1311——————==

Soul of the Evil God

We decided to track the Eight Parts of the Divine. Mangnyang used the Corpse Dissolution Technique to do some scouting and said,

“They’re currently located in the middle of the Death Sea, divided by the boundary of life and death.”

“Is it dangerous to chase them directly?”

“Of course. I’m sharing my senses with Abe no Seimei. We’ll only start pursuing once he sends a signal.”

“I’d like to get a sense of the situation…”

“I’ll share the shared vision with everyone.”

Swish!

The moment Mangnyang waved his fan, I saw [Seimei] guiding us with such vivid clarity, it felt like I was right there.

‘They’re in combat.’

From now on, I needed to observe the local situation.

Boom!

Garuda and Celestial were leading from the front, while Mahuraga provided support from the back with sound waves, the three were obliterating the Demon Beasts of the Death Sea. I saw Garuda’s eyes gleam, and then dozens of fiery beams erupted from his mouth.

Flash!

Boom!!!

In an instant, I saw mountains fly up as if they were nothing. I flinched at the sight.

“Damn. The Demon King types are indeed strong…”

Garuda could be classified among the martial artists of the Eight Parts of the Divine, but as a Demon King, he possessed a power beyond human reach. The Demon Beasts of the Death Sea were significantly more powerful and massive compared to living creatures, and they were being slaughtered without even having a chance to fight back against the Eight Parts of the Divine.

As the assaulting Demon Beasts were sorted out, Gin Nara seemed to be talking to Seimei.

[Now you know. Even if this is hell on Earth, we are Demon Kings that rival the [Old Ruler]. Since this isn’t the mortal realm and the Law of Cause and Effect is comparatively free here, these Demon Beasts can’t stop us, Seimei.]

Seimei replied slowly,

[That’s true. But it’s best not to be too arrogant.]

[Why is that?]

[Because the master of this place is a fearsome being.]

Whoosh….

The moment those words ended, the void opened up, revealing the eye of ‘something.’

[Hmm!]

[This is….]

The Eight Parts of the Divine seemed to sense something was off when they saw that ‘eye.’ And then a voice resounded among all of them.

[Greetings, Demon Kings of the Eight Parts of the Divine… I never expected you to come here.]

It seemed like that being already discerned the identity of the Eight Parts of the Divine.

Gin Nara stepped forward and asked,

[Who are you? Are you the master of this place?]

In response to Gin Nara’s question, the presence replied in a voice that seemed to be laughing.

[Fu fu fu… Let us test your strength first….]

Whoosh!

In the next moment, the eye disappeared, and a gigantic Dimension Door manifested in its place. As Seimei murmured upon seeing the Dimension Door,

[The being that just appeared is the Grand Guardian overseeing the three seas and the King of the Life Sea. One could say they are divine in nature.]

[That’s evident….]

[Passing through that Dimension Door will lead you straight into the Entering Sea. Aren’t you afraid?]

[Hahaha.]

Gin Nara burst into laughter and continued,

[It may be a powerful being, but it’s not one we can’t defeat if we join forces. Do you think the Demon Kings of the Eight Parts of the Divine will feel fear over something as insignificant as that?]

[…….]

[Hurry ahead. We fear nothing.]

[I hope that’s true to the end….]

Swish!

Seimei and the entire Eight Parts of the Divine stepped into the Dimension Door, and just as they all moved, an enormous monster appeared before them.

[What is that?]

A colossal creature with writhing tentacles!

It was a tentacle monster of such a vast size that it seemed to fill the entire chaos rift. It looked hundreds of times larger than the giant monsters we had seen before. Upon seeing this, Seimei said,

[The King of the Life Sea will exist at the end of the Entering Sea and at the entrance of the Destruction Sea. He sent this monster to test you.]

[Fu fu…. A test. This being stuck in such a backwater is quite amusing.]

Gin Nara laughed, and Yacha, who was next to him, muttered,

[This isn’t the time to waste. Let’s deal with this and negotiate with this King of the Life Sea.]

