834——————==

True Martial Home

You think you’ll escape this universe by getting the Fruit of Knowledge?

[Old Ruler] Relcrobouse’s words were pretty much the same as Dr. Faust’s methods for escaping the multiverse. Then Mephistopheles replied.

[It’s useless. Even if you get the Fruit of Knowledge, you are chaos incarnate and cannot cross the void of the universe. You cannot act upon those who exist at the opposite end of chaos.]

[I know that as well. Parallel worlds and the multiverse are not the same. A ruler can transcend time and space to interfere with all parallel worlds, but the multiverse has different rules, so that can’t happen.]

After saying that, Relcrobouse fell silent for a moment before continuing.

[However, the Evil God has promised me salvation. Then I shall have the ability to flee this ultimate destruction.]

[…….]

[Hand over the Fruit of Knowledge. Then I shall acknowledge you as part of the Ruler and take you to the New World.]

[Interesting.]

[I can feel the ascension ceremony of the Throne is near. You are the first type of Ruler to appear in this universe… A deity born of humanity that has surpassed them, accept my proposal.]

The Evil God?!

Did Relcrobouse really team up with the Evil God?!

‘Now that I think about it, the Evil God hasn’t shown up at all in this arc! Is that guy plotting something with him?’

And does this mean that if the Evil God has the Fruit of Knowledge, he can cross the multiverse?

While I was carefully collecting information about the situation, Mephistopheles spoke up.

[The Absolute Lord has granted you an ignoble demise to achieve eternity, so why do you try to escape that fate? The title of Ruler you bear is merely another name for eternal torment.]

Though he circled around it, it was mockery directed at Relcrobouse. It was derision at how he ruled over chaos and was now trying to flee for his life from the cataclysm caused by [Father]. Relcrobouse then replied to Mephistopheles.

[That being makes everything miserable. No matter how great the will of a Being may be, can one become a mere ornament of a narrative bound by eternal dreams?]

[…….]

[The will to resist the eternal dream is also part of that being’s essence.]

[You have ruled over purgatory, yet now that heaven is approaching, you make all this noise. Leaning on the ambiguous omnipotence of the Absolute Being, you throw away the dignity of the Ruler. Didn’t you notice that you, too, like the mortals you scorn, are swayed by desire? I feel nothing but disdain for you.]

Mephistopheles laughed at Relcrobouse and continued.

[I am Mephistopheles, the Deus Ex Machina, a machine-god created by humanity. Though there are no humans left to protect, I declare that dispelling your intentions shall be humanity’s last pride.]

[Very well. Crushing the pride of the machine god will become the final play in this world.]

Kuuuuu

With a body as huge as a continent, Relcrobouse raised one of his tentacles and cast a spell. The nature of the spell was unclear, but at that moment, the entire spacetime was distorted in a terrifying manner, giving way to a dark force field that emerged. Dr. Faust, watching the scene next to me, warned.

[The Ruler is using all his magical power to collapse the gravity in this area.]

“What happens then?”

[If the grave of the universe manifests, the Gigant Machines won’t be able to withstand it. We have to finish it before his magic completes!]

Dr. Faust cried out.

[Mephisto will assist you. Get out of the cockpit and shoot the Red Bow at him!]

“Got it!”

[And since you’re pretty injured, I’ll treat you with nanomachines.]

As soon as Dr. Faust’s words ended, the severe injuries all over my body began to noticeably heal. The injuries that would typically take months to recover from were instantly fixed by the nanomachines. It wasn’t as strong as a Wood Element’s healing capabilities, but it was a significant help.

Wiying

I went outside the cockpit, gripping the Red Bow in my hands. Since it was my first time wielding the Red Bow by my own will, it felt strangely exhilarating. I pulled the bowstring back strongly, anchoring the White Arrow in place, and took a deep breath to stabilize my posture.

‘The method of shooting a bow was also learned at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School….’

Lee Kwang was a practical instructor, teaching not only swordplay and spear techniques but also bow shooting and horseback riding that could be helpful in actual combat. So while I couldn’t call myself a master archer, I at least knew how to shoot at the level of a skilled soldier.

However, even at a glance, there was at least a distance of over twenty li between Relcrobouse and me, so it seemed nearly impossible to hit my target. Even if I shot a strong arrow with all my internal power, it wouldn’t exceed five li.

‘Right! Why not awaken the spirit of the Red Bow?’

As soon as the idea struck me, I activated my Spirit Power and infused it into the Red Bow. Immediately, a crimson light emerged from the Red Bow, while the White Arrow emitted a white light in a spiral formation, and soon after, a voice resonated in my head.

[Did you awaken me?]

“Yeah! I need to hit that Evil God with all nine arrows of the Red Bow. If I hit all of them, I can kill him. Can you help me hit them?”

[…….]

“See how far away he is?!”

