Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2832 - 2833: A New Guest Inside Of Kireinaʼs Realm

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Lazuli smiled warmly and glanced at the floor for a moment before gently touching X0-9ʼs crystal and nodding.

”When we were inside that Spirit Domain, and Blaze and I were within the Spirit Beast, we were all connected to you. You might not have realized it because you were asleep, but you were the one feeding us power.”

”…I donʼt remember that, but… it makes sense. I was designated as the Core of the Spirit Domain by the Crystal Deity.”

”Yes, we were connected. Our minds… our souls. I saw what made you who you are, X0-9. I know that despite what you say, deep down you long for freedom. You want to truly experience the world and life, donʼt you?”

”You donʼt know me…”

”But… I want to know you! I want to help you. Weʼre all here because we want to do something for you.”

”…I thought you only wanted information from me,” X0-9 said coldly.

”That is part of it,” Kireina admitted honestly, ”but itʼs not everything. Iʼm truly sorry for what youʼve been through, and I genuinely want to help. Lazuli and Blaze feel the same, and theyʼre like daughters to me, so you can imagine Iʼll do everything in my power to support them in helping you.”

”…Irritating,” X0-9 sighed, closing his eyes.

Lazuli stepped closer again, her eyes full of emotion. She caressed the crystal and slowly infused her own psychic power.

Indeed.

”…?!”

X0-9ʼs eyes snapped open, widening in disbelief at what he felt.

”Our connection wasnʼt meaningless. Your power is incredibly vast, and it helped me awaken as an Esper too.”

”…”

”I may not be as strong as you, but… I understand what youʼve endured more than anyone here. Blaze does too. And we want to help you.”

She spoke directly into his mind now, their telepathic link private.

Then Lazuli showed him something she had kept hidden until this moment—her own memories.

”Iʼve suffered a lot too… See for yourself.”

X0-9 would normally have refused, claiming disinterest, but the connection between them softened him more than he wanted to admit.

So he looked.

He saw her entire life, her countless struggles and tragedies, how she had lost everything over and over again.

It truly felt as if life itself had been trying to break her, as if Fate opposed her at every turn whenever she tried to stand.

”Youʼve gone through so much… Lazuli…”

X0-9 let out a quiet sigh, realizing he might not be the only one here who had suffered terribly.

Perhaps there were people who had endured even worse and still kept moving forward.

”I… maybe I really donʼt know what Iʼm doing. Everything Iʼve witnessed and learned has left my kind deeply scarred. Iʼm sorry… these might be the first real conversations Iʼve ever had. I was always treated as nothing more than a tool.”

”Thatʼs… all right,” Blaze said gently, joining the telepathic link. ”Your gift has connected us even more strongly. We want to help you too.”

”Donʼt you want a body that can move freely?” Lazuli asked aloud. ”If you donʼt want the system, thatʼs fine. I think we can still make something, right, Kireina-sama?”

”I can definitely create something,” Kireina nodded. ”There are several possibilities, though none will be simple. His origin is a Cosmic World, so his true body exists at a Cosmic Level—he just doesnʼt know it yet. We can try awakening his real Cosmic Power.”

”C-Cosmic… Power? Me?” the Esper asked, stunned.

”As you and your people discovered, the Earth you came from isnʼt the original. Itʼs a copy created by entities beyond the stars with some greater purpose,” Kireina explained. ”There are two more layered worlds, forming three ʼFloorsʼ inside a massive Dimensional Dungeon. I believe theyʼre trying to harvest something—perhaps an enormous accumulation of Fate.”

”…Fate?” X0-9ʼs eyes widened. ”Why?”

”To alter reality itself,” Kireina replied. ”To do something that should not be allowed. Meeting you might have been this dying copy of Earthʼs will reaching out, begging to be saved instead of abandoned.”

”…!” X0-9 looked down, finally grasping the truth. ”How can I awaken this power?”

”It will take time,” Kireina said, glancing at Charlotte, who nodded in agreement.

”Yeah, but weʼll manage,” Charlotte added, adjusting her glasses. ”I already have a few ideas. The quickest method is the special drug we gave the humans we recruited—it strengthens the body and unlocks hidden potential.”

”That could work,” Kireina agreed. ”Iʼll also craft some accessories to keep his body stable in the meantime.”

”Good thinking,” Charlotte said.

”Hmm… damn it, he reminds me of myself for some reason,” Redgaria muttered, rolling his eyes. ”Fine, Iʼll help too.”

X0-9 stared in surprise. So many people he had only just met genuinely cared.

”Oh, you want to help?” Kireina teased. ”And what exactly can you do?”

”Have you forgotten who I am? A Necromancer—better than anyone here,” Redgaria replied. ”My specialty is corpses and bodies. I can analyze his biology with my spells and eliminate that fragility completely… but I canʼt stay long. My sister is waiting.”

”Youʼre in America, right?” Charlotte asked. ”Any strange news from there? According to what this child saw, even the President died.”

”Thatʼs the weird part,” Redgaria said. ”Nothing. No reports of the President dying, no invasion from the Spirit Plane, no crystals everywhere.”

”Wait, what do you mean?” Kireina frowned.

”The President is alive and well,” Redgaria continued. ”If weʼre talking about recent events, it should be Richard Ford, correct?”

”Yes…” X0-9 confirmed. ”But I saw his head explode.”

”Exactly,” Redgaria nodded. ”I saw it too, yet heʼs perfectly fine over there. America is… bizarrely normal right now.”

”Could the planet have shielded them from the disaster?” Wagyu spoke up at last. He had watched the Esperʼs memories in silence and felt quietly moved by the boyʼs pain. ”From what we saw, the planet has a powerful protective mechanism, doesnʼt it?”

”More like a consciousness,” Kireina clarified. ”It manifests a special dimension whenever supernatural events occur to protect ordinary people.”

”Thatʼs insane,” Kekensha rumbled. ”The kidʼs lucky he ended up here. You wonʼt face anything like that in our territory.”

”Uh…” X0-9 managed a small nod, still startled by the talking wolves. ”Okay… thank you.”

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