1273——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I said to Izanagi no Mikoto,

“How about the names of these two [spiders]?”

I raised my arm high above the altar, and Izanagi no Mikoto paused as if contemplating the names before replying.

[They’re ancient illusionary beasts… that’s not enough.]

“What? You’re saying two aren’t enough?”

[Of course… it’s insufficient to dissolve the seal set by the Three Sovereigns….]

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

[……]

After a moment of silence, Izanagi no Mikoto said,

[The one who made this proposal… seems to not grasp the significance of it. Your suggestion was to weaken the seal of the Three Sovereigns binding me in exchange for the [name] you would offer as a tribute, and in return, I’d grant you benefits under a contractual relationship. Naturally, two spiders can’t even touch the causal level of the seal set upon me by the Three Sovereigns….]

“Ah… Is that so?”

[If you’re not trying to mock me, choose your words with care….]

I felt a bit flustered by the unexpectedly logical words of Izanagi no Mikoto. It seemed my instinctive suggestion had been misinterpreted with hidden meanings. Also, a contract involving [name] can’t be taken lightly even by a god, so Izanagi no Mikoto now felt more composed than arrogant.

If I had thought it over more calmly, I wouldn’t have been this flustered.

‘Ugh. I guess I’m anxious because I missed out on the Phoenix Fragment….’

I took a deep breath and decided to get my mental strength in order.

“Phew… Just a moment….”

This was my first attempt to negotiate with the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign. I needed to be more composed.

‘Okay. Let’s organize my thoughts.’

I took a moment to collect my thoughts and then said to Izanagi no Mikoto,

“Izanagi, no, I’ll call you Izanagi informally.”

[Call me as you wish… it’s just your human language anyway….]

“Right now, it’s not difficult for me to extract your sealed body and subdue it. However, I would prefer to sort everything out smoothly. After all, this world is currently clouded in chaos with no distinction between friend and foe, so wouldn’t it be more important to build relationships based on mutual benefits?”

Izanagi then chuckled mockingly.

[Heh heh… You want to say you’re showing restraint by not just overpowering my physical form? If that’s the case, I won’t join the negotiation, so do as you please with my body, whether you fight or roast it.]

“……”

[After all, even if my empty body’s wiped out, I’m still the [Old Ruler]… it’ll take time, but I will rise again…. Don’t think to threaten me with the mere loss of my physical form.]

As expected? Izanagi didn’t seem at all intimidated or discouraged by the fact that I had the upper hand in power. That’s because his body and spirit had been separated for a long time, and a soulless body was merely a consumable for a god.

So, I waved my hands and said to Izanagi,

“I’m not trying to threaten you. I’m just saying that I’m putting aside the easy path for the moment to take the route of teaming up with you. I’m considering a bit of sacrifice here, so you should also show some compromise, which would ultimately be beneficial for you after you’re freed from the seal.”

[Oh…? Are you saying you’ll free me from the seal?]

“I know your spirit is sealed on the moon right now. If you agree to a contract with me and assist me, I could help weaken that seal. However, you’d have to promise not to harm the human world.”

Given that there were gods and demon kings running rampant in this world, if I could make Izanagi an ally while ensuring no harm came to humans, then I thought it wouldn’t be an issue to release the seal.

[……]

Izanagi seemed to ponder for a moment before saying,

[Baek Woong… by simply yearning towards the altar, you’ve managed to speak to my spirit sealed on the moon… So you must be someone recognized by the Great Chaos… worthy of a considerable standing…. You may be human, but you’re not a trivial existence! Therefore, I will positively consider your proposal as a god.]

“Huh?”

What does that mean? What’s so special about this conversation?

As I pondered in confusion, Izanagi continued,

[I’ll try not to be too greedy…. But it’s true that offering just two spiders isn’t nearly the outcome you mentioned…. So, offer something appropriate.]

“Hmm.”

I sensed that my counterpart was willing to communicate. And frankly, attempting to negotiate with Izanagi using the names of two spiders seemed like too little. I paused briefly to think.

