1316——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Then, it seemed like the Celestial being got really riled up by my words.

[Heheh. Looks like everyone’s going crazy over that Asura today! Alright, let’s see if that mouth matches your skills!]

Zzzzzap!!

[Four Light Wheels of Death.]

In an instant, four orbs of different colors floated around the Celestial being. I had no clue what that spell was, but I tightened my grip on the sword, feeling a rush of tension.

‘Is this the beginning?’

This was probably my first legitimate fight with a Celestial being.

‘The first time we met, the Celestial just showed off his power by freezing time. We didn’t really clash. After that encounter, I had only seen him in skirmishes or from a distance, but we never fought directly.’

I wasn’t quite sure how it came to this, but I probably had avoided a direct confrontation due to my insufficient skills against the Celestial known as the Three Strongmen of the Eight Divine Guardians. To be honest, while I could’ve challenged him, it would’ve been akin to throwing my life away for no good reason.

But this time was different. I had to win this duel at all costs, and my power had risen to rival that of the Eight Divine Guardians! If I had to fight, I might as well do it without cowering before my enemy!

I quickly recalled how to deal with the Celestial in my head. It was based on the knowledge I obtained from the Celestial Sage in my 28th life.

‘According to my analysis of the Celestial from the Great Bear Empire, he knows at least over 100,000 spells and is exceptionally skilled! He has mastered all the ancient spells and forbidden arts that have long since vanished in this world over millennia, and creates battlefields that are highly advantageous to himself with an almost infinite amount of spell power! Effectively, he’s the best spell expert, outclassing even the Great Immortal, aside from that Old Ruler!’

I bit my lip, recalling the knowledge given to me by the Celestial Sage.

‘The most effective way to deal with such a Celestial… probably that!’

I raised my sword and glared at the Celestial. However, I opted to remain defensive, just standing my ground.

‘Absolutely must not attack first.’

The Celestial shouldn’t attack first. My countless battle experiences and knowledge from the Great Bear Empire led me to that conclusion. That Four Light Wheel alone wasn’t even recorded in the Celestial Sage’s knowledge, proving just how many terrifying spells the Celestial actually possessed. If I charged in first, I’d certainly get hit with a spell I didn’t understand, and the problem was that even a single hit could lead to a fatal state for a human body.

“……”

Can I really execute the plan as intended?

Maybe finding me strange, the Celestial muttered with a snicker.

[You must have some ability to reflect spells? Then I’ll be the one to take the initiative.]

Fwooosh!!

The four Four Light Wheels summoned by the Celestial began to emit light, firing out what looked like bubbles into the air. They didn’t shoot straight but quickly filled the space all around me with light bubbles. As I glanced around at the mass of bright bubbles, the Celestial flicked his finger and said:

[Pop!]

Boom!!

In the next moment, thousands of bubbles burst, scattering hundreds of light wheels that bounded around erratically. Their speed was so astonishing that they seemed far beyond that of the stars.

The sheer power of it was evident; even the Golden Hall of the Great Sword would be obliterated like tofu. If I tried to block such a monstrous attack with my Protection Energy Technique, no matter how absolute my realm, I’d end up in pieces in seconds. This was the terror of a Celestial!

But in that instant, I was reacting reflexively.

Three Treasure Technique

Following the step of Heaven to the step of Earth, I was already skimming through space and just barely dodged the range of the bubbles entirely. To anyone else, it must have looked like pure artistry.

My heart raced.

‘I can’t dodge infinitely, but…’

Using my ultimate evasion techniques against the murderous space of the bubbles, I could only manage three steps of freedom. Even the Three Treasure Technique couldn’t allow infinite evasion against extreme circumstances or virtually endless flashes like this. But I had confidence that with that much leeway, I could handle anything.

‘Now’s the time!’

I drew on my Spirit Power to unleash my maximum defensive art.

Omni-Sphere Shield

Double Layer!

