전생검신 82권 15화

War Chief?

‘That’s definitely the most outstanding warrior and general among all the giant race warriors.’

Up until now, I only knew three war chiefs: Yu Mang, Zhu Rong, and Xing Tian. I had fought Yu Mang before, but I hadn’t faced the other two yet. Regardless, they were the strongest warriors among the giant race, the ruling class.

But suddenly, I’m being asked to be a war chief as a human?

I looked at Shennong and said, “Shennong, why are you making such a proposal to me? I can’t be a war chief since I’m not a giant.”

“Of course, I don’t plan to force you to become a giant. Just take on the honorary position of war chief. The authority will be the same.”

“…I don’t understand.”

As I wore a puzzled expression, Shennong gazed at me and said, “If you want, I can also give you the position of God King that commands all war chiefs.”

“…?!”

God King?!

That’s the position held by the Suin, Shennong’s incarnation, which essentially made him the king of all giants!

I couldn’t comprehend why Shennong would offer me such a high position. As I was dumbfounded, Heuk Woong, who stood next to me, calmly spoke up.

[Great Shennong, it’s not about the rank. If there’s no clear reason, my master does not act recklessly.]

“Is that so? In that case, it’s probably better if I just tell you all.”

Muttering that, Shennong continued, “I’ve been waiting for Baek Woong’s return all this time. Now that you’ve arrived, we will soon execute an operation to recover the girl in the emperor’s possession.”

“…!!”

“A mission will be assigned to you to lead our giant race warriors and attack a faction of the emperor’s forces.”

Both Heuk Woong and I were astonished by Shennong’s words.

Recover the girl!!

I calmed down and said, “You want to give me the position of war chief to lead the giant race warriors, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Does that mean you intend to directly assault the palace of the Queen Mother of the West?”

In response to my question, Shennong replied without any change in expression, calmly, “Why else would I say it? We can’t allow the girl to remain in the emperor’s hands any longer. Since I trust your abilities, we’ve decided to rescue her. This will be a war involving all our giant race’s forces.”

“…”

A war…!!

If what he said was true, accepting the position of war chief meant I’d take on the role of the vanguard commander in the assault on the Queen Mother’s palace, leading the giants to directly confront the emperor’s forces. Moreover, the emperor’s forces wouldn’t be easy opponents, and I would have to fight fiercely against divine-level rivals.

It was an exhilarating offer, but Heuk Woong, with dark gleaming eyes, interjected.

[Oh great Shennong! This matter of the girl is not my master’s responsibility. How can you expect him to simply give his life to retrieve your possessions?]

“…”

[Moreover, is Fuxi’s will also involved in this?]

Heuk Woong’s question surprised Shennong a bit, prompting a brief pause before he replied smoothly.

“Fuxi did not agree to the operation to recover the girl. This is solely the giant race’s independent mission.”

“…!!”

Realizing the significance of that statement, I silently cheered inwardly, ‘Well done, Heuk Woong!!’

Whether or not Fuxi participated made a huge difference. If Fuxi were involved, most of the Three Sovereigns would cooperate to rescue the girl, but Shennong moving only his subordinate giants to retrieve her meant something entirely different.

I exchanged glances with Heuk Woong, then spoke, “I’m sorry, but I need to think about it a bit more. It’s too soon for me to fight without preparation since I’ve only just returned.”

I couldn’t jump on this proposal, even if it meant enduring Shennong’s disapproving gaze. There had to be a reason why Fuxi had refused the mission to rescue the girl. At the very least, I needed to hear that reason to make a proper judgment.

Surprisingly, Shennong didn’t get angry and slowly nodded. “Do as you wish.”

Whoosh!!

The moment the time stop was lifted, the heavy mist that had surrounded us dispersed. I felt the pressure that had filled the hall lift as Shennong’s form vanished.

‘What a relief.’

I had braced myself for Shennong to get angry and start fighting, so I was incredibly relieved that he had retreated peacefully. No matter how strong I had become, it was uncertain whether I could face the Three Sovereigns. Just as I sighed in relief, Subori beside me asked, “Baek Woong, what just happened?”

“That was…”

I briefly explained the situation to Subori, who then frowned. “Oh no… So you won’t be able to refuse Shennong’s proposal after all.”

“Why? I just turned it down because it sounded suspicious.”

“Fuxi may be taking a step back, but Shennong is eager to recover the girl as soon as possible. That means whether you participate or not, it’s evident he will move on his own to attack the Queen Mother’s palace.”

“…!!”

