1087——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I chuckled at Bathory Erzsebet’s words.

“Ha…”

It’s been a while since someone tried so blatantly to screw me over. Maybe that’s why I felt more amused than angry.

‘The companions who received memories through my obsidian have not betrayed me; the foes I faced during my recent reincarnation were overwhelmingly strong, so there was no reason for betrayal…’

Is that why?

This situation was actually entertaining.

I managed to keep my cool and ponder how to deal with Bathory. I casually said to her, “You really don’t need the Holy Lance Longinus? Thinking back on how you trembled at the sight of it, I doubt you can handle it anyway.”

“I have no desire to engage in useless conversation. I would appreciate it if you could leave.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll show my skills.”

Swoosh…

As soon as her words ended, a dozen figures clad in dark hoods encircled me. With a clear intent to attack, I thought about killing them right away but decided to keep my composure and said, “I don’t get it. Is Faust’s pocket watch really hiding some crazy power that makes you want to fight me?”

“I see no reason to answer. But I have no intention of playing along with your deal.”

Bathory wore a slightly annoyed expression, as if recalling the past.

“Isn’t it foolish to respond to the strange deals of an ominous creature that barges in and threatens with brute force? Just leave.”

“I said I have my reasons, yet you stick to your summoning. But…”

I told Bathory, “The pocket watch is something I need too, so I can’t back down now.”

“Then fight!”

Whooooosh

The moment she finished speaking, two nearby monsters transformed into blood mist and lunged at me. It was a bizarre technique, but I didn’t even bother to look at the attack as I swiftly aimed for Bathory’s neck.

Thunk

“……!!”

Bathory’s head flew off from my strike, but she quickly teleported away with a shocked expression. It seems her body is so unnatural that being decapitated doesn’t kill her right away. Interested, I decided to cast Three Treasure Technique.

Swish!

The blood mist didn’t impede my steps at all as I advanced toward Bathory. However, the monsters behind me transformed or armed themselves, chasing me down. I ignored them and struck at Bathory’s neck once more.

Thud!!

“It’s useless!”

As her head flew off, her whole body transformed into a mass of blood and appeared in another space, but I grinned and said, “I don’t think so.”

“…Gak!!”

Bathory suddenly staggered, clutching at her neck, which was bleeding profusely from the cut I just made.

“How can a simple sword strike injure my immortal body…?”

“At first, I just used sword qi, but this time I used sword of the thunder.”

Swoosh!

“Like this.”

As I replied, a few of the monsters came charging at me. I drew a circle with my blade and struck them all down with the sword of thunder.

[Kaaaah!!]

The attacking creatures were sliced apart, collapsing in midair. Some transformed into blood mist to escape, but even the mist was torn apart by the lightning as it struggled to regain its original form.

Each of them had power and speed that rivaled peak experts, yet they couldn’t evade the sword of thunder.

‘Simple sword qi wouldn’t damage them, but the sword of intent can!’

No matter how grotesque these monsters were—be it mist, water, fire, or rock—they could still be harmed by the embodiment of intent. It was a principle I had learned from numerous battles with otherworldly races.

Kuwaah!!

The seriously wounded monsters suddenly shrieked as they transformed. Five of them morphed into goat-like monsters with blood-red wings, while the other five turned into muscular half-demons wielding heavy clubs. As I felt the surge of magic emanating from them, Bathory screamed.

[Members of the Great Baal Clan, eliminate that guy!]

Baal Clan? Members?

Boom!!

In the next moment, the enhanced creatures charged at me with monstrous power. Their physical abilities seemed to transcend human limits, cloaked in potent layers of magic. I dodged the clubs, scythes, and spears as I casually deflected their attacks.

‘This isn’t too tough.’

Just because their strength and speed have increased doesn’t mean I can’t deal with them. I’ve already reached the absolute realm, mastered numerous counter-moves including the Three Treasure Technique, and accumulated plenty of combat experience. I’m not going to fall for their crude attacks.

Shooosh!

I glanced at the injured Bathory out of the corner of my eye and said, “How about you hand over the pocket watch now? Don’t want to see you in a worse state than this.”

Bathory couldn’t vocalize due to holding her neck, so she used telepathy to shout, [Don’t joke! I already know you’re not an Apostle of God.]