With a loud sound, I felt my entire body enveloped in my defensive art, the Omni-Sphere Shield. Thanks to the double layer, I almost botched it but somehow managed just in the nick of time.

Having nailed it when I felt my heart leap with joy.

‘I did it… No Chanting!!’

My first achievement in any of my lives!

It was the realm of No Chanting which only high-level sorcerers could wield!

This was the privilege of those who could understand everything about the spell and sustain it, even with the legs of its pillars knocked out. So, the sorcerers on this planet needed the power of treasures or artifacts to use No Chanting but those high enough, like the Great Immortal, could easily wield it.

But I was currently able to achieve No Chanting because I felt my unique visceral sense refining slowly over time. I was starting to embody the subtle control necessary to manipulate spells by using divine energy.

‘Thanks to frequently exhausting my magical power, the inner Heuk Woong is awakening…’

The spirit that originally controlled my Spirit Power, Heuk Woong—though now dormant—was beginning to stir with the expenditure of my energy. I grinned to myself.

‘Looks like my control over Spirit Power is growing stronger, so I took a gamble and hit a jackpot!’

Of course, the Omni-Sphere Shield being a fundamental art made No Chanting easier, so there was still a long way to go. Using No Chanting to unleash powerful spells like those other top-tier sorcerers was still utterly impossible for me.

Still, this was a start. Once Heuk Woong fully awoke, I’d be able to manipulate spells freely with the Spirit Power I possessed!

Whosh!!

After casting the double-layer Omni-Sphere Shield on myself, I had no choice but to take the incoming light wheels as soon as my Three Treasure Technique concluded. However, the hundreds of light wheels that came crashing down couldn’t break through the shield, merely scratching it with a screeching sound. The Celestial seemed flabbergasted at what he saw.

[What! I thought you were a martial artist, but it seems you’re a sorcerer?]

Boom!!

However, it seemed that the double layer of the Omni-Sphere Shield had a limit to countering the force of the Four Light Wheels, as the protective shield shattered almost immediately. But with this sequential time, I had plenty to gather my intent and energy.

Thud thud thud

With this brief moment of focus, I dazzlingly surged toward the Celestial, landing a solid hit.

Absolute Sword Thunder

Infinite Slash!

The lightning that could cut through infinity distorted the laws of the world and carved a diagonal line across the Celestial’s body. The Celestial sensed the strike too late with his Demon King’s instincts but couldn’t react with a spell in time. In that fleeting moment, the trace of lightning sliced through and then exploded, unleashing an enormous flash and noise.

Boom!!

Boom!!

As hundreds of slices absorbed light, the explosion spread throughout the air with the madness of a nuclear burst. I, matching my speed with Infinite Slash, withdrew my sword as quickly as I could and activated Heavenly Destruction Step to retreat.

Tydaht!!

From a distance, watching the devastation and thick dark smoke, the Celestial’s ominous voice echoed in the air.

[Ugh…. Not bad… you have some skill.]

It was clear that I had landed a hit.

[So you knew that my automatic defense weakens after I unleash a spell…. And you struck precisely where it is the weakest.]

“……”

[Who told you my details?]

Sizzle!

Lightning crackled as the Celestial took form, appearing in pristine condition. However, he wasn’t unscathed; the area where I’d sliced him across was torn open, and blue blood was visibly oozing from the wound.

I chuckled softly and replied.

“It’s the desires and analyses of the countless experts you’ve killed. They’ve revealed your weaknesses to me.”

[You mean I killed your subordinates? I haven’t done such a thing lately… ]

“…….”

He couldn’t possibly know.

In the 28th life during the Great Bear Empire’s war against monsters—numerous martial artists rose in rebellion to take down the Eight Divine Guardians. Many peak experts and absolute experts challenged the Demon King Eight Divine Guardians, and some even confronted the Celestial, but most perished, utterly crushed by the might of superior spells.

