1004——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Zhu Xian flinched slightly. Then, with a trembling voice, he asked, “Are you perhaps a martial artist from the Thunder God Lineage?”

“……”

I was about to reveal that I was involved with the Thunder God Lineage, but I hesitated. I still didn’t know his true identity, and it wasn’t wise to disclose major information without understanding the situation in this world. So, I replied to Zhu Xian, “You said you’re from the Great Bear Empire. Can you help me meet the current Emperor of the Great Bear Empire?”

“That’s quite a tricky request. I can’t just introduce a mysterious martial artist, who’s probably from outside, to the highest authority while I’m on my holiday as a civil servant eating the nation’s wages.”

“Oh? You might end up dying right here.”

“… I can’t help it.”

Zhu Xian responded somewhat resignedly. We both clearly understood the gap in our abilities; the outcome was painfully obvious. If I put all my strength into it, he would die in less than a second, and even though he knew this, he refused a reckless request. This meant that he was loyal to the empire according to his beliefs. Surprisingly, he was sturdier than he looked, and I felt a sense of appreciation towards Zhu Xian as I spoke again.

“My name is Baek Woong. Can you at least help me get to the Great Bear Empire?”

“Baek Woong… Just a coincidence, isn’t it? That name…”

Zhu Xian frowned, appearing displeased, but then suddenly looked like he realized something.

“…No way.”

He seemed to fall into deep thought for a moment and then said, “Alright. I will do my utmost to help you reach the Great Bear Empire. I’ll mobilize all the resources of our Tactical Forces Agents.”

“Great.”

“But I would like you to assist us in our investigation.”

“Within reasonable bounds.”

I could easily just beat Zhu Xian right here and walk to the East through the North Pole, but I knew that turning everything into an enemy would only raise the difficulty infinitely, so I currently needed an ally at least outwardly. Besides, considering that I had also lost the Heavenly Secret, which was now presumably sinking somewhere in the ocean, I needed to save my life.

‘Once I find my companions, I should also be able to retrieve the Heavenly Secret…’

Just then.

Shhshhhh!

Suddenly, the atmosphere thickened, and the air in the airport changed. At the same time, I could see the civilians inside the airport freezing one by one. It was as if time had frozen; even a speck of dust hung motionless in the air. I didn’t know what kind of phenomenon this was, so I just watched, but Zhu Xian’s expression turned grim.

“Oh no… The Sigma field is already active.”

“The Sigma field?”

“It’s a tactical barrier that appears before U.S. agents conduct their operations. Soon, a Force Distortion phenomenon will occur, so activate your Eight Extraordinary Vessels to protect your vitality.”

Woooong

As soon as Zhu Xian finished speaking, he began to operate Shaolin Qi, releasing a yellow light from his body. After all, he had three times more internal power than what his age could typically accumulate.

“Force Distortion?”

What is he talking about now?

I tilted my head, but eventually grasped what he meant.

Crackle

‘My Qi is being blocked. Is the flow of Qi forcibly halted? I’ve never seen such a barrier before.’

It felt like my available Qi was dropping below half of what I could usually utilize. This barrier was likely draining the movement force from all entities present in this place, not just my Qi. I felt intrigued and then asked Zhu Xian, “Does this barrier vanish if we take out the sorcerer?”

“…Yes, but that’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“The Sigma field is created by satellites in orbit. There’s no way to deal with that using human strength.”

“Oh…”

Satellites, huh?

Are they machines?

‘Orbit?’

As I listened to this unfamiliar concept with wide eyes, Zhu Xian spoke urgently.

“The U.S. secret agents are coming soon. If we can hold on for just a bit longer, I’ll call my companions over. Then we can escape without using a plane.”

“Are you saying those guys lying on the ground are coming?”

Zhu Xian shook his head while glancing at the agents in black lying on the floor.

“No. Those aren’t U.S. secret agents. The secret agents will be here soon.”

“Are those guys martial artists too?”

“That… well, we don’t have time to discuss.”

Swaying

Zhu Xian seemed to struggle against the pressure of the Sigma field. It was a barrier strong enough that even someone with peak expertise found it difficult to endure.

“Ugh… Respond to my will, Dragon Binding!”

He shook off the chains wrapped around his hand, and suddenly those chains began to spin rapidly, wrapping around Zhu Xian’s body. The chains transformed into a form resembling full-body armor at an astonishing speed.

Clang!

Zhu Xian, now clad in dragon-binding armor, became barely visible. Only then did it seem like he was no longer exhausting his strength and stood upright. I glanced at him and said, “You seemed oddly calm until just now, but I see the transformation of that chain can amplify your power.”

Zhu Xian scratched his head. “It’s a bit embarrassing to show off my humble skills before the Great Master Class. It’s just a tactical weapon from my homeland.”

“Hmm. So when your companions arrive, you will guide me to the Great Bear Empire, right?”

“I promise.”

“Alright, then let’s deal with those secret agents, whatever they are.”

Wiiiiing

Wiiiiing

A little while later, three individuals in dark clothing entered the airport, their movements as if time had stopped.