“Huh?”

[O great one, Demon King Solomon. Grant me your supreme strength! By divine blessing, let the wings of the raven tremble!]

Kuwaah!

Suddenly, Bathory’s body morphed into a massive black wind where feathers erupted. As her body expanded hundreds of times, she flapped her wings, causing the very fabric of space to shatter.

Boom!

Perhaps the area has already become otherworldly; no buildings collapsed, and I realized I was standing on a blood-soaked plain. Bathory, now a gigantic crow, opened her beak and unleashed a blood-red beam toward me.

‘Crap, this is annoying!’

I considered dodging but became lazy and swung my sword instead.

Swoosh!!

The blood-red beam split and went flying off into two pieces as it struck my blade. The enormous crow, Bathory, was utterly astonished.

[H-how did you deflect that from the front…?]

Are they kidding me?

That was hardly an attack worthy of a Demon King!

“Geez, you guys really love your transformations!”

I threw a look at the members of the Baal Clan who were relentlessly charging at me and thought, ‘These guys don’t hesitate at all. Do I really seem that weak?’

Feeling slightly annoyed, I took the ordinary iron sword I had and plunged it into the forehead of one of the rushing priests.

Thunk!

[Thud….]

“That’s yours. Shall we get serious now?”

Swing!

I smoothly watched as the priest collapsed, mortally wounded. I drew Suyeo from my waist. To be honest, I could’ve wiped them all out with just an ordinary iron sword, but I felt like stomping on them thoroughly because they irritated me. The performance variance between the standard sword and Suyeo was so vast it would make my job easier.

“Haah!”

The moment I drew Suyeo, I sliced the two charging toward me down the middle. I had let them off easy until now, but I wouldn’t anymore!

Swish!

“Take this!”

I executed a cross slash and cleaved through one, catching the others off-guard as I used the Eye’s Control Sword Technique to take them out. Since they had already stepped into my sword’s range, there was no way they could dodge, no matter how fast their bodies were.

Splattering!

As the deadly strike tore through them, their remains scattered like a butchered carcass, and I sheathed Suyeo, assuming my combat stance.

Swoosh…

Heaven and Earth!

I made just three steps, seemingly sucking the space around me as I advanced toward the enormous black crow Bathory on the horizon. Thanks to the magic of Three Treasure Technique, I was able to effectively wield light body technique as if I were using teleportation. When I finally reached Bathory, I drew Suyeo.

“Ready!”

Thunder God Lineage!

Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven!

Earth Liu’s Soul-Cleaving Slash!

One of the deadliest moves of the Thunder God lineage—one that I had learned during my training.

Rumble—

The earth seemed to break as the slice cleaved through, fabric of the air was sucked in like a vacuum. Moments later, the line from Earth Liu’s Soul-Cleaving Slash was etched into Bathory’s dark body, resulting in a resounding crack as her form split vertically.

Drip, drip—

The fresh gore and sinew glimmered, ethereal thunder crackling around them as both halves of her body fell in opposite directions.

Boom!

[Kraaaa!!! Ahhhh….]

The Grand Witch Bathory collapsed with a scream, twisting her body. As expected of a creature of magic, she didn’t die immediately. I saw her human form gradually returning from her massive crow shape, which was somewhat disappointing.

“Wow, one shot? How lame….”

I thought I’d need to attack her a few more times since she was so big. That’s usually how it went when I faced large otherworldly beings back in the Life Sea. But since Bathory fell in one hit, I figured she wasn’t that tough.

“Well, anyway, die!”

I brought Suyeo down, imbued with the sword of thunder, directly aiming for Bathory’s neck without hesitation.

I’ll figure out the details of the pocket watch after killing this one!

Boom!

‘Blocked?!’

Suddenly, my strike was intercepted!

Even though it was a finishing blow with relaxed force, the opponent’s sword had perfectly blocked my attack, indicating they were a considerable expert capable of countering my sword of intent.

The wielder of the sword was an elderly man with silver hair wielding a long sword. He wasn’t very tall, but his entire body was well-toned, radiating an extraordinary aura.

I instantly recognized him.

‘This one is on a whole different level than Bathory and her minions. He must’ve trained extensively.’

