The Suspended Guardian

Chapter Five: The Suspended Guardian

The room was thick with tension. A chill ran through the air.

"Did you just say… you can use the core energy from a concept in a novel?"

Angelica gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Wait—does that mean you can use different types of core energy depending on what's known and used in another dimension?"

"That's just cheating," Bryan said, his voice laced with frustration. His face twisted as if he wanted to strangle Creedison on the spot.

"Haha, lucky bastard," Balboas chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hmm…" Creedison hummed, deep in thought. "If this is true… then maybe—"

Without another word, Theodore closed his eyes and focused. His breathing slowed as he visualized the veins of energy within his body.

"What are you doing?" Bryan asked, looking confused.

"In Murim novels, Qi energy comes from the soul core and is stored in the dantian—right near the stomach," Creedison explained. "To use it properly, it must be moved from the dantian to the chest, then to the brain. In the brain, it enters the imaginative plane, where elements, shapes, and even sorcery can be formed just by thinking about them."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"But it's not that simple. Accumulating Qi energy into the brain is extremely dangerous. One mistake, and you suffer serious setbacks—or even die."

"What?! You should stop and think before you do something reckless!" Angelica tried to intervene.

"Relax, I'm not going that far," Creedison reassured. "If I can just accumulate more Qi into my dantian and move it to my chest…"

He exhaled sharply.

"Done."

The moment he spoke, a red glow erupted from his body, radiating from his stomach outward.

Silence.

The legends stood frozen, their expressions unreadable.

"Impossible…" Balboas whispered. "This shouldn't be possible."

No one spoke, too stunned to form words.

Ordinarily, when someone forcefully accumulates energy—whether it's aura, mana, or dark mana—their only option is to open their soul veins and wait for the energy to stabilize over time.

But someone accumulating energy instantly and surviving?

Outrageous.

"This is insane," Balboas muttered, still trying to process what he was seeing. "I get it now… He's a Blessed."

Bryan and Angelica exchanged looks.

"A Blessed?" Angelica asked.

"Yeah," Balboas said, his tone now serious. "A term for those who are favored by the gods."

Theodore grinned. "Now that I've gathered Qi, let's try it with aura and mana next."

"Wait, you—!"

Before Bryan could finish, it was already happening.

Aura, which gathers on the left side of the chest, and mana, which gathers in the heart, surged through Creedison's body. A second red glow pulsed outward, stronger this time.

"You absolute idiot!" Bryan shouted. "Do you have a death wish?!"

But then—

The glow brightened.

A third energy ignited.

Aura. Mana. Qi.

Accumulated. Controlled. Mastered.

The room felt like it was warping around him.

Balboas took a step back, eyes sharp with caution. "Monster," he muttered under his breath.

Theodore exhaled in satisfaction. "Good. Very good."

Bryan clenched his fists. "You're seriously insane, you know that?"

Creedison ignored him. "If I can accumulate these energies… then what happens if I take it one step further?"

Balboas' face hardened.

"…You can't be thinking—"

"I am," Creedison confirmed, grinning. "Accumulating Qi energy into my brain."

"What?" Angelica, who was always calm and composed, now looked genuinely frustrated. "Didn't you just say that was too dangerous?!"

"I know," Creedison admitted. "But I have to try it. For science."

"Crazy bastard…" Bryan muttered.

Then—

A scream.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

It felt like his skull was cracking apart from the inside. His throat burned as if it was being torn open. His head throbbed like an explosion waiting to happen.

Shit—this is worse than death.

He clutched his head, his vision blurring.

Then—

FLASH.

A blinding red light erupted.

The pain… stopped.

Theodore gasped for air, blinking rapidly.

"Yes… Yes!" He laughed, shaking. "Now I feel alive!"

Angelica, arms crossed, looked unimpressed. "Are you done?"

Balboas exhaled. "You really are the king of reckless stunts."

Then—

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

A flood of system notifications appeared.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

You have understood the full meaning of Traitless (The One Who Knows All).

Energy of Destruction has been granted.

You have mastered Qi Accumulation.

Skill: Qi Mastery (B-Rank) acquired.

You have mastered Qi Brain Accumulation.

Skill: Qi Sorcery (A-Rank) acquired. (Ability to create magic using Qi.)

You have mastered Aura Accumulation.

Skill: Aura Mastery (C-Rank) acquired.

You have mastered Mana Accumulation.

Skill: Mana Mastery (C-Rank) acquired.

Due to the guest's unprecedented feat, 10,000 Evolutionary Points have been granted. (These can be used to enhance skill proficiency.)

Bryan stared at the notifications, stunned.

"…This is literally just cheating."

Creedison grinned. "If I can use the core energy of other dimensions… then that means I can also use their concepts and skills through Traitless."

"There he goes again…" Balboas sighed.

"Like Qi Sword Materialization…"

He extended his hand.

A blade of pure Qi formed in his palm.

Beep.

You have mastered Qi Sword Materialization.

Skill: Qi Sword (C-Rank) acquired.

Bryan narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to do?"

"Just practicing," Creedison replied casually.

"Practicing?!" Bryan's face twisted in horror. "Are you planning to destroy the whole dormitory?!"

Just then—

Knock. Knock.

They froze.

Theodore walked over and opened the door.

Standing there was Lilia Van Dango.

His younger sister.

Her sharp green eyes burned with something between anger and desperation.

"You," she said flatly.

Theodore exhaled. "What now?"

"You survived a cult ritual and suddenly gained strength overnight. You expect me to believe that's a coincidence?"

"Believe what you want." Theodore leaned against the doorframe, unfazed.

Lilia's jaw tightened. "Then tell me this."

She crossed her arms, eyes piercing into him.

"…Where is the real Creedison?"

His breath caught for a second.

She knows.

But he didn't flinch. "Right here, of course."

She narrowed her eyes. "Liar."

After a long silence, she smirked. "Heh. Just kidding. Your room's still as messy as ever—guess you really are Creedison."

Then, turning to leave, she added, "I just came to check on you. Try not to die before your suspension is over."

And with that, she walked away.

Theodore let out a slow breath.

That was way too close.

Lilia Van Dango. The only person Creedison was ever close to in his family.

He exhaled. "Just great. Another problem to deal with."

Balboas laughed. "Long day, huh?"

Theodore sighed.

"Yeah. And something tells me it's just getting started."

(TO BE CONTINUED…)