1034——————==

True Martial Home

Ohhh

I thought I was heading straight to the back of the moon using Liu Ha’s small Transference Gate. But unexpectedly, I ended up at the orbital elevator, a place I’d been to before. It seemed to be a vast command room.

“Why are we here? Isn’t the enemy’s base behind the moon…?”

“Jumping straight into the base is dangerous. If they bombed over there, we should respond in kind.”

Sagong Lin replied, glancing at Professor Sima Ling, who started operating the control panel with a series of beeping sounds in the grand machine room that looked like the command room of the orbital elevator. A moment later, the screen ahead displayed an image of the moon, and mechanical sounds started playing.

[Orbital Elevator Maintenance Opened. Switching to Tactical Mode. User Recognition. Glory to the Great Bear Empire. Please give me an order.]

When Sima Ling turned to glance at Sagong Lin, she nodded her head, and Sima Ling issued a command to the machine.

“I command the launch of the Decisive Battle Plasma Cannon. Output level is max.”

[Please set the target.]

Beep beep

As Sima Ling entered something, the machine started making continuous mechanical sounds.

[Disengaging 16-fold Tokamak Shield…. Max output quadruple level. Activating Third Eye System to increase hit rate…. Setting completed at max 99.998%.]

“Fire.”

[Fire.]

Chiiiing-

A moment later, something banged open and the vibration of the launch echoed through the elevator. The vibration lasted for a short while and then stopped, revealing a contorted image of the moon on the screen.

Boom boom boom!!

A massive blue pillar of light bombarded the backside of the moon. It looked like a dot from afar, but once it hit the surface, it swept across the moon’s surface, spreading like a red spot. If this kind of destruction could be seen from this distance, it surely surpassed the power of a nuclear bomb!

The craziest part happened next.

‘Something appeared where the red spot spread…?!’

Zooooom

The blue pillar kept extending and striking that spot, and if I looked closely, something small like a city popped up on the moon’s surface. That dark, city-like shape quickly began to expand, eventually looking like a giant floating city that occupied about 30% of the moon.

Thud—

“…!!”

Isn’t that a continent?!

A floating continent on the backside of the moon!

As I was shocked, Sagong Lin explained it to me.

“Just as I thought. Those Illuminati guys… they cleverly concealed their existence with a barrier until the plasma cannon broke through their defenses.”

“So, that’s the Illuminate’s base?”

“Exactly. Once we break through their barrier with the cannon, we will enter.”

“Hmm… hold on a minute.”

I was confused and asked Sagong Lin.

“The moon originally belonged to the territory of the Three Sovereigns Jeogok, where the Divine Temple of Jeogok, the Banwang Hall, was located. Many alien races were living as slaves there, and the Shabi God also roamed around. What happened to them?”

Sagong Lin replied calmly.

“With the curse of the Evil God, the Three Sovereigns perished, making Jeogok’s territory uninhabited, and the Banwang Hall vanished. The alien races either left for another dimension or stayed on the moon, with those who remained turning into slaves for the Illuminati.”

“……”

“Nothing changes. My Tactical Forces agents will clear the way, and you will decapitate their leader.”

“Got it.”

Thud thud thud…!!

A moment later, there was a dark explosion, as the cannon pierced the barrier of the Illuminati city.

Shwoosh

“So, I’ll go first…”

Sagong Lin disappeared right then. I looked around for Liu Ha, but surprisingly, Liu Ha hadn’t followed Sagong Lin.

‘Huh? Even though it’s an Orbital Elevator, there’s still a significant physical distance to the moon… and she seems to go alone without any help from Liu Ha.’

While I was puzzled, Liu Ha cheerfully shouted.

“Let’s go~~!!”

Bang!!

Through Liu Ha’s small Transference Gate, we arrived somewhere that looked like a bizarrely advanced alien civilization, unlike the human realm. It felt less like the grotesque otherworldly realm from before and more like a scientifically developed extraterrestrial city.

‘So the Illuminati’s dark forces, the Reptilians, are on the science civilization side, not the sorcery civilization…’

I had previously heard from Zhuge Sa that in this universe, mortal civilizations are roughly divided into sorcery civilizations and science civilizations.

Sorcery civilizations are realms of metaphysical magic worship that reach demonic powers descended from gods, typically forming in the followers of the [Old Ruler]. They have scientific technology, but primarily use magic and sorcery. The fact that the Reptilians’ main civilization isn’t sorcery suggests they don’t seem to follow the [Old Ruler].

