Chapter Seventy-Two: In Front of Me, Don’t Be Too Adorable, Don’t Act Cute

“Teleportation? That sounds incredible. Superpowers really do come in all forms. I’ve heard that even among cultivators, teleportation is extremely difficult to achieve.”

“Are cultivators and superpowered people the same?”

“Not at all. Why don’t you finish telling me about your superpower first? Then I’ll tell you about the world of cultivators. That way, you’ll understand the basic knowledge and... the harsh reality of cultivation.”

“I’m not some naive young girl. I understand how cruel the world can be. ... As for the rest, there are only seven Level 5 superpowered people in the city, and I’m ranked third. But those rankings are just something Academy City made up themselves. We’ve never actually fought—who knows what would happen? Still, I’m very confident in myself.”

“So you’re the third strongest in your world. That means your world isn’t all that mysterious compared to this one.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Acting all high and mighty... I don’t know about ‘mystery levels,’ but I refuse to believe there’s anyone stronger than me. That would be like a Level 6, someone who’s stepped into the realm of gods with a mortal body. That’s just a legend.”

“You’re so confident it’s almost arrogance. Don’t bring your worldview into the world of cultivation. Academy City is barely a third the size of Tokyo. In this world, powerful cultivators can destroy all of Japan with a single blow—or even sink the entire Japanese archipelago.” Qi spoke with disdain.

“That’s impossible! Are you saying they’re gods? Wouldn’t this world be mostly destroyed by now? You’re exaggerating. You don’t even know how big Japan is.” Mikoto’s mouth fell open in shock, then she puffed up her cheeks in defiance. Her babyish face looked especially adorable.

Qi scooted his stool back a bit. “I’ve been to Earth, even lived in Japan for about a week, so don’t doubt my words. And you’ll have to change your worldview. This world is vast—imagine a landmass the size of the Milky Way. Destroying an area the size of Japan wouldn’t even make a dent in the cultivation world.”

Little Mikoto was completely stunned. Land the size of the Milky Way? How big was this planet? It defied all reason.

“Now you see how vast the world of cultivation is. Even if you’re the strongest on Earth, you might be completely insignificant in the Milky Way. Soon, you’ll witness just how expansive this world is. I’m just warning you not to be overconfident—otherwise, you could die easily. That’s the second thing I must warn you about. In the cultivation world, there are no laws. Strength is everything. If a powerful cultivator encounters a weaker one alone, they can kill them at will—as long as they’re not afraid of offending someone stronger behind them.”

Qi wasn’t ready to tell her yet about the time when millions of mortals in the Qi Kingdom were slaughtered in a single night. That was too cruel for a girl—now just a baby—who had just arrived from Earth.

“Isn’t there anyone to keep order? Wouldn’t the world descend into chaos?” She couldn’t begin to imagine such scenes of senseless slaughter. For a kind-hearted girl who had never killed anyone, this was the wrong place for her.

“In the cities of cultivators, at least people hold back a little, because there are so many strong ones around, and no one dares to act recklessly. But in less populated areas, it all comes down to the mood of the strong—whether they feel like killing you or not. Well, I’m just a rookie who’s newly stepped into the world of cultivation myself, so I only know the basics. I’m not clear on the specifics.”

She fell silent. “So you’re just a rookie yourself?”

“There are nine levels among cultivators: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Soul Division, Integration, Great Ascension, and Tribulation Crossing. But in this world, only the first five levels exist. Once you reach the sixth, you ascend to the Spirit Realm—a world even more powerful.

I’m currently at the first level, Qi Refining, but my actual combat ability is at the second level, Foundation Establishment. The power you’ve shown is about the same. A cultivator who can destroy Japan with a single blow would be a top-tier practitioner at the fourth level, Nascent Soul. So, yes, I’m just a rookie.”

He had learned all this from jade slips found in his storage pouch, probably left by those three unlucky Core Formation cultivators.

Little Mikoto was digesting all this information. Though it was overwhelming, she wasn’t stupid. Gradually, she sketched a vague outline of the cultivation world in her mind.

“The congee’s ready. Eat up, then get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll head to a cultivator city.”

Mikoto took the bowl of lean meat and vegetable congee and sipped it slowly, looking rather downcast.

“I’ve been discouraging you too much—that’s my fault. But it’s for your own good. Here’s some good news: No matter how much time you spend here, when you return to your own world, time there will have been frozen. You can treat this as a super-long dream—just make sure you don’t die.”

He just didn’t want to see a baby hanging her head, brow furrowed in worry. That’s what Qi told himself.

“Really? I thought I’d be missing from Academy City for over a hundred days! No matter how vast this world is, or how many people are stronger than me, so what? I’m Mikoto Misaka—I won’t ever give up. If I could rise from Level 1 to where I am now, I can surpass them here too. Because I’m Mikoto Misaka, and I won’t allow anyone to be stronger than me.”

Mikoto felt revitalized once more. A surge of vitality and confidence radiated from her every word.

Qi took a few steps back and continued gnawing on his roasted meat with a blank expression.

“Hey, are you always trying to keep your distance from me, or am I imagining things?” The energetic Mikoto eyed the boy suspiciously. The congee was delicious; she smacked her lips contentedly, her babyish cheeks puffing out.

“It’s your imagination. Since we’ll be together for a while, why don’t we make a few ground rules?” He averted his face, still expressionless.

“Huh? Isn’t that my line? Fine, I’ll start. First, you’re not allowed to treat me like a baby—I’m actually a perfectly normal teenage girl on the inside. And from now on, you can’t kill Gua Tai, or any kittens, or…” Mikoto began to chatter away.

Qi kept gnawing on his meat, face unmoved.

Suddenly the chatter stopped, and Qi looked up, still expressionless.

Mikoto, frustrated, manipulated the metallic sand to form words: “My vocal cords aren’t fully developed. I’ve been using electricity to stimulate them in order to speak, but now it’s getting uncomfortable. If I keep talking, it might affect their development.”

Qi’s blank face twitched. “Then let me state my rules. First, stop acting cute, stop being adorable, and don’t display any of your charms in front of me.”

‘.......’

(Can anyone not guess? Misaka all the way!)