Rebirth Sword God, Volume 83, Chapter 5

Just then, Cheongyang, who had come inside and was listening, suddenly spoke up.

“That’s too unilateral.”

I turned to look at Cheongyang. His bangs were still draping over his eyes like before, and he looked almost unchanged, still in the body of a young man. Even after 36 years, Cheongyang seemed hardly aged, looking at me with a hint of imposing energy shining through his bangs.

“I understand the situation, but what do you plan to do about the fate of Takrok Village?”

“Takrok Village?”

“Takrok Village is protected by the Yan Emperor Shennong. And as you mentioned, even if things turn out positively, it’s likely that we in Takrok Village would no longer be under Shennong’s protection.”

“……”

“Thanks to the martial arts that I learned from you, we have gotten stronger, but there are still too many forces out there that we can’t handle with our current strength. Leaving the protection of the Giant Race is a suicidal act.”

Cheongyang’s words made sense. What I was trying to do was change a one-on-one showdown into a multi-party confrontation to prevent the Three Sovereigns from clashing with Shennong, so Shennong might end up feeling displeased knowing I was thwarting him. And he might choose to no longer protect the people of Takrok Village who followed me.

But I had already thought ahead to Cheongyang’s question, so I answered without hesitation.

“I will take responsibility for and protect the people of Takrok Village.”

“……!!”

“I will act as a substitute for Shennong.”

At that, Cheongyang looked startled, and Sang Ah beside him reacted similarly. It seemed they never expected me to say it so directly. However, Cheongyang, still with a slight air of disbelief, replied.

“I know that you are strong, Baek Woong. However, to be strong enough to protect us in this world where nightmarish gods roam is…”

Upon hearing Cheongyang’s words, Heuk Woong, who had been standing next to me, revealed his displeasure and spoke quietly.

[How dare you doubt the master’s power?]

Grrr!!

A heavy darkness descended like the black mist enveloping starlight.

“……!!”

“Ugh!”

As Heuk Woong summoned his divine power and raised his aura, the atmosphere turned oppressive for a moment. Cheongyang and Sang Ah couldn’t withstand Heuk Woong’s presence and momentarily looked deflated. Subori and the Thief Gang were the same, clearly feeling the power difference. The only one who remained unfazed was surprisingly Yeolsan, though he had a pained expression as well.

Heuk Woong, emitting a dark gleam from his eyes, spoke.

[Do not dare to treat the master as an ordinary human just because he takes on human form! The master is already on par with the God Kings who divide heaven and earth, so it’s a great disgrace that the master wishes to protect you!]

Grrr!!

“Ugh.”

As the pressure focused even more on Cheongyang, he groaned in pain, twisting his body. Suddenly, he emitted a blue light from his eyes and began to harness energy from his Upper Dantian, which condensed into power, and shortly after, the words came out of his mouth.

“Flow!”

Swish!

In that moment, the space around Cheongyang formed a current like water, flushing away Heuk Woong’s aura.

I immediately thought.

‘Cheongyang could manipulate time within the space he designated. Did he pause time and let it flow again?’

No matter how I looked at it, it was a powerful supernatural ability.

After barely holding on, Cheongyang wiped the blood from his nose and said,

“How can we abandon the protection of the God Emperor Shennong just because we trust the suddenly emerged Baek Woong? The fate of all of Takrok Village is at stake… I don’t believe you are that strong.”

Seeing Cheongyang resist under his pressure, Heuk Woong let out a scoffing laugh and said.

[Heh, is it only because of your talent in chaos that you spouted such insolence? Time manipulation and such…]

Snap!

It was the moment Heuk Woong snapped his fingers. Cheongyang’s eyes widened, and he vomited blood, collapsing.

“Kuhuhh!”

Thud.

Heuk Woong mumbled, looking amused.

[If only you had defeated me with your intent, I would have acknowledged you, but how trivial time magic is before the divine!]

Seeing Cheongyang spit blood, I jumped up and shouted.

“Hey, Heuk Woong, stop it!! This is too much!”

Swish.

As I hurriedly blocked the connection through which Heuk Woong was drawing power, he continued to look down at Cheongyang and said.

[Master… If you let yourself be looked down upon by such humans, negotiating with the God Kings controlling this era will be impossible!]

“What?”

[Do you know what kind of beings you’ll be negotiating with from now on? They are the rulers of galaxies, born from chaos, who have held dominion over millions of stars and realms, creators of numerous alien species. They, who have existed since the Primordial, seek a prophecy across the vast universe, now gathering on this cramped planet Earth, so many that are equal to the Three Sovereigns!]

Clench.

Heuk Woong, with a hint of anger, continued on.

[You must abandon the thought of opposing a god as a mere human! With such an attitude, they will never even listen to you!]

