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“Understanding Berus’ tale is no walk in the park.”

The Sword Demon found it quite a task to grasp Berus’s narrative since it was more mythological and sorcerous than a mere martial arts tale. But with his sharp mind, he managed to catch at least the gist of it and replied,

“So, what is sealed in this Grave of the God is capable of wiping everything off the map, huh?”

“Exactly. Even among the giants, such beings are scarce. You won’t bump into them often, even in myths. Hence, my suspicion is…”

Berus started to say something but ended up sealing his lips.

“…”

Maybe he felt there wasn’t enough evidence to continue?

After a moment of hesitation, Berus finally spoke up.

“Sword Demon. However, negotiating with Musashi using the seal down there is a no-go.”

“Hmm.”

“The Musashi I encountered was a fighting spirit consumed by the extreme emotion of ‘battle.’ Whether he ceases to exist or not is probably beyond his concern.”

“That makes sense.”

The Sword Demon already knew this even without Berus saying it. Having clashed blades with the current Musashi, he was acutely aware of what emotional state his opponent was in, likely better than Musashi himself. Thus, threatening him with mutual annihilation would be utterly pointless.

But – what was the solution then?

Understanding that freeing the seal below could mean the world’s end was rather useless knowledge at the moment. The reborn Baek Woong might later use this to take a massive leap forward, but for now, it meant nothing. After a brief contemplation, the Sword Demon spoke to Berus.

“Berus. How can you bequeath on me the memories of time reversal?”

“I can pass on just one memory, other than my own, to reverse the cycle of time.”

“As I suspected. That’s why Hyea was in the dark.”

The Sword Demon nodded, saying,

“Then, if I were to fail this time, could you pass on Hyea’s memory instead of mine?”

Berus raised an eyebrow at the unexpected suggestion.

“That’s a strange choice. That lady has excellent martial arts skills but doesn’t match up to you.”

“There’s a reason for it. Please.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll give it a shot.”

“We’ll head down again, so buy us some time.”

“Understood.”

It was a fight with absurdly slim chances.

Yet amidst the chaos, the Sword Demon found a glimmer of hope.

Under normal circumstances, even a battle-hardened legendary figure like the Sword Demon wouldn’t keep his mental composure in such a grim fight. But oddly, he felt a strange calm wash over him.

‘Is this the result of inheriting Baek Woong’s memories?’

While the Sword Demon had assumed he experienced his own share of turmoil, Baek Woong’s trials were on a whole different level. Having died a staggering 23 times and faced threats far beyond that would surely alter one’s perspective. Understanding just how much of a difference a few close scrapes with death make, he realized that Baek Woong’s indomitable mental strength had surpassed human limits. Compared to what Baek Woong faced, this situation was merely a casual walk in the park, allowing him to remain calm.

“Then I’ll stop Musashi again.”

“Please do. Just create a diversion for one meal cycle.”

“Let’s do this.”

Pa-at!

The Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye were swiftly transported back to the very bottom of the Grave of the God by Berus’s spatial transfer. This time, they landed directly on the lowest level, buoyed by their past memories of the place and saving time.

Seo Mun-hye asked,

“Father, what’s the plan?”

“Hyea.”

“Yes?”

Catching his gaze alternating between the massive heart before them and the spear, the Sword Demon said,

“You possess the bloodline and power of legends. You already knew that, right?”

“Yes…”

“Actually, Zhuge Sa gave me a heads-up once. He mentioned the reason the mythical power manifested in you was due to the phenomenon of ancestral resurgence.”

“Ancestral resurgence?”

When Seo Mun-hye looked puzzled, the Sword Demon continued,

“It’s a phenomenon where the traits and essence of ancestors emerge after dozens, even hundreds of generations. Your mother’s clan, the Seo Clan, likely inherited the blood of the Giant Race long ago, and through sheer chance, the bloodline’s traits manifested in you. I suspect that’s also why you have white hair.”