[Got it, Yacha. Everyone, attack!]

Boom!!!

“Ugh!”

The clash between the Eight Parts of the Divine and the guardian of the Entering Sea began, and I felt a sharp pain in the temple as I realized that the sensory sharing had ended. As my companions shifted their gaze to Mangnyang, he spoke up.

“It seems Seimei has also had to participate in the battle. The distance has increased, and the sorcerer is losing concentration, hence the techniques have also dissipated…”

“Then can we chase them now?”

“Not yet; it’s better to keep watching.”

“Why’s that?”

“Do you remember when Yeodong-bin fought the guardian of the Entering Sea with the help of the Eight Immortals and took three days and nights to defeat it? Even with all of Yeodong-bin’s strength bestowed by the Eight Immortals, he barely managed against six from the Eight Parts of the Divine, so while it might not take long, given its massive size, let’s hold off for a bit.”

Mangnyang’s words made sense.

Boom!

About half a moment later, Seimei’s shared senses returned, broadcasting the ongoing battle, where the Eight Parts of the Divine were beating the guardian of the Entering Sea, but there was no sign of a conclusion yet. I watched this unfold through the sensory sharing, puzzled.

“What’s going on? The strength of the Eight Parts of the Divine should be way stronger than when Yeodong-bin had the help of the Eight Immortals; why are they struggling…?”

“…….”

Boom!

Indeed, even though the Eight Parts of the Divine were diligently using their extensive sorcery and powers to attack the guardian of the Entering Sea, they didn’t seem to cause significant damage. Amidst the flashes, it appeared as though the guardian of the Entering Sea had been brushing off attacks with a somewhat dull response compared to how it reacted to Yeodong-bin’s furious strikes back then.

The silent observer Asura suddenly spoke up.

“That’s because they share the same demonic properties.”

“Asura, what do you mean by that?”

“When Yeodong-bin received the power of the Eight Immortals, although he had less destructive capability, he could utilize martial arts that directly opposed the demonic nature, and the Eight Immortals‘ strength amplified that property. So every strike he made while cutting through the rift caused severe damage. But…”

“You mean the attacks of the Eight Parts of the Divine aren’t equivalent?”

“Correct. Regardless of the circumstances, their power originates from Chaos. When two entities fighting derive their strength from the same chaos nature, the density of that power significantly affects the outcome. While the Entering Sea’s guardian doesn’t have high offensive power, it was born from pure chaos, making its chaos concentration surpass that of the Demon Kings of the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“Concentration?”

“Yes. Because of that, their ability-based attacks are all weakened. Moreover, it seems like their stamina is extraordinarily high.”

“Hmm…? No way.”

“That scenario. The Eight Parts of the Divine might struggle more than when they fought against Yeodong-bin.”

“……!!”

“Firepower isn’t everything.”

That could indeed be the case! I was taken aback and retorted, “But when Jeon Wook or Jeogok, the [Old Rulers], fought, I never felt anything like that…”

“At around their level, there’s a significant gap compared to something like a Demon King. If a Demon King is attacked by an [Old Ruler], the reduced damage, even if it’s lessened due to shared chaotic properties, would still amount to a fatal wound. Just think of the times a Demon King was torn apart by Jeon Wook or Jeogok.”

“…….”

“Ha, looking at this, I can see how absurdly positioned the Eight Parts of the Divine are… damn it.”

Asura seemed to mutter something self-deprecatingly. It looked like he felt embarrassed about his past, where he couldn’t let go of the power of chaos. Hearing our conversation, Mangnyang said,

“As Asura mentioned, that battle is likely to take quite a while. The powers of the Eight Parts of the Divine are strong, but they hardly seem to be landing effective hits on that beast.”

“Then do we just sit here doing nothing?”

“That’s not it. We must be prepared for contingencies, so let’s start heading to the Death Sea now. We also have time to break through…”

Whoosh!

We opened the dimensional door and left the village of Tsuchimikado, entering the Death Sea. As we traversed the now desolate Death Sea where the Eight Parts of the Divine had ravaged earlier, mists created from demonic energy began to rise.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t get close to the mist. It’s dangerous.”

