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“Well, here we go again.”

It was the start of my twelfth life. Sitting in the barn, I stared blankly for a while.

General Hwang Yeon’s rampage led to my untimely demise! Honestly, I didn’t think I’d live long, but dying in such a ridiculous way felt absurd. One moment the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard was human, the next he turned into a demon, and to top it off, Yeodong-bin used all his energy and died trying to save me. Just wow.

However, maybe it made sense from Yeodong-bin’s perspective. The forces from the Demon Subduing Hall that sent him likely wanted to use him to open a dimension door to Dark Heaven Village. If that opened, a great calamity would fall upon the world; for someone like Yeodong-bin, an immortal guardian of humanity, it was a must to prevent it, even at the cost of his own life. I had even received his life-saving help before, so I decided not to dwell on it.

But the real problem was why I failed. I distinctly summoned all the ties I could think of in Luoyang and managed to create a powerful faction. Normally, that alone should have been enough to wipe out the remnants of the Golden Eagle Guard. But due to the consistently bad circumstances, I had no choice but to leave without a proper fight.

‘My last life was full of events. This makes it hard to understand why I lost.’

This was new for me. Until now, I could pinpoint exactly what I did wrong, but my last life was packed with experiences, making it difficult to find the reason.

Ugh…

After much pondering, I still couldn’t figure out where I went wrong. If I had to pinpoint something, it would be that the rescue time for General Hwang was delayed. Yet, intuitively I felt like there were deeper issues. It was the instinct of a reborn person.

So what should I do?

‘For now, I guess I have to conserve my time.’

First, I decided to acquire the Heavenly Secret and the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and then think.

As I tried to move, my whole body felt stiff and sore. My internal power was fully charged, but the aftereffects of Great Destruction made my muscles ache like I’d been through a whirlwind of pain. Gritting my teeth, I suppressed the pain for a moment and then bolted out.

Getting the Heavenly Secret was hardly worth talking about. After acquiring it, I tried to read the scroll again, but it just wouldn’t cooperate. So I sprinted towards Mount Huang.

Thud! Thud!

I practiced the Soul Removal Technique I had learned from the Extreme Tiger as I dashed towards the mountain, but it felt more like I was stumbling around like a clumsy fool. It wasn’t the amazing technique the Extreme Tiger displayed. I started to suspect that he might have taught me the wrong version. But since he had taught Lee Kwang first, it probably wasn’t the case.

Upon reaching Mount Huang, after digging out the flowers and roots of the Black and White Lotus, I managed to acquire remnants of Xuyou.

Splash!

After grabbing a gold bar, I began to battle the giant spider. Previously, I had handled it with ease, but now, it felt like I was facing a weak opponent with my significantly improved swordplay. When the giant spider leaped out of the abyss, I charged in with a Sword Flame technique.

Slash!

After casting Thunderclap and Baek Woong’s Formation, I destroyed the giant spider in less than fifty seconds. Once again, I slammed its corpse against the nearest wall. Wondering how to acquire its treasure, I decided to unleash my sword’s flame and go to town on the body.

Splatter!

Acidic fluid sprayed everywhere. After it settled, I noticed something dark resting under the giant spider’s body. I thought it might be its treasure, but I wasn’t sure, and I had no idea what kind of poison it might contain. Plus, I had to save time, so I couldn’t waste it here.

‘Next time, I’ll take the risk and grab that treasure.’

Then, I collected the Xuyou’s Water Element Divine Sword and the gold bar and set out again. I hastily rushed towards Jinrang Valley, and this time, feeling more desperate than ever, I managed to arrive at breakneck speed. It felt like I beat my previous record by more than half a day. Even after stopping by Taekyung Village to grab a Phoenix Fragment, I was moving at full speed.

Creek, Creek!

“Mmm… mmm…”

Mangnyang was soundly asleep. I burst through the door of his house and shook him awake.

“Mangnyang! Wake up!”

“Gah… Huh… who are you?!”

Mangnyang screamed in shock. I calmly replied,

“Just a passing martial artist.”

“Oh, that so?!”

