1193——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I could guess where Cheon Woo-jin might be. I immediately used the Golden Lamp technique to move.

Pa-at

‘Fortunately, the Golden Lamp and Wooden Armor remain intact in this reality…’

I arrived at the site of the former Imperial Palace of the Great Bear Empire. To my surprise, the Imperial Palace and Luoyang’s imperial capital were still in surprisingly good shape.

“Is that a barrier?”

It looked like a circular barrier surrounding all of Luoyang. Given the overwhelming darkness in the current world, the faint light emanating from it indicated that this barrier was surely protecting Luoyang.

‘A battle ground…?’

No, that’s not it. Master Mangnyang’s battleground has always been formless; it wouldn’t take such an obvious shape. That must be an artificially created barrier by humans! It must have been made using the technology of the Great Bear Empire.

Because of the barrier, I couldn’t simply enter the Imperial Palace using the Golden Lamp, so I headed towards the front of Luoyang first. There, I saw soldiers patrolling nearby, and I was shocked again to see they weren’t human soldiers.

‘Is that… a machine?’

Wiying

Clank!

I spotted mechanical soldiers walking around on four legs. They weren’t holding guns, but surely had devices capable of firing bullets or beams at a moment’s notice. I mean, if they were human, they wouldn’t be able to guard properly against the powerful demon ki of this apocalypse, so it made perfect sense to have mechanical soldiers on duty.

I used my Stealth Technique to slip inside. The mechanical soldiers seemed incapable of detecting stealth, allowing me to enter the interior without much trouble. Briefly looking around the once-glorious interior of Luoyang, I noticed that the presence of people had dramatically lessened, and there were no passersby outside. It seemed like everyone was holed up in underground-like places in the buildings.

‘They’re in emergency evacuation.’

I remembered hearing from Professor Sima Ling that the citizens of Luoyang were supposed to evacuate like this when the apocalypse hit. Thinking that, I quickly jumped across the rooftops of the city towards the Imperial Palace, soon reaching the inside of the palace.

As I entered the laboratory where Cheon Woo-jin was, I heard a familiar voice.

“You’re here.”

“Cheon Woo-jin.”

Cheon Woo-jin looked just as he did over a decade ago. However, his face was more serious than usual, and the irritation I often sensed from him was completely gone. This meant his inner feelings were quite complicated.

Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“Baek Woong. I have a rough idea of what happened.”

I jumped, surprised at his words.

“You know? Really?”

“Yes. I know that you almost got trapped in the Knot and escaped with the help of Zhuge Sa and Jin So-cheong.”

“……!! How did you….”

“…….”

Kik-kik.

Cheon Woo-jin pulled out an electronic cigarette from his upper pocket and lit it. Then he said,

“Because Jin So-cheong transmitted her work to me.”

“What? What… Ah!”

In that instant, I remembered the last words from Jin So-cheong.

[I shall open the boundary. Oh great master of mine. Please pass on the results of my achievements to my older brother… .]

She had surely said something like that when she returned me to reality. Remembering that moment, I spoke.

“The cause and effect of achievements! You mentioned that. What does it mean?”

“Before I explain that, hand me the obsidian. I need to understand what has happened. All I know is what took place after Jin So-cheong encountered you.”

“Got it.”

Woo-ung.

As I relayed my memories to Cheon Woo-jin, he stared blankly for a moment before breaking into a wry smile.

“Fuhuh… So it’s now my turn, Master.”

“……?”

“Baek Woong. Let me briefly explain the situation.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“With the beginning of the apocalypse, Jupiter moved rapidly closer to Earth, and from the massive dimension door that opened on Jupiter, countless monsters began invading our world. All forces, including Sagong Lin, are now fighting against them on Jupiter. But the occurrence of this calamity is highly suspicious.”

“What’s suspicious?”

“Do you remember what Zhuge Sa said? The phenomenon of the planets forming the Seven Luminaries will take place at the end. Well, that disaster is happening right now. However, this is something that should not be happening.”

“Why not?”

I flinched at Cheon Woo-jin’s next words.

“Because the alignment of the Seven Luminaries is powered by the energy of the Evil God.”

“Ah!”

