As I shouted, Nyarlathotep wore a strange smile.

“That does sound fun, but right now, teasing this guy seems a bit more entertaining. Hehe… it’s far more thrilling to topple someone from a higher position.”

“…?”

“Now then. Do your best to amuse me…”

At those words, I suddenly grasped that this was a rare opportunity. For some reason, I felt that Nyarlathotep wanted to mess with the Emperor, not me.

Proof of this was Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, who had merely been folding his arms and keeping silent all this time. If they were both ganging up on me, someone of the Emperor’s stature wouldn’t have that kind of reaction.

At the same time, a quick thought crossed my mind.

Can I really win against the Emperor with my martial arts?

Logically, it seemed impossible. How could my skills compete against such a monster, a being that had torn apart masters wielding Divine Skill techniques with ease? Those legends had undergone 500 years of grueling training, and they had been slaughtered like sheep before the Heavenly Demon. If I went against the Heavenly Demon now, it’d be a miracle if I survived even a second.

But…

‘Still, it’s better than fighting the main body directly. There’s at least a glimmer of hope.’

That tiny edge of advantage.

With a shred of hope, I quickly asked Nyarlathotep,

“So does it mean that fighting only with martial arts means I can’t use any powers or magical abilities?”

“Oh? Are we confirming the rules now? Looks like you’re getting motivated.”

Nyarlathotep smiled joyfully and responded to my question.

“That’s exactly right. If you used any powers, even if you had ten thousand of you, you wouldn’t stand a chance against the Emperor. But in a duel, both of you cannot use your powers either. This means no Mythical Powers, Skills, Supernatural Abilities, Bloodline Abilities, Spirit Summons, Summoning Abilities, Concept Manipulation, Constellations, Magical Abilities, or Great Ritual Contracts. So feel relieved.”

He used a lot of complicated terms, but it seemed to boil down to I couldn’t use any mystical abilities.

“But martial arts techniques are acceptable, right?”

“Hehe… As long as they stem from your personal training and not a predefined offering, you’re good. Hehe…”

Nyarlathotep’s smile deepened, turning eerily close to a calm maniacal grin. I had no clue why he found such joy in this but pressed on with my questions.

“One more thing. Is the Emperor participating in his true form or through a proxy?”

“Oh? So you’re pointing out that if I send out the Heavenly Demon, Sagong Lin won’t be able to utilize her human form’s martial arts?”

“……”

Didn’t think of that!

Though I hadn’t considered it, I wasn’t about to back down. I nodded hastily.

“Y-yeah! What are we gonna do?”

“That’s up to the Emperor. As long as it doesn’t break the First Rule, either option is fine. Adjusting the spirit’s form to fit martial arts is acceptable.”

Having responded, Nyarlathotep spun around and grinned towards the Emperor.

“Got it?”

[……….]

Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen continued to fold his arms in silence, but eventually, he opened his mouth for the first time.

[Enough with the mockery.]

His voice carried intense anger and irritation, openly showing that Nyarlathotep’s previous comment had hit a nerve. While I felt a bit perplexed as to why the Emperor was angry, I got a gut feeling that what Nyarlathotep was doing wasn’t exactly harmful to me.

‘Well, if martial arts keep the Heavenly Demon at bay…’

With that thought settled, I continued,

“Just one more question…”

This time, Nyarlathotep burst out laughing.

“Just one? You can ask as many as you like until your aura is released! Hahaha…”

“……”

What’s up with this guy? He sounds way too carefree… is this even the right attitude to have?

Confused by Nyarlathotep, I calmed myself and pressed on with my questions.

“Given that Gong Sun Xuanwen is a god, bringing out the Heavenly Demon, what’s the deal with the Heavenly Demon being an immortal body? If he can’t be killed, how can there be a victor?”

“Hehe. That’s a rather anticipated question. If we go by that logic, you too, being the Wheel King, can’t be killed, so wouldn’t the same question apply?”

“Ah.”

Nyarlathotep made a graceful gesture like a court official as he continued,

“It’s a pretty foolish question, but I kindly offer you an answer. In this duel, all immortality is sealed. Of course, I believe this was already stated in the First Rule, but it appears you didn’t quite grasp that. Immortality is also a power, so during this duel, you both will experience the ordinary death of mere mortals.”

“Ah, I see…”

Now that I think about it, it did state that all powers would be sealed in the First Rule, so I shouldn’t have even needed to ask this.

I chided myself for not thinking it through while trying to wrap my head around this situation. Suddenly, an epiphany struck me.

