785 ——————————–

Dark Heaven Village

I shook myself awake and looked around. I realized that I was in a bizarre place I had never been to before. It was filled with strange architecture that I had never seen in the earthly realm, and the floor was covered in translucent, gemstone-like material, with large pillars engraved with alien writing.

Gurgle…

Outside the building, I could hear the sound of water flowing. I guessed that what lay beyond the black darkness was probably water—or the sea. A weird stillness enveloped the area, but in that stillness, there was no killing intent or threat present.

It was just quiet.

That silence actually made me feel uneasy. What kind of place was this?

“Damn it. Should I just make some noise?”

I felt anxious since I had been suddenly kidnapped while negotiating with Shennong. Whatever existence had taken me was powerful enough to move me through space. It was clear they weren’t your run-of-the-mill type, and I just wanted to get this over with and have a chat.

But soon, my instincts kicked in, telling me that making a rash move here could be dangerous. I started moving quietly, scanning my surroundings and heightening my senses as much as I could.

Ssssss

While using my stealth technique to move silently for about fifty steps, I started hearing a strange sound from across the corridor of this building.

[…Come to me….]

It was a call.

As soon as I heard that sound, I knew painfully clearly whose grip I was under. Even though there were differences in resonance among them, it was possible to identify individuals from the call. And that call was something I had experienced too many times before.

‘Oh no! No way!!’

I was horrified and turned around. The terrible and sinister alien architecture, the grotesque murals, and the strange tentacle-like plants sprouting around the pillars. Looking closely, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed them sooner.

I approached the wall of water blocking the space between the pillars and tried to break it with my sword strength. In an instant, the wall of darkness was sliced open, revealing a sea filled beyond it, and I realized there were more bizarre structures on that side. I could also tell that I was at a relatively high elevation, providing a clear view of the city’s layout.

“……”

No doubt about it….

I had been invited to the most nightmarish space for a mortal.

This was a city beneath the sea. It was also a legendary city where demons gathered, waiting for the stars to return to their places. I knew this place well since I had seen its scenery blurry countless times through my technique.

Splash!!

An indescribably evil something emerged from the sea, expanding its body like an eel. It was hard to believe, but the magical power emanating from that existence was at the level of an “Old Ruler,” making me shiver involuntarily.

An Old Ruler wandering around like a local.

The identity of the lord waiting at the end of this corridor was easy to guess.

If it was an evil god, he could certainly extract me from the hands of Shennong.

“I guess I have to commit suicide…”

I abruptly came to that conclusion. Although I had faced many near-death moments during my adventures, I had not often chosen to take my own life. However, this time, I felt instinctively that it was the only way. I realized that not only would I not survive here, but total destruction awaited me.

Crack!

But just as I was about to stab my neck without hesitation, my hand suddenly froze. While I sat stiffly with my sword aimed at my neck, another “voice” echoed in my head.

[…Come to me….]

It was a power that could not allow death.

‘What the hell.’

I tried to sever my veins again, but it still didn’t work. Strangely enough, his magical power seemed to prevent me from committing suicide. While an evil god could obviously do that, I felt a deep and dark despair creeping in.

Why had I gone through the trouble of acquiring the Sun only to end up confronting an evil god now?

‘Gah, damn it!!’

There was a method I could attempt. I could try my last resort. But that would also bring terrifying destruction and pain, so I didn’t want to use it hastily. As I writhed in anger and despair, the voice spoke again.

[…Don’t act like a human….]

Whip!!!

“Gaaah!!”

I was suddenly wrapped around by a gigantic tentacle that shot out from the other end of the corridor and got dragged away. The tentacle seemed to pierce through dimensions, and I witnessed the scenery around me flickering between monochrome and rainbow, breaking through the walls of dimension. This corridor might look ordinary, but it was, in fact, a bizarre space cut off by countless dimensional barriers!

Thud

I was tossed onto the ground of a horrifying temple filled with tentacles. The floor was soft enough that it didn’t hurt at all, but seeing the wriggling mucous and the greenish liquid flowing underneath made me nauseous. Not to mention the countless spores and tentacles swirling eerily around made my head spin.

And from the darkness of the temple, a voice emerged.

[Exceeding the limit of humanity…]

As I quietly listened to the voice, the evil god continued.

[The guest’s wandering… it has lingered too long… There was nothing I could do….]

Guest?

Wandering?

Time?

I couldn’t grasp what the evil god was trying to say.

But one thing was certain.

‘This guy is… different from the Three Sovereigns.’

In terms of power or ability, there wasn’t much difference, but the evil god seemed to be moving with entirely different purposes from the Three Sovereigns. If the goal of the Three Sovereigns was the maintenance and preservation of the world, the evil god seemed to have interests that were completely outside that realm. The evil god didn’t seem to care much about the world’s destruction either. His behavior was entirely distinct from that of the other “Old Rulers.”

Exactly.

The evil god knew something the Three Sovereigns did not.

As I sensed that fact, the evil god spoke again.

[They who nurture eternity… and those who hold the keys to death and resurrection…. When the blessings for them spread… have the seven stars gathered?….]

“……”

[The celestial understanding…. You wouldn’t know when that blessing awakens….]

What is he talking about?

