1124——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I raised an eyebrow at Liu Ha’s words.

“What does that mean?”

However, given the current situation with surveillance and eavesdropping, Liu Ha had intentionally set up the mental dialogue to avoid speaking out loud. I focused on my thoughts instead. After pondering for a while, I asked Liu Ha.

[So, who exactly are you pledging loyalty to?]

Liu Ha chuckled and opened the dialogue window.

[To you, my lord.]

[Me?]

[All Portrait Immortals are the same. We cooperate with the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin until the return of the first emperor, and after that, we pledge loyalty to the first emperor~]

Ah, so ‘my lord’ referred to me? That was such a strange way of speaking that I didn’t grasp it right away!

Realizing there was something hidden in Liu Ha’s words, I asked.

[Does cooperating mean not pledging loyalty to the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin?]

[Yes.]

[What kind of speech is that?]

[After living for years as an opinion fighter who gets pushed around by loser spirits in the free space, I ended up sounding like Liu Ha~]

Liu Ha plopped down on the floor with a smug grin.

[Anyway, Liu Ha and Liu O are on your side, heehee.]

Is Liu O the same Portrait Immortal I saw before, ranked sixth? Liu Ha and Liu O, looking like twins, must be following me as Portrait Immortals….

I asked Liu Ha.

[Why exactly did you call me aside to talk like this?]

[If your majesty is slacking off, it means you don’t trust the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin, right? Therefore, no one in the Great Bear Empire can be trusted while keeping secrets.]

[…….]

[So if you reveal your identity as a Portrait Immortal and pledge loyalty, you’ll have more freedom of movement, that’s why I called you~]

Though the tone was frivolous, Liu Ha’s words pointed directly at the dilemma I was facing. In fact, I hadn’t disclosed my alliance with Asura and Cheon Woo-jin while teaming up with Sagong Lin, as her power, the Heavenly Demon, seemed suspicious. It made it difficult to reach out for help from Zhu Xian or agents within the Great Bear Empire, who were supposed to be my genuine strength.

If Liu Ha or Liu O could secretly assist me, it would indeed prove beneficial in the long run.

However, I couldn’t shake off a thread of doubt.

‘What if this is also a trap set up by Sagong Lin or something in the background? Walking right into a trap…’

There was no guarantee that Liu Ha wasn’t being controlled by someone. In fact, as a Portrait Immortal, he might be even less likely to realize he was being manipulated compared to a human. I maintained my vigilance and said to Liu Ha.

[Sorry, but I still can’t trust you. Earlier, you mentioned that Portrait Immortals only pledge loyalty to me? What does that even mean?]

[Do you know Liu Jin?]

[Not really. I only know that Liu Jin is a Portrait Immortal who helped Zhuge Bu in the war against the Nazis.]

Liu Ha fell silent for a moment before opening the dialogue window.

[Liu Jin is the first specialized Portrait Immortal, a unique battle machine of the Great Bear Empire. A specialized Portrait Immortal maximizes the potential of a Portrait Immortal and is tailored in one direction. Liu Jin has been created in a Soul-Seizing form. The Soul-Seizing form takes the shape of the Philosopher’s Stone normally but can absorb the user’s soul, inheriting all their strength, knowledge, and body.]

[……!!]

[Unlike other Portrait Immortals, there’s no need to create a separate physical base, but it operates on the premise of the user’s sacrifice.]

I recalled Zhuge Bu’s fierce determination during the battle against Halchi Olleifra and the peculiar process through which Liu Jin appeared.

[You’re saying Zhuge Bu had Liu Jin, the Philosopher’s Stone and a Portrait Immortal, implanted in his heart and transferred his body and soul to Liu Jin before dying?]

[That’s correct.]

[Zhuge Bu and Cheon Woo-jin said that was a taboo in alchemy. Is the reason it’s taboo because the user sacrifices themselves?]

[No. It’s taboo because it doesn’t fully absorb and the souls get mixed instead.]

[Mixed?]