‘Huh? Then whether I win or lose, isn’t it not that big of a loss for me?’

If by some miracle I win, that’d be fantastic, but realistically, the chances were against me in a battle against the Heavenly Demon. In the event that I lost, if immortality were sealed, wouldn’t I just reincarnate the moment I die? It would suck to see the Emperor ascend, but if it meant I could escape to the next life, that’s a win in my book!

With a sprightly expression, it seemed like Nyarlathotep could sense my eagerness.

“Of course, Reborn Person, your defeat and reincarnation are entirely separate matters. If you die, I won’t just reincarnate you right away, I’ll keep your soul stored. Losing must come with a sufficient risk to ensure you fight with all your heart.”

“Huh?! How is that even a rule? Can you even do that?!”

“Absolutely.”

Nyarlathotep flashed a smirk while pointing towards my chest. A moment later, with a heavy whoosh, the Heavenly Secret resonated and floated out from me, drawn by some elusive force. Nyarlathotep, looking at the floating Heavenly Secret, remarked,

“To a book, this isn’t a violation of rules. After all, I was included in the internal rules of the book, and I’ve done this sort of thing before.”

“……?!”

“Well, I might end up getting devoured by the book if I make a slip, but I wouldn’t pull something that stupid.”

Wh-what on earth? I was utterly flabbergasted.

“You… you know the identity of the Heavenly Secret! And you’ve met it before?!”

“Hehe… It feels like I’m dealing with a living being rather than a mere book. You’re not entirely wrong there.”

Nyarlathotep, still grinning, continued,

“Sorry, but I’m not the one to explain those rules to you. Rather, you should be the one getting someone to explain those rules to avoid me. Eventually, when you reach the limits of your journey, you’ll realize how foolish your questions were.”

“……?”

“Regardless, I’ll be returning the Heavenly Secret to you since I also find ‘the book’ frightening. What a burden… What on earth were you thinking when selecting this as a judge?”

As Nyarlathotep twirled his finger, the Heavenly Secret floated back into my chest. He concluded,

“Well, we’ve discussed various things, but in the end, all you have to do is win seriously. No matter if you win or lose, it’s in your interest, so I set up this penalty because I want you to take the duel seriously.”

“…Those two elements of you and ‘serious’ don’t exactly collide well together.”

I replied bluntly, and Nyarlathotep burst into joyous laughter.

“Hahaha! It’s all about having fun! It’s serious only when you want it to be, right?”

“Um….”

This guy is unpredictably hard to grasp. Even though I felt a creeping unease, I pondered if there’s anything else I needed to ask. Shortly after, something jumped to mind, leading me to question Nyarlathotep once more.

“One more. If I happen to win the duel and ascend, what will I gain?”

“I was wondering when you’d ask that. Looks like it’s time for some hope to sprout.”

“I mean, just in case….”

Nyarlathotep smiled widely in response.

“As a Reborn Person, what you’ll gain upon ascension is different from the Emperor’s. I anticipated you might not know this, but you will inherit a special privilege. While you might desire the same as the Emperor….”

“Special privilege?”

What in the world is that?

Nyarlathotep chuckled heartily.

“Yes. You will have a choice. What you’ll choose remains to be seen, but having the audacity to ask me this kind of question is funny indeed. Hehehe…”

“……?”

Why does he keep laughing like that…

I wasn’t in a great mood about this but felt I had asked all the questions I needed. So I said,

“Anyway, great. So when, where, and how is this duel happening?”

“Right now. In front of the throne. You two will be brawling your hearts out.”

“In front of the throne…?!”

Whoosh!

The moment he finished speaking, I found myself transported somewhere. A place shrouded in thick fog, where I couldn’t see even an inch ahead. In this mystical scene filled with divine smoke, I tried to sharpen my senses to detect my surroundings, but strangely, I couldn’t feel anything in this fog. It was as if I had entered a space where my senses couldn’t function at all.

After a short while, a voice echoed all around me.

[Make your way to the throne. My gaze is distracted so I cannot guide you further.]

That gaze…?

It was an incomprehensible message, but one thing was clear: I had to navigate through this fog to reach the duel location against the Emperor. Although I couldn’t see a thing in this obscurity, strangely, I felt my footsteps moving naturally as if I was adapting to this fog.

‘How peculiar.’

Why does this fog feel so familiar? I feel as if I’m striding effortlessly…

After walking about a hundred steps, the fog started to thin, and I could see a bit more clearly. I could barely make out a hint of the fighting area. Now that I had a clearer view, I began to pick up the pace.

