---

I was shocked by Zhuge Hyun’s words.

“Well, I suppose that’s possible?”

Could it be that if I met Mangnyang in another form, I might also encounter Zhuge Sa or Sword Demon? Nailatop chuckled and replied.

“I’m in an area I can’t comprehend. I don’t have the ability to measure the karma of the reborn.”

“…….”

Zhuge Hyun stared intently at Nailatop before suddenly turning to me and saying.

“Say, is your name Baek Woong?”

“Indeed, it is.”

“My power is quite weak, but while you’re in this world, could you take me on as a companion?”

“Uh?!”

“I may not look it, but I’ve been a graduate student for five years, so I’m confident in my intellectual abilities.”

Surprised by the unexpected offer, I eventually nodded.

“Alright. Teach me more about this world.”

After all, it wouldn’t be wise to easily let go of someone I had encountered through such extraordinary coincidence, and hearing various pieces of information from someone like Zhuge Hyun, who could be called a native of this world, would be beneficial. Nailatop also smiled and agreed.

“Great. It was tiring to explain everything to Baek Woong in detail anyway.”

“Nailatop, what should we do next?”

“I’ve asked Seo Mun-gbaek to arrange accommodations for you. Just stay there and rest, and I’ll inform you of the next offensive schedule.”

“Got it.”

“See you later, then.”

We finished our conversation and stepped outside, facing Seo Mun-gbaek. He then spoke.

“Thank you so much for saving Guangdong Province. This victory has likely advanced the recovery of Northeast Asia by at least several years.”

“I’m exhausted and just want to rest….”

“Rest well, heroes.”

Vroom

I parted ways with Nailatop and took a military vehicle with Zhuge Hyun to the nearby accommodations. It wasn’t a luxurious place due to wartime conditions, but upon arrival, Zhuge Hyun looked impressed as he beheld the residence.

“This is Xianwei Manor, which was a five-star hotel before the war!”

After being shown to my room, I cleaned off the blood from my body and changed into the prepared clothes. When I stepped outside, I saw a meal provided by the liberation army. After eating a buffet meal and resting in my room for a bit, I heard a knock on the door.

“May I enter?”

“Come in.”

As Zhuge Hyun entered my room, I sat across from him. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I am grateful for your grace. Given your strength, you could have rejected my proposal without a second thought…”

“It’s fine. Judging by what you said earlier, it seems you have a good grasp of the current situation.”

“To some extent.”

“If you don’t mind, could I transfer my memories to you? It would convey my situation more effectively than I could explain in a hundred words.”

“Memories…? Alright.”

I was uncertain whether I had magical power at the moment, but considering I had just used my offering with the name of a demon during the battle with the Celestial Being, I thought I probably didn’t have it now.

Whoosh!

Moments later, as the memories transferred, Zhuge Hyun’s expression became clear and vibrant. He then exclaimed.

“By the heavens! What a ridiculous life record…!! If this were a martial arts novel, it would certainly exceed seventy volumes!!”

“Huh? Are there martial arts novels in this world?”

“…Conversely, unlike this side, the world where martial arts properly flourished had martial arts novels that were quite popular, which is more shocking.”

Muttering something, Zhuge Hyun continued.

“Now I see. That Mangnyang character looks exactly like me. And my thoughts and intelligence are probably nearly identical as well. My tendencies and preferences are almost the same as mine….”

“Is that so?”

“Hmm. Just give me a moment to organize my thoughts.”

After a long silence, Zhuge Hyun finally spoke.

“Baek Woong. Can you promise me one thing? If you do, I will earnestly promise to give you helpful advice in this world, dedicating all I have.”

“What kind of promise?”

Zhuge Hyun’s subsequent words left me stunned.

“With the power of the reborn, grant me the chance to become a god!”

“……?!”

“A simple promise to keep.”

A god?!

I became flustered by the unexpected words and stumbled for a moment before saying.

“When you say ‘god’… do you mean you want to become an [Old Ruler]?”

“You could say I’d be fine with becoming a being like Shennong or the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens from your memories.”

“That’s absurd. How could I possibly help with such a thing?”

“You can do it with ease. I’ve already found the method in your memories.”

“Huh?!”

This was truly surprising. I never would have thought the Zhuge Hyun who looked like Mangnyang would say such a thing?!

I was more curious about why Zhuge Hyun wanted to become a god than about the [method] itself.

“I can’t comprehend. Why do you want to become a god? Is it a desire to be a greater being than humans?”

“…….”

Zhuge Hyun paused for a moment before speaking.

“Imagine if you were to die in the outer universe; wouldn’t the outer universe be dragged into the [Great Cycle] and annihilated?”

“Huh? Naturally, that would be the case.”

Zhuge Hyun shook his head.

