1313——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I questioned that.

“Lee Hwan?”

“My real name is Lee Hwan-woong, but I don’t really like it since it’s taken from the Dangun Myth. So I enlisted under the alias Lee Hwan.”

“…”

I honestly couldn’t care less whether that was a pseudonym or not…

I was dumbfounded, but the self-proclaimed Lee Hwan, or rather Lee Hwan-woong, smoothly continued.

“Well, now that I’ve let out my hidden secret, can’t we say we’re in a more open relationship?”

This guy is rambling without me even asking him anything…

I replied tersely.

“So you’re saying your name is not Lee Hwan, but Lee Hwan-woong?”

“It’s a secret I haven’t even shared with my superior. That guy thinks I’m Lee Hwan.”

“Damn it. I couldn’t care less about your alias. I heard that the Human Alliance was a group fighting against the Old Ruler; do you happen to know who Ha Eun-cheon is?”

Lee Hwan-woong tilted his head.

“Ha Eun-cheon? Was there someone by that name in the Ha clan?”

“The Ha clan?”

“There’s a martial arts clan that claims to be the descendants of the Three Masters.”

After a moment of thinking, Lee Hwan-woong spoke.

“Sorry, but I don’t know who Ha Eun-cheon is. But if you take me back to my original world, I could ask the Ha clan for you.”

“Hm. Are you implying you’re close to the Ha clan?”

For some reason, Lee Hwan-woong smiled wryly.

“Well, if you want to put it that way, then yes. We have a close connection.”

“…”

I pondered for a bit.

‘If this guy’s name is Lee Hwan-woong and not Ha Eun-cheon, then he’s probably not the Twelve Joules.’

The real reason I took the risk of coming to the Death Sea was to check if the Twelve Joules were here. But instead, I ended up with a somewhat disappointing prospective entry into another world.

But since he said he was close to the Ha clan, he might still be useful in finding Ha Eun-cheon within it. Thinking to that extent, I said.

“Lieutenant Lee Hwan-woong.”

At my call, he flinched.

“…Why suddenly lower your voice?”

“Do you know that we’re in Aokigahara Life Sea, the worst secret realm in existence, and that the last stage here is the Death Sea?”

Lee Hwan-woong shrugged.

“I don’t know? I just came here according to what was in the advanced ship’s manual. I asked the AI of the advanced ship for a place to return to my original world, and it pointed me here.”

“I don’t get that. Are you saying that ship, the Ark, belongs to you?”

“Ark? I have no idea why my master calls his spaceship an ark.”

“Your master built it?”

“Yep. He’s the smartest person in the world.”

Glancing at the wreckage of the advanced ship, Lee Hwan-woong continued.

“The Northeast Asian Liberation Army claims to have created and owns the warship, but my master made everything from scratch. He even gave me one for free.”

I couldn’t help but admire a bit.

“Hmm… Your master seems to be quite an impressive person. Is he at least a peak expert?”

“No. He doesn’t know martial arts at all. Just a scientist.”

After that answer, Lee Hwan-woong crossed his arms.

“Anyway, I’d like to explain the situation a bit more, but this doesn’t seem like a place where that would be easy. I’d rather hear a definite answer on whether you’ll help me.”

“…You’re really brazen, aren’t you? You don’t think I might kill you?”

“I’ve dodged death too many times since I was little; I have a sense for it.”

Lee Hwan-woong pointed a finger at me.

“I can tell you’re a ‘good person’ from my instincts.”

“……”

“The gunshot earlier, I hope you can overlook it since I was just sharing all my knowledge with you.”

“Are you seriously expecting me to overlook that?”

I sighed deeply and replied in a somewhat annoyed tone.

“First, I’ll help you get back to your original world. In return, you must tell me everything you know and also reveal the identity of Ha Eun-cheon from the Twelve Joules. Do you agree to that?”

Despite my urge to just make him talk through force and use the Soul Exchange Technique to extract his internal strength, I didn’t want to approach it that way. After all, he could be the only source of information I gained by braving the Death Sea with my life and the lives of my companions on the line.

“I agree.”

With his answer, I nodded and said.

“Oh, and apologize for shooting me. I can’t let that slide without at least a simple apology.”

“Hmm? Apologize?”

“Were you not going to bother?”

Without hesitation, Lee Hwan-woong made a deep bow.

“I’m sorry! Please spare me this once!”

“……”

“Would you like me to do a full bow too? I learned many court etiquette methods since childhood and know 46 ways to bow.”