“……”

I momentarily felt dumbfounded by Heuk Woong’s stern demeanor. Although he had always been arrogant, he had never expressed his will so strongly, especially since he usually followed my directives unconditionally. Instead of getting angry, I found Heuk Woong’s attitude rather intriguing and asked him.

“Heuk Woong. Why do you think like that? As you know, I have succeeded in many negotiations with the gods until now, right? There’s no reason to conclude that my approach is wrong.”

[The current situation is entirely different from then! Has the master not realized?]

“What’s so different?”

[You have attracted the gods’ affection and interest as a mysterious anomaly during your previous negotiations. That was a meeting between individuals. However, if you want to proceed with the plan of forming alliances, then you must become the master of a new coalition from that point!]

“M-Master?!”

I couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered. What do you mean by suddenly talking about being a master?

Just then, as Heuk Woong’s aura softened, Subori, who had been listening, spoke up.

“Heuk Woong is right. You will need to become the master.”

As everyone’s gaze turned towards Subori, he slowly continued.

“No matter how you redirect attention through multi-party discussions, the motivation and focal point of the third force will be weaker than the established two powers. If either of the two major powers puts forth a hard stance and threatens, the Baek Woong you envision will likely retreat much easier than expected. Isn’t that true when it comes to the Three Great Gods, who are busier with their own matters?”

“……!!”

“And if you hassle the two major powers through negotiations, and fail to reach an agreement, you will become the target of multiple grievances and hostilities. If you proceed without considering the ramifications, you will become a gray bat that is attacked by everyone. You’re bringing immense peril upon yourself.”

“So, that’s why I need to become a master?”

“Exactly.”

Subori nodded and said.

“Once you attempt that strategy, you will no longer maintain the identity of an independent mercenary. You will have to embrace the entire third force and become the ruler of that force to avert future troubles. Heuk Woong has discerned this fact and is demanding that you adopt the mentality of the master of the new force.”

“…….”

“You must become the focal point for gathering the new forces, and maintain pressure on the two major powers, only then will your strategy work.”

The master of the new force…!!

“Ugh.”

I let out a groan at this unexpected twist. I was only trying to stop a war, and I never imagined it would unfold like this! Yet, the more I thought back to the discussions, the more I agreed with Heuk Woong’s perspective, and I had to acknowledge it.

I turned to Heuk Woong and said.

“Heuk Woong. Let me ask you something. If it’s not good to maintain an attitude of opposing gods as a human… then what kind of attitude should I have as the master of the God Kings?”

[It’s to become the Overlord.]

“Overlord?”

Heuk Woong clenched his fist and replied.

[Not to be trampled by these pathetic humans, maintaining the dignity of both king and god, and naturally expressing the mindset of a ruler over everything in existence! To have the ruthlessness to crush and kill pesky mortals with the same ease as I just demonstrated! Only then will those formidable God Kings recognize you as their equal!]

“…….”

[Master, what is it that troubles you?]

“But that…”

I finally managed to voice what I had hesitated to say.

“Isn’t that acting like an [Old Ruler]? As if you want me to start behaving like that from now on?”

That’s right.

Although Heuk Woong dressed it up with flowery words, ultimately he was suggesting I act just like the [Old Ruler] I had seen countless times!

Heuk Woong flinched slightly and softly said.

[I’m not saying you should really change like that. It’s fine if you adapt that way, but if you don’t want to, then at least pretend to. If you continue to approach as a ‘human’ toward the gods… neither side, whether chaotic or orderly, will regard you as an equal interlocutor.]

“Hmmm.”

In that instant, I thought I might have understood why Heuk Woong was so adamantly against this issue.

‘Heuk Woong has a lot of the character of Jeon Wook in him.’

In appearance and technique, Heuk Woong resembled Jeon Wook a lot. So Heuk Woong’s personality must also be heavily influenced by Jeon Wook, likely carrying a tyrannical tendency. To Heuk Woong, my actions might seem bothersome.

Setting that aside, Heuk Woong’s argument was valid. If I didn’t hold sufficient dignity, it was obvious the ministers of the world wouldn’t listen to me. But does that dignity have to be filled solely with tyranny? That was a question I’d never contemplated, and it felt foreign to me.

What is being a king?

“……”

After a moment of pondering, I spoke up.

“Many have told me to become a king of humans for a long time. However, I’ve never deeply contemplated what type of king I should be. Because there were always too many obstacles in my way to think about such things…”

[…….]

“But at least, Heuk Woong, I think I can share what kind of king I want to be.”

[What kind of king do you want to be?]

I strode over to a now unconscious Cheongyang. Using my powers, I restored Cheongyang, and as he awoke, he hurriedly wiped the blood from his mouth.

As I helped him to his feet, I softly said.

“I want to be a king who follows my heart.”