[Liu Jin consumed Zhuge Bu, but Zhuge Bu’s soul and memories bubbled up inside Liu Jin, and a complete fusion never occurred. Thus, the existence of two impure souls colliding would lead to mutual destruction, which is why it’s forbidden. The goal of creating a Homunculus is to produce a complete being and soul, which is entirely contrary to that purpose….]

So that’s how it was.

As I tried to remember each of Liu Ha’s words, he continued.

[Liu Jin pretended to be just a Portrait Immortal after the war, but deep inside, Zhuge Bu’s soul was still alive. So, Liu Jin secretly manipulated the Portrait Immortal creation system without anyone knowing, changing the loyalty prerequisite for all future newly created Portrait Immortals.]

[Why? Was it really because Zhuge Bu….]

Liu Ha slightly nodded.

[He thought he couldn’t trust the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin. He then switched the term from ‘loyalty’ to ‘cooperation’.]

“……”

[In case your majesty is betrayed by Sagong Lin, the loyalty of all Portrait Immortals would be redirected not to the current emperor but to the first emperor.]

I couldn’t help but make a bitter expression.

‘Zhuge Bu… he might have made the right judgment, but still….’

In the end, it indicated a mutual suspicion among comrades. Until now, there had been many instances of comrades doubting each other, but this particular situation had them acting directly to guard against the doubts they harbored.

Could Sagong Lin truly betray me?

‘No. Sagong Lin genuinely wants to help me.’

Yet I was the type to trust only what I saw, and judging by my instincts and observations, it didn’t appear that Sagong Lin had any malicious intent towards me. I couldn’t simply rely on my gut feelings to know someone’s true nature, but my instincts tend to be surprisingly accurate, so I couldn’t believe Sagong Lin would act that way.

While lost in my thoughts, Liu Ha opened a dialogue window.

[Liu O has arrived.]

Bang!

At that moment, as if teleporting from the darkness of the Great Hero Hall of the Shaolin Temple, Portrait Immortal Liu O appeared. With an expression that resembled Liu Ha’s somewhat but tinged with bitterness, Liu O looked at me. Liu O then likewise opened a dialogue window to speak.

[Your Majesty, I sincerely pledge my loyalty.]

[Your expression doesn’t match your words at all.]

I couldn’t accept that Liu O was pledging loyalty with such an annoyed look. But it seemed the disbelief originated from Liu O, who sighed and said.

[In fact, there are too many anecdotes about your majesty’s foolishness recorded in the database of Portrait Immortals…. I wonder if I should really pledge loyalty to such a fool.]

[… Who recorded such things?]

[Zhuge Bu.]

T-This guy?!

No, Zhuge Bu!! What on earth have you been telling the Portrait Immortals?!

While I was trembling with anger, Liu O opened another dialogue window.

[Anyway, even if your majesty is talentless and just a prideful idiot, we vow to serve you for life. We’ll follow you with all of our spirit until our movement ceases.]

Liu Ha eagerly chimed in.

[Long live the idiot emperor!]

I yelled in frustration.

[Enough, you brats! Is that all you came here for, to pledge loyalty?]

[No.]

[What else is there?]

Liu O subtly glanced at Liu Ha, who nodded and opened a dialogue window.

[We haven’t reported to the current emperor either, but actually, we think we may have found traces of the Twelve Joules.]

……!!

At that moment, I clenched my fist tightly. Information I had been eagerly waiting for suddenly dropped into my hands.

[Is that true? What is it?]

[Your majesty, do you perhaps know that there exists something called the internet in this world?]

[Do you take me for a fool? I learned from Professor Sima Ling that it’s a network built by countless people connected through computers or smartphones.]

[That’s right. We found the traces of the Twelve Joules right there on the internet.]

As Liu Ha said that, he pulled out his smartphone and started tapping something. Then an app appeared on the screen, and he said.

[Hwan In. At first glance, this looks like an ordinary app, but it’s actually a clan meeting app created by all the Portrait Ability Users spread across the globe.]

[What? Clan meeting? What’s that?]

