1080——————==

Soul of the Evil God (四神之魂)

Why on earth is Asura here?

I was in a huge panic, but then I remembered this place was inside the Cheon Woo-jin world. I had got sucked in while trying to check on the Cheon Woo-jin, and then suddenly ended up here while fighting the powerful AI Mephistopheles. Since I received 500 years’ worth of memories from the Cheon Woo-jin, this isn’t the real world; I’m still in the Cheon Woo-jin realm.

‘I can’t use martial arts here…’

I had managed to annoy Mephistopheles with extreme focus, but that was merely a miraculous coincidence. In essence, martial artists are practically powerless in this world. And if I’m right, Asura is no different.

When I glared at Asura, he glanced at me and said, “I’m seeing you for the first time, Baek Woong. But you must have met me many times before.”

“……”

“But meeting like this is probably a first.”

“Asura, how did you end up here?”

Instead of answering my question, Asura spoke to the Cheon Woo-jin beside him.

“I want to talk comfortably. Release that guy.”

“Got it.”

Pa-at

In that moment, the Cheon Woo-jin exerted power, and I felt the bindings around my head and chair loosen. I hastily got up, drawing my sword and getting into a fighting stance, but Asura just blinked at me and said, “Do you lack the ability to learn? You should understand that you can’t use martial arts here.”

That’s true. I was holding my sword and maintaining a martial arts posture, but it’s pointless. In this Cheon Woo-jin world, where I can’t even use my mind intent, I have no way to fight. I painfully realized that while fighting Mephistopheles. Nonetheless, I gritted my teeth and said, “I know! But letting go of martial arts in my body doesn’t make me a mere martial artist.”

“…Oh?”

Asura stared at me with an intense gaze, then said, “Baek Woong. You might be suspecting, but I know you’re a reincarnated person.”

“……!!”

“Master of the White Lotus Sect told me.”

What?!

I suddenly realized something.

‘No way…’

Now that I think about it, why did Asura’s first-person perspective appear in the 500-year memory recall?

Asura shouldn’t normally appear in the Cheon Woo-jin’s records since he isn’t essentially my past life companion. But the scene of Asura talking to Krishna and then to the Master of the White Lotus Sect had shown up. This just didn’t add up.

I widened my eyes and shouted, “Did you input your own memories into the Cheon Woo-jin?!”

Asura nodded.

“That’s right. So among the 500 years you saw, my memories are mixed in too. They probably drifted in at times, including my memories of living as a human for over a hundred years.”

That much was true. I faintly recalled Asura wandering through deserts or jungles in human form.

But why?!

I couldn’t hide my confusion, so I asked Asura, “What’s your scheme? Are you in cahoots with the Cheon Woo-jin?”

“Just as you see. We’re cooperating out of mutual need.”

“What the hell….”

Asura slumped into a leather chair, beckoning me to sit in the opposite leather chair as well.

“Don’t fumble around too much. We have plenty of time to talk in this Cheon Woo-jin world.”

“…I really don’t want to talk to you for that long.”

When I glared at Asura, he stared back. Then he spoke, “Baek Woong. What’s your goal in this life?”

“What?”

“If you tell me that, I’ll also tell you everything. That’s what I want to hear.”

“……”

I really didn’t understand what this guy was thinking.

I stole a glance at the Cheon Woo-jin, but it was watching us without changing expression. I felt this might be an important choice point, and I realized I had to respond to this question carefully.

‘Hmm… My goal in this life…’

My ultimate goal had always been the destruction of the deities. However, realistically, that goal was too high and difficult, so in every life, I sought clues and trained to defeat the gods. And in this life, my initial goal seemed to be to attain the emperor position, establish the Great Bear Empire, and utilize its power to find the fragment of Dharma scattered across the world.

However, now that goal has become somewhat vague. I managed to get another fragment through Sagong Lin, but only 17 years remain until the end, and almost all my companions are dead. Now, seeking the remaining fragments is not only time-consuming but also challenging to deal with the apocalypse.

I hesitated before finally speaking.

“…There are various arrangements my companions prepared for 500 years. Prioritizing fixing those arrangements is my immediate goal.”

“Are you talking about the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique or the Seven Luminaries’ arrangements like the Awakening of Spirits?”

As expected, Asura likely saw the rest of the memories because he was working with the Cheon Woo-jin. This means he had almost the same amount of information as my companions, who transmitted memories to me using obsidian, and maybe even more.

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

“Disappointing…”

“What?”

When I retorted, Asura crossed his arms.

“Why don’t you even consider ending your past life’s goal of destroying the deities this time? Reincarnated one.”

“……?!”

“You plan to just watch the world end this time?”

What the heck is this guy talking about?

I felt slightly flustered but calmly replied, “I have no reason to hear that from you. Of course, I want to, but realistically, I have my limits. So if I can gather as much as I can and fight when the end comes, I’ll do just that.”