I was left scratching my head, almost feeling nauseous.

“…No, that’s fine… You’re more than willing to apologize, aren’t you?”

Lee Hwan-woong seemed to smile.

“In this isolated wilderness, being assisted by a peak expert calls for this level of courtesy.”

“Fine, that settles the hidden grudge.”

I decided to temporarily ally with Lieutenant Lee Hwan-woong. Of course, I could just overpower him and extract the information with the Soul Exchange Technique, but for some reason I felt an instinctual need not to approach it that way.

‘He might be a piece of work, but if he’s willing to apologize, he’s probably not just another Twelve Joules. I can surely gather the information I need once I take him back to Soeul Village.’

He seemed like someone who could possibly become an ally. After collecting my thoughts, I addressed Lee Hwan-woong.

“Just as you said, it’s dangerous to stay still here. Since we can’t repair that advanced ship, let’s escape together from this place.”

“Escape? So there’s no way back to my original world here?”

“Hmm.”

I felt somewhat awkward at Lee Hwan-woong’s question. Glancing around at the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I said.

“I don’t see any exit around here. What should we do?”

As I pondered, Lee Hwan-woong stared at me, then spoke.

“Considering the advanced ship might explode, we should avoid this place for now.”

“Agreed.”

Tydaht

Had I distanced myself about five kilometers with Lee Hwan-woong? After a while, we heard a loud explosion from the wreckage of the advanced ship.

Kwak-kwang

It was quite an impressive explosion, though the light and sound quickly dissipated, vanishing almost immediately. It was as though the brightness itself was consumed by the darkness of the Death Sea. Watching that explosion, Lee Hwan-woong said bitterly.

“Damn it… What will I even tell my master?”

“Lee Hwan-woong, what kind of person is your master?”

“That’s not something we’re intimate enough to dive into just yet. For now, let’s focus on our current state and seek solutions.”

“……”

After dodging my question like a slippery eel, Lee Hwan-woong continued.

“Earlier, how did you know there was no exit?”

“I used the Fire Eye Golden Spirit.”

“Fire Eye Golden Spirit? What’s that?”

“If you observe with eyes possessing supernatural abilities, you can discern any unusual spirit energy or traces nearby, as well as the true nature of demons. But right now this space is filled with darkness; I see no leads at all.”

When I responded, Lee Hwan-woong pondered deeply for a second and then asked.

“You mentioned earlier that this was the Death Sea of Aokigahara. Could you explain a bit more about what this place is?”

“That’s…”

I spoke about what I knew regarding the Death Sea. After a moment of thought, Lee Hwan-woong snapped his fingers and said.

“I see. So that’s why the advanced ship’s AI guided us here. Based on what you said, I must be a being from the ‘Outer Universe,’ and to return, I have to cross the gateway to the Outer Universe through the Death Sea.”

“I think so too. But it’s a bit different from what I heard…”

“I’ve just come up with a way to get out.”

“…Huh?”

At Lee Hwan-woong’s sudden declaration, I turned to him, and he grinned.

“We’re going to find the ‘King of Life Sea.’ Then we’ll negotiate with him to get out of here.”

“Who doesn’t know that? Even with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, there isn’t even a trace of spirit energy visible….”

“Aren’t you close to a powerful divine being known as the ‘Old Ruler’? If so, this entire world should fall under the influence of the King of Life Sea, and perhaps the enormity of that being makes it hard to perceive him with a narrow viewpoint.”

“…….”

Lee Hwan-woong brushed his finger across his philtrum and continued.

“We need a way to observe from the inside out. Is there no method to observe a soul rather than energy? It would be great if there’s a way to see spirits, even if I can’t see the power itself. The advanced ship had soul insight capabilities.”

“Ho… a soul?”

“Right. My master taught me that the ‘Old Ruler’ possesses a tremendously massive soul. If it’s that huge, it should be immediately noticeable.”

At that moment, a singular solution popped into my head.

The Soul Exchange Technique!!

I involuntarily gasped.

‘R… right!! Back when I was in the Outer Universe with the Dharma, I used the Soul Exchange Technique to sense the souls of the ‘Old Ruler’ for sealing them!’

I distinctly remembered how massive the soul of the god was. And now, Lee Hwan-woong pointed out this exact fact. I was astonished that I hadn’t thought of using the Soul Exchange Technique to sense the ‘Old Ruler’ until now.

“Wait a moment.”

I quickly began to recall the essence of the Soul Exchange Technique.