“As you know, the Evil God has already been annihilated. His dwelling in the deep sea has been obliterated as well. Therefore, the phenomenon of the alignment of the Seven Luminaries should not naturally occur. Yet it has, and other planets besides Jupiter are moving swiftly.”

“W-Why is that?”

“I didn’t know the reason until you arrived. Or rather, I didn’t know it until I received Jin So-cheong’s work…. I was astonished by the sudden disaster.”

Cheon Woo-jin held the electronic cigarette between his fingers, contemplating something before speaking.

“Simply put, the one causing this phenomenon is not the Evil God, but Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. That guy has definitely initiated the apocalypse. He possesses both the ability and the motive.”

“That bastard…!! But is that even possible?”

“Absolutely. The Emperor is as formidable as the Evil God. The magical power needed to move the planets of the Seven Luminaries is beyond imagination, but he is definitely capable of it.”

“Hm.”

“The problem is why the Emperor would do this, but that too can be explained. It all happened just yesterday.”

Huh? What do you mean?

As I stood confused, Cheon Woo-jin directed the tip of his electronic cigarette towards me.

“It’s because of you. You returned today.”

“……?!”

“The Emperor has the ability to read cause and effect. He must have realized that today is the day you would return from the dream of the Knot into reality. Thus, he began plotting from yesterday to incorporate you into his plans.”

“Is that so….”

Cheon Woo-jin’s reasoning made sense.

But there was one thing I didn’t understand, so I asked Cheon Woo-jin.

“Was there a need to start plotting just a day before I returned? If he was going to do it anyway, wouldn’t it have been more effective to initiate the apocalypse a year ago to ensure I couldn’t do anything when I returned?”

“That’s true. I can’t figure out that reason yet, but… if you think broader, it might become clearer.”

Cheon Woo-jin wore a cynical expression as he took another drag of his electronic cigarette.

“No matter whether you’re here or not, once the apocalypse begins, the Emperor is confident he can overcome it perfectly with the power of the Divine Temple. The overwhelming disparity in strength means he doesn’t have to worry about your powers at all.”

“…….”

“You might have felt that while fighting the Destroyer God Shiva. No matter how much we pooled our strength, we couldn’t defeat him.”

“Damn it….”

“Alternatively, there could be a reason he needs to give you a chance… But that’s too deep a matter for me to guess.”

I gritted my teeth at Cheon Woo-jin’s words. If the power of the Divine Temple is truly that overwhelming, then my existence may have no impact at all. Even if I give it my all from now on, I’d have virtually no chance of defeating the Emperor.

I spoke to Cheon Woo-jin.

“The Sword Demon told me not to trust Nüwa or Fuxi and to come directly to find you. Is there a reason not to trust the Three Sovereigns now?”

“That’s the Sword Demon’s correct judgment. If you were to visit Nüwa or Fuxi, they might try to seal you or use you for something. Having confirmed that the Three Sovereigns don’t possess the will to overcome the apocalypse, the Sword Demon judged they cannot be fully trusted. Especially Nüwa.”

“Hm….”

“Anyway…. That should be a rough outline of the situation explained. Now, it’s your resolve that’s left.”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me with a somewhat cold gaze as he spoke.

“Baek Woong. Will you fight until the end for victory in this situation? Or will you focus solely on enduring until you witness the Revelation?”

“Why do you suddenly ask that?”

“Because if you do neither, then your most beneficial option would be to end your life right now and start anew in the next life.”

“…….”

“I understand. The fate of everything depends on your choice now.”

I grasped Cheon Woo-jin’s words instantly.

In this situation where even a glimmer of hope is absent, I have two options: either struggle to unite with my companions and resist to the bitter end or just keep myself alive to witness the Revelation before dying. However, both options carry the risk of falling into the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s schemes or being used by him, so if I’m not confident, dying right now would be the best choice.

‘What should I do….’

When I was fighting Shiva, I was driven by loyalty to the Sword Demon and my companions, so I thought I could accept death. But from now on, this was a significant choice that would affect all my future reincarnations. After mulling it over for a while, I finally spoke to Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin. Before that, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Where has Mangnyang gone?”

The most crucial question for me.

‘The Knot was likely… not formed during the battle with Xiang Yu, as Hang-a suggested. I believe it was likely created at the moment Hang-a first awakened, just before seeing the point of the Divine Being.’

