1079——————==

Soul of the Evil God

When the mysterious figure, King Oreycalcos of Atlantis, appeared, Sagong Lin didn’t flinch but gazed at him instead. Then she spoke.

“You’re straddling the line between life and death, huh? Is your stubborn existence here thanks to some tech wizardry?”

[What a divine being, to diagnose my state at a glance!]

Oreycalcos chimed in, amazed.

[Indeed. It’s the power of Lemuria that allows me to persist. However, my people have perished, and I’m merely waiting for the end here.]

“Lemuria?”

[An empire and continent that was once a blood ally of Atlantis. But due to the powers of the Old Ruler, we too were doomed to extinction….]

Oreycalcos stared at Sagong Lin, gazing unblinking.

[Oh great divine being, what brings you to this place?]

Sagong Lin pondered whether to obliterate the being in front of her or hear him out. There was no solid reason to trust Oreycalcos, especially as he was present where the Master of the Twelve Joules might be lurking, which could mean he was an enemy ally.

After a moment, she finally opened her mouth.

“I’m here to scout the Old Continent and deal with the Master of the Twelve Joules residing there.”

She decided to test the waters with Oreycalcos.

Baek Woong might show up later, but with Sagong Lin gathering intel first, it would save the reborn person some trouble later on. Admittedly, spilling her guts to Oreycalcos could lead to her own undoing this life, but Sagong Lin decided not to dwell on it.

‘If I fail, Baek Woong will still learn what he needs. That’s our strategy.’

Sagong Lin briefly explained the situation. After listening, Oreycalcos fell silent for a moment before responding.

[Indeed… someone has been terraforming in Atlantis, yet I had no idea who it was. So it was a character named Master of the Twelve Joules.]

“You mean you didn’t know?”

[I’ve been stuck here for twelve thousand years and have had no contact with such a person. If dimensions have overlapped, there would’ve been no reason for him to mess with the ruins of Atlantis, considering there might be traps set here. In fact, traps do exist, indicating this fella must be a cautious one.]

Sagong Lin was taken aback by his revelation.

“Twelve thousand years!! Has it really been that long?”

[Humanity has sustained a civilization long before that. As far as I know, it began at least 45,000 years ago. Before Atlantis and Lemuria came Calpa, Babylon, and Memphis. We kept alternating between competing and cooperating with ancient civilizations. However, several catastrophes like the Old Ruler and the Great Flood have swept across the land, wiping out our history. Plus, once the Old Rulers decimated us, they modified humans to their taste, making it even harder to know….]

“……”

Sagong Lin sensed something was off about Oreycalcos’s words. Considering his statements could hold significant clues, she again asked.

“Oreycalcos, King of Atlantis. Can you undo the terraforming imposed on this Old Continent?”

[It’s possible. But there’s no reason for me to do so.]

“Why not? The Master of the Twelve Joules is effectively invading your territory.”

[That person is operating from another dimension where the layers overlap. The way this is set up, it’s not an invasion. Besides, now that my people are gone, I have no desire to clash with such a powerful entity.]

Oreycalcos scanned the surroundings briefly.

[There’s nothing to gain, and I risk losing all my memories if this place gets destroyed.]

“So you’ve given up everything but your memories?”

[Perhaps… haha…]

Oreycalcos muttered with a tone laced with regret.

[Atlantis and Lemuria once ventured into space, colonizing Mars, Venus, and Jupiter… It seemed we were on the brink of ushering in humanity’s golden age. But just like that, our continent sank, and everything vanished overnight due to the wrath of the Old Ruler. Humanity quickly regressed back to a barbaric civilization, becoming mere playthings for the gods. Now, we can’t even contact our colonies on other planets.]

“……”

[As long as that malicious god exists, all of humanity’s advancement is meaningless. I’d rather that the end comes swiftly, wiping out both humans and gods alike. Though who knows if the end would even take out the gods!]

Sagong Lin fell silent at Oreycalcos’s despairing words. Then she asked, “Oreycalcos, why did the Master of the Twelve Joules attempt terraforming on this Old Continent of Atlantis?”

[How would I know that?]

“If they are approaching through dimensions, they could simply sync with any surface location instead of this submerged ruin. So what’s the benefit of risking a confrontation with a being like you to do it here?”

[Hmm, quite the intriguing question you present.]

“I need info, so please.”

[Oh, you seem to be an incredible divine entity—almost rivaling the Old Ruler. But why are you being so courteous toward a mere mortal like me? I can’t believe someone of your stature still holds on to human reason.]

