사신지혼(四神之魂)

Asura waved his hand, signaling me to follow him. I trailed behind him into the banquet hall and saw a sea of ghosts sitting around, staring blankly. Asura shot me a sidelong glance and declared,

“Baek Woong… eat now!”

“……?!”

“Eat as much as you can here!”

Eat? What on earth is he talking about?

I wanted to shoot back immediately, but then it hit me what Asura really meant.

“Eating the food from Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace will give me Spirit Power!!”

I recalled the last time I attended a banquet, I had consumed just a bit of food and gained substantial Spirit Power. Remembering this, I asked Asura,

“So, you mean I should strengthen my Spirit Power and then push that shield with my strength?”

“Exactly. I think this is the best option.”

“No, can’t we use other methods? Like, say, a light beam or something…?”

At that, Asura glanced over at Jeon Wook, who was lounging on his throne, and mumbled,

“Well, I doubt the great Jeon Wook is unaware of light beams. But he certainly seems overly confident…”

As Asura said, I also surveyed Jeon Wook’s demeanor. He was obviously eavesdropping on our conversation with his divine perception but showed no reaction. This clearly meant that he was aware I could use the power of light.

And that reaction also indicated that using only a light beam wouldn’t be enough to get through this trial. Asura had sensed that possibility from Jeon Wook’s behavior.

I worriedly told Asura,

“But eating the food here will age me!!”

Yes. The reason I hesitated despite knowing that Asura’s suggestion was effective was because of aging!

“Even just a bit of Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace’s food and alcohol made me age twenty years. If I stuff myself like you’re suggesting, I’ll probably…”

It was clear that aging hundreds of years would come crashing down on me!

In the past, the reason I was stopped from eating freely was precisely because of the risk of aging. If I aged and died in the blink of an eye, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my duties as Jeon Wook’s servant. Given all that, going all out as Asura suggested was a risky maneuver.

What’s the use of dying from aging, trials or no trials?

Then Asura looked at me intently and said,

“You’ll be fine! Right?”

“What?”

“It’s because it’s you, it’ll be alright.”

“……”

In that moment, I grasped Asura’s meaning.

“There’s a way for you to survive. Just die.”

He meant since I’m a reborn person, it doesn’t matter if I die!

As long as I can restart, it’s efficient to just gobble up Spirit Power to stockpile in my body!

‘This bastard…!! It’s not his life on the line!’

I felt a surge of anger, but at the same time, I recognized how very “Asura” that advice was. To someone solely pursuing power like Asura, missing this opportunity to gain Spirit Power would feel like a tremendous loss.

What to do?

After a moment of thought, I shouted towards Jeon Wook.

“Jeon Wook!! You must have heard everything, but can I at least eat first before we begin?”

[Hooh….]

“I’m really hungry!!”

Given the circumstances, I had to challenge him!

Eat to my heart’s content the food I couldn’t get last time at Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace!

Jeon Wook let out a hearty laugh and said,

[Good…. Banquets are meant for eating, drinking, and enjoying. Feel free to eat as you wish.]

“Then I’ll dig in!!”

I quickly reached for the chopsticks on my plate. Moving them, I picked up some dish that looked like noodles and a grilled fish. At the same time, I savored the fragrant aroma, taking a few bites of the vegetable side dishes dipped in the seasoning and slowly relished them.

“Wow, this is delicious.”

I had thought so before, but Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace cuisine was truly delectable! Considering how I had gone crazy trying to eat as much as I could back then, it could easily be declared the best taste in the world.

“It’s even tastier than the banquet food I had when I became the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire. Truly incomparable to human cuisine.”

Just as I was about to direct my chopsticks towards a slice of the juicy red meat, I heard loud munching sounds to my side.

“……”

Asura, holding a massive chunk of meat bone in one hand and chewing enthusiastically, said,

“Um, what are you staring at? Hurry up and eat.”

“Hey. What if you eat too and it goes wrong?”

“I’m a Demon King… Aging like you humans doesn’t apply to me. Instead, my power might collide and burst my body.”

“But why are you eating, then?!”

“These foods are filled with Spirit Power of the finest quality. As long as I manage the collision, I can become even stronger… mm, delicious, let’s eat quickly.”

