1097——————==

Soul of the Evil God (Concept)

“You can resurrect both Heuk Woong and Seo Mun-hye with a command?” I asked Cheon Woo-jin.

“So you mean you can release the seal while keeping Seo Mun-hye from being consumed by the god’s bloodline?”

“That’s right.”

“How?”

“It’s simple. First, use [Name] to form the command, resurrect Heuk Woong, and then use the powerful wave generated during his resurrection to bestow Spirit Power onto Seo Mun-hye.”

“…Spirit Power?”

My eyes widened at this unexpected theory, and Cheon Woo-jin responded.

“Baek Woong, do you know what kind of god’s power flows through Seo Mun-hye’s bloodline?”

“It’s from the Giant Race. So it must be from the Yan Emperor Shennong among the Three Sovereigns.”

“That’s correct. Therefore, we aim for harmony between Yin and Yang with Jeon Wook’s power. The power of the Giant Race has such a high dimension that its elemental properties are almost meaningless, but still, Yan Emperor Shennong is close to Yang, and the Spirit Power you wield is Yin.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued while fiddling with the ice wall.

“You’re harmonizing the powers of the Sun and Moon within her. If successful, Seo Mun-hye won’t need to worry about being divinized due to the call of her ancestors anymore. The harmonized power will block the [Calling].”

“Hmm, that sounds great.”

I understood the process he described. Nodding my head, I suddenly asked Cheon Woo-jin.

“So how do I create the command with [Name]?”

“Wasn’t that serpent’s name [Saitan]? I’ve heard that name somewhere…”

Cheon Woo-jin muttered as if in a trance.

“Now that I sense the spiritual source of that name, it curiously holds the energy of the planet Saturn. Names related to Saturn are exceedingly rare.”

“Saturn, huh? Can I do something with Tydaht then?”

“No, not at all. Just because it has ‘Earth’ in it doesn’t mean it’s related, you simpleton.”

“…….”

“Besides, Tydaht is not Saturn but an Element.”

As I scratched my head awkwardly from his scolding, Cheon Woo-jin thought for a moment and said.

“I’m starting to get a sense of things. I’ll create a command suitable for [Saitan].”

“If I memorize that command, can I resurrect Heuk Woong?”

“Yes. Just wait a moment.”

Cheon Woo-jin sat down and seemed to write something with pencil and paper. After concentrating for a while, he put the pencil down and said.

“All done. Let’s call this [Command of Saitan]. Just memorize this.”

“Awesome.”

Right then, I began to slowly read the command that Cheon Woo-jin had written. The command had over 220 characters, and it seemed like a drastically shortened form of the original 1499-character document. Because it was shorter, it didn’t take long to finish reading, and just as I completed the first recitation—

Wooong!!

Suddenly, I felt the Spirit Power from within being gradually sucked into a point inside me. It wasn’t a sudden absorption; it felt like being slowly pulled into a sandy hell, spiraling inward. When I expressed my surprise and shared this feeling with Cheon Woo-jin, he replied.

“The power that was previously uncontrollable and chaotic now has a center thanks to the command. The more power gathers at that center, the easier it becomes to resurrect Heuk Woong.”

“Oh, so I need to memorize this command of Saitan a lot! I’ll stay up all night and recite it a thousand times….”

“Wait a moment.”

Just as I tried to focus on reciting the command, Cheon Woo-jin stopped me abruptly. Looking at him, I saw he wore a serious expression as he warned me.

“Be aware. The spell I gave you before for Heuk Woong’s training was a command from the Divine Age, but its connection to the subject has been lost, so it was relatively safe. However, the [Command of Saitan] you’ve gained now is many times more powerful, but the subject [Saitan] definitely exists.”

“So what? What’s the problem with having a subject?”

“It’s dangerous. Reciting a name command to gain power is akin to making a contract where you give your soul and body to the name’s owner. Fortunately, since you’ve stolen the name itself, you’ve become the owner, which mitigates the risk somewhat, but you still need to practice with caution.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued, his finger pressing the center of his forehead.

