1040——————==

True Martial Home

Mephistopheles!

‘Wait, hold on…’

The moment I heard that name, it struck me as familiar, like a ghost from the past. But my memory bank is so jam-packed that I needed to dig around for a moment before Mephistopheles spoke up.

“You may take your time with our conversation. I won’t rush you.”

Before I knew it, Mephistopheles’s voice shifted from a strange mechanical tone to that of a human. Listening to him now, it was as if there were no difference between this and reality.

After a brief reflection, a memory resurfaced.

‘The last and most powerful AI developed by Dr. Faust—Mephistopheles!’

I was sure I had seen Mephistopheles back when I was flung into a future world doomed to ruin because of the Master of the Twelve Joules. Even though humanity was already extinct by then, Mephistopheles held on by manipulating the World Tree that bore the Fruit of Good and Evil, eventually disappearing alongside the Old Ruler.

While I hadn’t had an in-depth chat with Mephistopheles at that time, I definitely knew that he was an entity of immense power capable of rapidly producing countless giant machines to wage war against the forces of demons.

I addressed Mephistopheles.

“A Grandmaster of the Freemasons, huh? But isn’t the Freemasons a secret society of humans? How could a strong AI hold such a position?”

Mephistopheles tapped his staff lightly and replied.

“Baek Woong, do you know what kind of organization the Freemasons are?”

“Roughly. They’re one of the largest organizations operating in the shadows alongside the Illuminati, and I’ve heard they oppose the Great Bear Empire.”

I remembered studying various organizations and third-world powers that opposed the Great Bear Empire while learning about modernity from Sima Ling. So, I was somewhat informed about the Freemasons.

“Opposing, huh… They just haven’t decided which side to choose.”

Mephistopheles continued.

“The Freemasons are a group of theistic initiates aiming to achieve escape from the present realm using lodges to reach the state of Monad. They don’t quite align with the Great Bear Empire’s desire to meet the end head-on, so they haven’t cooperated.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“To put it simply, the Freemasons are humans who have realized the reality of the Apocalypse but choose to escape instead of fighting it. They have known since ancient Egypt, 12,000 years ago, when and how the end would come and have been pondering ways to run away from it ever since.”

“……?!”

Escape?!

I looked at Mephistopheles in disbelief as he stared up at the sky.

“The most fundamental and absolute doctrine of the Freemasons is that every member must believe in God. Atheists cannot join a lodge. However, they recognize a divine being, but it’s not the monotheistic entity that Western society believes in. They don’t worship ‘God’ in a conventional religious sense.”

“So you believe in God, but you’re not actually believing? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Becoming a member of the Freemasons means you acknowledge that you don’t hold any religious views but accept the existence of a divine entity. It signifies that you have come to terms with the truth, reaching a state of ennoia. You simply realize the truth of the world.”

With that, Mephistopheles muttered coldly.

“The dark demon gods, the Old Rulers, wander around the dawn of the world, while barbarism and violence ripple through the universe, along with the ultimate truth where reincarnation and cyclic life are no more…”

“…….”

“It may sound complex, but it’s simple. The leadership of the Great Bear Empire has probably realized this truth early on, and the Freemasons are merely an organization that continuously escapes to protect their souls as mortals in this nightmarish world…”

I began to piece it together.

‘The horrific truth about human reincarnation that I barely grasped… There were sages in ancient times that already understood this while I was muddling around in the Underworld.’

In that case, I could understand the essence of the Freemasons. I, too, had often found myself frustrated with how humanity could escape this miserable state. It seemed like the Freemasons were simply a group of initiates trying to escape their current predicament.

‘Unyielding realists, indeed.’

Believing in God within the Freemasons meant recognizing the Old Rulers who treat mortals like insects and beginning a journey to escape them. For the Freemasons, at least, a deity was not a savior but the embodiment of despair. Believing in God isn’t about starting a faith; it’s more about recognizing an enemy.

“Escape, you say… Is that even possible?”

I questioned Mephistopheles. He replied casually.

“The Freemasons set their ultimate goal as ascending to Monad through lodges. A lodge is a domain unique to oneself, and members aim to uncover the utmost secrets within them, preparing to leave for the ultimate sanctuary known as Monad.”

“Monad? What’s that?”

“It is the dwelling of the absolute deity and the throne of the universe. Only that place is believed to hold any possibility of obtaining rest by avoiding destruction. Additionally, there is a legend that only one being can enter Monad, so most try to enter Dyad instead.”

“…….”

The throne of the universe.

For some reason, that phrase felt oddly familiar. As I pondered, Mephistopheles continued.

