1307——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I soon landed the Ark on the back mountain of Soeul Village and used the magic sphere to give orders.

“Keep the Ark in a transparent state.”

[Stealth mode will be maintained while minimizing energy consumption.]

Oh

After disembarking from the Ark, I went with Saint Germain to Mangnyang. To be honest, I was itching to hear the conversation onboard, but Saint Germain insisted we discuss it in front of Mangnyang. As we approached Mangnyang, he looked puzzled.

“Why do you all have such anxious looks on your faces?”

I nodded in agreement with his words.

“Well, you see, Saint Germain says that there might actually be two Masters of the Twelve Joules…”

“……!!”

Mangnyang’s expression changed dramatically. Then, turning to Saint Germain with a somewhat subdued voice, he said.

“Please give me a detailed explanation.”

“Hoo. You’re relatively wise, so you could easily explain it to Baek Woong, right?”

“Don’t worry. I shall explain it to Baek Woong as best as I can.”

“……”

So, that’s why he insisted on talking in front of Mangnyang!

Saint Germain briefly recounted the silver circuit he discovered when penetrating the Ark and his suspicions. Then he continued.

“And I heard that Baek Woong sent the Master of the Twelve Joules three days into the future. I realized then that this could be a huge problem…”

Mangnyang, standing with his chin resting on his hand, pondered for a moment before speaking.

“You’re not suggesting that, at the very moment Baek Woong sent the Master of the Twelve Joules into the future with the power of the wind, a new Joule may have regenerated right at that spot, are you?”

“Precisely.”

“That’s ridiculous… Hm… So that’s how we ended up with two Masters of the Twelve Joules.”

Listening to their conversation, I was taken aback and exclaimed.

“What?! Is that even possible?! If a Joule goes to the future, how can another one appear right at that spot?!”

Saint Germain replied.

“The only certainty is that the Master of the Twelve Joules is a being with super-scientific capabilities advanced at least 500 years beyond this era. Moreover, he occupies the World Tree and wields a vast amount of energy at will. From what I’ve heard, even if you extract his soul and kill him, he can come back to life, and if he gets sealed in ice, he can resurrect himself. This bizarre immortality is what they say he possesses.”

“Indeed. Somehow, he does die but comes back to life shortly afterward to cause trouble.”

“I thought: that man is probably using the power of the World Tree to harness his immortality.”

“……?”

Huh?

Using the World Tree?

I tilted my head, and Saint Germain calmly continued speaking.

“First, I want to ask how much you know about the World Tree?”

I strained my memory and answered earnestly.

“Well… I heard from the Master of the Twelve Joules before that it spans across nine worlds? And it has immense magical power and the ability to block the influence of the [Old Ruler]. Also, it can summon the Phoenix by linking the power of the World Tree to the Seven Luminaries… and….”

Finally, I recalled Zhuge Sa’s description.

“That it couldn’t hatch from the Egg of Chaos and ended up being an [Old Ruler]… I believe I understand it this way.”

“Oho!”

Saint Germain’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You actually know quite a bit! No, that level of knowledge is beyond even a considerable number of sorcerers or alchemists… Baek Woong! Why is there such a gap between your knowledge and intelligence?”

“……”

That doesn’t sound like a compliment to me…

As I frowned, Saint Germain continued.

“That’s true. However, most of the methods you mentioned are simply ways that the Master of the Twelve Joules uses the World Tree. The actual characteristic of the World Tree is [infinite magical power]. The abilities to weaken the influence of the [Old Ruler] or summon the Phoenix are just usages derived from that infinite magical power.”

“I see.”

“Then why do you think the World Tree has infinite magical power?”

“Because it was born in the Sea of Chaos and was almost an [Old Ruler], right?”

“No. That’s one reason, but that refers to the source of tremendous magical power kept during the sprouting phase. What I’m talking about is how the adult World Tree can continue generating infinite magical power afterward. Where do you think that infinite magical power comes from?”

“Umm….”

I…I have no idea…

Why are you hitting me with such a tough question out of nowhere?!

While I was stammering, Mangnyang, who had been listening, spoke up.

