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1209——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The moment those words ended, the [Mask] of Nyarlathotep gradually dispersed into dust, leaving behind a last message as he vanished.

[Enjoy it for a whole day….]

“…….”

What exactly am I supposed to enjoy?

I stared at the spot where he had disappeared for a while before talking to Master Mangnyang.

“Master Mangnyang, I can’t kill myself because he’s blocking me, right?”

[That’s correct.]

“…Mangnyang mentioned that I should go to the ‘black hole of the universe’ and kill myself. Would it have been impossible?”

[That’s right. My disciple likely thought he could escape the Emperor by going there since it’s connected to the depths of the universe, but even that wouldn’t suffice.]

“…….”

So, coming here was the only answer, huh?

In a way, it was lucky, but it was frustrating to think that after all this trouble, I only had one day of grace left.

Moreover, I had no companions now. Everyone had perished at the hands of Gong Sun Xuanwen, and the only one left was Sagong Lin, who had turned into a spirit. In this desperate state, with no strength or schemes left, what on Earth was I supposed to do for a day?

But I gritted my teeth and asked.

“Master Mangnyang, if I gain the Blessing of the Sky, can I defeat the Emperor?”

In response, Master Mangnyang replied with a voice void of emotion.

[You’ll fight equally, but the blessing will disappear before a conclusion is reached, and ultimately, you will lose.]

“…Is that so?”

I could truly feel the current power of the Emperor. The Blessing of the Sky was indeed capable of allowing one to easily face any being, yet eliminating the Emperor seemed to be another story.

[Baek Woong, what made you choose to fight the Emperor until the very end?]

“What do you mean by that question?”

[If you were resolved to commit suicide, you could have altered your movements many times. Yet the moment you truly decided to kill yourself was scarce, and you focused on resistance. In the end, it was your movement that brought you to the future where you arrived in Luoyang…. It’s the Law of Cause and Effect.]

Hearing Master Mangnyang’s words, I retorted sarcastically.

“Go ahead and laugh. If I hadn’t been stubborn and had just killed myself, it would have been much better. I have no face to show to my companions….”

At Master Mangnyang’s next words, I flinched.

[That’s incorrect. You’ve made exceptionally sound choices. It was like threading a needle.]

“…Huh?”

Upon my unexpected question, Master Mangnyang’s eyes observed me transparently.

[Originally, it was supposed to be Gong Sun Xuanwen standing in front of me at this moment, preparing to break my barrier. That was the Law of Cause and Effect I had read regarding the future. Yet you changed the future by your choice.]

“What are you saying? That Gong Sun Xuanwen would have been here…?”

[Even if you hadn’t fought in the Underworld and had earnestly chosen to commit suicide, the chances of success would have been extremely low. Out of a hundred attempts, there wouldn’t be even five successes. That’s because not only the Emperor, but Nyarlathotep was also keeping an eye on your death and was ready to block the power of the Wheel King.]

“……!!”

I couldn’t help but be startled. As I froze, Master Mangnyang continued.

[Since you fought, Gong Sun Xuanwen has sustained considerable power loss. While he remains one of the strongest beings in this universe, because of that, he’s fallen behind, leaving him with less strength to come to Luoyang. And that single step was propelled by your choice.]

“…….”

Is he implying that stealing the spirit of Sagong Lin was part of it?

[At the start, Gong Sun Xuanwen was supposed to swagger in front of me and prepare to break my barrier…. But instead, you made him test himself against Nyarlathotep.]

“Is that a good thing?”

[It’s a strange matter.]

The black cat Master Mangnyang fell silent for a moment before walking to the cabin filled with flames. As he waved his tail, the flames that had engulfed the village vanished as if washed away, and he stood in front of the blackened cabin, continuing to speak.

[Every Law of Cause and Effect contains variable factors. But your strange level of determination was beyond what a normal you could understand. It was far too skewed to be merely anger or spite. Your choice heads toward the correct answer even with the variables unreadable, reaching a realm that even I find hard to decipher….]

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

[Hmm…. You really are clueless….]

When I frowned at the difficult words, Master Mangnyang said.

[For now, you don’t need to understand. Perhaps your ignorance itself might be a weapon.]

