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“No need to be cautious in this fight,” I thought. Since defeating that guy will practically end things, I decided to throw out all my cards.

“Yeodong-bin, you think the same, right?”

Before me was the ‘once’ Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard, now a tentacle monster morphing into a demon. Yet, Yeodong-bin still hadn’t thought to intervene. To him, it seemed like I could handle the opponent alone.

Crackle!

The Decisive Enlightenment of Thunderclap surged within me. Simultaneously, the Baek Woong’s Formation, which simplifies the movement and calculation of mysterious energy, swirled around me, and with both effects combining, my battle power skyrocketed several times over.

“Haaah!”

Boom!

As I shouted and dashed forward, the tentacle monster, sizing up to five meters, was sent flying with a single strike. The alchemist beside me turned in shock as my Sword Flame was zipping straight for the monster’s neck.

Swoosh!

‘Teleportation?’ I flinched when I saw the alchemist vanish for a split second. But then I sensed the tentacle monster’s presence elsewhere, realizing he had the ability to shift short distances unlike the space travel of the previously used technique. I stomped the ground again to chase after him.

Clap!

“Ugh… take this…”

The alchemist suddenly summoned a huge staff from his hand, condensing fiery flames. Dozens of fireballs swirled around him, not meant for attack, but rather as a defense to keep me at bay. I had to quickly decide.

‘Let’s try striking the fireballs first.’

Bang!!

As I sent a wave of Sword Qi towards a fireball, it burst into two pieces for a moment before exploding in mid-air. The explosion radius was about five meters, which was pretty significant. After dodging the tentacle monster’s attack with Thunder Shadow Step’s Heavenly Gathering Kill, I launched more Sword Qi from a distance towards the fireball cluster.

Kaboom!

A dense cloud of smoke erupted, and there was the alchemist again, summoning fireballs like before, looking smug.

“You think my magic can hurt me?” he sneered. It was quite annoying magic. The fireballs exploded upon contact with anyone approaching but dealt no harm to the caster. Even I knew that getting hit by that many explosions would surely result in severe injury.

Swoosh

Crash!

The tentacle monster howled again and charged at me with a heavy attack. This time, it extended its tentacles, clearly recognizing me as the ‘enemy.’ While dodging its attack, I realized something.

‘Should I take out the tentacle monster first or the alchemist?’

Choosing the former seemed smarter; taking risks against the fire magic and getting mortally wounded would be worse than eliminating this more manageable foe first. So I cast Thunder Shadow Step’s Heavenly Gathering Kill and, leaving behind a Thunder Shadow, retreated.

Then, using agile Light Body Technique, I climbed a dark pillar like a spider, slowly gathering my energy. I had pulled a pearl from my sleeve and focused harder. I could hear the alchemist’s laughter echoing behind me.

“Hahaha! Are you running away because you can’t win?”

I ignored his mocking and calmly checked my meridians and blood. As I punctured three secret points to further activate Thunder and Wind Interaction, the hidden internal power that had been dormant in my Dantian surged up.

Rumble

Thunderclap and Baek Woong’s Formation combined with the amplified energy bubbled forth. I launched off the pillar, shouting. In my sights was one target: the lumbering tentacle monster.

“Yaaah!”

Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique

A secret technique, Thousand Kills Slash unleashed white light. My body spiraled like a whirlwind, unleashing crescent blades of energy, their speed incredibly rapid. The swordplay of the Thunder God Lineage, fully mastered, was merely a flurry of continuous slashes.

Piiing!

It felt like the speed had been broken. In reality, the sword speed had surpassed limits, transforming white light into sword flames, swallowing sound and delivering continuous slashes. The howl of the beast echoed in the midst of the slicing strikes. The white blades intensified into a milky glow, slicing down dozens of tentacles within a split second.

Bam!

The first three hundred slashes were gone in an instant. The white light had transformed into Thunder Light, and the entirety of the tentacle monster was now covered in brilliance. The alchemist stood dumbfounded at the sudden shift while I remained entirely focused on the slicing.

Thud

Seven hundred slashes.

Eight hundred slashes.

Nine hundred slashes.

Ka-boom!

The swirling sword light resembled clouds dispelling thunder.

Clank!

It’s finished.

As I sheathed my sword, I turned my back on the battered tentacle monster.

In its final gasp, the monster reached out with its tentacles.

My eyes half-open, I entered a state of focus. The tendons in my arms tensed.

Softly, I muttered, “Thousand Kills Slash.”

Whirr!

From behind me, light poured out. What I was really doing was channeling the power I had accumulated from all the prior slashes into a finishing move. At the same time, the tentacle monster, which had sustained up to nine hundred slashes, split apart dramatically.

Boom!!!