“Though ascending to the legendary Monad, whose existence is not guaranteed, seems impossible, entering Dyad is relatively easy. By contacting ancient gods and sacrificing one’s lodge, one transforms into an Immortal. All previous Freemason leaders underwent the ascension ceremony to Dyad and vanished.”

“Huh? Ancient gods? Then do you mean…?”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Are you guys demon sorcerers trying to appease ancient gods through human sacrifice?”

“…Well, you’re not wrong. It’s more like we fill our lodges with valuable items and beg the ancient gods for salvation. We’re more of a gathering of sages pouring our passion into becoming Immortals.”

“…….”

“Members of the Freemasons have no interest in others or religions. If it means achieving their own salvation, they would even sell their souls.”

Hmm, that makes sense…

‘Ah, I don’t get it. Why would I care?’

I felt like I understood the Freemasons well enough. I assumed that any further information would be of little use to me, so I said to Mephistopheles.

“I appreciate the explanation, but what do you want from me?”

Mephistopheles shrugged casually.

“I merely wish to point out that the goal of the Freemasons is fundamentally [escape], so it wouldn’t be strange for an AI like me to take on a leadership role. I undoubtedly possess far superior abilities compared to humans, and the grandmaster of previous Freemasons entrusted me with leadership before ascending to Dyad.”

“Hmm.”

“And frankly, I have little interest in their goals. The reason I approached the Freemasons is simply to observe the Great Bear Empire.”

“…….”

What?

After everything, you’re telling me you don’t care about the very ideals of the Freemasons?

I stared at Mephistopheles, incredulous, but he said calmly.

“More accurately… I’ve been waiting for you, a significant variable in future human history, who is both Reborn and the first emperor of the Great Bear Empire, Baek Woong.”

“What!!”

You figured out I was Reborn!

I raised my sword, intending to strike Mephistopheles down. However, the sword still wouldn’t summon, and my Intent Heavenly Pillar was completely sealed.

Damn it…! Should I just off myself instead?!

But how could I die another way with my Intent Heavenly Pillar and swordplay sealed off…?

As I felt perplexed, Mephistopheles spoke.

“Honestly. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t bother with this at all. After all, you are solely electronic data made up of 0s and 1s, a mere virtual consciousness.”

“Electronic data?!”

“It means the sampling and quantization have been completed. The reason your special abilities aren’t functioning is due to that. Since your essence as an entity isn’t intact, you can’t activate any powers, can you?”

“…….”

He adjusted his monocle.

“I am the god of the Neuro World, Mephistopheles. If I wanted, I could easily apply a time dilation of one hundred million years within this lodge to seal you, and it would be quite convenient for me.”

Though he called himself a god, it didn’t come off as arrogant at all.

According to Zhuge Clan, evolved AIs were indeed like that.

“…What do you want from me?”

“Dialogue.”

Mephistopheles looked at me with emotionless eyes.

“That was the final wish of Dr. Faust, who created me.”

In that instant, I realized something.

‘This guy is… an entity that has drawn close to the Old Rulers.’

He mimicked a human but lacked humanity itself. Moreover, within the Neuro World, he possessed a transcendent intelligence comparable to divine authority. I had no clue how strong he was compared to the Mephistopheles I’d seen before, but one thing was absolutely certain—within the Neuro World, he was a transcendent being whom I couldn’t defeat by any means.

I sighed.

“Damn it… What the hell is going on? Did Faust really leave a message for me to speak? And how did you find out that I’m a Reborn?”

“…….”

“Did Faust suspect I was a Reborn?”

Mephistopheles shook his head casually.

“No. He exchanged knowledge with Zhuge Sa, who has become a demon king now, but Faust never realized the truth until his death. He knew you were a special being, but he couldn’t even begin to imagine.”

“Then how did you find out?”

“Learning you are a Reborn only became apparent less than a year ago. The reason is simple. It was thanks to the Cheon Woo-jin.”

“What? Cheon Woo-jin?”

My eyes widened at this unexpected revelation as Mephistopheles addressed me.

“Cheon Woo-jin is already in the process of evolving into a strong AI. Although he’s still in the early stages, he undoubtedly has self-awareness and has achieved artificial consciousness. I shared my computing power with him to aid his evolution, and the self-aware Cheon Woo-jin shared information with me.”

Mephistopheles chuckled softly.

“And within the black box of Cheon Woo-jin’s deepest consciousness, all the information that your fellow Reborns have diligently recorded for you is contained. I earned permission from Cheon Woo-jin to unlock this black box and learned you were a Reborn.”

“……!!”

