NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 43
Chapter 43. Secret Meeting
It was an abandoned building, shunned by people.
Inside one of its rooms, a faintly dark space concealed several shadows.
“Hmm, I didn’t expect him to be defeated.”
The words came from a man in a white coat, wearing round glasses.
He laughed ominously, his eyes glimmering with a terrifying insanity.
“Tch! I knew it! I should’ve gone out myself! That scrawny weakling was useless!”
The angry voice belonged to a man whose appearance was far from human.
Two ominous horns jutted from his forehead, his skin was almost black, and his blood visibly coursed in pulsating red and black streams beneath it.
Anyone could recognize what he was: an Oni.
A legendary being from Japanese folklore, an Oni was known for its horns, its massive club, and its penchant for attacking and devouring humans.
They were infamous as enforcers of hell.
Yet, the Oni present here wasn’t holding a club but rather a bottle of alcohol.
Humans and monsters speaking in the same room—it was enough to make clear how bizarre this scene was.
“Now, is that so?”
A voice, shriveled like that of an old man, echoed through the room.
Both the Oni and the man in the white coat turned toward its source.
There lay an indistinct haze.
No, there was a faint outline of a human figure, but it was impossible to make out clearly.
The formless presence seemed as though it might vanish entirely if one stopped focusing on it.
“What do you mean?”
The Oni inquired.
Ordinarily, he would explode in rage at any insinuation of his power being doubted.
Yet, he questioned the haze calmly, a sign of the being’s extraordinary presence—a presence even the Oni acknowledged.
“That one is a coward. He only drags his opponents into his domain when he is certain of victory. This time, he must have thought the same… yet he lost. Do you understand what that implies?”
“That he was weak, wasn’t he?”
Uninterested in the dead, the Oni replied indifferently.
Following that, the man in the white coat opened his mouth to speak.
“Hmm, an irregularity, perhaps? Physically defeating him should be nearly impossible. After all, destroying every core spread across his domain requires immense range. Two possibilities come to mind: either an absolute-class ability user was present, or, albeit highly improbable… a multi-ability user.”
“No way! Multi-ability users are impossible! Theoretically, sure, but no soul vessel could handle it!”
The Oni immediately refuted the man’s speculation.
He knew well the fatal flaw in the concept of multi-ability users.
“Perhaps not entirely impossible.”
“What?”
Multi-ability users were the ultimate beings humanity once sought.
Many organizations had poured their efforts into creating one.
The results were both a success and a failure.
They succeeded in creating a multi-ability user, whose power exceeded expectations and annihilated monsters effortlessly.
…However, within a week, that being perished.
Its body and soul vessel proved insufficient to sustain multiple abilities.
Organizations abandoned their research due to the exorbitant costs and limited results.
Thus, the Oni had declared it impossible.
But the haze knew all this too and offered its reasoning.
“Your argument is valid. However, when I retrieved the labyrinth, faint traces of flame abilities lingered. Flame, you see, is the one thing he fears most. He wouldn’t pull someone into his domain if there were any chance of losing. This means someone unexpected—someone wielding flames—intervened. I believe the likelihood of a multi-ability user is higher.”
The haze had retrieved the vanished labyrinth unnoticed, even approaching the abandoned factory where it lay.
“A natural one?! You’re saying it’s a natural multi-ability user?!”
The man in the white coat widened his eyes in excitement, his face reddening.
While governments continuing secret research was not impossible, deploying such a valuable asset for an uncertain mission seemed unlikely.
Given his high status, he would have caught wind of any such developments.
If the individual was a multi-ability user, they had to be a natural one—untouched by artificial means. Their value was incalculable.
“I want it! We must capture them! Oh, to dissect that body and uncover priceless information!”
“Calm yourself. Rushing will lead to failure.”
The haze’s reprimand brought the man back to his senses. He cleared his throat softly.
“My apologies.”
“No matter. You have your ambitions, but our gathering today is for another reason.”
“Did you find something?”
“Indeed, an intriguing ability user. Their power is called [Origin Sublime]. It elevates the capabilities of any being or object.”
“How fascinating. Are you planning to abduct them?”
The man in the white coat grinned thinly.
Bringing such power to their side would greatly enhance their strength. The individual’s consent mattered little; as long as the brain remained intact, they could do as they pleased.
“Yes, that’s the plan. The problem is their heavy protection. They seem to hold a high status, surrounded by skilled ability users.”
“Sounds exciting! Can I go this time?”
The Oni grinned ferociously, his fighting spirit cracking the building’s walls.
“Very well. They will soon relocate, exposing themselves. That will be the time to strike.”
“Ha! My blood’s boiling! Maybe the Special Ability Unit will show up. I’d love to face a multi-ability user!”
“They are invaluable. If they exist, do not destroy them. You tend to overdo it.”
“Depends on the fight. If they mess around too much, I might crush them by accident.”
“Sigh… You truly are all brawn.”
A new darkness begins to emerge on the stage.