우우우!!

I infused Sagong Lin with Spirit Power. However, as I became her usual supplier just like I was for Seo Mun-hye, I hesitated significantly.

‘Normally, if an ordinary person received this Spirit Power, their blood vessels would instantly freeze and they’d die…’

But since Sagong Lin was risking her life, I decided to go ahead with it. Soon, the Spirit Power flowed through Sagong Lin’s whole body, and she suddenly shook violently.

Thud!

Sagong Lin fell forward right where she sat. I quickly halted the Spirit Power’s flow and checked her condition, and then Mangnyang, who was watching from the side, asked.

“Baek Woong. Did she die?”

“… No. She just fainted from a huge shock.”

“So her blood vessels didn’t freeze and her heart didn’t stop?”

I nodded slightly. Mangnyang sighed and said.

“Then it’s proven that Sagong Lin is not an ordinary human. The resistance to Spirit Power is something even otherworldly races struggle with, so she must have divine blood hidden within her.”

“……”

“It’s better to let her rest for now.”

“Agreed.”

I called someone to take Sagong Lin to a guest palace to rest. Then I spoke to Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang. I inadvertently allowed Sagong Lin to strike down Zhuge Yulong. My apologies…”

“Why should you be sorry for that?”

“Huh?”

“It’s karma. Zhuge Yulong was a villain who did many things that would make one go berserk with rage, so he’s merely getting back what he’d done. If you really want to worry about the just retribution, how can you repay the grievances of the truly wronged? You don’t need to stress over such matters.”

Mangnyang seemed to draw a strict line there. Then he continued.

“More importantly, we should consider the awakening conditions for Sagong Lin.”

“Awakening conditions…”

“The crucial point lies in the meaning contained in ’50 years later.’ That’s the most important thing.”

“What do you mean?”

Mangnyang fanned himself with a flap of his hand.

“Sagong Lin never once awakened as a Heavenly Demon in all her reincarnations, not even during her first life. However, she did awaken after 50 years. This means that while there might not be circumstances for awakening now, a cause for awakening exists 50 years later, creating a causal relationship.”

“Hmm, 50 years later…”

His eyes sharpened.

“My personal guess is… the world 50 years after your first life holds a significance greater than we think. You lived as a bottom-tier escort and vanished, but something really big must have happened in that ‘future’ 50 years later that you didn’t witness.”

“……?”

“If not, the logic doesn’t add up. There’s a missing puzzle piece.”

A bigger event?

I eagerly rummaged through my memories of my first life. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything noteworthy, so I said.

“Um… the biggest event I can recall from that time would be the notorious First-Class Expert Blood Thorn Hand attacking the post where I was stationed. That’s all I remember…”

“If it’s 50 years later, the Blood Thorn Hand would either be a small child or not even born yet. Was there really no other major event?”

“Umm… another event… Hmm…”

Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I exclaimed.

“I… got one! I just remembered!”

“What is it?”

“There was an absolutely enormous earthquake in Luoyang and Yangzhou. When did it happen? It was about five years before I died. It was the biggest earthquake I experienced during my first life. It was such a massive disaster that everyone seemed shocked.”

Since it was a natural disaster and not in the area where I lived, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but surely, it was a major event—one of the biggest moments in my first life.

“Hm. If you just remembered, convey that memory to me through obsidian.”

Whoosh

I immediately relayed the recalled memory to Mangnyang. He pondered over it thoughtfully before saying.

“This seems like a distinct event from the Heavenly Demon. But I believe it serves as a clue to a larger event.”

“A distinct event?”

“Hmm… I’ve often thought about it.”

Mangnyang stroked his chin as he continued.

“If only we could see your first life before your reincarnation, I feel like many questions would be answered… Is there no way…? However, without a method to unravel the Great Cycle, it seems impossible.”

“……”

“I often contemplate that perhaps you’re in the midst of solving the greatest riddle in this world and that you may be the only solver of that riddle.”

“A riddle, huh? Solving that riddle could save humanity?”

“I don’t think it’s on that level… Hehe.”

Mangnyang chuckled bitterly.

“You have probably heard this many times, but your journey, being a reincarnator, isn’t very efficient. You don’t have to align with Zhuge Sha’s strategies focused on efficiency, yet there seems to be too much waste. This is likely because our strategists let you act however you want without necessarily restraining you. Why do you think that is?”

“Isn’t it because of my intuition as a reincarnator?”

“That’s part of it, but perhaps… even your foolish choices might be the most rational choices in the grand scheme of the universe. No matter how brilliant our minds are, unless we understand the universe’s wisdom, we can’t hastily declare your choices to be wrong. Therefore, we absolutely will not restrain your actions beyond necessity.”

“Hm.”

“In fact, if one were to look back on your life journey by memory, how many people would want to give you advice? There would likely be countless itching to speak. But none of them know the answer, so it can’t be firmly asserted that their efficiency will pierce the door of truth.”

“……”

“In that sense, the most fundamental question you probably need to solve going forward is this…”

“What is it?”

Mangnyang placed a hand on my shoulder and said.