Groooww….

For a moment, we were locked in a standoff, my sword clashing against his. He sighed, saying, “Your master, the Grand Witch, made a foolish choice. Allow me to have a moment, Grand Master.”

“Grand Master?”

“The being revered in the East as having reached the absolute realm. You are an absolute expert the likes of which I have never encountered before, even more overbearing than when I saw the Master of the White Lotus Sect…”

“…….”

“Please, show me mercy.”

Though he was strong, he was nothing compared to me. He seemed to understand the difference in strength and was pleading for forgiveness. I felt my fury begin to wane as I realized something was off.

“……?”

Huh…. what is it?

This guy’s face looks kind of familiar…

I hesitated, puzzled by déjà vu, and inspected his face more carefully. A moment later, I recognized him.

“You…!! You’re the one who followed Matteo Ricci of the Jesuits, that, that guy, right?”

“……!!”

He flinched in surprise. Then he said, “How do you know about that incident?!”

“What was your name again? So….”

As I rummaged through my memory, it suddenly clicked, and I exclaimed, “Hans Talhoffer, the Swordmaster! Right?”

His astonishment was palpable.

“How could you possibly know that…! That was centuries ago.”

“Don’t you remember me?”

“How could I possibly know you? I was automatically summoned when the witch’s life was in danger.”

“Oh, right.”

He was masked as the Yellow Dragon Demon God!

I pressed a button near my face, removing the mask. As soon as my face was revealed, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. The old man’s face turned pale, staring blankly.

“…Baek Woong… the first Emperor of the Great Bear Empire… why are you here?”

“It really is you. We met before, right? When Matteo Ricci handed me the Silver Phoenix Fragment, you were standing in the back.”

He nodded solemnly.

“…I remember.”

Hans Talhoffer!

The Swordmaster from the Jesuits who was with Matteo Ricci when he visited the Kingdom of Duke Du!

Back when I was founding the Great Bear Empire, I had persuaded Matteo Ricci to get all the Silver Phoenix Fragments to reopen the tomb of the Balhae Kings. Naturally, I’d seen Hans Talhoffer’s face back then. Since it was so long ago and I hadn’t thought to pay much attention, I almost forgot until I now recognized him.

I sheathed Suyeo and said, “Weren’t you affiliated with the Jesuits? How did you end up as this witch’s lackey?”

“Ummm…. This is unbelievable…. I never thought you’d still be alive after all this time…. Five hundred years have passed.”

“Answer me directly. I want to kill Bathory right now, but I’m holding off because I see you.”

As I spoke with killing intent, Hans Talhoffer recoiled slightly and said, “Bathory is also part of the Jesuits. She is one of the members of the thirteen high-ranking officials in the Zodiac, and one of the longest-living Grand Witches in the world. After returning from serving Matteo Ricci, I became one of her subordinates and have been her protector.”

“What? So she’s part of the Jesuits too?”

“Yes.”

I felt incredulous.

So, the Grand Witch Bathory was also affiliated with the Jesuit order! It made sense for Hans Talhoffer to be here, but it was still a surprise.

“I thought Jesuits were all about Jesus? Why would a witch be affiliated with them?”

“While that’s the nominal title, they’re essentially a coalition that worships ancient deities and guardians of the West. All factions opposing the [Old Ruler] and magic are united under it, and since Bathory is a Rune Master’s companion, she naturally joined as well.”

“Huh… So that’s how it is. Is Matteo Ricci a Zodiac member too?”

“Yes, he is one of the thirteen.”

“So that’s why you were his protector. You were dedicated to escorting Zodiac members.”

Now I had a rough idea of the structure of the Western Jesuits. But that didn’t change my anger, so I said to Hans Talhoffer, “I was betrayed when I requested Bathory to hand over the pocket watch. If she doesn’t return the watch, then I’ll have no choice but to kill her. That’s something I absolutely have to do.”

“……”

“Are you going to try and stop me, Swordmaster?”

At my question, Hans Talhoffer smirked and shook his head.

“Not at all…. Five centuries ago, you were the greatest human hero who defeated the Sea God. I could never contend with someone like you.”

“Then step aside. I’m going for her neck.”

