Chapter 1454
“Hey, Heuk Woong, where even are we?”
I felt like I was back in reality, but the scenery was definitely different from where I had been before entering the Underworld. Sure, there was a vast forest, but the details of the terrain were telling a different story. Then Heuk Woong chimed in.
[You’re about a few hundred miles from the Pyramid of Heaven.]
“What’s weird is, why did we come out somewhere other than where we entered?”
[Could it be that we triggered a dimensional bounce caused by the barrier of the Ancient Gods? In other words, we’re outside the Ancient Gods’ boundary now.]
“I see…”
That means we were still within the South American continent.
‘So, have I separated from Fuxi…’
Fuxi had merely watched me enter the pyramid, so it was likely that he was still nearby, perhaps in Maya. I was about to rush back to see Fuxi, but then I stopped in my tracks.
“…”
I glanced over at Dongfang Sak beside me and said, “Dongfang Sak, follow me.”
“Huh?”
“You’re going to teach me how to avoid death anyway, so let’s buddy up while we’re at it. It’s a win-win proposition, don’t you think?”
“Hmm…”
Dongfang Sak looked at me in surprise, then asked, “Are you asking me to be your companion?”
“Yeah.”
“But looking at your skill level, I’m not sure a guy like me is needed. Why do you want me on your team?”
“I do need you. The world isn’t just about combat power.”
“…”
“If you refuse, I promise to let you just learn the technique and then be on your way.”
After pondering for a while, Dongfang Sak chuckled softly, “Well, I had nowhere to go anyway. It seems like it could be fun, so I’ll be your buddy for a bit.”
“Great news!”
After recruiting Dongfang Sak as my companion, I turned to Heuk Woong and asked, “Heuk Woong, what do you think our next move should be?”
[So, you want to know what to do now that we’ve finished our business with the Wheel King and our current goal is unclear?]
“Exactly.”
Heuk Woong thought for a moment and replied, […Now is the time to find Yuso and the girl. The girl is the epicenter of the most crucial storm in the world, and we can’t ignore Yuso’s disappearance either. However, Yuso’s trail is elusive while the girl’s is confirmed to be near the Queen Mother of the West, so it makes sense to prioritize her first.]
“Is that so?”
[What do you plan to do, Master?]
At Heuk Woong’s question, I smiled.
“Let’s talk about that later. For now, let’s head to where Fuxi is.”
[Understood.]
Whoosh!
When Heuk Woong opened a dimensional door, we arrived near the pyramid again. Upon reaching the location where we first arrived, Fuxi awaited us in human form. He was scratching the head of a squirrel perched in his palm, looking adorably pleased, and upon seeing me, he said, “You’re here! What’s happened?”
I filled Fuxi in on my encounter with Osiris, meeting the Wheel King, and ironing out things with Dongfang Sak. However, I omitted the discussions I had with the Wheel King. After listening to me, Fuxi nodded in understanding and said, “That’s something. By the way, I meant to ask the Wheel King about Yuso’s whereabouts. Why didn’t you?”
I shrugged and replied, “I tried to relay a message, but how could I casually ask that kind of question to someone like him? The atmosphere just wasn’t right.”
“I see, that’s unfortunate.”
“But don’t you have something you’re hiding from me as well, Fuxi?”
“What do you mean?”
“About the girl.”
As I looked intently at Fuxi, I added, “When I came in and out of the Heavenly Secret, 36 years passed in the human world. You said before I went in that you would find out what happened to the girl in the Queen Mother of the West’s palace. I refuse to believe that for 36 years you couldn’t figure anything out about your own sister, Nüwa.”
“…”
“You must have gathered some information about the girl at some point. Please, tell me.”
My suspicion of Fuxi was quite justified. It wasn’t a matter of others urging me to doubt him; it had been a question troubling me as soon as I returned to this world.
‘The girl being in the Queen Mother of the West’s palace implies Nüwa has her. After all, the Queen Mother is practically an avatar of Nüwa.’
Considering the deep bonds between Nüwa and Fuxi, who fought against the Emperor until the end of the apocalypse, it was implausible that Fuxi wouldn’t have learned anything in the 36 years provided they were as close as they were. He might have figured it out 36 years ago when I first raised my doubts.
Fuxi eventually smiled and said, “I didn’t hide it on purpose. I just think you had too much on your plate, and I considered the girl’s situation to be low priority, so I kept quiet.”
“What do you know about the girl?”
“As you said, I already finished most of the investigation 36 years ago. I approached Nüwa herself and got a grasp of the current situation. However, I felt I couldn’t act without you, so I was waiting for your return.”
After warming up the conversation, Fuxi continued, “If you think about it, it’s suspicious that Nüwa is welcoming the Emperor’s subordinates into the palace of the avatar Queen Mother. Why do you think that is?”
