Chapter 220
CHAPTER 219
HEAVENLY APt.i.tUDE
Lino was currently panting, seated atop the pile of debris scattered around the ravaged plains; stone, rocks, weeds, trees, and most of all guts and gore splintered everywhere around . Though exhausted and pale, and seemingly on the verge of pa.s.sing out, his eyes shone like starlit diamonds . The darkness had slowly began receding, a faint, melodic whisper carried by the void congratulating him and reminding him to pick her up .
It took every bit of what he had to emerge partly victorious, and he was truly terrified of how he"d handled it if Umbra had actually gone all out . He might have had to cripple himself all over again, which seemed to be a recurring theme with him and his insatiable desire for doing insanely impossible things . Regardless, he had finally become an Exalted -- and the highest tier at that, an Exalted Soul .
The entire feeling of his own existence had changed, he mused inwardly; breathing was lighter, and even the tiredness and exhaustion he felt due to the fatigue was being washed away with each pa.s.sing moment . The dulled world had obtained faint traces of color, and all that was unseen before could now be seen -- like numerous Spirits floating around freely, swimming in the sea of reality .
" . . . congrats . " a warm voice spoke out from behind him, causing him to heave his head back . Hannah stood just above, looking down at him, her lips curled up in a gentle smile .
"d.a.m.n, you"re cruel," Lino grinned . "You watched the guy you supposedly care for nearly get beaten to a pulp . "
"Wouldn"t you feel bad if you got saved by a girl? You always go on and on about "men this" and "men that" . "
"Oh, no way," Lino shrugged, getting up . "If some random chick could just swoosh in and take over all my responsibilities, she"d literally make my day . "
" . . . ugh . " Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed, glancing at the mayhem around her . "So?"
"So what?" Lino asked, faking confusion .
"Care to explain it, or should you abstain from s.e.x?"
"Can"t abstain from something you"re not having . " Lino frowned momentarily .
"For additional 2000 years on top of 500 that you have to wait . "
" . . . "
" . . . what?"
" . . . y-you"re gonna make me wait 500 years?" Lino stuttered .
"What? Am I not worth the wait?"
" . . . "
"You really want to say no, don"t you?" Hannah suddenly burst out into laughter, walking over and kissing him tenderly . "Come on, just tell me what happened . "
" . . . ah, whatever," Lino shrugged . "I guess I can become a f.u.c.king Monk or something in the meantime . I mean, you know, how hard can it be to not touch a woman for 500--I can"t f.u.c.king do it! No way!"
" . . . wait . D-did you really just think you"d have to wait for five f.u.c.king centuries just to see me naked? And you genuinely thought about it for a moment?"
" . . . p-perhaps?"
" . . . "
" . . . what?" Lino asked, noticing Hannah"s dubious gaze .
"Nothing . Just got a bit wet, is all . " she shook her head . "Anyway, explain . Don"t keep dancing around the topic . "
" . . . wait, so I don"t have to wait 500 years?"
"No, of course not you moron . I"m kind of hurt that you thought I could do it either . "
" . . . good . That"s good, yeah . " Lino coughed lowly, trying to play it cool for a moment . "Anyway, I sort of kind of maybe befriended Umbra and she made a fool out of me for a moment before promising to help me cross the barrier and become an Exalted . "
" . . . and . . . and you just happened to forget to mention that to the rest of us?"
"Hey, I made a deal . " Lino shrugged . "Besides, with Ella and you around, I knew everything will be fine . "
" . . . you little f.u.c.k . "
"Anyway, let"s go and meet up with the rest . I"ve got a bone to pick with the Emperor and his bean-sized f.u.c.king brain . Oh, and I also promised Umbra that I"d pick her up and put her in my Dimensional Pouch so she can nap in peace . "
"Yeah, it"s better--wait just a G.o.dd.a.m.n second!!" Hannah exclaimed as Lino called out Grim, the two quickly climbing the elated bird . "You just said Dimensional Pouch?!"
"Huh? Well duh . Where the f.u.c.k do you think I keep this bird? In my a.s.s?"
" . . . good point . " she a.s.sented . "Anyway, how are you feeling now that you"ve finally begun to join the big boys club?"
" . . . eh, it"s fine . " he shrugged indifferently .