Moments later, as the mist swirled past the ground, Demon Beasts seemed to sprout up like plants, growing rapidly from the chaotic energy.

“Demon Beasts!”

Seeing this, I jumped slightly in surprise, and Asura muttered.

“The beasts here aren’t natural but rather offshoots of demonic energy. It’s no surprise that the overflowing demonic energy can create new demons.”

“You mean, in this Death Sea, demons are born infinitely?”

“Likely.”

“Damn, did we come out too early?”

“It seems Mangnyang has a plan. For now, let’s push forward.”

Tydaht!

After running for a while, we finally reached the spot where the Eight Parts of the Divine had last fought. It seemed like no regeneration of Demon Beasts had happened yet, but it was clear we couldn’t afford to dawdle. Mangnyang opened his fan and said,

“With the power of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, I seal this area!”

Boom!

In that moment, the space around us—about a hundred meters—was cleansed of Demonic energy, leaving a refreshing ambiance. Mangnyang smiled smugly and said, “For a while, this place will be safe, so let’s wait.”

“I’ve been thinking… doesn’t the ability of the Corpse Dissolution Technique level up too quickly? At this rate, you could already be considered a Grand Sorcerer.”

“It’s because I’ve learned how to borrow strength from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.”

“Huh?!”

“There is such a method.”

Mangnyang, mumbling, continued, “Let me reiterate. Our reason for being here is merely to be prepared for emergencies. If, by chance, the Eight Parts of the Divine meet the King of the Life Sea and get dragged in, there won’t be any going back. We can simply return to Soeul Village instead. Got it?”

“Understood.”

“Alright then. Let’s just wait and see…”

We began to wait calmly in front of the Dimension Door leading to the Entering Sea. About half a day later, I could finally see the battle situation coming to a close.

‘Shorter than three days, but still…’

Considering that there were six Demon Kings fighting, taking this long to conclude was quite a struggle. I couldn’t doubt Yeodong-bin’s past achievements.

[AAAAGH!!]

Boom!

It was evident when the core of the guardian of the Entering Sea was ripped out with a loud crash, signaling its demise. The last to rip out the core with bare hands was Yacha, who then transformed back into human form, showing signs of irritation.

“If Asura were here, he would’ve burrowed in with the Nirvana of the Absolute and extracted the core quickly, and it wouldn’t have taken this long!”

Celestial spoke up, seemingly displeased.

“Why even bring up someone who isn’t here?!”

“Celestial, didn’t all your sorcery fail against this beast? Your skills stem from chaos!”

“…….”

“It’s better to rely on Asura than to risk using ineffective attacks.”

Celestial flared up at the criticism.

“Shut your mouth! You were the one who turned into your main form, worried about getting hurt while hiding!”

“What did you say?”

As Celestial and Yacha began to growl at each other, Gin Nara intervened hastily.

“Stop it! What a pathetic display!”

“…….”

“Seimei, guide us further…”

In that moment.

“It seems you possess the qualifications to meet me.”

“King of the Life Sea!!”

The voice of the King of the Life Sea echoed through the space. Moments later, a bright golden light surged, creating a path within the chaotic universe, and it seemed to emanate from the King of the Life Sea’s powers. The King of the Life Sea said,

“I’ve seen enough of your strength. If there’s anything you desire, follow this path. I will meet with you…”

Whoosh!

With that voice fading, Gin Nara looked pensively at Seimei. Seimei, maintaining a blank expression, said,

“I have no reason to guide you anymore, so I’ll take my leave.”

“Don’t you desire the Phlogiston?”

“I wouldn’t want to face the King of the Life Sea to acquire that treasure. If you survive, I’ll accept compensation.”

“Then go.”

Swish!

“Alright, let’s go to where Chi You is…”

Once Seimei’s form vanished, the Eight Parts of the Divine gathered together, starting to follow the golden path. With that, the shared vision broke off, and shortly after, Seimei appeared where we had been waiting, using spatial movement.

