Chapter 257

Chapter 257
## Chapter 257

### The Zhuge Clan (3)

The unique benefit known as the “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon” had progressed to the point where it could be deployed once every five days in terms of alternative world time.

The very moment its reactivation timer finished, Hugo made the crossing into Ganghwange. Thanks to the meticulous preparations made by Harris, he successfully gained entry into the estate of the Zhuge Clan.

‘Well, this certainly gets the blood pumping.’

He took a relaxed walk across the grounds of the family compound, a wry grin gracing his lips as he picked up on the muted hostility circulating around him.

It was an expected reaction. The clan members had been backed into a corner and forced to take him in, making the entire situation a deeply degrading ordeal for them.

‘I only wish Harris had used a bit more… finesse.’

The man’s forceful style had done nothing but inflame their deep-seated animosity.

While that past action could no longer be undone, it remained a regrettable turn of events.

‘I must mend these broken ties. What is the best path forward?’

Once Harris departed in a matter of days, Hugo—operating under his identity as Ha Seung-hoon—would assume total oversight of Ganghwange.

Naturally, the members of the Zhuge Clan wouldn’t dare launch an overt move against him… yet cultivating a better rapport was vital if they were to achieve seamless teamwork.

‘There isn’t a more perfect location to integrate myself, harvest intel, and establish a firm foothold.’

Granted, they were missing top-tier individual powerhouses, but their combined strength as an organization was immense. Furthermore, they preserved excellent ties with rival virtuous sects despite the current era of upheaval, and their central geographic position on the mainland made outward growth far less complicated.

‘On top of that, they are celebrated for their intellect and technical expertise, meaning I can master internal martial disciplines in a secure setting under their guidance.’

Harris had merely hard-coded the Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art into his own being using his exceptional traits. He had never truly studied its fundamentals.

Consequently, Hugo needed to undergo the process of mastering it through conventional, legitimate means.

By doing so, he would be capable of truly measuring the ultimate capabilities of these martial styles.

‘…Perhaps I ought to offer them a present?’

After all, no one turns up their nose at a gift.

He possessed a massive hoard of valuables stripped directly from the Dongting Eighteen Strongholds.

Even so, he highly questioned whether an entity like the Zhuge Clan could be bought with simple heaps of gold and silver coin.

He couldn’t be certain of the true purchasing power of such metals in a world torn apart by chaos.

In that case, a priceless medicinal concentrate or a legendary blade—the kind of objects that remained out of reach regardless of one’s wealth or political leverage—might do the trick…

“Pardon me, sir. You are prohibited from advancing past this point.”

While he was deeply immersed in his own reflections, drifting aimlessly across the estate grounds,

His forward momentum was halted when a female martial artist abruptly stepped into his path.

“Beyond here lies the residence reserved for the women of the house. We ask for your cooperation in departing, Young Hero Ha.”

“…Please accept my regrets. My mind was completely occupied, and I failed to observe my surroundings. I shall retrace my steps at once.”

“We appreciate your courtesy.”

He had inadvertently strolled right into a restricted zone.

The last thing he needed was to inflict further damage on an already fragile relationship.

Offering a subtle nod of respect, he pivoted to walk away…

But right at that moment, the faint sound of voices carrying from the deeper recesses of the residential quarters caught his attention.

-Tell me, how fares the young mistress…?

-Her condition remains incredibly grim…

‘What’s this?’

The words were few, but they were enough.

He froze on the spot by sheer reflex, every single one of his perceptions narrowing in.

Hugo may have operated as a mere low-ranking lackey back on Earth, but that by no means indicated he lacked capability.

He had poured nearly four million units of Karma straight into enhancing his base attributes.

Even if specialized techniques and supernatural gifts formed the bedrock of a restriction-breaker’s combat effectiveness, those astronomical stat values had elevated his raw physical form far beyond the boundaries governing normal mortals.

As a direct consequence, his sensory faculties operated on a tier completely detached from ordinary human limits.

By combining the acute awareness of “Hypersensitivity” with the flexible utility of “Jack-of-All-Trades”, listening in on a conversation held by unsuspecting speakers was a trivial task.

-She endured yet another violent episode… undoubtedly worsened by the chaos brought about by those uninvited arrivals. What course of action is left to us?

-The medical supplies we retrieved are failing to suffice. Her lifespan can only be stretched by a handful of weeks at best. Her system has built up a tolerance to the treatment, and the overall therapeutic impact of the elixirs is rapidly plummeting. If things persist down this path…

-Mind your words! How dare you speak of such matters so recklessly!