“Hmm, come to think of it…”
That was undeniably strange. I had sensed something was off earlier, but I couldn’t fully process anything due to the sheer madness of suddenly plummeting into the past without warning.
Suddenly, Fuxi looked up at the sky and said, “Oh, we’re being eavesdropped on? Let’s talk more once we get back to the Celestial Realm.”
Whoosh!
Fuxi waved his fan dramatically, and a violent gust of wind surrounded us. Just as we were swept away by the winds and preparing for our move, I felt a burning pair of eyes fixated on me. The owner of that gaze spoke to me in a divine tongue.
[I am the Sun God Ra… Return to us… Reborn one…]
Bam!
Thanks to Fuxi’s spell, I arrived in the Celestial Realm, but as soon as I did, I frowned.
“Ugh, damn it.”
No god pays me no mind!
As I sighed, bracing for what seemed like even more complicated events ahead, Fuxi said, “I bet the ruler of Memphis was reaching out to you.”
“You’re a ghost! Did you even hear what he was saying?”
“Not quite. However, it’s obvious he wanted to recruit you.”
“……”
“Anyway, back to the main point, the reason Nüwa is allowing the Emperor’s subordinates into the palace of the Queen Mother is that she is currently in a power struggle over the girl’s fate.”
“……!!”
I was taken aback by this unexpected revelation, then incredulously asked, “A power struggle?”
“That’s right. Originally, the girl wandered away from Shennong’s domain, Takrok, and was snatched by the Emperor. Queen Mother of the West witnessed the abduction.”
“Umm!”
“Being Nüwa, she couldn’t just let a capable figure like the girl fall into the hands of the Emperor, so she attempted to protect her. Thus, she infiltrated the Divine Temple in her avatar form and brought the girl back to the material world. But then, the Emperor’s subordinates rolled in demanding the girl, and Nüwa is currently in a standoff with them, refusing to release her.”
So that’s what happened.
Having heard the backstory, I finally understood the situation. However, there was still something puzzling me, so I cocked my head and asked, “No matter how powerful the Emperor is, Nüwa is still a powerful Ancient God who dominates the world. She should be able to fend off someone like Qi Bai Chen. Why are they still in this standoff?”
“I neglected to mention. The Emperor’s two subordinates currently confronting her are none other than Jeon Wook and Shao Hao.”
“……?!”
Wha-what?!
I gasped in surprise. “You’re saying two of the Five Emperors are facing off against Nüwa?”
“Indeed. No matter how strong Nüwa is, facing them head-on would result in catastrophic damage. But if Nüwa brings us or Shennong into the fray, it might spark an all-out war that would engulf the world. So, she’s been keeping her patience and merely holding a standoff.”
“Umm!”
This meant if I wanted to rescue the girl and headed to the Queen Mother’s palace, I’d immediately find myself battling Jeon Wook and Shao Hao!
Suddenly, Shennong’s previous words flared up in my mind.
[You shall become the warrior chief of our giant race.]
[In the meantime, I have been waiting for you, Baek Woong’s return. Now that you’ve arrived, we will soon launch our operation to reclaim the girl from the Emperor’s grasp.]
[Fuxi did not agree with the plan to reclaim the girl. This is a solo operation by our giant race.]
Back then, I was baffled at Shennong’s aggressive manner, but now I finally understood. Standing right in front of the Three Sovereigns, with two Emperors gathering troops while showing their might, it was entirely possible for the girl to be snatched away in that situation! From Shennong’s point of view, it makes sense he would want to join forces with me upon my return to immediately wage war and eliminate the two Emperors.
I had a general sense of the situation, but something still felt off, so I asked, “…Why didn’t you agree with Shennong’s decision to launch an all-out war against the Emperor’s faction?”
“…”
“And one more thing… if Nüwa is protecting the girl, why did Shennong refer to her as being in the Emperor’s control?”
Fuxi sighed and replied, “Ah, that’s a complex matter.”
“…?”
“Though the girl’s physical body is by the Queen Mother’s side, she had already visited the Divine Temple once when the Emperor was revived. Nüwa managed to rescue that girl, but since her spirit is bound to the Divine Temple, the girl is unable to use her [Infinity] ability against the Emperor’s forces.”
“…!!”
“Thus, what Shennong wants is to break that connection to the Divine Temple by directly raiding the Emperor’s Divine Temple and inflicting serious damage on him. He wants to force the Emperor into a scenario where he has to give up the girl. To that end, he’s gathering the full might of the giant race for total war.”
Listening to Fuxi’s words left me horrified. “Wait, does that mean Shennong doesn’t aim to rescue the girl in the Queen Mother’s palace but rather seeks to storm the Emperor’s temple?”
“Exactly. That’s why I opposed Shennong’s plan. It’s not the time for such a total war.”
“….”
I felt a shiver run down my spine.