“……”

Gulping sounds filled the air.

Asura was shoveling food in as if he were stuffing his face. I tilted my head in disbelief before beginning to eat vigorously too.

“Tch. Well, since life’s been lacking excitement lately, I might as well enjoy the fun of eating.”

After being reborn, I hadn’t truly enjoyed food, so the happiness I felt while eating seemed more special. I polished off nearly all the food on my plate, which was at least three times the amount I used to eat. Yet, inexplicably still hungry, I shouted,

“One more bowl!!”

At that, Jeon Wook cast a glance at Yeol, who then practically teleported to my side and bowed deeply.

[I’m truly sorry. I didn’t expect you would really start eating, so I left the guest’s dish bare.]

With a snap of Yeol’s fingers, along with a strange sound, the almost-empty table was cleared, and a new, lavish spread appeared.

[Please feel free to continue eating as much as you want.]

“Awesome!!”

Gulping down food.

Ding –

Asura and I kept on eating, and soon the musicians began playing hard, causing the ghosts around us to start shoveling food as well. I had already polished off over twenty dishes, a volume that could feed five adults in the earthly realm. But I strangely sensed I was still hungry, so I devoured several more bowls to clean off the table.

With another table set, I eagerly grabbed my chopsticks to eat again. The increasingly exquisite dishes were out of this world.

“I could eat like this all day.”

And just then, an incident occurred.

“Cough!!”

Blam

“Ack!! Asura!”

A massive blast erupted from Asura’s upper body, sending him sprawling as he was enjoying his meal. An intense explosion and smoke erupted from his head, and I couldn’t help but be startled. Moments later, Asura transformed back from his human form to his true self, writhing on the ground while screaming.

[Waaaah…. A glaringly dense aura….]

“Hey!! Are you alright?!”

[Huhhk.]

From that scream, it was evident he was far from okay. The shock of the blast felt more like a pain akin to something gnawing inside him, resembling a serious internal injury to a martial artist.

‘Walking Fire Entering Demon?!’

I widened my eyes and paused my eating as Jeon Wook, who had been casually observing our meal scene until then, spoke up.

[Self-inflicted consequences. A half-baked being raised with the divine body given by Chi You…. Did you really think you could endlessly absorb pure Spirit Power? Did you think such conveniences would just be handed to you?]

A distinct tone of mockery.

It seemed Jeon Wook knew this would happen.

“Jeon Wook!! Please save Asura!”

[I haven’t exactly been trying to harm him. He’s just paying the price for his insufficient capabilities as a Demon. If he had truly known his place and only eaten his own portion, he wouldn’t be in this state.]

“What….”

[The overflowing Spirit Power is explosively collapsing his power from within. Just because it’s in food, you underestimated its potential.]

Jeon Wook propped his chin on his throne while looking at me with curiosity.

[More importantly, you are indeed interesting. You’ve accepted Spirit Power capable of obliterating even the Demon King without batting an eye? How refreshing…!]

“……”

Thinking about it, I was still in one piece. Far from being inflicted by Walking Fire Entering Demon, I was still contemplating whether to order a pancake or stew.

‘Why am I not aging?’

Jeon Wook’s statement struck me as odd, and my expression stiffened as he remarked,

[You can continue eating without worry. No matter how much a guest eats, the host is obligated to provide food.]

“…Damn it.”

Can I still keep eating?!

Asura was about to die due to consuming Spirit Power!

Reluctantly, I sprang up and shouted,

“Promise me! If I can break through this trial right now, you will save Asura!”

Asura was right. As a reborn person, my life could be willingly sacrificed for efficiency. But now that we’ve become comrades, I could never just stand by and let Asura die right before my eyes.

[Are you confident?]

“I won’t beat around the bush!”

[Alright. I promise….]

Paf

I immediately used the Soul Removal Technique and dashed towards the great shield. Given that Asura could die at any moment, I had to resolve this trial as quickly as possible.

“First, let’s go with the most likely option…!!”

I decided to try the first method that popped into my mind. Closing my eyes, I envisioned the Four Great Artifacts within me, focusing on the wheel symbolizing water.

