10:00 PM - Living Quarters, Level B6
The underground facility had settled into its nighttime routine, but sleep seemed impossible for everyone involved in the day's extraordinary events. Min-woo sat on the edge of his bed in the spartan but comfortable room, staring at his hands as residual electrical energy occasionally flickered between his fingers.
The Lightning God's Descent had changed him in ways he was only beginning to understand. It wasn't just the technique itself—it was the memories, the knowledge, the terrifying glimpse into what unlimited power could offer. Even now, hours after the absorption protocol, he could still hear The Infinite One's whispers in the back of his mind.
"You felt it, didn't you? The certainty that comes with overwhelming strength. Why struggle with politics and negotiations when you could simply impose your will?"
Min-woo closed his eyes and forced the voice away. Each time it became a little harder to resist the seductive logic of absolute power.
[END OF DAY 2 - PROGRESS ASSESSMENT]Days Remaining: 87 Techniques in Active Development: Lightning God's Descent (67% mastery) Consciousness Contamination: 31% (Elevated but stable) System Synchronization: 81% (+3% from intensive training) Overall Combat Effectiveness: +78% improvement from Day 1
[MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS ACHIEVED]
Revolutionary contamination management protocol Controlled access to The Infinite One's knowledge Discovery of Ultimate Technique: Infinite Annihilation Strike Proof that rapid advancement is possible without identity loss
[CRITICAL CONCERNS]
Contamination baseline slowly rising despite absorption The Infinite One's influence becoming more sophisticated Moral corruption temptations increasing with power level Ultimate technique requires dangerous contamination levels System Status Review
Min-woo opened his system interface to review the day's comprehensive changes:
[RANDOM NETWORK FUSION]Status: Available but untested Function: 7 martial arts chaos combination Risk Level: Extreme (Unpredictable power output) Recommendation: Test only under maximum safety protocols
[CONTROLLED CONSCIOUSNESS FUSION]Status: Proven effective Function: 10+ martial arts systematic assembly Activation: 30%+ contamination required Risk Management: Void Swallow absorption protocol Success Rate: 94% with proper preparation
[ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE ACCESS]Name: Infinite Annihilation Strike Requirements: 40%+ contamination + 15 technique mastery Power Classification: Transcendent (Beyond current rating system) Usage Limit: Once per day maximum Critical Risk: Total identity loss if absorption fails
The numbers told the story of impossible advancement compressed into a single day. But they also highlighted the growing dangers that came with each level of power gained.
Midnight Visitor
A soft knock on his door interrupted Min-woo's contemplation. He opened it to find Ji-eun standing in the hallway, wearing comfortable pajamas and carrying two cups of tea.
"I figured you wouldn't be sleeping either," she said with a gentle smile. "Mind if I come in?"
Min-woo stepped aside to let her enter. Ji-eun handed him one of the cups and settled into the room's single chair while he returned to sitting on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, studying his face with the careful attention she usually reserved for complex theoretical problems. "Really feeling, not just the system readouts and technique assessments."
Min-woo sipped his tea, considering the question. "Powerful," he said finally. "More powerful than I ever imagined possible. But also... hollow. Like the power doesn't completely belong to me."
"Because it doesn't," Ji-eun replied softly. "The knowledge, the memories, the instinctive understanding of these techniques—they're borrowed from someone who was fundamentally different from you. Someone who saw people as tools and power as the only truth that mattered."
She leaned forward, her expression serious. "Min-woo, I've been analyzing the neural scans from today's sessions. Each time you access The Infinite One's knowledge, it leaves traces. Not just in your qi patterns, but in your brain chemistry. The contamination isn't just spiritual—it's physically altering your thought processes."
Min-woo felt a chill that had nothing to do with the underground facility's temperature. "You're saying I'm becoming him on a biological level?"
"I'm saying that power always changes the person who wields it. The question is whether you're changing into someone you want to be, or someone you're terrified of becoming."
Deeper Concerns
Ji-eun pulled out a small tablet displaying complex neurological data. "Look at this pattern from when you were deciding whether to attack the facility's exits during the high contamination phase. Your decision-making pathways temporarily rewired themselves to match patterns associated with sociopathic behavior—complete lack of empathy, pure cost-benefit analysis of human life."
