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I had sensed that strange human from the moment it revealed its aura, but the moment it appeared was so sudden that it felt odd.

‘It felt like it literally didn’t exist and then suddenly showed up…’

This wasn’t a case of disguise or invisibility technique. That thing had definitely manifested in some special way.

Curious about the fact, I just stared blankly at it, but it seemed to get angry at my gaze and stomped over in a bizarre space suit.

“Damn it! Can you not understand me? Are you telling me the rumors about the Northern Village Alliance collapsing and refugees popping up are true? If that’s the case, I’m going to be really annoyed…”

At that moment, the approaching creature suddenly flinched and stopped in its tracks, then leaped back as if rebounding.

Ku kwa kwa!

Simultaneously, something burst through the ground where the thing had been walking, breaking through the red surface with powerful energy. It was something pillar-like, with a width of at least one palm. If that creature had still been standing there when it appeared, its limbs would have surely been ripped apart.

Crack!

The creature that broke through the ground looked to be a beast of otherworldly origins, writhing its tentacles and spewing thick liquid from multiple mouths. I flinched at its resemblance to something I had seen before.

‘Oh! That thing…?!’

Indeed, it was similar to the monster I saw when I, alongside Master Hyuncheon, stopped the disaster in Taekyung Village! Upon closer inspection, it was slightly different in appearance, but overall it was the same!

‘The only difference is that it’s much smaller than the one I saw back then…’

Then the creature, acting annoyed, aimed its great sword to the side and shouted.

“Great ancestors’ spirits!”

Jing!

In the next moment, rays of light that had formed on the creature’s great sword suddenly stretched out, multiplying the sword’s size several times! It resembled a “cutter knife” that existed in the future Great Bear Empire, with multiple layers of the blade extending in succession like it was growing longer and longer. Now, it had transformed from mere rays to a light surface, and as it continued to stretch, that radiant great sword became more like a blade, seemingly stretching beyond three palms in length.

‘Whoa, that’s long!’

Just as I was marveling at the massive length of the great sword, the creature suddenly charged forward, swiftly slashing at the otherworldly beast, which seemed to react with incredible speed, trying to bury its body back underground. Before it could be slashed, the beast’s body burrowed into the ground, forcing the creature to twist the sword path and strike the ground directly.

Schwoooosh!

Normally, a great sword striking the ground would make a crashing sound, but it was as if the ground got sliced like tofu by the sword, decimating the creature lurking underground. The otherworldly beast seemed unable to evade this attack, splitting into two right there beneath the ground.

Swish!

The creature that had turned around and silently chopped down the beast seemed to lessen the brightness of its great sword. It hurried over to me, pulling at my arm.

“You! The Storm of the Moon God is coming! If we keep this up, we’ll run into all the monsters in the world! Quickly, follow me.”

From the way it spoke, it seemed the creature had plenty of experience facing otherworldly beasts, sensing a high probability of encountering monsters at this location. I stared blankly at it and asked,

“What’s the Storm of the Moon God?”

“Huh…? You can speak our language? You little…”

The creature looked at me with disbelief, shook its head, and said,

“See that red haze over there? If that comes, it’s the end!”

“Hmm…”

According to the creature’s words, I was able to faintly see a red haze shimmering over the horizon. Although it was quite distant, I quickly realized it heralded something massive imbued with magical power.

‘So the Storm of the Moon God is a natural disaster on Mars.’

I wanted to ask more, but the creature began pacing anxiously, agitated.

“AAAH! I knew it! More of them are gathering!”

Kaaah!

The creature whipped its cloak and rushed forward, swinging the great sword into the air, and I heard something clattering in the spot the blade pointed at. I sensed the aura before realizing what was going on.

‘Bi Gang-jang!’

Six Bi Gang-jang were closing in within a distance of about thirty paces! The reason I was certain they were Bi Gang-jang was that they were invisible, but now I could roughly perceive their shapes thanks to my enhanced aura sense. What was astonishing was that the Bi Gang-jang I sensed now felt at least double the size of those I had faced back on Earth!