Chime

The artifact resembling a banner appeared in my hand and a voice resonated.

[As promised, I, Varuna, shall assist you, Baek Woong!!]

The Water Spirit Artifact, Varuna!

Not long ago, I had gained his assistance as a reward for a ceremony, and now, it was best to take advantage of Varuna’s support. Honestly, I didn’t want to reveal the Four Artifacts in front of Jeon Wook, but now wasn’t the time for deliberation.

‘Jeon Wook, who had always been unpredictable, might treat this attempt as an act of foolishness. I can’t waste any turns.’

I mentally spoke to Varuna.

‘Varuna! We need to send that shield out of the arena. Can you do that?’

[Is that all I need to do?]

‘Yes.’

[Got it. I’ll handle it with a whirlwind.]

Whirlwind?

Whoosh

A large water sphere began to form at the tip of the banner. The sphere inflated to the size of a human head and, moments later, with a pop, it shot out and collided with the shield occupied by the ghosts. However, the ghostly shield didn’t budge; it merely burst, spraying a cascade of water over it.

‘Failure?’

But shortly after, the soaked ghostly shield began to float as if an invisible buoyancy existed around it. Moments after, an intangible whirlwind formed, spinning the shield rapidly.

Swish

After spinning for a good while, the ghostly shield was sucked into the vortex and moments later, it appeared far away.

Boom!

[Kiiee.]

[Wooooo.]

The shield that fell from the air shattered with a thunderous sound, causing the ghosts clustered around it to scream and scatter.

‘I did it!!’

I leaped with joy at having accomplished Jeon Wook’s task so easily, only for Varuna’s voice to ring out again.

[As previously promised, I shall deduct your power in proportion to the amount of Spirit Power used!]

Huh?

The moment that phrase ended, I suddenly felt nausea rise within me.

“Uweeeeeeeek.”

I doubled over, retching violently. But what was spilling from my mouth wasn’t just food; it was a dark mass of Spirit Energy. The unsettling dark hue was undeniably ominous, and every time I heaved, it felt as if I was barfing up my insides.

Guh

I couldn’t stop.

“Uweeeek.”

As I continued to vomit, I noticed Jeon Wook standing nearby with Yeol and Ryeo, gazing at my scene of vomiting with agitated expressions before he broke the silence.

[What’s going on? The Spirit Power consumed seems to be merging with some unknown magic.]

Yeol, standing beside him, humbly bowed his head and said,

[From my observations, that magic appears to have originated within Baek Woong himself. It seems the Spirit Power and foreign magic have combined, and his body couldn’t hold it, resulting in this release.]

[That makes sense. But with such power, you’ve maintained your human traits until now?]

[That indeed is… quite absurd.]

[Hahaha, how amusing.]

Jeon Wook chuckled heartily.

[Yeol, go extract the Spirit Power from Asura as promised to save him.]

[Yes, my lord!]

Paf

As Yeol instantly disappeared, Jeon Wook continued to gaze down at me as I was still in the throes of vomiting.

[What was that mysterious artifact you just used?]

“Uweeeeeek.”

[……]

But I couldn’t respond, too busy heaving. The sensation of barfing up every bit of food I consumed left me dazed. As the puddle of vomit I had expelled began to flow on the floor, Ryeo appeared furious, conjuring her fiery whip.

[How dare you perform such a disrespectful act before Jeon Wook!]

Then Jeon Wook restrained Ryeo with a simple gesture. Once she halted, he declared,

[Since you’ve managed to win, you’re entitled to have one of your wishes granted. However, since you’ve committed a severe transgression before me, this will be a death penalty. Therefore, I shall treat your offense as fulfilled in exchange for the debt owed in our wager.]

As I absorbed Jeon Wook’s absurd demands, I glowered while retching.

“What the hell kind of nonsense is this… Uweck.”

I feel like I’m going to lose my insides!

While quaking from rage, Jeon Wook’s thunderous voice reached my ears.

[You seem to be suffering. Out of mercy, I’ll take you under my wing as my servant and save you from this torment.]

“……?!”

Wiying

At the moment Jeon Wook pointed his finger at me, I suddenly noticed an invisible thread connecting us. It felt as if something that had completely eluded my perception became visible. And as that thread gradually materialized, I felt another explosion ripple through me.