As Oreycalcos appeared bewildered, Sagong Lin stood her ground.

“I’m human, not a god.”

[Is that so? Nonetheless, all those who encounter you will feel awe. Your existence holds a magnitude that can’t even be described! Even the Old Ruler could hardly dismiss you, so can we really call you human?…]

“Oreycalcos, help me.”

[……]

He contemplated for a moment before suddenly speaking.

[The one calling himself the Master of the Twelve Joules likely sought contact with the Lemurian side, not me.]

“Are Lemuria and Atlantis different?”

[Different continents, yet bound by the same civilization and blood kinship. We were two sides of the same coin but had one insurmountable difference: I, the King of Atlantis, was a scientist, while the King of Lemuria was an entity descended from the constellation.]

“Are you saying they’re aliens?”

[Not precisely aliens but a proxy of the ancient gods. So even when Atlantis fell, they were fine due to the protection of the ancient gods. Ultimately, however, they too fell victim to the relentless attacks by the Old Rulers aiming to reshape humanity.]

Oreycalcos muttered bitterly before continuing.

[That individual probably mistook the locations of Atlantis and Lemuria, settling here. Or perhaps even found out where Lemuria was but couldn’t approach due to caution.]

“What about the latter scenario? Is there a reason they wouldn’t just charge in?”

[Atlantis is relatively safe, but the submerged position of Lemuria is exceedingly dangerous. It’s likely the most perilous place on Earth.]

“……?”

[That area is linked to the city of the malevolent god.]

“Ah…!!”

At that moment, Sagong Lin suddenly connected the dots.

The submerged Lemuria was directly beneath the Pacific Ocean, precisely where the malevolent god and his city lay dormant! Whether the Master of the Twelve Joules knew this or not, they could not directly approach Lemuria. It would be impossible for them to engage a malevolent god while even avoiding conflict with the Sea God.

Feeling she had gained valuable information, Sagong Lin inquired again, “Why would the Master of the Twelve Joules want to contact Lemuria?”

[They probably wished to acquire the ability held by the King of Lemuria.]

“What ability?”

[The very power that keeps me tethered to this world… Observe.]

Whoosh!!

Suddenly, Oreycalcos’s form blazed with light, transforming him into a luminous being. As the bright spectacle faded, he continued speaking.

[The energy of the Earth itself is connected to me. Neither the Underworld nor all otherworldly races can infringe upon me. If the Master of the Twelve Joules knew about this ability, he would surely strive to obtain it.]

Sagong Lin sensed the power hidden within the light wrapping around Oreycalcos, recognizing it as the force of a planet itself. Truly, Sagong Lin was impressed.

“Incredible. With such power, why couldn’t you resist the Old Ruler? Seems you could have managed it.”

[What nonsense! While this power transcends the limits of mortals, it can’t stop the Old Ruler from descending with legitimate claims. Just surviving an encounter with the evil god is difficult enough… You too must know how vast the gap is if you can wield divine power.]

“Still, we can’t just throw in the towel.”

[Strong will, ha ha….]

Smiling for a moment, Oreycalcos abruptly asked.

“If you are the reigning monarch of humanity now, wouldn’t you accept this?”

Swish

Oreycalcos extended something toward Sagong Lin. She soon recognized it as a white silver ring embedded with a bloodstone and took it.

[That ring is called Pangaea. Whosoever possesses it exerts absolute dominion over the descendants of Atlantis and the governors of colonies, ensuring their loyalty. While it was meant only for the King of Atlantis, I bestow it upon you.]

“Why give it to me?”

[You asked me earlier, didn’t you? To halt the Master of the Twelve Joules’ terraforming of the Old Continent.]

“That’s right.”

Oreycalcos looked at Sagong Lin with earnest eyes.

[If you can… find and bring under your command the descendants of Atlantis and the colonies, then I shall fulfill your request. I shall drive that individual from this continent. What do you say?]

“A deal, huh…?”

[That’s the gist of it.]

Sagong Lin nodded willingly and slipped the Pangaea ring onto her finger.

“I accept.”

[Thank you….]

Whoosh

Oreycalcos’s form gradually began to fade. The words he left floated in the air.

[Remaining within these ruins for too long will ensnare even the greatest of beings in traps. Such traps are infused with the resentments of Atlantis, making them perilous. I will delay their activation; you must leave quickly.]

Sagong Lin felt Oreycalcos’s words rang true. Since he’d given her the Pangaea ring, there was no reason for him to lie.

Bang!!