‘How many [names] do I have, anyway…?’

I glanced at my arm. Slowly, I perused my list of names.

Wee woo

[ ????? ]

[ ??? ]

[ * ]

[ @@@ ]

[ @@@ ]

[ @@ ]

[ Powerful, strong in physicality, and extremely fast ancient spider ]

[ Cunning and kind sneak expert ancient spider ]

[ Good^ #Bad ]

[ You Shin (有信) ]

[ Hang-a ]

[ Heuk Woong ]

[ Adam Cadmon ]

[ Dracula ]

[ Saitan ]

[ Golden One ]

…What? That’s more than I thought, but something feels off!

I was taken aback by this unexpected realization. I had never looked closely before, but now it was a curious list.

‘Three names I can’t read… and three names whose meanings I don’t understand.’

The first group made me feel like my brain refused to recognize those names, no matter how I tried to read them. The second group was simply beyond my capacity to decode, but I felt I could somehow interpret them later.

However, one of the names among the ‘names I can’t read’ bore a different vibe from the other two. While the others had mysterious energy, this one felt more artificial.

‘And that name… I can read a little bit… Hmm… I feel like I know what it is, but it somehow doesn’t feel like mine right now.’

One partially discernible name caught my eye, but it seemed like one I couldn’t use at present. I had an inkling about why that was.

Then there were those three names and those three names.

They must have some special meaning. Could I unlock them later?

Moreover, surprisingly, the name of the Portrait Immortal ‘You Shin,’ whom I had named, was tied to me.

‘Does naming someone bind them to me? Although Hang-a is here, so it makes sense.’

Another oddity was that a name I expected to be on my arm wasn’t there.

‘Why isn’t Hinokagutsuchi here?’

This felt suspicious. The elemental spirit Hinokagutsuchi, who I’d recently contracted with as one of Susanoo’s subordinates, wasn’t etched on my arm either.

Why the heck does this phenomenon exist?

What’s the criteria?

As I stood there perplexed, Izanagi spoke up.

[If you name any decent ones, I’ll differentiate the value among them….]

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Slowly, I opened my mouth.

“Hang-a, Adam Cadmon, Saitan.”

Setting aside rank, if there’s a name I wouldn’t feel guilty offering, it’d be those. Heuk Woong, Dracula, and Golden One were too dear to me to part with.

[……]

After a moment, Izanagi finally said,

[I’d like Hang-a and Saitan….]

I furrowed my brow at his request.

“Why two? And sure, Hang-a is fine, but I know Saitan is powerful too. Isn’t that too greedy?”

So he was lying about not being greedy, huh!

As I got irritated, Izanagi flinched and said,

[What will you do, then….]

“Hang-a and two spiders.”

[No…. That’s too small. It’s insufficient….]

“Oh come on, stop whining! Ugh.”

I grumbled before putting my thinking cap back on and proposed an additional offer.

“One spider and Adam Cadmon. How about that?”

[……]

“I think Adam Cadmon is a tier above Hang-a.”

[Hmm…. I’ll think about it….]

Moments later, Izanagi responded as if he had understood.

[Alright. Let’s go with that.]

“So, is the name contract finalized?”

[Indeed…. I shall commence the main contract now.]

“Also, make sure you promise not to harm the human world even if you awaken.”

[…Understood.]

Izanagi began to recite the incantation.

[I, the [Old Ruler] Izanagi no Mikoto, hereby enter a transfer contract of names with Baek Woong, witnessed by the great [Father] in this transient daydream…. Thus accepting the names [Adam Cadmon] and [Cunning and Kind Sneak Expert Ancient Spider] to strengthen my name… and shall agree for the Guardian to take possession of the Moon Sovereign. Furthermore, even if awakened, I shall not harm the human world as long as it does not pose a threat to me…. This shall not violate the seal of the Three Sovereigns.]

Zoom zoom zoom

After a moment, I saw two names faintly rising from my forearm, merging into the altar beneath Izanagi like flowing water. I soon felt Izanagi contact me mentally, sounding quite satisfied.

