1006——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I couldn’t figure out why Cheon Woo-jin was here. After all, the last time I saw him, he was being a total jerk about my issues.

[What the hell…!! Do you come to me every time there’s something going on? Don’t mess with my peace!]

[Why? Why should I? You handle your own business!]

[Cheon Woo-jin. Don’t you want to join us and fight? We need your power.]

[Not the right time. I think I’m not ready to be on the same boat as you yet.]

[Make sure you’re not being eaten up by your dreams and ideals… I will join you when you can look back at yourself.]

“……”

When I visited Master Mangnyang’s village, Cheon Woo-jin only insisted it wasn’t the right time to join me. He said I could only join him once I could reflect on myself. So here I was, unable to gain Cheon Woo-jin, my powerful ally, and I ended up getting blasted into the future through Vayu.

But now, at this moment, Cheon Woo-jin was unexpectedly guarding Seo Mun-hye’s seal in the Inner Palace of the Great Bear Empire?

I stammered in confusion.

“What the hell happened in the last 500 years? Have you completely left Master Mangnyang’s village?”

“It’s a long story. Right now, I’ve got too many other things to deal with to ramble about that.”

Cheon Woo-jin, speaking coldly, continued.

“Baek Woong. I heard from Sagong Lin that you were coming, but I have no idea what happened. Explain it to me.”

“Sure.”

“No, just give me obsidian and convey me your memories directly.”

Ting

I snatched the palm-sized obsidian Cheon Woo-jin pulled from his pocket. He seemed to have brought it along, and without further ado, I sent him my memories using the obsidian.

Uh…

After receiving my memories, Cheon Woo-jin mumbled for a moment.

“So that’s how it was? I thought it was strange that the evil star that approached your destiny had disappeared.”

“What?”

“It’s about that Hat Warrior. He died after trying to take on Jeon Wook.”

“Ah!”

“I kept divining whether you were alive or dead. Each time, your star symbolizing your fate appeared empty, but I noticed that the evil star circling around had vanished, making me wonder. It meant that the fate of your assassination was gone since the Hat Warrior was killed by Jeon Wook.”

“… I got lucky.”

I actually thought that was quite lucky. If Jeon Wook hadn’t been around at that moment, I would have been killed without being able to do anything. His sword techniques were incredibly powerful, more than I could handle now, but it seemed they didn’t reach the level of divine authority just yet.

Cheon Woo-jin said.

“You probably don’t know much yet, but let me explain the situation in front of you first. This is the [Grave of the God] in Liaodong trying to run rampant, which Seo Mun-hye has stopped. Without her, this world would have perished long ago.”

“Running rampant? Why?”

“You’re still asking questions without thinking, just like 500 years ago and now. I can’t believe I actually miss this nonsense…”

“……”

As I fell silent, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“As you know, the Evil God and the Three Sovereigns have perished. That means Jeon Wook, who controlled the North, has also vanished, and while sealing the [Grave of the God], he stuck five of his assassin skills, the Dark Spear, into the [Heart of the God] buried there. So, it was only natural that when Jeon Wook perished, the heart’s seal would also break.”

“……!!”

“But because it’s such an important seal, even though Jeon Wook perished, the seal didn’t break immediately. Maybe because the entire space was closed off with divine authority, your comrades only recognized the strange omens after about 20 years. When the seal reached its limit, the very fabric of space exploded, and the area around the Grave of the God became otherworldly. At that time, we were in the middle of splitting the celestial realm from the real world, so it was quite a disaster.”

“So?”

Suddenly Cheon Woo-jin’s face contorted.

“Everyone was in chaos and came to me. I had no choice but to leave the village and help restore the seal to prevent the calamity. But even with the help of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, it was only a temporary patch-up, so for a while, I acted as the guardian sealing the [Grave of the God]. Damn it.”

“……”

“And as you’re aware, we fought against the Eight Parts of the Divine, won, and unfortunately, I had to join the party. Over the course of hundreds of years, countless things have happened…”

Phew.