“……”

“You don’t consider inheriting that power a curse, but I cannot agree. Even as I speak these words now… I cannot help but resent the heavens for making it you who is bound to the dreadful truth of the mythical.”

“Father…”

The Sword Demon’s eyes glistened with sorrow. In this moment, he was engulfed by a deep sense of helplessness and despair as a father. He knew this would ultimately help Baek Woong, but with the foresight of what trials his own blood would endure, he felt utterly frustrated.

“However, seeing as things have come to this, I decided to believe that Baek Woong will solve everything and use that fact to our advantage.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Hyea. You mentioned that when you pulled that spear, a divine being scolded you. So let’s seize this opportunity.”

As the Sword Demon quietly laid out his strategy, Seo Mun-hye was deeply startled. It resembled a reckless plan akin to those used by Baek Woong or Zhuge Sa. She spoke up.

“Father, if we fail, it could be a disaster. Berus might die alongside us…”

“From where I stand, Berus is far more formidable than he appears. He looks weak because he’s protecting us, but if he gave it his all, he could tip the scales of divine power. He’s someone to whom mere mortals can’t deal with, let alone consider killing.”

“……”

“He’s no match for Musashi nor a worry for us. We need to focus on our own issues first.”

Seo Mun-hye replied,

“What concerns me is if I fail, I’ll have to shoulder the last chance of reversal myself. I can’t think of a strategy to face Musashi.”

“Don’t fret over that. You won’t be going alone.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t mention it to Zhuge Sa, but I have a hypothesis. Now’s our chance to prove it.”

With that, the Sword Demon settled down cross-legged, quieting his eyes to enter a state of utmost concentration, while Seo Mun-hye clenched her fists tightly.

‘I must succeed.’

She understood that her father’s somewhat ragged temporary strategy was bravado meant to assure her. In reality, the odds of failure far exceeded those of success, and the burden weighing on the Sword Demon was likely dozens of times heavier than it seemed. Still, he was adamant about embracing that burden and heading down the path to death.

Why?

Because that was the heart of a father.

In that moment, Seo Mun-hye, no longer merely saying words, resolved to put her life on the line with sincerity. She decided that, come what may, she and her father would find a way to survive.

Ta-daht!

As the Sword Demon’s state of concentration peaked, Seo Mun-hye dashed towards the spear rack and began to extract a spear one by one. She noticed it came out much more easily now, and the cold energy emanating from the spear rack had noticeably lessened.

Upon pulling the third one, an echoing cry resonated just like before.

[How dare you!! Giant, have you meddled with my seal to save your kin? Stay put, I shall come for you soon. However, if you choose to stop pulling the spear and withdraw, I might let you off this time!]

Seo Mun-hye gritted her teeth upon hearing the thunderous voice ringing in her head. She waited for a moment until her headache calmed and collected her thoughts to respond.

[Oh Great One! I will not pull any more from this seal. I apologize for my rudeness, and in return, I have one request!]

Perhaps taken aback by her answer, the distant presence fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, it then replied in a slightly chilling tone.

[Upon closer inspection, it seems the trait of the Giant has manifested in a mere human. So, what kind of request does a mixed breed like you have for me?]

It seemed the being was willing to converse, for Seo Mun-hye was not a pure human but a ‘mixed breed,’ which made her worth talking to compared to ordinary pests. She addressed the entity called the ‘main seat’.

[There is one possessed by an Old Ruler who seeks to kill me. Please eliminate that being.]

[Oh…]

After a moment of silence, it chuckled ominously.

[A being from far away dares to stir up chaos here. Such a one must be disposed of.]

Did it accept? Seo Mun-hye felt a wave of relief wash over her, but her heart dropped at the follow-up.

[But the flesh will belong to me henceforth, and your soul shall serve in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. You shall become my servant, dwelling eternally in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Will you accept this contract?]

Being tied eternally to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace meant no hope for salvation after death, leading to an existence as a ghost feasting on human flesh. The ordeal could bring unimaginable suffering, something incomprehensible for a human to endure.

Seo Mun-hye had anticipated this proposal. And following the counsel of the Sword Demon, she responded.