"Oh, right . Forgot to tell you but I reached Level 1900 during the fight," Hannah exclaimed, hugging him from the back . "Those abominations were quite strong . "
" . . . weren"t you like not even 1500 just a few days ago?"
"Yup . "
"Go f.u.c.k yourself . "
"Oh my, are you jealous? What? Ataxia won"t allow you to level up quickly? He he . "
" . . . ugh . " Lino held back a mouthful of blood his wounded pride was about to bleed .
"Eh, don"t get too upset by it," Hannah smiled . "Ella"s way worse than me . It"s like that woman"s on G.o.dd.a.m.n steroids or something . "
" . . . huh? What Level is she now?" Lino asked, frowning .
"She was around 1600 before the fight," Hannah said . "Don"t know where she"s at now . "
" . . . " Lino"s heart thumped furiously, recalling that she wasn"t even a t.i.tular back in the ruins . He"d finally realized what it meant to have a monstrous talent -- even the two Bearers couldn"t hold up to that level of insanity . "How in the s.h.i.+t is she that talented?"
"Hm? You don"t know?"
"Know what?" Lino asked .
"She has an Immortal Origin Soul . "
" . . . "
" . . . you"ve got no clue what that is, do you?"
"Nope!"
"I"ll seriously have to force you to start taking cla.s.ses with me on the most basic s.h.i.+t of cultivation . You"re simply embarra.s.sing me over here . "
"When I get the time . " Lino chuckled . "So? What"s it mean?"
" . . . exactly what it says," Hannah said . "She"s one of the few rare mutations that occur naturally within the Human Race . We"re pretty much on the bottom shelf when it comes to innate apt.i.tude, but, every once in a while, someone will be born that simply shouldn"t . Ella leaving pretty much crippled Qe"ll Clan for centuries and put a huge question mark on their future . Before she left, she had practically mastered every single Martial Art that the entire Clan had, and to say she was unrivaled within her generation would be an understatement . To give you a reference, when she reached Soul Realm, she reportedly had Divine Sense spanning literally two million kilometers across . "
" . . . f.u.c.k that noise . " Lino shuddered for a moment, a look of disbelief on his face .
"It"s true," Hannah chuckled . "Qe"ll Clan was practically guaranteed a spot as a Holy Land so long as she stayed there . But, of course, they had to f.u.c.k it up so, you know, now they"re barely surviving . "
"How in the G.o.d"s name did that fat f.u.c.k manage to snag her?" Lino thought out loud .
"Well, look at us," she said, glancing sideways at him, her hair fluttering in the pa.s.sing wind . "Is it really that much different?"
" . . . well, yeah . I mean, I"m a freaking Empyrean . He"s, you know, a stone-banger . "
" . . . you"re a stone-banger . "
"Yeah, but I"m also good-looking . "
"Yeah, you really are . "
" . . . ugh . " Lino nearly choked on his own saliva, his eyes veering toward Hannah in disbelief; for the first time in his life, someone actually validated the claim that he was good-looking .
"He he, I didn"t think you were so weak to compliments . "
" . . . I can wait for 500 years, you know? If it"s really important to you . "
"Oh my G.o.d, not with this s.h.i.+t again . "
"No, no, it"s fine . Look, I have my right hand and my left hand, they can be my companions for a while, you know? I"ll manage . "
"I"ll manage your f.u.c.king brain if you don"t shut it," she growled lowly at him . "We"re f.u.c.king soon and it"s final!"
" . . . "
" . . . oh . Right . It"s you . " Hannah sighed, seeing the sneer creep up onto Lino"s face . "You"re really good, you know? I mean, terribly devious, outright manipulative, entirely apathetic, but good . "
"Hey, I"m very much an empathetic guy . I just happen to relate more to people who are suffering . Because of me . "
" . . . haaah . . . why am I attracted to you?"
"Because I"m good-looking . "
"Yeah . . . oh, there they are . They look fine . "
"Of course they"re fine," Lino shrugged . "I mean, Ella could probably flatten the whole City all on her own . They"re just like some basic accessories dangling from the side; kinda cute to look at, but the centerpiece are the huge t.i.ts . "
"Yeah, it"s kinda like your attempts to be charming," Hannah snickered . "When all you have to do is just undress . "
" . . . that hurt . Like, deep-hurt . I"m more than my perfect muscles Hannah . "
"And I"m more than my holes, Lino . "
" . . . touche . "