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly pulled out a tiny white stick from the inner pocket of his white outfit. He seemed to take a puff and white smoke swirled out. Seeing that, I said.

“Is that a cigarette? It’s pretty tiny.”

I thought I’d seen something like that when traveling in the West, but this one looked smaller. Then Cheon Woo-jin retorted bluntly.

“It’s a liquid e-cig, you idiot. There have been so many shady things happening.”

“……?”

“Anyway, until I destroy the Third Empire, I somehow managed to protect the seal from the Eight Parts of the Divine. But even my strength has limits, and I felt I couldn’t hold on any longer. So I made Seo Mun-hye the main pillar of the seal to re-seal it.”

“Is Seo Mun-hye dead?”

“Not at all. She’s just in a state of suspended animation. She was exhausted from the long war, so by mutual agreement, she went into the seal. She’s the only one among the divine race capable of sealing the heart, and she’s recovering her strength next to the heart, so it wasn’t a bad deal. That was about 154 years ago.”

I thought for a moment and said.

“Hmm… You mentioned a seal on Chi You earlier. How did you know about Chi You’s seal? I had my suspicions that the [Grave of the God] belonged to him, but I wasn’t sure.”

“You hit a strangely sharp point. Some things haven’t changed…”

Cheon Woo-jin plopped down onto a nearby chair and replied to me.

“Due to the weakening of the seal, I had to summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman at that time. She verified that this was one of the pieces ripped from Chi You’s limbs, which the Three Sovereigns had sealed individually. So she, as one of those who defeated Chi You, had a connection through the Law of Cause and Effect, making it relatively easy to seal.”

“I see. So Chi You’s heart is confirmed… But why does the breaking of that seal cause the world to perish?”

“Exactly. Good question.”

Cheon Woo-jin put the e-cig back into his pocket and said.

“It’s simply because its power is overflowing.”

“What?”

“It’s not about martial arts or curses. Even a piece of Chi You’s heart has enough power that its seal’s release would shatter this dimension without a second thought.”

“……!!”

“From that, if the full body of Chi You were to resurrect, it would mean he’d have enough strength to destroy the world a million times… Considering that his power exponentially grows with each piece that comes together.”

That’s unreal. It was such a bizarre scale that I had to question it.

“Is that even possible?! If that’s true, the Three Sovereigns…”

“Right. They’d easily surpass them. That’s exactly why the Three Sovereigns sealed Chi You. The reason the legendary Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen narrowly managed to defeat them, dragging the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Shenglong into it.”

“……”

I stood there dumbfounded as Cheon Woo-jin glanced at Sagong Lin and asked.

“I think we’ve covered the explanation, but did you tell her about that?”

Sagong Lin shook her head.

“No. That’s not a story I can share. It’s something that should come from you, an old comrade. I don’t have the right to say that.”

“Looks like you’re trying to burden me with an annoying story by dragging her all the way to the Inner Palace research lab. You weren’t like this before, but now you’re getting increasingly sly like a fox…”

“Please.”

“Hmph.”

Cheon Woo-jin snorted.

“What are you talking about?”

“Whether it’s Chi You or whatever, the truth is you don’t care about that right now, do you? What you want to know most is what’s happened to the other comrades over the past 500 years.”

“……!! Right!”

“Let me tell you.”

Cheon Woo-jin spoke slowly.

“Just as you see, I’ve survived along with Sagong Lin and Seo Mun-hye. Zhuge Bu and Zhuge Yulong died in the battle against the Third Empire. The Master of the White Lotus Sect also died back then, and, um… the only one from the Dharma Guardians who survived is Han Baek-ryeong. Dokgo Jun and Yong Bi-cheon died too, and after inheriting the Heavenly Spirit Pill, there have been no more Dharma Guardians. Seong Jin also died while launching an assault on the Nazi German stronghold.”

“……”

“And Miho is missing, while Abe no Seimei has been using himself as a pillar to strengthen the seal of Aokigahara Life Sea due to the growing darkness of Dongyoung for the past 100 years.”

