1143——————==

Soul of the Evil God

To control the powerful fighting spirit example crafted from Jeokgok’s perspective, the weak point known as the Peach Tree Club… Naturally, if one were to store that Peach Tree Club, it would belong in Jeokgok’s treasure vault. And I knew that vault was in the heart of Jeokgok’s palace, the Banwang Hall, and I had even been there before.

I spoke to Asura.

“Aida mentioned that Banwang Hall on the moon fell and that the bees turned into the Reptilians’ slaves, right?”

“That’s right.”

I pulled out the Golden Lamp and said to Asura, “Then it’s utterly desolate. Can I just walk right in?”

“Even so, you can’t just enter Banwang Hall directly. Although Jeokgok has vanished, it’s uncertain if you can breach the barrier of Banwang Hall with just the Golden Lamp. You might end up getting stuck in a dimensional barrier and disintegrating.”

“Hmm, then I guess I need to move close to Banwang Hall first…”

“Safe travels.”

Clap!

I traveled to the vicinity of the moon’s Banwang Hall using the Golden Lamp. The first time I transitioned there, I’d relied on the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, and the second time I had the Demon Beast’s help, so this was my first time using the Golden Lamp. However, it’s quite discomforting to summon a Demon Beast now, and it seemed better to use the Golden Lamp comfortably.

“Whew.”

This feels unbearable.

‘There’s no air…’

As soon as I arrived on the moon, I felt something was off because there was no air. When I’d come here previously, I had the Corpse Dissolution Technique to grant absolute survival, and then I had encountered breathable air like on Earth. But why was the air so sparse this time, making it hard to breathe?

‘Wait… is it normal for there to be no air?’

Something feels off… What exactly is wrong with this fact…

Ah, I don’t know.

Anyway, it’s not my style to die of asphyxiation, so I began managing my body with the breathing techniques from the Thunder God Lineage, which allows me to stay active even in a coma state. At the same time, I summoned the Protection Energy Technique to keep my Qi spread out, making it a bit more bearable. Still, I couldn’t last long, so I felt anxious.

‘Oh, right!’

I had a useful treasure I could use in this situation!

Whir!

I immediately equipped the Yellow Dragon Demon God. The moment I put on the mask of the Yellow Dragon Demon God, I could feel the air coming in naturally without needing to use the breathing technique. With the worry of breathing alleviated, my body felt significantly lighter.

Swish!

With the absence of air, it was eerily quiet. Since I’d come as close as I remembered to Banwang Hall, I soon spotted a place that seemed like Banwang Hall. A city of strange forms, not made by man, filled my vision. I knew that in that area, the bee human races lived as Jeokgok’s slave races.

Even as I approached the city, I couldn’t sense any guards. They might be hiding, so I used my Qi to detect the surrounding beings and confirmed that there was absolutely nothing after checking a hundred times. Even as I stepped through the city gates, I found nothing, which puzzled me.

What’s this?

Upon closer observation, in the city’s center, a massive building that could be called the entrance to Banwang Hall had the bee humans gathered. Rather than simply gathering, they were energetically planting something there, which looked like flowers. I had seen the bee humans plucking those flowers before, and watching them do the same thing piqued my curiosity.

‘Didn’t they say those guys became slaves of extraterrestrials? Then why are they busy gathering nectar?’

The atmosphere was odd. I felt the need to observe more closely.

Fwoosh!

A moment later, a soft glow began to waft out from the deeply planted alien flowers like smoke. I could see the misty light slowly seeping into the palace of Jeokgok.

‘Could it be supplying the spirit energy necessary for palace maintenance?’

I decided to keep an eye on the situation for a while.

‘From my memory, the Apostle, Shabi God, used to patrol around here. If the bee humans were still alive, then Shabi God must have been hovering around keeping watch.’

I hid behind a nearby building, stalling my breathing and Qi, to observe the palace.

‘It seems that when Jeokgok died, the Apostle Shabi God also perished… but if the bee humans are still around, I can’t be sure. They might still be alive, so I have to move carefully.’

I waited patiently. After about two time references, the gathered bee humans finished planting the flowers and began to disperse, leaving the plaza empty. Until then, Shabi God hadn’t shown up at all, so I decided to make my move.