“As your recitation deepens, the essence behind the name [Saitan] will affect your Upper Dantian. Your personality or Qi could be devoured by Saitan, so don’t just recite thoughtlessly; strive to protect your own character.”

“Hmm…. I get what you’re saying.”

I resolved to heed Cheon Woo-jin’s warning.

‘This means the recitation has become more challenging.’

With that thought, I focused my mind once again and started reciting the command. Articulating clearly and steadily, I felt my Spirit Power concentrating, and I gradually sensed a powerful control spreading through my limbs.

Wooow

The objectification of power was happening much easier and faster than when I recited the original document a thousand times before. Just on the achievement of my training, it felt at least ten times faster.

‘If it keeps up like this, I could resurrect Heuk Woong in just a month!’

No, if I immerse myself day and night again, I could potentially do it in ten days!

Feeling the thrill of training, I couldn’t help but grin, but at that moment, a bizarre vision appeared in my mind.

[Oh, God. Wasn’t I created for the judgment of the ideal world?]

Someone, spreading their giant wings, cried out. For some reason, I knew this location was Mount Zion, and the being appeared to be kneeling at the highest point of Mount Zion.

Eventually, that being muttered.

[If there exists a revelation and end of the King of Kings… then I, the King of Angels Saitan, shall no longer be the judge or the ender!]

After a brief silence, the one self-proclaiming as Saitan flapped his wings and ascended into the sky.

[In this moment, I shall depart from the arms of the gods!]

An infinitely noble and sublime angel, yet with a monstrous form emanating a benevolent aura.

[Oh God, if there is no hope in this world, I shall seek the true King of the Kings from the outer universe! That being must truly be the king among kings, right? If this world is destined for destruction, then good and evil will no longer be needed!]

Paat

W-what was that just now?

“Focus your mind!”

I was momentarily disoriented by the sudden vision, but Cheon Woo-jin cast a spell that quelled the Spirit Power rampaging within me. Once I regained my composure, Cheon Woo-jin heard everything that had just happened and let out a short sigh.

“As expected. The original owner of that [Name] was so powerful that their memory is backflowing into you.”

“What? Because I obtained that [Name], the memory is backflowing? Is that even possible?”

“The name is essence. No matter how much you steal it, the essence inscribed in the name does not vanish. In a sense, even if the physical body perishes, as long as the name remains, it can’t be said to be completely lost. The causality of that [Name] is one of the most insidious in this world.”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned as he spoke.

“I really wonder if it had to come to this. It’s indeed a shortcut to retrieve Heuk Woong, but isn’t this method too extreme?”

“Forget it. Once I start, I’ll see it through.”

I grinned.

“Do you think I could have come this far just to be consumed by some punk?”

“…You are endlessly positive.”

It looked like Cheon Woo-jin had no choice but to stay beside me and watch over my recitation training.

I spent the next seven days and nights reciting the command a thousand times. I didn’t do it half-heartedly; each character required deep concentration as I occasionally had to focus to stave off the mental contamination from Saitan’s memories that would flood in, so the mental fatigue was no joke.

As memories flowed in, I gradually realized that the being once called [Serpent] was originally an angel from a different world who had plunged into the outer universe out of despair over the end and shortcomings of the gods. Additionally, Saitan had become this serpentine form during his long wanderings in the outer universe, eventually encountering Chi You.

‘Something feels off.’

According to the memories, Saitan didn’t directly meet Chi You. In fact, he had originally been wandering the outer universe and became Chi You’s subordinate through a contract mediated by [Someone].

But Saitan himself didn’t even know who that [Someone] was. He only recognized that they were an immensely great being and assumed that being had the [ability to freely traverse the outer universe]. It might be that for someone of Saitan’s caliber, even recognizing that existence would be a challenge.