If there are six upper-class demon beasts, even the strongest peak expert would have to brace themselves for death. Aware of that fact, I looked at the creature with a strange expression.

‘That guy doesn’t seem to have a profound martial arts level; how does he instantly pinpoint the location of the Bi Gang-jang and accurately counter them with his sword draws!?’

It was clear to me that the creature had clearly mastered martial arts, likely at the pinnacle among the highest-level experts on Earth. But I could feel that it hadn’t yet crossed the barrier to the peak expert, which was why it had failed to strike down that underground beast on the first swing.

Nonetheless, the power behind that radiant great sword could slice apart a demon beast in one strike, showcasing incredible sharpness. The force wasn’t something that could be easily seen with even strong qi usage, and I couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘There’s no doubt about it. The cutting power of that radiant sword is overwhelmingly sharper than any regular sword strength! It’s something only the highest-level experts’ focused energies could compete with.’

Besides, how in the world could he so easily identify those invisible Bi Gang-jang? Having had a deadly run-in with one before on Earth, my curiosity in the creature further intensified.

Grabbing my hand tightly, the creature said,

“No matter how strong I am, I can’t take them all on! Hold my hand tightly.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“We gotta bounce! Those things can’t fly!”

With that, the creature formed a hand sign and began chanting.

“Cloak!”

It was a short and concise command! No, it almost felt more like a start command than a spell. As the incantation went forth, the creature suddenly soared upward at tremendous speed, shooting straight up into the air. I, grasped by its hand, followed suit.

‘Flying effect! A simple ability, but quite a useful artifact…’

As soon as the creature shot into the sky, it began to dart away, and it was quite fast. The Bi Gang-jang seemed to try to follow by flapping their wings, but they were way too slow to keep pace. After some time, the creature sensed something and said nervously.

“Ugh! Using the flying function once means I can’t use it for days…! I need to find the next gate fast…”

“Next gate? What do you mean?”

“You idiot! Don’t pretend you don’t know! Isn’t it a given that you have to use a gate to enter a village?”

The creature shouted, seemingly boiling over with anger, when it suddenly caught sight of something, its face lighting up.

“There!”

Ta-dah!

The creature descended and stood before a massive circular symbol emblazoned on the ground. I recognized immediately.

‘That’s one of the twelve symbols, the mark of Scorpio.’

The creature knelt before the symbol with its sword pointed downward, murmuring.

“O great ancestors’ spirits, please open the path for the descendants!”

Jing!

In the next moment, a distinct radiance etched the Scorpio symbol, and a luminous circle emerged vividly. The creature gestured for me to hurry.

“Hey! Get in!”

As I followed suit and stood within the glowing circle, I felt reality flip upside-down for a moment, and when I came to, I found myself in a strange location.

A village made of red rocks!

I realized that while the architectural style was similar to that of ancient Lemuria, it also had its differences. I looked around at the villagers wandering about and noticed they all resembled modern humans.

“Follow me.”

The creature walked to a solitary house atop the highest hill of the village, and I followed. Once inside, the creature plopped down heavily onto a chair, letting out a sigh.

“Phew… it’s scorching hot.”

Shh!

As the creature pressed near its neck, the round covering that had surrounded its head vanished. With that, the creature’s face, which hadn’t been seen clearly due to the covering, became visible; it appeared to be a middle-aged man in his 40s or 50s. He probably had been handsome in his youth, but the numerous deep scars gave him a rather sinister impression.

The seated creature glared at me and brusquely said,

“It’s coming, the Storm of the Moon God, and you seem unfazed by it… You don’t seem like an ordinary person. Who are you?”

“You drag someone whose identity you don’t even know to your home?”

“Anyway, we’re both humans. According to Lemuria’s laws, it’s a knight’s principle to protect fellow humans as best we can.”

“Knight?”

