883——————==

True Martial Home

I suddenly recalled something from the past in response to Yeodong-bin’s question.

It felt like Yeodong-bin had said something similar before.

[Are you trying to become a monster to catch a monster?]

It was when I came out after hearing a clue about the fusion of chaos and the primordial void from Master Mangnyang. At that time, Yeodong-bin had unexpectedly shown up without summoning, showcasing his power purely through his own strength, which was quite unusual. After sharing some kind of lament with me, he had then decided to withhold judgment and vanished.

‘It feels like that Q&A session from back then has extended.’

Of course, it was unlikely that Yeodong-bin had any memories from that time. However, I could immediately tell that the way he was looking at me now was unchanged from then. I pondered for a moment before responding.

“Does it really matter if we can save humanity by any means possible?”

“……”

When I shot that back at him, Yeodong-bin looked deep in thought. His expression made me uneasy, prompting me to ask again.

“Do you think becoming a god is wrong?”

Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange for me to become a deity someday. I may not possess divine power at this level yet, but as I continue to reincarnate, I would undoubtedly continue to accumulate divine power and ultimately reach a divine state. Of course, it could take aeons—hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.

Yet it was merely a matter of time, and not a tangible problem. Because of that background, the notion of becoming a god was no longer a dreamy philosophical issue for me.

Yeodong-bin opened his mouth.

“Yeon-ja, there were certainly people in the past who thought like you. However, there are no kind gods who solely care for humanity anywhere in the world… Why would that be?”

“Umm…”

That’s an unexpected statement.

‘Looking back, there had to be many humans attempting to become gods, but why doesn’t a single benevolent god show their face?’

Take Amaterasu for example; she seems to like and want to help humans, but she was both a creator and an ancient deity, possessing divinity from the very beginning. A transformation from human to god isn’t a thing in that context. And the examples of humans who became benevolent gods, as Yeodong-bin said, were things I had never witnessed in my past lives.

‘… The only one who has reached an equivalent level to the Old Ruler in a human body is probably Chi You… but Chi You was not virtuous nor did he act for the sake of humanity.’

Although his justification was for humanity, every action taken by Chi You stemmed from his own selfishness, just wishing to ascend to the throne. As Yeodong-bin’s words unexpectedly struck a deeper chord, I found myself unsure how to respond.

It was at that moment that Zhuge Sa, who had been quietly listening, interjected.

“A poorly strong being who is kind will only be stomped by the Old Ruler, similar to you guys. And even if you reach the same level as the Old Ruler, the morality of mortals is already meaningless in the eyes of such transcendent beings.”

“Don’t butt in, Demon Sorcerer. I want to hear Yeon-ja’s answer.”

Yeodong-bin retorted coldly, locking eyes with me. I felt the orange energy around his body intensify, making me flinch.

‘The will of the heart sword!’

Seeing as his aura suggested that if Zhuge Sa interrupted again, he would likely be cut down, Zhuge Sa fell silent. Despite his usual fearlessness, he could not act recklessly in front of someone as serious as Yeodong-bin.

I met Yeodong-bin’s gaze and responded.

“No matter how strong one becomes, they can’t stop the end of this world. No one can.”

“……”

For the first time, Yeodong-bin’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. After a moment, he questioned.

“What does stopping the end have to do with the goodness of transcendent beings?”

“… I believe that without hope, both good and evil are useless.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued.

“I have seen wise men and heroes who, despite possessing immense power, became corrupted and despaired because they were ultimately unable to stop the end. They were originally good people, but in the end, they resorted to wicked means.”

“Is that so?”

“However, I don’t think they were evil. If nothing seems hopeful, isn’t it only natural to act solely for survival, disregarding good and evil? I believe that possibilities create good and evil.”

Yeodong-bin fell into a brief silence with a blank expression at my answer. Then he spoke.

“That statement has two implications. One, that living poorly in a hopeless world isn’t a sin, and the second that your act of becoming a deity will simply increase the number of evils in this world, making it utterly pointless.”