Though they were slain by the Eight Divine Guardians, their battle records remained and were passed down through generations, detailing the Eight Divine Guardians’ weaknesses, which were ultimately input into our efforts.

From that data, I figured that I should wait for the Celestial to strike first and negate the damage with defensive techniques before countering with my Infinite Slash. I also already knew where the Celestial’s automatic defense was weakest.

Even though we hadn’t faced directly, my entire being had devoted itself to the Great Bear Empire for 500 years. All those human hearts and minds allowed me to wound the Celestial in this one exchange.

‘I don’t know your face or your name, but… for all those who offered their loyalty to the Great Bear Empire, I will utterly destroy the Celestial now!’

This must be the achievement of the first emperor of the Great Bear Empire!

“Die.”

Tydaht!!

I lunged at the Celestial again.

[Do you really think you can take a hit from me?]

The Celestial immediately unleashed five different unknown spells using No Chanting to counter-attack. However, because I activated the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, names and titles of the spells flowed into my mind.

Spell: Demon’s Controller Spider

Sorcery: Blood Hand

Curse: Black Hair Blade

Barrier: White Origin Seven Stars Formation

Enhancement: Soul Rebirth Armor

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the world around me was shrouded in web-like threads as thick as a celestial curtain, obscuring my vision. Then, as a dark mist rose, a monstrous blood-red wrist shot out to attack my neck, and just as I dodged that, hair-like blades from my shadow pricked my back.

‘Ugh!’

This was intense!

Clang!

As I desperately unleashed all of my martial arts to fend off the continuous barrage, a sound rang out as a white barrier emerged around the Celestial, and simultaneously a defensive spell wrapped around him, much like I had done.

“……!!”

Each of those spells was from different systems and types, yet all of them were continuously unleashed through No Chanting?!

‘Damn it! One of those would make even the Celestial’s Twelve Ancestors laugh in disbelief!’

As I was reeling in shock, the Celestial spoke.

[You’re quite impressive for someone aiming to eliminate me. I became complacent, thinking my body wouldn’t be harmed by a mere martial artist’s sword skills; I now recognize your strike could genuinely kill me.]

“So, that’s why you wrapped yourself in armor?”

[Isn’t it a fair trade? We’ll both unleash our full power, and you can use whatever spells you want, just like before.]

The Celestial’s eyes shone with a brilliant light as he casually brushed off my taunts.

[And I’ll show you just how foolish it is to try and resolve matters with spellcraft before me!!]

Crash!

Suddenly, a colossal pressure descended, forcing me to falter under the weight of its presence. I realized that the Celestial was gearing up to fight at full power and muttered to myself.

‘This is precisely why they call him the Three Strongmen of the Eight Divine Guardians…’

There was undoubtedly a tier separating him from other Eight Divine Guardians. While the rest relied on the Demon King’s physique for close combat and specialties, the Celestial fought intelligently, utilizing spell power that exceeded even that of the Great Immortal to construct a battlefield in his favor. With the same durability as the Demon King’s body, the Celestial benefitted from a superior attack power and adaptability, making him inherently formidable. This must have been why the Celestial Sage recognized him.

Just moments ago, it was clear. Against a being who could unleash such high-grade spells recklessly, dragging out the confrontation would surely lead to my death with even a single wrong step.

But recognizing the strength of my opponent and accepting their victory are entirely different matters. I refused to even think about losing, gripping my sword tightly and muttering.

“If you’re going to spare no means, that’s perfect for me. I would’ve preferred to fight as a martial artist, but if that’s how you’re going to go about it, then bring it on.”

[What grand spell are you planning to use? It won’t work against me.]

“Is that so?”

I chuckled. Then, raising one hand, I concentrated my spirit.

“Summon the Book of Life and Death!”

Swish!

[What?]

In the next moment, I invoked the Book of Life and Death, holding it in my hand, and glared at the Celestial while writing a name on its pages.

“Die, you bastard!”