‘Guess that means they’re dead after all. Should I check it out!’

Whir!

Some might say it’s impulsive, but after waiting two time references, I figured I had endured long enough. I felt a growing certainty that Shabi God wasn’t monitoring around here, so I thought now was my chance. I leapt forward and penetrated deep inside the palace.

Woooooh

I realized I reached the enormous royal court just like before. This was indeed Banwang Hall. And despite my unannounced entrance, there was no sign of anyone trying to block me, nor any human presence. However, I remained cautious, concealing my presence, stealthily moving between the columns.

Crash!

‘Hmm… it seems really empty… oh wait, is that not so?’

I was startled to see a large shadow pulsing in the distance at the center of the royal court. The shape of that shadow drew closer, and behind the flickering light, I sensed something floating, wandering around.

Swish!

It had a human face and dog ears, combined with a body of an unknown beast!

‘Shabi God!’

Even after Jeokgok’s demise, that thing is still intact?

‘What the heck!? I thought Banwang Hall was completely destroyed, but there’s Shabi God and Banwang Hall looks fine… what in the world is going on?’

This was different from the intelligence I had!

Seeing Shabi God unexpectedly appear, I quickly thought to conceal myself as best as I could. Shabi God turned his back to the light and hollered.

[The scent of a mortal lingers. Which scurrying rat has intruded?]

As I remained in place, Shabi God perked up his dog ears and shouted again.

[Die!]

Thud!

In that moment, my heart sank, and I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body. I could feel my energy dimming and the despair of death looming closer. When I realized what was happening, I widened my eyes.

‘It’s the Word Spirit!’

The death command that eliminates mortals! It seems it can cast without a specific target, just in the area. With my heart racing as if it would leap out of my chest and the pressure overwhelming me, I felt my body deteriorating in real-time.

‘Ugh… so strong…’

Just as I was about to meet my end under Shabi God’s command, a sound suddenly emitted from the Yellow Dragon Demon God’s helmet.

[Converting the user’s power to Divine Resistance.]

Vvvvrrr!

Suddenly, it became easier to breathe, and I felt my heart returning to normal as the swelling subsided. Thanks to that, I was able to conceal my presence once more and barely maintained my stealth. As I sought around, Shabi God strolled while muttering.

[So it was a right little rat….]

Could it be that he didn’t think a mortal could endure his word spirit? Shabi God flew off somewhere, and I hid in the dark of the vast palace, slowly exhaling.

“Phew… phew…”

I got hit by an Apostle’s word spirit, and yet I’m still alive? I thought I had no chance against that. How in the world…?

I fiddled with the helmet of the Yellow Dragon Demon God and mused.

“Was that you?”

No answer came. But somehow it felt like the hidden functions of the Yellow Dragon Demon God had just saved me. I felt a sense of gratitude blooming inside while keeping a watchful eye on Shabi God’s movements as I delved further into the palace.

‘Following the memory…’

The last time I had visited, when seated on Jeokgok’s throne, the Five-Color Bird had appeared to inform me of the location of the treasure vault. Tracing back those memories…

[The end has come, yet here you are alive… And to break the seal of the Ten Suns while seated upon the throne, you’re no ordinary being.]

[In the place where blue light crosses three times, follow the yellow light. There, you shall find all the treasures collected by Jeokgok.]

The activation of spirit sensing when I casually sat on Jeokgok’s throne had released the seal of the Ten Suns and summoned the Five-Color Bird at once. However, since I didn’t need that this time, I jumped up, recalling the blue light crossing three times, and began sprinting towards that location.

Whirr!

I arrived at the inner room of the palace, where the treasure vault was located, and kicked the door open. However, it wouldn’t budge due to an intimidating pressure, leaving me panicked.

“Ugh?!”

What the heck? If Jeokgok has vanished, shouldn’t this be open? Why won’t it budge?

I hadn’t anticipated that the treasure vault door wouldn’t open, and I found myself in a huge panic. Just then, a mechanical voice echoed from inside the helmet of the Yellow Dragon Demon God.

[Level 12 Divine Seal detected. Alert signal’s emission blocked.]

“……!!”

[Would you like to attempt hacking?]

“W-What do you mean? Are you speaking to me now?”

[Would you like to attempt hacking?]