“……”

“Even if I slice you here, you won’t be able to hold it against us.”

W-What?

I momentarily stumbled under his unexpected rebuttal but regained my composure and spoke.

“What changes if you slice me? What will it change about the world?”

“……”

“Nothing at all. Even if I became a god, I’d only be a tiny deity with insignificant power, while the world is already overflowing with great evils. If you could claim that my death contributed to the peace of the world, I’d gladly offer my neck, but that will never be the case!”

“At least you could prevent the Celestial Realm’s downfall for now. After all, you are the leader of your group.”

“Must you really defend the Celestial Realm to such an extent? I doubt it’d be necessary.”

Even as Yeodong-bin pressed hard, I desperately continued to speak. Fighting three high-level Great Immortals here would surely lead to my death, so I wanted to improve the situation. Then Yeodong-bin said.

“That’s a strange thing.”

“Huh?”

Yeodong-bin’s tone turned icy.

“What is the reason you can maintain such a will to save? This world has given you nothing, and you have no particular reason to save it either. That holds true not just for you, but for everyone.”

“……”

“Are you simply trying to save the world because you don’t want to die?”

This world has given me nothing.

That single remark from Yeodong-bin weighed heavily in my heart, striking at the insecurities and inferiority I had always harbored.

That’s right… I have received nothing from this world from the beginning.

Not in appearance, ability, talent, intellect, body, clan, friends, or future…

In my first life, it felt like I worked to live and lived to work. The dream of becoming a master was merely an escapist fantasy, and my existence was like a grain of sand on a lengthy coastline. Even the life of an escort was overly burdensome and difficult for me.

In truth, after living a few times and establishing a solid foundation for a comfortable life, I could have pursued happiness. Very few would understand my insistence on repeatedly challenging the impossible while dying close to thirty times like I did.

However, I swallowed the bitterness that rose in my throat and spoke.

“What’s there to fear about dying? What terrifies me more is that I’ve accomplished nothing.”

“No one can look at you now and claim that you’ve achieved nothing.”

“No. Until I achieve my goals, all of this is mere vapor. I aim to save the world, but that isn’t solely my will.”

“Then whose will is it?”

I clenched my teeth and answered.

“… It’s the will of a man, and the great cause of my companions. I cannot abandon them since we are living together.”

Dying doesn’t scare me that much anymore. I’m not entirely unafraid, but given how often I’ve died, I can’t help but grow accustomed to it. However, if I give up and settle into reality, then what was Mangnyang’s death for? Zhuge Sa, the Sword Demon, Jin So-cheong, Miho, Seo Mun-hye, and Gyeong-ho—if I abandon my quest, their deaths will bear no meaning.

The real problem is that no matter how I try to repay their deaths, I find myself unable to do so. There is no way to atone for their sacrifices by any means in this world. And now, the only way left for me to repay their lives is singular.

To rescue the world from its fate of despair.

Defeating all the malevolent deities of this world and preventing the destruction of the realm would be my only salvation.

“Hmm…”

After I spoke, Yeodong-bin appeared genuinely troubled.

After a long moment of contemplation, Yeodong-bin turned to Gu Ryuson the Divine Master and the Eight Immortals’ Jang Gwa-ro.

“I must help them.”

Then something incredible happened.

Thud.

“… Huh!!”

Yeodong-bin knelt down!

No matter how high in rank Gu Ryuson and Jang Gwa-ro were, Yeodong-bin was also a Great Immortal, so there was no reason for him to bow to them. Even the Twelve Great Immortals couldn’t arbitrarily order the Eight Immortals around. Yet, despite all that, Yeodong-bin bowed his head and said.

“I beg you.”

“… Hoho…”

As Gu Ryuson thought deeply, Jang Gwa-ro burst into laughter.

“Master! Even a mere human is unafraid of death. How could an immortal fear their own demise?”

“That’s true…”

Gu Ryuson eventually nodded.

“Let’s go. If today is the last day of the Celestial Realm, then it seems fitting that I join you in the grave…”

Whoosh.