"But I fought against it," Min-woo protested. "I chose to resist."
"This time. But each exposure strengthens those neural pathways. It's like... like addiction, but for a way of thinking. The Infinite One's mindset becomes easier to access, more natural, more logical."
She reached over and took his hand. "I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying it because we need to be honest about what we're asking of you. Every technique you master using his knowledge makes you a little more like him. And eventually..."
"Eventually I won't want to resist anymore," Min-woo finished. "Because his way will feel like the right way."
"Exactly. The contamination isn't just about personality suppression—it's about gradual philosophical corruption. Making ruthlessness seem reasonable, making power seem like the only solution to complex problems."
The Weight of Choice
Min-woo set down his tea cup and stared at the floor. "So what you're telling me is that every time I get stronger, I become more dangerous. Not just to enemies, but to everyone I care about."
"I'm telling you that we need safeguards beyond just the absorption protocol. We need... anchors. Things that remind you who you chose to be, not who The Infinite One wants you to become."
She squeezed his hand gently. "That's part of why I'm here. To be your anchor to humanity when the power starts telling you that humanity is weakness."
Min-woo looked up at her, seeing the determination in her eyes mixed with unmistakable fear. "You're scared of me."
"I'm scared for you," she corrected. "There's a difference. I'm scared that we'll succeed in making you strong enough to stand against the national champions, but lose you in the process. That we'll create someone with your face and your memories, but with The Infinite One's heart."
Promises and Resolve
"Then help me stay myself," Min-woo said, meeting her gaze directly. "Whatever it takes. If you see me starting to change, if the way I talk or think or treat people starts to shift—tell me. Stop me. Do whatever you have to do."
"Even if it means limiting your power growth? Even if it means we might not be ready for the tournament?"
Min-woo considered this carefully. The smart tactical choice would be to prioritize winning above all else. The Infinite One's memories showed him countless examples of situations where moral flexibility had led to victory, where caring about individuals had led to strategic defeats.
But that was exactly the kind of thinking Ji-eun was warning him about.
"Yes," he said firmly. "I'd rather lose as myself than win as him."
Ji-eun smiled for the first time since entering his room. "That's the Min-woo I fell in love with."
The words hung in the air between them, more admission than either had planned to make. They looked at each other in surprise, then embarrassment, then something deeper.
"You..." Min-woo started.
"I didn't mean to say it like that," Ji-eun said quickly, her cheeks flushing. "But it's true. And it's important you know that someone cares about who you are, not just what you can do."
Intimate Understanding
"I care about you too," Min-woo said softly. "More than I should, considering how dangerous this is getting. The rational thing would be to keep you away from me until the contamination situation is resolved."
"The rational thing," Ji-eun replied, moving from the chair to sit beside him on the bed, "would be a lot of things we're not doing. But rational isn't always right."
She leaned against his shoulder, and Min-woo felt something he hadn't realized he'd been missing—simple human contact that wasn't about power or techniques or survival. Just the warmth of someone who cared about him.
"Tell me about the memories," she said quietly. "Not the techniques or the combat applications. Tell me about what it felt like to be him."
Min-woo was quiet for a long moment, trying to find words for the experience. "Lonely," he said finally. "Incredibly lonely. All that power, all that knowledge, and no one who could understand or relate to what he was going through. Everyone was either an enemy to defeat or a tool to use."
"Is that what he's offering you? An end to loneliness through dominance?"
"Among other things. He shows me visions of what it would be like to never worry about threats, to never feel vulnerable or uncertain. To know that no matter what happened, I would be strong enough to handle it."
"But the cost..."
"Is becoming someone that no one could love. Someone that no one would want to be close to." Min-woo turned to look at Ji-eun. "That's why what you said matters so much. It reminds me what I'd be giving up if I chose his path."
Future Planning
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, both processing the weight of the day's revelations and the implications for their future.
"Tomorrow we start work on the Infinite Barrier Method," Ji-eun said eventually. "Another Heaven-tier technique, which means another round of high contamination exposure."