Wooooong

A moment later, as the waves of the Soul Exchange Technique spread out, they visually materialized a massive soul filling the horizon into my mind.

Thump….

Thump….

The pulsating presence was as vivid as that of the god Tezcatlipoca I had encountered before.

‘No doubt. That’s the soul of the King of Life Sea.’

As I contemplated whether divine souls have a similar sensation, I suddenly turned to Lee Hwan-woong.

“How did you figure this out?”

Even with the solution of the Soul Exchange Technique, I had been bogged down by the method of tracking the flow of spirit energy, failing to grasp the reality in this world. While the Fire Eye Golden Spirit easily identifies the flow of energy, recognizing an entity like the divine soul, with its massive and alien substance, is no easy task.

Yet here’s this future soldier piloting a spaceship discerning the reality of the ‘Old Ruler’ right away!

Lee Hwan-woong said.

“I once saw my master separate the divine soul and essence. I remember the theoretical explanation he gave at that moment.”

“What?! He separated the essence and soul?!”

I exclaimed in surprise.

“Could it be that he was able to use the Soul Exchange Technique?”

“Soul Exchange Technique?”

Lee Hwan-woong inquired back, seeming puzzled, then continued.

“I don’t know. After capturing the ‘Old Ruler,’ my master diminished its essence and separated the soul and essence using a centrifuge.”

“……?!”

“I don’t understand the principle of the centrifuge, but he’s a scientist, so I’d imagine he used science.”

“You’d imagine so? Are you saying you don’t know exactly how he did it?”

“I don’t.”

Lee Hwan-woong replied wistfully.

“Even though I’ve been called a genius since I was a kid, I have no idea what kind of scientific knowledge or ideas my master possesses. It’s on a whole different level.”

“……”

“Anyway, that’s not important right now, right? Let’s get on with things.”

“…Right.”

It sounded insane.

‘Separating the essence and soul of the ‘Old Ruler’ with science?!’

I could believe they’d create a spaceship with scientific knowledge, but it was totally absurd to think they’d control the cosmic essence and the flow of time itself, such great beings, all through science. Time and time again, I saw how advanced science would still be mere toys in the hands of these greater existences, so it was frankly bizarre.

What on earth is this Lee Hwan-woong’s ‘master’ like?

‘He doesn’t seem like the type to be lying….’

I calmed myself and refocused on what I had to accomplish.

‘Hmm… If I follow this soul’s flow, I should be able to meet the King of Life Sea. But what will I do when I meet him?’

I hadn’t even joined forces with my companions yet, and the entire Nine Divine Beasts had already entered the Death Sea. If by misfortune I ran into them, I couldn’t even imagine how tangled it would get.

I pondered for a while before speaking to Lee Hwan-woong.

“Lee Hwan-woong. We might be able to reach the King of Life Sea, but from my experiences, whenever the ‘Old Ruler’ grants a wish, there’s always a cost involved. Not to mention, the King of Life Sea is the master of this Death Sea and the guardian of the gateway to the Outer Universe.”

“I’ve heard that too.”

“If you wish to cross to another world through the gate to the Outer Universe, you must be prepared to offer a hefty price. But with the advanced ship wrecked, do you have anything to give?”

“……”

“I’m willing to help you out, but I don’t owe you the courtesy of covering the cost.”

I needed to clarify this before blindly seeking out the King of Life Sea. After a moment of silence, Lee Hwan-woong spoke.

“I’m already prepared to offer something. Let’s just go.”

“What? What kind of price?”

“Something like this.”

Lee Hwan-woong clicked a button on his pocket, and something sprang out from within, as though it was a technology manipulating space to store items.

‘A treasure?’

It looked like several treasures or weapons. As I examined them, I was startled to find one familiar treasure and shouted.

“Is that… Cosmic Fragment?!”

No doubt!

The Cosmic Fragment, a genuine divine weapon on par with the legendary Seven Luminaries, was right in front of me! Lee Hwan-woong’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“What? You know that name?”

“Where did you even get Cosmic Fragment?! It’s a weapon of the Twelve Joules!”

“Hmm. Now that we’re here, should I explain….”

Lee Hwan-woong hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“When I came to my senses, I found myself high up in a giant tree. I was circling the skies preparing for a test flight of the advanced ship, and when I came to, it was… entering this alternate world.”

“Entering another world, huh?”

“While coming down with the advanced ship, I saw a strange room halfway down and decided to step in and search.”

“A strange room halfway down?”

Lee Hwan-woong nodded and then continued.