Activating the Eternal Dance, Sagong Lin made her way out of the ruins, stepping into the former battlefield where the Black Sun had fought. Upon looking around the space, she spotted the Black Sun, laying utterly defeated. Apparently, the countless rays had shredded him to pieces in the end.

“……”

Sagong Lin felt no particular sympathy. After all, he was a villain who had likely committed heinous acts countless times as a servant of the Old Ruler.

’In any case, I was already planning to devour him after this whole ordeal, so it’s a nice little shortcut.’

She gazed at the massive Equalizer, noticing it merely stood there, showing no intent to attack her.

‘Is its defensive system relaxed since I’m not revealing my demonic nature?’

For a moment, Sagong Lin thought this defense mechanism was lacking, but the truth was the power of the Heavenly Demon was just that overwhelming. While it was often referred to as a celestial demon, she could maintain her magical power at absolute zero if she wished.

Perhaps she could break through now.

‘No. I’ll stop here for today.’

But Sagong Lin opted not to push it. Even if she forcibly infiltrated the Master of the Twelve Joules’ stronghold, no guarantee existed that she could catch him if he bolted, and she felt an immense pressure knowing she alone bore the weight of supporting the Great Bear Empire.

The current strongest being among humanity on Earth was undoubtedly Sagong Lin. That fact wouldn’t change unless the Old Ruler stepped in directly to exert the law of cause and effect! However, unlike Sagong Lin, the Great Bear Empire was comprised of mortals, and while trying to fight while protecting them weighed heavily on her.

There needed to be someone who could lend support, even if they weren’t as strong as her. Otherwise, facing future battles alone would become increasingly challenging. Without such an ally in sight, even if Sagong Lin flipped every enemy base upside down, she’d end up encircled like a king with no way out, hence, she decided against any aggressive actions for now.

If only Baek Woong would return!

She lamented not being able to unleash chaos and act freely once again, but her position as an emperor was shackling her.

‘…For now, let’s calmly figure out a strategy based on the intel I just got from Oreycalcos.’

She put her regrets aside and returned to her homeland.

Not long after, news broke that the Aztec Empire had collapsed in the west, with the entire South American continent now under the control of the United States. The aftermath of the Black Sun’s demise during the assault on the Old Continent weakened the protective sorcery holding the Aztec Empire, giving the Reptilians the chance to press forward with their technology.

Suddenly, news also came of a wrathful Asura appearing from the south and clashing with a silver deer, but no senior officials within the Great Bear Empire could confirm this personally. The reasoning behind their conflict remained a mystery.

A few years later, Sagong Lin urgently convened a meeting.

“Where’s Cheon Woo-jin?”

In response to her question, the scribe sitting down politely replied.

“Your Majesty, Research Head Cheon Woo-jin has been sleeping after working late the previous night.”

“Call him here immediately.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Soon, a groggy Cheon Woo-jin was forced into the meeting room and protested, bleary-eyed.

“Who calls someone back after working the night shift? I barely got two hours of sleep!”

“Cheon Woo-jin, it’s urgent. We have an issue with the Thunder God Lineage’s secret technique, the Nine Chambers of Thunder.”

“……!!”

Cheon Woo-jin snapped to attention.

They were supporting the four great families of the White Lotus Sect while simultaneously working on reviving the nearly extinct Thunder God lineage, allowing them to keep progressing on their martial arts research. For years, the martial artists of the Thunder God lineage had been culminating their ultimate technique, the Nine Chambers of Thunder, incorporating the Soul Exchange Technique.

“What’s the issue?”

Then, a voice he recognized echoed in his ears.

“The problem must lie with the soul I’ve possessed, Your Majesty Sagong Lin.”

The owner of that voice was bound and restrained smack in the midst of the conference hall—the heir of the Thunder God lineage. He grinned wickedly as he spoke.

“Why are you so surprised? You hoped I’d return, didn’t you?”

“…….”

“This bastard…!!”

Cheon Woo-jin realized the identity of the possessive entity and shouted in desolation.

“Zhuge Sa!!!”

It was undoubtedly Zhuge Sa. Possessing Cheon Woo-jin using the Soul Exchange Technique alongside the power of the Demon King was no doubt what had happened. Sagong Lin cast a serious glance at Zhuge Sa and said,

“Zhuge Sa, why did you possess him of all people?”

“I received a request from Jin So-cheong. She said we can’t possibly complete the Nine Chambers of Thunder this way, so I was to convey the methods to finalize it.”

“What?!”

“That girl somehow managed to get her hands on the research regarding the Nine Chambers of Thunder.”

The atmosphere in the hall froze in shock.