Upon arriving, Zhu Xian addressed a long gray-caped figure who was among the Sorcerous Tactical Forces.

“Liangyuan, cast your spell.”

“Of course, Deputy Commander.”

The man in the gray cape, whose hair was stark white, chanted something for a moment before dramatically shaking his hands forward.

“Come forth, Fuxing Dou Pao!!”

Swoosh!!

At that moment, the gray cape he wore suddenly transformed into armor, encasing his whole body. It must have been his artificial treasure. The man, now in the armored cape, quickly began to chant spells.

“Strengthen my arms, Transparency, Penetration, Sorcery Defense, Vitality Enhancement, Poison Immunity, Phantom Insight, Light Resistance, Bestow Flight Ability!”

Chichiching!!

“Wow…!!”

In that next moment, strange characters of spellcraft rose and shimmered on the bodies of all Tactical Forces agents, including mine. Simultaneously, I felt a natural boost as the power of spellcraft seeped into my skin. I was astonished and asked.

“What kind of technique is this?”

The white-haired man in the armored cape, while maintaining his form, bowed respectfully to me.

“Your Majesty, I am Liangyuan, the 9th ranked Tactical Forces agent. My artificial treasure, Fuxing Dou Pao, maximizes the bestowed spell power of its wearer.”

“Bestow?”

“I was originally the leader of the Kunlun Sect and a Sorcerer. I cannot specialize in martial arts, so I’m not a combatant, but I exist to enhance allies with bestowing spells. Just now, I cast all applicable bestowing spells for real combat at maximum capacity.”

“Oh.”

So there are agents like this!

As I marveled, Liangyuan continued.

“The bestowed spells will last for up to half a moment. Before that…”

“Got it. Let’s go!”

Bang!

We stormed into the enemy base’s interior, filled with black smoke. As soon as we entered, all agents except me raised their artificial treasures and shouted.

“Come forth, Magical Dragon Seal!”

“Come forth, Shooting Star Blade!”

“Come forth, Blood King Scythe!”

“Come forth, my precious smartphone~~!!”

“… Do you really have to make a fuss, silly Liu Ha!”

Swoosh

While everyone donned their armored treasures, Liu O shouted out, and Liu Ha, dressed in pink bunny-like armor, looked like she was sticking out her tongue.

“Liu O is calling me silly~~ My artificial treasure is a smartphone, so what’s wrong with that~!”

“Tch, it’s not worth dealing with…”

Liu O mumbled irritably and then brought his hands together in prayer.

“I, the Portrait Immortal Liu O, command. Time that has passed, show me the way.”

Whooooooo…

A blue spiral twirled around his body. After a brief silence, Liu O grabbed the spiral and tossed it into the sky, causing it to explode and scatter into the air. Suddenly, all the enemies within the Illuminati city began to glow like masses of light in our vision.

“Coloring complete. The Chief Commander seems to be located about 22km southwest.”

“The discrepancies with our preliminary information are larger than expected. As we move towards the target, clear all of them out!”

“Yes!”

“Charge!”

Bang!

As soon as Zhu Xian’s words ended, the Tactical Forces agents surged forward. I thought about following them, but decided to take it slow.

‘Let’s see how they perform.’

Boom boom boom!!

With explosions ringing all around, it seemed the agents in their armored treasures were flying at incredible speeds.

Swish swish

Oddly armored, lizard-like humans were shooting firearms at the agents. These weren’t the cold weapons used currently in the human realm, but seemed to be guns that emitted beams directly. Naturally swift and powerful, but it seemed the agents felt no need to dodge.

Thud!!

A barrage of several dozen beam guns assaulted the armored Tactical Forces agents head-on.

“It’s nothing!”

But rather than being penetrated or melted, they merely flinched slightly as if tickled. The 3rd rank Yuseonggae quickly condensed his vibrant Qi into his Long Saber and charged at the lizard-like soldiers, ready for a swift cut.

Mind Control Technique

Heavenly Blade Cut

Boom boom boom!!

[Kiyaaa!]

[Kooaak!!]

Yuseong’s blade extended over fifty lengths, effortlessly cutting through several buildings and a multitude of lizard soldiers in one strike. As Yuseong passed, buildings fell as if cut in twain, exploding in the process.

Usually, to extend Qi to that length requires extraordinary internal power, but I understood how that was possible.

‘The armor of the artificial treasure makes internal power consumption extremely efficient, and the Mind Control Technique itself amplifies the power of the Qi… Plus, Yuseong’s skill is at the peak of the upper echelon.’