While I pondered that, I continued reciting Saitan’s command, immersing myself in Hell Training. Before I knew it, all my concentration had reached a peak, allowing me to train while wholly forgetting exhaustion.

On the twentieth night.

I finally felt a dark glow about to burst forth from my forehead, just as it had when Heuk Woong first emerged.

‘It took a while…. Has my Spirit Power grown incredible?’

Kugugu—

My forehead tickled. It felt like the dark glow could burst forth at any moment, but it didn’t. The itching was so maddening I felt like I could die just from wanting to scratch my forehead. Observing my plight, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“That’s strange. The control from the command has developed enough to create Heuk Woong, so why hasn’t he appeared yet?”

“Ca… Can I scratch my forehead?”

“No. If you do, the Spirit Power will explode out and your 29th life will begin.”

“…….”

I definitely didn’t want that.

Cheon Woo-jin continued to observe but seemed puzzled as he crossed his arms.

“I too don’t know the reason….”

Then it happened.

[Master… Oh King….]

“Heuk Woong!”

Suddenly, Heuk Woong’s apparition appeared before me. It was the first time since I felt a brief awakening while awakening Xuyou. Heuk Woong materialized more clearly than before, trembling as he spoke in a stuttering voice.

[Saitan’s command…. The range of control is… only the original Spirit Power… But… the Spirit Power has expanded beyond the original… and… has harmonized with the power of Amaterasu….]

“Harmonized?”

[You must also control the power of Amaterasu….]

“How do I control it?”

[Draw out the hidden divine power….]

Whoosh

Heuk Woong vanished again.

Once Cheon Woo-jin heard about my experience, he said.

“It seems the actual divine power latent within you is much more substantial than the Spirit Power you can currently feel….”

“What? You’re saying what’s under control isn’t all there is?”

“Exactly. It’s as if the tip of an iceberg. You’ve already put several times the Spirit Power from before under control using Saitan’s command, yet that capacity is merely the surface display. There’s more latent divine power existing deep within your Upper Dantian and inner region, which is why Heuk Woong is refusing to manifest.”

“He’s refusing to manifest? Why?”

“Manifestation involves the objectification of power. In other words, Heuk Woong’s strength is proportional to the range of power you’ve defined.”

Cheon Woo-jin crossed his arms.

“Since you haven’t released all that power yet, manifesting with just the surface power would lead Heuk Woong to conclude that his own strength is lacking.”

“Hmm….”

It felt kind of daunting. Just the Spirit Power under control through the command felt several times more than in previous iterations, and yet there’s even more hidden divine power inside?

As I pondered, Cheon Woo-jin added.

“This won’t resolve itself right away.”

“Is there no solution?”

“Only consistent training. Regardless, it’s a fact that your control has increased each time you practice using Saitan’s command, and when your control reaches its peak, another change will occur.”

“…….”

“Think positively. If the day comes when you complete Heuk Woong, you might step into uncharted territory.”

“Even if you say that, it doesn’t reduce the amount of training I have to do.”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned.

“…What are you saying? Were you really trying to slack off?”

I think I got found out….

“…….”

“…….”

So it’s not enlightenment but gradual improvement, huh?

‘Well, I can’t help it! Training may be a hassle, but I have no choice.’

I felt a pang of regret, but despite that, I also felt a sense of hope different from before. I had been despondent, feeling there was no way to wield Spirit Power, and now I saw a path!

At that moment.

“Cheon Woo-jin. Is the conversation over?”

“Oh, that’s—”

Sa Gong-rin walked into the room. The moment she did, Cheon Woo-jin shot me a fiercely disapproving look, and I initially didn’t understand the meaning behind it.

“Huh? Why are you glaring at me… Ah!!”

I quickly comprehended the hidden meaning in Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes and rushed to Sa Gong-rin.

“Sa Gong-rin! Cheon Woo-jin worked incredibly hard this time!”

“That’s true.”

“So, can we give him a year’s paid leave?”

“…….”