[That’s unacceptable.]

[Then I can’t lend you my strength.]

[Then I shall extract all the spears! Whether way, it’s the same.]

[What?!]

[So what will you do?]

At her words, the entity’s rage boiled like a pot before it suddenly reconsidered.

[You’re quite audacious. Yet you seem rather competent, so I’ll lend you my strength this once.]

[Thank you.]

It sneered.

[Do you really think you have the right to be grateful?]

Wooooo!

In the next instant, Seo Mun-hye felt her consciousness shatter as something colossal descended from a far dimension. As her consciousness was abruptly flung away, she screamed as if thrown off a cliff from the Manjangan Cliff. Her body was no longer her own, and dozens of ghosts rushed to claim her soul, dragging her toward the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Seo Mun-hye knew that with the descent of a Great Being, her soul was unceremoniously tossed into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace.

I don’t want this.

Yet among this abandonment, she realized what path she had chosen.

The path of Asura.

Baek Woong’s perpetual last choice had led to a literal living hell for an ordinary existence. Had it been Baek Woong, he wouldn’t have faced such treatment. But it seemed Seo Mun-hye’s actions had aggravated the being.

‘I must endure…’

With all her might, Seo Mun-hye struggled to keep her soul tethered to this world. Even with the blood of the divine mixed in, if she carelessly relied on divine power, misery was sure to follow.

Pa-at!

[Hmmm.]

Simultaneously, the entity possessing Seo Mun-hye’s body glanced at the meditating Sword Demon but paid him no heed as it moved to the surface. To that being, an ordinary human was merely an insect unworthy of attention.

Upon reaching ‘the surface,’ this ‘being’ saw the battle unfolding between Berus, the sorcerer from the Western Jesuit Society, and the monster that was once Miyamoto Musashi. The scene was almost one-sided. Musashi relentlessly sought to slay Berus with tremendous force, while Berus merely conjured a dark barrier to hold his ground. Only, even that barrier seemed to be cracking under the pressure.

The being stretched out both hands and unleashed its power toward its intended target.

Bang!

Time itself twisted, making the monstrous Musashi reel back. In an instant, time froze, creating dozens of shadow blades to cleave through him, a feat Musashi’s durability could not withstand.

The monstrous gaze shifted toward Seo Mun-hye, and he growled,

[You… what nonsense are you up to…]

The entity that occupied Seo Mun-hye’s body replied with a tone of disdain.

[I have no interest in conversing with the likes of you. Come forth, interloper into my realm.]

Crack, crack!

In the instant those words fell, Musashi’s human visage buried itself within the monstrous form, and instead, a reptilian head resembling a dragon surged forth. Shortly afterward, Musashi’s body morphed from human to that of a dragon-person, leaving no trace of his humanity.

The true identity that transformed Musashi into a monster was the phenomenon in which his personality was forcibly replaced by a new form. The newly rebirthed dragon-person was cackling with glee.

[Hehehe! Now, do you wish for a little playtime? Protecting your pitiful territory is of no consequence to either of us.]

The entity that descended upon Seo Mun-hye coldly retorted.

[Silence. I am not one you can mock, so it’d be wise for you to keep that mouth shut. It’s fine to play with toys, but don’t forget the nature of our relationship.]

[Hmmm, you’re right. I apologize for my rudeness.]

In an unexpected turn, the dragon-person meekly apologized. For it was no easy feat to mock the entity standing before it. To recklessly engage in conflict could bring damage to its very core. With narrowed eyes, the dragon-person spoke.

[I am the King of Havoc, the one who ignites a hundred stars! It is not my intention to engage in a serious fight with the likes of you.]

[I’m glad you grasped the situation.]

Indeed.

The being that descended into Seo Mun-hye was none other than Jeon Wook, the Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns!

Once a ruler of the North, to him, this barren plain was part of his realm, and due to certain circumstances, he had created the seal known as the Grave of the God. And now, responding to Seo Mun-hye’s plea, he descended here to serve her.

 

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