“When that happens, whether you choose to join or not becomes irrelevant. The forces of the emperor and the Three Sovereigns will clash at the Queen Mother’s palace. In doing so, regardless of victory or defeat, you’ll miss the chance to immerse yourself in the grand course of history.”

Subori made a fair point. As a reborn person aiming to change history by returning to the past of the [Great Cycle], it would undoubtedly be beneficial for me to participate in that war, like it or not. After contemplating, I stated, “I need to go visit Fuxi. I must hear the full story.”

“Is that so? How do you plan to find Fuxi?”

“Since Shennong has sensed my presence, word of my existence will probably reach Fuxi soon enough. He might come looking for me on his own…”

I glanced at the towering mountains beyond the bat cave and continued, “But first, I need to visit Takrok Village.”

Pa-at!!

With Heuk Woong and Subori, I set off toward the location of Takrok Village that I remembered. When we arrived at the entrance of Takrok Village, I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me seeing the familiar scenery of the village just as I remembered it.

‘What a relief. Takrok Village didn’t get destroyed while I was in the Training World!’

With the blessing of the Yan Emperor Shennong, it was to be expected, but seeing no signs of trouble filled me with joy. I had often seen my home in ruins due to the fluctuations of time during my returns.

‘… But was it this spacious?’

The village looked at least five times larger than I remembered, with far more houses than before. It seemed like there were even a few more such settlements beyond this one, making me tilt my head in confusion.

As I stepped into Takrok Village, a familiar face spotted me and shouted, “No way, it’s Baek Woong!! Baek Woong has returned!!”

Grugruguh

It felt like the ground around Takrok Village shook with that guy’s voice. I greeted the hulking brute with solid muscles and a rugged face, sporting silver eyes, and couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Yeolsan. How have you been?”

In front of me was Yeolsan, the very first human I met in Takrok! Blessed with immense primal powers, he was the strongest warrior of Takrok Village and also Yuso’s older brother. Unlike before, Yeolsan was dressed reasonably, and upon seeing me, he erupted with laughter.

“Ahahahaha!! Where on earth have you been? It’s been ages since I last saw you!”

“Are the others doing well?”

At my question, Yeolsan’s face darkened slightly before he quickly regained his composure. “…Most are fine! They’ve all gone to practice martial arts, so just wait a bit.”

“Martial arts?… Ah.”

Right! The Thief Gang!

I realized that the Thief Gang I had taken under my wing had been teaching them martial arts!

Even while I was in a different world, it was clear that the Thief Gang continued to teach martial arts diligently.

I said to Yeolsan, “I need to meet Yuso after a long time. Is she doing well?”

I worried about what that troublesome girl might say, but she was undoubtedly the most important person in Takrok Village. I wouldn’t be able to proceed with the next steps without seeing her.

“…”

At the mention of her name, Yeolsan stiffened and his expression darkened. Unable to hide his emotional turmoil, he soon spoke with a strained voice.

“Baek Woong… Yuso has… disappeared.”

“…?!”

“She was just about to ask you to help find my sister, Yuso!!”

Yuso has disappeared?!

The powerful, precognitive Yuso, who seemed to know the future?!

I was taken aback by this completely unexpected situation, my eyes wide open. Beside me, Subori looked up at the sky and murmured, “Looks like they’re here. Are those the people from Takrok Village?”

With a swift glance upward, I was once again astonished.

“…Huh?”

Whooosh

A crowd of dozens of people were flying through the air towards Takrok Village. I was in shock, exclaiming, “They’re flying?!”

Ta-dat

Moments later, the villagers started landing one by one in Takrok Village.

“Today, we’ll rest and continue our training tomorrow… Huh?”

The leader of the group gasped in surprise when he spotted me, his eyes widening dramatically as he immediately prostrated before me.

“L-Lord!! The Thief Gang greets you, my lord!”

Indeed, the man leading the group was none other than the Eight Parts of the Divine, the Thief Gang!

By coincidence, they had followed me to this world of Takrok, and I had ordered them to teach martial arts to the villagers. It was clear they had continued to do exactly that until my return.

I nodded at them and said, “It’s good to see you again. Have you been well?”

“Of course.”

“It’s surprising to see the villagers flying through the air. Did you use the powers of the Eight Parts of the Divine to get everyone airborne?”

The Thief Gang shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”

“The villagers’ internal power has already reached a superhuman level, allowing them to fly freely. They don’t need my help at all.”

“…”

W-What?