“I’m Deimos, the knight protecting this village, Paleletan. Now you reveal your name and identity.”

Since the other side revealed their identity, I felt I should do the same.

Nodding, I replied,

“I am Baek Woong from Earth.”

Upon hearing “Earth,” Deimos flinched in surprise.

“…Earth? Are you joking?”

“I’m not joking. I genuinely came from Earth to find survivors of the Lemuria Empire.”

“…”

Deimos looked at me with a bewildered expression, then said,

“You must be a lunatic. What do you mean, Earth?”

“Why can’t you believe what I’m saying?”

As I retorted, Deimos pressed his temple, muttering,

“We’re just barely doing our best to survive due to the Storm of the Moon God and the monsters. How on Earth did you come from Earth to Mars? We’ve all but rendered the magical artifacts left behind by our ancestors unusable because of the Storm of the Moon God.”

“?!”

Wait, what does that mean?

Confused, I asked,

“Wait… are you saying magical artifacts can’t be used because of the Storm of the Moon God? What does that even mean?”

“Didn’t you see it earlier? A raging storm the size of a continent that sweeps across Mars… that’s the Storm of the Moon God. It disperses the magical waves, rendering most magical artifacts unusable.”

“Ah!”

Could it be… that’s why my Bi Gang-jang was inoperable?!

So the Storm of the Moon God prevents Bi Gang-jang from functioning!

‘But according to the knowledge of the Great Bear Empire, they say no such phenomenon comparable to the Storm of the Moon God will be reported when humans explore Mars 500 years later?’

Not only that, but even the Great Bear Empire had explored Mars, concluding it was a lifeless dead planet, while I had never even seen a sign of the existence of survivors like the Lemuria Empire, or Martians.

Something must have happened on Mars over the past 500 years.

Just as I was sensing this fact, Deimos popped the lid off what looked like a refrigerator-style magical artifact and began gulping down drinks.

“Damn it. It’s bad enough dealing with the president’s issues, but I’m starting to meet all sorts of lunatics…”

I was puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

“President? Is the president the leader of this village?”

“Not just this village, but they lead all twenty-four human villages. You don’t even know who the president is?”

Hmm… is he like an emperor of the Central Plains?

Having vaguely grasped who the president was, I explained to Deimos.

“You seem not to believe me, but I genuinely come from Earth. I can easily prove it to you.”

“Ha! Stop making excuses. You should sleep here tonight and head for work tomorrow. Mining some nuclear stones might be good for you.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Seeing that Deimos trusted me so little, I felt it was amusing and smirked as I said,

“Then let’s bet. If I prove it to you and you acknowledge it, then you’ll have to follow all my commands from here on and share all the information you know.”

Deimos shot back with the expression of someone who thought I’d lost it.

“…A bet, huh. I enjoy gambling too. If you can’t prove it, you’ll be mining nuclear stones for life.”

“Fine. Follow me.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I pulled Deimos outside. I then reached out for the symbol of the White Yang Palace.

“Grab my hand.”

“You trying to mimic me? With the powers of a dimension gate granted by our ancestors, you’ll never make it to Earth.”

“Wow, have I really been living under a rock? Just try grabbing it.”

“Hmph. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely send you to the mines. You’ll be assigned to the hardest labor…”

As he grumbled, the moment Deimos grabbed my hand, I activated the mark of the White Yang Palace given by Emperor Lemuria.

Tsuuuh -!

In an instant, a radiant path extended outwards, and our bodies began to soar through space at tremendous velocity. Just like before, after about half a moment passed, I realized I had arrived at the Shadowless Gate.

Ta-da!

As I landed at the Shadowless Gate, I smiled at Deimos, who looked stunned.

“Is this Earth or Mars?”

“…?!”

Just then, Mangnyang walked out, yawning as if waiting inside.

“Yaaawwn… Baek Woong. Who’s this guy? Looks like something happened while you were gone.”

I spoke to Deimos in Lemurian.