As a result, six green rings appeared around Gu Ryuson, signaling that someone would teleport in. Once I recognized their faces, I identified them immediately.

The Eight Immortals of China!

Along with Yeodong-bin and Jang Gwa-ro, all the Eight Immortals had gathered here. Zhongli Quan looked at Yeodong-bin and laughed heartily.

“Haha… If the Celestial Realm falls, let’s go drink all the wine of the Central Plains!”

Thud.

“……”

“Given how things have turned out, it seems we’ll have to follow Gukcheon’s lead… let’s all head to the Queen Mother of the West.”

Yeodong-bin stated.

“We must kill the Queen Mother of the West.”

“Well… I wonder if that’s even possible.”

Gu Ryuson said skeptically, stepping forward.

As Gu Ryuson led the way, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe following the Eight Immortals behind him. With someone learning Divine Power and using Fire Eye Golden Spirit, it felt as though nine Great Immortals were moving together, resembling a massive mountain range shifting.

Whoosh.

Before long, they vanished along with the clouds, leaving only Zhuge Sa and me in the hall.

Zhuge Sa, seeming intrigued, stroked his chin.

“Baek Woong, this appears to be truly causal in nature.”

“Zhuge Sa.”

“Gukcheon must have previously informed a few of the trustworthy Twelve Great Immortals of the conspiracy plan, having asked them to join or just observe. Even Gukcheon couldn’t face the Queen Mother of the West alone. And while Gu Ryuson intended to stay neutral, he’s now moved to help due to Yeodong-bin’s persuasion.”

“Can we really call it causal in nature?”

“Oh, we can. How likely do you think it would be for the head of the Eight Immortals, Yeodong-bin, to earnestly engage in dialogue with a mere human and be persuaded to mobilize the Twelve Great Immortals? Especially with all Eight Immortals moving together.”

“……”

“There may be others, but I bet you know the odds are incredibly slim for that to happen. I felt a miraculous probability in that previous persuasion attempt. I considered the likelihood of dying here to be a staggering ninety-nine percent.”

Zhuge Sa was right.

Up to now, Yeodong-bin hadn’t really been listening to me at all. He was solely driven by his own convictions and goals, often disregarding my words or leaving me to die. In fact, depending on the situation, he even knifed me to finish me off. The probability of Yeodong-bin bending to our side and kneeling like this was truly low.

Zhuge Sa gave a sly grin.

“One of the Eight Immortals and a single Twelve Great Immortal have joined our side. That means we have little to worry about; let’s head back and join the Celestial Sage.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to join Seo Mun-hye and assist her?”

I voiced my unease. While Miho’s skills had reached the divine level, I still worried about Seo Mun-hye even if she had become ultra-compatible. Naturally, I thought that if we had the chance, we should help Seo Mun-hye, but Zhuge Sa shook his head.

“Seo Mun-hye is much stronger than you think. To be honest, having measured her potential from the sidelines, I find your worry quite amusing. Who’s to say they should be worried?”

“…Is she really that capable?”

“The true nature of the last Prince of the Giant Clan should not appear in the human world. It seems she displayed a bit of vulnerability before you.”

Zhuge Sa continued speaking.

“I bet the Celestial Sage has already knocked Natahta out by now. So let’s get what we can and get out before it’s too late.”

What we could possibly gain?

Though I felt confused about Zhuge Sa’s words, for now, I turned back, heading toward the Celestial Realm’s back entrance. Before long, we arrived at the battlefield, just as Zhuge Sa had predicted.

Boom…

“Kuh! Kugh…!”

Natahta, who was nothing more than a treasure being, was oozing blood everywhere, his body battered and radiating terrifying killing intent. Yet, with all his limbs crushed one by one, he could barely stand, relying on his treasure, the Fenghua Wheel, to prop himself up. The other treasures were scattered across the ground, and Hunchengling was also in tatters.

“Should I crack your skull? Or pierce your chest?”

And Natahta, before whom the Celestial Sage was cheerfully fidgeting with a long cut on his arm, appeared completely unharmed.