“You’ve never clearly observed the results after dying in the outer universe from your memories. The 26th death was while sitting on the [Throne], and in the 27th death, I vanished along with the culmination of True Martial Home. Both deaths couldn’t serve as grounds for the outer universe annihilating with your demise.”

“……?!”

“In other words, even if you die in this world, there’s still a chance that the outer universe could continue to exist. This is advice that only someone like me, who lives in the outer universe, can give.”

“Uh… I… don’t really understand.”

“Anyway, you’re bound to obtain the core of the World Tree after a month, meaning you’ll leave this world, right?”

Zhuge Hyun fixed his gaze directly on me and continued speaking.

“I believe that whether you die in this world or return to your original world, this world will remain. Thus, with your aid as a reborn being, I want to gain the power of a god and make this world a better place!”

“……!!”

“I don’t want to be dragged along by situations; I want to manipulate them. I can no longer bear to witness my hometown’s destruction and my comrades falling to aliens. If I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I will bet on achieving the best output I can!”

“Hmm…!!”

The moment I heard those words, I realized something.

‘The Zhuge Hyun in front of me may look like Mangnyang and share similar traits…but fundamentally, he is a different person. And his situation is completely different from that of Mangnyang. He sincerely desires to become a god.’

Zhuge Hyun is truly different from Mangnyang.

While Mangnyang wanted to possess overwhelming power, he hesitated to become an [Old Ruler] or a spirit god. Mangnyang thought that becoming an Absolute Being was not the path to victory.

Why did such a difference exist?

In a flash, the concept of [Master Mangnyang] crossed my mind. It might not be the only reason, but somehow, I sensed that his existence marked an absolute difference.

After some contemplation, I nodded.

“…Alright. If I can do it, I will make you, Zhuge Hyun, a god.”

I’d never made anyone a god, but why not give it a try!

Zhuge Hyun then exclaimed with uncontainable joy.

“Thank you so much!”

“Tell me how to become a god. Let’s give it a shot.”

“Ah, that’s not something I can easily do straight away, so let’s hold off for now. I’m a loyal graduate student, so I’ll first provide you with valuable advice. That would be the right exchange.”

“Is that really okay?”

“I’m in a position far below you. You just need to evaluate whether my advice will be helpful to you.”

Waving his hand in a casual manner, Zhuge Hyun said.

“First piece of advice. Nailatop is hiding something.”

“Huh?! I knew that jerk was hiding something, but what exactly?”

“According to your memories, in order for mortals to cross into the outer universe, advanced technology alongside the fruit of good and evil is required. However, it seems that if you ride the ship Gaia, you can almost infinitely traverse the outer universe. This raises doubts about the logic behind it.”

“If we need to doubt it…?”

“Something is amiss. Despite being someone who has reached the ultimate heights of science, traversing such a vast spacetime as the outer universe without any cost doesn’t align with what your memories suggest. And that secret is likely related to your fervent pursuit of the World Tree.”

“……!!”

“While Mangnyang might have avoided hinting at this, fearing you might show your suspicion, I reckon you’re quite skilled in acting, so just be mindful.”

“Uhm. Got it.”

I immediately grasped what he meant. Nailatop wasn’t helping me out of pure goodwill; he definitely had some agenda! And his advice was to be wary of that fact without showing any signs in front of Nailatop.

“Second piece of advice. While subduing aliens, you must also find a specific person and also a certain world.”

“A person? A world?”

Zhuge Hyun gulped down the apple juice on the table and continued.

“Dr. Faust. And the Celestial Realm. You need to find them all within a month.”

“Dr. Faust… the Celestial Realm… why are those important?”

“Did you not feel something odd when you entered this world? Compared to your world, humanity is woefully inferior to aliens, and yet the Celestial Realm is nowhere to be found.”

“Aah!”

“If only the Overlay Technique had participated, some semblance of the nation would still remain.”

Now that he mentioned it, I hadn’t thought about the Celestial Realm at all!

As I displayed a realization prompted by Zhuge Hyun’s words, he added.

“I didn’t know anything about the Celestial Realm until I viewed your memories. But if there’s this level of similarity between your world and mine, then the Celestial Realm must’ve existed. And if it did exist, it’s worth investigating why it hasn’t helped humanity. Understanding the existence of the Celestial Realm would connect to finding the Three Sovereigns.”

“Hmm…. That makes sense. Should I look for the Heavenly Altar?”

“Nailatop said he’d support space travel, so ask him to transport you to five Heavenly Altars. No need to waste physical strength and time unnecessarily when moving, even if divine techniques are quick.”

“I’ll do just that.”

“Also, Dr. Faust has a compelling reason for you to find him.”

Zhuge Hyun’s eyes lit up.

“According to your memories, aside from Nailatop, he is the only one who can figure out how to traverse the outer universe using the power of the World Tree alongside advanced AI. If there happens to be a Dr. Faust in this world like in yours…. You won’t need to depend on Nailatop to find a way back to your original world.”