The power of the artificial treasure appeared tremendous. It seems that compared to when Yuseong wore no armor, his combat power tripled at least. Not only Yuseong, but all the Tactical Forces agents were rampaging, destroying anything that stood in their way.

Boom boom!

The wildest of them all was Zhu Xian. He swung the Magical Dragon Seal in one hand, wielding a massive iron chain, and with a single sweep of that chain, over a hundred lizard soldiers were obliterated.

Swish swish

Boom boom boom!

[Crack, kaaaaaah!]

A moment ago, it seemed like Reptilian ships were flying around, shooting beams, but Zhu Xian immediately tapped into his mind control to throw the iron chain, piercing through a ship in one strike. He skewered the ship and crashed it into the ground.

Boom!

As the ship exploded, Zhu Xian charged recklessly towards thousands of lizard soldiers that had gathered on the ground. Soon enough, the aliens lying in wait, armed with laser guns, were licking their tongues and unleashing their fire.

Boom boom boom!

Countless beams poured onto Zhu Xian. Even with the defensive power of the artificial treasure, it was dangerous; the other agents nearby gasped and shouted at Zhu Xian.

“Commander!”

“Are you okay?!”

The ground shook…

But Zhu Xian was surrounded by a white defensive barrier. Gripping his iron chain in his right hand, he stated confidently.

“My training with Your Majesty has drastically improved my abilities. My control over mind intention has enhanced, and my Portrait Immortal ability has evolved as well… It’s time to cut my ties with these Illuminati fools.”

I could see blood-red light surging from within Zhu Xian’s black armor. His eyes glowed with crimson as he shouted.

[Oh, mighty dragon within me, obliterate them all!]

Portrait Immortal Power

Psychokinesis

Will Press Overpower

At the moment Zhu Xian unleashed his psychokinesis, the shape of a dragon appeared in the void.

Crack

All the thousands of aliens before him twisted and exploded simultaneously due to the psychic force. They burst like blood, letting out no scream, and even those hiding in nearby buildings were crushed as if they were made from soft material. Not only that, but anything within his line of sight began to collapse as if caught in a storm.

Boom boom!

When Zhu Xian’s psychic display ended, the area within a twenty-mile radius turned into a clean, desolate wasteland as if nothing had ever existed. I couldn’t count how many alien soldiers had perished.

“……!!”

Zhu Xian had said that wearing armor amplified his psychokinesis many times over, but I never expected it to be this powerful! Moreover, he had become even stronger through martial arts while enhancing his Portrait Immortal ability; this was a revelation.

‘So this is why Zhu Xian is the vice commander of the Tactical Forces…’

I understood Sagong Lin’s words that he placed him as vice commander, thinking of his potential for growth. If Zhu Xian continues to develop, he might become someone even I can’t handle. While I was lost in my thoughts, Zhu Xian staggered and collapsed right there.

“Hey, you alright?”

“Gah… huh… Your Majesty. I overexerted myself… I’m sorry.”

“It’s cool. Let’s gather our strength and go for the alien leader’s neck.”

“Yes, Your Majesty….”

Bang!

As I carried Zhu Xian beside me using the Soul Removal Technique, I pondered.

‘The artificial treasure is definitely useful… It’s different from traditional treasures, but due to the infusion of science, it has higher adaptability in some aspects.’

It would be great if I could create and utilize an artificial treasure from the start in my next reincarnation.

Thanks to Zhu Xian sweeping through the alien soldiers densely packed around the area, we continued without encountering any enemies for a while. Following Liu O’s lead, we soon spotted what seemed to be a huge floating fortress that towered hundreds of floors.

Bang…

With a heavy crashing sound, the Tactical Forces agents broke through the defense of the enemy base and infiltrated. Inside the base, numerous lizard-headed soldiers tried to attack, but none could even scratch the agents. I was glad, as I had been just running since before.

Running, I moved closer to Liu O and asked.

“Hey Liu O, do you have any idea what the enemy commander looks like?”

“I think it’s over there.”

I glanced at the direction Liu O pointed. Thanks to Liu O’s ability, I could see all lifeforms beyond walls glowing in blue, and what seemed like a giant caterpillar was visible. I was flabbergasted and rebutted.

“Huh? Isn’t that a bug? Are you sure?”

“The coordinates of time definitely point to that…”

“I don’t get it. If the leader of the Illuminati is a Reptilian, then it should be a lizard, right? Why a bug?”

