Chapter 243: True Colors
Uhtred massaged his temple lightly.
What does this mean? he asked himself. If he were to take Handler Roy’s words as law, it meant this world was real in a tangible, living sense.
Which would then mean that the System truly operated differently in certain areas within this scenario world.
But why?
That was Uhtred’s primary issue with this line of reasoning. Why would the System alter the core rules that governed the rest of the multiverse here within the Tower?
Or is it tied to whoever owns this Tower...?
By now, Uhtred already recognized that whoever or whatever controlled the Illustrious Tower of Wonders possessed the authority to overwrite System rules on some level. But if this was also a result of that, then the might of this mysterious entity had just skyrocketed in his mind.
He let out a sigh and shook the thoughts away. He was sure the revelation was another clue to unraveling the mystery of this scenario world, but for the meantime, he needed to focus on the present.
The current situation was already crazy enough.
This kid... isn’t this way too overpowered?
Uhtred couldn’t help but marvel once more at how absurdly effortless their infiltration had been.
The two of them were right at the center of the Demonic Cult, hiding atop one of the taller buildings. How they had gotten so deep so easily had boggled Uhtred’s mind.
Of course, they had still done the bare minimum of disguising themselves since Lucky’s face was already known in the Demonic Cult.
But the series of improbable events that followed made Uhtred realize how broken the kid’s ability was.
Just as they drew near the central territories of the cult, they had been intercepted by a patrolling party led by an old Nascent Realm cultivator.
Before they even had a chance to explain who they were, the man had jumped to the conclusion that they were merchants who had been expected by the Demonic Cult.
The two had played along, but Uhtred knew the confusion wouldn’t last for long.
They passed by several checkpoints, each one becoming more stringent to the point where Uhtred knew they would be found out soon enough.
Yet, precisely when exposure appeared imminent, chaos appeared out of nowhere, allowing them to slip away smoothly.
Because of how lawless the lands here were, violence was rampant. So long as you were still out in the wilderness and not within any of the Demonic Cult cities, you were free game. Even blood relatives regularly turned on one another over coveted resources.
So long as the other party had something you coveted, you could take advantage of their travel to launch an attack — and that was exactly what happened.
For the old demonic cultivator they traveled with, the situation was even worse. He wasn’t ambushed by an outside party or a hidden family member waiting along the path. Instead, a mutiny erupted within his own travel party.
The journey had been progressing smoothly, but in the next breath, chaos ensued, providing the perfect cover for Uhtred and Lucky to slip away cleanly.
From that moment until now, even more absurd coincidences occurred — right from their passage through the main Demonic Cult city gates, to the series of weird occurrences that allowed them to infiltrate the central sect within the cult.
"That’s where they’re keeping her..." Lucky whispered, pointing toward a grand, pavilion-style palace at the center of the inner court.
Uhtred narrowed his eyes, examining the structure. "Are you sure? That just looks like a palace to me?"
"It is. That’s why I said she’s in there. The only person who can extract that thing from her body is the Heavenly Demon himself."
"...so you know about that thing?" Uhtred asked with a frown. How much more did the kid know if he already knew what was inside Nayu An?
The kid offered a sly smile.
"Yes. I know there’s something inside your friend that would benefit you greatly if extracted. And I also know the Heavenly Demon is the only one here with the capability to extract it."
Uhtred frowned. That explanation seemed way too convenient. But then again, he had just seen how convenient Lucky’s ability could be with his own eyes.
"How powerful is the guy?" Uhtred asked after a short beat. "The Heavenly Demon... Do you know what Realm he is?"
"The Awakened Realm," Lucky replied immediately. "He’s the only one of two Awakened Realm cultivators in this world. The other belongs to the Righteous factions."
"...In this world?" Uhtred fixed a piercing gaze on the boy. "You say that as if there are other worlds out there..."
The first time could have been written off as Lucky simply being... playful. But now? His choice of words had been too specific.
Uhtred stared at the kid, waiting for him to explain himself.
Suddenly, the expression on Lucky’s face shifted entirely. He turned to face Uhtred robotically, his bright eyes turning unnervingly blank and cold.