[Very satisfying… Heh heh… You’re quite the cunning one, aren’t you.]

“Huh?”

[The Three Sovereigns attached a clause to use my body to prevent the backlash of causal law, saying… “If the Guardian permits, the acquisition of the Moon Sovereign will not be interfered with.”]

“……!!”

[Cunning little rats… They’re aware that a mindless body cannot do such approvals, yet still soldier on…. But you excellently pinpointed the loophole in that contract.]

Izanagi’s maniacal laughter echoed within my mind.

[Ha ha ha…!!]

I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision. I did manage to make him promise not to harm the human world, but could I really trust the embodiment of evil, [Old Ruler] Izanagi no Mikoto, to keep that promise?

But for now, it was true that I’d temporarily collaborated with Izanagi.

To keep the Moon Sovereign under my control, I would need to use this partnership for a while.

‘If all else fails, I can just kill him before he regains his power….’

I decided to think positively and grinned.

“Let’s get along well from now on.”

Feeling relieved, I was about to leave with the Moon Sovereign when suddenly—

Whoosh!!

“……!!”

A powerful barrier went up around me! This magic barrier hindered my movements. When I glanced at the ruins entrance, two monks were casting spells there.

Knowing who they were, I muttered,

“Hyujeong and Youjeong?”

The two high monks stationed here to monitor the ruins of the Moon Sovereign! Their magical powers were above that of top sorcerers, and Youjeong, in particular, seemed like a genius in sorcery. Holding the staff, Hyujeong shouted.

“A loud explosion resonated, and I came to check, only to unintentionally see you engaged in a [name] contract….”

“……”

“To directly exchange names with the sinister ancient god believed to exist beneath this altar… You must indeed be a being of [evil] not permissible for humans. Such things are beyond mere humans…. You are undoubtedly… a figure from the underworld.”

“So what?”

“I, Hyujeong, and my disciple Youjeong will seal you at the cost of our lives.”

Seeing that determined look in the monks’ eyes made me feel bitter.

‘Damn it… just trying to live quietly has me getting entangled everywhere. It’s a far cry from charging straight toward my goal….’

If I were to tell them about the contract and that I’d cautioned Izanagi not to harm humans, they wouldn’t believe me at all. It’d be hard for them to accept that a mere human could place a such contract upon an ancient evil god. That was a common knowledge perspective anyway.

Still, it would be better to talk this out first.

“Wait a moment, listen to me. It’s not like that….”

But just as I was about to explain, a suddenly booming sound erupted from the depths of the ruins, followed by massive tentacle-like tree branches bursting forth.

Swish!

Swish!!

Crash!

“Ugh.”

“This can’t be.”

In an instant, the tree branches encircled me, shattering the barrier cast by the two monks, and they recoiled in shock. A chilling voice echoed in the hall.

[You dare to lay a finger on one who has contracted with me, a mere human….]

I shouted in disbelief.

“Izanagi!! You can control your sealed body?!”

This was truly an unexpected turn of events!

[Heh heh… I can only move within here, but thanks to the [name] you gave, I’ve gained control over my sealed body…. Even though the seal hasn’t been broken yet…. Thank you very much.]

Izanagi, smiling smugly, continued.

[I’ll suck the magic power right out of you guys and recover even more.]

Whoosh whoosh whoosh

Suddenly, dozens of tentacle pillars arose. Hyujeong and Youjeong, attempting to protect themselves from those pillars with talismans, were met with a heavy sound as the barrier was broken.

Crash!

“Gah!”

“Too strong, Master…!!”

Whoosh whoosh whoosh

If Izanagi had regained more strength than before, he quickly pushed the two high monks to the brink of death. His tentacles seemed to tear through human magical defenses as easily as cutting through paper. Despite them being some of the best sorcerers in their field, seeing them so powerless jolted me awake.

‘Damn it!! I was mistaken!!’