The outcome was already decided.

‘Goodness… It hasn’t even been long since we left.’

Even though Natahta was a monster-level wielder of the Overlay Technique, is this the sort of skill difference? As I stood there shocked, the Celestial Sage addressed us.

“What’s up? Why are you back? Did you manage to take down the Twelve Great Immortals already?”

“I convinced Gu Ryuson and the Eight Immortals. They are now on our side and headed to take down the Queen Mother of the West. Likely to reunite with Gukcheon.”

“What…?!”

Seeing my explanation sink in, the Celestial Sage’s expression turned to one of sheer disbelief, before shifting into a hearty laugh.

“That’s awesome! With that, today might actually go down smoothly! So, did you come all the way here just to join forces with me?”

In response, Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Please tear Natahta apart.”

“Huh? Can’t we just kill him nicely?”

“Natahta is a treasure being made from Xuandu Iron and endowed with a strong core from birth. I want to get that.”

“What do you need it for?”

“For my lord, Baek Woong.”

The Celestial Sage nodded.

“Alright, let’s do it that way!”

Natahta screamed in desperation.

“Raaah! Do you think I’ll go down this easily!!”

Bam!

“Kuh-huh!”

However, with the battle already determined, as soon as the Celestial Sage charged, Natahta’s limbs were torn away and his head was ripped off in under three seconds. The gruesome sight of Natahta’s body being dismembered prompted Zhuge Sa to sift through the remains, quickly locating Natahta’s torso. Drawing his dagger, he aimed to pierce the heart, but unexpectedly, the dagger snapped.

Clang!

The Celestial Sage remarked.

“That guy’s body is made of Xiantian Iron, so human weapons will be completely ineffective. With a Qing Steel dagger, you won’t stand a chance.”

“Then please hand over the heart.”

“Damn, why do I have to do all this for you…”

With a pout, the Celestial Sage pulled out Natahta’s heart. Within the heart, a glowing red gem floated, and Zhuge Sa grinned as he held it out to me.

“Here.”

“……?”

“Eat it, Baek Woong.”

I was taken aback.

“W-What did you just say?”

“If you consume the pure treasure core, your power will skyrocket. Isn’t that obvious?”

Sure, I’d get stronger!

But no matter how I looked at it, was I really expected to eat the heart of something that had just been alive?!

‘Should I consider this a form of demonization?’

Even so, eating a heart doesn’t exactly feel like the right thing to do!

While I mulled it over, the Celestial Sage said.

“Eat it or don’t; do whatever. I have other matters to handle.”

“Are you going to stop the Eight Parts of the Divine from intruding?”

“… Well, something like that. I’m the only one who can deal with them.”

Yet Zhuge Sa shook his head.

“No need to stop them. That’ll only drain energy, so you should just go take out some other Twelve Great Immortals.”

“Huh? Who do you think you are to act so confident?”

“The objective of the Eight Parts of the Divine is blatantly obvious. They’re here to kill the Queen Mother of the West.”

“Then what else would they do?”

“Hahaha. How could one have such unease in a story where they are the protagonist?”

Zhuge Sa simply continued to smile ominously. The Celestial Sage, looking discontent, furrowed his brow before speaking.

“Understood.”

Whoosh!

As the Celestial Sage vanished, Zhuge Sa once again thrust Natahta’s heart before my mouth.

“Hurry and eat it. It’s good for you.”

“……”

“This rare chance to eat something so valuable won’t come by often.”

Even with the coaxing, I felt uncertain.

‘Even if I can grow stronger… can I really…?’

If I shut my eyes and give it a go…

As I was about to open my mouth, nausea hit me and I clamped my eyes shut. Eating a human heart raw was too intense an experience. It wasn’t something a person should do under any circumstances.

“Damn it… I can’t eat this!”

Then Zhuge Sa whipped the heart at me.

“You’re a picky eater. If you can’t eat it, just save it for later so you can have a cook prepare it to your liking.”

“……”

“Truth be told, it’s better when eaten raw.”

“…A-How would you know about that from personal experience?”