Sa Gong-rin stared blankly at me before turning her head toward Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin, even though I didn’t grant leave, didn’t I take care of his remote work and employee benefits without fail?”

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly shouted as if he had lost it.

“I don’t care! I just want a leave! A vacation!!”

“Sigh… How sad. There’s no one in this empire quite like you.”

“No, just give me a break…!!”

“Hmmm… um…”

Sa Gong-rin seemed to deeply contemplate before finally letting out a resigned sigh.

“Alright, you may go.”

“Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha!! A year of paid leave!!”

Boom

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin burst into laughter and vanished. He had taken his paid leave.

I looked at the spot he had just occupied and murmured.

“A whole year off… Tch.”

“There’s nothing to be done. Times have changed, and now it’s hard to make them work just out of passion. Still, Cheon Woo-jin followed along fine, but for your sake, Baek Woong, it’s unavoidable.”

“Back in my day, there was no such thing as leave.”

For some reason, seeing Cheon Woo-jin take a vacation made me feel unnecessarily spiteful. Even without any work, I wanted to call him back for more.

I wonder why?

I didn’t want to see Cheon Woo-jin resting.

‘Eh, I’m probably just being spiteful.’

Scratching my head, I turned to Sa Gong-rin.

“Did you catch the Great Dragon? I haven’t heard anything while focusing on my training.”

“I’m just back. Unfortunately, the Great Dragon escaped to a distant dimension, so it was a failure.”

“Wasn’t there a way to chase further?”

“I stopped because I was afraid the High-level Otherworldly Race would try to drive me out of the real world if I pursued it further.”

Oh, right. Sa Gong-rin was a Heavenly Demon.

The one all otherworldly beings and demons fear and regard with caution….

I looked at Sa Gong-rin with newfound recognition and asked.

“So is the reason you came here because you want to fulfill my wish?”

“No. It could work that way, but I think there will always be regret until your training is complete.”

“…….”

“You can come whenever you’re ready.”

“Alright.”

I felt as though she had read my intentions here. Indeed, before Heuk Woong manifested, I had been trying to refrain from challenging Sa Gong-rin.

“I came here because there’s something I need to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Abe no Seimei from Dongyoung urgently called for you. You need to go to Aokigahara Life Sea immediately.”

“Seimei? What does that guy want with me?”

Sa Gong-rin looked at me seriously, then said something unexpected.

“He will die today. He wants to leave you a last will.”

Boom!!

I hurriedly used Golden Lamp to go to Aokigahara Life Sea, the territory of the Yin-Yang Master Clan. Climbing up to the tree house where Seimei was, he lay on the bed with the same androgynous silver hair as before.

“You’ve come… Baek Woong….”

“…….”

I couldn’t say a word upon seeing Seimei’s arms. One was almost like a dried reed, bare and thin. It was better to say he had no arm at all.

Seimei’s eyes were darkened underneath. At a loss for words, I finally managed to ask after a while.

“What happened to you? Why do you say you’re dying today?”

“Just as I said. I will die today.”

“Are you going to commit suicide? Damn… don’t say weird things.”

I spoke bluntly, but Seimei chuckled softly before saying,

“No, I put my life on the line as collateral to prevent the expansion of Aokigahara Life Sea from the start. And today is the day for that collateral to be collected, so I must die.”

“What….”

“I’ve been holding it back well until now, using my lifespan as offering, but the limit has come.”

So, that was how he was preventing the expansion of this Life Sea?

Lying on the bed, Seimei spoke to me.

“When I die, my soul will be absorbed into the barrier preventing the Life Sea, strengthening it. Either way, it’s for the best; you won’t witness the end.”

“Why are you speaking so calmly? Dying is a terrifying thing.”

“Hehe, heheh. To hear that from a Reborn Person….”

Seimei laughed softly before continuing.

“I have something I wish to say before I die.”

“Go ahead.”

At his next words, I opened my eyes wide.

“Baek Woong, before I die, take all the divine power of Amaterasu that I possess….”