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“Alright.”

I had received the permission to use weapons from the Tower of Muwang according to the Prophet. The Zhuge Clan’s instructions were to use that power to completely obliterate Luoyang and enter under the most favorable conditions. Sure, the humans inside might get hurt, but honestly, living in that living hell would only be worse.

Oh

As I thought about using a weapon, the incantation ingrained in my mind slipped from my lips, and soon after, my consciousness shifted somewhere.

I found myself floating in a blank white space.

It felt like a mental realm, but looming in the front were the pitch-black skies of the dark abyss and countless clusters of stars. I knew that this was the outer universe and that the blue star in front of me was where I lived.

[User recognition confirmed.]

As if on cue, a strange laugh echoed, and something bizarre sprang forth from the other side of the space. It was a creature with round eyes, resembling a leopard, with a third eye embedded in its forehead. This strange beast spoke to me.

[Target confirmed. Please input the target.]

“I particularly want to wipe out the Nine Lotus Bishop and the Nine Lotus Mages around Luoyang.”

[Inputting target… Reconfirming if it meets execution standards. Is the goal the annihilation of the terrestrial civilization?]

“No. Just Luoyang… And try not to harm the surrounding area. I want the humans to survive if possible.”

[Please wait.]

The leopard-like creature’s eyes twirled as a blue storm swirled around. After a moment, it looked up to me and spoke.

[Target confirmed. Class [Ruler] level. Weapons such as 16th-grade light bombs, atomic bombs, and orbital bombardments will be ineffective. The required damage to annihilate the target is measured at 1.98 rotals. The chaos-holding capacity of this entity remarkably exceeds the level of civilization. Estimated year 1297… The minimum weapon’s expected classification to eliminate the target is rated at 18th-grade.]

As the three-eyed leopard muttered some incomprehensible words, it continued.

[To release grade 18, royal approval is necessary. Please reconfirm that freeing 18th-grade weapons indicates a crisis situation for your clan.]

“…?”

I had no idea what it meant.

So essentially, I needed royal approval to use an 18th-grade weapon to take out that Nine Lotus Bishop? I thought about it for a moment and asked,

“How do I get the royal approval? Haven’t I already come here with the king’s permission?”

[This case has not been analyzed yet. Connecting with royalty for approval is recommended.]

“Do it.”

Beep beep beep

[Communication connection with the king has been authorized.]

After a brief repetitive sound, a holographic image appeared before the leopard.

To my surprise, the Prophet was standing there, seemingly alive and in motion!

“Prophet!!”

He stood against what appeared to be an incomprehensible landscape. It looked like he had escaped to some far-off otherworldly realm long ago.

[So you’ve become entangled in the divine plot… Hehe…]

The Prophet said something ominous before continuing.

[Baek Woong… I’m sorry, but I cannot grant you the 18th-grade weapon… it’s for dealing with the [Old Ruler]… you might face a backlash from the law of cause and effect…]

“……!!”

[Instead, I will grant you permission for the 17th-grade… Be aware that this is a significant burden for me…]

Quickly, I pressed him, “Wait, did you sell my information to Chang-hil…?”

[Ah… Seems like I have some urgent business…]

Clap

Before I could get a reply, the Prophet cut off the communication. As I stood there in shock, the leopard spoke.

[With the king’s authority, 17th-grade weapons have been authorized.]

“Curse you!!”

I felt my anger boiling over. To cut off without so much as a word was so suspicious. It was too much of a coincidence for Chang-hil to know I was a Reborn Person; according to the Zhuge Clan, it implied that the Prophet sold my information. So, I tried to question him, but he ignored me completely.

‘I knew he was a disloyal piece of work.’

I realized there was no point in expecting more from an information broker. I managed to calm my emotions and commanded the leopard.

“Okay. Use the 17th-grade weapon to wipe out the Nine Lotus Bishop and mages around Luoyang!”

[Command approved.]

