Chapter 487: The Upper Realm (XIII)

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Swish...

Then her body began to dissolve.

Gray’s fingers closed around nothing.

Her figure broke apart into countless silver particles, scattering through the air like fragments of moonlight.

"...Oh?"

Gray looked at his empty hand.

’An illusion? No. I felt her.’

His [Spirit Eyes] immediately activated.

But before he could examine the remaining traces of energy, a pair of arms suddenly slipped around his body from behind.

One arm locked across his upper chest, with the forearm pressing firmly against his throat, while the other wrapped around his waist and pulled him backward.

His eyes widened.

THUMP!

His back struck something soft.

The familiar scent of his mother’s fragrance reached his nose.

"Now, now. That’s quite enough..."

Her voice sounded directly beside his ear.

Gray immediately reached for the arm around his neck.

He tried to pull it away.

Nothing happened.

His strength seemed to have become completely meaningless. The woman’s arm didn’t even tremble beneath his grip.

’...What?’

He twisted his body, attempting to break free through brute force.

Nothing...

He circulated his Mana.

Nothing.!

He attempted to use Swap.

The ability failed to find a suitable target within the surrounding space.

His expression finally changed.

’What the hell?’

"Gray, sweetheart, you’re making quite a mess."

The woman’s voice remained gentle.

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

"Release me."

"No."

"Mother."

"Yes?"

"Release me."

"I heard you the first time."

Her arms tightened slightly, keeping his body firmly pressed against hers.

The hold wasn’t painful, but the strength behind it was absurd. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t loosen her grip even a little.

And so...

"Nullification..."

A faint ripple spread from his body, only to disappear before reaching her.

Gray went still.

’She nullified my Nullification?’

No.

He examined the energy around her again.

There had been no visible interference. His ability simply hadn’t managed to establish a connection with whatever was holding him.

It was as though the difference between their existences was too great for him to comprehend.

The woman’s cheek rested lightly against the side of his head.

"You’re stronger than I expected, Gray. Much stronger. But you still have a long way to go before you start threatening people from my world."

Gray’s expression darkened.

"...Your world?"

"Mm."

"Divine Realm."

"That’s right."

He remained quiet for a moment before speaking in disgust.

"I don’t care about your world."

The woman’s arms loosened slightly.

Gray continued.

"I don’t care about the Divine Realm, your family, or the people who might be searching for me. I don’t care whether you’re a goddess, an ancient existence, or some extraordinary being who has lived for millions of years."

He turned his head as much as her hold allowed.

"I want my curse removed. That’s all."

The woman looked at him.

For the first time, her gentle expression seemed to carry a hint of helplessness.

"...You really don’t remember me, do you?"

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

’Remember you?’

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he examined her words.

There was something odd about the way she had phrased the question. She wasn’t asking whether he recognized her appearance.

She seemed to be asking whether he remembered something from his childhood, something connected to their relationship.

Unfortunately, he had no interest in pretending.

"Should I?"

Her arms became still.

Gray continued without hesitation.

"I have no memories worth mentioning involving you. So, unless you intend to explain yourself, I’d prefer to return to the subject at hand."

A quiet breath escaped her lips.

"...I see."

For a few seconds, she simply held him.

Then she slowly released his waist, although she kept one hand resting against his shoulder.

Gray immediately stepped forward and turned around, putting a little distance between them.

He looked down at his hands.

’That was troublesome.’

He had underestimated her.

No, that wasn’t quite right.

He had underestimated the difference between their strength.

His mother hadn’t even appeared to exert herself, yet she had stopped him as though he were an ordinary child throwing a tantrum.

Gray looked at her again.

"Are you finished?"

The woman gave him a small smile.

"Are you?"

"Not even close."

"...You’re stubborn."

She shook her head gently.

"Very well. Since you’ve asked so directly, I’ll answer."

Gray’s attention sharpened.

"The Curse of Uselessness has three principal components. The first conceals your innate potential, preventing your talents from revealing their true nature. The second restricts their development, forcing your abilities to grow beneath their natural limits. The final component connects the curse to your soul, ensuring its effects persist even as your body and cultivation evolve."