“I found these treasures in that room. But… Cosmic Fragment… I had a hunch since the characters were engraved on the weapon, but it’s real!”

Huh?

His reaction seemed strangely bitter, so I confusedly asked.

“Do you know something about Cosmic Fragment?”

“No…. Well, um…. The Moonlit Night Sword and those….”

Lee Hwan-woong displayed an unwilling reaction, as if he were dredging up an embarrassing memory. He scratched his head after a moment.

“Ah, I don’t know! Damn it! If you found a setting book that I’d been constructing in my head since middle school right in front of you, what would you think?”

“Uh? A setting book? What do you mean?”

“I thought I might be dreaming or having a nightmare. But it’s so realistically tangible that it clearly isn’t a dream… It just can’t be a dream…”

Lee Hwan-woong started spouting nonsense, seeming confused, then continued.

“Anyway, after acquiring these treasures, I was attacked by three flying sorcerers while I fled in a hurry, and I just came here according to the coordinates marked on the advanced ship. That’s all.”

“Hmm.”

If Lee Hwan-woong’s words were true, that ‘strange room’ he encountered seemed like a place where the Twelve Joules usually gathered their weapons or treasures. I assumed that Cosmic Fragment was typically carried by the Twelve Joules, but now I saw that they likely kept it in that place and used summoning techniques to retrieve it when needed.

I nodded as I pieced together the situation.

“Alright. Let’s go. Whether it works or not, we’ll have to negotiate with the King of Life Sea using that treasure.”

“…Just checking, but do you think we could win if we fought the King of Life Sea?”

“……”

If Heuk Woong’s power and the collective might of the Four Great Spirit Deities were all unleashed, maybe we might have a slim chance of winning. However, my instincts screamed I’d undoubtedly die in the process. It was almost guaranteed the King of Life Sea was a far greater entity than a sea god, and there were mentions of him being from an incredibly distant world, so I was wary about facing him.

I replied to Lee Hwan-woong’s statement.

“Fighting is not a good idea. But if we must fight, we need to win.”

“Huh?”

“Why do you ask?”

Lee Hwan-woong scratched his cheek.

“It sounds a lot like something someone I know would say.”

“Anyway, if you’re ready, shall we go?”

“Let’s go!”

Wooong

I began to walk towards the massive divine soul, guided by the Soul Exchange Technique. Lee Hwan-woong followed behind, and I knew with just a bit of walking, we would reach our destination in about an hour.

‘Damn it. This is nerve-wracking.’

What if I died here?

So I can’t use any techniques hastily…

I casually asked Lee Hwan-woong to ease my nerves.

“Earlier you mentioned the Northeast Asian Liberation Army of the Human Alliance? I heard Ha Eun-cheon is a commander there; do you really not know him?”

“Huh? I asked that earlier too, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. Please answer me. Do you genuinely not know Ha Eun-cheon?”

From the way Lee Hwan-woong spoke of the Human Alliance, I assumed he too might have come from the same Outer Universe as Ha Eun-cheon.

‘Damn it. I need to figure out something about the Twelve Joules no matter what….’

With a sense of urgency in my question, Lee Hwan-woong replied.

“Hmm… I’ve no idea who Ha Eun-cheon is. There’s no commander rank in the Northeast Asian Liberation Army. The entire military is led by Seo Mun-gbaek, who’s the Chairman of the People’s Liberation Army. I was temporarily attached to the People’s Liberation Army after serving in the Balhae 8th Division.”

“……”

“But from what I’ve heard, that name sounds pretty decent.”

It seemed Lee Hwan-woong genuinely didn’t know Ha Eun-cheon well. The fact that there wasn’t even the rank of commander said a lot!

‘Could it be that he’s from a different era than Ha Eun-cheon?’

If the Human Alliance had been intact for several decades, then that could very well be the case. In which case, my questions could be in vain.

I felt a bit disappointed and asked Lee Hwan-woong again.

“You seem like a soldier; who are you fighting against? Are you at war with aliens or something?”

“You got that right. The ‘Old Ruler’ and certain extraterrestrial races began invading, so I’ve been fighting ever since.”

“Sounds like a mess over there too…”

“Well, with my master around, it should be fine.”

“You said master, but do you know the name of this master?”

Lee Hwan-woong paused, and with a somewhat reluctant voice, he responded.

“…You seem to have a lot of questions. Are you going to strip me of everything?”

“After all, you agreed to tell me everything you know.”

“True… sigh….”

Lee Hwan-woong grumbled but then said.