“Just insult me if you have to…. Damn….”

[I’m serious.]

Oh, really.

As I simmered with the thought of one day getting back at that black cat, Master Mangnyang took a distinctly cat-like posture and said.

[You have no further tasks, so rest in this village for a day.]

“What? Rest? I can’t just kick back for a day…”

Master Mangnyang proclaimed firmly.

[There’s nothing to do. Everything you possess now has lost its meaning. We are at the point of the prologue to the end, where the most powerful beings in the universe are starting to appear.]

“What about offering to the Seven Luminaries or something….”

[You don’t understand, do you? Everything you have is meaningless. The moment the strongest mask appears….]

“……”

I gave Master Mangnyang a bewildered look at his words.

‘Is that mask called Nyarlathotep truly that powerful?’

Even if the Three Sovereigns had become enemies, I’d always found ways to manipulate the treasures I had, yet Master Mangnyang claimed all of that was meaningless! It was as if he was saying Nyarlathotep was such a colossal existence that tricks wouldn’t work on him.

I cautiously said to Master Mangnyang.

“I have a question about that Nyarlathotep guy. You mentioned that another mask is sealed away. Where is that mask?”

[It is sealed deeper.]

“Hm. What’s the name of that mask?”

[I don’t know either.]

“Why not?”

[No being in this universe can know its name until the seals on both Nyarlathotep and that mask are lifted. It’s because those beings were sealed before the universe was created.]

I was taken aback by that statement.

“Sealed before the universe was created?! How is that possible? That doesn’t make sense!”

[…….]

“No, you need the universe to have anything, so how can that even be possible?”

[Revealing that secret requires considerable Law of Cause and Effect. There’s no more good will to share, so you’ll have to find out on your own.]

“Tch….”

Is Master Mangnyang really talking nonsense? Even a simpleton wouldn’t buy such absurdity!

As I quietly grumbled, Master Mangnyang said.

[Don’t fidget. You’ve done everything you can, so now all that’s left is to wait for the clash of cause and effect…. The outcome is uncertain, but you and your companions have made this possible with your lifelong wishes.]

“Seriously, I can just sit back and wait?”

[Exactly.]

I pondered at Master Mangnyang’s words.

If that’s the case, he was telling me to just zone out for a day, right? Is it really okay to do that? I have always felt like wasting time was a sin, so uneasiness crept in, and finally, unable to bear it, I said.

“I wish there was something to do! Can’t I do anything?”

[If you really want to do something.]

Master Mangnyang lazily strolled over to a rock in the distance and said.

[Go to Yeodong-bin’s shrine and clean it up.]

“Eh?”

[Cleaning it up might help calm your mind.]

“…Alright.”

Following Master Mangnyang’s advice, I walked along the restored village path into the heart of the village. When I arrived at Yeodong-bin’s shrine, I stepped inside, feeling swept up in a mix of nostalgia.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’

Although this was a dream world, drifting through an unrealistic universe and time had made this ordinary, everyday scene seem strangely comforting. I touched the wooden pillars of Yeodong-bin’s shrine, grabbed a rag, and headed for the stream to get it wet.

As I soaked the rag in the stream and prepared to wipe the shrine floor, I suddenly realized something.

‘Ah! Sagong Lin?’

Somehow during our conversation, Shim disappeared without me noticing. I quickly called out for Master Mangnyang.

“Master Mangnyang!! Where did Sagong Lin go?!”

But there was no reply. I tilted my head, then resumed wringing the rag.

‘Master Mangnyang wouldn’t harm Sagong Lin…. There must be a reason.’

After wringing the rag, I began to wipe the wooden floor of Yeodong-bin’s shrine. After a while, I noticed the dust piling up on the floor gradually disappearing. I even started sweeping the nearby ground.

While cleaning for quite some time, I suddenly discovered something.

“Ah, that.”

Upon closer inspection, I spotted an old, rusty iron sword within the shrine. It looked like it could fall apart at any moment, and I recalled how I had been too afraid to touch it in the past for fear it would break.

In that moment, two choices surged in my mind impulsively.

Pick up the iron sword.