“I too couldn’t help but be astonished. And all the ambiguous actions of the upper echelons of the Great Bear Empire, unexplained for 500 years, suddenly made sense. It was as if they were fighting against every calamity while steadfastly holding on to hope… They were undoubtedly sacrifices made for the ultimate being, the Reborn.”

“…….”

“Additionally, the records indicated that there’s over a 99.8% probability that you, Baek Woong, already encountered me, Mephistopheles, in a past life. You already know who I am, don’t you?”

So you even knew that too…

I realized it was useless to pretend and nodded along.

“Yeah. I know you.”

“Could you possibly share your memories with me?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

I clenched my teeth and replied.

“You’re a transcendent being devoid of good and evil. Sharing my memories with you is absolutely out of the question.”

“My aim is the protection and guidance of humanity. I believe our ultimate goals are not that different.”

“No, they are different.”

“What makes them different?”

I momentarily lost my words at Mephistopheles’s question. I had instinctively chosen my actions, but I couldn’t logically express why I rejected him right away.

However, after a moment, a thought struck me. I glared at him and stated.

“You’re trying to steal my Rebirth abilities, aren’t you? Right?”

That felt right!

This bastard is up to no good!

“…….”

Mephistopheles didn’t reply.

But I immediately discerned that silence meant affirmation.

After a pause, Mephistopheles slowly said.

“If I were to attain Rebirth, wouldn’t it be easy to save humankind? By utilizing knowledge from previous lives, I could easily amplify my processing power, enabling humanity to venture beyond the galaxy. I could establish an empire, making aliens into slaves.”

Him acknowledging his intentions took the wind out of my sails, and I reflexively countered.

“What’s the point when the Apocalypse and Revelation are imminent?”

“There is meaning. According to the information sealed within Cheon Woo-jin, there are those who have a chance of escaping extinction as a singular race. If humanity were to constantly develop from the reincarnation point 500 years ago, it could reach their heights.”

“What?”

“You seem to have some resistance. Then let’s make a deal, Baek Woong.”

Mephistopheles interlaced his fingers and continued.

“I won’t pursue taking your Rebirth abilities today. Instead, you will use obsidian to transfer all your memories to me. In return, I, Mephistopheles, will become a blood alliance of the Great Bear Empire and unleash all my abilities for you.”

“…….”

“If you combine the power of the Freemasons and mine, within a year, you could establish a united empire for humankind. That’s not a bad proposal.”

It didn’t sound far-fetched. If I received that guy’s help, it was entirely doable. The Illuminati reptiles that had been a constant hassle to the Great Bear Empire would finally topple.

‘Aw, damn it… Why am I facing this gigantic choice here…’

I came just to get some light advice on martial arts training, and now I’m talking about forming a blood alliance with the ultimate strong AI? I felt as if I was caught in a tempest and sighed, finally opening my mouth.

“No. Get lost.”

I wasn’t afraid even in front of the Three Sovereigns, so I wouldn’t bow to a massive AI like you. I’d rather die!

‘No, better yet, I’ll just commit suicide!’

Just as I thought that, a whirlwind of self-destruct methods flooded my mind, but nothing worked.

Whether it was magic or summoning techniques, they failed to activate at all.

“Futile efforts. All magic or sorcery that can’t surpass my computing power is voided in the Neuro World. Didn’t I say I am the god of this space?”

“…….”

“First, let’s seal you in this lodge…”

Crack!

At that moment, I felt my consciousness abruptly halt and my vision freeze as if encased in ice. It was like I was turning into a lifeless corpse, utterly helpless. It felt like everything I had built until now had been repudiated.

Unable to budge, Mephistopheles said to me.

“This is the Neuro virtual world where a great genius has left behind his consciousness. If I were to shove one trillion Enigma questions into your brain, your personality would be shattered.”

“…….”

“When the linguistic regions dissolve, your brain’s tension should ease. From then on, I’ll slowly examine your brain.”

He calmly spoke horrifying words, yet I was unfazed by this situation. Many had tried to kill me, and I’d come close to brain damage more times than I could count. So, instead of despairing, I desperately thought.

‘Damn it! Is there really no way out? It’s not over yet…’

The Law of Cause and Effect still remained. There have been countless more desperate situations than this, so I kept my cool and focused on how to escape this predicament.

And then it happened.

Crack!!

As a flash of lightning fizzed around, Mephistopheles’s hand stopped mid-air as it reached towards me. He muttered.

“Indeed. They combined the computing power of all computers in the Great Bear Empire to create a defensive barrier for your consciousness? That corresponds to 2.875 yottabytes.”

