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“Ah, what have I gotten myself into?”

A chilling thought struck me like a lightning bolt.

“Is this going to be a problem?!”

If I could take off the mask, it would be a monumental deal, at least for the Three Sovereigns. The emperor’s mask was not just a horrifying limitation for them, but also a vital device that allowed chaos to manifest in the realm of cause and effect. If I could remove that mask, it would throw everything into disarray.

I panicked and exclaimed, “…This is all the arrangement of Fuxi!!”

[……!!]

If they believed that removing the mask was my unique ability, it would totally change their attitude towards me. I figured it would be to my advantage to throw Fuxi under the bus. Shao Hao looked at me wide-eyed and said, [Are you serious about Fuxi’s arrangement?]

“Uh… So, let me explain!”

I cleared my throat a couple of times and continued, “As you may know, thanks to Fuxi’s arrangement, I was able to see the future of the Great Cycle and quickly gather the Seven Luminaries. I also foresaw your futures and the emperor’s foul intentions. But being just a weak human, Fuxi worried that knowing it wouldn’t give me the strength to stop them.”

[Wait… Are you saying Fuxi gave you the ability to take off the mask?]

Awesome! I quickly answered, “Yes! Fuxi, being one of the emperor’s strongest archenemies, surely researched the identity of the mask and how to remove it. But due to its powerful sorcery, he couldn’t devise a proper method and instead passed it on to me as the ability to remove the mask.”

[Hmm….]

[……]

The three were looking quite perplexed. Even though my explanation sounded slapped together, there were no gaps in the logic. If they dug deeper, the holes might show, but that’s not what mattered right now.

‘For the Three Sovereigns, the source of my ability is secondary. The real important thing is…’

Shao Hao spoke up in an anxious tone, [Whatever Fuxi thinks, it doesn’t matter! So, you’re saying you can take our masks off too, right?]

I nailed it! I had suspected that this was the crux of the matter, so I allowed myself a little smile inside. Before they could ask more, I confidently replied, “Absolutely! I was gathering the Seven Luminaries for that very purpose.”

[What does that mean?]

“Whoever gathers the Seven Luminaries is likely to possess great cause and effect, don’t you think?”

Feigning a sigh, I continued, “As you just saw, this ability doesn’t activate for free. It requires enormous divine power and considerable cause and effect. I nearly died trying to take off that mask, and my cause and effect are almost depleted.”

[Hmm!]

“I thought that gathering the Seven Luminaries would give me lots of cause and effect to easily activate Fuxi’s powers, but the contract got undone, so I didn’t gain much…”

Then Jeogok crossed his arms and said, [That makes sense. If your words are true, then if we gather the power and magical energy of the Seven Luminaries for you, you will certainly take our masks off, right?]

I nodded. “Of course.”

[But why didn’t you tell us you could take off our masks from the beginning? Were you planning to keep that ability to yourself if you hadn’t seen us with masks?]

Ugh! When that sharp point hit, I flinched but quickly answered with some ad-libbing. “To be honest, I didn’t think there was enough trust built up yet.”

Then Jeon Wook scoffed, [Ha ha! You’re really being honest, huh? You wanna die?]

Ku-koo-goo

‘Aarrrgh!!’ This is driving me crazy!

I felt my mind go blank for a moment, engulfed by the murderous intent emitted by Jeon Wook. No matter how much stronger I had become, facing his hostility head-on was a different story. Without the source of that massive divine power, I’d probably be blown away in an instant.

It felt like my skin was on fire, but desperately regaining my composure, I stammered, “Y-yeah, but for now, I can’t… um… trust…”

[What could you not trust?]

“Either way, the kings are the emperor’s subordinates… any one of you could have the motives to defect and inform the emperor, right? I thought that possibility was pretty high.”

[……]

A heavy silence followed my words. This time, the Three Sovereigns displayed neither anger nor hostility, just a worried stillness that caught me off guard.

