Chapter 162 – The Warriors of the Simurian People
"Honored guests from Earth,"
the Simurian High Priest Leo suddenly said with a genial smile as the group continued their tour,
"Since there's still time, why not take a look at the warriors of the Simurian people?"
Megumi and Hakari didn't find the suggestion strange at all.
In fact, they felt it was necessary—understanding the combat strength of the Simurian warriors was part of their responsibility.
They exchanged a glance, and Hakari spoke first.
"Sounds good. I'm actually pretty curious about alien sorcerers. I'd like to see how they differ from Earth's jujutsu sorcerers."
However, the moment Leo spoke, Chief Dex's expression subtly darkened.
He had a bad feeling.
Within the Simurian people, opinions about Earth were sharply divided.
One faction, led by Dex, firmly supported coexistence.
The other, led by High Priest Leo, held a far more hostile stance.
Leo's status among the Simurians was extremely high—nearly equal to the chief himself.
That was exactly what worried Dex.
War had been etched into the Simurian people's bones for generations.
If the High Priest stirred things up now, the already difficult path toward coexistence with humanity would become even steeper.
"Very well," Leo said calmly, ignoring the subtle change in Dex's expression.
"I'll lead the way."
This visit had not been proposed on a whim.
The Simurian leadership also wanted to assess the true level of Earth's top-tier jujutsu sorcerers.
Only by understanding one another could they properly plan what came next.
Seeing this, Dex had no choice but to follow along as well—if only to prevent misunderstandings from escalating.
Before long, the group arrived at a vast training facility constructed from special alloy steel.
The interior was divided into multiple zones.
There were private training chambers, as well as dedicated combat arenas.
Megumi and Hakari observed the Simurian warriors training inside with keen interest.
At first glance, the Simurian training methods differed from those of Earth's jujutsu sorcerers—but the similarities quickly became apparent.
The methods varied, but the core philosophy was the same:
to draw out latent potential and refine control over cursed energy.
"This," Leo said cheerfully, gesturing toward one section,
"is our specially constructed gravity chamber. It can reach up to one hundred times normal gravity."
"It's extremely effective at stimulating our warriors' potential and tempering their physical bodies."
"Anyone who can withstand one hundredfold gravity is without exception a top-tier warrior among the Simurian people."
He turned toward Megumi and Hakari with a smile.
"Would the two of you like to give it a try?"
The surrounding Simurian warriors, who had been training, now looked over with interest.
One hundred times gravity.
Even among the Simurian elite, only a handful could endure it through sheer physical strength alone.
Just how much gravity could these Earth-born jujutsu sorcerers withstand?
The answer, it seemed, was about to be tested.
Dex quickly spoke up.
"Gentlemen, this device is meant to temper the body.
Most ordinary warriors have limited talent—when they can't reach higher levels in cursed energy control, they choose to strengthen their physical bodies instead."
"If you're interested, you're welcome to give it a try."
"That actually sounds pretty interesting. Let me go first."
Hakari seemed genuinely intrigued and stepped straight into the gravity chamber.
"How does this thing work?"
Inside the enclosed room, Hakari glanced around curiously.
"All you need to do is press this button," Dex explained, stepping forward and placing his hand on a red button near the entrance.
"It will start automatically."
"If at any point you can't endure it, say the word. I'll shut the machine down immediately."
"Alright. Let's do it."
Hakari was curious to see just how much gravity his body could endure without relying on cursed energy.
"Then we'll begin."
Dex pressed the button.
Red lights flared on inside the chamber, and the machine hummed to life.
In an instant, Hakari felt as though an invisible mass had dropped onto his shoulders.
The surrounding Simurian warriors crowded closer, watching with keen interest.
They, too, wanted to see what level a warrior from Earth could reach.
The gravity display began to climb.
One times… two times… three times…
As the pressure increased, veins surfaced across Hakari's skin, his muscles tightening visibly.
When the indicator reached seventy times gravity, Hakari finally felt the strain in earnest.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Murmurs rippled through the Simurian warriors.
Enduring seventyfold gravity using only one's body already qualified as formidable even among their own ranks.
"Mr. Hakari doesn't seem to have reached his limit yet," someone murmured.
Seventy-one… seventy-two… seventy-three…
The gravity continued to rise.
At eighty-five times gravity, Hakari finally felt himself nearing his limit.
At that moment, a surge of powerful cursed energy burst from his body, counteracting the crushing force.
Instantly, the pressure lightened.
Having activated cursed energy, Hakari didn't continue the test. He stepped out of the chamber.
"Looks like my body alone still can't handle a hundredfold gravity. Sorry if that disappointed anyone."
Hakari himself was slightly surprised.
Among jujutsu sorcerers, his physical strength ranked near the top—very few could surpass him in raw bodily resilience.
And yet, even so, he couldn't endure one hundred times gravity on flesh alone.
Of course, with prolonged training in this gravity chamber, it might eventually be possible.
Still, this alone proved one thing:
The Simurian warriors were not to be underestimated.
"Eighty-five times gravity is already rare even among our strongest warriors," Dex said with a smile.
"There's nothing laughable about that."
Internally, Dex was equally shocked.
The representatives sent by Earth were clearly among their strongest—otherwise this wouldn't have been possible.
If every jujutsu sorcerer on Earth were this strong… that would be terrifying.
"Hahaha! Earth's jujutsu sorcerers truly live up to their reputation."
High Priest Leo stepped forward, laughing loudly.
"This display has made our warriors rather eager.
Might the two honored guests be willing to spar with them—just a friendly exchange—to show that there is always someone stronger beyond the sky?"
"High Priest," Dex interrupted sharply,
"These two are our honored guests. This isn't a place for reckless behavior."
Dex shot Leo a warning look, clearly telling him not to stir trouble.
"Chief," Leo replied calmly, unfazed,
"How can friendly sparring be considered recklessness? This is simply cultural exchange."
Ignoring Dex entirely, Leo subtly gestured to those beside him.
Immediately, members aligned with the High Priest chimed in.
"Exactly, Chief! Since our guests have come all this way, shouldn't we show them everything? That's true respect."
"You—!"
Dex's expression darkened as he prepared to reprimand them.
But before he could speak, Megumi Fushiguro calmly stepped forward.
"Since Mr. Leo insists," Megumi said evenly,
"I don't mind sparring a bit."
Truth be told, he had been wondering how strong the Simurian elite truly were.
And now, the opportunity had walked straight into his hands.
It seemed the High Priest was thinking the same thing.