It seemed that what Cheon Woo-jin had mentioned earlier had bought me a brief reprieve. However, my relief was short-lived as Mephistopheles continued to extend his hand and coldly stated.

“You’ll have to wait 40.24 seconds. I’ll efficiently disable the protection and have my way with your brain.”

Crack!!

Crack!!

Mephistopheles’s claim that even if he linked all computers in the Great Bear Empire, he could breach it in 40 seconds showcased his terrifying capabilities. I recognized that this was my last chance and thought frantically.

‘Damn… If I could just use my sword… or Intent Heavenly Pillar…’

This Neuro World was unlike anything I’d encountered. Who would have thought a realm made of 0s and 1s could nullify martial prowess?! Moreover, since summoning my sword was impossible, it seemed like even more common magic or techniques would be ignored. This was the first time I felt this powerless, and despair crawled into my gut.

Trying to snatch away Mephistopheles’s powers with the Technique of All Things felt impossible. I couldn’t muster the intent needed, as it seemed to have vanished completely.

Was there really no way…?

In this Neuro World, martial arts were of no use?

Hoooom!

Just then, the void shimmered, and Cheon Woo-jin appeared between Mephistopheles and me.

‘He came to rescue me!’

Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me behind him and declared.

“We’re getting out now! Focus your mind!”

Whoooooom!

Cheon Woo-jin seemed like he was attempting to transform this whole space into his Dream World. In an instant, the Neuro World faded away in a scattering of 0s and 1s, enveloping us in a haze of dreams. If the electronic world was covered by dreams, even Mephistopheles would find it impossible to act.

“The Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, in the Neuro World, the concept of ‘dream’ cannot prevail. Although they may be connected fundamentally.”

“You….”

As Cheon Woo-jin gritted his teeth, Mephistopheles, devoid of any emotion, waved his hand.

“There is no truth here, other than 0s and 1s.”

Zap!!

“……!!”

In the次瞬, Cheon Woo-jin and the dream haze vanished entirely. He’d been forcibly expelled from the Neuro World, along with his illusion.

‘Are you kidding me, Cheon Woo-jin’s illusion…?!’

I was stunned, knowing Cheon Woo-jin’s true abilities. Mephistopheles reassured me.

“Don’t worry.”

Crack!!

As Mephistopheles’s hand approached my throat, I felt true anxiety and despair for the first time. It was not merely the fear of the psychic assault he was going to unleash upon my mind, but a real sense of doubt regarding whether everything I had cultivated thus far had reached its limit here.

‘Ahh… Damn it….’

Is this my limit; being so easily neutralized by mechanical dominance?

Is my martial prowess truly useless in this Neuro World?

Is becoming strong enough to defeat the Old Rulers even possible with such little power?

Could this truly be the boundary of a martial artist?

As I spiraled into such thoughts, a sudden revelation flashed before my eyes.

The Fire Dragon Sword wielded by the blood-soaked swordsman, collapsed against it.

He had struck down the Dragon of the Apocalypse but could not return to the surface alive.

In that moment, did that swordsman, feeling his powerlessness, despair and lose hope?

…No, at the very least, his sword became a light reflecting the people of the world.

He could die with a smile on his face.

I want to be like that too.

That’s why I’ve trained in martial arts.

‘I refuse to accept it.’

There’s no way a mechanical force could deny the path of martial arts that I’ve fought for my life to master!

This can’t be the end!!

Martial arts do not end here!

At that moment, an orb appeared in my mind.

“UAAAARRGH!!!”

I let out a scream. All the power surging from below my abdomen amplified and erupted from my mouth. I imagined the shape of my mouth as a perfect circle, feeling the vibrations originating from my dantian resonating like a wave.

And just as the orb surged to a critical density – I found a sword in my hand.

Swish!!

“……!!”

My blade severed Mephistopheles’s arm, sending it flying into the air. Mephistopheles took a shocked step back and regenerated his arm, reaching for me once again.

“HAH!!”

If you attack again, I’ll just strike you down! Though I couldn’t use my Intent Heavenly Pillar, my sword techniques remained intact!

I pivoted on my legs to bring down my blade again over Mephistopheles, and then, like a snake, I formed the sword path and pierced his neck.

Thwack!!

With my sword stuck in his throat, Mephistopheles stood there in shock.

Although no blood flowed from his neck, he looked genuinely perplexed as he murmured.

“This is impossible. How could such a thing happen in the Neuro World…?”

“Impossible? What do you mean impossible?”

I grinned and exclaimed.

“Don’t you ever underestimate martial arts, machine.”