"And more temptation to take shortcuts," Min-woo added. "More whispers about how much easier everything would be if I just stopped fighting the obvious solutions."
"But also more opportunity to prove that you can gain power without losing yourself. Each time you successfully resist the corruption, you build up psychological immunity to it."
"Is that how it works?"
"I hope so. Because the alternative is that we're slowly poisoning your soul one technique at a time."
The Infinite One's Response
As if summoned by their conversation, Min-woo felt the familiar presence stirring in the back of his mind.
"How touching," The Infinite One's voice carried cold amusement. "You speak of love and humanity as if they matter. Tell me, child, when the Ice Emperor freezes your precious friends solid, will love protect them? When the Sword Emperor's techniques pierce through sentiment and strike at your heart, will your moral superiority save anyone?"
Min-woo didn't respond directly, but Ji-eun noticed his expression change.
"He's talking to you right now, isn't he?" she asked.
"Always. It's getting harder to tell when it's my thoughts and when it's his influence. He makes everything sound so logical, so necessary."
"Because it is. Power is the only currency that matters in the end. Everything else—love, friendship, moral principles—they're luxuries you can only afford when you're strong enough to protect them. And right now, you're not."
"But maybe," Min-woo said aloud, addressing both Ji-eun and the voice in his head, "the whole point is learning to be strong enough to protect what matters without becoming something that destroys it in the process."
Resolution and Rest
Ji-eun eventually returned to her own room, but not before making Min-woo promise to wake her if the contamination symptoms got worse during the night. As she left, she paused at the door.
"Min-woo? Tomorrow is going to be harder than today. But remember—every time you choose to remain yourself despite the power offered, you're proving that The Infinite One was wrong. That strength and humanity can coexist."
After she left, Min-woo lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Lightning occasionally flickered across his fingertips without conscious direction, a reminder of the forces now flowing through his system.
[NIGHT STATUS UPDATE]Contamination Baseline: 31% (Stable) Psychological State: Conflicted but determined Relationship Bonds: Strengthened (Anchor points established) The Infinite One Activity: Low-level constant influence Tomorrow's Challenge: Infinite Barrier Method + Advanced Combination Training
[PERSONAL RESOLVE CONFIRMED]
Maintain identity despite power acquisition Use Ji-eun and team as moral anchors Resist temptation of easy solutions through overwhelming force Prove that strength and humanity are compatible
As sleep finally began to take him, Min-woo made a silent promise to the person he had been before all this started: no matter how strong he became, no matter what powers he gained, he would not let The Infinite One's legacy of loneliness and domination become his own.
The real test would come tomorrow, when they began pushing the boundaries even further.
[END OF DAY 2]Status: Foundation established for controlled advancement Key Relationship: Romantic connection with Ji-eun confirmed as moral anchor Primary Challenge: Maintaining humanity while gaining godlike power Next Objective: Infinite Barrier Method mastery without increased corruption
📊 Chapter 20 Complete SummaryMajor Achievements of Chapter 20:
✅ Revolutionary Training Environment: Facility Zero-Seven established
✅ System Evolution: Random Network Fusion (7 techniques) unlocked
✅ Lightning God's Descent: 67% mastery achieved in single day
✅ Contamination Management: Real-time absorption protocol proven
✅ Ultimate Technique: Infinite Annihilation Strike discovered
✅ Moral Anchoring: Romantic bond with Ji-eun established as corruption countermeasure
Critical Developments:
⚠️ Contamination Baseline Rising: 29% → 31% despite absorption success
⚠️ Neural Pattern Changes: Physical brain alterations from consciousness exposure
⚠️ The Infinite One's Evolution: More sophisticated temptation strategies
⚠️ Ultimate Power Access: Transcendent abilities available but extremely dangerous
Setup for Chapter 21: Infinite Barrier Method introduction and mastery attempt Advanced combination training using controlled contamination Testing of Random Network Fusion system under safe conditions Continued development of moral anchoring techniques Preparation for first Perfect Combination attempt
Training Progress: Day 2 of 89 Complete - Extraordinary advancement achieved with manageable risks