1084——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The Spear of Longinus?

As I was baffled by the unfamiliar term, Bathory continued to squirm and show strong resistance.

‘No need to torture the negotiation target for no reason.’

I subtly moved the spear aside and said, “I don’t know what you mean. Is this spear some bad omen?”

“Are you telling me you don’t know the Spear of Longinus?”

“Nope. What’s that?”

“…It’s the spear that killed the avatar of the one who guards the West. Because of that, it’s said to harbor both sacred power and fierce qualities.”

“Oh.”

The Guardian of the West!

I had visited that entity, who possesses the Golden Crow. Seemed like that being was quite the divine presence as well, but it looks like this spear has a history of stabbing down the avatar of that Guardian. I looked down at the Spear of Longinus again before glancing at Bathory.

“So, is the Spear of Longinus not suitable as a reward for the request?”

“…….”

Bathory seemed to be deep in thought, a character written on her forehead appeared. Then she spoke.

“If you give me this, I’ll take the request.”

“Great. That’s settled. But I have one more thing to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“I want to meet the Guardian of the West. I have things to discuss with them.”

“What, what do you mean?”

I pushed forward the thought that had just crossed my mind.

“You’re the Great Witch of the West Magic Order, right? Then you must have ties to the Guardian. I’m asking you to arrange for me to meet them through that connection.”

The last time I sought the Guardian of the West, a witch had led me to their dwelling. The witch faction certainly guards that presence, so the Great Witch should know the Guardian. Bathory glared at me and said,

“Even though they are a powerful being, that’s pushing it too far. What do you intend to do with them?”

“As I just mentioned, I’m planning to request a trade from them too. I have no intention of harming them.”

“…….”

“I think the Spear of Longinus has significant value, so I should be able to ask for this much.”

I knew the Guardian possessed the Golden Crow among the Seven Luminaries. If there’s a way to negotiate and obtain the Golden Crow from that being, then it seems worth trying and was my impromptu suggestion.

However, Bathory shook her head resolutely.

“Absolutely not. Let’s pretend you never said that.”

I contemplated whether to push her on this further. But I felt an instinctive sense that retreating is the right choice given I didn’t have much confidence in this proposal. There are times when pushing hard works, but somehow, I felt this was not the moment for that.

‘Well, just throwing the idea out there…’

I brushed it off and said, “If that’s the case… I’ll come back to check on things in three months. I hope the lid of the Pocket Watch is kept open until then.”

“Alright.”

Whoosh!

After entrusting Bathory with the request, I used my technique to head towards an uninhabited plateau. This location was a notable high ground before moving to the chapter, as it was a place devoid of people. The reason I didn’t return directly to the training ground was that there were still things left to do.

“National Seal. Search for the location of Black Dragon Dracula.”

[Searching… Currently is at Fericire restaurant in Romania.]

“…Restaurant? You’re saying it’s a food joint?”

[That’s correct.]

Black Dragon Dracula!

He was the one I’d managed to forcibly subdue in this life. Originally, he had been trapped in an ice seal forcibly brought from the Eastern Orthodox Church to defeat the crazy emperor of the Arasa Empire, but I awakened and overpowered him with my spirit power.

However, since I ended up in the future in the battle against the Sea God, I had no way to handle or control him, and in the Great Bear Empire, he became uncontrollable. At some point, he escaped the Empire’s grasp and vanished as I learned through Cheon Woo-jin’s memories.

‘I need to take Dracula on my side. If he becomes an ally, things might get a bit easier.’

Thinking this way, I said, “Give me the coordinates.”

[Coordinates displayed.]

Whoosh!

Using my technique, I rushed to the Fericire restaurant pointed out by the National Seal. When I arrived at the restaurant and took a look, it was a two-story restaurant in a quiet suburban area with a lake right in front and a serene atmosphere with the sound of birds singing. Upon entering the restaurant, I caught the staff speaking in Romanian.

“#&%^&#~~”

Of course, I barely paid attention and sat down. I then cast Fire Eye Golden Spirit to peer into the surroundings to find a strong response of power.

‘Could that be it?’

Upstairs, I noticed someone seated, emanating an unusual wave of power. I stood up and headed up the stairs. As I approached the table, a man dressed in a black suit suddenly shouted with visible annoyance.

“Who the hell are you! Do you think you can just come here and try to pick a fight?”

“Long time no see.”

“Long time? What…?”

A man with a stout mustache furrowed his brow, then suddenly seemed to realize something, his eyes widening.

“Ah… Oh no. You, no way.”

Clank!

I pulled out a chair opposite him and smiled as I said, “It’s been a while. I’m Baek Woong.”

“……!!”

“Dracula, has it been five hundred years?”

He appeared momentarily dazed. He stood there, mouth agape in disbelief before suddenly snapping back to a sharp demeanor.

“Are you here again to make me submit to you?”

Indeed.