Step, step.

As I walked, thoughts buzzed through my mind.

‘I probably can’t win. I probably can’t win, but…’

It was hard to gauge how long I could hold out against the Heavenly Demon. It felt certain that a second would be my limit, but if I tried my hardest to hold on, maybe I could last long enough to land some strikes. Even though defeat seemed unavoidable, I pondered why I was stepping into this duel at all.

Then, suddenly, I realized I felt somewhat relieved.

At least I could end my life using my martial arts.

Isn’t that a fitting end for a martial artist?

Even though it’d be sad to end with a loss, it feels better than being crushed under an overwhelming cosmic despair, completely clueless.

I steeled my resolve.

‘I’ll last at least three seconds before dying.’

If I were to ultimately lose and fade forever, I wouldn’t be able to face my companions if I didn’t at least manage to endure three seconds. Even if it’s embarrassing, I’m determined to stretch it to three seconds. That way, I’d have something to say to my companions.

As I was lost in thought, someone suddenly appeared ahead of me. Startled, I locked eyes with the person, who was cloaked in dark fabric from head to toe and opened their mouth with a gloomy tone.

[Who are you to have come here, where the Guardian stands watch?]

Guardian?

I didn’t avoid their gaze and stared back defiantly as I replied,

“I’m Baek Woong. I’ve come to duel Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.”

[I am the Guardian. I don’t recognize your name.]

Swish!

The being claiming to be the Guardian suddenly pulled a spear from behind and gripped it tightly. Aiming the spear’s tip at me, this darkly clothed entity, whose face was obscured, unleashed a faint glimmering light with a chilling voice.

[I will repel all intruders. Come at me.]

“……”

What is going on here? Why is this guardian blocking me? I understood they were probably like a gatekeeper before the throne, but it left me uneasy knowing that Nyarlathotep had thrown me into this space and set this obstacle before me. Frowning, I drew my weapon, readying myself.

“Feel free to come at me. I have a duel to get to!”

[Come forth.]

Clang!

The moment struck, my blade and the Guardian’s weapon clashed in mid-air. The Guardian’s single strike was as ordinary as a basic technique known as Mount Tai’s Pressure, while I countered with the Thunder God Lineage’s swift strike. The intersection of our weapons hit with precision as I was poised to absorb the impact and, with Three Treasure Technique, shift my position to deliver a fatal blow.

‘Strong?!’

However, I realized I couldn’t just brush aside the Guardian’s straightforward spear strike, and needed to employ the Three Treasure Technique. A tremendous force behind that single attack could easily tear me apart. Gravitating my force forward, as I followed the flow, I attempted to disrupt his rhythm with Bowing Sky Slash, yet the Guardian’s spear suddenly twisted mid-attack, darting straight for my throat.

Fwoosh!

The sound of the spear slicing through the air made it clear this opponent was a formidable master. As the power of the spear loomed, I recoiled instinctively, using my strength to parry the spear away while pulling back from the incoming strike, creating a tiny gap. In the next moment, I summoned the Immortal Sword into my hand, wielding both blades forward.

Swoosh!

The Guardian deftly dodged the diagonal slash of my sword with an identical counter, but swiftly followed up by attempting a reverse attack using their spear. Recognizing this familiar technique triggered a momentary surprise, yet I did the best I could to respond. Drawing upon the tricks I learned from Lee Cheong-un, I merged the Ten Thousand Victorious Sword Family with Thunder God Fist, lowering my center of gravity as I thrust my elbow towards the Guardian’s solar plexus.

Bang!

Had I landed a solid hit? The Guardian was knocked back momentarily, receiving the elbow strike directly. But soon, with a majestic display of technique, they steadied themselves using an advanced skill, plunging their spear into the ground, then leaping with their toes to demonstrate an extraordinary balancing act. Without a hint of wavering, the Guardian resumed their combat stance and uttered.

[Howol… who was Howol again… suddenly it all pops up… memories from the past surface…]

“……?!”

[What was I before…]

I was equally taken aback; this opponent’s martial arts felt surprisingly familiar. I, still wielding my sword, addressed the Guardian.

“Who exactly are you? Why… are you using the techniques of the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear?”

[……]

Though the Guardian remained silent, I could feel my own tone shifting.

And I barked with resolve.

“Why have you reached the realm of Thunder Principle with Thunder God Spear techniques?!”