1146——————==

Soul of the Evil God (사신지혼)

Right after taking down Lee Rang-jin-gun on the 94th floor, we tried to head up to the 95th floor, but Sword Demon stopped us.

“Let’s take a breather for a moment.”

“Honestly, it’d be easier to just blitz through everything…”

“That may be true, but the situation isn’t fully settled yet, right? There are still things to discuss.”

“Hm.”

“That lad needs some time to talk with Hang-a, even if he doesn’t say it.”

I shot a glance at the archer, realizing he had fixated his gaze on Hang-a, his eyes burning with a desperate longing. Sword Demon seemed to have sensed it, which is why he proposed we take a break.

“Got it. Then let’s head back to the Eight Trigrams Pavilion for a bit.”

Pa-at!

We returned to the pavilion. We also brought back Jang Sam-bong, the Supreme Master, and the other expedition members who were training on the 92nd floor. Once inside, the Five Great Physicians cast healing spells on my minor wounds.

I turned to Hang-a.

“Hang-a, you keep calling me ‘master,’ but do you remember your days as a giant toad? We weren’t exactly close. In fact, there was more of a grudge about whether or not I’d steal your soul.”

“……”

Upon hearing that, Hang-a tilted her head, clearly confused. Right now, she didn’t need to unleash her divine powers, so I spoke freely.

“What do you mean, ‘giant toad’?”

“……?”

What the heck is this…

I was flabbergasted as I asked her.

“You don’t remember?”

“It seems I’ve dreamt for a very long time. I can remember being sealed by Jeogok until that last moment, but everything after that is a blur.”

“…Hmm.”

She doesn’t recall the days of the Monster King Toad, huh…

As I sighed, the archer interrupted.

“Clearly, she’s mentally constrained right now. Forgetting her cursed past and being blindly loyal to you is a strange thing.”

“I can see your point… but why the hell did I name her Hang-a in the first place for such a situation to arise?”

“If she’s lying, then she’s a bold liar. But if you’re not lying, then the moment you named her, her persona was overwritten.”

“Overwritten?”

The archer nodded.

“A name essentially proves one’s essence. Even if you called her Hang-a, that name originally belonged to the creator, Jeogok. If you erased that origin and became the new name-bearer, her essence must have changed too, even if it’s the same name.”

“…….”

“Yet, I still don’t understand… what exactly are you?”

“What?”

He glared at me with disbelief.

“I’ve lived a long life, and I’ve rarely seen such a phenomenon caused merely by naming someone. And you being human, your status totally pales in comparison to Hang-a, right? There are very few beings more noble than her even in the Celestial Realm.”

“Hey, that’s kind of rude, but I can let that slide since you’re right. Just how noble are we talking here? Was she born from some sort of love pod?”

“What nonsense… She’s directly descended from the Three Sovereigns! Even the Twelve Great Ancestors bow before her! The Jade Emperor himself uses respectful language towards her! She’s the only celestial maiden who can freely hold an audience with the Three Sovereigns! Do you think I’m spouting gibberish?!”

The archer’s anger flared up, and I looked at Jang Sam-bong, who stroked his beard as he spoke.

“I’m still relatively young in the Celestial Realm, so I’m not very knowledgeable about this matter. Discussing it requires ancient immortals. However, based on what I know, Hang-a is indeed a noble being. In terms of rank, she could even be on par with or greater than a Fire Dragon Incarnate.”

“Hmm!”

“Also, it’s taboo for a lower being to name a higher being. This is something I find perplexing as well.”

“Why is it taboo?”

In response to my question, Jang Sam-bong said,

“Naming someone is essentially an act that follows the Law of Cause and Effect. A name serves as proof of their essence, which means the namer is staking their existence on it. Yet, a name given by a lower being creates limitations on power, leading them both to suffer different consequences. They could even vanish together.”

“Is that true?!”

“Naturally, a lowly being wouldn’t be able to perform such feats, which is why even the most seasoned sorcerers of the Divine Realm wouldn’t casually name a spiritual being. Naming is an incredibly important act.”

“……”

“If we take the archer’s words at face value, it’s truly a strange event that a pure human like you has newly named a high divine being like Hang-a, resulting in such changes. It cannot be explained through any known sorcery.”

Hearing Jang Sam-bong’s words, the gravity of the situation dawned on me.

‘A human like me, compared to a high divine being like Hang-a, is like heaven and earth. How did this happen?’

As I pondered, Dokgo Seong interjected with a matter-of-fact tone.

“So, you’re saying Baek Woong is higher ranked than that woman? Why are you making such a fuss over a memory loss?”

“Dokgo Seong! Is that even reasonable…?”

“I don’t care! Why does that matter in this situation? I may not know sorcery or whatever, but what truly matters is that the archer has sided with us, and with this power, we can wipe out the rest of our adversaries. Hang-a only lost her memory, so as long as she’s okay, it’s all good, right?”

“Sure, that’s true.”

“Then let’s stop talking about Hang-a for now and figure out why the archer hates Baek Woong so much since first meeting!”