I didn’t want to use a cheat like this, but you brought it upon yourself!

Twist!

[Ugh…!!]

Swish!

In my eyes, I saw it. For a brief moment, a dark hand from the deceased rose around the Celestial’s body, caressing his skin! It felt like a touch that directly caressed the soul, seemingly ignoring the barrier and all defensive spells the Celestial had cast, and I could see him momentarily writhing in pain.

Yet, even amid the tremors, he wasn’t completely thrown off balance and seemed like he’d recover shortly. I looked around at the current situation and realized the effect of the Book of Life and Death.

‘It makes sense! It doesn’t work at all against those at the level of the Old Ruler, like the Sea God, but it can still deal blow to one of the lower-tier Demon Kings.’

But it seemed unlikely to hold him for long; compared to when I wielded the power of the Wheel King in my 28th life, this felt quite meager. However, I figured that I could still use it effectively based on the situation and was personally glad I tried it out.

“Now’s my chance!!”

I seized upon the overwhelming opening and fired off my Infinite Slash. As I did, it felt like the barrier and defenses I had prepared were holding back the force of my Infinite Slash, and it briefly resisted before shredding through the Celestial’s spells.

Chwaak!!

Swoosh!

[Ugh… if only I could harness the full power of the Crystal Stele… ]

Grumbling something, the Celestial suddenly teleported to another location. As he gathered himself and tried to shake off the pain, he clasped his hands and shouted.

[Time, cease!]

Boom!

Perhaps because this was not a simple No Chanting but a fully concentrated time-freeze spell? An oppressive sensation gripped me all over, and I had no choice but to stiffen up. Realizing that the Celestial was preparing to unleash his full power, I muttered.

‘There’s a reason they call him Three Guardians of the Eight Divine Guardians…’

It was crystal clear that he stood a tier above the rest. While the other Guardians relied on the Demon King’s body for close-quarters and special abilities, the Celestial used spell potency surpassing even the Great Immortal to craft advantageous battlegrounds for himself and fight intelligently. Naturally, given that my durability matched the Demon King’s, it was inevitable that the Celestial would have superior striking power and flexibility.

Just a second ago, it was evident. Against someone who could hurl advanced spells like confetti, dragging out a fight would lead to inevitable death from even a single mistake.

However, acknowledging the power of my opponent and conceding their victory were two utterly different things. I had no intention of losing, tightly gripping my sword as I murmured.

“If you’re going to spare no means to win, then all the better for me! I sought to fight as a martial artist, but since that’s your approach, I’ll gladly oblige.”

[Whatever terrible spell you’re concocting won’t do you any good!]

“Is that so?”

I smirked and raised one hand, focusing my intent.

“Summon the Book of Life and Death!”

Swish!

[What?]

In the next moment, I brought forth the Book of Life and Death, holding it up toward the Celestial.

“Die, you bastard!”

I didn’t mean to resort to tactics like this, but you brought it upon yourself!

Twist!

[Ugh…!!]

In my vision, I saw dark hands erupt from the shadows of the deceased surrounding the Celestial’s body, wrapping around his flesh. It was as if that grasp directly touched his soul, completely disregarding any barriers or defenses he’d erected, and I noticed him writhing in pain.

However, he still stood his ground, showing no signs of faltering amid the agony. I realized the current effectiveness of the Book of Life and Death.

‘Ah! While it doesn’t seem to affect the Old Ruler or the Sea God at all, it can still deal blows to lower-tier Demon Kings!’

But judging by the nature of the situation, I deduced it wouldn’t hold him down for long; compared to the might I wielded as the Wheel King in my 28th life, this [Book of Life and Death] only had about the same potency.

However, this was more than sufficient for tactical usage based on the current standoff, and I felt a sense of achievement.

“Now’s my opportunity!”

I took swift advantage of the opening created and instantly unleashed my Infinite Slash toward the Celestial. As the barrier I had readied protectively buffeted the Infinite Slash, it met a fractional resistance before slicing through the Celestial’s enchanted spells.

