1364——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Hong Gyun Do-in!

I just remembered what kind of existence he was from my memories.

‘In the past, he was the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master who awakened Fuxi’s mask and went insane, assassinating the previous Master of the Sect and the Primordial Heaven Master, and Taishang Laojun!’

He was also the incarnation of the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master, but in reality, he was the one who kidnapped the soul of Yu Ji, the lover of Xiang Yu, and imprisoned her in the Primordial Palace. I never expected this mastermind of so many conspiracies to suddenly appear before me.

I nervously scrutinized his appearance and stumbled upon an unexpected fact.

‘…He’s quite different from the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master or the Primordial Heaven Master. No, he’s a completely different person!’

A delicate and meticulous good-looking youth. That was the impression I first felt from Hong Gyun Do-in. It was hard to believe that he had such an innocent appearance, like he wouldn’t be able to kill an ant.

It was understandable because I had met the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master and the Primordial Heaven Master, who could essentially be called the same person. The Spirit Treasure Heaven Master was a dignified immortal, while the Primordial Heaven Master was a typical immortal in his own right. The young Hong Gyun Do-in in front of me was entirely different.

Hong Gyun Do-in then said with a strange smile,

“Oh, I thought Lord Jeogok was calling for me, but it seems that’s not the case?”

Hong Gyun Do-in still had his eyes closed. Yet, his tone suggested he could see everything.

Jeogok flinched at Hong Gyun Do-in’s words and retorted.

[I don’t know why you think that.]

“You were the only one who seemed motivated enough to plot a rebellion and seize victory…”

[…….]

“How strange… An ‘impossible’ thing is happening.”

Hong Gyun Do-in mumbled this while tilting his head as if bewildered by his own face. I felt a chill from his words because they carried significant implications.

‘Damn… what is this…’

I didn’t sense any formidable magical power from Hong Gyun Do-in. No, it felt as if there was nothing at all—his presence alone felt utterly absent. The strongest presence in the crowd was undoubtedly the water spirit Xuyou, whose power had awakened; Hong Gyun Do-in’s power could even be considered less than that of an insect.

Yet there was an oddly strong presence.

Being ‘nothing’ made him a vacuum that, paradoxically, seemed to suck in all strength. That presence surely was not something only I could feel.

At that moment, Jeon Wook spoke up.

[You’re an unwelcome guest. I don’t know where you vanished off to only to suddenly show up here, but if you have no cause to remain here, then leave.]

The severe expulsion order.

I thought that was odd. No matter how much Hong Gyun Do-in was an ancient immortal and Fuxi’s disciple, Jeon Wook was the type to not care about such status at all. Considering what he had done to me, it would be more than justified for him to roll up his sleeves and come at me, yet he was asking me to leave so politely?

‘Does Jeon Wook know something about Hong Gyun Do-in?’

While I was sensing the atmosphere, Hong Gyun Do-in chuckled.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”

[What?]

“Looking at it, it seems like everyone prepared together to deal with Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, but that’s not really a concern of mine… I can’t leave this place because you all took off my [mask].”

[…….]

Jeon Wook didn’t question him further. Instead, with his arms crossed, he emitted a chilling killing intent, and I could see black flames flickering around him.

[Are you really saying that you yourself are Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s [mask]? Is it true that Fuxi’s disciple was the incarnation of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen!]

“Oh… You are indeed clever, your Majesty. That is a reasonable guess.”

Hong Gyun Do-in replied and shook his head.

“But that’s not true. I am not his mask. I’m not an incarnation either.”

[Not so?]

“That’s right. A mask is just a mask… Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen only [made a deal] with me; he’s not someone who can give me commands.”

Suddenly, Hong Gyun Do-in’s face turned towards me. Even with his eyes closed, a chilling energy swept through me, as if he were peering deep into my heart. Then, with an amused tone, he said,

“Haha… This is quite fun! A human who can cast the techniques of a [mask] without being a [mask] and can take off the Three Sovereigns’ masks? What exactly are you?”

It seemed that Hong Gyun Do-in already knew I was the one who had revealed the mask. I hesitated about how to respond to him, fumbling for words until I finally said,

“Hong Gyun Do-in. From what I understand, you’ve fought with Daji once. I thought you’d disappeared after that, so why did you suddenly pop up from the mask?”

I had accidentally seen a memory of Daji from this world not long ago. The person Daji encountered was none other than Hong Gyun Do-in right in front of me. The image of Hong Gyun Do-in back then was so unclear that I hadn’t recognized him at first. Yet, now it was clear that Hong Gyun Do-in had indeed been defeated by Daji.

