1072——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Wiying

There was also a Transference Gate near Germany. Back in the day when Europe was in turmoil, secret gates were set up here and there. However, it was difficult to create a gate in the capital, so Sagong Lin appeared not in Berlin but in Potsdam, a city located somewhat to the south. This city was about 60 li from Berlin.

As Sagong Lin appeared in Potsdam, she immediately sensed the surrounding magical energy. And she realized that there were no humans left in Potsdam and that it was entirely filled with Otherworldly beings. Sagong Lin thought to herself.

“If there are no humans left in the satellite city, then the capital Berlin must be the same. The humans of Germany are practically extinct.”

Feeling a strange sense of relief, Sagong Lin stretched her hand forward. Her palm directed toward Potsdam, and soon a pitch-black sphere appeared before her. Sagong Lin whispered quietly.

“May the evil beings disappear.”

Boom!

The beam of magical energy that extended from Sagong Lin’s hand instantly burned Potsdam. Just one hit, but at that moment, the entire territory of Potsdam was engulfed in golden magical power, annihilating the tens of thousands of Otherworldly beings present.

Kuooh…

Without a care for the possibility of civilians dying, Sagong Lin sent flying a city with even a radius of several dozen li. After all, with a city infested to such an extent by Otherworldly beings, life for humans was not worth living. Killing them wasn’t a sin but rather a form of salvation.

Sagong Lin immediately reached out toward Berlin, just beyond the horizon. With an emotionless expression, she gathered her strength and fired.

Boom boom boom!

Everything in front of her vanished. Mountains, rivers, even clouds seemed to be swept away by the enormous empty force. All she had done was casually exert her power, and yet everything disappeared. Finally, Sagong Lin realized that the shockwave of the force she unleashed had swept across Berlin, erasing countless Otherworldly beings and demon soldiers.

Hisssss…

Sagong Lin then moved to check the traces of her destruction in Berlin. The moment she arrived, time seemed to rewind in the ruined Berlin, witnessing everything return to its original form.

Kikikigik!!

The gears of time meshed together. That unpleasant sensation made Sagong Lin frown slightly, and someone spoke to her.

[Heavenly Demon. [Small Cycle] can negate a portion of your power.]

“Who are you?”

A young man dressed in the uniform of the Black Mask stood about twenty steps away, tugging at his white gloves. He had a somewhat sharp impression and a broad forehead.

[I am Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany.]

“Ah, Heinrich Wolf, huh? Are you also a high-level Otherworldly being pretending to be human? Was that body originally Adolf Hitler’s?”

Adolf Hitler shook his head at Sagong Lin’s mocking remark.

[No. Unlike Heinrich Wolf, I have fused with this human.]

Sagong Lin raised an eyebrow at that reply.

“Fused?”

[While devouring mortals to mimic them is convenient and simple, it makes it hard to utilize one’s original powers. But if one fuses with a human with their original consent, the burden of the Law of Cause and Effect is lessened, and one can draw on more of their original strength.]

“I thought beings of your level wouldn’t choose such methods due to pride.”

This sounded strange to Sagong Lin, who had studied magic extensively. Of course, she had learnt that fusion existed from the Master of the White Lotus Sect or Zhuge Yulong, but high-level beings from the otherworld considered humans to be as lowly as insects, so it was nearly unheard of for them to choose fusion out of pride. It was akin to merging with insects in human terms, and she didn’t expect them to endure such humiliation.

Adolf Hitler smirked faintly.

[You are currently one of the greatest beings between heaven and earth. It’s not so shameful to be humble before you. Anyway, if ascension is at stake, wouldn’t anyone give their all?]

“You’re always going on about ascension. But I have no interest in such things.”

[Hehe. You amuse me. Your very ability to roam unrestrained in this world is the closest thing to ascension. You yourself are the embodiment of the apocalypse.]

Saying that, Adolf Hitler’s eyes turned pitch black.

[Let’s fight with all our cunning and valor, Heavenly Demon!]

Kugugugu!