Jin So-cheong, really?!

The elusive individual who was training under Master Mangnyang only to vanish without a trace one day. That person suddenly surfaced and requested assistance from Zhuge Sa, seeking the enhancement of the Nine Chambers of Thunder!

Zhuge Sa continued with a bemused smile.

“They said that completing the Nine Chambers of Thunder is beyond human capacity and urged us to seek help from the Overlay Technique. Particularly, they mentioned the need for the essence of the original techniques possessed by the progenitor of the Thunder God lineage, the hidden secrets of transformation and fantasy.”

“Is that true?”

“Absolutely.”

Zhuge Sa, wearing a dumbfounded expression, responded with a chuckle.

“Of all the people, Jin So-cheong discussing martial arts? There’s no way that’s not true.”

“If Jin So-cheong said it, it would be hard to doubt it… but I’m questioning the very fact you got info from her.”

“Hmph! Do you think I’d descend to the mortal world for no reason, now that I’m a Demon King? Even just subduing the 72 Demons is a job in itself…”

“…….”

“By the way, just so you know, Jin So-cheong is still weaker than you at this point. Don’t worry.”

While Zhuge Sa spoke smoothly, Sagong Lin didn’t exactly take it well.

It didn’t matter if it was true or not; just the fact that Zhuge Sa was enjoying deriding her was enough to irk her.

Also— even if Jin So-cheong was currently weaker than Sagong Lin, it was negligible information. A single battle could elevate her at a staggering pace.

As Sagong Lin remained silent, Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Then I’ll be off…”

Bang

As soon as Zhuge Sa released his possession and disappeared, Sagong Lin quietly asked.

“Cheon Woo-jin, how’s Seo Mun-hye faring?”

“The seal shows no signs of breaking. But I can’t guarantee she’ll last until the end.”

“…I’ve been thinking for a while now. It seems time to discuss it.”

“What are you implying?”

“Until now, we’ve forced ourselves to remain at odds with the United States, trying to hinder their progress. But that’s no longer how it will be.”

Sagong Lin’s declaration brought a strange expression to Cheon Woo-jin’s face.

“…Why? There’s no reason to do that. Their scientific advancements are way ahead, but not so impossibly advanced that we can’t catch up. We don’t need to surrender that position at all.”

“Cheon Woo-jin, have you realized how alarmingly peaceful it’s been for the last few years? The power of the current Great Bear Empire doesn’t even come close to half of its former glory.”

“……”

“That’s because the momentum we had is tapering off. The stronger we get, the stronger they become in tandem. Zhuge Sa likely sealed away your abilities partly for this reason… Had you maintained your full strength, you would have undoubtedly surpassed the power of a Demon King, and an even greater foe would have stood in our way.”

“That’s conjecture. Whether we’ve got power or not, those itching to strike will do so.”

“No. I think it’s better to decrease our power. Unless we possess the strength capable enough to wipe out the Old Ruler in one fell swoop…. Whether that strength is small or large, it becomes inconsequential, so avoiding undue scrutiny is a better bet.”

Creeeek

Sagong Lin leaned back against her throne, looking a bit weary.

“From now on, let’s keep our heads down for several decades, even centuries, and await Baek Woong’s return. You’re not the only one waiting for him, you know…”

“If that brat returns, he’ll be way weaker than you. What gives you such faith? He’s just the same as he was five centuries ago. What could he change at the brink of destruction?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s frustration surfaced, but Sagong Lin shook her head.

“You know well that what makes reborn people frightening isn’t merely their power. It’s the potential they hold to do anything.”

“……”

“I’m tired too. Cheon Woo-jin, you should rest for a while.”

With that, Sagong Lin sat back on her throne and closed her eyes. As she did, Cheon Woo-jin, who was watching her from afar, slowly turned and disappeared from the hall.

The bloodstone ring that belonged to Sagong Lin, Pangaea, began to emit a slowly intensifying crimson glow.

Boom

“How’s it feel to relive five hundred years, Baek Woong?”

In that sense of suspended time, a voice echoed.

…Has the memory review ended?

No, it’s just concluded.

As I was reflecting on the memories of the past, awareness returned to me. Suddenly, upon hearing that voice, I turned my gaze toward its source. In the remnants of memory, Sagong Lin reclined beside her throne with a swordsman and a psychic standing together.

I recognized the psychic, but who was that swordsman…?

‘Ah!’

In the frozen fragments of memory.

The swordsman who suddenly revealed himself seemed eerily familiar. Instantly, upon seeing the swordsman’s appearance, I exclaimed.

“Asura?”