Even if Izanagi was weakened, confronting him was still not in the realm of a mere human. The idea that I could defeat him was a delusion.

‘Only I felt this way! Ordinary humans… no matter how outstanding they might be, are no more than bugs in the eyes of a god!’

But that was merely my standard gained over my thirty lifetimes, battling countless cosmic beings and witnessing scary monsters like the Three Sovereigns and Evil Gods. By the standard of gods, even a sealed god should have little trouble shattering the human world.

This couldn’t be good.

While not now, he would undoubtedly become a future hassle.

‘Despite being a failure, [Old Ruler] Izanagi is not a foe I can control!!’

I needed to admit my mistake now and cancel the contract!

“I, Baek Woong, cancel the contract made with you!! Just return the Moon Sovereign, and give me the [name] back, Izanagi!”

[Hee hee hee… What? You’re going to void the contract because of that little human? How ridiculous….]

With his mocking laughter, Izanagi continued.

[That’s impossible…. I haven’t violated the contract, so how could I allow you to rescind? To attempt such would lead you to feel the backlash of causal law. The fate of the Moon Sovereign is now in our hands!’]

“Gah….”

[You little humans… and that too, trying to show mercy to the very humans who sought to seal and kill you? You, too, deserve to belong among the great beings…. Don’t pay mind to the insects….]

Izanagi said this in a voice resembling one soothing a child, but it made me irate, prompting me to shout,

“Nowhere in the contract does it say I can’t kill you! I’m warning you, Izanagi, stop this!”

[Heh heh… That won’t be easy…. And go on, try to kill me…. The transfer of names is already complete, so I’ll recover even faster…. Ha ha ha…!]

“Are you really not going to give up?!”

[Hahaha….]

In that moment, a peculiar will engulfed my mind, as dark as darkness itself. A boundless cosmos suddenly unfolded in my brain.

Do you truly wish to void the contract?

It felt as if that will was checking my final intent.

‘This jerk is toying with me…’

Feeling my frustration rise further, I spat,

“Fine! I will cancel! Go on, let’s see what happens….”

Just as I clenched my teeth and summoned my immortal sword, ready to shatter Izanagi’s body lying beneath me—

Ding ding ding

Suddenly, familiar characters leapt from the altar, swiftly embedding themselves back into my arm as they burned.

Zzzzt

“Gah!”

I bit my lip, feeling the pain like a branding iron as the searing anguish passed, revealing the names from the earlier trade with Izanagi now etched on my arm again.

‘Huh?’

So this is how I get them back?

While I stood there dazed, Izanagi exclaimed,

[What… what?! How can I… face the backlash too?!]

Whoosh

As if yielding to his lack of understanding, a massive storm erupted from underground. It sounded like Izanagi was suffering a direct blow to the body, with horrid bursting sounds echoing continuously, accompanied by a cry of agony.

[Ughhh!! This can’t be!! I haven’t violated the contract yet!! Omniscient One, Great Library of the Universe!! Such backlash is nonsense…!! Do you think being sealed means I don’t know the laws of the universe?!!]

Izanagi’s voice echoed desperately, crying for help, but soon morphed into a dazed mumble.

[…Daydream…. That… that invocation…? Unlike others, only that guy… is it possibly….]

A moment later, I heard Izanagi’s last gasp.

[Kuuaaaaa!!]

Whoosh

In an instant, all of the tentacle pillars wilted and crumbled into dust, as quietude reigned in the surroundings. The two monks, who had been on the verge of perishing, collapsed in the distance, unconscious.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh

Whoosh

A moment later, thick fog erupted from beneath the altar. It was dense with a sinister aura, and I could sense it coalescing and wandering around as if searching for direction.

“……”

With a hopeful heart, I lifted my arm. Just as I expected, a massive fog darted at me like a small arrow, embedding itself directly in my arm.

Bang

“Ugh.”

As anticipated, it smarted. I endured the pain, looked at my arm again, and, of course, I confirmed my expectations were right.

[Izanagi no Mikoto]

One name had been added to my forearm, struck there by the arrow of fog.