As Hitler’s form vanished, all the buildings of Berlin started to grow taller, stretching toward the heavens. It was as if the city were rapidly growing like a plant from the ground, and amidst that flow, numerous Otherworldly beings and demon beasts wailed. The momentum was astonishing, causing Sagong Lin to suppress her energy and fire another beam of dark magical energy from her palm.

Boom boom boom!!

It seemed that everything would be annihilated by Sagong Lin’s strike, but soon, [Small Cycle] returned, restoring everything back to its original state, and the city’s darkness began to grow again from its roots. Sagong Lin was taken aback by this phenomenon.

“Using [Small Cycle] twice!”

While a high-level being could manage it once, using it twice was quite rare. Moreover, she realized that the tainted magical presence mixed in the air possessed a higher status than she had anticipated. Sagong Lin instinctively sensed.

A presence beyond the Eight Parts of the Divine!

Close to surpassing a mere Demon King, reaching the level of the Old Ruler!

At this level, being called a Demon God in a myth wouldn’t be strange.

‘No… It might be due to the Ancient Treasure I seized from Peng Zuo and the effects of the Law of Cause and Effect obtained from massacring the humans in Berlin.’

Regardless, the being claiming to be Adolf Hitler was undoubtedly packed with immense power. Perhaps he was a formidable opponent on the level of beyond Eight Parts of the Divine, the enemy she had faced during the Monster War.

Yet strangely, Sagong Lin felt no anxiety or fear. Even confronting a formidable opponent for the first time, she never believed she would die or be defeated. This was due to her unshakeable conviction that she stood well above her opponent, and her essence continuously whispered to her.

Are you going to bow down to someone wielding such pathetic power while claiming to be a Heavenly Demon?

The tone felt mocking. Although Sagong Lin hated her own excitement at that remark, she realized that if she didn’t utilize this anger, it would be tough to deal with the situation. With golden eyes shining, she stretched out her hands.

Kurabuck!!

[Kaak!]

Something screamed in response to Sagong Lin’s attack. The blood-stained and shadowy skull suddenly materialized in the air! Tentacles dripping with crimson and darkness began to writhe. However, as soon as they touched Sagong Lin’s body, the tentacles shriveled and melted away, and she charged forward, smashing the skull into pieces.

Ka-wack!

As silence fell over the blood-stained skull, Sagong Lin sneered.

“Of course, you despicable ones wouldn’t come alone. You hid your companions’ forms.”

[…You caught Buchenhalt that easily?]

Schieeeek!

Three new figures appeared in the air, including Adolf Hitler. They all seemed to have fused with humans, possessing human-like bodies. They had all clustered together once Sagong Lin charged, while only Adolf Hitler had pretended to face her directly. In reality, four high-level beings under the command of the Old Ruler had united to launch a combined attack. However, Sagong Lin, having sensed this, ambushed and devoured one of her nearby foes in an instant.

Adolf Hitler spoke.

[It’s unavoidable. No matter how much of a Heavenly Demon you are, there are limits… Attack!]

Pa-at!

High-level Otherworldly beings above the rank of Demon Kings descended upon her simultaneously. It was a terrifying sight, but Sagong Lin merely smiled coldly.

She muttered briefly.

“I’m hungry.”

About three moments later.

[Kuhak… Kughak!]

Sagong Lin held Adolf Hitler’s neck in her hand. She had already torn apart the other two high-level Otherworldly beings while they were still alive, defeating the strongest Adolf Hitler in one strike. Adolf Hitler attempted to flee, but even the space-warping failed against Sagong Lin’s golden eyes, resulting in it being neutralized.

Adolf Hitler cried out.

[Even if you’re a Heavenly Demon… How could… this be… How could you have such an absurd ability to devour your kind while being born as a Demon? Even the Old Rulers couldn’t endow such power into their avatars… How can you possess such insane strength…?]

“Is that your last words?”

[It can’t be…!! How could you not be bound by the Law of Cause and Effect with this level of power!!]

In response to Adolf Hitler’s wailing cry, Sagong Lin replied.