“Miho is missing?”

“Yep. She suddenly vanished after the battle with the Eight Parts of the Divine. Her whereabouts have remained unknown.”

“Hmm… what about the Zhuge Clan?”

“… I’ll tell you about that later. It’s too long to discuss about them. Damn.”

Cheon Woo-jin grumbled.

“And Master Mangnyang has shifted dimensions to the celestial realm. There was something only he could do.”

Instead of the usual term ‘ascending to immortality,’ saying ‘shifting dimensions’ indicated just how distant the celestial realm is from this world. I felt a slight relief knowing Mangnyang hadn’t died.

“What’s that about?”

“… Preparation for the apocalypse. I’ll explain in detail later, but his choice back then was for the best.”

“What happened to Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong or the other martial artist comrades?”

“They all died. About 80% perished in the war against the Eight Parts of the Divine, and those who survived couldn’t withstand the passage of time, dying due to aging, or they met their end in the war with the Third Empire. There isn’t a single one of your old martial artist comrades left in this world. Even the lifespan that can be extended through Rebirth of Flesh has its limits.”

“……”

“Just because they died doesn’t mean they’ve vanished…”

With that, Cheon Woo-jin glanced at Sagong Lin. She then spoke.

“I understand. Let’s get to the main point.”

Sagong Lin looked at me and opened her mouth.

“Baek Woong, now there’s barely 17 years left until this world reaches [Revelation]. When that time comes, the [Old Rulers] will arrive all at once, bringing great destruction. Those beings have temporarily vanished from this world with the demise of the Evil Gods, but they will soon return.”

“17 years? Is that all that’s left?”

“Yes. Luckily, thanks to the Evil Gods’ demise, we’re spared from the calamity of the underwater city rising up, but the timing of the [Revelation] remains unchanged, whether it’s now or back then. The destruction of the world is already certain; it’s merely a matter of how it happens.”

“Hmm.”

“So what we need to do now is…”

Just then.

Weeeing –

Weeeing –

Suddenly, a bright red light flooded the room, accompanied by a warning alarm. Sagong Lin seemed to be hearing reports through some device in her ear, and in a cold voice, she said.

“Understood. Prepare the combat agents immediately.”

Beep

After pressing a button with her finger, Sagong Lin said.

“Baek Woong, please wait a moment.”

“What’s going on?”

“Due to a conflict with the United States while bringing you here, an unofficial envoy from the Illuminati has arrived. I cannot avoid meeting these important members of the shadow government.”

“… Are any of the Twelve Joules behind them?”

“I suspect so, but I have no evidence. So, please continue your conversation with Cheon Woo-jin…”

Sagong Lin turned her head and was about to leave.

‘Hmm… should I stay? This sounds like it could be a hassle…’

I instinctively shook my head.

‘No. I have a feeling I need to go.’

I had a gut feeling that there was something I needed to see about these Illuminati folks with my own eyes, and that compelled me to stop Sagong Lin.

“Wait. I’m coming too.”

“Baek Woong, it’ll only complicate things. If you expose yourself to them, it could cause significant issues in your future actions.”

“Regardless, these Illuminati or whatever are the biggest obstacle in this era, right? If I want to do something in this age, I have to confront them. I want to see what kind of people they really are.”

“… They are truly terrifying individuals. But if you insist…”

Sagong Lin sighed and raised her hand.

Pah!

With that, a mirror the size of a tray appeared, shining with golden light on her palm. She handed the mirror to me, saying.

“You can watch the meeting with them through this mirror.”

“… What? What is this, magic?”

Sagong Lin didn’t seem capable of this kind of ability?!

“……”

Sagong Lin didn’t answer and left the room. As I stood there holding the mirror like an idiot, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“Hey, it’s pointless to just stand around here. Go to the lounge and watch.”

“Cheon Woo-jin, has Sagong Lin learned magic too?”

“Magic? Ha… Asking me that is pretty bold.”

Cheon Woo-jin smirked and said.