“And if it doesn’t work out?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hmph… I guessed that would be your answer.”

Then Asura said, “But there’s one way to force an end this life, but you don’t seem to have thought of that method.”

“What? What is it?”

“[Revelation].”

“……!!”

“Countless great beings are eyeing that opportunity… I feel that as a reincarnated person, you should be able to grasp it easily. Your advisors are probably hoping for that implicitly too.”

That might be true.

Having come this close to the [End] directly is almost unprecedented in my reincarnations. And if I could verify what that upcoming [Revelation] means with my own eyes, I thought I’d gain an advantage, but if I had a chance to directly participate in that [Revelation] and make a wish?

As I fell silent, Asura continued, “Since I fulfilled my request, I’ll share everything too. I’ll explain why I’m here and why I teamed up with the Cheon Woo-jin.”

“Tell me.”

Asura leaned forward and clasped his hands.

“You might have seen it in your memories, but ever since the Great Demon War, I’ve been filled with the desire to lay aside my pride as the Demon King and join your group. Not only out of a sense of debt to Dokgo Seong, but also because I sensed something special about you all. However, on top of that, I was curious about how far one could go with just human power, so for over a hundred years, I concentrated solely on martial arts training.”

“Hmm.”

“Then I realized something. There are many ‘threads’ all over this world…. Yes, it was déjà vu.”

“Threads?”

“Yeah. When I pierced through the crazy space of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, I clearly recognized the threads, but since then, I’ve been diligently trying to recognize and manipulate them. However, I couldn’t perceive or manipulate them at my will, and I only occasionally felt them while in a focused state.”

“……”

That wasn’t really explaining why Asura was here. It felt more like he was going off on a tangent, but for some reason, I focused on what he was saying. It somehow resembled the explanation of the ultimate technique that Jin So-cheong had shown me before. It felt like I was hearing a martial discussion of an incredibly high level.

I thought it over and countered, “You mentioned déjà vu. That means you’ve experienced it before; didn’t you misphrase that?”

“No. How should I put it? It feels like it wasn’t about past events, but rather as if I already know the threads. Like dealing with a lost memory… After I come into contact with the threads later, I’ll understand what I mean.”

“……?”

“Anyway, while I was repetitively training to manipulate the threads, I reached a new level of Nirvana of the Absolute. Gaining confidence, I tried to contact the Great Bear Empire, but when war broke out with the Nazi Empire, I thought it was a good opportunity to participate. And while fighting, I came into contact with the last moments of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

“Got it. I understand that much, but why didn’t the part where the Master of the White Lotus Sect talked to you appear in the memories? If it was your memory, it should’ve been included.”

Asura replied emotionlessly, “I edited it.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t want your companions to know that. So later, when you return, I planned to let you know separately by intentionally editing it out.”

“…….”

“The memories you just saw weren’t shared with your other reincarnated companions. What you just saw from the 500 years is a special edition only you can view.”

I was dumbfounded by Asura’s words. Unable to grasp the meaning, I shouted, “What nonsense is that?! Why shouldn’t my companions know?! Are you trying to use us for your own gains?”

“Not at all. This is not my independent judgment. It was a request from the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

“What…?”

“I’ll clarify a few facts since you’re confused. First, you can’t trust any of your companions right now. Second, the prophecy’s hint might lead to unexpected circumstances. Third, the Master of the White Lotus Sect asked me to tell you not to completely trust Asura Sagong Lin.”

“…….”

“You shouldn’t carelessly share the information obtained here with Sagong Lin. Got it?”

I bitterly retorted, “It’s already problematic from the first point. I have no intention of trusting you at all.”

Asura shrugged, looking troubled. “I guess so. Convincing someone is tough… It’s something that hasn’t been done in thousands of years for me.”

“Stop talking nonsense. I don’t even know what conversation you had with the Master of the White Lotus Sect, nor do I understand how you manipulated memories to control me. I’d rather trust my companions than believe you.”

“You’d rather die at the hands of your reincarnated companion than get betrayed?”

I replied bluntly, “What’s so great about dying? I can just be reborn; it’s more foolish to be suspicious of every single relationship.”

If I were worried about that, I wouldn’t have even thought of sending memories through obsidian in the first place.

“Hehe… Reincarnated ones are certainly far from ordinary humans.”

Asura chuckled and then said, “Alright. Since I’m not fond of instilling doubts, I’ll let that slide. I don’t like getting bothered. Anyway, let’s get to the main point. I’ll explain why the Primordial Spirit went berserk as I heard from the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

“The Primordial Spirit is a contract with the [Throne]. The human Dokgo Uncheon can draw magical power from the [Throne] through the [Old Ruler] acting as an intermediary. You must already know this much.”

“Of course.”