“The [Nine Worlds]. You mean that’s what you want to talk about, Saint Germain.”

“Exactly.”

Saint Germain nodded.

“The grown World Tree may appear to have a physical presence, but it actually lacks a physical body. It’s merely a reflection projected into reality using enormous magical power. In reality, the World Tree exists in a higher dimension, and its roots extend beyond the borders of worlds to absorb magical power from the nine different worlds.”

“……!!”

Mangnyang’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as he spoke.

“What are these nine worlds? Are you referring to other dimensions?”

“The ancient worlds created alongside the birth of the universe. We alchemists refer to these nine ancient worlds as Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, Hel, Alfheim, etc. It is commonly held that gods and giants were born from these ancient worlds. It is a homeland for some of the Elders.”

“Hmm.”

“Originally, I believed the World Tree drew power from those nine worlds.”

Saint Germain’s face darkened slightly.

“However… this theory has been abandoned not long ago by us alchemists.”

“What do you mean? You just made an exciting explanation.”

“When we drew the Cosmic Diagram and tried to understand the dimensional arrangement with classical alchemy, we thought the nine worlds referred to the high realms of the divine. However, when the arrangement of the constellations completely shifted at some point, so did our calculations, and we realized that wasn’t the case.”

“Not the case…?”

“In the universe’s extreme beginnings, it may have drawn power from Asgard or Jotunheim, but it has been revealed that the World Tree can absorb magical power from any parallel universe.”

“…….”

“So, the [Nine Worlds] became just a figurative expression. It no longer refers solely to the power that can be absorbed from those nine high divine realms.”

“That means the number of worlds from which the World Tree can actually draw power is infinite, so of course, its magical power can also be infinite.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve enjoyed the fascinating theory of alchemy, but could you explain how this relates to the immortality of the Master of the Twelve Joules?”

Then Saint Germain cautiously said.

“Drawing infinite magical power from infinite parallel worlds means, in other words, that roots created a passage connecting those parallel worlds and the real world. But if that root could summon not only magical power but also other entities or substances from those parallel worlds…?”

“……!!”

“That sounds ridiculous, but if we’re talking about harnessing immortality using the World Tree, that’s the only way. It’s all about extracting entities from the parallel worlds along with the infinite magical power.”

“No way….”

Mangnyang also seemed to have turned pale. While listening to the two discuss, I was puzzled about what they were saying and asked Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang, so how did the Joule end up being two people?”

“Just like you heard.”

Thanks to Mangnyang’s following words, I could understand the situation a bit better.

“The World Tree’s Sacred Altar Tree utilized its [roots] to draw power from parallel worlds, using that passage to bring over the Master of the Twelve Joules from another parallel world.”

“……Huh?!”

“If that happens, as long as the World Tree exists, the Master of the Twelve Joules will become an immortal being. Because every time he dies, the World Tree will simply summon another from the parallel world….”

“…….”

“That’s why, the moment you sent the [current] Master of the Twelve Joules into the future—he would have been recognized as having perished, prompting the World Tree to summon the Master of the Twelve Joules from the parallel world! Isn’t that right, Saint Germain?”

Saint Germain nodded, seeming quite satisfied.

“Exactly! That’s what I wanted to say!”

What…is this?

I felt my head spinning and shouted.

“Is that even possible?! No, I mean, is it really possible?!”

“Simply thinking about the abilities of the World Tree, it is possible. However…”

Mangnyang’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“This violates the principle of simultaneity, doesn’t it?”

“The principle of simultaneity?”

“You surely know that when two of the same entity exist in a single [cycle], the law of causality judges that existence, leaving only one standing. You already understand that law quite well, and thanks to it, the Eight Parts of the Divine have been somewhat disrupted.”

“Ah…!!”

Chi You!

I realized Mangnyang was referring to the example of Chi You, and everything began to make sense.

“When Chi You tried to take over my body in the past, he was the Chi You that came from the past cycle—the [current] Chi You didn’t have enough causality to survive!”

