1283——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Right after that, I asked Saint Germain a question.

“What did you just do? Can you kill him just by changing his [name]?”

“Yes.”

Saint Germain calmly responded.

“The being to whom [name] belongs can ultimately have their name changed by their master. There are ways to resist, but generally, they have no choice but to comply. And when [name] changes, it’s only natural that the essence changes as well.”

“Hm… I changed his name to Frankenstein’s heart, and he literally fell apart and died. What the heck happened?”

“……”

Saint Germain gazed at me for a moment and then said,

“I have a masterpiece of alchemy that I made separately, and its name is Frankenstein. It’s a mixed variant (Chimäre), something I was re-researching after overcoming the failed homunculus. I used the existing failed product, turned it into Frankenstein’s heart, and used it as a part.”

“Uh? Is it like a homunculus?”

“No, it’s completely different. It’s the result of pursuing eternal life and powerful strength in a different sense. I felt there were limits to using humans as the base… Originally, it wasn’t designed for offerings.”

“If it’s not for offerings, then?”

“For combat… sorta.”

As Saint Germain said this, he seemed to try to change the subject.

“Well, anyway, you seem quite interested in how to utilize [name]. I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Oh! That’s great. Look at this.”

I swiftly showed my forearm, and Saint Germain, looking confused, said,

“Hm… I can’t quite decipher this with the naked eye. I’ll need to use the magic eye.”

“Magic eye? Is that magic?”

“It’s closer to traditional magic shared between alchemists and druids. This borrows the power of the unique spirits of this land without relying on the power of the [Old Ruler]. So, it’s different from magic.”

“Oooh…”

“Just a moment.”

After chanting a spell and touching his eyes, Saint Germain wide-opened them and gasped.

“Wh-what the heck. You’ve collected this many [names]?! Especially ones that look this high-ranking… Are you really human?!”

“Looks like it’s a lot. Honestly, I didn’t have anyone to compare it to, so I had no idea if it was a lot or not.”

“…Huh? Ah, no, now that I see this name… Heavens… the Seven-Headed Red Dragon… How did you come to possess [Old Dragon], the name of the divine king that existed beyond Arcana?!”

Saint Germain couldn’t hide his shock.

“This is not a normal situation! A human can’t do this! [Name] isn’t something that can just be easily etched and internalized as proof of a contract. Don’t you think that’s why grimoires exist…?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Why grimoires…?”

“Umm… Huh… Just a moment…”

It took Saint Germain half a moment to regain his composure after frantically spewing his emotions. Once he gathered his thoughts, he spoke.

“The original purpose of grimoires is to usually record forbidden knowledge related to the [Old Ruler]… Powerful spells or wicked records are the main content… But sometimes, grimoires serve as a repository for [names].”

“A repository for [names]?”

“Yes. In the world of demons, [names] can often become objects of trade among powerful higher beings due to subordinate relationships, but it’s a complicated issue to handle, and inscribing a subordinate’s [name] on their main body brings considerable side effects. Since [name] itself is close to a mass of magical power, you’d risk your own body being eroded by it. So, it’s common to keep [names] in grimoires to trade them like treasures or money in the human world.”

“What? You can use them like that?!”

“Yes. That’s also a big reason for the value of the Vision Grimoire. Because, in addition to powerful spells, if you’re lucky, you might obtain the [name] of powerful beings or summons stored there and make it your own.”

“……!!”

“Moreover, the older a grimoire is, the higher the chances of that happening… If it changed owners multiple times, each new owner would seal a new [name], enhancing its value. Do you roughly understand?”

“Is that… really so…?”

I felt utterly baffled.

‘Could it be the reason that prophets put high value on grimoires for trade?’

I hadn’t managed to interpret everything, but there was a chance that another [name] was hidden and stored within!

Saint Germain looked at me with considerable unease in his eyes and continued.

“However… even one [name] is typically too difficult for a grand sorcerer to carry on their body, pulling a grimoire to serve as a repository instead… But you have over tens of [names] inscribed on yourself… and names of such powerful beings like Seven-Headed Red Dragon… You’re inscribing them without even one magic technique or anything like primitive tattooing, which is just absurd… This is really… really…”

“……”

“Of course… it’s not entirely impossible… I’ve heard there are beings like you who can hold [names]…”

“Oh!! Which sorcerer or sorceress? I can consult with them.”

I was greatly pleased, but Saint Germain responded with a sense of discomfort.

“Not a human, but an [Old Ruler].”

“Huh?”