But then I realized, ‘I struck a nerve with the Sovereigns.’

Although they had temporarily allied against the common enemy, the emperor, it was clear they could turn on each other if the situation became unfavorable. Right now, they thought they had a chance against the emperor so they were cooperating, but if things turned rotten, it would not be shocking for one of the three to betray the others.

‘But… this atmosphere is not good.’

If left unchecked, I might invoke their sudden anger by appearing to sow discord among them. I felt the urgent need to change the mood before that happened.

“However, lingering distrust among us will never overthrow Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. So, I’ve decided to become a proof of trust myself and vowed to become an apostle. And when I have built up enough trust, I’ll reveal my abilities.”

Then Jeon Wook spoke as if he were staring at me from afar, [You mean to become a joint apostle and serve as a mechanism so that no one can betray alone?]

Huh?

I had opened my mouth without thinking it would lead to Jeon Wook creating a new talking point, and I was relieved. As soon as I caught the thread of conversation, I quickly said, “Exactly! If there’s only one apostle, there’s no way to cope if someone betrays. But as joint apostles, if someone tries to defect, we can alert each other instantly without crossing dimensions.”

[That has its merits.]

[Hmm….]

[……]

The sovereigns looked to be pondering my words with caution. Seeing their reaction confirmed that my words were still making an impact. Or perhaps it was because my displayed ability tasted sweet enough to charm them.

Shao Hao spoke in a hasty tone, [Alright, so if we continue with the contract for the Seven Luminaries and lend you our magical energy and cause and effect, we can understand that you’ll immediately take off our masks, right?]

“Of course! As long as I gain cause and effect, I’ll do it!”

Phew, good! I was eager to ditch the feeling of sitting on a bed of nails, and as soon as I answered quickly, unexpectedly, Jeon Wook interjected.

[That’s not right, Shao Hao.]

[What is it, Jeon Wook? I just want to take this mask off quickly!]

Shao Hao growled fiercely as Jeon Wook replied coolly, [You know too, right? The mask may restrict our true magical powers, but at the same time, it grants the prerogative of engaging in this world as the Three Sovereigns.]

Shao Hao shot back, [What does that matter in a situation where we must even form a contract to gather the Seven Luminaries? The Seven Luminaries were a joke compared to our true powers, to begin with!]

[Not quite. Think about it. If we call the emperor into the realm of the Seven Luminaries and assassinate him… ]

[What?]

[What do you think will happen if an Old Ruler, without a mask, forces their way into that meeting hall? When entering that space, where only spiritual bodies can reside, all pure chaotic power will be nullified.]

[……!!]

[Once inside, it won’t matter.]

Shao Hao seemed to catch on to something. Jeogok next to him nodded along and added, [Indeed. If we were to assassinate the emperor with our full strength, we would need to enter that meeting hall wearing the masks. Because if we wear the mask, our powers won’t be diminished.]

[Exactly. Taking off the masks will be ‘the moment’ we need.]

Jeon Wook continued with a smirk, [That Baek Woong guy, once that moment comes, whether he likes it or not, has to take our masks off. Because if he makes the first move against the emperor and then gets countered, he’ll have to remove our masks to avoid dying from the attack.]

[Wooah….]

[If he doesn’t take the mask off, we can just sit back and watch. And if the tails get cut off, it doesn’t matter. It might be embarrassing, but we can just wait for the next shot.]

[Truly impressive, Jeon Wook.]

The two seemed to admire Jeon Wook. But I turned into a ball of frustration as I absorbed his words.

‘Damn it!! Why is he so smart?!’

I hadn’t even thought of that, but Jeon Wook had devised a trap for me in that short moment, making it impossible for me to withdraw from this plan! Just like that, it had been publicized, and now I was bound to this plan forever. I once again realized that Jeon Wook was a fierce yet quick-witted strategist.

Moments later, Jeogok reached out to me and said, [In any case, you are now our joint apostle. You can use our powers freely and utilize that strength to gather force rapidly on the earth.]