“……”

It seems like this artificial treasure, the Yellow Dragon Demon God, has a will of its own. I didn’t really understand, but nodded nonetheless.

“Go for it.”

[By the user’s permission, converting power to Divine Hacking.]

Shhhh—

Simultaneously, I felt the divine energy within my body being drawn toward the Yellow Dragon Demon God’s solid armor. I realized that this entity could sense divine energy and manipulate it freely, and soon enough, the yellow armor glimmered with a fierce golden light.

ZZZING!

A hand glowing with golden light made direct contact with the door, and the golden energy spread like veins through the massive door panel. As the golden power flowed in with a sizzling sound, moments later, the Yellow Dragon Demon God’s helmet emitted a mechanical sound.

[Hacking completed. Restoring Divine Power is not possible.]

Whirring—

Clank!

As soon as that statement ended, the treasure vault door swung wide open. Clearly, the Divine Hacking must have succeeded, allowing the door to open. I was thoroughly shocked.

“……!!”

Is this even possible?!

Suddenly, the words of Sagong Lin from earlier popped into my head.

[In fact, the core of the Yellow Dragon Demon God has the supreme technology of Atlantis embedded within it. It was the core once located in the innermost section of the Governor’s Office, where the Heart of the Governor was kept. So researchers from the homeland are puzzled about what potential it truly holds.]

[For some reason, I think you might be able to draw out the potential of the Yellow Dragon Demon God….]

Could it be that the potential of the Yellow Dragon Demon God is manifesting now, and the power of the Atlantis core is being realized? Intrigued, I stepped into the treasure vault and gazed at the heaps of treasures stacked high, allowing myself a satisfied smile.

“Well, what does it matter? I got it open.”

Jeokgok’s treasure vault was overflowing with piles of gold and silver treasures, resembling a horizon of wealth. If it were before, I would have used the Palace Examination Technique to differentiate and take the top-tier treasures from among them, but now, without the National Seal, I found myself in quite a predicament.

‘Hmm. Should I try the Fire Eye Golden Spirit once…?’

Fwoosh!

As my eyes ignited with fire, the Fire Eye Golden Spirit activated, but unfortunately, I couldn’t discern the energy as precisely as with the Palace Examination Technique. Perhaps it wasn’t intended for that purpose—while I could sense a few standout treasures, accurately identifying them in detail seemed impossible.

‘Dang. It’s barely visible. It’s hard to use for gathering things.’

For now, I began pilfering the valuable treasures I detected with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, exploring the depths of the treasure vault.

‘I need to find that Peach Tree Club, where could it be?’

I had to locate a club made of peach wood. I carefully wandered through the wealth of treasures, but among all these countless treasures, I couldn’t find anything resembling it. I spent nearly half a reference time wandering through the expansive treasure vault without uncovering anything and finally plopped down in frustration.

“Crap… I can’t just stuff all of this in the Wooden Armor either.”

No matter how vast the internal space of the Wooden Armor is, there’s no way I can fit this volume. I could very well end up taking everything except for the Peach Tree Club. I snagged a few things that looked valuable, but many of the gold and silver treasures appeared somewhat worthless, making it hard to sweep them all up.

If I’d known, I should have researched more about that Peach Tree Club before coming here. As I was regretting my hasty choice…

Wiiiii!

‘What’s that sound?”

Danger!

I hurriedly used a technique from the Secret Techniques, the Wall Climbing skill, one of the Gecko Techniques, to scramble up atop one of the large columns in the treasure vault. The column was large enough and wide enough to hide, making it a better hiding place than among the treasure. A moment later, something leapt into the treasure vault.

It was a dog. This massive dog radiating a plethora of vibrant colors—and it was huge, stretching a measurement of one palm in size, exuding intense spirit energy that seemed almost on par with Shabi God.

Following right after, Shabi God entered with a startled look on his face and exclaimed.

[This is unbelievable… the treasure vault door has been opened? Banho, how did you know?]

[Woof!]

As Banho barked, Shabi God seemed to understand something.

[Alright… Find the scent of the thief! Let’s catch and kill them together!]

[Bark!]

Banho began sniffing the ground, and I watched as Shabi God fluttered his wings, hovering around.

……!!

Yikes! What the heck is that dog?!