Step.

Step.

Unlike the previous agents, they were unarmed and appeared to be just ordinary people. Moreover, they weren’t radiating any Qi or killing intent. They were just wearing dark glasses. Surprisingly, one of them seemed to be an Eastern woman.

‘Are they the U.S. secret agents?’

But the moment I set my eyes on the three, my gut instinct kicked in.

They’re dangerous.

Having reincarnated, I had developed an instinct for sensing others’ strengths and the necessary actions for survival, so I recognized them immediately. If I carelessly took them on, I was sure I’d end up in serious trouble!

The secret agents approached, covering a distance of about twenty paces. The leading tall, blonde agent declared, “Force Level Master confirmed. The Tactical Forces Agent from the Great Bear Empire has breached the agreement and displays hostile intent, intervening. Awaiting headquarters’ orders.”

After a brief silence, the secret agent opened his mouth.

“I will restrain you from now on.”

Beeeeeep

With that declaration, more than a hundred light beams shot out from the secret agent’s entire body. Faster than any bullet, this was literally light speed, making it impossible to dodge by predicting its path. Furthermore, since it wasn’t launched with Qi, I couldn’t detect any killing intent.

Cave-Collapsing Sword

However, knowing that reading the warning signs of an enemy’s attack was not the only countermeasure, I swiftly activated the Cave-Collapsing Sword with strong intent to disperse the trajectory of the beams. The beams that couldn’t penetrate the distortion of space created by my technique flew in all directions, and in that moment, I closed in and cleanly severed the secret agent’s neck.

Swoosh!

Despite having his head cut off, the secret agent still managed to jump up into the air without missing a beat, and once again, he unleashed beams of light all around him.

Boom!

‘Persistent.’

Realizing that they were no longer human, I rushed in again, aiming to shred him to pieces, but at that moment, the black-skinned secret agent beside him pointed a finger at me and did something.

[Gravity Adhesion Field Activated.]

Vrrrrr

Suddenly, I felt a slight heaviness. It was clear that I was experiencing ten times the usual load, and I quickly deduced that this wasn’t a technique.

‘What is this? If it isn’t sorcery, then what the hell is this…’

Is it science, perhaps?

Curiosity sparked within me. Their techniques were bizarre and diverse, completely unlike anything I had faced before. I glanced sideways, noticing that Zhu Xian was engaged in a one-on-one battle with the Eastern female agent.

Nahan Flying Dragon Wave!

Zhu Xian applied the Nahan technique from the Shaolin’s seventy-two arts, unleashing a gust of wind, but the secret agent countered, extending her palm toward the blast.

“Force Absorption.”

Then, she stretched the other hand out, and in that instant, the force of Zhu Xian’s gust was absorbed into her palm and released from the opposite hand. To manifest a dragon-shaped blast like that must’ve required high-level martial arts on par with the Nine Great Sects back in my day, but she dismissed it too easily.

Boom!

Continuing, Zhu Xian closed in for a high kick using Nahan, yet the secret agent evaded effortlessly like a fluid dancer using Iron Plate Step. It was remarkable to witness that the secret agent also displayed martial arts-like movements.

Beep!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Eventually, the secret agent unleashed beams from all ten fingers, and Zhu Xian, utilizing the power of the dragon-binding armor, caused explosions while suddenly widening his eyes.

Swaying

The secret agent staggered, visibly stunned. And seizing that opportunity, Zhu Xian lunged forth, piercing through the secret agent’s abdomen with his armored gauntlet. With a thud, he fell back, and as the secret agent’s injuries visibly began to heal at an alarming rate, he hissed.

“Shit. Is it that ridiculous regenerative ability again…”

I was evading the two secret agents’ attacks without a scratch, raising my voice to question, “Zhu Xian. Are you holding up? You really have some amazing abilities.”

What had just frozen the secret agent’s movement wasn’t mere martial arts. It seemed Zhu Xian also possessed some kind of unique ability.

“Yeah, but… I don’t think I can keep this up. I didn’t expect to encounter S-Class secret agents… in the past, I could kill them with a sudden strike to the vital points, but it seems the generation’s changed and they’ve concealed their weaknesses.”

There was a hint of despair in his tone.

“S-Class, huh? Are those the strongest among the secret agents?”

“They’re at the pinnacle of Robotics Mechanics worldwide. It’s tough to win head-on, so we should escape quickly.”

“No. I’ve seen enough; I’m ready to finish this.”

“Huh?”

Swoosh…

I raised my weapon.

Intent Heavenly Pillar

And in that moment, I concentrated all my intention and slashed forward.

Thunder God Lineage

My style

Thousand Kills Slash

Slash!

In an instant, a web-like fracture spread across the bodies of both secret agents. They stared in shock at the spiderweb forming on them, but soon, their bodies cracked apart like a game board, and with a burst, they shattered into thousands of pieces.

Kaboom!

‘Originally, I would’ve had to rush in and execute a series of attacks, but with Intent Heavenly Pillar, I can skip ahead a step.’