“This can’t be….”

I blinked in disbelief, hardly able to process it.

I hadn’t understood, but somehow, I managed to unilaterally void the contract I had with Izanagi, causing him to suffer the backlash of causal law, which resulted in that name becoming mine now.

How on earth did this happen?

“…Damn it, I have no idea!! Regardless, I need to clean up and get out of here!”

But having faced extraordinary situations this many times in my life, I quickly gathered my wits and decided to prioritize what needed doing.

‘No one is going to do my work for me just because I’m flustered!’

I filled Hyujeong and Youjeong, who were unconscious, with internal power to drive away Izanagi’s demonic influence that had been consuming them. Then, I cast the Soul Exchange Technique on them to muddle their memories of what just happened.

‘Memory manipulation might be tough since my Soul Exchange Technique is lacking, but they probably won’t distinctly remember my face or name.’

I could shake up their memories like someone who had just been super drunk. After casting the technique, I took them outside the ruins and laid them back where they originally dwelled. Then, I exited the fortified mountain.

As I was flying toward the village, I glanced at the Moon Sovereign Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword in my hand and mumbled,

“Damn… what a mess….”

So now, Izanagi had been wiped out, which meant that it turned out I had overpowered him, right? If it continued like this, I felt like the Heavenly Realm interference I had worried about could come barging in at any moment.

‘Please… let nothing happen….’

Upon reaching the village, I spent days anxiously waiting, restless with worry. It felt like the Eight Immortals would arrive from the Heavenly Realm, and Yeodong-bin would confront me with swords drawn! My overwrought worries were probably obvious, as Mangnyang asked with concern,

“Why are you acting so flustered? Did something happen outside?”

Ah, if only I could consult with Mangnyang… the one who knows everything…!

With desperation, I opened my mouth.

“Ah… uh, um, that’s… obsidian… I’ll receive….”

“Huh?”

“N-no!!”

I quickly swallowed the words that had nearly escaped my throat. Even offering Mangnyang obsidian was risky and could cause him distress knowing too much. I didn’t want to admit yet that my blissful life in Soeul Village had failed.

More than a month soon slipped by.

Sitting idly in the grand hall of the village chief’s house, Mangnyang finally came to me with a serious expression.

“Village Chief. Looking at you reminds me of the saying ‘worries are for nothing.’”

“Huh?”

“Are you worried that the sky might fall and crush you? Ha ha ha.”

“…I was concerned that the Eight Immortals from the Heavenly Realm might come and cause a ruckus, or that the Demon King might show up and unleash the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique.”

“……”

Mangnyang’s face slightly paled as he sighed.

“Your jokes often sound less like jokes, which is strange. Anyway, there seems to be no such occurrences, so just carry on as usual.”

“Hmm.”

“I can’t fathom your worries, but according to my reports, the world remains peaceful. So, stop worrying.”

“Ah, I understand.”

I felt somewhat reassured by Mangnyang’s words. From that day onward, I intended to delve back into my training with the Thunder God lineage. However, the very next day, a surprising individual came to visit.

Plop

A strikingly handsome young man prostrated himself on the ground, his entire body built from battle-forged muscles and clad in black. In a solemn tone, he spoke as he knelt, seemingly prepared for his demise.

“Master of the Eight Demons!”

The following words allowed me to forget my worries about the Heavenly Realm.

“By your command, the Guardian of the Black Night has arrived. You may kill me or spare me, as you please.”

“……”

Oh ho….

A sly smile crept across my face as I spoke.

“Listen… you’re probably going to be in pain.”

“Yes.”

I could genuinely understand what it feels like to forget troubles through the joy of teasing.

“I’m someone who repays as I’m given…. “

“I hold no grudge against the noble one.”

“Oh, I see… At least right now, you think you don’t.”

“……?”

The Guardian, looking puzzled by my cryptic words, I hoisted him up with a grin.

“Welcome to Soeul Village, Assassination Squad Leader.”

I remember you well from the two times I killed you, buddy!