“But if that were all, there wouldn’t be any difference between the Primordial Spirit and the Heavenly Spirit Pill. After all, the Heavenly Spirit Pill also allows you to use infinite internal power, right? The real secret of the Primordial Spirit lies in that [Restriction].”

At Asura’s words, my eyes widened.

“Anyone under contract with the Primordial Spirit is like a priest who has become a human sacrifice in the universe’s hell. Thus, after death, they become the [Guardian] of the [Throne]. Until they become the Guardian, those who possess the Primordial Spirit undergo a change of attribute to [Chaos]. Those with the attribute of Chaos hold infinite possibilities but, ultimately… they cannot gain peace even after the end, as they are bound to the Throne.”

“What? You mean they can’t find peace?”

“Exactly. Those with the Heavenly Spirit Pill can find salvation through complete annihilation when the world collapses during the [End], but that’s not the case with the Primordial Spirit. They suffer eternally beside the great Throne, which neither even the End can reach.”

“……!!”

“The whispers the Master of the White Lotus Sect had continuously received weren’t from the [Old Ruler] Bi-ryu. The Throne itself possessed will and was calling him. And when the Primordial Spirit went berserk, that space momentarily summoned the [Throne] and the mass of Chaos surrounding it.”

“No, no way….”

I was momentarily left speechless.

The price of the Primordial Spirit is that high?

The owners of the Heavenly Spirit Pill could at least find redemption through annihilation during the End, but possessing the Primordial Spirit makes that impossible. I can’t fathom what agony it would be to wander eternally as a Guardian of the Throne, but as a reincarnated one, I understood how despairing it is to know that there is no [End].

Ssssss!

In an instant, I felt the information about the Primordial Spirit flash through my mind in text. It must have been input by Han Baek-ryeong in the Cheon Woo-jin, and the content didn’t differ from what Asura said. Asura wasn’t lying.

Asura continued, “When the Chaos of the Throne was summoned, the Master of the White Lotus Sect could not maintain his sanity. He awakened as the Guardian of Chaos and attempted to bring chaos to the world. If I had let him run wild, at least half of this planet would have vanished, so I cut his life thread before he could unleash his power.”

“…….”

“The real problem with the Primordial Spirit’s berserk state is that there’s no way to stop it, and it’s set to go berserk before the End. Fortunately, the Master of the White Lotus Sect had superhuman willpower; otherwise, an ordinary human would have gone berserk after keeping the Primordial Spirit for just a year due to the Throne’s calling.”

“Is that so….”

Only then did I gather the full secret of the Primordial Spirit.

When the Primordial Spirit goes berserk, the [Throne] gets summoned. And there’s no way to stop the berserk state; the only option is for a supremely skilled person like Asura to break into the Throne and defeat the Guardian of Chaos before he can awaken. But is it even possible to coincidentally meet all the conditions to prevent a berserk as we did this time?

If anyone other than the Master of the White Lotus Sect possesses the Primordial Spirit, it essentially invites disaster to this world.

I cautiously asked Asura, “Asura, why hasn’t the Master of the White Lotus Sect revealed everything about the Primordial Spirit to me until now?”

“I don’t know that… but if I had to guess, it might be because he feared being abandoned by you.”

“Abandoned?”

“Do you still have the same intention of recruiting the Master of the White Lotus Sect? If he by any chance fails to control his will for even a moment and goes berserk due to the [Calling], the Chaos of the Throne will be summoned, putting the world at risk of destruction. Even I wouldn’t want to reveal such a fact to a reincarnated one.”

“…….”

I didn’t answer. No, it was closer to not being able to answer.

But eventually, I spoke, “Still, I consider the Master of the White Lotus Sect a companion! My trust doesn’t change!”

“Even if the world faces destruction?”

“Maybe I’ve caused more destruction than that, so what does it matter? I wouldn’t abandon a companion for such a reason. I’d endure that kind of risk!”

“… You’re quite the odd one to be so upright in such things.”

Asura mumbled, seemingly baffled, and then casually stood up.

“Then how about we conduct a verification process here.”

Vwoooom

In that moment, the entire space changed. Asura and I were standing facing each other in a large training ground, and in the distant spectator seats sat the Cheon Woo-jin holding a raccoon doll. We each found a sword in our hands.

Asura grasped his sword sheath and spoke, “I have much more information to share. But since I don’t know you well enough to share the rest willingly, I want to check directly.”

“Don’t just spout nonsense, but at least you’re straightforward about this.”

Swish

I drew my sword almost simultaneously with Asura. He smiled slyly.

“It may not be quite the same as reality, but martial arts, intent, and techniques will be almost perfectly implemented. Are you ready?”

“Of course!”

The strongest warrior in this world, Asura.

Facing off against Asura in martial arts makes my heart race.

It’s easier to understand compared to the complicated past.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, Baek Woong!”

Clang!!

The next moment, our swords clashed in mid-air.