower of Heroes... I guess I’ll just have to figure it out step by step.

Accepting the situation, Se-Hoon placed the Hero\'s Ring on his right ring finger and, after confirming there were no issues, bowed his head slightly to Ludwig.

“I’ll use it well.”

“I may not be able to lift the restriction for you directly, but I’ll help push you along when the opportunity arises,” Ludwig said with a smile.

He then glanced at the moon in the night sky to check the time before asking, “Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Considering it, Se-Hoon asked, “If I were to seek help from another Perfect One in the future, who would you recommend?”

With the foundation laid to conquer the Pleasure District, all that remained was to wait until everything was ready. The last piece Se-Hoon needed now was the strength to ensure the Dream Demon’s defeat, as solely relying on Wurgen wouldn’t guarantee success.

It’s better to maximize the chances of success while I can.

Even though he had successfully hunted down the Dream Demon in his previous life, the situation now was entirely different. Because his abilities were far weaker than they had been then, he needed to make thorough preparations.

“Another Perfect One, you say...”

Musing over it, Ludwig slowly replied, “I think the Visionary would be a good choice.”

“May I ask why you think so?”

“Because of her proficiency with long-range attacks, it will be easy to receive support regardless of where you are. I don’t know how your plan is coming along, but... I believe the Visionary could offer decent help.”

Se-Hoon’s eyes lit up. He had already been debating between the Visionary and the Pilgrim, but he was unsure of their values.

So, the Visionary is better than the Pilgrim.

When it came to knowing about other Perfect Ones, the best source of information was another Perfect One.

At that moment, Ludwig added, “It’s also because of how...” Trailing off, Ludwig looked off to the side before continuing calmly, “...she’s watching you right now.”

At those words, Se-Hoon instinctively followed Ludwig’s gaze to find nothing but the vast, empty ocean in the distance. However, knowing what lay beyond, Se-Hoon’s expression turned to one of surprise.

Could it be...

Vrrr-

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, Se-Hoon saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. But he still brought the phone to his ear and answered the call, as he had a good guess as to who it was.

—You seem to be planning something quite interesting.

“Well, that’s...”

—You don’t need to explain right now. We were bound to meet eventually, so it’s better to hear it in person.

On the summit of Mount Everest, thousands of kilometers away from Babel, a brown rocking chair came to a stop. An old woman, draped in a white fedora and coat, then stood up from it and gazed into the distance.

Smiling faintly with her eyes still closed, she spoke to the young man far, far away.

“Let us meet face-to-face, my disciple.”