Seimei said, “It seems that, in essence, Mangnyang’s plan to trap the Eight Parts of the Divine is now complete.”

“Seimei… if the Eight Parts of the Divine fight the King of the Life Sea, who will win?”

“Considering the battles they faced against the guardian of the Entering Sea so far, it’s rather clear.”

Seimei continued assertively, “The stature of the King of the Life Sea is far beyond that of each of the Eight Parts of the Divine. Hence, ordinary attacks will hardly reach the King due to the nature of their properties. Moreover, unlike the beastly guardian, the King knows how to unleash sorcery and powers, could the Eight Parts of the Divine really engage in a long-term battle?”

“Hmm.”

“If the Eight Parts of the Divine were so weak that they could easily fell it, I would’ve already found a way to eliminate the King long ago. It’s a blatantly obvious outcome.”

“If they don’t fight and instead talk to the King of the Life Sea, is there a possibility they’ll notice our trap…?”

“Not a chance.”

Seimei stared into the void.

“There are no beings in this world for whom the instincts of the strong eating the weak work as thoroughly as they do in chaos… The King of the Life Sea will try to devour the Demon Kings anyway.”

“…….”

“I think there’s no need to watch further; how about we start heading back?”

At Seimei’s suggestion, I pondered for a moment. But shaking my head, I replied, “Having come this far, I want to save Cheongwol. That was the original plan.”

“Very well. Let’s go.”

Whoosh!

We entered the Entering Sea and relied on Mangnyang’s Corpse Dissolution Technique to search for Cheongwol. When we had the memory pinpoints during the past glow, it was straightforward. However, having to search from square one was a real hassle. But after about a moment, detecting the location bore fruit, and we ended up finding Cheongwol.

“Y-you came to save me…!!”

Cheongwol seemed emotional as she knelt and began to cry.

“Thank you… truly thank you…”

“Um, Cheongwol. I’m just checking, but have you seen a Hat Warrior?”

“……? I’ve never seen anyone like that.”

“…….”

I frowned slightly at that remark.

‘As expected… that Hat Warrior does not appear in a consistent location. That means he moves unaffected by my past life. Now I feel even dirtier…’

Given that the Hat Warrior had previously died fighting the Demon Beasts of the Entering Sea, I had hoped he would show up, but as things turned out, he hadn’t come here. As I bit my lip, Asura spoke up.

“Let’s head back quickly. If the King of the Life Sea takes notice of us, things could get troublesome.”

“Is that so?”

I intended to return right away as Asura mentioned, but at that moment.

Roar~~!!

A gigantic beast from the depths of the abyss launched itself towards us, attacking! Since it was too late to dodge, we had no choice but to confront the beast.

A hulking, crimson flower crab-like tentacle monster, towering like a mountain!

“Damn!!”

Boom!

I unleashed Infinite Slash to make a significant cut across its front, while Asura, a beat later, dove in, striking the wound with Nirvana of the Absolute. As Asura’s strike embedded itself like a wedge, the creature flailed violently, and moments later, its chaotic, gelatinous head began multiplying into nine heads and commenced firing beams at us.

Zzap~~!

“Ugh, damn… it’s just one monster.”

I shouted in frustration, and Mangnyang responded back,

“Baek Woong, don’t underestimate it! Each single Demon Beast here corresponds to the same level as an Overlay Technique! Even if we’re strong, we can’t treat them lightly!”

“I know!”

“I’ll find the core first, so wait.”

With a thunderous noise, Mangnyang’s Corpse Dissolution Technique spread out, seemingly searching for the monster’s core. While he did that, I started stalling for time against the monster with Asura. Seimei, who had been fighting alongside, communicated with me mentally.

“Baek Woong. I have a request.”

“Why now?”

“Don’t just blow up the core when you target it; try to grab it with your hands.”

“……?”

“I want to test something.”

What kind of nonsense is this…

“Alright!”

Though I was confused, I decided to follow Seimei’s request since the stakes weren’t high given that I wasn’t in danger fighting this thing.

