CHAPTER 142
Two weeks into my body-rubbing sessions with Lua.
Today was the last day I would be holding her.
In the time we spent talking about various things, many events had unfolded around the world.
First, the Radiance Faith could not escape global condemnation.
They had destroyed the Holy Land of the Divine Order in an attempt to eliminate Transferees.
It would have been stranger if they hadn’t faced criticism.
However, people’s opinions are never uniform.
Some began to question why the Radiance Faith had committed such an act.
And eventually, they came to understand Bloody Crown’s plan.
His insane plan to open a hole in the sky to drive out the Transferees.
Due to Black Dawn’s activities, hatred and criticism toward Transferees were intensifying across the world.
So, while the world condemned the Radiance Faith, there were also those who defended their extremist actions.
Their reaction was, “They must have been driven to it.”
“Let’s not make any announcements about my involvement.”
“But, Harua.”
So, when Lua mentioned she would announce what I had done, I stopped her.
“It’s better for the story to be that the noble Commander of the Holy Knights fought and sacrificed her life to stop Bloody Crown, rather than it being known that a Transferee stopped him.”
If it became known that I, a Transferee, had stopped Bloody Crown, those who secretly supported him would be instantly inflamed.
Right now, they don't show themselves openly.
But resentment would slowly fester in their hearts.
Bloody Crown’s actions were right.
The Saint stopped him because he himself is a Transferee.
It would go something like that.
So, I decided to remove myself from this incident.
Since many people had seen me, I would say I wasn't active in the Holy Land but was helping at another branch of the Radiance Faith.
It was best to end it at that line.
Lua looked at me for a moment, then sighed and nodded her head.
“Yes, if that is your wish, Harua. But the Divine Order will remember you as its lifelong benefactor.”
“I’ve received a lot from the Divine Order too. Think of it as us repaying each other.”
The Holy Land was being rebuilt quickly.
The Divine Order was a faith recognized by nations all over the world.
For the believers of the Divine Order, rebuilding the Holy Land was an incredibly honorable task.
So, with everyone pitching in, the Holy Land was being restored with all their might.
“The Golden Garden…”
“That will gradually reappear on its own.”
Right, the Golden Garden was originally a trace of the power bestowed by the Embrace of Holy Light.
If he bestowed his power again, it would naturally be restored.
“You glimpsed the Transcendents that day, didn't you, Harua?”
“I felt a slight connection.”
The three types of Divine Power that had dwelled within my body.
Through them, on the day the hole in the sky opened, I had indirectly sensed the existence of the Transcendents.
Come to think of it.
“Lua, one of the Transcendents felt like it was beneath the ground.”
The power of the Transcendents I felt that day.
It wasn't just from the sky; it was felt from the ground as well.
Could it be that this world was round like Earth, and I was sensing a Transcendent from below?
“Harua.”
At that, Lua lifted her head from my chest.
Her clear eyes met mine.
“This is a secret known only to those who have been close to the existence of the Transcendents on this land for a long time, like the Divine Order.”
It felt like something I shouldn't be hearing.
“Is it okay for me to hear this?”
“You are already deeply involved, Harua. In the first place, right now, there is no one else in this world who has felt the power of the Transcendents as much as you have.”
Well, my case was a unique one, so I couldn't help it.
“Alright. I’ll listen quietly.”
“Do you remember when I told you that those with 1st Grade Light and 1st Grade Dark Attributes are the beings closest to the Transcendents?”
“I remember.”
It was because of that that Lua, Bloody Crown, and I were targeted for the Artificial Transcendent project.
“Why do you think beings born on this land can become the closest to the Transcendents?”
Hearing her next question, I blinked.
Why would they be the closest to the Transcendents? Well, that’s…
In that moment, I recalled the Transcendent’s power I had felt from beneath the ground.
I also recalled why the Transcendents, with their immense power, had only watched from above and bestowed just a fraction of their strength.
A chain of thoughts linked together, one leading to the next.
Finally, I arrived at the reason why Lua was bringing this up now.
“...Lua, don’t tell me, beneath our feet…”
“Harua, the Transcendents possess infinite power. That is why they can create all things. Even if that thing is a descendant carrying their own bloodline.”