From the reactions of the Sword Demon and the others, I could roughly guess this much. They all remained unharmed because I didn’t fight Xiang Yu.

If so, then at that moment, Mangnyang would be alive.

Because he was waiting for me in the Trial Tower on the 99th floor.

So then, isn’t it obvious he must be alive?

Upon hearing my question, Cheon Woo-jin spoke somberly.

“Your older brother has… gone missing.”

“What do you mean?”

“You suddenly vanished during the trials of the Divine Being. Consequently, Nüwa, who was preparing all sorts of trials to test the Reborn, lost power and withdrew her trials, leading the Heavenly Expedition Team to pass through the last floor with a relatively gentle level of difficulty. They trained for around five years under Jang Sam-bong’s guidance to raise their levels. After reaching the 99th floor, but your older brother had already disappeared from the sight of the Three Sovereigns….”

“…….”

“We have no idea where your older brother has gone, nor why he vanished. Although we heard the details from Nüwa, even the Three Sovereigns could not determine where he went when he was collaborating with them. We checked the Underworld just in case, but he wasn’t there either.”

“What the hell….”

I was at a loss for words, then suddenly thought of something.

“What about Miho?”

“She has been taken in by Nüwa. I’m not sure what she’s doing now…”

“Hm.”

Cheon Woo-jin cautiously added, “I know there’s a possibility your older brother betrayed us. But even so, don’t try to seek him out. That would be the worst decision.”

“You’re saying that as Mangnyang’s disciple?”

“Your older brother is precious to me, but right now it’s the apocalypse. I must judge things in light of the greater cause.”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed to sigh.

“…Ha. I really didn’t want to get to this point. I knew this moment would come someday, but….”

“…….”

“Baek Woong. What to do?”

Cheon Woo-jin wasn’t expressing annoyance towards me. That in itself indicated just how desperate and final the current apocalypse was. After thinking for a while, I had no choice but to speak up.

“…I’m going to end my life.”

This was my only option.

I kept pondering until I realized that this was it.

“Is that your choice?”

I nodded and continued, “I no longer want to be caught up in the Emperor’s schemes. It’d be a shame not to witness the Revelation, but I want to draw this life to a close now.”

There’s a lot to do.

But given the Emperor has chosen this moment to instigate the apocalypse—it signifies that an irreversible scheme has commenced. The more I struggle, the tighter the web of cause-and-effect will constrict me. Ultimately, I would fall prey to the Emperor. If I commit a small mistake, my entire past life would be forfeit.

“Is that so… you’ve made the most unremarkable choice.”

“Are you looking to blame me?”

“Of course not. I respect your choice.”

Cheon Woo-jin slowly extended his hand toward me.

“Farewell.”

In that moment, I realized I had unsaid words and stopped him.

“But.”

“But?”

I spoke calmly as never before.

“I want to see Yeodong-bin’s sword before I die. That’s my final wish.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes widened in surprise at my words.

“Why?”

“I want to see if he possesses the Divine Skill. I truly want to know if he gained it.”

“Is it really that important?”

Staring into Cheon Woo-jin’s expressionless face, I gradually felt my strength draining away. It felt like the exhaustion I had previously gone through was suddenly overwhelming me all at once.

“I know it sounds selfish…. I realize talking about such things during the apocalypse is truly selfish… but….”

With a somewhat weary face, I gazed at the ceiling.

“…I want to have hope too. It’s hard. That’s all.”

“…….”

A thick silence enveloped us.

Neither Cheon Woo-jin nor I said anything as we sat and gazed into the void. Though we were in the same space, our eyes never met as we were absorbed in our own thoughts. We had gone through so much turmoil and events that we needed time to gather our thoughts.

Eventually, Cheon Woo-jin rose from his seat.

“Alright. I shall respect your last choice.”

“Thank you.”

“You successfully reflected on yourself.”

Strange energy began to radiate from Cheon Woo-jin. I could feel the surrounding time and space shifting as a light gradually flickered in his eyes.

“Then I, apostle of Master Mangnyang, Cheon Woo-jin, shall stay with you until the very end. O King of Humanity!”