Before I knew it, the fear of the evil god was gradually fading, replaced by questions filling my mind. As far as I knew, the evil god had never been so kind as to explain things to mere mortals. Yet, strangely, it felt as though this evil god wanted to tell me something.

I couldn’t understand it, so I shouted toward the shapeless evil god beyond the darkness.

“What’s the reason I need to attain the celestial understanding?!”

The celestial understanding or blessings were undoubtedly metaphorical or allegorical. There must be something significant about it, and I wanted to know its meaning even if it meant dying.

Then the evil god slowly continued speaking.

[This is not the first time for you…. I will take this opportunity… to tell you the secrets of the stone tablet….]

“What?!”

[You are a fabricated evidence…. The beginning of everything and the end of existence…. Ultimately, you are of celestial….]

Woosh!!

In that moment, just as the evil god was about to say something, the Sun I had been holding began to emit a colossal light. And centering on me, the yellow light started to expand widely, and upon seeing that, the evil god seemed to chuckle.

[Yellow Emperor’s divine intention…. Have you read up to here…. The one who has gained understanding…. To avoid revelation… with the intention of destroying the world….]

Then as the light grew even stronger, and it seemed to engulf the space completely, the evil god said.

[Good… wait until the end of the blessing….]

Paat!!

I started to rise above the sea with the Sun. I’m not entirely sure, but it felt like I was escaping the city of the evil god and rising to the surface. As I emerged above the water, I could feel the Sun creating a protective barrier around my body.

“The Sun…. Indeed.”

Could it really get me out in front of the evil god?

I was realizing just how incredible the Sun’s power was. While the evil god’s strength might match or even exceed that of the Three Sovereigns, the fact it was openly helping me escape was hard to fathom. No other liberation tools could do such a thing.

“I’m not moving….”

The problem was that this barrier wasn’t moving according to my intentions. I was just floating on the surface of the water, unable to do anything but sit still. I had no choice but to wait for the barrier to move, and soon I started to feel something strange occurring.

Crackle

The entire universe seemed to tremble.

“The sky….”

And the stars in the sky began to rotate as if they were spinning. I couldn’t understand what was happening, but soon enough, I noticed the Sun was starting to grow larger far in the sky.

“……!!”

Isn’t that a bit too big?

I realized the Sun had expanded to three times its normal size and stared with wide eyes. At the same time, I could see the seawater rapidly drying up, with the surface dropping to one palm’s width. It was no surprise; the Sun getting three times bigger meant it was coming much closer to this star.

As I gaped, the Sun kept growing, and it was soon five times its usual size.

“It’s so hot…!!”

Suddenly an immense heat overwhelmed me. It felt as though I had been thrown into a scorching desert as the Sun’s light was not blocking the heat. Only then did I realize what the Sun’s size meant.

‘The… the Sun isn’t moving closer. It’s….’

The Sun is expanding!!

There was simply no other way to explain it. If the Sun were getting closer to this star, there would be a much more drastic change than what was occurring now, but since the Sun itself was expanding, the transformations were comparatively less severe. That could also be wrong, but one thing was certain: what I was experiencing was an unprecedented abnormal climate phenomenon.

Fizz

The sky shimmered in yellow. I noticed the Sun’s size kept increasing while the Sun I held was blazing brighter and brighter. And I realized that this unusual weather was fundamentally rooted in the Sun.

“…….”

Is the Sun calling out to the stars?

At the same time, it struck me that this disastrous situation might be happening because I failed to respond to the gemstone lodged in the tree at the end of the trial. Had I done that, the power of the Seven Luminaries would have stabilized, allowing me to transition to the ‘next stage,’ but failing that, it seemed the Sun’s power was now running wild.

If that’s the case, I need to transfer this quickly to God! I raised my voice and called out to Shennong.

“Shennong! I offer you the Sun! Please take it quickly!!”

There was no response.

“……”

Could it be that he has already left this star?!

Wheeeee

Wheeeee

[&&*%^%]

[#&^@@#*@….]

I wondered if my thoughts were incorrect, as I saw giant beings resembling “Old Rulers” rising into the air and disappearing one by one. The rulers were mumbling in an alien language that sounded like grumbling.

It looked clear they were avoiding the phenomenon caused by the Sun, like they had been burned. I quickly shouted to the evil god.

“Phew, evil god! I offer you the Sun!!”

…….

It seemed the evil god wouldn’t accept it either. As the gods I had unconsciously relied upon fell silent, I panicked and called out to the Three Sovereigns. But no one responded to my call.

As if to say, this wasn’t the right time!

‘What’s going on?! You were so eager for the Sun, why….’

Crackle!!

While I was flustered, the Sun kept expanding. It had grown so large it now accounted for a third of the sky, and I felt a searing pain as if my skin was being cooked. The world’s end felt like it was closing in.

What is happening?!

What did I do wrong?!

“Gaaah!!”

At this rate, I’ll burn to death alive!!

I realized I had no choice left and bit my lip hard.

“Damn it….”

Boom!!

Every vein in my body burst, and I was drenched in blood.

[…Start over. Until you reach the celestial realm….]

I thought I heard the voice of an existence standing in the middle of the Sun as my vision blurred.

Could it be that guy….

That was the moment of my 24th death.