When Lua smiled sweetly, I felt a shiver run down my spine.
“If you refine the magic that permeates this land into its purest form, it is no different from Divine Power. That is the conclusion our Divine Order reached after a very long time. It’s a fact known not only by us, but also by the Imperial Family and the various royal families.”
The beings living on this land are the descendants of the Transcendents.
Hearing that conclusion, my head felt like it was ringing.
“Of course, it’s a slightly different process from a person giving birth to a child. To be precise, it’s closer to the reproduction of a plant. Like the Seed that dwells within us.”
Seed.
The moment I heard that word, everything made sense.
The seed of Holy Magic that dwelled within me.
Every mage lives to make that seed bloom perfectly.
The same goes for those like swordsmen.
Though the form is different from a mage’s Seed, they too make their own seeds bloom to handle magic.
And where did these Seeds originate?
They began from the Transcendent that looms over this very land.
“In a way, all of us are living to ultimately reach the state of a Transcendent.”
A disbelieving, dry laugh escaped my lips.
So we were all hosts for the Transcendents?
I now understood why 1st Grade Light and 1st Grade Dark attributes were the closest to the Transcendents.
Light and darkness are the forms closest to the source.
Therefore, the power of the Seeds they possessed also had the highest potential to grow the largest.
The 1st World, Astrape.
I felt like I had glimpsed the secret of this world for the first time.
But even so, nothing really changed.
That was only natural.
“It’s practically impossible, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right. To this day, there has been no one who has made their Seed bloom into a Tree. Even the Great Sage of the past, who was renowned for his name, could not make his tree flourish.”
I had indirectly felt the power of a Transcendent.
No matter how hard a person tried, reaching the level of a Transcendent was impossible.
“But Harua, Black Dawn surely knows this fact.”
Hearing those words, my face froze.
“...That Artificial Transcendent project.”
“Yes. What they call an Artificial Transcendent is not a completely meaningless story.”
All beings living on this land have the potential to become a Transcendent.
Therefore, the story of an Artificial Transcendent was not entirely baseless.
My head started to throb again.
I thought the Black Dawn bastards were just crazy, but this meant their actions were based on some degree of possibility.
“What does the Transcendent living on this land do? If we are descendants, does that mean we were intentionally created?”
“We have defined this land itself as a Transcendent. And the conclusion we have reached is that it is… sleeping.”
So even the Divine Order hadn't figured everything out.
“Our birth is merely an act close to the Transcendent’s instinct. The conclusion is that it holds no greater meaning.”
Everything is instinct.
Therefore, no one can know the will of the Transcendent.
That was the Divine Order’s conclusion.
“So in the end, even knowing this, nothing changes!”
“That’s just how the laws of the world are. We only found out by investigating something that has always existed. That doesn't make it special.”
“Well, I’ve learned one thing for sure. The Black Dawn bastards are even more insane than I thought.”
Those bastards were serious about creating an Artificial Transcendent.
Then, something suddenly occurred to me.
“...Lua, so in the end, the Seed is just a form of reproduction planted by a Transcendent, right?”
“Yes, that’s about right.”
“Then, conversely, does that mean it’s also possible to remove a Seed?”
The regrets and goals embedded in the path I’ve walked.
Among them is the "Half-life Seed."
The seed planted in Shishiroka that was taking away her lifespan.
If the Seed was planted by a Transcendent, wouldn’t it be possible to remove it as well?
If so, maybe Shishiroka could be saved.
Lua was silent for a moment.
Her face showed she had never considered it from this angle.
“...I don't think it’s an entirely impossible story.”
And surprisingly, she gave a positive response.
“However, no person can live on this land once their Seed is destroyed. It would be the same as having your lungs, which you need to breathe, destroyed.”

The power known as magic exists on this land.
If that is the power exuded by a Transcendent, then the Seed’s role is to absorb and filter it.
Seeing my slightly deflated expression, Lua offered another idea.

“But there might be other ways. For instance, removing the Seed and planting a new one.”
“Planting a new one?”
“Yes. In the end, as long as you have a Seed, you can live. But to do that, you would need to possess power comparable to a Transcendent.”
It’s possible in theory.
But to execute that theory, one needs power on par with a Transcendent.
Reaching that point, I felt a sense of futility, but on the other hand…
I also came to the thought that it wasn't an entirely impossible story.
It was just a vaguely held goal.
Now that the goal had a slightly clearer outline, it was a good thing.
“I guess I’ll have to become a Transcendent.”
“That’s hard to say even as a joke.”
Just as she said, it was an absurd story.
But, since I had always set such goals for myself, I just went ahead and set this one too.
Because I promised to save Shishiroka.
Just then, Lua separated from my embrace.
As her warmth moved away, I felt a slight chill.
Lua, in her pure white nakedness, walked over to her clothes and began to dress.
“You’ve worked hard, Harua. With this, you should be fine now.”
“It’s over.”
As I got up from the spot, I could feel the Divine Power moving more smoothly than before.
Although Lua had drawn some out, a large amount of Divine Power still remained.
The biggest change was my Seed.
Finally, after passing through the Sprouting and Rooting stages, it had reached the 3rd stage: Flowering.
They say Divine Power is the most primal form of magic.
This was the result of having a massive amount of it poured into my body.
And my growth also had an effect on Nameless.
Nameless, who fluttered up from behind my back, now had a tiny body with cute arms and legs, unlike before.
If I had to describe it, its appearance resembled a puppy crafted from light.
Nameless had also grown by one stage.
Most importantly, I could now use Resurrection magic again.
“Lua, the bodies…”
“Yes, they are all prepared in the mortuary.”
“Good.”

The numerous victims from this Radiator Faith incident.
It was finally time to bring them back.

A Word from the Author
Ugh, I’m late.