Swath!

Swish!

[Ugh… if only I could harness the full power of the Crystal Stele… ]

Grumbling something, the Celestial suddenly teleported away. Recovering from the pain, he clasped his hands and bellowed aloud.

[Time, cease!]

Boom!

Seemingly not just a common No Chanting spell, the sheer concentration he channeled into his time freeze made me feel a weighty pressure bound me completely.

“Like I wouldn’t realize that!”

[What!!]

When I closed in, catching him off guard significantly, the Celestial appeared flustered and began to retreat, but I kept awaiting and landed blows with my sword.

Smash!

No matter the caliber of the Celestial’s high-level spells, my sword strikes powered beyond that, shredding through his barriers with every subsequent slice. He must have sensed the risk and emitted a bright light from his body to divert my incoming attacks, but at those moments, I simply implemented my Three Treasure technique or my Heavenly Destruction Step to back off.

Whack!

I quickly capitalized on a moment of vulnerability, striking deeply into the Celestial’s abdomen again with my sword.

[Ugh.]

Injured and stunned by a barrage of blows from me, the Celestial scrambled in bewilderment, shouting.

[How could you have detected my time-freeze spell?!]

How could he not know? Since the first time we met, he used that spell as a taozhang master, so how could I possibly miss it?

Naturally, I had also considered how I would respond if he froze time since then, daydreaming at times.

‘Time freezes, like spells themselves, can be avoided by encapsulating one’s body with Spirit Power!’

Creak!

Thinking along those lines, I concentrated yet again to prep my Infinite Slash. Meanwhile, the Celestial, sensing his imminent vulnerability, raised his defenses, only to discover my mucky scheme.

‘This scoundrel must be utterly flattened!’

With that thought, I raced to the World of the Four Great Deities and made an appeal.

“Oh, Four Great Deities! I sacrifice the name of the [Legendary Abyssal Chaotic Mutant Crimson Crab] as offerings; banish the Celestial’s spellcasting abilities!”

Swish!

My shout evoked Agni, who appeared before me in the form of Han Baek-ryeong.

[Very well. I will scorch the spells residing in his mind for a while.]

Boom!

When I returned to the real world, the Celestial seemed to panic, as all his spellcasting came to a halt.

“What? How is this possible?!”

It was probably painfully evident. My hand revealed the deleted name of the Crimson Crab, and in return, Agni had boiled the Celestial’s spell knowledge. When knowledge perished, it resembled sacred forgetfulness, rendering spellcasting entirely impossible.

“Die, damn you!!”

This was revenge for the Great Bear Empire’s martial artists and elite soldiers!!

Smash!!

Rushing forward, I sliced down toward the Celestial, who had no defenses. In an instant, my blade reduced him into eighteen fragments with just a few strikes, monstrous chunks tumbling in every direction.

Rustle…

But after a brief moment, I saw the severed pieces connect back together again, regaining form amidst the brilliance, making me snort in dismay.

‘Could it be!’

Was the phenomenon of reviving due to the prowess of Chi You’s power?

‘Damn it… am I going to have to keep killing him?!’

Resolved to confront my uneasiness, I soon felt something strange.

Though the Celestial did revive, he seemed to writhe helplessly, exposed and vulnerable.

[Ugh…uuu…]

While I initially presumed he was struggling because of the agony of death, something felt off. He resembled someone who might have been about to perish a hundred times over, yet he was clearly struggling to regain his composure.

This wasn’t just confusion brimming across his colossal frame; I sensed a considerable shift as his flesh undulated grotesquely, swelling larger.

Grrrrrr

Grrrrrr

[Uuuuaaarrrgh!!!]

The Celestial roared in fervor as though he had become a mindless beast akin to the monsters of the Sea God. I pondered what had occurred within him.

‘What’s going on? This is nothing like when the Eight Divine Guardians revived during the World Tree battle!’

