1189——————==

Soul of the Evil God

How will Jin So-cheong fight?

I was actually more curious about that than about Hang-a’s terrifying power. After all, Jin So-cheong was a genius of martial arts, someone who could reach incredible realms with just a bit of training, and her genius was unparalleled.

In my life, having seen many renowned figures and geniuses, I could confidently say there might be someone who could rival Jin So-cheong, but nobody has ever surpassed her. Unless we consider someone like the Divine Thief, who wasn’t even human, all those who could fly felt a fundamental gap when standing before Jin So-cheong.

In ten years, or rather, in less than a year, Jin So-cheong had attained the Absolute Realm.

If she had trained for 500 years, what kind of level would she have reached?

‘But Jin So-cheong primarily trained not in martial arts but in sorcery…’

There hasn’t been definitive proof of her talent in sorcery. That’s why I’m even more eager to see her in action.

Is she a genius in sorcery too?

Facing Hang-a, Jin So-cheong still kept her spear low and said, “Hang-a, why do you wish to become a Reborn Person? A Reborn Person is both a blessing and a curse. In some ways, it’s a more unfortunate existence than us mortals, who end our lives in a single lifetime.”

[You’re quite chatty. Do you think you’re stronger than me?]

Jin So-cheong responded without any emotion.

“Of course.”

[Aha ha!!]

Hang-a burst out laughing, as if she found it ridiculous.

Whoosh!!

At that moment, strange symbols that seemed summoned by Hang-a surrounded Jin So-cheong’s body. The symbols exploded with a blinding flash before Jin So-cheong could even attempt to evade.

Boom!

“……!!”

I gasped from a distance, shocked.

‘Is that an attack using the Small Cycle?!’

It had no warning and the result just happened, so a human’s reflexes could never react in time. That explosion was so sudden I barely managed to dodge it because I sensed Hang-a’s killing intent beforehand; but this was an attack I couldn’t evade with instincts alone.

Is Jin So-cheong safe?

But my concerns were completely unfounded. Jin So-cheong stood immobile in place, with not even a scratch on her.

[Hmm…!! How…?]

Hang-a seemed surprised. Jin So-cheong spoke in her usual emotionless tone.

“Hang-a, the real enemy of Baek Woong isn’t someone like you. I have no grudge against you, so stop getting in my way.”

[What if I don’t? Do you mean for me to surrender to Baek Woong?]

“If you surrender, I will show mercy. If not?”

Jin So-cheong glanced at me, making me flinch. Our eyes met, and I scratched my head nervously.

“No, right now, I feel like I could kill you several times over…”

“I know you’re the type who definitely repays a grudge, but how about forgiving just this once?”

“Uh, that’s…”

As Jin So-cheong’s straightforward words left me in an awkward spot, Hang-a seemed to be getting angry.

[Jin So-cheong! You’re getting cocky with your small tricks! I don’t know how you blocked that, but here, take this!]

Whoosh!!

In that moment, the ritual object on Hang-a’s head shimmered, and I could feel a significant amplification of her power.

“Ugh…!!”

I felt Hang-a’s surge of divine power and realized just how immense her strength had suddenly become. The potential awakening within her was truly staggering.

‘Tens…? Hundreds…?! What is this!!’

Up until now, the peak of Hang-a’s presence was at best that of a divine being. It was something I could certainly withstand. But now, her original power was rising to an unprecedented level like a stream suddenly swelling into a great river!

“D-Damn it!! Is this even possible in the Dream World?!”

Surely Hang-a had imagined the ultimate strength!

I gritted my teeth and shouted, “Fine! I’ll wish for the ultimate power too!!”

Whoosh!!

I fervently envisioned the power of the Three Sovereigns, pouring my heart into the wish. But no matter how desperately I wanted it, my body felt like it was being pulled taut with no visible increase in strength.

“……?”

What’s going on?

Wasn’t this the Dream World? Why could she do it and not me?

As I was left dumbfounded, Jin So-cheong spoke next to me.

“Baek Woong, the rules have changed.”

“What do you mean the rules have changed?”

“The place we fought just now was the Dream World, but now we’re in the Boundary.”

“……? Huh? What does that mean….”

“Hang-a thought she was at a disadvantage because you adapted to the rules of the Dream. So, she broke that world to pick another battlefield.”