“How about this? I will persuade Bathory to return it immediately. If she knew you were Baek Woong, she wouldn’t have dared to handle things like this.”

I replied brusquely, “You think she’s gotten bold because she has the Zodiac members backing her? I don’t feel like just letting her off easy.”

“That’s not the case. It seems she’s acted independently, collaborating with the Baal cult for this. She’s always had a gray disposition as a high-ranking official.”

“What’s that to me? It’s not my concern.”

Seeing my lack of interest, Hans Talhoffer hastened to suggest, “Then I can make her apologize sincerely.”

“Is that even possible? You’re her subordinate, yet you can make that request?”

“I’m merely nominally her subordinate, but in reality, I am directly under my guardian. I specialize in protecting high-ranking officials, so I hold an equal position before her.”

Well, that made sense. Given Hans Talhoffer’s skill level, he could certainly overpower Bathory, so it would be weird if he was just a simple subordinate.

‘Hmm. What should I do…?’

After mulling it for a moment, I decided to overlook this old connection just once. If a being had truly reached the absolute realm, it was worth considering their words.

“…Alright, revive her.”

Moments later, Bathory returned to human form, awakening. A long scar, remnants of my Earth Liu’s Soul-Cleaving Slash, marred her beautiful face, and a trembling aura filled the air as she saw me and Hans Talhoffer.

“Uugh….”

“Bathory, give me the pocket watch. And you better apologize to me.”

“Y-You….”

Hans Talhoffer then spoke to her, “Grand Witch Bathory, you must heed his words.”

“Swordmaster! How could you say that to me….”

“He is Baek Woong, the first Emperor of the Great Bear Empire and the great hero who defeated the Sea God.”

“……!!”

Bathory’s eyes widened in shock. She had trouble processing the unbelievable news.

“You weren’t someone who could act rudely from the start. If you don’t apologize, I can no longer offer my protection.”

Bathory stared at Hans Talhoffer, disbelief written on her face. After a while, she spoke with a trembling voice.

“Are you really the first Emperor of the Great Bear Empire…?”

I shouted in frustration, “What’s it to you? Should I grovel in front of you? This is ridiculous!”

Swoosh!

As I brandished Suyeo, Bathory flinched.

“Ugh.”

I growled at Bathory, “I’m sorry I barged in suddenly. But if you’ve taken my request, then you shouldn’t have taken it on in the first place! Shouldn’t you have just said you couldn’t do it without stealing from me?!”

“I-I’m so sorry.”

Bathory bowed her head, kneeling again, apologizing.

“I got blinded by greed because that pocket watch is such a precious artifact…. Your Majesty, please show mercy.”

Hmm, I suppose that’ll do?

I shot a sidelong glance at Hans Talhoffer and said, “That’s enough; just open the watch and hand it over. I’ll let it go this time since you’re associated with Hans Talhoffer.”

“Here it is.”

Swish!

The pocket watch Bathory summoned from thin air floated into my hands.

Clink!

I made sure to open the pocket watch without forcing it. Upon opening, I found an old black-and-white photograph inside.

A cute girl holding a raccoon doll.

She looked just like my previous self.

“…….”

Exactly what I expected. Yet the real surprise happened next. As the second hand of the watch began to tick slowly, time around us started to decelerate.

Whirring…

After about ten seconds, everything around me came to a complete standstill. However, the second hand of the pocket watch continued ticking. When I closed the pocket watch, time resumed its flow.

Whoosh!

Startled by this unexpected effect, I exclaimed, “Is this an artifact that can stop time?”

Bathory answered, “Yes. We call that type of artifact a Chrono Quartz. Only the most skilled watchmakers can create one, and it also requires the power of alchemists and sorcerers. So across the world, there are only a few Chrono Quarts. In addition, this pocket watch is among the top-grade Chrono Quartz.”

“So the ability of this Chrono Quartz is to stop time.”

Since I’d seen time-stopping abilities or techniques many times in life, it didn’t feel particularly new. As I murmured, somewhat disappointed, Bathory shook her head.

“No, actually, this was made using Faust’s special crafting methods….”

She looked at the golden pocket watch in my hands as if yearning for it, and she then resignedly opened her mouth.

“It has the ability to travel through time. An ability unmatched by any other artifact in this world.”