“The power I utilize is all your strength. I’m not amplifying my original power; I’m merely recycling it. Isn’t that the reason?”

[…Nonsense. Then might the other attribute of the Heavenly Demon be…?]

Adolf Hitler seemed to realize something, but Sagong Lin had no further intention of conversing with him.

“Shut up.”

With a bored expression, she slowly tightened her grip, shattering his skull.

Flick!

The end of Adolf Hitler, the leader and Führer of the German Empire. Sagong Lin thought she had finished this war relatively easily as she looked down at the demon-tainted Berlin. The city of the demon now writhed as if alive, transformed into a living hell teeming with hundreds of thousands of Otherworldly beings. Fighting while worrying about the tens of thousands of Otherworldly swarming out of Berlin was quite a hassle.

‘But… I lack the power to obliterate Berlin once more.’

Is it rotten luck? From the battle against the Demon King and the high-level beings earlier, Sagong Lin had used up a great deal of her strength. Therefore, she didn’t have enough power left to use her unleashing abilities. She decided to be content with having removed the leaders and turned her head. She judged that returning to her base to recover her strength and then coming back to finish the job was wiser.

Pa-at!

When Sagong Lin returned to Luoyang via the Transference Gate…

“…!!”

Luoyang had turned to ruins!

Sagong Lin was taken aback by the sudden change. The glorious capital, rich in history and numerous architectures, had transformed into ashes. Not a single human presence was evident; only deathly silence lingered. The auras of the millions of humans who lived in Luoyang had nearly vanished.

To understand what had occurred, Sagong Lin went to the Imperial Palace of Luoyang. Fortunately, the Imperial Palace had remained intact. Entering, she found Zhuge Bu, as if waiting for her.

“You’ve returned!”

“Zhuge Bu. What happened?”

At Sagong Lin’s question, Zhuge Bu wore a gloomy expression.

“…A curse from the Old Ruler has descended upon us. The city was annihilated in an instant, and only the Imperial Palace, under the Philosopher’s Stone’s protection, was saved. We could do nothing else.”

“A curse? What the hell…?”

Sagong Lin continued, not believing.

“I just killed all the high-level beings from the otherworld that claimed to be mercenaries. The war was a victory on our side. So how come a curse from the Old Ruler came out of nowhere?”

“That likely means we had been too relaxed in our thinking.”

Following Zhuge Bu’s words, Sagong Lin felt utterly bewildered at what to say next.

“It seems they might have summoned the Old Ruler before declaring war on us. And when you wiped out their leadership, they seized the opportunity to unleash a vengeance curse via the summoned Old Ruler.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I could do nothing beyond protecting the Imperial Palace… We also lost the Crystal Stele.”

“What do you mean? They took the Crystal Stele too?”

“They sent the being named Halchi Olleifra, their Apostle, as soon as the curse was unleashed. The being was far too powerful to contend with. I wanted to call for the Master of the White Lotus Sect and Han Baek-ryeong, but all our means of transportation were blocked by their magic, so we couldn’t receive support…”

We’ve been thoroughly ambushed.

Upon hearing that, Sagong Lin realized something and looked around. Then she asked.

“What about Zhuge Yulong?”

“He was killed by Halchi Olleifra.”

“…”

“His soul was shattered after falling victim to the curse of petrification.”

“Had his soul been shattered, it means there would’ve been no time to transfer to another vessel when he was cursed. Can the Philosopher’s Stone not heal it?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone has its limits. Sometimes, powerful magical power or curses cast directly by divine beings can’t be nullified… The golden hour is passed, and it’s even less likely now.”

Zhuge Bu answered calmly and calmly, even though his father, Zhuge Yulong, had died. This was because, since the moment he became a reincarnated person’s ally, he had prepared for the day death could come at any time, and since the enemy this time had the rank of an Apostle, there was nothing he could do.

Instead of feeling anger and despair, Zhuge Bu decided to fortify his rationality even more. Now, he was the only advisor left in the Zhuge clan leading the Great Bear Empire. If he were carried away by his emotions, all his remaining allies would be in danger. Sagong Lin read the resolve in Zhuge Bu’s expression, having risen from despair, and spoke slowly.