Mangnyang looked at me bewildered but scratched his head and said,

“Hmm… since you woke me up after I made it all the way through Mangyun, something’s up. Close the door; it’s cold.”

It seemed he thought I had come to harm him. I nodded, closed the door, and lit a candle in the hall. Mangnyang got dressed and sat down cross-legged.

“You don’t seem ordinary; why are you here in the middle of the night?”

“… Mangnyang. I’m Baek Woong, a reborn person.”

“Eh?”

“And you probably saw the skies, but it’s likely disaster is soon to come due to the Water Qi.”

I explained everything in detail, taking even longer than last time. Unlike before, when I summarized it quickly, this time I kept him engaged for a whole moment, detailing everything I experienced.

“Whoa!”

When I showed him the Water Element Divine Sword and Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Mangnyang’s face turned pale. His reaction was similar to last time but slightly more intense. Especially after hearing about the events of my tenth and eleventh lives, he seemed to trust me deeply and fell into deep thought. As I waited for his response, he rested his chin on his hand and said,

“I see. I believe you’re a reborn person. I have no choice but to believe.”

“Thank you.”

With others, this might be a business-like statement, but Mangnyang was different. For him to affirm it like this meant he truly accepted it wholeheartedly. He fell back into thought and then spoke again.

“So, you don’t really know the reason behind your failure in the eleventh life?”

I nodded.

“Correct. In fact, you were supposed to be my greatest supporter, so I had to be sure to approach you, but I couldn’t pinpoint the reason. It didn’t seem like there was a significant reason to fail, so what do you think?”

“……”

Mangnyang pondered, then responded in a bitter voice.

“I’d rather not think about it, but if I had to say, during my eleventh life, abandoning my base in Luoyang to depend on my uncle at Jangryeong Valley was the worst situation imaginable. If I had to rely on that scum, it meant I was genuinely in trouble.”

“Huh?!”

“I probably didn’t talk about it because I didn’t want to worry you, but my relationship with my uncle is extremely poor. Despite having the chance to enjoy wealth and fame in Jangryeong Valley, I chose to hide in Jinrang Valley for that reason. That guy is the sort who just uses his intelligence for his self-serving interests.”

Mangnyang had railed against him and continued,

“Anyway, if I had to choose the biggest factor in failure, it would be the rescue deadline.”

“So it is…”

“However, it’s also true that there’s more to it than that. The bigger issue was that there simply wasn’t enough time to gather strength.”

Time to gather strength.

While I mulled over that in my mind, Mangnyang continued,

“Think it over. Lee Kwang’s actions might seem bold, but they were merely reactions born from unexpected situations. In reality, we were unprepared and left with little choice. Just having formed an alliance with Bancheon Alliance just a short while ago made it a shaky organization.”

“Something like that?”

“Yes. Both Lee Kwang and I had to stay calm, but inside, we were walking on thin ice. We weren’t prepared for what lay ahead at all.”

This might be true. Though they were Thunder God lineage disciples, they were merely summoned due to relationships with Lee Kwang, and even that was a last-minute alliance due to the Golden Eagle Guard’s pressure. Mangnyang pinpointed the instability of that alliance as a major flaw.

“So, it can’t just be about saving time haphazardly. In other words, dealing with the Golden Eagle Guard while rescuing General Hwang is something that must be considered separately. At least a year’s worth of time is necessary for any forces to stabilize and grow.”

“I don’t really understand. Can you explain further?”

“It’s simple.”

With what Mangnyang said next, my jaw dropped.

“The best way to rescue General Hwang is for you to do it alone.”

“……!!”

“Of course, this is only theoretically.”

“Why’s that?”

Mangnyang sighed.

“Since you’ve garnered everyone’s attention to this point, focusing on rescuing General Hwang would turn the Bancheon Alliance and the Thunder God lineage into easy targets. That would waste a lot of time.”

“Hmm.”

“To avoid that, it would be best if a third party intervened unknowingly to rescue General Hwang. As the Golden Eagle Guard becomes confused, you’d also gain crucial time.”