Back then, they immediately exhibited their original powers and strengths as soon as they were revived, which even managed to drive away the Avatar of the Old Ruler, Karpatokma. But this revived state appeared to have devolved him into something utterly staggering.

As I mused, an icy voice from the King of the Life Sea echoed through the void.

[Pathetic. A masterless dog… To be reduced to a state where you can’t even control Chi You’s body.]

Crack!!

That marked the end for the Celestial. A massive finger, seemingly summoned by the King of the Life Sea, crushed him, bursting his form into heaps. As it was slain directly by the Old Ruler, he seemed utterly out of options for revival as his body fell lifeless to the ground.

Moments later, the King of the Life Sea proclaimed.

[Victory belongs to Baek Woong. What is your wish?]

“Wait a sec….”

I leaped forth, hastily rummaging through the remains of the Celestial. After a lengthy search, I discovered something gleaming, until I pulled out a tiny piece, just about the size of my finger. The strange intensity of spiritual energy emanating from the shard caused me to murmur.

“It was indeed here.”

A fragment of the Crystal Stele!

I had heard that the Eight Divine Guardians had absorbed the entirety of the Crystal Stele after smashing it to pieces, and it turned out to be true. I recalled the Alchemist Saint Germain’s earlier request to recover this Crystal Stele shard, which compelled my search through the Celestial’s remains. After having killed the Celestial, I had finally managed to retrieve a piece.

‘But why is it so small?’

Despite the Crystal Stele’s size, the tiny fragment seemed too minuscule to be plausible. They should at least have produced a piece the size of a child after splitting such a massive artifact. Could it have been reduced in size due to absorption?

Pondering over this, I placed the shard into my wooden armor. Then, I opened my mouth and declared.

“Hm. I would like to grant this wish.”

[“I wish to summon Nailatop to this place?”]

“Exactly! Make it happen right away.”

Once I voiced it, a deep sigh escaped me.

‘Maybe this means I’ve mostly fulfilled my promise to Major Lee Hwan-woong…’

I didn’t know what summons he’d have with his scientific mentor, but from this point on, it was entirely up to him. I felt slightly relieved and a sense of accomplishment for fulfilling my earlier promise.

…….

But something felt off.

‘Huh?’

Since this spatial reality lingered for a while longer with the King of the Life Sea maintaining silence, I found myself perplexed.

“Hey!! What’s taking so long? Grant my wish!”

After a moment, the King of the Life Sea spoke using a voice tinged with astonishment.

[What in the world…. How could this be happening….]

“What’s going on?”

[Brought upon by your summons, a [gate] is looming on the other side… ]

Moments later, the King of the Life Sea cried out, seemingly horrified.

[Oh divine observer…!! What do you mean? Incomprehensible!]

Kaboom!!

Something flashed in the air, and it appeared that the King of the Life Sea was hit heavily.

[Aaaaah!]

With a dreadful scream, the King of the Life Sea’s presence abruptly vanished, as I watched from a distance as his apparition plummeted somewhere far away like a ghostly wisp. If that was genuine and not an illusion, he had undoubtedly received a heavy blow. Having vanished into the Endless Chaos, all fell silent in this spatial realm.

“……?!”

What… what just happened?!

‘Did the King of the Life Sea get wiped out?!’

While I stood confused, sounds of shattering echoed through the void! The border of time and space fractured, and a colossal warship revealed itself in grandiosity. As the battleship descended, a bright beam of light poured into the hall, casting down upon [something] that was gradually descending.

Whooooosh

Whoooosh

Off the ship, a frail-looking scientist clad in a white lab coat emerged. With glasses perched on his nose, that scientist appeared distinctly human without the slightest hint of transcendence or might.

Moments later, the scientist stepped down, adjusting his spectacles before coughing.

“Cough! Cough!! When passing through the outer universe, a mask is an absolute necessity, huh?”

“…….”