-…My deepest apologies. Yet we are in desperate need of a remedy…

“…Young Hero Ha?”

The female guard who had restricted his path spoke up once more.

Her tone carried an underlying demand as to why he remained anchored to the spot.

She remained entirely oblivious to the dialogue taking place further inside, given that she would need to actively channel her internal Qi to boost her auditory range—a stark contrast to Hugo, whose baseline physical traits alone achieved superhuman feats.

“Ah! My apologies. I got caught up in my thoughts once more. Haha!”

He offered a casual, lighthearted laugh and began walking back the way he came.

He had just inadvertently uncovered an exceptionally precious piece of intelligence.

‘Fascinating. I was under the impression that the Zhuge Clan stood at the absolute pinnacle of the medical arts. Yet they find themselves powerless to heal a patient under their own roof?’

Going by the formal titles utilized by the staff, the individual in question had to hold a position of immense status.

It was highly probable she was a direct blood relative of the patriarch himself.

‘A terminal affliction that even the great Zhuge Clan cannot unravel…’

He rubbed his jawline, weighing the endless scenarios this opened up.

“Perfect.”

A confident grin broke across his features as a definitive plan crystallized in his mind.

He turned his steps back toward his designated lodging, his chest swelling with a fresh surge of certainty.

—

While Hugo was exploring the various corners of the estate, Harris sat with his eyelids lowered, engaged in a deep discussion with the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan.

To describe the interaction more accurately… he was absorbing a massive influx of data.

When all was said and done, his primary motive for embedding himself here was to harvest critical intelligence.

And the knowledge he had successfully extracted was proving to be remarkably valuable.

‘An otherworldly entity bearing wings launched a devastating raid on the imperial palace over two decades ago, slaying the sovereign and plundering the Dragon Heart—the grandest focal point of the continent’s Dragon Veins?’

It came as no surprise that the Zhuge Clan maintained deep-rooted ties to the fallen court and possessed expansive knowledge.

Since the imperial line had effectively crumbled into history, the clan had zero incentive to withhold secrets, prompting them to answer his inquiries without hesitation.

‘The enigmatic leader of the Heaven’s Turn Society. He was physically present in this realm.’

Harris narrowed his gaze into a sharp slit.

A massive chasm lay between harboring a vague suspicion and obtaining concrete confirmation.

Furthermore, he had finally uncovered the exact origin of that leader’s terrifying power!

‘Not only does he possess the capability to leap across dimensional thresholds just as I do… but he also tore out the Dragon Heart, the very wellspring of this realm’s vital energy, leaving absolute ruin in his wake?’

The sheer scale of the audacity was enough to leave him entirely speechless.

The realization that this individual had likely executed the exact same catastrophic sequence across a multitude of other worlds made his mind reel with vertigo.

‘No, keep it together.’

He rapidly reined in his scattered thoughts, suppressing the mental turmoil before releasing a long, controlled breath.

He now possessed absolute certainty that the mastermind behind the Heaven’s Turn Society had left his footprints on Ganghwange.

He also understood that the man’s pathway to absolute supremacy relied entirely on orchestrating the collapse of these dimensions.

‘What if… I pivot to the exact opposite strategy?’

It was entirely possible he could throw a wrench into the mastermind’s designs.

If the leader had already extracted what he desired and moved on to another realm, the effort might yield little direct result…

Yet Harris would still accumulate a massive bounty of Karma by attempting to heal the damage.

And what if the leader’s grand design for this world had not yet reached its final phase?

What if he was still actively exploiting Ganghwange for some dark objective?

‘I will ensure his grand design shatters.’

Regardless of the cost or sacrifices required.

Simply introducing unexpected disruptions into the mastermind’s calculations could warp the final outcome.

‘To begin, I must restore order and equilibrium to this realm.’

To achieve that stability, securing the unreserved backing of the Zhuge Clan was non-negotiable.

Pushing down his internal irritation, Harris offered his polite appreciation to the elderly master.

“I am deeply grateful for the insights you have shared. This data is incredibly vital to my efforts.”

“Haha, it brings me joy to know it serves a purpose… Though, if I may, I harbor a curiosity of my own regarding this figure.”

“…My own understanding of him remains incomplete. I am actively pieceing together information to better comprehend his nature. Nonetheless, one reality stands absolute: he is my mortal foe.”

“Is that so—?”

He cut off the Grand Elder’s impending probe by delivering a calculated answer beforehand.

It was entirely accurate that he lacked a comprehensive profile on the commander of the Heaven’s Turn Society.

‘I have no intention of compromising my own position by answering his deeper inquiries.’

