***
"...After I arrived, I saw people dressed in all kinds of outfits. At first, that wasn't surprising—especially since, in the Hub, you see that kind of diversity all the time. But when I noticed that most of them were wearing Taoist robes, that's when my suspicion that the Akashic Records Universe might be a cultivation-type universe shot up to almost a hundred percent. And later, I was proven right," Mikael explained calmly to the girls seated quietly on the apartment's cozy couch.
'What exactly is a cultivation world?' wondered Amelia, her brow subtly furrowing. But since Mikael didn't seem interested in elaborating, she assumed it was probably some sort of common knowledge—something obvious that she had somehow missed. A flicker of doubt made her hesitate, but a quick glance at the others showed she wasn't alone. The confused expressions on their faces mirrored her own uncertainty.
The realization gave her just enough confidence to interrupt Mikael, who was already shifting gears to continue describing what he had done and learned in the Akashic Records Universe.
"Umm, Mikael?"
He stopped mid-sentence and turned toward her with a curious, slightly inquisitive look.
"You just mentioned a 'cultivation world'… but what exactly is that?"
"Ahh… you don't know?" he said, clearly surprised. His bewildered expression struck her as unexpectedly cute… but she quickly pushed that thought aside, giving a small shake of her head in response.
His gaze shifted to the other two girls, wordlessly posing the same question. They answered in turn.
"Sorry, darling, I have no idea what that is!" Kiara replied cheerfully, her tone light and unconcerned.
Lyra, on the other hand, took a couple of seconds longer. Her voice was uncertain when she finally spoke. "I think I've come across the term in a book… but I don't really remember what it was about."
"Ah, yeah… that makes sense," Mikael said, nodding thoughtfully. "It's not exactly something most people would know except if they have some interest in Chinese culture or are reading light novels. Alright, how should I explain this…"
He ran a hand through his hair, a pensive look crossing his face. "I'll try to keep it simple—or at least as simple as possible. It's not an easy concept to condense, and honestly, it would be better if you read a novel set in a cultivation world. That way, you'd understand it more naturally. But I'll give you a summary."
He straightened his posture slightly before continuing.
"A cultivation world is essentially a place where people grow stronger by refining their bodies, minds, or souls using a mysterious form of energy—most often called Qi, though it can go by different names depending on the realm. The core idea is the act of 'cultivating' this energy within oneself in order to achieve a higher state of being. That might be for power, immortality, spiritual enlightenment, or some other lofty goal."
He paused, briefly glancing at the girls to gauge their reactions. Seeing no interruptions and noting their attentive expressions, he continued.
"In those worlds, power is everything. The strong dominate, while the weak are crushed beneath them. It's not just that strength is respected—it's necessary. If you don't have it, you're essentially invisible, or worse, expendable. That's why people there devote their entire lives to training, absorbing energy, and breaking through the so-called 'cultivation realms'. Each realm represents a significant milestone in power—crossing one grants greater strength, extended lifespan, and often even supernatural abilities."
Mikael leaned back slightly, arms crossing over his chest. "To give you a frame of reference, think of Qi as a fusion of the mana and aura we're familiar with—but operating on a much, much higher power ceilings. At the same time, every breakthrough to a new cultivation realm is like an 'ascension', a transformation at the very level of existence. It doesn't just increase your power—it elevates every part of you, physically, mentally, and even spiritually."
"If you keep that in mind, you'll have a rough idea of how the Qi system works. But the thing is, cultivation isn't exactly logical. In fact, it's often strange and completely unpredictable. It's entirely possible for, let's say, a mortal farmer—just a regular guy living his life—to have a sudden moment of enlightenment while fishing or walking through a field. And from that moment, he could instantly skip multiple cultivation realms and become absurdly powerful. Sure, things like that are extremely rare, but they do happen. It's one of the best examples of how chaotic and strange the path of cultivation can be."
Amelia, Kiara, and Lyra remained silent, letting his words sink in. After a moment, Lyra tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"The power system sounds fascinating… but what can you tell us about the cultivationworld itself?"
Mikael became thoughtful for a moment, his gaze unfocused. "That's a bit harder to answer, since cultivation worlds—or more accurately, realms—can vary quite a lot. But there are some elements that are almost always the same."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone growing more animated.
"First of all, what I've been calling 'cultivation worlds' are actually known as realms. And these realms aren't like the planets we're familiar with—the round celestial bodies orbiting stars like our sun. No, realms are completely flat. The laws of physics as we know them just don't apply in the same way. As for gravity… honestly, I still don't understand how it works there. It just does."
"These realms are also absurdly vast in scale. I can't give you an exact measurement since it varies from one realm to another, but generally, their size can reach into the millions—sometimes even billions—of miles. Everything is scaled up to an almost incomprehensible degree. Imagine a city spanning millions of miles in width. That kind of thing actually exists. Also, the architecture tends to follow a traditional Chinese aesthetic, and their level of technological advancement is far behind what we're used to. Things like phones and most forms of modern communication just don't exist."
Amelia leaned forward slightly, her weight resting on her hands as she fixed her gaze on Mikael, visibly intrigued. "So, would you say that world is stuck in the medieval age?"
