Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 229

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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229
After completing all preparations to retrieve Jae-in’s soul from Heaven, the day of action finally arrived.
“Your head has grown quite large, you see. If you don’t cooperate, I cannot seal your body.”
“Even the great Gaff cannot do this?”
“Extracting a soul without damage is difficult. Killing is possible, so don’t get cocky.”
Gaff’s expression turned serious.
“I will conduct the soul sealing at the World Tree. To seal a human of your caliber, that much is necessary.”
“Even sealing my son’s abilities required a vessel the size of the Moon. You’re saying the World Tree will suffice?”
“That’s only because you incompetent fools tried to seal him. Had I done it, even with your son, a small jewel would have been enough.”
No matter how much research had been conducted, Jae-in could not possibly handle souls or sorcery better than the Demon King, so I understood.
“World Tree, prepare the cocoon.”
Eres commanded the World Tree Spirit.
“Are you really sure about this? I like Jae-in too, but risking your life to save him?”
“You live with this one, so you know, don’t you? Can you break that stubbornness?”
“Sigh… I can’t. But why aren’t you opposed to this? Aren’t you worried?”
The World Tree Spirit asked Bae Na-young.
“Because I trust my brother. And if by some chance he doesn’t return, then I’ll just storm Heaven myself.”
“…Na-young, that’s not right?”
“If you don’t want to see that happen, my brother just needs to come back.”
Bae Na-young spoke with a single laugh, but her words about storming Heaven were sincere, and I could feel the deep worry behind them.
“I’ll be back.”
I embraced Bae Na-young one last time, then turned toward the World Tree Spirit.
The World Tree Spirit’s eyes glowed emerald green.
Branches of the World Tree sprouted from the roof and floor of the World Tree House, connecting together and bundling into a round cocoon in the center.
“Don’t forget. You must have the will to seal your own body.”
The cocoon split open with a crack, creating a space large enough for a person to enter.
“Remember this. You must not regenerate. Your soul must maintain only its minimal form, or you will be discovered.”
“Understood.”
“Escape from Heaven through the waterfall into the Demon Realm. See you soon.”
I nodded and entered the cocoon.
“You’re really doing this~? I have no idea what will happen!”
The World Tree Spirit closed the cocoon’s entrance, and I felt strength draining from my body. Normally I would have absorbed the surrounding life force to regenerate, but I suppressed my regenerative ability and allowed my vitality to be stolen away, my consciousness soon becoming hazy.
As my consciousness grew hazy, my survival instinct surpassed my control and attempted to absorb the World Tree’s life force.
“Oppressed spirit, come to me, Gaff, master of spirits. I shall grant you freedom and pleasure.”
A tendril of demonic energy extended from Gaff’s hand. At its end was not his usual solid fist, but a thin, grotesque demon’s hand.
The demon’s hand pierced into my chest.
“Come!”
Gaff pulled the demonic hand sharply, and my entire body was dragged along.
“Cough… Did it fail?”
In pain, I grasped the demonic hand that had pierced my chest.
“Failure? Look at your body.”
Gaff wore an arrogant expression.
“Huh?”
I glanced down at myself and saw my transparent form in its spiritual state.
“If it weren’t for me, you’d already be dragged into the Afterlife.”
Smack!
Eres struck the back of my head.
“Ow! Eres?! Why would you—?!”
“Don’t regenerate.”
I’d been on the verge of unconsciously regenerating my spiritual form.
“… Sigh….”
Fury welled up inside me, but Eres was right—the moment I let my guard slip, my survival instinct tried to rebuild my body.
“Even with your power sealed, you can still regenerate? What kind of creature are you?”
Eres clicked her tongue in exasperation.
“Now I’ll reshape your soul. They won’t recognize you after this.”
As demonic energy enveloped my body and dissipated, my appearance shifted subtly. My face took on softer features, and my frame became smaller.
“They would never imagine that someone would seal their own body and ascend to Heaven like a madman.”
Eres grumbled, clearly displeased with my plan to enter the Heavenly Kingdom.
“Once I release my hand, you’ll be pulled toward the gathering place of souls in the Afterlife. If you’re going to head toward the Demon Realm instead, you’ll need to swim against the current. Though with all your abilities stripped away, I’m not sure if you can manage it.”
“I understand. Thank you. I’ll repay this debt without fail.”
“I’ll collect it whether you offer it or not.”
I had no idea what she might ask for later, but strangely, I felt no anxiety.
Gaff’s hand released my chest, and I was instantly sucked into another space.
It was an irresistible force, yet it felt gentle rather than coercive.
As I was pulled away, the faces of Bae Na-young, the World Tree, Eres, and Gaff rapidly shrank and vanished from sight.
It didn’t take long before my soul arrived at the gathering place of the dead, where spirits were filtered like oil and water—dark souls sinking downward, luminous ones rising upward.
Fortunately, my soul was pure and ascended.
Now that I existed as a spirit, and thanks to the training I’d undergone with Eres in the Demon Realm, I could perceive far more than I had during my last visit to the Heavenly Kingdom.
The current was filled with countless spirits.
While the flow toward the Demon Realm consisted mostly of human souls, the current ascending to Heaven was brimming with small spirits of animals and plants.