Oh, that’s right!

The archer had been filled with hatred towards me from the very beginning; what the heck was that about?

As everyone’s gaze shifted to the archer, he hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“When Nüwa offered me a position as a Trial Guardian, she proposed to lift Hang-a’s curse in exchange for her returning to me. However, there was a condition.”

“A condition?”

“She had received a name from another being while under the curse, so even Nüwa cannot pinpoint her current whereabouts. When I asked who that name was, she said it was a guy named Baek Woong… whose appearance baffled me as he looked like a soybean!”

“…….”

“From then on, a surge of anger bubbled up inside me. I was left waiting atop the tower in a fit of rage.”

“Damn it!! Did she just jump to conclusions all on her own? I had extra hard times because of that girl… no, Toad Moon.”

I shouted angrily but finally grasped the situation.

‘So, because I gave her the names “Soi” and “Toad Moon,” even Nüwa didn’t know where she was, causing that guy to hold a grudge against me.’

For some reason, I could think back to how the archer had threatened to kill me out of nowhere or had run away in the past; was this perhaps the reason too? I mulled over this and said,

“Alright, the situation seems to mostly make sense now. First off, archer, you lead us into every trial until we clear this tower. You will wage war with your strength.”

The archer replied with blatant indifference.

“You’re shamelessly saying you’ll use my strength to clear trials? You did pledge loyalty to me, but my effort in battle is my own choice.”

“What?!”

“I’m following you because of the vows, but you’re honestly the most loathsome person in the world to me right now. Back then, I was so hot-headed that I used my full strength, but I’m not aiming to do that now.”

“You little….”

The moment I heard him, I realized it was indeed wise to take a moment to reorganize our strategy before heading in. Had I rushed in recklessly to the 95th or 96th floor and faced an even stronger Trial Guardian while the archer was nonchalant, it could’ve been a matter of life and death for me.

‘Damn it. This isn’t the time for calculations.’

I couldn’t let this guy mess around freely. I had to put him in his place.

Grip!

“Watch closely.”

I steeled my resolve and abruptly pulled Hang-a into a tight embrace. She complied without resisting, and at that moment, the archer’s eyes blazed with intensity as he aimed the Red Bow at me.

Swish!

At the same time, the expert allies of ours aimed their weapons menacingly at the archer as well. He growled in a voice laced with a killing intent that would put a lava eruption to shame.

“Let go of her.”

“Not happening! The Great Hero wants to swap loyalties like old chewing gum, huh?”

“I’d rather die taking you down than have to live if my lord lusted after my subordinate!”

“Hmph. You think threatening me with your life will do anything…?”

I scoffed and continued.

“Listen well. Sure, I think Hang-a’s the most beautiful, but I have zero interest in her. She’s entirely off my radar. But what matters most to me is conquering this tower, and if you won’t give it your all, I’ll have no choice but to take drastic measures.”

“You coward.”

At that moment, I suddenly imagined Zhuge Sa whispering something into my ear. I had a feeling that if he were here, he’d probably suggest a plan like this. So, I hastily blurted out a wicked thought that had crossed my mind.

“Want me to be really cowardly? What if I send you out to fight and take Hang-a’s name, banishing her to the Material World?”

“……!!”

“You’ll never find her again before the end of the world.”

“Grrr…!! If you do that, I’ll never let you off the hook….”

“Go ahead and mess with me if you’re confident. Either way, you’re the one who’ll suffer.”

“Ugh….”

The archer trembled with rage. I could tell my assumption was spot on.

‘He might endure my commands, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to part with Hang-a.’

Knowing his weakness made the rest easy. I had gained insight into this crucial fact after long negotiations, so I switched from aggression to coaxing.

“Do we really need to drag each other down like this? If you truly see yourself as the strongest in the Celestial Realm, how about clearing the remaining Trial Guardians with everything you’ve got? Once they’re cleared, I swear that I won’t do anything that would hinder your relationship with Hang-a or put her in harm’s way.”

“…….”

“And I went out of my way to lift the curse by borrowing from Nüwa as well. So, I basically lifted it myself. For you to bear your fangs at me after receiving such a favor is rather shameless, isn’t it?”

The archer fell silent for a while after hearing my words. Gradually, he lowered his Red Bow, diminishing his hostility.

“…Alright. I’ll do as you say. I’ll fight with all my strength.”

“Good choice.”

“Just know, there’s no guarantee that I can win everything.”

“What? If you can fire the Red Bow without limitations, of course, you can take them all down!”

“It’s not that convenient of an ability. My shots have to hit their target precisely, and I can’t just fire indefinitely. If I face a being capable of dodging my arrows, then every miss increases the chance of me dying instead.”

The archer continued with his blunt tone.

“Lee Rang-jin-gun died just because he foolishly took it head-on; if he had known, he would’ve dodged. The trump card can’t be used lightly.”

“Isn’t that powerful enough as is? Are you saying there are opponents strong enough to be a challenge?”

“There’s one confirmed individual.”

The archer said this flatly.

“Xiang Yu.”