Kuuquack

“Yaaaaaah.”

I let out a pathetic scream as I felt a surge of dark currents pour from my body. And as it flowed out, it mixed with the Spirit Power inside me, dripping out like muck and leaving an unsettling sensation.

Something felt off.

Not just me, as Ryeo quickly positioned herself to shield Jeon Wook while his expression subtly shifted.

‘Gagh…’

Although my vomiting had ceased, my energy and strength felt like they had hit rock bottom, leaving me staggering. Yet, I could also sense a stirring life force emerging from within me. Although I couldn’t identify its exact nature, I felt things were beginning to shift.

A moment later, Jeon Wook spoke in a markedly different tone than before.

[So, you are the one who has already linked with the causality of my servants. Until now, I overlooked the reverse flow of causality, and I never guessed it would be you….]

“……”

[You are exceedingly dangerous. What kind of scheme are you harboring?]

The palpable hostility was undeniable. I instinctively sensed that the situation had changed completely from just a moment ago. I felt utterly drained, unable to gather the energy to respond or think of what to do.

Then, following Jeon Wook’s command, I squeezed my eyes shut.

[Ryeo, peel away that shell.]

[Yes, my lord.]

Is everything doomed?

With a slick sound, Ryeo’s fiery whip shot toward me. I registered the trajectory and speed of the whip with my senses, but suddenly, time felt like it distorted, slicing through my body. Since it was an attack utilizing the “Small Cycle,” with my current strength, I couldn’t possibly evade.

Yet somehow, having trained tirelessly in martial arts, I realized the tip of the whip was targeting my chest. Knowing Ryeo’s nature, she likely intended to pierce my chest with a single blow, hoisting me up and tossing me aside.

‘Damn it!’

I never thought I’d meet a brutal end through torture in this life!

As I cursed inwardly, suddenly—

Chijijij!

The dark energy that had been wriggling inside me suddenly wrapped around me as if alive, tightening around my flesh like armor.

[Oho… I had mostly given up due to the terrifying levels of layered magic, but have you finally begun to reveal the outline of your power?!!]

Ka-ching!!

In the next instant, with the energy of the armor, my arm shot forward just in time as the tip of the whip coiled around it. The strike employing “Small Cycle” was meant to sever my arm and pierce my chest, but unexpectedly, the whip coiled around my arm like a snake.

[Hmm.]

I could hear Ryeo sounding flustered.

And I, in turn, yanked the whip around, pulling it back as it tautly coiled around my arm. She hadn’t managed to sever my arm after all.

Swish

[To block that, you have some skill. However, my whip carries the essence of a cursed flame; you will come to regret this block!!]

Fwoosh!!

Ryeo lit up with flames, channeling her power into that whip as she launched it with ferocity. This attack was supposedly strong enough to severely injure even the body of an Eight Parts of the Divine being, and I thought this time I’d surely die.

But the voice from the armor encasing me resonated yet again.

[As the power of the Heavenly Sovereign disperses that thorn, the powers of the Spirit will protect my master!!]

Brrrrr

A white sunlit energy flowed forth from within the black armor, breaking the viciousness imbued in Ryeo’s fiery assault. And the once powerfully charged flame whip was immediately flung back by the wave of dark energy wielding the essence of the moon.

Boom!

[…No!!]

Ryeo, clearly struck by shock from her attack being thwarted so easily, wore an expression of utter disbelief. She had never expected all her attacks utilizing “Small Cycle” and the flame power would come to naught.

But I couldn’t spare any thought for Ryeo. I was focused entirely on the voice inside me, because now that I finally regained my senses, I recognized its identity.

Could it be…?

“You, is it you…?”

[Indeed.]

Before my eyes, a dark Spirit materialized like a shadow. An entity the size of a child, it had the appearance of my subordinate, one I had personally named.

The only difference from before was that behind the jet-black Spirit was a massive halo of light reminiscent of the sun.

In this critical moment, the Spirit unleashed a powerful roar, projecting an immense amount of Spirit Power.

[I, Heuk Woong, have arrived to honor the oath I made to use all my strength for my master!!]