“My master is Professor Nailatop. He’s a great man.”

“Hmm… A Westerner?”

“Yeah, superficially.”

Though hesitating, I didn’t let Lee Hwan-woong’s uneasy tone slip by without further inquiry.

“You seem to have mastered a pretty high-level of martial arts. If you’re at peak expert level, then wouldn’t it mean your master is not just a scientist teaching you martial arts?”

“……”

“It doesn’t seem like Professor Nailatop taught you martial arts, so why refer to him as your master?”

“You seem way too interested in others’ personal lives…”

“Just tell me as promised.”

“Ugh.”

Despite his discomfort, Lee Hwan-woong replied curtly.

“He saved me when all the skilled martial artists got slaughtered by aliens.”

“What?”

“It was quite a hellish experience.”

Lee Hwan-woong muttered in irritation.

“What’s the use of being strong in martial arts? A few orbital bombings from alien mother ships would wipe out entire cities, and if you got hit by chaos lasers, your Protection Energy Technique would be torn apart. In the first place, it was an unwinnable situation, and Professor Nailatop saved everyone.”

“How did he save you?”

“He imparted the true scientific technology to counter chaos. From that point on, martial artists began to hold their own against aliens.”

“Hmm…!!”

“If it were you, who would you choose as your master: a martial artist or a scientist, in such a scenario?”

That kind of scientific technology?

‘Professor Nailatop must be extraordinary…!!’

With my eyes wide open, Lee Hwan-woong smirked.

“Hey. If you’re okay with it, why not come to our world? I’m not sure if this is the past or some utterly different place from where I lived, but I think it’d be great if you’d help me out.”

“I’m afraid not. I have something I need to accomplish.”

“I was just asking.”

By then, we had reached the site where the source of the soul was located.

Woooooong

Woooooong

It was as if hundreds of circular waves were resonating in harmony. Upon arriving here, the dark mountains had completely transformed into light, and in front of us lay a void that seemed to disconnect from the darkness.

And – right ahead, the King of Life Sea was revealing itself.

“Have you come?”

The King of Life Sea spoke as if he had been waiting for us.

Its form resembled what I had heard in legends about Miyamoto Musashi.

In the space of light floated countless gigantic demon beasts like puppets, appearing as though they were goldfish in a low-density water pool. However, each of them was a tier of demon beasts, and the sheer number of thousands was terrifying.

Additionally, at the center of these demon beasts floated the faceless king, resembling a human. Exuding tremendous divinity, I still didn’t feel overly intimidated as I stared at it.

‘He also lacks a face…’

He felt strikingly similar to Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.

The emperor was also a faceless entity but with only the distinction of wearing a ritual object.

What a peculiar characteristic for a faceless being in humanoid form?

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu but was interrupted when the King of Life Sea addressed me.

“My comrades have not yet arrived… Bring them to me.”

Shooosh!

Just as the King of Life Sea finished speaking, Asura, Mangnyang, and Abe no Seimei appeared before me in an instant. They were taken aback by the sudden teleportation and then called out to me.

“Baek Woong!”

“Are you unharmed?!”

“The King of Life Sea….”

Silence.

Suddenly, their figures faded away, and I heard no sound at all. It was as if my companions had been erased, but I remained unfazed and continued to look at the King of Life Sea, who seemed to chuckle at my response.

“Aren’t you easily swayed by pranks?”

“Prank…? Let’s hope that’s the case.”

I clenched my teeth and focused my gaze.

“If you’ve harmed my companions, I’ll kill you and take myself down with you.”

“…….”

“If my companions were excluded from the negotiations, there must be a reason for that. So speak your demands.”

“Excellent… It seems I’ve drawn quite a good hand this time.”

As the King of Life Sea spoke as if pleased, he added.

“It’s better for another guest to come out now.”

Whoosh

In the next moment, the Eight Parts of the Divine appeared at a distance. They all returned to their true forms, the majesty of their six body forms present was truly awe-inspiring.

“……!!”

“What!?”

“So this is the extent of the King of Life Sea?! The ability to transport us at will….”

“The entire Death Sea was his domain, after all.”

Upon seeing this, the Eight Parts of the Divine appeared unsettled, and the composure they had displayed earlier seemed to vanish. My curiosity about why they were in this state rose, but the King of Life Sea looked on at their appearance with amusement and spoke.

“Welcome to the Life Sea, outsiders. I’m absolutely delighted with such warm support.”

With those words, I sensed hell was about to begin.

“Now, shall we commence the auction?”

“`

 

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