“I’ve heard that only the [Old Ruler] can hold [names] like that… They’re primordial chaos, so it doesn’t matter if they hold [names] like you do.”

“……”

“Now do you understand why this is abnormal?”

I was left speechless, unable to find a retort.

As I stood there, dazed, Saint Germain sighed and turned his head.

“I don’t know. It’s certain that you’re a strong divine being filled with righteousness who moves for the benefit of the world, but your powers are exceedingly close to the devil. There’s a concern I might have been caught up in the [Old Ruler]’s whims…”

Saint Germain quickly resumed his calm tone.

“You’ve given me the opportunity to correct my failures. I feel I must repay that grace, so I’ll trust you, Baek Woong, until the very end.”

“…Thank you.”

After a brief moment, I left Saint Germain with a general understanding of how sorcerers utilize [name] and exited. However, even as I tried to manipulate [name] as Saint Germain suggested, I found I couldn’t modify or change it at all. Saint Germain added his speculation on that.

“Given the unusual circumstances, I can only guess, but these [names] seem to require specific conditions to be manipulated. Even those entirely sealed [names] cannot be altered or modified no matter what.”

“Is that so…?”

“Personally, I don’t think human sorcerers or mages can provide solutions for this issue. You’ll need to seek advice from [another being].”

Even I, no matter how foolish, had a clear idea of who [another being] referred to. I clenched my fists and shook my head.

“I absolutely don’t want to do that. I’m not in such a dire situation that I need the power of [name], and if I’m not careful, I might end up being consumed by it.”

“Hm… Do as you wish.”

As I withdrew from Saint Germain, I thought.

‘I can’t let this go. I need to create a situation to forcibly utilize the power of the Four Great Spirit Deities soon.’

From my discussions with Saint Germain, it seemed the potential demonic power hidden in [name] was stronger than I anticipated. Although I was still pretending to be calm, I could not know when my tendencies would turn me toward the demonic side, so to suppress this power, I would have to forcibly use the power of the Four Great Spirit Deities. While lost in such thoughts, I went to visit Mangnyang.

I had simply gone to inquire about the current state of the village, but as soon as Mangnyang saw me, he spoke up.

“Baek Woong, if you don’t have anything urgent to do, train Master Hyuncheon.”

“Huh?”

Why all of a sudden Master Hyuncheon?

When I looked confused, Mangnyang explained.

“I heard you suppressed the Shura Sect, which is a subordinate force of the Wind Spirit Sect, in the name of Master Hyuncheon. That led to the rumors of the unrivaled Master Hyuncheon spreading throughout Jianghu, causing innocent people from the Wudang Sect and Taekyung Village to suffer.”

“Ah…”

“Of course, even if you had reasons for doing so, you must take responsibility for it. I’ve already arranged to invite the remaining folks from Taekyung Village to Soeul Village. You must take responsibility for the Wudang Sect, so train Master Hyuncheon.”

“W-well then. The reason for training Master Hyuncheon is…”

“I see you understand. You need to make him the [Real Unrivaled Master Wudang], not a fraud. While you did handle the invasion of the Wind Spirit Sect well, enemy forces, including the Wind Spirit Sect, will continue to provoke the Wudang Sect, and you can’t help out each time. So, you need to turn Master Hyuncheon into a true expert and return him to the Wudang Sect.”

Mangnyang’s reasoning was incredibly logical. I readily accepted and nodded.

“Understood! I’ll do it!”

“But teaching the Thunder God lineage’s martial arts to make him a peak expert would be difficult for both the Thunder God lineage members and even the experts of the Wudang Sect. How will you handle that?”

“No problem. I’m well-versed in the ancient techniques left by Supreme Master Jang Sam-bong from the Wudang Sect.”

“……”

Mangnyang stared at me for a moment with a bewildered expression before giving in.

“That was a concern utterly wasted. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

After finishing the conversation, I headed to find Master Hyuncheon, who was practicing with disciples at the village outskirts. I told him,

“Master Hyuncheon, there’s something I want to apologize for first.”

“Hoho, what is it?”

“Actually…”

I sincerely confessed about using Master Hyuncheon’s name to defeat enemies from Jianghu, and the ensuing problems that affected the Wudang Sect. Master Hyuncheon listened without changing his expression, and in the end, I knelt down and bowed my head.

“I really have no words. I’m sorry.”

Master Hyuncheon smiled broadly and reached out to lift me.