Finally, I understood Mangnyang’s point. He highlighted something I hadn’t even considered. After sharing that insight, Mangnyang folded his arms again and said,

“However, what’s unfortunate is that now it’s become essential to deal with pirates on the way to Goryeo. Because the benefit is too great, it seems you can’t skip that process. It’s going to be tough to save time.”

“That makes sense.”

“But don’t worry. I have a clever trick.”

“Really?”

Then Mangnyang explained his clever trick for a little while. I felt like slapping my knee as I listened.

“Wow, doing it that way would save so much time!”

“But think carefully. If you lack confidence in your current skills, this approach might do you more harm than good. Even though it’s cumbersome, it may be wiser to take the round trip to Goryeo and save time in the Central Plains.”

I shook my head.

“No. I’m going to follow your plan.”

The next day, Mangnyang and I set off together, arriving in the village where Cheon Woo-jin was. Once again, I hid the Heavenly Secret in the Pine Forest and then entered the village to find Cheon Woo-jin waiting with a displeased expression.

“Who are you people, and what’s going on in this village?”

“Priest, don’t pretend you don’t know me. It’s your older brother, Mangnyang.”

“Who doesn’t know their older brother in this situation? Bringing a martial artist out of nowhere—is that really necessary? Doesn’t the Master know how hard things are lately?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s reaction was far more intense than any up to this point. It seemed he was on edge due to being woken up in the middle of the night. Mangnyang calmed him down smoothly.

“This is really important, so I need you to help.”

“… Fine.”

After a while, Cheon Woo-jin seemed convinced and began preparing the ritual. Once again, Cheon Woo-jin recited his chant, and the Primordial Void Ruler manifested.

The Primordial Void Ruler looked at me oddly as he manifested through Cheon Woo-jin.

[ What in the world are you? ]

“What do you mean?”

[ The heavenly luck is entangled. This should be impossible for a mere human… I can even feel my own strength dwindling; what on earth is happening? ]

“I don’t really understand…”

As I replied, the Primordial Void Ruler said,

[ Anyway, take the blessings of others. ]

“I have a quick question.”

[ What is it? ]

“Is it really so important that I have this aura of blessings? Why can’t I receive them multiple times?”

This was something I had wanted to ask for a long time. Strangely, whether it was the Primordial Void Ruler or the Queen Mother of the West, they shied away from giving me their blessings after already doing so once. Then, with a gesture hinting at stroking an invisible beard, the Primordial Void Ruler said,

[ It is, of course, possible to give multiple blessings to a single individual. However, when that happens, the human soul can’t withstand the burden of the massive capacity of blessings and shatters. When blessings overlap, a tremendous amount of capacity is needed, and a non-immortal individual’s soul is too weak to bear it. ]

“I see…”

[ Still, if you really want it, I can grant it. What will it be? ]

“What if the blessing from the Primordial Void Ruler overlaps?”

[ Well, you would have unparalleled luck in the land. Provided your soul can withstand it. ]

I nodded.

“Yes, please do.”

[ Very well. I shall grant you my blessing. ]

Flash!

In that moment, divine light seemed to pour down over my entire body. Each ray of light filled me with intense warmth. Mangnyang, who was watching the ritual, gasped in shock.

“No, Baek Woong, what in the world are you doing?!”

“I was just curious if the blessings would overlap…”

You never know until you try. I felt the need to test this out.

“That’s…!!”

Mangnyang’s face drained of color. He then shut his eyes tightly and shouted at me,

“Right now, go invade the Imperial Palace in Luoyang!”

“What are you talking about?”

“No time to explain. Save every second and rush into the palace to fight those Golden Eagle guard scoundrels!”

“Huh?”

“And find out as much as you can and acquire as much as possible! That is the best move right now!”

What in the world was this guy saying? If I were in my right mind, I’d think he was talking nonsense. I’d surely ask for clarification. But I looked to Cheon Woo-jin and said,

“I have a favor: could you send me to the Imperial Palace in Luoyang?”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed taken aback, looking at me with disbelief. He sighed deeply.

“There’s probably no one who’d ever make that choice as you have. I respect your sheer stupidity.”

“……?”

“Do well.”

“Oh, wait.”