“Phew. Just a moment please.”

The scientist took out a white mask from his pocket and put it on, then he seemed quite satisfied. After a brief moment, he donned white gloves and began grinning as he spoke.

“Pleasure to meet you! I’m Nailatop, a passing scientist. Who would have thought an outer universe would summon me?”

“Wait… who are you?”

What the heck is this?

I was hit with an unsettling vibe, recognizing the strange sense of déjà vu. It felt as though I’d met this guy somewhere before; that familiar feeling nagged at me.

“Cough, cough, this persistent cough won’t go away.”

“Are you sick?”

“I’m rather indulged in this condition. My body’s rather weak….”

“……”

He looked like a regular human, too frail to survive a single hit.

I tilted my head as I posed my question.

“…Are you Major Lee Hwan-woong’s mentor?”

“Right you are. But that’s not really important… cough.”

As the conversation continued, my eyes widened at Nailatop’s next statement.

“Hey, by the way, you’re a reincarnate, aren’t you? Sorry for the intrusion, but may I ask how many times you died?”

What?!

“How… how do you know that?!”

At that moment, a piercing alarm rang in my head.

This scientist could recognize me as a reincarnate at a glance and incapacitated the King of the Life Sea with a single strike!

‘Could he possibly be a servant of [Coming Chaos]?!’

Having faced Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen disastrously before, I felt a chilling sense of dread wash over me.

And the next series of events were simply instincts awakened by my previous lives.

Nailatop, grinning smugly, replied, “Thanks to these glasses.”

“Glasses?”

“I made them while wandering through space out of boredom.”

As he fiddled with the softly glowing glasses, Nailatop continued with a hint of pride in his tone.

“They help gauge the relationship between particle vibrational patterns and tensors, measuring the universal constants. With these, I can even read karma factors caused by defect variables, so it lets me measure the abnormal karma factor stack within individuals.”

“……?”

“Oh, even if you don’t understand, that’s fine! In the end, I just play with toys of knowledge, you know? Just having the toys is enough most of the time; who cares how they were crafted?”

“W-what are you saying…”

Nailatop rambled on gleefully.

“What’s important is that I can recognize reincarnates! It’s a true delight to meet cosmic rarity like yourself.”

“…….”

What was he on about?

“You… you can’t be Nihalathotep, can you?!”

In response to my panicked shout, Nailatop tilted his head quizzically.

“Hmm? Who’s that?”

“Don’t play dumb!! Now that I think about it, your names are suspiciously similar!”

I couldn’t put my finger on it earlier, but Nailatop and Nihalathotep were indeed sounding alike!

As I screamed in horror, Nailatop chuckled heartily.

“Haha! So what if my name is similar to that Nihalathotep? What do you intend to do if I were him?”

“……!!”

With a refreshing laugh, he cheerfully continued.

“Great! It’s fate! Why not try hitting me a little harder? That would prove it.”

“Are you insane!!?”

As soon as I heard that, I felt darkness descend before my eyes.

Am I truly going to endure despair again, like during life 28?!

Is this really Nihalathotep standing before me?!

“Damn it!”

If that’s the case, I’m in big trouble!

Whack!

“Ugh…”

Instinctively, I delivered a light Thunder God Fist to the solar plexus, and Nailatop briefly trembled before collapsing. The energy from that single strike had incapacitated him.

Thud!

Nailatop fell forward, and after a moment, his breathing ceased.

“……?”

Huh?

That was way too easy!

I expected some mysterious retaliatory measure or sorcery to incinerate me given Nailatop’s ability to deal with the King of the Life Sea with a single blow!

‘No way… that can’t be…’

A haunting sense of unease crawled up my spine.

I rummaged through the scientist Nailatop’s body with whatever medical knowledge I had. It wasn’t until after a while that realization hit me.

“Um… wait, wait a moment….”

Nailatop’s corpse was undeniably human.

He had simply died from my blow.

“…….”

What now?