“Why you. Why must it be you…”

“……”

He smiled gently.

“I suppose you’ll find out the reason later.”

It was then.

“Your Majesty!! A letter from the battlefield from General Hwang Yeon has arrived!”

I went outside with Mangnyang after hearing the voice from outside. I attended the court and listened to the reading of the letter.

“They say they received a complete surrender from the lord of Jinju Castle after attacking Goryeo Jinju and Anshan Castles for three hours! They also reported a victory from the Arasa Empire forces attacking Mibal Fortress!”

As expected, I said with satisfaction at the victory report.

“Oh… I see. What about the southern Donglaifu?”

“That… it remains in a state of confrontation even now!”

“You mean a great fleet carrying 50,000 troops is still afloat at sea? What’s the reason?”

The messenger hesitated before answering.

“The Goryeo generals are exceptionally skilled, so they haven’t yet landed…”

“Hand me the letter.”

“With honor!”

The messenger presented the letter to me with all due respect. I calmly read the letter.

“Zheng Ba, Song Sang-hyeon, Yi Sun-sin, Gwak Jae-woo, Kwon Yul, Kim Si-min, and others… all Goryeo generals have gathered a force of 90,000 to hold against Donglaifu…”

It seemed that my Dongyoung army had suffered defeat in several minor battles against a general named Yi Sun-sin. He seems to be quite the formidable commander.

With the enemy’s strategies and skills being exceptional, not to mention their defensive forces outnumbering us significantly, it was evident that if we forced a landing, we would be annihilated at Donglaifu. While contemplating how to deal with the southern battlefield, I spoke.

“… relay to the shogun, leader of Dongyoung’s shogunate. If the enemy’s resistance is intense, tell him to reorganize back in the homeland… or at least he ought to have a greater troop count than the defenders, right?”

“I will relay that!”

“Hmm.”

I tapped my finger on the armrest of the throne.

‘Could it be that the Goryeo Dynasty can deploy 90,000 troops in such a short time to that narrow southernmost Donglaifu…? Does that mean they’ve anticipated my plans with Dongyoung beforehand?’

90,000 troops is a weighty number, and even for a small territory like Goryeo, it’s impossible to maintain such a standing army indefinitely. If they weren’t a standing army, it implied they had called forth law enforcement troops from small cities here and there, which would undoubtedly take time. This meant they had likely anticipated my movements to strike the south right from the start.

Truly a formidable opponent. However, at the same time, confidence surged within me.

‘No matter how formidable Goryeo is, they probably can’t hold more than 300,000 troops. Due to the scale of the nation, anything beyond that would be impossible. Therefore, it is safe to assume that their last resistance would be around 200,000 from the north to block us…’

200,000 in the north, 90,000 in the south.

That’s probably Goryeo’s overall military strength. In other words, even if we struggled in the south, as long as General Hwang Yeon won in the north, it meant the war would ultimately be ours. Wrapping up my thoughts, I spoke.

“It seems some time has passed since the opening of hostilities. Then let us prepare for deployment!”

“Long live Your Majesty!!”

Boom!

Soon, I stood in front of the imperial forces, donning the emperor’s armor and golden sword. I scanned the roughly 100,000 imperial troops standing at attention and proclaimed.

“I shall annihilate Goryeo and bring true peace to the lands of the east. Assist me!”

Woooh!!

Cheers erupted as Zhuge Sha chuckled beside me.

“I suppose peace means there won’t be any enemies around, huh, heh.”

“Zhuge Sha. How’s the Transference Gate?”

“Don’t worry. It will activate without any issues. Stability has also been greatly secured.”

“That’s a relief.”

“The dual use of the Crystal Stele and Xu You’s power has been substantial. We can operationalize about 70% of the Transference Gates present across the globe. However, the problem is…”

Zhuge Sha smirked.

“After this Goryeo war, we’ll have to restrain the use of the Transference Gate, won’t we?”

“……”

I knew the reason Zhuge Sha mentioned it.

‘The Transference Gate is a powerful transport device, but it was built using ancient demon technology, so every time it’s used, it emits a massive surge of magical power…’

If the magical energy released becomes too significant, it will gradually create distortions in reality, which can’t help but attract the attention of the Celestial Realm. While small-scale activations may not cause such distortions, it’s unavoidable when moving a large army. Surely, immediately after this deployment, the Celestial Realm would interfere the moment we used the Transference Gate.

“Let’s go!”

Whoooosh—

In the next moment, the Transference Gate activated, and the assembled 100,000 imperial troops instantly transported through space. As I planned to meet up with General Hwang Yeon in about half a day, I arrived at the mountain range in Yanshan and immediately asked.

“Where’s the guide from the Yao tribe?”

“Here I am, Your Majesty.”

The chief of the nearby Yao tribe, who was familiar with the local terrain, stepped forward and bowed to me.

“I’ll lead the way to Anshan Castle via a shortcut.”

“Good. I won’t forget the contributions you’ve made.”

Hwang Yeon had gained the loyalty of the local minorities, and I heard that with the help of the Yao and Zhang tribes, he could easily breach the stronghold. I decided to treat them well, as it was a condition to ensure the autonomy and living rights of the Yao tribe.