The individual in front of me was the transformed human version of Black Dragon Dracula! The National Seal successfully detected him and led me here. I was astonished when Dracula growled.

“What do you mean? You swore that when you became my subordinate, you wouldn’t betray me until the day I die. Since I’m not dead, that vow is still valid, right?”

“Grrk… why now…”

As Dracula seemed troubled, I bluntly replied.

“Why? Did you want me to be dead for good? Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. You should be grateful to have enjoyed your freedom while I was gone.”

“…….”

“What’s with this restaurant? Are you the owner?”

“Go away, Baek Woong. I do not wish to meddle with worldly affairs anymore.”

“Don’t want to meddle, huh?”

As I retorted, Dracula nodded.

“There are only a few years left until the world’s destruction. Even when [the end] approaches, I have no means or strength to stop it, so I just want to rest easy until the last moment. I have lived pretending to be human, enjoying life as a game and found peace in that game, so please leave me be.”

“Hmm… a game. So you’ve been living as a human for quite some time.”

“Indeed.”

This restaurant must have been created as part of enjoying human life. I glanced around the inside of the restaurant with mixed feelings. While I was looking around, Dracula earnestly said,

“Please, I beg you. After all, I wasn’t weaker than you even five hundred years ago, right? There’s no way I could help you now. Leave me be.”

“The value of a companion isn’t simply determined by strength. Even if you’re weak, there are many instances where you can be useful in other ways.”

I replied dismissively before addressing Dracula.

“Look, let’s do this. I won’t interfere with your life, nor will I ask for your strength. But there are a few requests I need you to fulfill. What do you say?”

“No. I don’t want to be involved with you any longer.”

“Don’t want to? But you swore by your name. As long as you are the Black Dragon and a being with magical power, you can’t break the vow made in the name of [name]. So even if I ask more, you won’t be able to refuse.”

“Grrk.”

“What’s it going to be?”

“…Fine. What do you want from me?”

Reluctantly responding, Dracula asked slowly.

“First, I need to hear about your past. Why were you trapped in that ice seal, and whose apostle are you now?”

“……”

Dracula let out a sigh before saying, “I was a duke in Romania, but I learned about the end of days and tried to become something beyond human through magical rituals… I succeeded in becoming the Black Dragon and an apostle, but I was caught by ancient sorcerers and ended up sealed in ice.”

“Ancient sorcerers?”

“Beings like Merlin. Unlike Demon Sorcerers, they mainly manipulate spirit and rune powers.”

Dracula continued,

“The being that elevated me to become a Black Dragon is the Old Ruler known as [Niratsa Dag]. I am that being’s apostle, and the price I paid to become an apostle was to eliminate the evil enemy invasion of my homeland, Romania…”

“Niratsa Dag?”

“Due to its far-off constellation, the actual pronunciation is difficult. But it is also referred to as the white smoke that roams the star cluster. It resembles a three-headed dragon and is over 100 times the size of the giant Alcyone. It is infamous from the east of the universe.”

“Hmm. Let’s say such a being exists, but you mean to say human sacrifices could be made simply by killing evil enemies in wars?”

“No. I captured them and nailed their bodies to stakes.”

“That’s brutal.”

“That’s what the sorceress advised to gain high acclaim from the Old Ruler. In reality, even though the number of enemies killed was low, my success in becoming an apostle was thanks to that brutality.”

Clink!

It seemed like Dracula was taking a sip of coffee for a moment. I waited while he savored the coffee and asked again.

“Dracula, are you currently acting on the orders of [Niratsa Dag]?”

“Not at all…”

“Why can you say that with such certainty?”

“Since becoming an apostle, there have been no orders from that being. There haven’t been any thus far, so I doubt there will be in the future.”

“What? The Old Ruler isn’t giving you any commands?”

Dracula smiled bitterly at my question.

“I’m just an apostle because of that being’s whims. They never held great expectations for a weak human like me. They just created a toy out of boredom, so there’s no way I’d receive any commands.”

“That’s quite a convenient narrative.”

I was flabbergasted. Could the Old Ruler really make apostles at random and not pay attention? In other words, the Old Ruler might be so powerful that they wouldn’t even care if someone like Dracula lost the power they breathed into them.

‘Somehow, I feel like I’ll meet that fellow someday…’

Dracula said, “Isn’t that enough? The end is approaching, what can either of us do now? I’ve told you my past, so just go back.”

“Why are you giving up already? The reason you tried to become an apostle was to stop the end, wasn’t it?”

“It was originally the case. But I tried to gain even greater strength as a Black Dragon and lost my chance due to being caught by the ancient sorcerer Merlin, now I’ve become severely weakened. At this point, my strength is utterly useless.”

Although Dracula mumbled with cynicism, I felt annoyed.

Why did he keep telling me to go away?!

“Ugh, just stop!”

I punched Dracula on the cheek.

Thwack!