Gray listened without interrupting.

"Destroying the first two components alone wouldn’t remove the curse. The final component would reconstruct them over time. And attacking the final component before dismantling the other two would place your soul in danger."

"So I need to remove all three."

"Yes."

"How?"

The woman looked into his eyes.

"By finding the curse’s origin mark."

Gray’s eyebrows rose slightly.

"Origin mark?"

"The curse was created through a special authority. Its origin mark is hidden deep within your soul, beneath the layers of concealment. As long as the mark exists, the curse will continue to function."

She raised one hand.

Shine... swip!

A tiny silver symbol appeared above her palm.

Its shape resembled a delicate flower, but its petals were arranged in a pattern Gray couldn’t immediately recognize.

"Once you locate the mark, you’ll need to separate the three components from it. Only then will you be able to destroy the curse without damaging your soul."

Gray examined the symbol.

"Can you remove it?"

The woman hesitated.

"...I can."

"Then do it."

"Not here."

His expression immediately darkened.

"Why?"

"Because the curse is connected to your soul, and its removal will affect every aspect of your existence. This chamber is designed to protect the person undergoing the process, but your current condition is not suitable for such an operation."

Gray stared at her.

"You’re saying I need to become stronger first?"

"Not simply stronger. You need to develop sufficient control over your soul and understand the structure of your own abilities. Your current cultivation is impressive, but your control is still incomplete."

He clicked his tongue.

"How inconvenient."

The woman smiled faintly.

"I know."

"How long?"

"I can’t give you an exact answer. It depends on your progress."

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

"That’s not good enough."

"I understand."

"Then give me something useful. A location, a method, a technique, anything. I’m not leaving this conversation with another vague promise."

The woman regarded him for a long moment.

Then, slowly, she reached toward his forehead.

Gray’s body tensed, but her finger stopped just before touching his skin.

"There’s something I should give you first."

A small silver light appeared at her fingertip.

"Your first clue."

He glanced at the silver light hovering above her fingertip.

"Go on."

His mother smiled and gently pressed her finger against his forehead.

The moment their skin touched, a strange sensation spread through his mind.

It wasn’t pain.

Rather, it felt as though something had been placed behind his eyes, allowing him to perceive a place he had never seen before.

A vast, dark space appeared within his consciousness.

At its centre floated a faint silhouette of his soul, surrounded by countless layers of complicated markings.

Some resembled chains, others resembled delicate threads, and a few were so deeply embedded within the structure they were almost impossible to distinguish.

Then he saw it.

A small silver symbol, buried beneath everything else.

Unlike the other markings, this one seemed to have no fixed shape.

Its outline shifted whenever Gray attempted to focus on it, and a faint layer of darkness covered its surface.

"There’s the origin mark," his mother explained.

"You won’t be able to reach it through ordinary soul perception. The concealment surrounding it will interfere with your senses, and attempting to force your way through might damage the surrounding structures."

Gray carefully examined the image.

"How do I reach it?"

"You need to strengthen your control over your soul first. Once you reach the required level, I’ll teach you a technique capable of revealing its true location."

"Name?"

"Something I developed a long time ago. The Soulbound Mirror."

Gray raised an eyebrow.

"You’re telling me the first clue is a technique you haven’t taught me yet?"

His mother laughed softly.

"You’re impatient."

"I’m asking a reasonable question."

"And I’m answering it. The technique is not something you should learn in your current condition. Even understanding its principles would place unnecessary pressure on your soul."

Gray clicked his tongue.

’Another restriction. Wonderful.’

Still, he had obtained something useful.

He now knew the curse possessed an origin mark, and he had a method to eventually reveal it.

More importantly, his mother seemed capable of removing the curse herself.

He would keep that information in mind.

"Fine. I’ll learn it when I’m ready."

The woman’s smile widened.

"Good boy."

Gray’s expression stiffened.

’...Good boy?’

He decided not to comment.