I had never seen the likes of it before when I came here!

Could it also be one of Jeokgok’s Apostles?

In any case, I realized I would be dead if things kept going like this and felt my body tense up with panic. I recognized that there wasn’t really an avenue to escape this predicament. The woefully inadequate illusion technique I knew wouldn’t fool such powerful Apostles, and attempting to hide with the techniques I commonly used wouldn’t work. Generally, my stealth methods only worked on mere humans, but those high-level beings would definitely see right through them.

…Should I frontline attack?

No, I can’t. Just one of those Apostles, Shabi God, would be a life-threatening fight, and that dog Banho looks fierce too. If I fought, I would surely perish. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I clung to the pillar until a different thought struck me.

‘That’s it…!!’

I’ve never tried this in such a situation before, but I’ll just go for it!

I concentrated and initiated the Secret Technique.

Technique of All Things

Secret Technique

Thousand Face Transformation!

Fwhoosh!

Normally, Thousand Face Transformation could only transform into a ‘human’. However, having used that technique learned from the Divine Thief for so long, I had a hunch I could disregard that limitation to some degree. It probably had to do with the proficiency gained through years of practicing the techniques learned from the Divine Thief.

It was precisely, to blend the Thousand Face Transformation with the technique of a singular transformation.

With the power of transformation, I thought I could shift even into an Otherworldly Race!

Swish!

I felt my body changing in real-time. I had never seen her ‘mask’, but I had met her once. Drawing on that brief encounter’s memory, I visualized her mask, channeling it through the transformation technique!

…Success!

Buzz!

I swooped down from the skies, landing right in front of the two Apostles. They simultaneously turned to face me, and I suppressed my emotions as much as I could before speaking to them.

[What brings you here?]

The moment I said that, I felt a nervous shiver, anticipating an attack. If the first strike landed squarely, my only escape plan would be to unleash the Heavenly Destruction Step without looking back.

However, they did not attack me and bowed their heads politely.

[Your Majesty… We believed an intruder had entered.]

[An intruder?]

[Banho picked up a scent.]

[There is no intruder. I simply came to seek out some treasure.]

[Ah, I see…]

Shabi God spoke, displaying the utmost respect as he kept his head lowered.

[Well, given the disappearance of Jeokgok, it seems that only the Five-Color Bird can freely enter the treasure vault now… This was our error, so do not worry too much about it.]

Right.

I had transformed into the Five-Color Bird, Jeokgok’s queen! Given that the Five-Color Bird holds a higher status in this palace next to Jeokgok, it seemed my hunch about escaping worked perfectly.

‘Ugh, my entire body feels tight…!! I’m gonna burst!’

The pressure I felt was unprecedented compared to when I transformed into a human. Transforming into a human allowed for several time references, but this transformation into the Five-Color Bird felt unbearable even after just a fraction of a reference. I shuddered as the tightness gripped my entire being, but knowing that if I broke free I would truly be done for, I ground my teeth and spoke.

[The mood has soured. I shall take my leave.]

[Please see yourself out….]

I slowly began flapping the wings of the Five-Color Bird, preparing to exit the treasure vault. But right as I moved to leave, Banho, the dog, started to follow me, stirring my sense of anxiety.

[Banho. What is it?]

Then Shabi God next to me chimed in.

[Banho is your Majesty’s pet, yes? Please allow him to accompany you….]

[……]

Oh no… so that’s how it is.

I felt like I could turn into a puddle at any moment, as the dread gripped every part of me, but I forced myself to remain calm.

[Shabi God. Then bring the Peach Tree Club at once. I have actually come to retrieve that.]

[What? What do you mean….]

[It reminded me of the disrespect that your descendant showed me previously. Just in case I encounter him again, I need the Peach Tree Club on hand.]

[Understood. I shall fetch it immediately.]

Whir!

Shabi God immediately vanished from sight with a space transition. I sighed a breath of relief for having shed a troublesome presence and spoke to Banho.

[You should go back to your place now….]

But then I sensed something odd in the atmosphere.

[Growwwl!]

The sniffing Banho suddenly began to glow in a blood-red hue and started growling, his vibrant fur bristling as his body expanded, transforming into a massive magical beast roughly three times my size. The now enormous Banho was on the verge of attacking me, and I felt the tension mount.