“Hoho… Village Chief Baek Woong, rise. If it was all for the sake of justice, there’s no reason for our sect to blame you. Moreover, if you have dealt with the hardships that befell us, you’ve taken responsibility for your actions, so it’s nothing to worry about.”

“…Thank you.”

“However, it seems you still have something to tell me.”

I cautiously said,

“Actually, I know the most powerful martial art combining the Seven Great Techniques and the Six Great Techniques, called the Peerless Technique.”

“……?”

“I’m about to pass it down to you right now, but…”

At that moment, Master Hyuncheon’s previously relaxed expression twisted into one of incredulity. Even with his training, it seemed to be a heavy burden because he stared wide-eyed for a moment and then said,

“W-what, how is this possible…? I only knew it as a legend… How could a stranger like you…”

“Hmm… Well…”

If I told him that I summoned Supreme Master Jang Sam-bong through celestial offerings, learned it from him, and after reincarnating for decades honed it with the help of geniuses until I finally mastered the Peerless Technique with his assistance, would he believe me…?

“……”

Nah… Judging by this reaction, there’s no way he’d believe it.

I had no choice but to lie.

“As you know, I’m the utmost expert of the Absolute Realm closest to the Thunder God lineage, and by chance, I came into possession of the secrets of the Seven Great Techniques left by Jang Jin. After mastering them all, I wanted to return them to the Wudang Sect, but I ended up putting it off, and due to my guilty conscience, I had no choice but to return them now.”

“…Hoho… How could this happen…?”

“I can’t apologize to the Wudang Sect right now due to circumstances, but I will definitely pay this debt back to the Wudang Sect later.”

“Well, then… If that’s the case… I’ll gratefully accept your teachings.”

From that day on, I began teaching the basics of the Seven Great Techniques to Master Hyuncheon. Originally, I intended to expose the Seven Great Techniques as little as possible in this life, but due to my debt to the Wudang Sect, I had no choice.

‘If I can raise Master Hyuncheon’s level above peak status and adequately hone the Seven Great Techniques, that should suffice.’

Whether he could get the Peerless Technique or not was a matter of individual capability, so it would be enough if I only taught him the basic training methods.

As it turned out, Master Hyuncheon learned the Seven Great Techniques much faster than I expected. In fact, he seemed to grasp them quicker than the other geniuses who had been learning it all this time, making me astonished.

‘He’s learning this quickly?’

Upon closer examination, it seemed that Master Hyuncheon’s prior mastery of the Wudang Sect’s authentic internal energy and martial arts significantly aided his learning of the Seven Great Techniques. Regardless of talent, it was proving that the martial arts passed down by Supreme Master Jang Sam-bong were tailored for the following of the Wudang Sect. With this pace of training, I thought he could scale the fundamentals within about three months.

About a month passed like this. Observing my activities, Seo Mun-hye approached me one day, worried.

“Village Chief, are you all right? You haven’t been resting for a moment, and you haven’t slept or eaten…”

“My internal power is at the level of the Dharma Guardian of the White Lotus Sect, so it’s not a problem. If I convert my internal power, my stamina is infinite.”

I still hadn’t heard any news about the slave market opening. Until I heard that, no matter how hard it was, I planned to keep teaching. And during the raid on the slave market, I would bring others from Soeul Village along with me, so strengthening the experts from Soeul Village was obviously a beneficial task for me.

“Still, you’re suffering like this….”

Muttering sympathetically, Seo Mun-hye spoke.

“What does resting mean for you, Village Chief? You say it so often, but I feel you’re working harder than anyone else…”

“Huh? I think I’m resting enough right now…”

“If I were to ask differently, what does working hard mean?”

“Hmm…”

Maybe it would mean fighting fiercely against the [Old Ruler] or Demon Kings while feeling the annihilation of the world looming, desperately trying to grasp at straws…

Or perhaps it would mean fiercely struggling to stab even a pinhole through the divine as millions upon millions of humans perish…

Rather than feeling disgust against myself for not having worked harder during those moments, I’d prefer to be so busy I’m drenched in sweat. It’s the only way to temporarily forget despair.

“……”

No… what’s with the gloom? This doesn’t seem like a normal human mindset!

‘When did I become like this?’

Surely, a person who has lived their life contemplating only the apocalypse would be less pessimistic than I am right now.

I was thrown into confusion at that moment. Upon hearing Seo Mun-hye, I realized that my situation was not about ‘resting’! Upon my moment of panic, Seo Mun-hye sighed and said,

“Please rest a little. Not just me, but everyone else is also worried that you’re working too hard…”

“Hm… But if I rest, I can’t stop the world’s calamities.”