And at that time, because I made Chi You consume the Heavenly Secret, I could start with the first strike by deleting Chi You right after my rebirth. As I displayed an expression that seemed to convey I understood a bit, Mangnyang looked at Saint Germain.

“Saint Germain, the Master of the Twelve Joules summoned from the roots of the World Tree in the parallel world must also be the same individual as the current Master of the Twelve Joules. Naturally, due to simultaneity, only one should remain after judging by the law of causality. Your assumption that there are two Masters of the Twelve Joules must be a misunderstanding.”

“No. While I understand what the law of simultaneity entails, it doesn’t contradict itself.”

“How does it not contradict itself?”

“Parallel worlds are unstable supports created by the divergence of time and space. If you think about it, if the number of parallel worlds is infinite, shouldn’t the number of [Old Rulers] also be infinite? Yet, those malicious demons don’t infinitely split apart. That’s because chaos is tied to time, and parallel worlds lack the independence to diverge along the time axis. They’re just attached to the reality and are an absurd lower realm compared to the absolute time axis recognized by the divine.”

“…….”

“To put it simply, parallel worlds are like shadows of the real world. When the time and space of the real world changes, parallel worlds also change but not the other way around. There’s a clear hierarchy to apply the principle of simultaneity.”

Mangnyang muttered as if he were beginning to understand something.

“I see. The difference compared to the outer universe is that the outer universe possesses the independence to diverge along the time axis, while parallel worlds do not.”

“Well understood.”

“However, if parallel worlds are such lower realms, then wouldn’t the Master of the Twelve Joules summoned from there also have to be an imperfect version of the original Master of the Twelve Joules?”

At Mangnyang’s question, Saint Germain answered.

“Of course. While alchemists have called on themselves from parallel worlds, those beings turned into doppelgängers, became demonized, or couldn’t maintain their existence and perished horribly. There has never been a case in the history of alchemy or sorcery where something was summoned from a parallel world and could be properly solidified for use. Parallel worlds are terribly imperfect dimensions.”

“So, it’s impossible to summon one’s self from a parallel world. But you seem to suggest that the Master of the Twelve Joules can do it.”

“Indeed…. When I disassembled the wall of the [Ark] at your request and saw that silver circuit, it dawned on me that it could be the key to materializing that crazy resurrection ability with the help of the power of the World Tree!”

“……”

Mangnyang seemed to be lost in thought for a while. Then he looked at me and said.

“Baek Woong, do you understand Saint Germain’s words?”

“Uh… so, what you mean is that the likelihood of there being two Masters of the Twelve Joules is high?”

“Correct. You’ve got it. Then let me ask you… if you could summon yourself from a parallel world, what would you do?”

“Hmm?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I pondered for a moment before answering.

“Well… wouldn’t I keep summoning myself? If there are many with similar skills, that would be an enormous help when fighting in the future.”

“That’s true. If you had ten superhumans like you, you could easily conquer this world. However, the Master of the Twelve Joules hasn’t done that thus far. If there were a hundred absolute masters like him, they could easily take down a Sea God, no problem.”

“…….”

“Why do you think he hasn’t been summoning from parallel worlds? Why hasn’t the Master of the Twelve Joules, who is desperate to fight the [Old Ruler], done so?”

“Um…. Maybe there are some restrictions? Like having to die to activate it.”

“It wouldn’t be such a trivial restriction. Since he can wield the infinite magical power of the World Tree, a minor issue could not possibly hold him back. There must be something more significant at play.”

Mangnyang continued in a slightly cold voice.

“For instance… one would have to determine who is the [real] one.”

“……!!”

“In such cases, no matter how much infinite summoning is possible, they wouldn’t do it. It would simply be a destruction of identity… Who would want to fight with oneself to prove existence?”

What?!

I was taken aback, but I quickly realized there was some truth in Mangnyang’s words.

If the version of me that came from the parallel world is also [me], wouldn’t we need to figure out who the real one is?

Only one would be able to earn the trust of my companions while fighting alongside them.

As I pondered deeply, I suddenly had a realization and looked up, shouting.

“Then, right now, is the Master of the Twelve Joules actually…!!”

“Perhaps the situation you imagined is unfolding right now.”