As I rose, the weaker spirits—animals and plants alike—transformed into light and ascended.
I’d been told that only strong souls could be reincarnated, but until now, I hadn’t completely abandoned hope of saving the other victims.
However, witnessing this sight, that hope vanished entirely.
The current carrying me upward reached its end, the light grew brighter, and I was expelled into the Heavenly Kingdom. Some of the stronger spirits maintained their forms until the very last moment.
Last time, no one had been present where spirits were released, but now Angels surrounded the area and controlled the newly arrived souls.
“Please stand over here.”
Under Angelus’s courteous guidance, the spirits were naturally directed toward an enormous gate. Beyond that gate, beautiful bars of light hung densely, creating a luminous barrier.
The spirits were mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of the heavenly realm before them. Only I knew that touching those bars would annihilate a soul.
I quickly joined the line, trying to remain inconspicuous.
As the Angels drew near, I wanted to regenerate my spiritual and physical forms and strike them all down, but I restrained myself because I had a purpose.
“Next.”
Virtus, a Ninth-Rank Angel bearing sword and scales, examined each arriving soul one by one.
Finally, my turn came, and Virtus extended the scales toward me.
Light from the scales shot through my soul—a radiance that erased my memories, my traces from Earth.
My mind grew increasingly blank, yet my abilities replayed even the erased memories.
Meanwhile, the other souls around me lost all awareness in their eyes.
“Hmm?”
Virtus noticed my gaze and wore a puzzled expression.
Realizing my mistake, I quickly blurred my focus and adopted a vacant stare.
“There was slight resistance. Send this one to the Spring.”
As Virtus spoke, Angelus grasped my arm and led me to the Spring.
Most souls dispersed naturally throughout Heaven after their selection.
Only I and a handful of other souls were sent to the Spring.
The memory-stripped souls, guided by Angelus, threw themselves into the Spring, but my feet stopped dead.
“Why won’t this move?”
After erasing memories, the Angels were no longer kind. They pushed my back with gestures meant for prisoners, and I surrendered, throwing myself into the Spring.
The Spring that appeared tranquil from above churned violently from within.
Many souls dwelt in the Spring, yet only the strong survived the torrent. Weak souls were ground away, dissolved into the waters, and became nourishment for the stronger ones.
My soul collided repeatedly and fractured slightly, but I endured the Spring’s currents by continuously regenerating only my essence.
Watching the Spring’s surface to time my escape, a soul that had been ground away and transformed into pure light enveloped me. It was pure spiritual energy, not the dark thoughts of the Demon Realm.
Though it clung to my body, the sensation was not unpleasant.
No more souls attached to me, and I no longer resisted, when the Spring water pushed me upward onto land.
Emerging from the Spring, I was no longer in spirit form. A body suddenly materialized, startling me, but I was even more shocked to realize this new flesh was not something I had regenerated myself.
Wings had grown from my back.
“Ah… Angelus?”
Seeing my face reflected in the Spring water, I had transformed into Angelus, a Ninth-Rank Angel.
As I stood in astonishment, an Angel’s song echoed through my mind.
Though it had no particular lyrics, the beautiful melody deserved the description of a celestial song, and I found myself entranced, closing my eyes to savor it.
But, as expected, it was far more than mere song.
Listening to the melody, I could understand what I should do from now on, where this place was, and even what thoughts I should harbor.
It felt like an educational video playing endlessly in my mind.
They said I had severed synchronization with the Angels, yet now they had chosen brainwashing instead. It was like erasing memories of the mortal world and then installing a new program.
“Come now, move!”
Archangelus, an Eighth-Rank Angel, hurried along the newly-created Angelus beings who had just received their memories and were not yet sharp.
“Ugh! My head! My head hurts so much!”
One of the newly-born Angels from the Spring could not adapt to the vast information.
One Archangelus seized the screaming Angel’s jaw and stared directly into their eyes.
“My head! It hurts! Do something about it!”
Drawing his sword, the Archangelus mercilessly cut down the shrieking Angel, kicked the body, and cast it into the Lake.
The completely brainwashed Angels showed no disturbance whatsoever at such a sight.
I mimicked their expressions to avoid standing out.
“All this trouble because of one cursed human.”
“I’d like nothing more than to descend to Earth and sever that bastard’s head right now.”
The Archangelus around me spat curses, unaware that the very source of this catastrophe stood beside them.
“That dimension’s power has grown too strong—we cannot descend for some time. Conserve your strength.”
As I followed the Archangelus who ground their teeth at me, a fourth-tier Dominions holding a tome appeared before us.
“Newly born Angelus, follow me.”
The newly created Angelus, myself included, followed him, while the Archangelus returned to the Spring.
Though only a tiny fraction of souls were reborn as Angels, with countless dimensions and planets losing vast numbers of lives, Angels were born endlessly from the Spring.
“Pull the weeds.”
Upon arriving at a vast field, Dominions issued the command.
“Weeds?”
A voice escaped me before I could stop it.
“Hmm, is this a defective one?”
Dominions approached me.
I immediately knelt and searched the grass for weeds. Weeds in Heaven? As I pondered this, the Dominions who had brought us here began to sing.
Unlike his rigid expression, his voice was celestial—the same voice I had heard at the Spring.
And the second wave of information transmission began.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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