The spirit responded.

[Distance doesn’t matter. We possess the ability to hit targets no matter how far away they are. However, your archery skills seem rather lacking.]

As expected of a divine treasure, it seemed to perceive my abilities at a glance. However, frustration bubbled up inside me.

“…Damn it! I specialize in swordplay! Of course, my archery wouldn’t be top-notch! And how does that affect our ability to hit?!”

[Archery isn’t just about hitting a target. Each of the nine arrows must strike the core of the opponent in a single point, which requires advanced technique.]

“You’re saying I can’t hit my target with the ability to pierce through?!”

[The opponent’s magic power will interfere with our ability. Moreover, even a slight margin of difference can lead to large changes in power, and overcoming that interference depends on your archery skills.]

“Hmm….”

I clenched my teeth. It seemed the spirit of the Red Bow lacked the power to penetrate the magical defenses protecting the core of the [Old Ruler], and without archery skills akin to those of Xiang Yu’s fighting spirit, it might be impossible to achieve a point-blank shot.

But despite my thoughts, I simply didn’t have that level of archery experience. To reach that level, one would need at least a hundred years of honing archery skills. The precision to pierce the eye of a needle with an arrow would require incredible practice.

Swat

Just as I was deep in thought, the apparition of Mephistopheles appeared before me.

“Mephisto!”

[Reborn one. I will lend you my computational powers. Leave the trajectory calculations to me.]

Ziziziz

The next moment, as Mephistopheles held my hand, a flood of thoughts began swirling rapidly in my mind. It was as if this world consisted entirely of a collection of zeros and ones, and soon the very numbers vanished, replaced by terrifying dots of figures. As I tried to process the vastness of the microcosm I was observing, Mephistopheles spoke.

[I was one step short of becoming Laplace’s Demon. The reason is that completely interpreting this world’s law of cause and effect is beyond even a transcendent AI. However, you, the Reborn, are becoming a being that transcends the law of cause and effect, so I entrust everything to you.]

“If I take him down, is there a way for us to survive?”

[We can talk about that later.]

“Alright!”

I lifted the Red Bow, aiming at the [Old Ruler]. At that moment, I fired the first shot from the White Arrow at the Ruler.

TuShok!!

‘Got him!’

In that moment, I knew the spirit of the Red Bow and Mephisto’s powers had combined to strike the core of the [Old Ruler], Relcrobouse, directly. Yet the guardian force around Relcrobouse’s core felt like hitting a rock with an egg.

As I frowned slightly, the spirit of the Red Bow spoke.

[Master, do not be disappointed. You do not yet know the true might of the Red Bow.]

“True might?”

[With each hit, its power quadruples, that’s the real strength of this arrow.]

“……!!”

[If all nine arrows hit, no one can survive. It is just difficult to hit them all… Originally, our previous master, Xiang Yu, possessed archery skills that could hit anyone, so during the mythological age, he shot down all ten yang children of the Three Sovereigns and was praised as the strongest fighter.]

W-what?!

I gasped, yet I soon began to piece together the situation.

[Who said it can’t be broken?! This is easy. I’ve only shot two arrows!]

[That’s right! Damn it… I managed to get to seven arrows, but the last two… Well, let’s just say it nearly cost me my heart. My body is hardened iron, and these arrows are too powerful….]

Xiang Yu had indeed broken through the barrier by the eighth shot, and even [Celestial Sage], who faced Xiang Yu one-on-one, admitted that the eighth shot was beyond his strength. Particularly, the Celestial Sage claimed he nearly died doing so, indicating just how terrifying the spirit’s words were.

‘If I hit all nine, that’s 65,000 times the first shot!’

That means I can definitely kill the [Old Ruler]!

No matter how strong that divine being is, if I land a hit like that on their core, they can’t survive.

Steeling myself, I knocked another arrow into the White Arrow string and shot once more.

TuWung!

TuWung!

As I quickly released my shots with the aid of computational ability, in an instant, five arrows sunk into the Ruler’s core. Yet even though the power must have reached a thousand times that, the [Old Ruler] didn’t seem bothered; he was simply ignoring them.

‘W-what… What kind of durability is that….’

The first shot of the White Arrow had immense power and could obliterate even great demons in one blow. So a thousand times that power should be sufficient to take down a thousand great demons, yet it couldn’t even scratch the Ruler. I realized just how monstrous this [Old Ruler] truly was, but with gritted teeth, I shot another arrow.

TuWung!

As the seventh arrow hit, only then did the [Old Ruler] react. He grunted as if annoyed.

[Are you trying to dispose of me with this annoying toy? Such a futile endeavor!]

Pahhhhh

At that moment, a powerful magical barrier enveloped Relcrobouse’s entire body, its strength seeming a thousand times greater than before. It felt as if this one being could obliterate an entire civilization with his might, and it became crystal clear as half of the Gigant Machines bombarding the Ruler were obliterated upon the appearance of that magical barrier.