Mangnyang mumbled as he stared far to the east.

“It would be the best scenario if two Masters of the Twelve Joules are currently having a life-and-death struggle with each other.”

That’s right.

By chance, the Master of the Twelve Joules who appeared three days later would likely encounter the one summoned by the World Tree, who was deemed dead by the World Tree itself!

Will they acknowledge each other, or will they fight to the death?

‘Ohhh! In that case!’

As I thought about it, I couldn’t contain the racing of my heart and shouted out my idea.

“Great! If I keep sending the Master of the Twelve Joules into the future using the winds every time his magical power accumulates, he won’t be able to stop fighting!”

“Hm. If there’s a case where the Master of the Twelve Joules is competing against himself, that plan could indeed inflict a psychological blow on him, but…”

“What’s the problem?”

Mangnyang scratched his cheek, looking troubled.

“What if, just in case, the Master of the Twelve Joules somewhat acknowledges himself, and then a hundred parallel world iterations of the Master come to kill you?”

“…….”

“No matter how powerful you are, there’s no way you could win.”

Uh… I hadn’t thought about that scenario…

As I stood there dumbstruck, Mangnyang smirked.

“Well, whatever happens, we need to gather information now. Right now, what we can do is gather strength while maximizing the fire and find the enemy’s weaknesses. Our tasks haven’t changed, so let’s proceed calmly.”

“Understood.”

“First, we need to confirm whether there really are two Masters of the Twelve Joules and if they are fighting. If we need to gather information about them, there is but one way.”

“Send an agent to Goryeo?”

“You can’t find out the condition of the Master of the Twelve Joules with such a sloppy method. There’s a simple scheme available.”

“What scheme?”

Mangnyang’s next words surprised me.

“We’ll use Miyamoto Musashi as an undercover agent. The moment has come to execute the plan you’ve already been thinking about.”

“……!!”

“Let’s use him as an undercover agent to find out the status of the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

I stammered out, flabbergasted.

“Th-that’s something I had thought of too, but how can I pull Musashi, who’s cooped up in the Imperial Palace, without anyone noticing…?”

Mangnyang sighed.

“You’re overthinking everything. That kind of thought leads to a simple-minded approach, trying to smash world-class foes like whack-a-moles to maintain peace… Handling someone like Musashi isn’t particularly tricky.”

“Is there a method?”

“It’s very simple.”

With the following words from Mangnyang, I was left speechless.

“Write a letter under the name of Sasaki Kojiro. Challenge him to a duel, stating I will repay the humiliation of the past by mastering the Book of Five Relationships. In that challenge, write that your heart blade doesn’t even come close to the Spirit Sword of Yeodong-bin, and ask Yeodong-bin to leave a trace of the Spirit Sword to attach to the letter. Use your superior demon artifact, Rehitoog, to roughly detect the location of that bastard and I’ll teleport you close by using the Corpse Dissolution Technique.”

“…….”

“While you’re at it, provoke him by saying he can fight against Yeodong-bin if he defeats you. That way, Musashi will surely sprint over to swordfight with you no questions asked. And if you defeat him, that’s all there is to it.”

I objected, astonished.

“Wha… that’s too simple! Musashi wouldn’t fall for such a straightforward plan! You’re underestimating him!”

“Hm…?”

“Musashi isn’t stupid enough to run into such a suspicious trap if he has a thought in his head.”

Mangnyang shrugged nonchalantly.

“Just give it a try. I think it might work.”

“No, even so…!!”

I’ve always believed in Mangnyang’s plans, but this seems risky!

After all, the invincible Miyamoto Musashi, the top martial artist in the world, would not fall for such a simple scheme!

And the next day.

I found myself standing in an open area of an unknown mountain, far from Luoyang Castle, facing the bloodthirsty Miyamoto Musashi, who was emitting a massive killing intent.

“Miyamoto Kojirooo!! If I defeat you, can I really fight with Yeodong-bin?!”

“…….”

In the form of Sasaki Kojiro, I stood there dumbfounded, and then let out a huge sigh. And then I shouted.

“Sure, you bastard!”