“It’s not magic… that’s for sure.”

“Then what is it? If she can summon objects from nothing, it must be magic or at least technology, right? She can’t have learned science.”

“Neither is it magic.”

“……?!”

Thud

Cheon Woo-jin snatched the mirror from my grip and walked ahead, saying.

“She’s also achieved Ancestral Return. The results exceed our imagination.”

Uh…

A while later, the lounge glowed, and through the mirror, I could see Sagong Lin seated at a royal audience with many black-clad Western individuals standing before her. Sagong Lin seemed to be speaking about something when she suddenly said.

[Then I will terminate the alliance with your kingdom.]

[Hehe… Wouldn’t it be bad for you, Emperor? If you turn us into enemies, there’s nothing to gain.]

[It doesn’t matter.]

A hunched, elderly man leaned back in his chair and muttered.

[Hehe… The strange man you need to protect, even breaking our cooperative relationship over… Given that he wields the Mercury Sword among the Seven Arks… I guess it makes sense…]

[… Please leave now.]

[Just to let you know… the Seven Arks are likewise within our possession… After all, greedy desires lead to your inevitable destruction.]

[Illuminati’s Chairman. Do you think threatening the Imperial Emperor will yield results?]

Swish

The moment the Chairman’s remark ended, a dozen combat agents, including Zhu Xian, emerged from the shadows. The black-clad figures guarding the man called the Chairman stood face-to-face with the combat agents, creating a tense atmosphere, and the Chairman finally spoke.

[… We, the Illuminati, are also researching laws to prevent the apocalypse… We are aware that the Seven Arks are essential for that…]

[……]

[So… we plan to take the Mercury Sword today… We already know its location.]

Creeeek!!

As the Chairman’s words ended, the scene through the mirror suddenly cut out. The previously halted red lights in the facility blared back to life.

Weeeing!

Weeeing!!

[Intruder detected. Intruder detected. Security initiated.]

Upon hearing that, Cheon Woo-jin frowned and pressed down on a lever that looked like a handle nearby.

Clang!

[Security level 10 activated. Initiating attack on intruders.]

“Cheon Woo-jin. What’s going on?”

When I questioned him, he replied.

“This Inner Palace’s protection system is the pinnacle of the Great Bear Empire’s technology. A level 7 security cannot be breached by a Peak Expert, and a level 10 is designed for beings above the Great Immortal level.”

Boom!

Bam!!

KABOOM!

Sounds of explosions and destruction echoed from all around. It seemed the security mechanisms and the intruder were currently in a fierce battle. The sounds were getting closer, and Cheon Woo-jin soon spotted the intruder on the screen and exclaimed with frustration.

“Damn it… Why is that guy working for the Illuminati? I clearly killed him in that war!”

KABOOM!!

[Security breach… External wall damage at 93%… Evacuate immediately.]

At that point, with a thunderous noise, the door in front of where Cheon Woo-jin and I stood exploded. When smoke billowed and the figure beyond the door came into view, I murmured involuntarily.

“Gin Nara.”

The strategist of the Eight Parts of the Divine.

Caw-caw!!

His entire body, shrouded in black, appeared before me. As soon as he revealed himself, he emitted a mechanical sound, rolling his eyes around.

Kiri-ring Kiri-ing

[Target confirmed. Commencing retrieval of the Mercury Sword.]

Thwack!!

Then Gin Nara spread his wings, and his mouth, which looked like a human’s, opened wide, shooting out a massively powerful beam toward me. Realizing I couldn’t evade the attack due to its overwhelming range, I quickly executed the Peerless Technique to deflect his strike.

Uh…

And while deflecting with the Peerless Technique, I sensed that this attack was fundamentally different from the strikes I had previously experienced from the Eight Parts of the Divine. It was an attack wholly composed of cold physical laws, devoid of any divine authority!

‘So that’s it.’

I realized instantly.

Gin Nara of the Eight Parts of the Divine was already dead, and that his corpse had been mechanically modified by the Illuminati.