Kwahgagag!

Kwahgwang!!

The Gigant Machines were giant war machines refined from metal hundreds of times stronger than titanium, and the sight of dozens of them exploding in the wake of the [Old Ruler]’s magic was surreal. Humanity would undoubtedly feel despair upon encountering a being like this.

I avoided the magical shockwaves and retreated lightly into the air as I concentrated and shot the eighth arrow.

Peww

Kwahgwang!!

‘Hit!’

This reaction was different from the previous ones. Relcrobouse began to stagger his enormous body, and ominous noises echoed around him. Then, a gigantic eye emerged in the center of his tentacle, glaring at me.

[Arrogant mortal! Suffer my curse!!]

Kugugugu

“……?”

Despite the glaring stare of Relcrobouse, I didn’t feel any curses activated, leaving me perplexed. Could it be a delayed-type curse? But it seemed he was genuinely flustered when he realized what was happening.

[No, wait… Is there someone stronger than me who has already cast a curse…? How the hell are you still alive? That’s impossible!!]

I raised my aim for the final ninth shot. As Relcrobouse, in a manner uncharacteristic of a Ruler, raised his tentacles to physically create a barrier, I knew I could ignore that defense and shot the last White Arrow.

Swoosh –

Kwahhhh!!!

With the power of 65,000 times, the White Arrow pierced straight through the core of the [Old Ruler]. Relcrobouse let out a horrific wail and momentarily crashed to the ground, but slowly began to rise again.

[You’re absurd!! It hurts, but you think this is enough to dispose of a demigod? I shall punish that arrogance of your delusions!]

“Ugh….”

In the next moment, I felt my body freeze. Literally, all of Relcrobouse’s power concentrated on me, rendering me paralyzed. It was not a mere curse but thousands of spells binding me all at once, making it impossible to respond.

‘Aaaah…, bastard!!’

I felt utterly bewildered. Something like that existed in this universe after taking a direct hit of 65,000 times to the core? Moreover, I sensed that Relcrobouse wasn’t even among the strongest of Rulers, which made it all the more shocking. Perhaps the amount of power needed to defeat a Ruler was even higher than I’d originally thought.

And then, it happened.

[Kroooooo… Ooooooooh!!]

Suddenly, Relcrobouse’s magic dissipated, and his monstrous form froze. Then Mephistopheles’s voice echoed through the air.

[Of course, something at that level wouldn’t be able to erase Relcrobouse, who erased 29 galactic civilizations. However, I can taint him.]

[Mephistopheles…!!]

Shuuuuu

I watched in astonishment as a massive, sinister apparition of the devil enveloped the body of Relcrobouse’s tentacles. Where Mephistopheles’s touch landed, decay began to set in, and Relcrobouse started to shrink rapidly.

Not knowing what was going on, I stared at the scene, and Faust’s apparition materialized next to me.

[This is our conclusion, Baek Woong….]

“Faust! What’s happening?”

[The final ninth White Arrow you shot contains the quintessence of Mephistopheles’s entire being encoded in quantum data. Mephistopheles will use the computational abilities of an information lifeform to crack and disassemble the [Old Ruler].]

“……!!”

[That Ruler will perish. However, the strongest AI of humanity, Mephistopheles…, and I, who relied on him to survive, shall also vanish.]

Sssss

Faust’s apparition began to fade gradually. He looked at me for a moment before speaking.

[Baek Woong…. Now there is only one place left for you to go.]

“Where should I go?”

[Head toward the wavelength of light you saw.]

Shortly after, Dr. Faust extended his hand to me for a handshake. In a daze, I grasped his hand, and with his final words, he vanished.

[The Throne…. You should be able to enter it….]

Kuwaaaaaaa

The [Old Ruler] Relcrobouse was enveloped in a pink mist, writhing helplessly. He wailed fiercely.

[Ooooooo!! To be trapped in the dream of Father and become but an exhibit of endless dreams! Stop this! Is it wrong to refuse fate?!]

In response to his words, Mephistopheles coldly retorted.

[It shall merely be the continuation of an eternity-filled dream.]

[You bastard…!!]

[Then let’s go together, to hell.]

Pah!!

The two entities vanished almost simultaneously, and all the Gigant Machines floating in the sky fell to the ground, dismantled. The gravitational collapse that Relcrobouse had created dissipated, and the land of the World Tree surrounding us gradually began to shrink. Since Mephistopheles, who kept the terraforming, had vanished, the World Tree lost its life as well.

“…….”

I remained silent for a moment, gazing at the total demise and destruction unfolding before me.

And I knew my final moment was approaching.

“I must go.”

The place where the ‘revelation’ takes place.

Arriving there would be my last trial in this life.