1358——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I dashed toward the giant tree, following Yi Hon. As he said, this space was so vast it could hardly exist beneath Antarctica, and even with my speed technique, I still couldn’t reach the tree in one go.

With a swish

Even without the Soul Removal Technique, my speed was way faster, so I managed to get to the base of the tree before Yi Hon. A moment later, Yi Hon arrived, looking a bit stunned as he spoke.

“What kind of speed technique is that…? There’s no one among the current martial artists faster than me.”

I smirked and replied, “Well, if you run a few laps around the Earth, your speed technique naturally improves.”

“……”

Yi Hon looked at me with doubtful eyes, but I was speaking literally. I stole a glance at the tree and asked, “So what’s next? Nailatop didn’t explain the ‘plan’ in detail to me; he said I should hear it from you.”

“Oh, is that so? Let’s head to the top first.”

“Are we jumping up again?”

“No need for that.”

Yi Hon extended his hand, and a translucent screen appeared in the air. He touched and manipulated the screen, and with a booming sound from the ground, a gigantic coffin emerged. As the coffin’s door opened with a whoosh, Yi Hon stepped inside.

“Get in.”

Is this like an elevator?

I followed Yi Hon into the coffin, and after a moment, light flashed, and the door opened. When I stepped outside, I was greeted by a massive pasture. I called it a pasture because a few calves were grazing on the huge expanse of grass.

Moo—

Seeing the calves, I exclaimed in disbelief, “You raise cows here at such a high altitude? There must be a lack of oxygen….”

Even a rough estimate would put this height hundreds of leagues above. If it’s dozens of times higher than any mountain in the human world, there’s no way there’s enough air for cows.

“This is the World Tree. The trunk area lacks oxygen, but magical energy concentrates at the top, so it’s not entirely disconnected from the laws of physics… Thus, we can graze cattle here.”

Now that I think about it, it seems that was the case in the experiences of Dokgo Seong, Bright Dragon, and Extreme Tiger during the Sacred Altar Tree battle. I scratched my head, gazing at the serene landscape at the top of the World Tree.

“I see. But is this all there is to the plan with the Hwanin Project? You’re not just planning to grow the World Tree and raise cows up here, right?”

“Haha. If that were the case, how nice would it be?”

Yi Hon chuckled but then continued with a slightly somber expression, “The Hwanin Project is a plan to summon Hwanin, the guardian of humanity. To summon Hwanin, we need to pour the matured magical power of this World Tree, so our duty is to protect humanity until the World Tree fully grows.”

“……?!”

“The cows here are simply a hobby. It’s an environment unsuitable for raising them in the earthly realm.”

I was taken aback hearing the full scale of the Hwanin Project.

‘What?!’

Suddenly learning this was one thing, but the very idea felt absurd. I couldn’t hide my surprise as I turned to Yi Hon and asked, “Wait, what exactly are you saying…. Are you telling me that Hwanin, the ‘Old Ruler’, actually exists?”

“Hmm…. Did Nailatop not mention that either when he sent you here?”

Yi Hon looked doubtful, and feeling a twinge of concern, I quickly explained, “Nailatop said you would fill me in. I just heard that the Hwanin Project would help me grow my power.”

“Help you grow your power? Wait….”

Yi Hon’s face turned pale for a moment, then he sighed and said, “If you’re a hero who saved humanity to such an extent, you should be rewarded with a share of the World Tree. Now that I understand Nailatop’s true intentions, I’ll have to accept that my share will decrease.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nailatop probably meant to say this: After the World Tree fully grows, the fruit that will appear shall be given to you. I originally intended to consume it myself to gain immense divine power, but you’re someone who deserves to eat the fruit of the World Tree.”

“…….”

Having told so many lies, somehow Yi Hon got to the crux of my real transaction with Nailatop.

‘Tsk… I might as well just listen quietly.’

I was incredulous, but had no words, so I kept silent as Yi Hon continued.

“The Hwanin Project was established with Nailatop’s assistance. Its goal is to summon Hwanin, a savior and powerful divine being, to save humanity from the impending apocalypse. The essence of the plan is to completely sacrifice the World Tree as an offering.”

“No way, that sounds bizarre. Are you saying an ‘Old Ruler’ or an ancient god really exists? I thought such beings were just myths….”

“Of course they don’t exist. We’re going to create one.”

“……?!”

What?!

At Yi Hon’s words, I stared at him, bewildered.

“The truth is, no gods helped humanity. Those legendary beings called the Three Sovereigns disappeared for some reason in history, forcing us to rely on abysmally primitive science, which is child’s play compared to aliens, to scrape by. Thus…. we must create our own gods to survive.”

“You mean…”

After a moment, I whispered in a trembling voice, “Hwanin is a machine god.”

“That’s right.”

Machine God!

That refers to an artificial god.