“That over there is Mangnyang. You probably can’t understand him.”

“Huh… wow…”

After staring blankly for a while, Deimos finally kneeled down and exclaimed,

“If that’s the case, please help us! Baek Woong!”

His attitude shifted abruptly. Mangnyang, who had been watching Deimos from the side, had a puzzled expression on his face.

“I can’t understand what that guy’s saying, but I get one thing: another troublesome thing has popped up.”

“That’s right. By the way, this guy is a Martian, presumably a descendant of the ancient Lemuria Empire.”

“…?”

Mangnyang seemed to struggle to accept my words for a moment before sighing.

“…that’s just… I’ve read all sorts of ancient texts, but I can’t follow the current situation. This is something I never imagined.”

“What happened?”

“Hmm, you can explain later. Let’s hear what the author has to say first.”

“Alright.”

Turning to Deimos, I asked,

“Deimos, what do you need help with?”

“…I mentioned the president earlier, right? It’s about the president.”

“Hmm… the president seems like a figure similar to the emperor of the Central Plains. What happened to him?”

“…”

Deimos hesitated for a moment before saying,

“Since the president disappeared fifteen years ago, all twenty-four villages have been in chaos. Originally, we could use the instant transportation portal for close interaction between villages, but that’s now cut off. Only the president can restore that societal structure. Please, find the president.”

“…?”

I tilted my head and asked,

“But isn’t the president one person? Just because one person is missing, all methods of transportation and communication are gone?”

“The president is the only one who could wield the ancient Lemuria’s unique magical artifact, the Astral Sphere, which is responsible for the survival of all humans on Mars. The president’s disappearance has led to this situation.”

“The Astral Sphere… so what if it can’t be activated from now on?”

“We’ve relied on the Astral Sphere for nearly all resources such as drinking water, lighting, and food. If we delay it further, all humans on Mars will soon face death.”

“Hmm!”

Sounds like a more serious situation than I thought!

I felt it was time to explain everything I had gone through to Mangnyang, detailing my experiences and the current situation in Earth language. As he listened to my explanation calmly, Mangnyang pondered for a moment before saying,

“In any case, I should find him. Ultimately, saving the Lemurian survivors on Mars, aka humanity, is keeping the promise with Emperor Lemuria. If you’re to gain great karma, this must be done.”

“I think so too.”

“However, something seems off here. Can I have a conversation with the author as well?”

“Wait a second…”

I searched through the twelve symbols recorded in the Grimoire of Emperor Lemuria. Picking out the one that fit our current situation, I drew it out and activated it.

Libra.

Tsutsutsu!

At that moment, the symbol of Libra was imprinted on Mangnyang’s forehead, and he seemed to gain the ability to speak Martian.

It wasn’t permanent, just working as long as the symbol functioned for a few time periods, but it felt useful enough. Each symbol had distinct abilities, making them quite versatile.

“So, you were saying, despite having been unable to use most magical artifacts due to the Storm of the Moon God, you’ve been fighting using magical artifacts?” Mangnyang asked Deimos.

“Because it’s a magical artifact carrying Lemuria’s certification.”

“Certification?”

“Take a look at this.”

Deimos showed me the blade of his large great sword. I was struck with awe, seeing the Lemurian language and symbols inscribed along its length.

“That’s quite an amazing item.”

“Indeed. It’s a masterpiece-grade artifact crafted with special care by the artisans of Lemuria. We call it a certified magical artifact. Truly rare and precious. It’s all we have when the Storm of the Moon God is near.”

Then Deimos added, with a hint of pride in his voice,

“Only the knight protecting the village may wield a certified magical artifact. Or the guards of the capital.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Now I finally understood why Deimos could easily contend against upper-class demon beasts that would give peak experts trouble, even though his skill level seemed insufficient! He had been equipped with Lemuria’s formidable magical artifacts. In a way, each certified magic artifact he wielded might as well be a treasure-level item!