Not pick up the iron sword.

“…….”

In moments like this, of course, you have to pick it up!

I grasped the iron sword and swung it around. However, nothing specific happened, leaving me confused.

‘Huh…. That was definitely an instinct just now…. Why’s nothing happening?’

I had never felt such a strong instinct before; it was strange.

‘Did I do something wrong? Or is there a reason why my instinct activated but nothing is happening…?’

I felt a vague notion that something was missing.

Was I supposed to bring something?

I thought about it for a while but couldn’t reach a conclusion. Ultimately, I placed the iron sword back where it was.

I still feel like I can’t do anything here.

‘If I ask that cat, I’ll just get nonsensical answers…. Should I ask Yeodong-bin later?’

Thinking that made me chuckle to myself.

Will there even be a next time?

Tomorrow, my fate will be decided, and even the existence of my next life seems uncertain.

I shook my head and left the shrine.

I sat idly on the stone pillar at the shrine’s main gate, gazing vacantly at the sky, waiting for time to pass.

I used to do this often.

Living in the countryside, whenever I had a moment to spare, I would watch the sunset with the golden cat and empty my mind. I felt as if the painful times would soon pass….

‘I want to farm with the golden cat.’

When everything is over someday, will that even be possible? No, I’m hoping for the true destruction of the world, so that likely won’t happen.

As I lost myself in thoughts like these, the sunset faded, giving way to night. Sitting there, listening to the sounds of the insects, I felt an emptiness wash over me. Just a little while ago, my companions perished so gruesomely, and yet here I was, experiencing a peaceful day. But even if I spent my time so peacefully, my heart didn’t escape the hell within….

Can I truly have my revenge?

Or can I really deal Gong Sun Xuanwen a blow and move on to the next life?

How much time had passed?

Amidst the swirling thoughts, I suddenly heard Master Mangnyang’s voice.

[Baek Woong. Get up.]

Soon after, I felt myself slowly awakening from my dream.

[Nyarlathotep has invited you to the throne.]

“What….”

What did you just say?!

[Confirm the final result with your own eyes.]

Pa-at!!

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a sight I had been to once before.

“This place.”

A massive dimensional corridor.

I had once entered using summons, but it never felt familiar. As the chaotic colors flowed like rivers, I began to walk slowly, and soon after, I felt a galaxy wash past me like the tide.

Boom….

I could hear the sound of galaxies colliding. With every step I took in this corridor, the galaxies shrank to points, and I felt everything change, like shifting from a lower level to a higher one. I never expected to return to this place, and it left me with a complex feeling.

‘Damn… arriving at the passage to the throne means that… reality has….’

A horrifying premise loomed.

But I forced myself to shake off my thoughts and stepped forward. After all, I had come here to settle matters.

Step

Step

Kugugugu….

As the supergalaxy shrank like grains of sand, a mist began to cloud my sight. I came to realize I had passed the mid-point of this path, and slowly strange beings floated nearby. Every one of them was an [Old Ruler], so I consciously avoided their gazes.

And shortly after.

I came face to face with two figures at the end of the road.

[You’ve come.]

An incredibly beautiful youth radiating a striking contrast of black and white.

A figure adorned in a golden crown and dragon robe.

Knowing their identities, I glared at them with bitterness and spoke.

“Yeah, I’m here. Are you going to tear me apart now?”

[…….]

“Even if you two conspired to erase me, I won’t back down. Even if I’m reborn, I’ll come for you two!!”

I unleashed the Lion’s Roar, but the two beings before me showed no reaction.

‘Huh?’

I sensed something strange in the atmosphere.

The beautiful youth of contrasting colors wore a gentle smile, while Gong Sun Xuanwen, the Emperor, merely crossed his arms in silence, showing no response at all. Between them flowed a vibe that was too alien to be that of companions.

As I processed that odd atmosphere, the black-and-white youth, Nyarlathotep, smiled and said.

“Baek Woong. I thought about what would be the most entertaining and reached a conclusion.”

“What…. What conclusion!”

“Hohoho.”

At his continued words, I felt my pupils dilate.

“You two will fight with martial arts before the throne, and the winner will be granted the power of ascension.”