“The emperor is most gracious.”

Thud thud thud

Eventually, the 100,000 troops began their march, following the guidance of the Yao tribe, cutting through the nearby mountain ranges and plains. After marching for about three hours, we arrived at Jinju Castle, where the gates were swung wide open.

Upon entering the castle, a finely dressed young boy knelt and bowed his head toward me.

“Your Majesty! The lord of Jinju Castle is gravely injured and could only send his son to welcome you. Please forgive the rudeness.”

“Are you the son of the lord of Jinju Castle?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How did the lord sustain such serious injuries?”

“……”

A fleeting look of resentment crossed the boy’s face. He clenched his teeth and answered my question.

“… it was caused by the new weapon leading your troops.”

“I see.”

The reason for the quick surrender of Jinju Castle was clear.

I knew that easily enough and nodded. Then I coldly told the son of the lord.

“I will rest briefly in this castle. Prepare an environment for my troops to stay.”

“Understood.”

Having marched for three hours, the soldiers must be quite weary, so I decided not to rush and instead take a break. I then told the soldiers.

“During our stay in this castle, I forbid looting and pillaging. Anyone caught doing so will be executed immediately.”

With that, I then followed the boy to find the severely injured lord of Jinju Castle.

“Ugh… ah…”

The lord of Jinju Castle lay weakly on a gold bedding, barely breathing, and the bed was already soaked in blood. Despite efforts to staunch the bleeding, the severity of the injury made it seem as though the blood would never stop flowing. I examined the wounds on the lord of Jinju Castle and made a sound of contemplation.

“Hmm…”

Indeed, it was not a wound caused by a spear or blade. If it had been struck by a spear or sword, such long gashes or penetrations wouldn’t be possible. Thus, it was very likely that a physician lacking surgical skills would struggle to control such bleeding. It could only be attributed to the incredible power of the new weapon. I glanced at the boy beside me and asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Yeon Marip, Your Majesty.”

“Yeon Marip. How many of your soldiers have been killed by this new weapon?”

“… About five hundred were killed.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt.

‘Mangnyang… you were right.’

War is inherently cruel and horrifying, but the introduction of the new weapon led to an even more gruesome and overwhelming massacre. When that weapon strikes fire, it reduces humans to pulp outside, likely causing tremendous fear, which drove the lord of Jinju Castle to hastily surrender. Perhaps the terror spared the lives of the ten thousand soldiers in Jinju, but the five hundred lives lost as a result wouldn’t return.

Had I known it would be so brutal, I wouldn’t have initiated the war.

‘I… will have to atone for this sin for the rest of my life.’

I bowed my head and remained silent for a while before saying.

“Yeon Marip. I’m sorry. And I sincerely express my condolences to the fallen.”

“……”

Yeon Marip’s face twisted with anger and despair. No matter what I said now, it would only seem shallow and hypocritical to him. The lord and the elite guard had died—it meant the close friends he had interacted with daily had been annihilated. No words could quell Yeon Marip’s rage.

As if on cue, Yeon Marip cried out with blood tears.

“O Emperor!! Just kill me here!! It’s too hard to live with the despair of not being able to take revenge against you!!”

“……”

“My brother, uncle, and all my kin were killed by Your Majesty’s army!! Ugh… Uhhhhh…!!”

I had to grasp Yeon Marip’s wrist to silence him. My heart was still unsteady, so I covered my forehead with my hand and closed my eyes.

“……”

“Do you regret it?”

“Zhuge Sha.”

Whoosh.

Zhuge Sha, who had discreetly followed, grinned as he said.

“Master of the White Lotus Sect sacrificed thirty thousand without batting an eye. To be considered a true overlord, isn’t that a baseline requirement? You have a long way to go.”

Is he fanning the flames in a burning house?

Even so, I had no retort, so I sighed.

“Haah.”

Zhuge Sha looked down on me with cold eyes.

“Did Yeon Marip call you a hypocrite?”

“Yeah.”

“You are indeed a hypocrite. But if that’s the case, isn’t it unnecessary to be hurt by that fact?”

“……”

“An overlord is inherently such. The ultimate hypocrite is the overlord. With a single one of your fingers, the lives of countless humans hang in the balance, and your path is one of slaughter and death. To control and ravage means to carry multiple hypocrisies and become shameless.”

He then smiled brightly.

“And the end of that is the [Old Ruler].”

“……!!”

“You’ve likely heard it from the Master of the Twelve Joules before. The beings who control everything, only to become jaded and ironically bored in the end…”

“What exactly are you trying to say, Zhuge Sha?”

“I’m saying that your instigation of a grand war is part of your experience. Ultimately, the path of slaughter you tread now is one that countless ‘[Rulers]’ have walked before you. While doing similar acts, we want to see what you feel.”

“……”

“My lord Baek Woong, regardless of how this war ends, give it your all till the very end.”

Slithering away.

Zhuge Sha’s figure slowly began to fade. The words he left hung in the air.

“It’s a test for you to think about how you differ from the [Old Ruler].”