“Zhuge Bu. I didn’t sense the presence of the Old Ruler in the Demon Path Berlin. If what you say is true, that means the leader of our enemies must be located elsewhere.”

“Indeed. That means the enemy’s leader is likely in the location where the Crystal Stele was stolen.”

“Where is that?”

“We’ll have to investigate. You need to eliminate that being.”

“…”

Sagong Lin fell into thought for a moment. Then she said.

“Zhuge Bu. Now that both the inner and outer cities of Luoyang have been annihilated, and all the denizens and research institutions there have vanished, does that mean the High-Level Existence masters are also dead?”

“…Yes. All dead.”

“Even the sorcerers and scientists we’ve cultivated for over a hundred years? Not even our specially trained strong AI?”

“Yes.”

“This damage is impossible to recover before the end of the world, isn’t it? There will be nothing left for Baek Woong.”

“D-Don’t tell me you…”

Sagong Lin then declared with determination.

“I will use my power to completely revert Luoyang’s [Small Cycle]. Please leave the retrieval of the Crystal Stele to others.”

“…!! No way! If you do that, no matter how much you are… You’ll end up using all your strength and falling into a dormant state!”

“But it’s not an injury that can’t be recovered forever. With time, I can regain my strength and wake up again, can’t I?”

“No! Even if that’s the case, no one else can handle the Old Ruler summoned in the German Empire besides you!”

Zhuge Bu shouted in desperation.

“Seo Mun-hye and the Master of the White Lotus Sect are strong, but that Old Ruler is certainly no ordinary being! Clearly, it’s the ultimate being sent by the other Old Rulers to counter a Heavenly Demon! They only sent an Apostle but Halchi Olleifra’s strength is on another level! Not to mention, I can’t feel any chance of victory against the main body! Even if you, Seo Mun-hye, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Cheon Woo-jin, and others exert all your strength to combine forces, it might barely be enough to withstand!”

“…”

“The human resources lost in the annihilated Luoyang can be restored somehow… So let’s focus on the fight now!”

Zhuge Bu earnestly pleaded, but Sagong Lin shook her head.

“No. If I let this damage pass by, I’ll have a premonition that the path to victory will become more distant. I will stick to my choice.”

“Sagong Lin…!!”

“I’ll retrieve the Crystal Stele and also reclaim all of Peng Zuo’s treasures. And if you use that strength to recover me from my dormant state, we can ultimately emerge victorious.”

“It’s easier said than done…!! Retrieving the Crystal Stele means you have to face Halchi Olleifra…”

Zhuge Bu couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence.

How could he express it?

The fact that Halchi Olleifra had blocked the Old Ruler’s interference with the petrification beam for just a moment!

Because of that, the Old Ruler of the Imperial Palace was temporarily cast out of reality, and our allies were helplessly ravaged. Even Zhuge Yulong couldn’t last ten seconds before that being.

That Apostle was so powerful that even the Old Ruler could barely counteract it’s influence on reality. The mere existence of such a high-level being appearing in reality was a nightmare.

Was there really any chance of winning?

But in the next moment, Sagong Lin exerted her power to turn the [Small Cycle].

“Please, Zhuge Bu….”

WooOOOOooo!!

Luoyang returned to its original state as if it had never been destroyed. All the slain humans and buildings were restored.

But the light slowly faded from within her golden eyes, and Sagong Lin collapsed, falling into a slumber.

Zhuge Bu, supporting the fallen Sagong Lin, clenched his teeth and stood up.

Everything was flowing toward the worst possible scenario.

Yet Zhuge Bu did not despair. His parents were dead and his allies were dying, but he would not give up.

‘Baek Woong… I will hold out until you return!!’

For that, he would sacrifice everything.

Zhuge Bu solidified his resolve. Then, he recited the words Baek Woong habitually uttered.

“I will never give up!!”

With the title of the greatest genius and the name of the Treasure of the Central Plains, he would reclaim the Crystal Stele and Peng Zuo’s treasures.