I had seen an example of this firsthand—it was Miho.

“Abe no Seimei sacrificed everything to save Dongyoung and instead deified Miho into an artificial god…”

The Miho reborn as a machine god wielded incredible power, using it to escape a great crisis. Even if born artificially, if the foundation is strong, it ends up possessing powers indistinguishable from a real god. Especially during the Great Bear Empire era, Miho awakened divine powers and devoured Daji, making her a being capable of reaching the Law of Cause and Effect, even able to repel the upper ‘Old Ruler’, Bi-ryu.

Though the concept was complex, I understood the essence of the Hwanin Project immediately due to the clear example I’d witnessed. However, something didn’t add up, so I questioned Yi Hon.

“I know that to create a machine god, there must be a vessel that can contain the god. Just growing the World Tree alone won’t suffice, right? What kind of vessel are you preparing?”

[Vessel].

The physical body of a god.

Like Miho from the past, a powerful body is required to contain the god’s soul and properly channel that soul’s power. However, to my knowledge, that could only be achieved through the ultimate yin-yang technique and demonic arts of Abe no Seimei, and this world’s crude science wouldn’t even come close to accomplishing that.

As I pressed for an answer, Yi Hon wore a peculiar expression.

“With that much raw power and the knowledge you seem to have about machine gods… you really are quite the peculiar individual.”

“Just answer the question. From what I see, current human science can’t create a divine vessel.”

“Point taken. But that’s exactly right. Our human science hasn’t progressed beyond the nuclear bomb stage for long. So, making a divine vessel is completely impossible. Unless Mephistopheles, the strong AI, fully matures, that is.”

“Well then, how do you plan to execute the Hwanin Project?”

Yi Hon chuckled and smirked.

“Originally, this Hwanin Project was proposed to us by Nailatop. That should clear things up.”

“……?”

His random response made me tilt my head in confusion, but soon I understood its meaning, and my face hardened.

“Wait, are you saying that Nailatop will create the divine vessel for humanity?”

“Exactly.”

“……!!”

Hearing that, I finally grasped how realistic the Hwanin Project was.

‘Nailatop’s technology is advanced enough to navigate outer space! If he creates a [divine vessel] using his skills…’

The performance of the machine god would certainly vary depending on how sturdy and large the vessel is. And with Nailatop’s technology, he could likely create a [vessel] far superior to Miho’s, capable of absorbing magical power from the World Tree to the limit.

I could instantly imagine what the result would be.

‘If Miho had the power to rival the Three Sovereigns, then… what if Nailatop uses a vessel dozens of times stronger than Miho from the beginning to create the machine god…?’

It was clear a previously unparalleled monster would emerge!

I was lost in thought when suddenly something dawned on me, and I turned to Yi Hon.

“Yi Hon! Aren’t you afraid?”

“What do you mean?”

I looked at him seriously, my concern evident.

“Nailatop is a monster I can’t even gauge after experiencing countless trials. Do you honestly think he’s helping you guys out of pure goodwill? Aren’t you afraid that, just as a god might play with humans, you too might be toyed with and discarded?”

“……!!”

Yi Hon flinched at my words. Then, staring blankly at the sky with lifeless gray eyes, he finally spoke.

“Regardless, we have no choice. Nailatop is the only transcendent being who can help us… And even if he uses us, I’m prepared to accept that.”

“To accept that means you’d be okay if all of humanity gets wiped out because of Nailatop?”

“Either way, it’s hard for our powers alone to contend with the many alien races that have come to Earth, even against a Tier 4. If I’m going to die either way, isn’t it better to struggle and die fighting?”

“…….”

Understanding Yi Hon’s feelings, I fell silent. In the chaotic Asura Zone, where countless powerful transcendent beings roam, maintaining faith in those who might be kind to you, regardless of the outcome, is the only sentiment left! It’s the same feeling I’ve experienced countless times in my previous lives.

When I fell silent, Yi Hon forced a smile and continued, “And Nailatop said that [the vessel for Hwanin] has already been created. We just need to endure until the World Tree fully matures.”

“It’s already been created?”

“Yes. I heard it’s the ultimate vessel, embodying all of Nailatop’s technological prowess. If he can boast that much, we have no choice but to trust and follow him.”

“Any idea what kind of vessel it is?”

“Hmm… Nailatop didn’t disclose that part. He’s worried it could spill secrets if we happen to get captured by the enemy after defeat.”

That’s nonsense.

How can one hide something from the only human supporter?

I thought that was quite shady about Nailatop, but I didn’t voice it. Instead, I said, “Yi Hon, understood. Now go back down first. I’d like to explore this pasture a bit.”

“Got it. I’ll set up a teleportation device, so take your time coming down.”

Kugugu….

Yi Hon stepped into the coffin, which is supposedly a teleportation device, and vanished in a flash. He must have returned to the lowest level near the roots. I stared silently at the now-empty teleportation device and slowly released Mephistopheles from my wrist.