"Of course there are other worlds out there... Why are you trying to play dumb? You’re an Otherworlder, aren’t you?"
A look of mild confusion washed over Uhtred’s face — a flawless mask mirroring what Jor-than’s genuine reaction as a local would be if confronted with such a bizarre claim.
"I see... So you really are going to keep playing dumb," Lucky hummed softly. "I suppose that makes sense. You wouldn’t want to expose your identity to a local, after all..."
As Lucky spoke, Uhtred’s danger senses flared. He still had the mask of confusion on his face, but he was already scouring the surroundings with his senses.
Demonic cultivators littered the area. Powerful Nascent Realm cultivators who should’ve locked onto their position a long time ago, but for some reason, glossed over the tall building where they hid.
"...It’s alright. You don’t need to tell me anything. I already know you’re an Otherworlder anyway," Lucky continued, his voice growing ominous with each word.
At this point, Uhtred had begun to notice a change down below. The Nascent Realm cultivators who had glossed over their hiding spot before now began to patrol the area more than usual.
Slowly, it was as though Lucky was undoing whatever lucky effect made them gloss over their position.
"You should understand your situation by now," Lucky said, his meaning clear. He was using their precarious location in the heart of enemy territory as leverage.
"You asked earlier what I want from you, didn’t you? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Know-It-All, but it isn’t entertainment... I’m not just ’bored’ like you said," Lucky continued. "No. I need you for something far more important than that."
He paused, as if expecting Uhtred to ask what his motive was. But Uhtred simply stared at him with a flat expression. The mask of confusion was gone — at this point it was useless to keep pretending — but he still didn’t admit verbally.
He saw right through the boy’s scheme. They were in the center of the Demonic Cult, and Lucky could expose their location at any second.
He had already told Uhtred that Nayu An was in the Heavenly Demon’s palace, but right before Uhtred could begin looking for methods to infiltrate, the kid had made his true intentions known.
He clearly wanted something from Uhtred, and this was the best time to force Uhtred’s hand about it...
But Uhtred could see through all of it.
He still didn’t know what Lucky wanted. But at the end of the day, Lucky was still a kid in his eyes. Even this scheme didn’t seem to take him by surprise.
In fact, thinking about it, it was expected.
He simply stared down at the boy with cold, unimpressed eyes, refusing to let him hold the momentum in their exchange.
Uhtred’s nonchalance visibly irked the kid. His eye twitched, and his confident smile curdled into a sour scowl. He stepped directly up to Uhtred, whispering venomously.
"I took you for someone sharp, but it seems you need me to spell it out for you! You are in no position to put on this false bravado. We are standing at the heart of the Demonic Cult. All I have to do is stop extending my luck to you, and powerhouses far beyond your level will lock onto this roof in a second," he seethed.
"I’m sure you don’t want this to end in a bloodbath, so listen to me very carefully—"
"No," Uhtred cut him off sharply. "You listen to me very carefully!"
He took a sudden, aggressive step forward, forcing Lucky to stagger back in shock. The superficial air of mystery and danger the boy had tried to project shattered instantly, replaced by a flash of genuine fear in his eyes.
For a second, he looked like nothing more than the frightened fifteen-year-old he actually was.
"You might think yourself untouchable because your luck prevents me from striking you down directly," Uhtred said, his voice low. "Who knows what will happen if I decide to attack you? I guess that’s where your confidence is coming from... But if you think that is enough to make me bend to your wishes, then you are sorely mistaken."
"Every ability has a limit. You are not as invulnerable as you make yourself seem. I don’t know what your weakness is yet... but I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon," Uhtred grinned. "For the meantime, drop the fucking act. The fact that you’re hiding here with me means even you are afraid to be found out..."
"There are people in the Demonic Cult who know the weakness to your ability, am I right?"
His questions were hard hitting, causing Lucky to stammer an incoherent response. This definitely didn’t play out like he had expected.
"You clearly know there is something within Nayu An that I want. It seems even you want this thing too. Even more, you know exactly what it is..." Uhtred strode forward with every word, each of his deductions eliciting a surprised reaction from Lucky.
"So here’s what’s going to happen..."