[What’s wrong? I’m the Five-Color Bird….]

[No, you’re not.]

A voice echoed from behind.

As I turned around, drifting in from the hallway, I saw a being with dazzling, multicolored wings fluttering in my direction. And upon fully revealing herself, she spoke in a cold voice.

[Who are you, the shapeshifter? To deceive Shabi God by transforming into me…. Are you a servant of another deity?]

[……]

Oh no, it’s the authentic Jeokgok’s queen, the Five-Color Bird!

‘This is bad.’

In that moment, I realized that my Thousand Face Transformation had hit its limit. I had no choice but to revert back to my original form.

Pop!

Once I reverted, the genuine Five-Color Bird gazed at me with glaring eyes.

[You’re a human! How can a mere human use such a transformation technique?]

Recognizing the predicament, I addressed the Five-Color Bird.

“Your Majesty! I am Baek Woong.”

[Oh? I’ve heard that name. Aren’t you the mortal emperor who battled the Sea God?]

“……”

Crap! Did I just reveal my name for no reason?

My name turned out to be more famous than I thought…

“I came to borrow the Peach Tree Club, please just let me see it once! Without it, I cannot capture your descendant.”

[How ridiculous. A thief you are…. You’re still thinking of fleeing even now!]

Yikes… guess I’m caught….

I gritted my teeth and spoke to the Five-Color Bird.

“If you lend me the Peach Tree Club, would you accept this in return?”

I quickly pulled an item from within my robe and tossed it. The Five-Color Bird caught the item, inspecting it carefully before speaking.

[This is a divine artifact capable of distorting the fate of death. Where did you acquire it?]

“…It’s called the Heart of the Governor. Wouldn’t that be enough to borrow the Peach Tree Club?”

An Atlantis relic that distorts the fate of death, granting the user one chance of survival.

It felt a bit wasteful to use it here, but I understood that pulling off an escape with Heavenly Destruction Step would be a monumental blunder for a thief. It was closer to my instinct as a thief. So I decided to strike a deal with the Five-Color Bird, at least on the surface.

The Five-Color Bird examined the Heart of the Governor and then spoke.

[That’s a fine deal. Then inscribe your name on this loan contract.]

“Understood.”

[The deadline is the moment you defeat your descendant. If you break this contract, you shall die and become our slave, suffering torment for eternity.]

“…Understood.”

[Then you may leave.]

I looked at the Five-Color Bird and asked, “Are you truly letting me go? Wouldn’t it be simple for you to imprison me…?”

[It’s not as simple as you think. I’d rather lend it than fight with a thief like you.]

I instinctively felt like she had also caught onto the existence of the Heavenly Destruction Step. After all, the Five-Color Bird would also be a formidable divine being.

[Great thief! You must keep your promise….]

Leading Banho, the Five-Color Bird gradually vanished into the darkness.

Once the Five-Color Bird disappeared, I stood there, staring blankly for a moment before heading outside. Upon exiting, I found Shabi God glaring at me with furious eyes, growling in a cold tone.

[You! Just because the queen allowed you to leave today, do not think I won’t kill you if we meet again!]

“……”

Crap! Have I just made an enemy of Shabi God?

I hastily fled the scene, returning to the earth.

When I brought the Peach Tree Club to Asura and revealed the memories, Asura remarked.

“You could’ve just escaped with the Heavenly Destruction Step; your chances of fleeing would’ve been 60%. Yet you opted for a trade.”

“Well… I thought it wouldn’t be the best choice.”

“That gut feeling is indeed precious. But anyway, you managed to get the Peach Tree Club, so well done.”

Asura casually replied.

“By the way, your thieving skills seem to have improved. Transforming into the Five-Color Bird is something even immortals cannot do.”

“Damn. It feels like my body is going to break apart.”

“Hehe… you’re beginning to resemble the Divine Thief more and more.”

“Don’t jinx me…”

“Ha ha.”

Asura laughed and continued.

“Alright, now that we got the Peach Tree Club, we need to find another weakness.”

“Another weakness?”

At my query, Asura’s eyes lit up.

“The Moon Palace Amphora. We need to find its location. This is an even greater weakness than the Peach Tree Club, so if we find this, we’ll definitely be able to take down your descendant.”