It was a technique I’d used against the alchemist’s minions in the past, and it seemed just perfect for situations like this.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, I dispatched the two secret agents and rushed at the last one, executing the Thousand Kills Slash, enveloping the area in a mist of blood, engulfed in silence.

‘Among the humanoid enemies I’ve fought in this realm, they were decent, but not nearly enough to be called a formidable opponent.’

It felt absurd to be intimidated by such a low level of power after having faced much more lethal foes.

Until just moments ago, while dodging beams, it almost felt like I was out for a leisurely afternoon stroll.

Then, I quickly realized that the amount of blood I had taken wasn’t enough to classify them as human.

“Wait a minute. Are those freaks machines disguised as humans?”

“… Yeah. Their human organic structure is less than ten percent.”

Zhu Xian muttered in disbelief as he shook his head.

“I can’t believe it. So this is the legendary Master Class… I didn’t believe the myths about fighting against deities, but I’m actually seeing that kind of strength.”

“……”

“Follow me. We need to get the hell out of here.”

Zhu Xian, clad in dragon-binding armor, jumped dozens of paces in one go, and I matched my speed to follow him. Soon, Zhu Xian reached a deserted wilderness and suddenly, a little girl appeared out of nowhere, teleporting in.

Zzzz!

“I’m Liu Ha, ranked fifth among the Tactical Forces Agents of the Great Bear Empire~~.”

She was wearing a rabbit hat, and her ears sported what looked like enormous earmuffs, coupled with big glasses. She appeared to be a girl in her mid to late teens, fidgeting with a communication device with her fingers. The girl twisted her hair with her finger and asked.

“Deputy Commander, what’s going on? It seems chaos has erupted back at the base, especially in the Chancellor’s department, where they’re contacting all agents urgently.”

Zhu Xian replied hastily, “There’s no time for lengthy explanations, Liu Ha. Open the Transference Gate to Luoyang right away.”

“Huh. I don’t know. It’s all your responsibility, Deputy Commander.”

Liu Ha, referring to the girl, pressed the communication device a couple more times and mumbled, “The Great Magic Liu Ha commands it. Open the Transference Gate to Luoyang!”

Wiiiiing!!

In the next moment, a small gate materialized right in front of me, resembling the transference gate I had seen before, but just large enough for one or two persons to pass through. The usual transference gate I used was massive and took quite a while to activate, but this girl seemed capable of summoning a compact version instantly.

Zhu Xian stared at me blankly and said, “Shall we go?”

“… Just now, you called her a ‘Great Magic’ didn’t you?”

As I looked at Liu Ha, Zhu Xian nodded, indicating that it was okay to speak further.

Liu Ha shrugged. “Yeah. Why?”

“Aren’t Great Magics supposed to be puppets without their own will?”

Liu Ha glanced at Zhu Xian, who nodded, allowing her to answer. She replied, “They used to be like that, but not anymore.”

“……”

I felt a wave of uneasiness wash over me. Seeing a Great Magic and a Transference Gate made me acutely aware of how foreign this era felt.

‘Things have changed too drastically…’

What on earth has this era evolved into?

But first and foremost, I couldn’t afford to leave without finding my companions. I needed to talk to the upper echelons of the Great Bear Empire and hear what they had to say.

‘Please… let someone still be alive.’

It’s been at least hundreds of years, but many among my companions are capable of living long lives. I took a step towards the Transference Gate, filled with a glimmer of hope.

Vrrrrrr –

Finally, I arrived at a high pavilion. Looking outside the pavilion, the surroundings showcased buildings with a completely different atmosphere. Colorful lights flickered, and it appeared to be nighttime.

Zhu Xian asked, “As promised, will you cooperate with the investigation?”

“… No. First, I want to ask questions. If you answer my questions, I will then cooperate.”

Swish

Zhu Xian sighed and released the transformation of his dragon-binding armor.

“Haa… Alright.”

“I want to know if my companions are in this era. If you recognize any names I mention, please tell me.”

I began to slowly recite their names.

“Mangnyang Zhuge Hyun, Zhuge Sa, Miho, Zhuge Bu, Master of the White Lotus Sect Dokgo Uncheon, The Three Great Dharma Protectors including Yongbi Cheon, Han Baek-ryeong, Dokgo Jun, Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong, Sword Demon, Seo Mun-hye, Sagong Lin, Abe no Seimei…”

By then, Zhu Xian showed no response.

“Do you not know any of them?”

“… Most of them are historical figures of the Great Bear Empire or merely stories I’ve heard. I know a few… But answering just one of your questions, I believe you should follow me.”

“Lead the way.”

“So you are indeed ‘that person.’ I hope you can clear your doubts.”

Zhu Xian nodded and took the lead, guiding me somewhere. Soon, we arrived at a massive royal court, which appeared ten times larger and more elaborate than the courts of my time. At the end of a red carpet sat a grand throne, and upon it was a woman.

The woman seated on the throne seemed to be the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire. She looked at me from a distance and spoke.

“Baek Woong. You’ve returned too late.”

I stared at her, and in an instant, recognized who she was.

“Sagong Lin….”