“Ugh! You…”

As Dracula fell backward from the thunder god fist, I grabbed him by the collar and shook him, saying,

“I don’t care about your circumstances! We can stop the end, so shut up and help me!! Got it!”

“Cough, ugh! What’s going to be solved by this kind of bullying! What can be done against the day of the end when the Old Rulers descend together…”

“If we try something, we might find a way!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I know your Great Bear Empire defeated Krishna, but that guy is just a minor calamity compared to the end. There’s no way to stop it!”

“But can you call this reality escape your best choice? Spending 17 years here enjoying delicious food and the scenery— is that really all? When the end comes, this all becomes meaningless!”

“I’m just trying to cherish the remaining time!”

“No! You’re just giving up!”

I shouted, narrowing my eyes.

“Dracula! Don’t say only pretty words! That won’t change the reality! The fact that you’ve given up doesn’t change!”

“……!!”

“But I can change reality! I’M the only one who can do it!”

“Ridiculous…”

“I can erase the end!! So follow me. There’s a chance to win.”

Dracula seemed shocked by my shout.

“What, what did you say…”

What I really meant was that by dying and being reborn, I wouldn’t experience the end… but I wasn’t lying. Regardless, if I died and the world ends, the conclusion is the same.

“Are you going to do it or not?! Choose now!”

It seemed like Dracula was deep in thought. After some time, he brushed aside my grip and growled.

“Fine! But get your hand off me.”

“Alright.”

I convinced Dracula! At least from his gaze, I could clearly sense a change in his mental attitude from just a moment ago. He straightened out his suit and said,

“So, what’s your request?”

“First, I need you to find out the whereabouts of Faust, the Guardian of the West, and Merlin. As for the rest, I’ll ask if I need more.”

“…Don’t make it sound easy. You’re giving me a really difficult task.”

“Surely you didn’t just waste your time for almost 500 years? You must have your own information network, so I’m counting on you.”

“Fine. I’ll do as you said.”

“I’ll come check back later. See you then.”

Whoosh!

I broke away from Dracula and decided to head to Haedong Milcheon’s treasure vault. The treasure vault, now a ruin due to the collapse of Haedong Milcheon, was tightly shut. I used the knowledge of the Lord of Haedong Milcheon to chant a spell, and as I entered, I discovered a flute exuding a mysterious energy.

I snatched the flute immediately, and it began to speak in my mind.

[Who are you?]

“I’m Baek Woong, the first emperor of the Great Bear Empire. Spirit of the Great Hammer.”

[I don’t know that. How dare you try to control me, you shall pay for that with death…. Kraaah!!]

Buzz!

The Spirit of the Great Hammer started screaming. As I released my spirit power, the voice quickly turned to a writhing crawl.

[Kraaaah…. Divine Power…]

“Spirit of the Great Hammer. I’m not planning to harm you. You just have to recognize me as your master.”

[Your power and dignity are enough to command me…. I shall recognize you!]

“Great.”

I subdued the treasure of the Spirit of the Great Hammer and stated,

“What are your abilities?”

[I can repel countless warriors, heal ailments, and resolve floods and droughts!]

It seemed to be an all-purpose treasure capable of multiple tasks.

‘Such a rare type…’

Since my collection of treasures had dramatically decreased upon arriving in this era, finding and supplementing them one by one like this didn’t seem like a bad idea.

‘This should be enough.’

After obtaining the Spirit of the Great Hammer, I headed straight back to the training ground. After giving Bathory the Hidden Piece request, reconvincing Dracula as an ally, and obtaining the Spirit of the Great Hammer, I considered it complete for now.

Whoosh!

Returning to the training ground, I once again immersed myself in practicing the Immortal Sword Technique. Day by day, I researched the differences between the Spirit Sword and Spirit Mind while drawing circles.

“Hmmm…!!”

I was hit by a waterfall of doubts. After a while, I unleashed the Lion’s Roar.

“I don’t get it!!”

What’s the difference between a spirit sword and a spirit mind!

It’s nonsense!

How can you save someone with a sword if you’re supposed to cut them?!

As I let out the Lion’s Roar, Zhu Xian, who was practicing nearby, approached and said.

“Your Majesty. Would it be better to practice as is instead?”

“What do you mean?”

“Truly try using the Mind Control Technique to save someone. You could use the technique on someone condemned to death, saying you will only cut the evil spirits…”

“…and if I end up failing and kill them?”

“Then it would be best to test it on someone who can die anyway, like a death row prisoner…”

“…….”

Well, isn’t Zhu Xian more shrewd than I first thought?!

But the moment I heard Zhu Xian’s words, something clicked in my mind.

Immediately, I stood up and addressed Zhu Xian.

“Zhu Xian. I have a question.”

“Ask me anything.”

I shared the thought I had regarding the Spirit Sword’s solution with Zhu Xian.

“Is it possible to turn [a sword that cannot kill anything] into a Mind Control Technique?”