Mangnyang looked closely at the great sword and remarked,

“Looks like we could easily resolve this. Do you happen to know the village where the president used to reside? It’s probably the largest capital among the twenty-four villages.”

“I know it. As you’ve guessed, that’s Phobos, the capital of Mars.”

“I see. Let’s head straight to Phobos. We should be able to resolve this matter quite easily.”

I turned to Mangnyang with concern.

“Mangnyang! If we go to Phobos, it’ll just complicate things as we search for the president’s whereabouts and wander around… is that okay? It’s not going to be easy.”

“Hmph. Why would we search for the president? There’s no need to go through extra trouble.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s go for now. Let’s give Deimos the permission to use the Lemurian symbols for a bit.”

“Alright.”

Wiying!

Using the power of the White Yang Palace Aries symbol once again, we followed the light path towards the capital of Mars, Phobos.

Kuuwng!

As we arrived in Phobos, we stood at the center of what seemed to be a palace-like building. Before long, a whole bunch of guards equipped with certified magical artifacts like Deimos swarmed in from all directions.

“Who the hell are you?”

“State your identity!”

Thinking back on it, it would’ve been terrifying to face dozens of enemies wielding treasure-level weapons, but I had no second thoughts as I pulled up my intent and stomped my foot powerfully.

“Ha!”

Boom!

“Krah!”

“Huff!”

“Oh my….”

It was merely one stomp, but it knocked the guards to the ground, making them tumble or drop their weapons, falling down to tremble in fear. They were reacting as if they’d heard a tiger’s roar right up close, meaning the intent I released had thoroughly crushed their spirits.

Deimos looked at me in shock.

“You took down the capital guards in one blow?! This… this… This insane martial power?!”

Deimos was also presumably a martial artist with the capability to wield some degree of qi. However, in his eyes, my level of martial arts must have appeared transcendent. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“There’s no need for me to harm anyone. Just have you mediate. You must know them.”

“Ah, alright.”

Deimos hurried to the fallen captain and seemed to engage in earnest persuasion. It seemed to work since the captain, with horror in his eyes, glanced at me and said,

“P-please follow us. Kindly refrain from any hostile actions.”

“Got it.”

We followed the captain deeper into the palace. Inside, someone awaited us—dressed in fine robes, a bespectacled man, he looked exactly like someone who’d tirelessly managed administrative tasks all day at a desk.

With a look of barely suppressed fear, he spoke to us.

“…I am Vice President Marbas, temporarily overseeing Phobos. What brings you here with such turbulence?”

At that, Mangnyang stepped forward eagerly and declared,

“Vice President Marbas. We have come to activate the Astral Sphere.”

“What?! Are you saying you can do that?”

“Just take us there. We absolutely can… oh, and I hope you fervently pray for the activation of the Astral Sphere for our friend Baek Woong here.”

“If it can be done, I will help in any way I can.”

Finally, Vice President Marbas led us into a classified area of the palace, where the massive Astral Sphere, so large it took up four rooms at once, awaited us.

I turned to Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang, we’ve made it this far, but what now? How do we activate this?”

“What’s difficult about it? Just command it to activate in the name of the Emperor of Lemuria.”

“…?”

Will that really work?

Feeling doubtful, I followed Mangnyang’s instructions, shouting,

“Astral Sphere! By the authority of the Emperor of Lemuria, activate!”

In that moment.

Whiiir…!

The complex magical mechanisms of the massive Astral Sphere began moving like interlocking gears. Suddenly, tubes connected to the Astral Sphere quivered, releasing strange energy in all directions. Upon witnessing this, Vice President Marbas sank to his knees, tears of joy streaming down his face.

“Oh! It’s really the Astral Sphere! We’ve been saved!”

Not just Marbas, but the guards that had followed him were also tearing up with joy, and even Deimos seemed to be weeping profusely. Seeing them, it was clear the hardships Martians had faced for fifteen years without the Astral Sphere were beyond words.