He had already surrendered more than enough cards from his hand.

Besides, there was a far more pressing matter demanding his immediate focus.

He cleared his throat softly, methodically setting the stage for what was to come.

“I desire to offer a suitable gesture to balance the scales for your immense cooperation. I offer my sincerest regrets for shattering your defensive barrier and bringing such disruption to your home.”

“A gesture of balance…?”

“I hold in my possession a collection of rare medical compounds. I request that you look upon this modest offering as a sign of my appreciation.”

He possessed an abundant supply of sacred herbs, considering he could essentially cultivate them within his own personal domain whenever he pleased.

He was already orchestrating an expedition to the Wudang Mountains to harvest every single specimen in the near future.

“Oh, we shall receive them with gratitude.”

The Grand Elder dipped his head with a mild, composed smile.

It was a standard display of courtesy; the old man clearly didn’t anticipate anything ground-breaking.

Harris allowed a subtle smirk to play on his lips as he drove his point home.

“However… the companion who arrived under my wing… Ha Seung-hoon… is an individual of even greater wonder. Haha!”

“Hmm? What are you implying?”

The elderly cultivator tilted his head in mild confusion, keeping his eyes firmly shut.

He failed to comprehend how a common youth, who carried no visible markers of elite martial prowess or mystical talent, could possibly offer anything of profound value.

“Ah, he commands a highly unique and exceptional gift. Naturally, his underlying physical build and innate potential are also nothing short of extraordinary.”

Harris’s departure from this realm was looming on the horizon.

Because of this, it was imperative that he artificially elevate Hugo’s value and influence in the eyes of the clan elders.

To that end, he introduced a minor…

“He possesses the capacity to purge any sickness from the flesh.”

…exaggeration to the claim.

—

Enchanted implements forged within the rules of an alternate reality proved entirely worthless when brought into a dimension operating on a completely foreign energy network.

Following that logic, what rule governed divine power, drawn directly from the boundless authority of a celestial deity?

‘It originates from a higher divine source, meaning it shouldn’t be rendered invalid by regional dimensional laws.’

Naturally, specific constraints still applied, such as the overall output experiencing a noticeable drop when channeled inside an alien universe.

Even so, that degradation traced back to the narrow bandwidth of the interdimensional link itself, rather than a flaw inherent to the energy.

Sacred energy maintained its functional properties regardless of location.

Consequently, an event like this could actually unfold.

“This way, if you please. Follow my lead.”

Hugo walked closely behind the attendant tasked with showing him the path.

He had successfully crossed the threshold into the inner sanctum of the female quarters—a sector strictly forbidden to male outsiders under normal circumstances.

Of course, this invitation had not materialized out of thin air the moment he asked.

The leadership had far too much wisdom to risk the well-being of their kin based entirely on unverified boasts.

Initially, they had smoothly engineered a scenario to witness his craft firsthand.

Their approach had been draped in immaculate politeness, to the extent that an ordinary observer would never have parsed it as a calculated trial unless they knew the underlying politics. For a span of two days, Hugo dedicated himself to mending a diverse array of afflicted individuals, ranging from disciples carrying flesh wounds to veterans burdened by deeply rooted internal trauma and chronic diseases.

To be fair, the specific technique he utilized drew heavily upon finite resources and couldn’t be deployed continuously without thought, meaning the total tally of individuals he restored remained relatively modest. Be that as it may, the leadership of the Zhuge Clan merely required definitive proof of his capabilities, making the volume of patients irrelevant.

At this stage, both parties had successfully extracted what they desired from the arrangement.

“Hmm.”

Hugo let out a quiet, thoughtful hum as his eyes locked onto the figure resting upon the mattress.

Before him lay a young girl who appeared to be roughly fifteen years of age, her features framed by hair as dark as a raven’s wing, contrasted against a dangerously chalky complexion.

Her physical form had withered to an alarming degree, her chest rising and falling in such a faint, sluggish rhythm that one might easily deduce she had stopped drawing breath altogether.

She remained completely paralyzed and unresponsive, bearing a striking resemblance to a lifeless form.

“Very well, I shall commence the restoration process.”

This entire display was fundamentally an exercise in theater to cement their ongoing alliance, meaning there was zero utility in dragging his feet.

He closed the distance to the bedside and hovered his palm directly over her brow.

‘Alright, let’s see how this fares!’

An intricate sacred emblem, completely foreign to the history of this continent, manifested against his skin, bathing the immediate area in a brilliant radiance.

Swooosh—

Unleashing the unadulterated restorative energy belonging to a Saint from an entirely separate reality.