The monster burst into countless pieces amidst the blinding light. It was the culmination of the slashes I had stored up, and I felt an immense pride in using the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique for the first time in real combat.

Pitter-patter…

As the tentacle monster exploded, the alchemist seemed bewildered from a distance.

He yelled, “How could… how could you possess that kind of power?”

“Why is that?” I replied, exuding a menacing aura as I pulled a dagger from my sleeve. With blinding speed, I hurled it.

Swoosh – Thud!!

“Aaaah!”

The dagger, imbued with my internal power, severed his arm and slammed him against the wall. My barrage of fireballs couldn’t defend against a pinpoint throw from over several meters away. His defensive techniques were weaker against ranged attacks, just as I predicted.

The alchemist was pinned against the wall, blood gushing from his wounds and thrashing about. But soon, his struggling began to slow. I watched him intently, lifting my sword high.

‘No need to give him a chance. Just strike his neck.’

I didn’t bother to extract information from him; he was too dangerous of an opponent. There was too much risk of letting him regain control, so I remained silent and charged.

He was already half-conscious, barely aware.

“Die!”

Ka-ching – !!

In that moment, while I was about to finish off the alchemist, something suddenly blocked my way. This figure was wrapped in a divine power that seemed to effortlessly deflect my earnest attack. I gritted my teeth as I recognized the enemy.

“Zhuge Bu…!!”

“Looks like I’m the one overstepping.” Zhuge Bu had somehow entered the palace unnoticed, moving close as he heard my blade.

With his fingers crossed, he used a pre-cast spell, causing a heavy pressure to settle on me once again.

“Merge!”

Boom

This time, as I unleashed my internal power, the spell disappeared without a trace. Zhuge Bu, with a shocked face, teleported away with the alchemist ten meters away, revealing genuine astonishment on his face.

“Incredible… to shake off an advanced technique with just a shout.”

I took a moment to catch my breath, lifting my sword towards Zhuge Bu to demand answers. “Zhuge Bu, why do you want to save that guy? Isn’t it just about defeating him?”

He threw the alchemist carelessly to the ground and replied, “You don’t understand anything. This guy is merely a pawn.”

“What?”

“Killing him won’t make a dent in the dark forces. They’ll just laugh and reach out to the world even more ruthlessly.”

“But you can’t just let the alchemist run rampant!” I growled, glaring at Zhuge Bu.

“Step aside!”

Zhuge Bu fixed me with steady eyes and replied, “I might as well share this with you. Follow me.”

Whoosh

Without warning, Zhuge Bu headed deeper into the heart of the palace. I glared at his retreating figure before approaching the alchemist and paralyzing him with the needle technique. Initially, I’d aimed to end him in one blow, but with Zhuge Bu inviting a compromise, I figured charming him with Miho’s enchantment might be better for information. After fully suppressing the alchemist’s spirit with the needle technique, I snuck him into my wooden armor.

Thud

I followed Zhuge Bu deeper into the palace’s shadows. As I tracked his aura towards the palace’s innermost parts, a strange thought crossed my mind.

‘What the heck? Is this palace really this big?’

Right now, I’d extinguished my Thunderclap to conserve energy, but my Light Body Technique was still pretty swift. Normally, after this much running, I should have reached the end of any palace. Yet I was still descending underground; it was enormous.

However, I soon realized that this palace had been crafted by a spell that made the inside larger than it appeared on the outside, just like the abode of the Master of the Twelve Joules. There were a couple of massive doors in the darkness, with Zhuge Bu opening one first, and I followed him through.

Finally, I found myself in a vast, abyss-like chamber, with a long spiraling staircase that circled the cavity. Strange bubbles and bizarre constructions filled the space. In the distance, Zhuge Bu shouted.

[This way.]

Racing down the spiral staircase for some time, I began to glimpse light, signaling the bottom of this abyss. Zhuge Bu stood there, gazing up at a particular altar.

Wee-ing

Wee-ing…

“What is this?” I stared, captivated by a massive green crystal floating atop the altar. Its size was comparable to five meters, radiating a light as if it were alive. I had never imagined a crystal of such magnitude existed, especially one seemingly infused with tremendous magical power.

Zhuge Bu spoke, “This is what the alchemist was working on—the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“Philosopher’s Stone?”

“You don’t know?” he replied, his gaze locked on the stone with a profound look.

“Actually, it’s not the stone itself, but a monument inscribed with the method for creating it. The alchemist brought it from the Western Regions. He’s been completely focused on interpreting the instructions and working on the Philosopher’s Stone ever since he was summoned from the Otherworldly Race.”

I frowned. It was disconcerting to hear an enemy of mine start explaining unexpectedly.

“So what’s the point? What happens if the Philosopher’s Stone gets completed?”

Zhuge Bu slowly continued, “Basically, there are three main aspects.”

