"Ladies, you don't look particularly well."
After sitting down again, Loulan turned in his chair to face Lilia, who had called out to him.
Fortunately, few adventurers came to the library to read, and the place didn't have many rules, so they didn't need to move elsewhere for their conversation.
Lilia nodded, clutching her spellbook tightly to her chest with both hands, looking pitiful like a girl seeking comfort.
The thought of what she had experienced inside the Darkest Dungeon yesterday left her utterly dejected.
"Yes, I somewhat understand why Father wouldn't let me venture into a Darkest Dungeon now, though I imagine you aren't interested in that."
【No, no, no, I'm very interested!】
Loulan remained calm on the surface, but curiosity about the juicy story welled up inside. He desperately wanted to know what could leave a girl who had stood her ground against creeping-fungus monsters in such a wretched state.
In his opinion, Lilia's mental resilience was far stronger than the average person's. He knew perfectly well just how disgusting fungus-corpses were without the Beautification Filter.
And how nauseating their rotten, fishy stench was!
"This is a gift I brought you, a harmless slime pet. I'm sure it'll keep you from feeling lonely in this unfamiliar city."
With that, Lilia took an adorable little purple-and-white slime from the small satchel at her waist.
It was only the size of an adult's fist, and its entire body looked like a bouncy lump of jelly.
It was one of the magical pets she had captured while studying at the academy. Though not particularly valuable, the thoughtful young woman believed Loulan would like the gift.
Sure enough, Loulan smiled happily and accepted the little slime from her.
As he played with it in both hands, the slime's body felt more like silicone, only with the color of jelly. It was soft and slightly cool to the touch, making it deeply soothing.
At least Loulan loved the gift!
The reason was simple: under his cheat's Beautification Filter, the slime appeared as an adorable monster girl, eyes narrowed as she curled up lazily in his palm.
It struck him right in the heart!!!
"I love this gift. Tell me what you want, Lilia. As long as it's within my power and not too excessive, I'll grant your request!"
Playing with the slime pet, Loulan reclined in his chair with narrowed eyes as he spoke. He looked like a child who had received a beloved toy and become completely absorbed in it.
Lilia was delighted but also astonished. She had never imagined that someone as powerful as Loulan would be so pleased and happy with such an ordinary gift!
Without hesitation, she seized the opportunity while Loulan was in a good mood and stated her purpose for coming.
"Mr. Loulan, I want to ask you about Transcendence. I know this may be offensive, but... but... This is the most important request of my life. Please, tell me what you know. I'll do anything!"
"Huh?"
【Why am I still getting the "I'll do anything" routine even in another world?!】
The previously relaxed Loulan instantly sat upright and stared at Lilia, at a loss after hearing her say such a thing.
Should he play along with what usually came next?
Ultimately, Loulan didn't continue the joke and instead spoke.
"I'm sorry, Lilia. The truth is, I'm also just an ordinary person pursuing the path of Transcendence. I..."
Loulan suddenly stopped. Then, as though recalling something, he hunched forward and sank into thought, kneading the slime with both hands as he pondered.
Across from him, Lilia was startled by Loulan's strange state. She then pulled Vina close and waited quietly for him to come back to his senses.
【Lilia is a mage, a member of the most mysterious profession. She may know what Transcendence means, yet now she's asking me about it?
Have I overlooked some important detail? Do I already count as a transcendent life-form?】
Loulan repeatedly searched for the crucial detail he had overlooked.
Judging from her profession and their earlier conversations, Lilia had to come from a noble background. Her request couldn't have arisen from nothing. She must know what Transcendence looked like, which was why she came to ask him about it.
That conjecture was highly likely!
【Transcendence isn't strength, but a realm!】
Loulan recalled those words, one of the very few records about Transcendence that he could find!
【Relics, bonuses, and effects!】
Loulan finally spotted the crucial point he had overlooked. He remembered that only the relics he received at the beginning seemed to have the bonus attribute. Neither of the two relics he obtained afterward had it!
Perhaps this was the key to Transcendence.
【Precision, Constitution, Life. All my knowledge about these things came from the cheat, yet they aren't closely related to its abilities. Logically, this should be hidden knowledge, just like learning that treasure chests can contain star crystals! I've read for two days and two nights, yet I haven't seen these terms or their explanations in any category of book.
That's it. Perhaps this is the key to Transcendence! I was wondering why my body could defend itself instinctively while I was thinking, and why my mind and body could become two separate structures during battle without interfering with each other. This is the reason!】
"Lilia, punch me."
Loulan abruptly raised his head and looked at Lilia.
He needed to test another hypothesis!
Namely, whether the combat instincts granted by his body's +14 Precision worked the same without a nodachi in hand as they did while wielding one.
This was important!
"H-huh?! Wait... Wait a moment. You want me to punch you? This... this..."
"It's fine. Just hit me. Once I verify a few ideas, I'll tell you what I understand about Transcendence."
"Then... please forgive my rudeness."
Helpless, Lilia rose and took small steps toward Loulan. She raised her little fist, closed her eyes, and punched at his face.
"WHOOSH—"
【Just as I thought!】
Loulan easily dodged Lilia's fist, but he clearly noticed something different about his body!
His evasion speed was considerably slower than when he dodged the monsters' attacks in the dungeon!
It might have been a difference of only a fraction of a second, yet in the smallest details, it made a world of difference!
【I see... I see...】
Loulan narrowed his eyes. He gradually understood what Transcendence represented and why his Oni Girl relics had a "set" attribute.
At the same time, he also understood what a bonus meant!
【Transcendence means making the impossible possible. Can a person have two souls? In theory, that's impossible, but Transcendence makes it possible.
Transcendence means making the possible impossible. A barrel's capacity cannot exceed its shortest plank, but Transcendence forcibly alters that decisive plank! The upper and lower limits of the water are no longer determined by the shortest plank.
No wonder supernatural relics bear that name, and no wonder neither relics nor Transcendence are widely recorded or passed down. They are the embodiment of Transcendence itself, or perhaps... the key that unlocks it!】