Whoosh

Was this some kind of celestial body floating in space? With a dry sound, a white cannon-like structure aimed at the round world.

[Constructing temporal compression field at target point [Luoyang]… Capturing 6 semi-apostle entities… Activating chaos spectrum device… An anti-matter core is installed. The leader of the Great Universe’s integrated thought federation sends you best wishes for a joyful hunt! Progressing with the protective barrier… The [Old Ruler]’s thought waves have been completely blocked. Blocking super-regeneration ability, causes and effect-type immortality, and temporal reversal abilities… Confirmed 99% extermination probability for upper apostles. Capturing anti-matter field completed at the latitude of celestial descent.]

“……”

[A diplomatic protest letter has arrived for you from the Seo Eun-ha Tribe Alliance. They express strong regret that using weapons classified as [Old Ruler] on a primitive planet could jeopardize peace. They are feeling strongly disappointed with the king, asking if you wish for 5000 years of diplomatic disconnection. This letter will be resent to the royal family.]

Something incomprehensible was going back and forth, but whatever it was, it was definitely some kind of monumental weapon according to my current levels of knowledge.

[In the year 3839827 of the Seo Eun-ha calendar, by the name of the Great King, I will launch the 17th-grade anti-[Old Ruler] extermination final weapon, Reincarnation Cannon.]

Beep –

With a tiny line shot out from the cannon, it seemed like that was it. The display was surprisingly lackluster compared to what I expected, making me wonder if it had worked, but soon the leopard waved its tail and said,

[Impact confirmed. Returning user’s consciousness.]

Puff! I found myself back where I had started, but I stood there dazed, staring at the scene unfolding before me.

A white pillar!

It looked like a white pillar was embedded throughout Luoyang. No – in truth, a pillar of white light was annihilating all of Luoyang.

Vvvvrl

A mysterious, unidentifiable sound echoed like a vibration. It didn’t come off as an attack; it took a moment before the light ceased, leaving only ruins behind.

“……”

“Baek Woong… what in the world have you done?”

So surprised, Zhuge Sa’s lips trembled. He was unable to hide his shock.

“I never imagined it would be this level…”

Totally desolate.

That was the final product. What was called Luoyang had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed from the beginning. I said with a glimmer of hope,

“The Nine Lotus Bishop must be dead too, right?”

“It would be splendid if that were the case!”

Everyone seemed to agree with my statement. If we could dispose of humanity’s greatest calamity without fighting, that would be the best outcome. We stood watching the scene for a while before moving forward, yet not a single living thing was felt as we walked the distance of about four miles.

But surprisingly, something started popping up from underground. They stood up, coughing, and seemed human.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh… huh… what happened…?”

They were survivors who had hidden themselves in various places around Luoyang. They claimed that suddenly bright light made everything disappear and they found themselves buried in thin earth. Zhuge Sa turned to Yeon Jong-hwi.

“You should rescue the survivors. We must confirm the life or death of the Nine Lotus Bishop and the lead cardinal.”

“Understood.”

We moved forward more. While walking, I sensed something and said,

“The energy of the demon has completely washed away.”

“Seems that beam had the power of purification. It killed everything else and only spared the humans? Truly magnificent. But…”

Zhuge Sa looked up at the sky with a disgusting gaze.

“The Battle Ground remains intact.”

“……”

“That seems to be a barrier that even the Great Race’s super-civilization cannot breach.”

Perhaps that’s true. If a calamity were to descend from the Evil God and couldn’t do anything about it, then that’s just logical. But if that’s the case, who the heck is Master Mangnyang, maintaining that Battle Ground? I suddenly realized that the black cat was an impressive being.

Bubble bubble bubble…

“Ah.”

Suddenly, we saw bubbles rising up from the void as something began to regenerate. Soon, they morphed into monsters clothed in red robes, and Jin So-cheong murmured in a hushed voice.

“The Bishops.”