I stared on, stupefied, and asked Mangnyang,

“Hey, Mangnyang… how could just one command activate it? Plus, it’s a magical artifact only the president can activate. What grounds did you have to be so sure…?”

Mangnyang shrugged off my words, explaining.

“Isn’t it obvious? The fact that only the president can activate ancient magical artifacts is merely a guideline for inherited qualifications passed down through bloodlines. To be precise, only the president’s lineage or an acknowledged person can activate the Astral Sphere. However, you are the one who has been fully entrusted with the authority of the Emperor of Lemuria, so you could bypass that lineage certification and activate it with even higher authority. Every citizen in Lemuria ultimately belongs to the Emperor of Lemuria.”

“…!”

Ah, so that’s how it is!

“Alright, that’s one problem solved.”

Mangnyang, peering into the situation, swiftly resolved the state of an entire planet. He casually opened up his fan and chuckled.

“Now I’ve also gained karma and saved Mars. I’ve done what I needed, so I can head back to Earth anytime. As for that president, if he wants to be found, he can be found, and if it’s a nuisance, we can do it later.”

“Hmm, I see…”

I could tell that Mangnyang’s approach reflected his wisdom as a strategist. Though he spoke lightly, he knew very well that digging deep into the investigation of the president could lead to unnecessary complications. He was recommending that we efficiently achieve what we could gain from Mars and head back to Earth through other means.

Yet, I instinctively felt that the situation on Mars wasn’t merely solved; it felt like the missing president had some sort of odd connection to the peculiar future where even the Storm of the Moon God wouldn’t be reported 500 years later.

‘Should I gather just a bit more of a clue before I go?’

With that thought in mind, I asked Vice President Marbas.

“Marbas, do you happen to have any clues left behind by the president before he disappeared? Even something small would be fine…”

“Um… initially, I planned to keep it under wraps until I died, but since you activated the Astral Sphere and saved this world, I will gladly share it.”

Marbas cautiously continued.

“The president seemed to have been strongly lured by some kind of creature that came from Earth. It seems he was promised a way to break free from the cycle of being trapped underground for thousands of years because of the Storm of the Moon God. He eventually couldn’t resist the temptation and followed that creature to an ancient labyrinth.”

My jaw dropped in surprise at Marbas’s words.

“A creature from Earth…? You mean there were others who came from Earth to Mars besides us?!”

And that was fifteen years ago?!

Marbas nodded.

“Yes. That creature was exceptionally strong and wise.”

“What was its name?”

“I don’t know. Even its full body was covered with a cloak, so I don’t even know what it looked like.”

“What suggestion did that creature give to improve the situation on Mars?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but it involved finding the real legacy of the ancient empire. It was said that the legacy was hidden in dangerous ancient ruins on the surface, places no one dared to go.”

“Ancient ruins… where are they?”

“They’re the ruins of Atlantis, where the Storm of the Moon God constantly blows, making it impossible for any human to even consider exploring. Everyone thought the president had died because he followed the creature from Earth there…”

“…”

This feels like… a situation more complex than I expected.

A scenario where a creature from Earth seduced the president to follow it to Atlantis’s ancient ruins?

I turned to look at Mangnyang, who was deep in thought.

“Baek Woong. For now, let’s just note the location of the ancient labyrinth and return to Earth. This feels like a place that requires preparation and challenging.”

“Understood.”

My thoughts aligned with Mangnyang’s. Considering the formidable magic power held in the Storms of the Moon God, it was inconceivable that the demon beasts and traps within the ancient ruins of this highly advanced continent would be of ordinary level. The ancient labyrinth of Atlantis might be as perilous as the Aokigahara Life Sea.

‘It’s not that I’m lacking strength to handle it, but still, this isn’t another dimension. Proper caution is needed.’

Moreover, completely unaware of the true identity of the creature from Earth, I had no idea how events might escalate, so I wanted to ensure my companions grew strong enough to prepare for future matters.

 

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