I hurried outside to grab the Heavenly Secret from the Pine Forest. Then, Cheon Woo-jin initiated his transmission technique for me.

Flash!

In the next moment, I found myself inside a palace in the Imperial Palace. It seemed like it was well within Cheon Woo-jin’s capabilities to use long-range transmission methods, given he was a practitioner of the Illusory God. I had no clue what was happening; I just decided to plunge deeper into the palace, recalling a map of it in my mind.

‘Whatever, we’ll just see how it goes.’

It was then that it happened.

Kugugugugung!

KA-BOOM!!

Something suddenly dropped from the sky, causing gigantic destruction and an explosive shockwave. I tried to dodge the explosion and shockwave barreling towards me, but strangely, that explosion didn’t seem to touch me at all.

As the explosive might settled, I could see parts of the Imperial Palace were ablaze, and a massive cloud of dust arose. It looked as though more than half of the palace had been obliterated.

“Ahhh!”

“No way!”

“A meteorite has struck!”

Indeed, a colossal meteorite had plummeted from the heavens and smashed into the Imperial Palace. I watched as chaos erupted around me, using my Invisibility Technique to remain hidden, when a Golden Eagle Guard shouted in alarm as they raced past me.

“This is bad! The Qimen Formation has been destroyed! Everyone, rush to protect the royal family!”

‘Oh, really?’

Surprisingly, I felt intrigue. Evidently, this meteorite crash had obliterated the worst formation that had been securing the Imperial Palace. The evidence was that the crushing pressure I had felt since entering vanished. Using my Invisibility Technique and Light Body Technique, I slipped away into the turmoil to begin my search for a location.

‘If I’m going anywhere, it’s definitely Inner Imperial Pavilion!’

I needed to seek the Nameless Ritual Book that was stored at the heart of the palace! Based on the layout I had in mind, I headed towards Inner Imperial Pavilion and noticed a Golden Eagle Guard wandering around outside. Sneaking up, I knocked him out.

Thump!

“Ugh…”

I quickly donned the Golden Eagle Guard’s clothing and adjusted it the best I could. If I pretended to be a kid-sized guard, it might just work. As I slipped inside Inner Imperial Pavilion, I noticed that, due to the meteorite’s shockwave, the barriers had likely been damaged.

Inner Imperial Pavilion was four stories high. I observed an impressive array of volumes on the first floor, but intuitively felt that the Nameless Ritual Book wasn’t there, so I quickly ascended to the second floor. Reaching the third floor, I decided to wander around randomly and, to my surprise, stumbled on the Nameless Ritual Book!

Nameless Ritual Book

Nearby, I could see evidence of translations and research on the book. They seemed to have had a fortunate escape from Inner Imperial Pavilion recently. Sensing a chance, I grabbed the book and attempted to read it but, once again, it was indecipherable. I quickly stashed it in my clothing.

Making my way up to the fifth floor, I found a tall and handsome man seated in a meditative posture. It seemed he sensed my presence as he quietly said,

“What an incredible amount of luck you hold… a meteorite falls, the barriers are down, and tragically, I too am unable to move due to the consequences of my spells, the former Golden Eagle Guard runs amok, otherworldly beings are struggling, and the Portrait Immortal is currently inspecting… and now, you choose to come to me?”

“……”

“Come on, take my head. This world seems to be capable of prospering solely on luck…”

Seeing this lamenting man, I felt a bit of ire. So I asked,

“Look, I don’t even know who you are. Why am I supposed to kill you?”

“Intruder. I, Zhuge Bu, the Lord of the Inner Imperial Pavilion and Grand Astronomer, am the one safeguarding the palace’s barriers.”

“Uh…”

“……”

“……”

A weird silence ensued. Then, noticing something, Zhuge Bu sighed heavily.

“What a complete lunatic you are.”

“So what’s the deal?”

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, Zhuge Bu started laughing maniacally. Then he declared,

“Let’s see just how far your luck extends! Go to the Great Emperor Hall over there.”

“Why would I go there?”

“The Emperor is there.”

“……!!”

Zhuge Bu grinned bitterly.

“Let’s see if your luck can pierce through the darkness of this time.”