“……”

[Feel free to wipe out the alien races on the earth as long as you’re under our protection, no one will stand against you.]

It sounded great but ultimately meant I was just a disposable assassin and bait for their benefit. But since I had brought this upon myself, I couldn’t complain. I felt none too happy about it, but ultimately, I decided to push through and not give up.

‘Damn… okay, let’s gather as much strength as I can.’

Normally, gathering the powers of the Three Sovereigns at this level would involve great ups and downs, but since this was the end times, it felt unrealistically easy in comparison. Since it had come to this, I might as well see it through to the end.

I let out a sigh and replied, “Very well. Then I have two requests.”

[What are they?]

“First, I want to know the whereabouts of the Golden Crow. Secondly, I want to be able to go to the Celestial Realm anytime I want. Using the Heavenly Altar is just going to waste time.”

[That’s a reasonable request.]

Shao Hao interjected, “Once you leave this space, you’ll be transported directly to the location of the Golden Crow. Is that acceptable?”

“Whoa! Is that really possible?”

[I’m the creator of the Golden Crow; do you think that would be impossible? I can’t summon it directly, but that much is easy.]

“Thank you.”

[And you’ll easily reach the Celestial Realm by activating the Apostle’s seal.]

“The Apostle’s seal?”

I glanced at the three seals spinning wildly on my palm. Shao Hao explained, [If you infuse divine power into those seals, I’ll send you straight to the Celestial Realm.]

“So you’re calculating the coordinates for me?”

[Calculating? Gods don’t need that. I’ll just send you roughly where you need to go.]

“……”

It seemed that the way gods moved through dimensions was entirely different from that of mortals. I nodded vigorously.

“Please send me right away. If possible, bring my companions with me.”

[Sure.]

[Wait a minute!]

Suddenly, Jeogok interrupted Shao Hao and looked directly at me, saying, [Don’t touch the Evil God forces. Understood?]

“……? Understood.”

[Off you go.]

Pa-at!!

Moments later, I realized I had suddenly transported from the space where the Three Sovereigns were gathered to an unknown location.

‘Where am I?’

A vast plain shrouded in darkness and thick blue mist. A cold wind brushed past me, yet the atmosphere felt eerily calm.

As I gazed at the endless horizon of the plain, a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Suddenly, we’ve all teleported together.”

“Daji.”

The figure of Daji, with her nine tails fanned out and in half-demon form, approached with a sultry smile.

“I sensed the energy of the Three Sovereigns. It seems you had a little chat with them.”

“…That’s right.”

“Hehehe. Then, Golden Crow is probably here too. You must have asked to be sent to where it is.”

She sure picks up on things quickly…

I reluctantly nodded, “It must be somewhere here. If I can find the Golden Crow, that means I’ll gather the Six Needs completely.”

“So, what’s your plan once you gather them all?”

Suddenly, a chilling voice laced with deadly intent interrupted.

“……”

When I turned to see the source of the voice, there was King Dae Jo Young glaring down at me from atop his black horse, exuding a strong aura of divine power and prowess.

“King Dae Jo Young.”

“What’s the reason for hiding the fact that you were Jeon Wook’s apostle? And what did you discuss with Shao Hao, the Three Sovereigns?”

“Calm down. I’ll tell you everything.”

Dae Jo Young replied with a cynical tone. “No, it’s too late now. I can’t trust your words anymore. How can we believe you, being a disciple of Fuxi, an apostle of Jeon Wook, and having now been secretly negotiating with Shao Hao?”

“……”

“Even if you were to make me trust you, it wouldn’t be believable.”

With my mouth shut tight from having no comeback, I suddenly heard a mighty voice booming down from above.

[Baek Woong! I agree with Dae Jo Young.]

Ku-koo

From the sky, descended the powerful figure of Gong Gong!

He brandished his flaming great sword, his anger not concealed in his voice. [Are you saying you were trying to use us to gather the Six Needs more comfortably?]