Slash!

After some time with Mangnyang activating the Corpse Dissolution Technique, the gigantic body of the monster began to reveal its shining [core]. As Asura and I exchanged glances, we bolted in to excavate it, and after around five hundred seconds of hacking, we finally reached the core.

Grab!

As soon as I spotted the core, I rushed in and grabbed it. And shouted,

“I got it! Now we just…”

Zzzap—

“Huh?!”

In the next instant, the enormous body of the monster transformed into sand and dissolved without a trace, leaving only the core in my hand, which suddenly turned into a dark liquid, beginning to slither and absorb into my palm!

It felt as if the essence of chaotic magic itself was reverting to its core.

Simultaneously, a grating voice came from within my mind, sounding like that of a grotesque extraterrestrial being.

[Ooh… if it’s you… I can be devoured….]

“……!!”

[I shall belong to you….]

Swoosh!

And just like that, the absorption finished completely.

What the heck is happening?!

As I was bewildered, Seimei approached and flipped my wrist, gazing at it. He murmured softly.

“Just as I thought…”

“What is it?”

“Look here. [Name] has been newly inscribed.”

“Huh?!”

Sure enough, the names on my forearm had increased from 16 to 17!

And upon inspecting the newly emerged name, it read:

[Legendary Abyssal Chaotic Giant Mutation Deep Red Crab]

Upon seeing that name, I froze, as if I had grasped something.

“…….”

This feels similar to when I absorbed the Guardian Giant Spider…?

At the same time, I was puzzled and asked,

“Wait. I never asked for a name from this Deep Sea monster; I just fought and killed it, so why was a name inscribed?”

“That’s what I wanted to test.”

“What were you testing?”

“I wanted to see if a name would inscribe under the format of taking the core after defeating the creature through battle, rather than through negotiation.”

Seimei continued in a soft tone, “And it turned out just as I expected. The closer a being is to pure chaos, the easier it is for them to have their [name] absorbed by you. Whether it’s a regular negotiation or a battle… but for it to be through a battle, you need to secure the core.”

“Hmm. Is that a good thing?”

“Well….”

Seimei looked a bit worried as he said, “What’s certain is that obtaining a [name] through combat and massacre is far easier than negotiating for one. This is… dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Is it too much magic accumulating?”

“No, you don’t get it? Not that kind of danger. This structure is like giving an ease of use to….”

Seimei stopped midsentence and sighed, saying, “It’s important to stay centered. You must never push yourself for power.”

“……? I suppose.”

“All I can hope for is that you won’t betray the trust of your comrades.”

I was bewildered by what he meant, but Asura, who was listening, interjected gruffly.

“Seimei. Baek Woong is not that kind of person. Don’t worry about it.”

“Understood.”

What are these guys talking about?

Could someone please provide some explanation?

As I was dumbfounded, Mangnyang spoke.

“Now that’s done, let’s head back. Whether the Eight Parts of the Divine venture into outer space or get devoured by the King of the Life Sea, it’s no longer our concern…”

At that moment.

Creeeak!!!

Creeeak!!!

Suddenly, thousands of thunders erupted in the distance as a [gateway] opened. And from that portal, something seemingly started to emerge slowly.

That something had a long body, and from far away, it looked like it was enveloped in silver armor. And when it fully revealed itself, I could recognize it as a ship.

Creeeak!

The ship was firing off sparks as it was engulfed in tremendous thunderstorms. Even though it was at least several hundred li away, when we all stared at the ship, waves began rippling from it, distorting the space in front of us.

Even from that distance, with my sharp ears, I could hear a mechanical voice, like an AI, speaking from that ship.

[Gaebakhan, initiating probability distortion. Jumping to the target point…]

Boom!

The ship tilted towards the distortion and submerged again, disappearing from sight within the sea of chaos.

“…….”

“…….”

In the face of an unexpected situation, we could only be dumbfounded.

“W-what the heck is that?”

The first to regain composure was Mangnyang. He spoke, “Let’s chase after it.”