I didn’t get the full details but my heart raced.

‘The Emperor?’

The Emperor was at the center of this jumbled incident. If he were indeed the leader of the Demon Subduing Hall and issued that cruel command to the Golden Eagle Guard, killing the Emperor alone could end this whole situation. Of course, I’d be branded as a murderer, but I didn’t care. Meeting the source of all this chaos to gather intel—and possibly kill him—was a tempting proposition.

I gave Zhuge Bu one last glance and said,

“If there’s no grudge, then there’s no need to kill. Thanks for the info.”

I turned my back on him and headed toward the nearby Great Emperor Hall. It seemed there too, the barrier had been compromised, and I could enter without any resistance. Golden Eagle Guards wandered about, but they appeared to be disoriented.

“Aaah!”

“General! Get a grip!”

The tentacles were wildly unleashing flames and lightning, while the guards fell like lifeless dolls. It looked like the former Golden Eagle Guard had completely lost control. And as the transformed monster faced off against them, a handsome young man with a ghostly expression shouted angrily,

“You bastard! You even killed my subordinates?!”

“What should we do, Hwan-ya?”

“What can we do?! Hold your position until the Imperial Guards arrive! If this place falls, the Emperor will be in danger.”

It seemed the General of the Imperial Palace, the “Four Great Experts” Hwan-ya, was there as he struggled with the rampaging General. And luck was on my side, as I slipped past them to enter the Great Emperor Hall.

Thud, thud!

Inside the Great Emperor Hall was eerie; it felt strangely empty, far removed from the commotion outside. Despite there being separate palaces for the empress, concubines, or the royal family, the massive structure felt devoid of life. Only irregular vibrations unsettlingly resonated.

I cautiously ventured deeper, feeling a profound malevolence envelop me. It felt familiar—reminiscent of the energy from that otherworldly sorcerer I had fought before. As I approached, I noticed a door. Without hesitation, I pushed it open.

Creak…

Inside were two figures.

Sitting in the center on the throne was a middle-aged man likely to be the Emperor, while a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness stood with arms crossed to his side.

The Emperor noticed me and irritably said,

“Alchemist! Who’s that little kid?”

The cloaked figure, called an Alchemist, replied softly,

“Looks like this child is embracing a massive loop of fortune. The meteorite was summoned by this boy’s luck.”

“Luck?”

“Hoohoohoo… so what will it be, Emperor? Will you make a second pact with me? Will you devote your soul to Dark Heaven Village?”

The Alchemist chuckled leisurely, seeming to show no respect or reverence towards the Emperor, speaking almost casually. Surprisingly, the Emperor seemed unfazed, calmly pondering before saying,

“I have no intention of that. One pact of immortality is sufficient.”

“Very well… then it’s time for me to vanish.”

“You scoundrel…”

“I owe you no loyalty, Emperor.”

Slash!

In a moment, the Alchemist vanished into thin air. As I stared in disbelief, the Emperor addressed me with determination.

“Intruder! Do as you wish. But taking my life will not be so easy.”

“No, I don’t understand why…”

“I knew you came to kill me…”

At that moment, once again, the sky darkened as another meteorite fell with explosive force. This meteorite struck exactly where the Emperor had just been seated, and without a scream, his body erupted into shreds.

Scatter!

“……”

Watching the Emperor burst apart, I found myself at a loss for words. All I had done was slip deeper into the palace, and suddenly, the Imperial Palace was reduced to rubble while witnessing the death of the Emperor, its ruler. This was a vivid display of what it meant for luck to overlap.

‘When great luck overlaps, unparalleled fortune reigns supreme.’

Just then, the voice of the Primordial Void Ruler echoed within my mind.

[ Your luck has run out. ]

Crack!

“AHHHH!”

The next moment, I was swept away in the storm of meteors crashing down over the Imperial Palace. The coverage was so extensive that there was no way to block it or avoid it. The Great Emperor Hall and the entire palace seemed to vanish into oblivion.

As a massive flash filled my sight, I realized.

‘…And when that luck ends, inevitable disaster comes with death…!!’

Bang!

That was my twelfth death.

 

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