The Bishops of the Nine Lotus Sect!

There were six of them in total. I couldn’t see their faces too clearly, but the tentacles spilling out from under the robes indicated they probably weren’t the prettiest sight. They were no longer fully human but rather monsters fused with tentacles. As I swallowed hard, Mangnyang said,

“Something seems off. Each of those guys used to boast enormous power that even the Dharma Guardians would struggle against, but I hardly feel any strength from them now.”

“……?”

The Poison King Tang San grinned broadly.

“They successfully regenerated after that beam but lost all their strength! Then it’s an easy meal.”

Swish

The Mind Control Technique surrounded the bishops as Tang San’s will clashed with them. In an instant, the bishops’ bodies seemed to melt, and astonishingly, they turned into blood within just a couple of breaths.

“……!!”

What kind of poison is that? No matter how powerful a poison is, it can’t be that ridiculous! The strongest antidote I had seen could dissolve human skin yet not melt bones and flesh that fast. I couldn’t help but be astonished by the effect of the formless poison wielded by a master of the Absolute Realm.

‘If such a poison flew at me…’

I’d have no way to defend. I could resist by boosting my immunity with Thunder Spirit a time or two, but the longer I fought, the more I’d succumb to poisoning and die.

After Tang San annihilated the bishops, he looked bewildered.

“What? Is that already it? Normally, I’d be facing one of them, and they’d be spitting out tentacles to regenerate! I could barely handle one before, so why are they so weak now?”

Jin So-cheong replied to him.

“It seems the weapon from the Tower of Muwang you used interfered with their regeneration and abolished their immortality. Truly miraculous.”

“Wow… What kind of tactic did you use? You’re something else.”

Tang San looked at me in true admiration. From his expression, I realized that the bishops were indeed powerful beings, regarded as even superior to Dharma Guardians, not at all the kinds of guys who would die that easily. Moreover, I suspected that even the masters of the Absolute Realm could only do so much against their infinite regeneration and immortality.

How much more did we walk?

In the middle of the ruins stood a figure clad in a black robe. This being stood still, watching us, and the moment I saw it, Jin So-cheong’s expression soured. Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa both clenched their jaws at the same time.

“The Nine Lotus Bishop.”

Unlike the bishops, the being known as the Nine Lotus Bishop did not rise from the void. Instead, it remained calm as if it had always been standing there. However, it seemed that the surrounding space was devoured by its presence, and despite the fact that two masters of the Absolute Realm were present, we couldn’t shake off this pressure.

But it was odd. For some reason, the face behind the black robe seemed familiar. Just as I was pondering, Jin So-cheong spoke.

“Baek Woong, it’s a blessing in disguise. The power of the Nine Lotus Bishop seems to have dropped below half of its former strength.”

“So you mean we can win?”

“… I don’t know. We might not be able to.”

“……”

That was the first time I heard Jin So-cheong doubt a foe. Even though its power had dropped below half, I couldn’t comprehend why he lost confidence.

Just then, the Nine Lotus Bishop turned to me and spoke.

“I won’t kill you.”

“Huh?”

I understood the absurdity of that statement, but I was too perplexed to grasp its intention. The Nine Lotus Bishop was an ultra-high-level being who had obliterated the peerless masters of the White Lotus Sect and Lee Cheong-un by himself, and he had just survived the weapon from the Tower of Muwang. It was only natural that such a being would feel somewhat mad, but why would he spare my life?

And now, the voice of the Nine Lotus Bishop sounded like a woman’s, one that was quite familiar to me, which made me jump to a certain conclusion.

“You can’t possibly be…?”

Slowly, the Nine Lotus Bishop lifted their robe, revealing their head, and then spoke.

“My master wishes it so.”

“?!”

In that moment, my jaw dropped.

The white-haired woman – that woman was someone I was absolutely familiar with.

I felt a heavy shock hit my head and started shaking.

“Seo Mun-hye…”

 

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