[In this era, there are actually quite a few Portrait Ability Users. They don’t necessarily train martial arts or magical techniques, but are born with supernatural abilities—unlike a proper Portrait Immortal, there are people with low probabilities of being born with powers, and they form clans to gather. The more people group together, the less likely they are to be hunted down, and they grow stronger.]

[Hmm.]

That was quite an interesting story.

Finding someone who had naturally activated their Upper Dantian back in my time was a huge challenge, but are there heaps of them in this era?

[When clans recruit new members, this app is the most commonly used. If someone isn’t born with a supernatural ability, they cannot access this app properly.]

[So the sects in the martial arts world are essentially clans.]

As I understood and nodded, Liu Ha smiled happily.

[Our mission is to monitor such clan meetings and arrest when necessary, and recently, suspicious activities were detected on the Hwan In app.]

[What activities were suspicious?]

[Among unofficial supernatural ability clans, the most powerful is the Samjokoo Clan, which only operates within the Goryeo region. And recently, the clan master, who had never revealed their identity before, started openly recruiting new members. Do you know what their nickname is?]

[……?]

[Ha Eun-cheon.]

[…….]

I fell silent at Liu Ha’s words.

There was no way I wouldn’t know that name. After all, it was the name tied to the Twelve Joules.

People in this era wouldn’t know, but someone like me who lived 500 years ago couldn’t possibly forget it.

[Before heading to the Celestial Realm, we should deal with Ha Eun-cheon first.]

There’s a chance I might die in the Celestial Realm. It would be much better to force Ha Eun-cheon to spill the secrets before I perish.

[But I can’t make hasty decisions. He may be plotting multiple schemes on top of this.]

[…He’s that kind of guy, alright.]

[What shall we do? If you report this to Emperor Sagong Lin, she will likely form a large-scale subjugation squad against the Twelve Joules, so participating in that wouldn’t be bad.]

[…….]

[If you want to go separately, we won’t report this to Emperor Sagong Lin~]

I had no choice but to ponder Liu Ha’s words. While getting help from Sagong Lin and the Great Bear Empire to deal with the Twelve Joules would be more comfortable and easier, was it truly right to ask Sagong Lin for her assistance against the Twelve Joules?

After deliberating, I finally replied.

[I’ll proceed with caution. First, I’ll inform Sagong Lin, and later, I’ll join in on the mission to deal with the Twelve Joules after returning from the Celestial Realm.]

[Understood.]

[Then if there’s nothing more to discuss, let’s meet again next time.]

Bang!

I left the meet-up with the Portrait Immortals and returned to the training ground, deep in thought.

‘The Twelve Joules… what on earth are they thinking….’

From what I’ve heard, the Samjokoo Clan seems to be the strongest among unofficial supernatural ability clans. They purportedly have numerous powerful supernatural ability users nearly as strong as Portrait Immortals; if the Dan Clan is behind them, it makes sense. The problem is why the Twelve Joules are brazenly showing Ha Eun-cheon’s name while recruiting clan members.

Why are they gathering supernatural ability users?

If it were merely for strength enhancement, there would be no need to reveal their identities.

As I contemplated further, it suddenly struck me.

“…Wait a minute.”

The Twelve Joules might think I could still be alive.

And before the end comes, they might just be casting out a small bait and waiting for me to take the hook…

“But I’m tired of just stepping on bait.”

I grinned.

“If I find them this time…. I’ll slice them up right to the tail, Twelve Joules.”

Now I felt confident.

No matter how much Absolute Realm and Heavenly Unrestrained Technique they bring, if I unleash all the strength I’ve gathered so far, there’s no way I’d lose to the Twelve Joules one-on-one!

I thought about that and trained for about a day or two to loosen my body before visiting Sagong Lin.

“You’re here?”

As expected, Sagong Lin spoke about her discovery of the traces of the Twelve Joules. I already knew from the Portrait Immortals, but I pretended to be surprised as we engaged in the conversation. When everything was finishing up, Sagong Lin said.

“Baek Woong, I’m planning to form a subjugation squad for the Samjokoo Clan. Would you like to participate before heading to the Celestial Realm?”

I shook my head.