“……!! That makes sense!”

“And actually, Dr. Faust is someone I’ve heard of before. It shouldn’t be terribly difficult to find him.”

I was taken aback by that statement.

“You’ve heard the name Dr. Faust?! Really?”

“Indeed. While we aren’t personally acquainted, he is extremely famous.”

Zhuge Hyun replied with a sardonic smile.

“He’s Germany’s top engineering genius and widely known as the greatest mind of this era. It would be disrespectful for a graduate student like me from the East to even mention him.”

“Germany…!! Then I should look for him in the German academic field.”

“…That would be unrealistic.”

“Why?”

“Germany has already been destroyed by aliens, and more than half of the Western European territories, including Germany, have been consumed by these extraterrestrial beings. The academic field as a whole is no longer in existence….”

“…….”

It was a reality that seemed far more harrowing than anticipated. Zhuge Hyun stated.

“It would be better to ask Seo Mun-gbaek, whom you met earlier, for help in finding Dr. Faust. If he’s the supreme commander of the last resistance force in the Ancient Middle Kingdom, he may be able to help locate him.”

“Th-thank you. I have no idea what to do in a world where I’m completely lost, but here you are offering advice.”

“It’s nothing. If I can ascend to the ranks of divinity through your help, I would be willing to do anything.”

With a grin, Zhuge Hyun continued.

“Let’s move right away. It’d benefit us to start acting before Dr. Faust requests an offensive order.”

As per Zhuge Hyun’s words, I dashed out of the accommodations and went to find Commander Seo Mun-gbaek again. Seo Mun-gbaek appeared taken aback as he was about to head home since it was late.

“Baek Woong. What brings you here?”

“Seo Mun-gbaek, I have a request. Could you help me find a scholar named Faust?”

“Uhm…!! Why are you looking for him?”

“I’ve heard he possesses technologies that could significantly aid in the war against aliens. We need to find him quickly before it’s too late.”

As I gave him vague reasons, Seo Mun-gbaek nodded vigorously, appearing convinced.

“Dr. Faust should be at the headquarters of the Human Alliance. I’ve seen him sitting next to the commander during the last video conference of the resistance.”

“……!!”

Truly as Zhuge Hyun said!

Seo Mun-gbaek knows!

Feeling pleased that things seemed to be progressing smoothly, I expressed my gratitude to Seo Mun-gbaek.

“So, all I need to do is go where the commander of the Human Alliance is? Where is that?”

“In Antarctica.”

“In Antarctica?! Why would such a barren place be the headquarters….”

“For us, it’s barren enough to be hard for aliens to invade.”

“That makes sense….”

“Despite having fought so fiercely today, not being able to rest is rather incredible… How about you take the night off and go tomorrow?”

I shook my head at Seo Mun-gbaek’s concern.

“I can’t waste time. If I do, my comrades might be injured, and I need to do something.”

“…Is that so? I can feel your urgency. Then I will tell the commander that you will be arriving shortly.”

Beep

Seo Mun-gbaek switched on his computer and seemed to be writing something, then handed me a recommendation letter of sorts.

“Show this, and you should be able to meet him right away.”

“Thank you.”

Just as the conversation wrapped up, I immediately called for Nailatop to use space travel, but then suddenly paused. I turned to Seo Mun-gbaek and asked.

“…Do you really not know Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong?”

“…….”

“Something feels off. I brushed it off earlier, but you seem to be lying for some reason.”

This instinct came from years of honing the art of disguise and acting. I strongly sensed that Seo Mun-gbaek was hiding something. With a downcast expression, Seo Mun-gbaek spoke.

“I don’t know what you are, but you seem to know about the shameful secrets of our clan….”

“You really do know about Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong.”

“Ugh. What exactly do you want to know that deeply?”

“Whether you believe it or not, I’m a person from the past. From the era when Seo Mun-dae-ryong still existed.”

At my declaration, Seo Mun-gbaek widened his eyes in shock.

“Wha… what?!”

I decided to calmly tell a lie.

“I’m just a traveler who has unexpectedly time traveled. And when I last saw Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong, he was a magnificent martial arts master, and I became curious because we have the same surname. How could you say he is a disgrace?”

Is there really any difference?

Their histories seem nearly the same, so Seo Mun-gbaek wouldn’t have a way to know the truth.

As I replied playfully, Seo Mun-gbaek looked blank for a moment, then wore a resigned expression.

“…If Nailatop brought you, that could indeed be the case.”

“You’re willing to believe me?”

“Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong. That person could not possibly be a disgrace to our Seo Mun clan.”

Seo Mun-gbaek clenched his jaw for a moment, then spat his words out.

“After losing his daughter, he became a demon, the Mad Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong, obliterating eight-tenths of the entire martial arts world. If you really are from the past, then it stands to reason you’d feel ashamed for having been his comrade!!”