Jin So-cheong calmly observed Hang-a, whose power was growing.

“This is the boundary between dreams and reality. Here, the autonomy of dreams is heavily suppressed, and you can’t disregard the rules like before. It’s much closer to reality.”

“Closer to reality, you say?”

“You couldn’t dodge Hang-a’s attack with the overlay of reality just now because that technique can’t be used in this domain. It’s not a perfect dream world, so you can’t use that trick.”

“Whaat!! So, Hang-a can amplify her power like that…?”

“I’m saying that can be done in reality.”

“…….”

All I could do was stand, stunned, as I muttered.

“No way! How is that even possible? Th-That is….”

I couldn’t bring myself to finish that thought as I stared blankly at Hang-a, who was terrifyingly amplifying her power. Jin So-cheong then countered as if she’d predicted my words.

“Indeed. It’s the realm of the Old Ruler.”

Boom!

In the next moment, Hang-a’s monstrous figure shrank dramatically, and strange black waves spiraled around her body. She eventually reverted back to her Heavenly Maiden form, but this time she wore a white mask on her faceless head and a gray wing attire. Her body had completely returned to that of a human.

She seemed a bit weaker now, but I could instinctively tell, seeing the spiral waves around her body.

[The level] has changed.

What had previously felt like the overwhelming presence of a powerful demon king now transcended that realm entirely—she had become a [Ruler]!

‘How could she gain such strength….’

It was a terrifying realm of absolute being I could not even dream of attaining, no matter how many thousands of years I tried.

Seeing Hang-a reach that level instantly left me at a loss for words.

How could she possibly become so strong all of a sudden?!

Hang-a stroked her white mask and said, [I’ve decided. Jin So-cheong, I will use you as my footstool for eternity. Consider it an honor.]

Such an arrogant tone!

But it matched the power she exuded!

Jin So-cheong’s response was neither anger nor surprise, but still remained devoid of expression.

“You’ve gained the power of a [Ruler] by feeding off that which isn’t even your own holiness, yet you carry such excessive confidence. You don’t even know how to handle that power.”

[Hmph. Even if I’m unskilled, I’ll wipe you out without a doubt. Just like this….]

Squeeze.

The moment Hang-a clenched her fist, time and space began to distort, scrambling the area where Jin So-cheong and I were present.

‘Whoa.’

Resistance felt impossible.

It was akin to… that feeling when facing the true [Old Ruler]!

‘I’ve lost….’

In the face of a gap so wide that I could feel sick just thinking about it, I instinctively grasped that I could not win by any means. The power of this being, now at least several dozen times stronger than Hang-a from just moments ago, surpassed the limits of what I could muster.

But I was sensing the weary exhaustion of my entire body when Jin So-cheong’s voice resonated in my head.

“It’s all a dream.”

Huh?

In the next moment, I realized the situation had completely flipped.

“……?”

[……?!]

Hang-a had turned into a monster again, and Jin So-cheong and I were floating in the chaos of the void, just like moments before. Hang-a, enhanced to [Old Ruler] level, looked deeply confused, flailing her limbs around.

[What is this!! What have you done!!]

“Hang-a. Do you still refuse to surrender?”

[Don’t make me laugh!!]

Whoooo!!

Hang-a once again emanated light from her ritual object. I recognized that this ritual object was indeed the source of power for Hang-a. I’d missed it earlier due to its sudden appearance, but it was definitely suspicious.

‘I have to cut that ritual object!’

As I was about to draw my sword and attack Hang-a, Jin So-cheong suddenly reached out to stop me.

“Huh?”

“I can’t let your movements be inserted into the Law of Cause and Effect. So just stay still.”

What’s she talking about?

Whoooo

Once more, Hang-a appeared to transform into the [Old Ruler]. She spoke with arrogance.

[No matter what trick you pulled, this time it’s the end….]

“It’s a dream.”

Swish.

[…….]

Just as Hang-a was about to cast an ability, once again the situation reverted to its original state. Hang-a froze, as if she realized something, while Jin So-cheong regarded her with a blank expression.

When Hang-a tried to draw power from the ritual object again, Jin So-cheong lightly stated, “It’s a dream.”

Swish.

[…….]

Hang-a couldn’t do anything further and could only stand there, dumbfounded.