Thud

After discarding the wristwatch, I spoke up.

“Nailatop, you lying bastard. Come out before I smash your face in.”

Nailatop had always been eavesdropping on me through that wristwatch.

He had certainly heard every word of this conversation.

And if he had heard it all – it meant we both knew his lies had been exposed.

Step by step

Just as my words concluded, Nailatop appeared from thin air three yards away. He gazed at me with translucent eyes and said, “How strange. Were you suddenly smarter, Baek Woong? Did you really manage to get this close to the heart of the problem in just that brief moment?”

“Why wouldn’t I be smart?”

I glared at him with an intense killing intent.

“With someone like you openly ready to stab me in the back, would I not think? You bastard!!”

“…….”

“Why did you lie? You were well aware and had researched whether to discuss the World Tree and the Hwanin Project, so why pretend not to know about it?!”

Even while I growled, Nailatop remained unfazed. It irritated me that he remained calm, so I suddenly lashed out and activated my technique.

Technique of All Things

Stealing Magic

Simultaneously, the dense magical power that coated the summit of the World Tree began to flow into my arm through the Technique of All Things as if it were being vacuumed. Suddenly feeling a surge of enormous magical energy, my arm turned black, and I shouted to the Four Great Spirit Deities, Agni.

[Agni! I offer all the magic in my arm to you!]

Whoosh!!

Along with the summoning, Agni appeared in my hand. It was undoubtedly far more powerful than the Agni summoned from Cheon Woo-jin’s world, and from the look on Nailatop’s face, he recognized the power and appeared startled enough that his eyes twitched.

“This…! Summoning a spirit using the magic of the World Tree?! This is dangerous.”

Clink

I aimed Agni at Nailatop, glaring intensely.

“While relying on spirits isn’t ideal for a mere swordsman like you, it’s a completely different story when dealing with scum like you. Open your mouth and explain yourself, or I’ll kill you right here.”

“Ugh….”

Nailatop sighed, seeming resigned.

“I lied because I wanted to study the power of the reborn person.”

“Study? You mean to trap me and kill me as part of your study?”

“No.”

Nailatop slowly continued, “I was curious whether a new reborn person could change the outcome in a ‘closed’ world.”

I furrowed my brows.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that…?”

“Didn’t you find it odd? In fact, not only Mephistopheles but many other methods have been used to observe you, so I’ve known about most of your activities. Despite knowing you deeply suspected me, I didn’t interrupt your actions at all and let you do what you wanted.”

Nailatop glanced at Agni and continued, “If I had just tried to block your access to information and manipulated things to distort your understanding, you would never have reached this point. But I allowed you to do as you wished. Why do you think that is?”

I scoffed, “Do you really think I’d consider that? In the end, all you’ve done is outsmart yourself, fool!”

“Ha ha. Sorry, but that isn’t it. Because the outcome doesn’t change.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now…?”

“Would you like to see?”

Nailatop quietly continued, “The predetermined conclusion of this world….”

Whoosh!!

At that moment, the surroundings were suddenly swallowed in darkness, and billions of starlights spread across the cosmos. I felt as though I had been thrown into space, and when I attempted to fire Agni, I froze in shock at the sight unfolding before me.

“Huh…?!”

Layers upon layers of swirling, colorful lights—

It was certainly a vivid memory I had seen before, and I knew in an instant a scene as horrifying as a nightmare was about to follow. As I stood there dumbfounded, I saw distant figures floating—humanoid corpses appearing one by one.

Whooooo

The debris of shattered moons drifted through the darkness as countless bodies floated in this eerie spectacle. Upon catching sight of a corridor darker than the shadows ahead, I quickly realized what was happening.

“[Manifestation]….”

“Oh, so you do know. Have you seen it in person?”

“…….”

“This is merely a simulation, so don’t panic.”

Nailatop had somehow appeared close to me. He floated with his arms crossed as he spoke.

“This is the predetermined conclusion of this world: Everything will be destroyed, leaving nothing behind, and soon after, the [Throne] will manifest, leaving only the void.”

“So what?!”

I shot a glare at Nailatop.

“If you don’t want that to happen, then change it! From now on, use your power to improve this world and try to avoid that end, so why whine to me about it?!”

What followed from Nailatop was a shocking reply.

“I’m not whining. I’ve tried this thousands of times.”

“What?”

“I’ve tried. Not just this once, but I’ve mobilized all my strength and Gaia’s technology to save mankind and this world.”

“……?!”

“But nothing changes.”

Snap

As Nailatop snapped his fingers, the surroundings reverted to their original state.

Then, with a maniacal grin, Nailatop continued, “This is a world of puppet plays where the results are predetermined and infinitely repeated. That is what the [Outer Universe] is.”