Mikael took a few seconds to consider the question before nodding. "Yeah, the medieval age would be a decent comparison. But… far less dirty than what you'd imagine if you take the medieval age as a model. Cultivators don't really care about innovation or comfort through technology. They focus entirely on becoming stronger. Because of that mindset, technological progress stagnates and the world remains trapped in a sort of eternal medieval era."
"What else…" he murmured, cupping his chin with a thoughtful expression before continuing. "Ah, right—there are also the sects. Explaining exactly what they are would take too long, so let's just say they're the major power structures in a cultivation realm. You can think of them as the equivalent of powerful organizations or clans that dominate the world."
He leaned back a little, expression flattening. "And there's one last thing you should absolutely know about cultivation worlds… The people there are always unbelievably arrogant. It's like arrogance is inscribed in their genes."
Amelia blinked in surprise at his blunt statement, then tilted her head with a curious frown. "Like pampered nobles?"
"Hmm, that's not a bad analogy. But I'd say it's actually worse than that in most cases," he replied with a hint of grim amusement.
Amelia grimaced, not needing further explanation.
"Yeah, I know," he said with a wry smile. "There's also another concept that's really prevalent in these worlds. It's tied to that same overinflated arrogance. In cultivation worlds, they place insane importance on something called 'face'."
"Face?" Kiara's curious voice echoed, prompting Mikael to elaborate.
"'Face' is basically another word for reputation, though it runs deeper than that. Let me give you an example. Imagine there's an auction going on, and some random protagonist bids on an item. Then suddenly, someone from a big sect—let's say 'Sect 21', since I'm not feeling inspired for names—also places a bid."
He gestured lightly as he explained. "Now, the protagonist is just participating normally, but the person from Sect 21 will threaten him, demanding that he stop bidding and give face to their sect by letting them have the item. If the protagonist refuses, then he'll be seen as having offended Sect 21 by not giving them face publicly. And well… you can imagine what kind of trouble that would cause."
"Sounds like a wonderful place to live," Amelia remarked with dry sarcasm.
"Yeah, a fucking paradise," Mikael agreed, equally sarcastic, shaking his head.
Afterward, Amelia and the other girls continued listening in silence as Mikael, having wrapped up his impromptu explanation about cultivation worlds, shifted the conversation toward recounting what he had done and uncovered within the Akashic Records Universe.
***
"...and since I don't currently have enough LP to buy the book priced at 100K LP, I was thinking of doing a few military missions to gather the points I need. Its contents seem far too important to ignore," Mikael explained. "As for what I did after that—you already know. You were all there."
A moment of quiet followed as his words lingered in the air.
Lyra gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her violet eyes gleaming with a quiet intensity. "A book like that… I'd love to read it once you get your hands on it. It could greatly help us deepen our understanding of the Akashic Records Universe and how its cultivation system works." She paused for a beat before continuing, her voice softer, more thoughtful. "Even with what you've explored so far and the two books you already read—those are something I'd like to read as well. There's likely still so much we don't know, and having more information before making any major decision can only benefit us."
"Of course," Mikael replied with a faint smile. "Once I get the book, you'll be the first one to go through it with me. As for the two I've already read…"
With a flick of his wrist, two books materialized out of thin air and landed softly in his hand. He extended them toward her without hesitation.
Lyra's violet eyes lit up with excitement as she accepted them. "Thank you," she said, her voice bright, before immediately opening the one that delved into Diron. Her enthusiasm was unmistakable, practically radiating from her as she focused entirely on the pages in front of her.
Mikael watched her with an amused smile, finding her scholarly obsession—what he affectionately thought of as her 'nerdiness'—strangely endearing in its own way.
But his attention shifted sharply as Kiara suddenly rose to her feet. Her dark blue eyes shimmered, not with intellectual curiosity like Lyra's, but with something far more intense—devotion, possessiveness, and a touch of obsession. "Then I'll come with you," she declared, stepping closer. "For the military missions, I mean."
Her tone carried the absolute certainty of someone who had already made up her mind long before speaking.
Mikael raised an eyebrow at the intensity in her gaze, but he wasn't truly surprised. That bold, all-consuming yandereness was simply who Kiara was—and part of what he cherished about her. "I'd love that," he answered, his voice warm.
At his words, a sweet smile bloomed on Kiara's beautiful face. She closed the distance between them and pressed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips before pulling back slightly. "It'll be the perfect opportunity for the two of us to spend time together," she said, her voice tinged with possessive joy, the obsessive glint in her eyes only deepening.
Amelia, who had been leaning back quietly, her thoughts elsewhere, finally opened her mouth. "I think I'll go back to continuing my beast-hunting endeavor…" she began, but her voice faltered, trailing off as a subtle frown formed on her face. The memory of the panic attack she'd experienced during her last hunt resurfaced, clouding her thoughts.
For a brief moment, she remained silent, caught in hesitation. It was obvious that part of her wanted to resume her hunt, to push forward in her quest for strength. That part of her was shaped by the trauma of Nexoria's invasion and driven by a need to grow powerful enough to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. But there was another side of her—one that longed for respite. That side simply wanted to follow Mikael on the military mission, to leave behind the pain of Dirarnia, even if only for a little while, and lose herself in something that felt less burdened by grief. That side belonged to the young woman crushed beneath the emotional weight of everything she had lost.
"On second thought, I think I'll join you on the military mission," she finally said, her voice more resolute now.
Author Note:
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