“Can only you be the one to stop them? Can we really say these calamities are your fault?”

“Well, it’s not exactly like that.”

“Then let’s spend today relaxing with us.”

“Huh?”

Seo Mun-hye cheerfully smiled and said,

“I’d like to go on a picnic and just talk with you, Village Chief.”

“Huh… Is that really okay?”

“Yes! That’s enough.”

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

It seemed that everyone would manage well on their training, so I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to step away for a bit. I followed Seo Mun-hye, carrying some snacks toward the beautiful hillside.

And there, waiting for us, was Miho, having transformed into human form, and Sagong Lin. I was bewildered and said to them.

“Were you all waiting?”

“Of course. Today, Seo Mun-hye encouraged us that she’d bring you out.”

Sagong Lin casually chimed in with a smile.

“Lady Miho knows a spot where the moonlight view is delightful, so let’s go together.”

“Sounds good.”

A while later, the four of us spread out near a cliff at night and laid out the food. Perhaps due to already inviting several renowned chefs into Soeul Village, the food was bountiful and looked delicious. Miho seemed joyful, waving her pure white tail.

“Whoo-hoo. I couldn’t eat meat during practice and lived on grasses, but it’s nice to have a lot to eat today.”

“Miho… You could come back to the village for something as simple as meat, you know…”

“I love beef liver, but the chefs just can’t manage that.”

“……”

Well, if she were to kill a cow every time she craved it, even if Soeul Village grew massive, there wouldn’t be any left…

“Ah, Village Chief.”

As I was in the middle of that thought, Seo Mun-hye came closer and fed me some meat, which I accepted obediently.

‘Uh… Won’t Miho get jealous of this…?’

While munching on the meat, I glanced at Miho, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Why, Village Chief?”

Politely spoken, but there was definitely a distance in her tone. It was proof that she regarded me merely as a superior and didn’t see me romantically at all. I looked at Miho with complicated emotions and let out a deep sigh.

“…No… It’s nothing.”

Anyway, until I achieve True Martial Home or something beyond that to eliminate the outer gods, I can’t afford any thoughts of marriage or romance. If I were to be reincarnated, everything would become an illusion in the end. All I could truly enjoy would be this moment.

Enjoying the moment…

[My disciple, are you enjoying this moment enough?]

[Hahaha… Can’t you enjoy it while I’m here? That makes sense.]

[But remember.]

A smiling face of ‘someone’ surfaced from the recesses of my memory.

[The fact that it’s all part of an overriding consequence of 5.67 billion years.]

A chill ran down my spine from the eerie flashback that passed through like a daydream.

“……!!”

Wh-what memory was that?!

‘That’s not my memory! Never!’

At least at this moment, I had never experienced anything like that! After going through my 30th reincarnation, I had never had a dialogue like that!

Then whose memory was it?

Who was speaking to whom?

Why did these memories keep popping up in my mind?

Especially since this started happening after sealing Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, why do these incidents keep occurring…?

“Village Chief, what’s wrong?”

Seo Mun-hye looked at me with concern, but I felt beads of sweat rolling down my forehead as I was deep in thought. After a moment, I realized something.

“…It’s similar.”

“What do you mean?”

I muttered absentmindly.

“I think Chang Hill has said something like that…”

The Chang Hill who was devoured by the Heavenly Secret.

The number in that dream that serendipitously overlapped with Chang Hill’s final words was 5.67 billion years.

“……”

If I gather everything that Chang Hill left behind, could I access the true meaning of 5.67 billion years?

And if it was what Chang Hill left behind, it undoubtedly exists in this world.

‘It seems possible.’

Miho, looking worried, said,

“Perhaps you should rest for a moment.”

“…I really shouldn’t be feeling like this when I need to rest.”

“Really?”

I slowly stood up, clenching my fists.

“I can’t maintain peace in the world just by lingering about and taking care of all sorts of tasks like this. I need the power to suppress those who come poking around here and there.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

In the next moment, I found myself blurting out an ambition that even I thought was insane.

“Someday, I will become the master of the Eight Parts of the Divine!”

I can’t keep sealing off calamities one by one like this forever.

Once I make calamity itself my subordinate, it will definitely make everything much easier.

I’ll capture those crazed beasts like rabid dogs that have lost their master and try to uncover the clue to the 5.67 billion years that Chang Hill left behind, while also gaining the strength to pacify the world!