“Ah…!!”

My expression turned grim as the archer continued.

“The only one capable of contending with me at my peak is the Celestial Sage, but even at my best, I have no confidence in beating him.”

“Hmm….”

“I’ve seen him numerous times, yet truthfully, I find him terrifying.”

“Are you saying you can’t win?”

“Maybe if luck is on my side, but he’s that close to a god. To try fighting earnestly against him would be sheer arrogance.”

I realized I had hit a new roadblock.

Xiang Yu!

I didn’t know which floor he would appear on, but it was now confirmed that defeating him would be a tough task for the archer. The brief happiness I felt from obtaining my powerful weapon faded away as I recognized the necessity for new tactics, making the veins in my head throb.

‘Damn it…. How am I supposed to beat that monster?!’

While I was lost in thought, Sword Demon spoke up.

“Baek Woong. Why are you so troubled?”

“Huh?”

“Xiang Yu is the easiest opponent there is. In fact, coaxing the archer into cooperating seems like a far more difficult task.”

“What? He’s practically another Old Ruler.”

My disbelief made Sword Demon chuckle.

“That may be true for others… but you, Baek Woong, are a different story.”

Soon after, Sword Demon revealed a scheme to me. As I listened to his plan, I felt apprehensive yet realized one thing.

‘It all hinges on my silver tongue!’

Could it actually work? This author was known for being merciless when agitated, wasn’t he?

As anxiety washed over me, I made my move a few days later to challenge the 95th floor.

Pa-at!

The Trial Guardian on the 95th floor turned out to be an unexpected individual. I recognized him instantly as a neatly garbed Taoist.

“Huh, you are….”

[Good to see you, Baek Woong.]

I blurted out in surprise.

“Tai Gong-mang! Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the Sealing Blood of the Divine?!”

Indeed.

The Trial Guardian of the 95th floor was none other than Tai Gong-mang!

The direct disciple of the Primordial Void and the older brother of Cheon Gong-pyo during the Silver Age had appeared right in front of me. Naturally, I had fought against Tai Gong-mang before when I invaded the Primordial Void’s internal Muungdojo, where I lost the Black Woong to him. Thinking back to that loss still stung a bit.

At my words, Tai Gong-mang flinched slightly.

[Impressive…. How do you know about the Sealing Blood of the Divine? To know a secret so well-guarded by the Celestial Realm is no mere feat for a human emperor.]

I raised an eyebrow.

“Tai Gong-mang, are you implying you left the Sealing Blood of the Divine unguarded while you’ve come here with just your Yang Spirit? No matter how great a disciple of the Primordial Void you are, you seem to be underestimating us!”

Tai Gong-mang was not to be trifled with. With the divine treasure known as Ta Shin-pyeon, he could obliterate sacred entities, and his martial arts, Tai Chi, was one of the Three Great Techniques of the Celestial Realm. As a user of divine techniques, Tai Gong-mang had once even cornered Xiang Yu for a moment.

But still, he usually separated his Yin and Yang spirits, leaving one to guard the Muungdojo while he operated with half his power in the Celestial Realm. Obviously, even if he were strong, assuming he was fighting with just half an essence meant his strength equated to no more than that of the Twelve Great Ancestors.

‘So this actually works in my favor!’

I was feeling good about having the advantage when Tai Gong-mang casually responded.

[You seem to know about the situation with the Sealing Blood of the Divine. As you said, I usually separate my Yin and Yang spirits to guard it, but this time, Nuwa is substituting to maintain the seal in the Muungdojo. Moreover, the seal is set to be released at a predetermined time due to some agreement with that fellow from the past, so… I can go all out.]

“…….”

Tai Gong-mang continued.

[Shall we begin, then?]

Whoooosh!

The treasure Ta Shin-pyeon in Tai Gong-mang’s hand radiated light.

‘Ugh… I need to snatch it with the Technique of All Things, but someone like Tai Gong-mang won’t show any openings. If I fight head-on, this could backfire badly.’

Holdin the Ta Shin-pyeon, Tai Gong-mang had once pushed Xiang Yu to the brink. Given his immense attack power, there was a chance that even if I won, the archer could take grievous injuries.

‘…Well, I just have to snatch it, right?’

At that moment, the spark of inspiration flashed, and I shouted.

“Alright! Ta Shin-pyeon summon!!”

Pa-at!

The symbol of the Ta Shin-pyeon summon activated, glowing in my hand as I summoned the treasure.

[……?!]

“Now!”

As I activated the summoning, Tai Gong-mang looked flabbergasted as the Ta Shin-pyeon from his hand vanished unexpectedly. In that moment, the archer launched his Red Bow.

Fwhew!

That was the end for Tai Gong-mang. He might have made an effort to dodge, but the archer’s archery skills weren’t lacking enough to miss a single opening Tai Gong-mang showed. I gazed at the Ta Shin-pyeon in my hand with an uneasy expression, pondering.

‘Well, it should be fine, right?’

Tai Gong-mang! I’d make good use of the Ta Shin-pyeon from now on!