‘Damn… if I had accepted Shennong’s offer to become the warrior chief…’
We could’ve ended up fighting like crazy against the two Emperors and even face the revived Emperor in a Life and Death Decision! This could lead to more than just rescuing the girl; it could end with an assault on the Emperor.
This was a riskier situation than I’d imagined, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved I’d turned down Shennong’s suggestion.
As I grappled with those thoughts, Fuxi quietly said, “Shennong is obsessed with capturing the girl by any means necessary. If we stay idle, he’ll likely mobilize all the giant race’s forces and wage war against the Emperor.”
“That can’t happen! If we fight the Emperor without proper preparation, we’ll undoubtedly lose!”
Fuxi wore a peculiar expression.
“You sound pretty confident. Don’t tell me you once saw the outcomes of such battles as a Reborn?”
“…Yes.”
Truth be told, I had seen a similar scenario in the Outer Universe’s [Dream]. Back then, despite the Three Sovereigns charging at the Emperor, the Emperor’s forces were anything but pushovers, and the Three Sovereigns were pushed back substantially. In the end, while Fuxi and Nüwa awakened and managed to strike back, it ultimately led to a massacre when the Emperor summoned his trump card, [Coming Chaos].
The current situation didn’t differ much from that past one. If Shennong initiated a full-out war, it would undoubtedly benefit the Emperor.
Fuxi sat down on a chair in the pavilion, saying, “Baek Woong, there’s only you who can resolve this situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just as it is. No matter how hard I try, I am but one side of the opposing faction, and it’s difficult to prevent an all-out war. Nor can I simply take down Shennong without repercussions, right? To solve this, a neutral entity that belongs to neither the God of Chaos nor the Ancient Gods is needed.”
“….”
“That is you.”
After pausing for a moment, I remarked, “The Wheel King is also neutral. Can’t we use him to broker a peace?”
“We can’t. Not long ago, the Wheel King and the Five Emperors had a fierce dispute, didn’t they? While the Wheel King is technically neutral, he’s also despised by both factions. If he steps in, things could worsen. We need a completely fresh face to have a chance at negotiations.”
“You’re overestimating me.”
“Overestimating? Ha, not a chance.”
Fuxi chuckled, then closed his fan and pointed at me. “For now, let’s return to Takrok Village. Shennong mentioned the all-out war will commence in about a year, so before that, inform me of your intentions.”
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, I found myself in Takrok Village alongside Fuxi and the rest. Then, Dongfang Sak, grumbling beside me, said, “What’s with all the nonsense talk? You’ve been wandering around all day without making any sense.”
“……”
“Hey! What’s your deal with all that deep thinking?”
As Dongfang Sak spoke in annoyance, I looked at him and said, “Dongfang Sak, just hand over that technique to avoid death right now.”
“Fine, but you better feed me first. I’m starving!”
Snap!
I snapped my fingers, summoning a meal for Dongfang Sak. He looked at the gigantic chicken leg, about the size of a human forearm, in shock.
“You got a problem with me? If you do, just say so…”
“Aren’t you gonna eat it?”
“Ugh, damn it.”
Chomp chomp!
As Dongfang Sak devoured the massive chicken leg, I turned to Heuk Woong beside me and asked, “Heuk Woong, what are your thoughts? Should I stop Shennong from waging war as Fuxi suggested?”
[……]
Heuk Woong remained silent before finally opening his mouth.
[The girl with the power of Infinity is something both factions will refuse to compromise on. Fuxi may have stepped back, believing this isn’t the right time for war, but deep down, he probably thinks that the only way to resolve this conflict is direct confrontation. Even if you interject as a mediator, you’ll simply fall prey to their plans and resolve nothing.]
“Hmm… That makes sense.”
[That’s how it is. The girl’s existence can be likened to nuclear weapons in the future world. Such asymmetrical power, able to topple the balance in a moment, can never be a bargaining chip.]
With that, Heuk Woong looked worried and said, [Master, this is a perilous situation. Why not just step back? Despite Fuxi’s theatrics, if he’s that capable, he should have a way to solve this without your intervention.]
“……”
I pondered Heuk Woong’s words.
‘He’s right. But why is it that this scenario feels like it can only unfold with me at the center?’
If I stepped back from this plan, everything might fall apart, leading to unexpected disaster.
My curiosity to meet the girl—the very eye of the storm—also urged me to think of alternative solutions.
The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors can never concede the girl to one another.
Some conclusion must be reached based on that premise.
…
Wait… must it strictly be that premise?
I felt a sudden revelation bubble in my mind, and I smacked my knee and jumped to my feet.
Then I turned to Heuk Woong and said, “Heuk Woong, I’ve found the answer!”
[Really? What could that answer be…?]
With a smile on my face from Heuk Woong’s surprised inquiry, I declared, “Alliance and Reconciliation!”