I grumbled, passing Zhu Xian to Liu O.

“Hold onto this guy for me. I’m going to cut off the leader’s head.”

“Ah, Your Majesty. That’s dangerous…”

Bang!

I didn’t bother keeping up with the agents and shot straight forward with the power of the Soul Removal Technique, slicing through every barrier blocking my way. Ignoring the walls, I ended up reaching the top of the colossal building in just a ten mile run.

Thud

When I gazed ahead, I grimaced in disgust. On a gigantic garden that stretched out to the horizon, countless caterpillars writhed, oozing muck everywhere. In the very center rested a massive caterpillar, easily hundreds of times larger than the rest, coiled up in a ball.

“Are you the Reptilian Lord?”

No reply came. Thinking there was no need for a conversation, I directly unleashed the Ultimate Technique and slashed the enormous caterpillar.

Chwa-clank!!

As the caterpillar was sheared in half, it twitched violently for a moment, then erupted with blue blood, slumping over soon after. Just when I thought that was it, from the spot where the caterpillar fell, light began to shine, revealing the apparition of that old man I’d seen in the past meetings with the Galactic Tribe Alliance.

[Welcome, Baek Woong… To make it this far, I have to say your Great Bear Empire’s techniques truly are remarkable. Our Illuminati’s technology is inherently thousands of years ahead of human technology… To equip yourselves with strength equal to or above ours using treasures from the Celestial Realm is impressive.]

“Damn it. Was that caterpillar not really the Reptilian Lord?”

I muttered, chewing the words, but the old man smiled faintly, saying.

[This body is indeed my original… But when you invaded, I took shelter in another form. Hahaha…]

“Hey. How come your true form is a caterpillar when you claim to be the king of the lizard clan?”

[I am a supreme entity that has lived for tens of thousands of years, evolving the lizard race to my will… I wished to coexist with you. There are many among you humans who share my ideals. However, upon realizing your Great Bear Empire’s reckless intentions, I can no longer sit back and watch.]

After saying this, the old man continued.

[First, I shall annihilate the Great Bear Empire, and then the Seven Arks will be mine.]

“Go ahead and try!”

[Heh heh, we’ve already begun erupting volcanoes all over the world.]

“… Huh?”

In the following moment, I heard Liu Ha’s voice through the electronic device in my ear.

[Your Majesty, something big has happened~ It seems there’s chaos on the surface~.]

“……”

As I stood frozen, the old man said.

[Our Reptilians have explored the Earth’s hollows before, meaning we can control the crust and oceans at will…. I will bring forth the annihilation of the surface with a volcanic eruption.]

“Are we all going to die together?”

[Hehehe… I’ve borrowed a temporary residence from the great master of the Old Continent.]

The old man continued as if mocking me.

[Oh, the great first emperor of the Great Bear Empire, Baek Woong… Sit back and relax while you watch your empire return to nothing in the eruption of volcanos.]

Damn!

What kind of ridiculous situation is this?!

To think the world would perish not at the hands of the [Old Ruler] but because of some alien forces! I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t speak, but just then, I heard.

“I see. As expected, you let your guard down in front of Baek Woong, revealing your plans.”

Sagong Lin appeared from somewhere.

The Reptilian Lord, the leader of the Illuminati, smiled at the sight of Sagong Lin.

[Hoho. Sagong Lin… Ultimately, I am the winner…. You assumed that firing only a hundred nuclear missiles was all I would do, and thus your defeat.]

“Why didn’t you fire the tens of thousands you could have?”

[There was always a chance that you might block them, which would result in a world contaminated by radiation, and I didn’t want to have to clean that up before the end. Hahaha… Do you feel that talking with me about this trivial matter helps to forget the pain of your defeat?]

The Reptilian Lord laughed at Sagong Lin.

However, Sagong Lin responded without any change in expression.

“Do you really think I would despair over something like this?”

[What did you say?]

“What I truly aim for is the [Old Ruler]. If I were to be swayed by a little character like you, I wouldn’t have waited for Baek Woong all this time.”

[Hmph, you’re in a position to boast without reason now…]

“Nothing has ended.”

Ohhh

The next moment, golden energy started surging around Sagong Lin.

And at that moment, I felt all my Spirit Power tremble and respond to it. It was a cautious reaction, as if I was facing something beyond my spirit power.

“I will show you.”

Sagong Lin’s body began to slowly rise into the air.

Her eyes had turned golden.

“Let me show you what a true Heavenly Demon is…”