I was shocked to hear that. After all, only a very small number of peerless masters in my original world could reach a level where they could fly with their internal power. Only a few exceptional figures, like the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Three Dharma Guardians, could do it, while the majority of martial artists would find it nearly impossible. This was all possible due to the Infinite Internal Power offered by the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the Primordial Spirit, and generally, it was close to impossible for humans to fly freely.

Yet these villagers of Takrok had that level of internal power?!

Just then, I heard a familiar voice again. “Good to see you.”

“You’ve returned…”

I turned to face the voice and smiled warmly. “Cheongyang, Sang Ah! How have you been?”

The two had distinguished themselves among the villagers as having awakened extraordinary powers! There were almost no changes in their looks since the last time I saw them, aside from slightly different clothing. Sang Ah, with her striking red hair and eyes that seemed too perfect, looked at me in amazement and said, “Where in the world have you been? I never thought you’d go missing for this long.”

“What? Missing for a long time… wasn’t it just a few years?”

Seeing Cheongyang and Sang Ah still youthful made me doubt the passage of time wasn’t that significant.

When I questioned them, Sang Ah, looking incredulous, replied, “What are you talking about? It’s been 36 years.”

“…?!”

“It doesn’t take a genius to realize how many people have emerged in Takrok Village? There used to be fewer than a hundred people, but now it’s almost five hundred due to the influx of outsiders.”

W-What?!

Thirty-six years?!

I was astonished by the news, while Cheongyang looked puzzled and replied, “Why are you acting so surprised?”

“D-Don’t kid around! You both look like you haven’t aged a day! After 36 years, people age into their middle ages, you know…?”

“…?”

Cheongyang tilted his head in confusion. “People usually don’t age that much in just 36 years… After mastering martial arts, the aging process has basically stopped changing our appearances.”

“Wha—?!”

What is going on here?!

Just as I was left flabbergasted, the Thief Gang approached me, saying. “My lord. You may not realize it suddenly, but the humanity of this era is different from future humanity. The average lifespan is about 300 years, and they age much more slowly than before. It’s only due to the attacks from the Demon Clan and the Divine Race that the average lifespan appeared shorter; I made the same mistake at first.”

“…”

Future humans were considered long-lived if they reached just 100 years. Does this mean ancient humans had an average lifespan three times that?!

“Besides, as you know, they’ve gained immense physical strength akin to the effects of the Body-Transforming Skill thanks to awakening their innate powers. They are already comparable to Half-Transition Masters, and because I’ve taught them the martial arts officially while harmonizing their lower and upper dantian, now they can live for a thousand years without aging.”

“W-What kind of nonsense is that…?”

Thinking back, awakened humans did undergo physical transformations. I had known this before leaving but had completely forgotten about it. I felt the time sense distort and got flustered, as Heuk Woong chuckled beside me.

[Hehehe….]

Hearing that laughter, I realized something and shot a glare at Heuk Woong. “You knew about all this!”

Considering Heuk Woong had been around all this time, he surely wouldn’t have been unaware!

Heuk Woong burst into hearty laughter. [Kekeke… I’m sorry, my lord. I just wanted to see your reaction.]

“Damn it… Don’t scare me like that.”

As I grumbled, Heuk Woong replied, [As the Thief Gang mentioned, there are over seventy people in Takrok Village who have reached the peerless level of internal power, with at least ten who have ascended to Peak Expert status. It’s only natural since those who had nothing to do during these 36 years have been diligently honing the techniques I’ve been teaching them.]

“Hmm! But it might not be enough to face the Demon Clan outside?”

[Of course, we may lack strength, but as they learn martial arts, their innate powers have also strengthened. Takrok Village has become a force not to be underestimated.]

Heuk Woong continued, [And as Yeolsan said, Yuso has been missing for over thirty years now. Not only us but the giants have been searching for her without a single clue.]

“…!!”

Yuso…!!

I felt a sense of unease regarding the disappearance of Yuso, so I asked Heuk Woong, “Yuso disappeared one day all of a sudden? What the heck, and where could she have gone?”

[We don’t know. Even Shennong was surprised and has been searching, but there’s been no success. However, what I can say is… ]

Heuk Woong cautiously added, [It seems Yuso underwent a significant emotional change when you vanished. She left behind a statement that she would choose her own path before disappearing.]

“…”

After listening to Heuk Woong, I fell into thought, then spoke up.

“It’s clear what I need to do.”

[My lord, what will you do?]

I gazed into the void, my eyes shining with determination. “I’m going to find Fuxi.”

Fuxi might hold the key to solving everything.