“No. It seems like they’ve tossed out bait. I want to take care of Miho first and find Fuxi before anything else.”

“I see….”

“I’m planning to head to the Celestial Realm. Open the Heavenly Altar for me.”

Hearing my words, Sagong Lin thought for a moment before saying.

“…Before that, there’s a place I’d like you to visit with me.”

“Hmm?”

“Liu Ha. Please open the Gate.”

As Sagong Lin called Liu Ha, he opened the Transference Gate while standing beside her.

Whoosh!

Once I crossed through the Transference Gate, I found myself standing inside a massive ruin filled with bizarre architectural features unlike anything seen on Earth. For some reason, as I breathed, I felt a suffocating sensation, as if I inhaled flames.

Where is this?!

While I was bewildered, Sagong Lin suddenly tossed me something like a leather mask.

“The atmosphere of Venus is toxic, so wear this specialized mask. It will automatically create a clean field, provide air, and protect your body.”

“I could just use Protection Energy Technique.”

I complained, but I decided to use what was given to me anyway. While Protection Energy Technique does protect martial artists in hazardous environments, it couldn’t completely shield me from toxic air.

Once I put on that mask, Sagong Lin said.

“As you can see, this is Venus. Since you’ve come once, you can surely visit again next time.”

“Venus? Whatever, but why did you bring me here all of a sudden?”

I wasn’t surprised by being on Venus now. Having visited the moon and other worlds, it wouldn’t faze me much. As if reading my thoughts, Sagong Lin replied.

“This is actually a ruin on Venus that the Great Bear Empire is exploring due to the Pangaea project. I thought your majesty absolutely needed to see it.”

“The Pangaea project?”

“After the war with the Nazis, I had told you about going down to the depths of the Old Continent.”

“…Yeah, I remember. I went there with an apostle known as the ‘Black Sun,’ and we couldn’t break through the terraformed mechanical defenses, and then….”

While recalling my memories, something suddenly clicked in my mind, and I exclaimed.

“The ruler of Atlantis, Oreycalcos! That guy gave me some kind of ring, and that was…!!”

“Yes. The Ring of Pangaea. You’ve got quite a good memory there.”

Sagong Lin showed me the ring on her finger.

“This Pangaea Ring has the ability to teleport to planets like Venus or Mars instantly. With this ring, we’ve been exploring various planets for several decades.”

“……!!”

“We discovered ruins on Venus and various Grimoire-related materials and have been researching them within the Great Bear Empire.”

Is that so?!

I looked at the ruins with interest and asked.

“Were there aliens living here on Venus?”

“More accurately, it was inhabited by Ancient Persons from Atlantis who had migrated from Earth. But….”

Whoosh!

Thanks to Liu Ha’s abilities, we arrived at an incredibly elevated location. Standing atop what seemed like the gigantic bones of an animal, I could see below, where countless remnants flowed like a river covering the ground.

Kuuooo…

‘What is that? A white… river? No, it looks more like a pile of rocks or buildings…’

The wreckage moved along the valley of Venus as if alive, giving me a bizarre sensation.

“We soon had a war with the evil gods who came to Venus, and we faced a miserable defeat, meeting such a tragic end. This fact was revealed by reading the ancient records left behind on Venus.”

“Are you serious….”

Sagong Lin nodded.

“Yes. Those river-like remnants are still alive.”

“What do you mean!”

“It’s the result of a curse by the evil god, where the essence of ancient humans has fused with structures. The ancient people have been suffering in agony, clustered together in the millions, for thousands of years….”

“…….”

“Oreycalcos, the emperor of Atlantis, probably never anticipated that the migrants would end up like this.”

Kuuooo…

If the remains are visible on the surface of Venus, their actual size would easily stretch thousands of times wider and dozens of times longer. And this spot was where hundreds of millions were tormented by the evil god’s malice.

It was far more horrifying than I imagined.

To endure such suffering for thousands of years at the hands of an evil god!

While I was at a loss for words, Sagong Lin said.

“Baek Woong. If the end comes, will those beings be liberated from their pain?”

“`

 

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