I was taken aback, not comprehending what was happening, and I called out to Jin So-cheong.

“Jin So-cheong! You turned the Small Cycle, didn’t you?”

“You can’t block an [Old Ruler] that way. I merely put her into my [Dream].”

A dream?

Boom!

[Kaak!]

Jin So-cheong, fingers outstretched as she stopped Hang-a from transforming, said to her, “I will repeat this until you understand. Even thousands of times….”

[…Ugh, aaaaah!!]

Hang-a suddenly screamed, her voice laced with terror.

[This can’t be! How can a mortal possess such power!!]

Jin So-cheong replied, her expression unchanging, “Hang-a. You’ve chosen the wrong place to fight. If we were in a complete dream, it wouldn’t have been so easy for me to suppress you. In a space where spirit can roam freely, you and I would have been on equal footing.”

[What….]

“But the [Boundary] is the place where my sorcery can manifest its utmost strength. That ability comes from the Master Mangnyang.”

[……!!]

“It was truly concerning that you would want to fight Baek Woong inside a dream, but thankfully, you removed yourself from it.”

Jin So-cheong stated calmly.

[This can’t end like this.]

Then Hang-a gritted her teeth and suddenly summoned another ritual object into one hand. Raising it high, she declared, [Heavenly Secret! I will dedicate all to you! Lend me your power!]

Kugugu

An ominous darkness began to arise. Seeing that, Jin So-cheong extended her finger to try to revert it, but suddenly, her finger broke.

Snap!

“…Hmm.”

“Jin So-cheong! What’s going on?”

Click.

Jin So-cheong, with a blank face, adjusted her finger and said, “I didn’t expect this. Hang-a is now trying to summon the power of two [Old Rulers] at once. She must be prepared for self-destruction.”

“……?! A-Are you saying she can do that too?!”

“If it’s two, it exceeds my power limits, so I won’t be able to block it like before.”

So that’s why her finger broke?

I realized I was now in a position to face two [Old Rulers], but as I gripped my sword tightly, I thought, “I have no choice but to push myself as far as I can.”

I’ll have to hold out while Jin So-cheong takes out one of those [Old Rulers]!

“No.”

“Hmm?”

Cutting off my words, Jin So-cheong stared at me with transparent eyes and said, “In this life, I can hardly be of any help to you. I can’t let you face death again after coming this far. I will handle that one alone.”

“How can you say that? If two Rulers appear, even all my companions together cannot win!”

“There’s a simple method.”

Jin So-cheong shook her broken finger like it was a check-up and continued.

“It’s simple if we have two here as well.”

Huh?

“Come forth, my [Dream].”

In the next moment, Jin So-cheong held her spear in reverse grip. I thought it might be some special martial technique, but surprisingly, she took a pose as if to hand it to someone.

‘Is she… handing it over? To who?’

My confusion was soon cleared.

Thud!

Someone’s hand roughly gripped the shaft of the spear that Jin So-cheong had extended.

Jin So-cheong spoke casually to the being she had handed her spear to, “You understand the situation, right? Fight well.”

“Understood.”

The voice of the one responding sounded just like Jin So-cheong’s.

Not just the voice, but their appearance was completely identical.

‘Is this the Clone Technique?’

But could a simple clone address the current predicament?

The power of two [Old Rulers] is on a completely different level of confrontation; how could I withstand that?

Rumble…

While I was lost in worry, it seemed Hang-a had completed summoning the [Old Rulers]. Two beings stood beside her, wearing the ritual objects.

Ohhhh!

The rulers all lacked faces. More precisely, where their faces would be, it was as if infinite chaos had forcibly filled that area, making it grotesque. But from the immense magical energy radiating from them, I knew they were undoubtedly [Old Rulers].

Hang-a seemed completely out of power, having exhausted all her strength, and her body had shrunk back down. She had reverted to her Heavenly Maiden form, far from her monstrous appearance. It was clear that this was Hang-a’s final gambit.

‘If I can just get past this, victory will be mine… But….’

I felt a dark foreboding as I seemed to grasp the identities of the beings before me.

[You who became the food of the Heavenly Secret. I, Hang-a, command you.]

And as expected, as Hang-a issued the battle command, I felt a ringing in my head.

[Yu Shun, Chi You. Go!]

Boom!