“First, immortality.”

“……!!”

“Second, infinite energy. The Philosopher’s Stone can serve as an endless power source.”

“Hmm.”

“Lastly, the creation of all things. It can create anything and alter it into anything. A dreamlike state for the Western sorcerers.”

I let out a low groan. So the Philosopher’s Stone was an unbelievably overpowered artifact! It made sense why the alchemist had been obsessed with its creation, unlike the “first summoned” otherworldly sorcerer.

‘So, in theory, could a simple rock be turned into gold?’

But somehow, it felt like there should be more to it. Otherwise, why would the emperor, who possessed all wealth and power, collaborate with the alchemist? As I contemplated this suspicious notion, Zhuge Bu smirked.

“I see you caught on. Yes, the first aspect of immortality means nothing. Most of the Otherworldly Race have eternal life to begin with, so with a commonly implanted demonic body like the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard, it’s easily achievable. Hence, the emperor, with the alchemist’s help, gained immortality overly effortlessly. Still, unexpectedly, he died from having his soul absorbed.”

“What’s the second contract?”

Something flickered in Zhuge Bu’s eyes as he replied, “It seems you’re much sharper than I initially thought.”

Not knowing whether this was a compliment or a slight, Zhuge Bu elaborated, “Indeed. The emperor wanted more than just that; he aimed to dominate the entire world. To do so, he gathered the Seven Luminaries while assisting in the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone. With just the powers of the Seven Luminaries, it’ll be effortless to create the philosopher’s stone.”

“The Seven Luminaries and the Philosopher’s Stone—what’s their connection to world domination?”

“Do you know about Zheng He’s seven expeditions across the globe?”

“……?” I didn’t really know about it.

As I tilted my head in confusion, Zhuge Bu continued, “From the very beginning, the dark forces had already established doors connecting to various parts of the world. Zheng He’s expeditions were sent out for that very purpose—all aimed at effortlessly moving their armies to conquer the lands of other races.”

“What?!”

“The Philosopher’s Stone is an infinite power source, and it also possesses the ability to freely open and close those doors. In short, creating the Philosopher’s Stone is tantamount to establishing a Great Ming Empire controlling the entire world.”

I was left utterly stunned. Just how vast was this conversation? It was on such a grand scale that I couldn’t even grasp the flow of it. As I stood there in a daze, a realization dawned on me.

‘An infinite power source… Could it be that the first human sacrifice made by the sorcerer was meant to gain the power to open and close the doors by sacrificing humans to request wishes from the evil deity?’

It was plausible enough. I glared at Zhuge Bu, saying, “Have there ever been attempts to summon the Otherworldly Race that failed?”

“How did you know?”

“… I see. That’s why the second summon was the alchemist.”

I grimaced and said, “You were waiting for the alchemist to complete the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“That’s right.”

“Once it’s complete, you intended to take it for yourself.”

“Of course.”

It became clear to me what Zhuge Bu was plotting. Unlike his magic, only a sorcerer could produce the Philosopher’s Stone, and that was solely the alchemist’s responsibility. Hence, Zhuge Bu intended to lie in wait, protecting the emperor while covertly eying the Philosopher’s Stone to snatch when finished. It became evident why he was cautiously observing the Huang Yeon Army while weighing if he should side with the alchemist or maintain his position while personally taking control of the Philosopher’s Stone.

My fists clenched tightly.

“Damn it! Do you not realize just how evil these Otherworldly beings are? Do you have any idea of the slaughter and torment they will inflict on people? You’ve been focusing on your own gains, ignoring the possibility of stopping them all this time!”

“Of course I knew…” Zhuge Bu replied, showing no signs of concern, “I can stop them after I acquire the Philosopher’s Stone, so what’s the difference?”

“You have no interest in humanity at all.”

“Perhaps.”

Realizing the strangeness I felt when initially encountering Zhuge Bu, it clicked. He had no interest in humanity. No emotion at all. He regarded everyone but himself as mere tools to be exploited.

In fact, he exhibited a mindset close to that of the Otherworldly beings, and having met many of them, I instinctively sensed his true nature.

While I was still aghast, Zhuge Bu chuckled knowingly, “However… I think you’d be fine.”

As he proposed his terms, I fell silent.

“Now, you will relinquish the palace’s protection and hand over the world to General Hwang Yeon. But instead, let’s whisk away the alchemist and complete the Philosopher’s Stone together.”

“……”

“I could help you perfectly with that. If this happens, you’ll acquire the Philosopher’s Stone and become the future ruler of the world.”

It was an alluring proposition.

The acquisition of the Philosopher’s Stone!

Though it hinged on a compromise with Zhuge Bu, for me as a reborn person, it felt like an enormous opportunity was falling into my lap.

 

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