“Calm down.”

I was starting to feel overwhelmed. I didn’t expect our relationships to unravel so easily!

‘Damn it. Should I give them Obsidian or something?’

But giving away the Obsidian could drastically change the course of history in this world. Maybe by leaking my secrets to them, I would land myself in a more dangerous scenario. Persuading those who have no trust in me and who aren’t tied to my past life would be a grand undertaking.

As I pondered over my predicament, Daji cut in. “Hehe. Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill them all?”

“Daji!!”

“Why should you fear some Demon King who was just wallowing in the end times?”

Ku-koo-goo

Daji began to unleash her formidable power, and I stiffened. It was clear that Daji planned to wipe out both King Dae Jo Young and Gong Gong with her strength! That was something I absolutely could not allow! I quickly drew my sword and stepped in front of Daji.

“Don’t do it!! How do you expect to solve anything this way?”

“Then what do you suggest? You think I should negotiate with those who think they can’t trust me, endlessly? What for? You think as an apostle of the Three Sovereigns that I’m destined to be a pawn for you?”

“No….”

“As a voice of the Goddess Nüwa, I declare it, Baek Woong.”

Daji smiled a sinister smile. “The strong can bully and kill the weak. That’s the truth of this universe… the only principle passed down since the primordial chaos!!”

Ku-koo-goo!

In the next moment, Daji began to grow larger. I bit my lip at the spectacle, and both King Dae Jo Young and Gong Gong looked equally shocked by this unexpected situation.

‘Hell no.’

Who would have imagined I would suddenly engage in a life-or-death showdown with Daji in a place I didn’t even know?

However, moments later, yet another unforeseen event occurred.

Swoosh – !!

Ku-kwang-kwang!

[Kraaaaah!!]

Suddenly, Daji, trying to transform into her true form, was hit by a giant beam from the sky, exploding in a violent sound. The beam was enormous and shone with a gray hue. As I recognized that beam from my memories, my eyes widened.

‘No way!!’

Daji, who had been hit, vanished temporarily beyond the horizon. I watched her retreating figure and quickly turned to Dae Jo Young and Gong Gong, saying, “Let’s sort out our issues later. Right now, we need to unite if we want to survive here!”

Even if the beam was powerful, Daji wouldn’t go down with just one hit; she must have been caught off guard. I realized that Daji would likely join the fray again soon, and we needed to protect ourselves until that happens.

… It can’t be helped!

[Grrr… You’re swinging your power around freely.]

King Dae Jo Young and Gong Gong seemed to have a good grasp of the situation, and given that an unknown formidable enemy had appeared, they decided to team up with me.

Tadah!

We three grouped together and took up defensive stances, keeping an eye on the skies above from where the beam had come. In this tense state, Dae Jo Young suddenly said to me, “I suspect you know the identity of that strong enemy.”

“Is that the kind of intuition belonging to a king?”

“Seems to be true.”

I begrudgingly acknowledged it.

…I know a bit.

“You mentioned earlier that we transported here, to the location of the Golden Crow. Soare you saying that formidable enemy is protecting the Golden Crow?”

“That seems likely.”

“That being looks extremely powerful, possibly even more than it appears… Do you know the enemy’s name?”

Ku-koo-goo.

A being stepped into view from behind the clouds, revealing itself slowly from the darkness on the horizon.

It was far larger than what I remembered, but the general appearance was the same. A sunken, eyeless humanoid form with a mass of tentacles was crawling over the mountain peak. From the palms of that being flowed pale flames, emanating an eerie darkness.

…Halchi Olleifra.

The moment I saw it, I clenched my teeth.

‘Damn it.’

I had hoped it wouldn’t be that, but alas, it was!

This must have been the being responsible for annihilating the protectors of the Golden Crow in the Western Regions.

Halchi Olleifra, a great apostle from the Otherworld, was guarding the Golden Crow, the hidden weapon the Old Rulers would use to take on the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin.

 

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