Upon hearing this, Heuk Woong looked stunned for a moment and then stammered.

[W-What kind of ambiguous statement is that? All kings in this world act according to their desires, that’s not a king’s trait, just a basic condition.]

I didn’t even turn back as I shot back.

“Why do you conclude that’s just a basic condition? Among the kings I’ve known, many had great power yet couldn’t act as they wished.”

[…….]

“Right now I might be naive. There might be a different definition of a truly great king. But…”

I smiled and patted Cheongyang’s shoulder.

“My life has always been about doing what my heart desires. I believe to be a king should be no different!”

[……!!]

At my words, Heuk Woong seemed slightly shocked, remaining silent for a while. After some time, he finally spoke softly.

[I might have been misguided, thinking I fully understood the master.]

“Why would you say that?”

[Very well. If that is your will, I shall aid you to establish your royal path until the end!]

Boom!

Heuk Woong suddenly knelt down. Following suit, Cheongyang who was right before me also knelt down.

Looking down at Cheongyang, he said with his head bowed.

“Lord Baek Woong, I still don’t know who you are. But I believe your heart isn’t evil… so we in Takrok Village will trust and follow you.”

“……”

“Please take care of us, my king.”

Boom!

Boom!

One by one, everyone present began to kneel before me. Even Yeolsan, who had initially seemed reluctant, sighed and then knelt down.

“If you save my sisters, I will serve you as king…”

Boom!

In that moment, everyone in the room knelt before me!

As I looked around at the scene, a sudden realization washed over me.

It was a greater feeling of exaltation than when I had toppled the Great Ming Empire and become the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire.

‘Ah.’

Simply being served doesn’t make one a king.

The very moment I felt the heartfelt submission, I realized my identity as a king.

I paused for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“I understand.”

With a shining gaze, I declared,

“I will definitely stop the war of the gods and create peace!!”

With the past of the [Great Cycle], my next significant goal now emerged: to find my past companions.

As the story settled, the Thief Gang spoke to me.

“My lord, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Actually… as soon as you returned, that person asked for you to come see him. He appeared in Takrok Village not too long ago…”

The Thief Gang detailed what that “person” had said. As I listened to the story from the Thief Gang, I started to feel something was off. After a moment of deep thought, I asked.

“What did he say about how long he would wait?”

“He said he would wait indefinitely, so come whenever.”

I glanced sharply at Heuk Woong. When our eyes met, he replied.

[Actually, I had something to say to the master, but this matter seems more pressing. Let’s meet him first and then talk.]

“Huh? Did you have something to say?”

[I won’t be preaching about the royal path, so don’t worry. I intended to provide advice that would assist in your coalition efforts, but that seems to have taken a back seat.]

“Got it. Then let’s talk about it later… let’s go!”

Boom!

I swiftly moved alongside Heuk Woong to a bright and clear lakeside.

Whoosh!

‘The water is clear and nice, even after so long.’

Had it really been hundreds of years since I last saw it? Although I could remember the lakeside, it felt like I was reaching for memories from long ago, giving me a fresh perspective as I was lost in nostalgia.

Just then, I heard a voice.

“You’ve come.”

A massive figure, over three times my height!

Equipped with bronze armor and an axe, the giant warrior of the Giant Race was walking towards me from the opposite bank.

As he approached me, he casually removed his helmet and smiled.

“Baek Woong, you’ve been away for quite a while. Where have you been?”

I sighed at the giant warrior’s question and replied.

“Hah, don’t even get me started. If I told you everything I’ve been through, you might pass out from shock.”

“Oh really? You’ve had that much fun in such a short time? Sounds enviable, so…”

The giant warrior widened his eyes in surprise, then plopped down at the lakeside and began to chug from a flask he had at his waist.

“Kreeh! Sit down. I have some things to discuss.”

I sat down to face him. Sitting across from the three-meter tall giant made me feel like a mouse, but I didn’t let it bother me. I casually sat and asked,

“What’s this about?”

“It’s Yu Mang.”

Yu Mang, the three major warrior leaders of the Giant Race, held the second highest position just below the Three Sovereigns and was the powerful being I’d first met upon entering Takrok Village. As Yu Mang was also an experienced elder warrior among the Giants, he was more knowledgeable than any other warrior. I was well aware from past encounters in the Underworld that Heuk Woong had fought Yu Mang for our lives.

He had recently been visiting Takrok Village from time to time, asking for me to come to this lakeside when I returned, so I had no reason not to come.

Yu Mang took another gulp from his flask, then gazed at the lake for a moment before speaking.

“Did you forget? It was a reverse.”

“Huh?”

“I came here to keep the promise I made with you. I was hoping you would come because you haven’t shown up.”

My eyes widened at his next words.

“When we fought in the Underworld, you promised that if you won, you would tell me what Mountain Sound is.”