The moment the command was given, the two rulers began to fly towards me like ghosts. While the scene could seem trivial, the sheer spatial distortion caused by their movement due to their incredible power was almost nauseating.

‘Cough….’

I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but now it was real.

Yu Shun and Chi You had appeared!!

Just as I began to tremble with dread, the one holding the spear, [Jin So-cheong], muttered.

“Gods are fun to slice down every now and then. It’s quite enjoyable!”

As she brandished her spear and invoked the Thunder Spirit, she rushed forward.

Jin So-cheong

Bang!!

In the first clash, Jin So-cheong’s strike pierced Yu Shun’s throat. Despite having his throat impaled, Yu Shun paid it no mind, morphing his entire body like an intangible blob of liquid to envelop Jin So-cheong.

I screamed, “No!!”

Yu Shun’s specialty is parasitism!

The horrid [Old Ruler] who could parasitize anyone without a trace, stealing their body and soul! I had witnessed firsthand how even the Divine Thief couldn’t do anything when his body was taken!

Grrrr…

Jin So-cheong, gripped by the liquid, found herself unable to move. Meanwhile, another battle was unfolding.

“Break!”

Boom!!

As the sorcerer Jin So-cheong shouted the spell, the spear of Chi You was flung away. Chi You seemed hit hard and halted his advance.

“No!”

I gasped at that sight. No matter how much training he underwent for 500 years, it was astonishing to see Jin So-cheong repel Chi You, who now bore the strength equivalent to the Three Sovereigns, with a single incantation!

As Jin So-cheong observed Chi You standing still, preparing for an onslaught, she quietly said, “Stop messing around and wrap this up.”

Who was she talking to?

That was clear a moment later.

“Sorry. I thought I’d get to enjoy a good brawl, but turn out this one’s a disappointment.”

The one answering was exactly the Jin So-cheong wielding the spear.

In a state encased by liquid, she spoke nonchalantly!

‘What?! No way….’

Despite Yu Shun entering her body, she seemed completely unaffected?!

As I stared in shock, the sorcerer Jin So-cheong teased, “You’ve gone mad for battle. Just stop it.”

“I got it. I’ll tone it down.”

Toning it down?

What… what does that mean?

Against the Three Sovereigns….

“You cannot stain my spear with parasites.”

In the next moment, it felt like white light burst forth from Jin So-cheong’s eyes.

Jin So-cheong

Boom!

One step!

As Jin So-cheong took a step forward, I felt Yu Shun tremble, as Jin So-cheong’s martial force, radiant with white light, enveloped the entire world.

Rumble!

Two steps!

Boom!!

White light erupted from one of Yu Shun’s arms like lava. Only then did I understand what was happening.

“Will… intent….”

Pure intention.

However…. Something impossibly strong, a level of intention that an ordinary master of Absolute Realm couldn’t even dream of. Even I could fathom its sheer power—it felt as if it could obliterate a planet with one strike! That intention overflowed across the Death Sea!

That’s… divine power, isn’t it?

I couldn’t help but tremble at that Martial Prestige, balling my fists tightly.

Jin So-cheong, radiating white light, murmured, “Three steps.”

Ultimate martial skill.

A vision pierced the center of the universe.

A singular will pours forth, penetrating the heart of the Great Galaxy.

The dignity of an existence approaching the peak of martial mastery.

Casual as ever – destruction began.

The flesh of the divine was cleaved apart like pale skin before a blue blade.

Whooooosh!

The winds of the universe swirled. From the darkness, an uncontrollable white light burst forth, sending millions of shards of light flying, and the flesh of the ruler was rent asunder. Amidst that white light, Jin So-cheong leaped lightly and threw a punch.

Boom!

Thud.

[Oooooh.]

And – the common sense that an Absolute Realm warrior could never transcend a divine realm was utterly shattered.

As I watched Yu Shun’s dismembered body vanish into the cosmos, anyone would think the same.

“Let’s finish off Chi You too.”

Moments later, the sorcerer Jin So-cheong addressed the Jin So-cheong who had just ended Yu Shun.

“The potential I’ve cultivated through 500 years of martial training.”

Indeed.

What the sorcerer Jin So-cheong had summoned from the [Dream] was none other than the Jin So-cheong herself, who had trained in martial arts for 500 years.