To my surprise, Hong Gyun Do-in replied, “Ah, that was why. I hoped Daji would be strong, but he was so mediocre that I just went to visit the Evil God.”

“……!!”

I was taken aback, and so were the sovereigns present. Especially Jeogok, who spoke to Hong Gyun Do-in in a stiff voice.

[Have you joined forces with the Evil God?]

“Well… I’m not exactly on alliance terms with the Evil God. But he is definitely the most influential figure out there, so I just went to listen to what he had to say.”

[For what purpose?]

Then, Hong Gyun Do-in spoke mysteriously.

“This time, I merely wanted to hear what he intends to do… Hehe.”

What could that possibly mean?

At that moment, the water spirit Xuyou turned his wings towards Hong Gyun Do-in and said,

[I don’t want to hear any more nonsense. Get lost.]

Boom!!

In that moment, ancient marks appeared on Hong Gyun Do-in’s forehead and heart. They looked like letters at times and like pictures at other times, and incredibly intricate patterns seemed to be carved into them. I stared blankly, unsure of what the effect was, while Hong Gyun Do-in, looking quite shocked, exclaimed in astonishment,

“Oh no! To think finding my original power would turn out this way after taking off the [mask]. I never imagined I could handle the nature of Oneness….”

His voice was not feigned; genuine astonishment was evident. Xuyou’s single move was surely no match for Hong Gyun Do-in.

[You’ll only get one warning.]

“……”

Hong Gyun Do-in appeared to be pondering. Then he grinned.

“It might be interesting to ignore a warning given only once.”

Swooosh—

At that moment, Hong Gyun Do-in slowly opened his eyes. When he fully opened his eyes, I was startled by what I saw.

All is One!

It looked like a total chaos with nothing beyond his gaze, and it was as if the very essence of everything was rippling with an incredible density. Naturally, there were no pupils, and Hong Gyun Do-in’s body looked merely like a conduit.

I sensed the existence of a horrifying nightmare world behind Hong Gyun Do-in’s eyes and trembled.

‘What exactly is that thing?’

[You’ve ignored the warning.]

Xuyou didn’t take his eyes off Hong Gyun Do-in. He spoke softly, unleashing a bright gaze of annihilation, as Hong Gyun Do-in’s head and heart suddenly vanished.

Whoosh!

It was as if the void was spreading in a circle, completely erasing the existence known as Hong Gyun Do-in! The ultimate destruction that could not be described by mere physical annihilation or lacerations was sweeping over Hong Gyun Do-in.

“……!!”

Hong Gyun Do-in seemed to want to do something but froze in place, struggling. It seemed he had attempted to block Xuyou’s attack using the gaze of All is One, but it was evident that Xuyou was stronger than he had anticipated, leaving him helpless. His body, consumed by the void, flailed, but the void spread outwards, erasing Hong Gyun Do-in completely.

‘Remarkable how he hasn’t died from that….’

As I witnessed the battle of cosmic beings, I felt both thrilled and horrified. When powers reached such a high dimension, it became challenging to even comprehend the battle.

Jeon Wook marveled at what he saw.

[Truly, it’s a long-awaited power of annihilation. After only being able to use extinction, how does it feel to unleash the essence of annihilation?]

In their conversation, Xuyou replied coldly.

[It feels like fighting with only one arm and now being able to use both. It should’ve been done this way sooner….]

From their dialogue, I realized one significant fact.

‘I see! When Xuyou roamed as the [Old Ruler], he could use both the powers of annihilation and essence. But because he had to wear a mask per Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s wishes, the powers of essence were sealed within that mask…!!’

And I predicted that gaining one more power didn’t merely mean an increase in techniques. It was like unlocking a new higher-level power called the essence of annihilation through the merging of two powers.

Moreover, this meant that the others, such as Jeogok, Yu Shun, and Jeon Wook, could regain powers equal to Xuyou’s when the mask’s seal was lifted.

Indeed, the Three Sovereigns!

No matter how formidable Hong Gyun Do-in might be, he could not possibly overpower them all at once.

It was then that he said,

“I’d love to leave gracefully, but it seems like something quite amusing is about to happen.”

With only his lower jaw remaining after his head had been erased, Hong Gyun Do-in’s mouth moved. He was still smiling as he spoke.

“Regrettably, I have no choice but to stay here and watch.”

At that, Xuyou scoffed.

[You’re already being consumed by the essence of annihilation. No matter how much of an [Old Ruler] you are, after sustaining such a blow from me, you’d have to choose death forcibly—so where do you get off acting so tough?]

“If it’s the God of Chaos, perhaps that’s so.”

Shushushush—

Shush!

Just as Hong Gyun Do-in finished his words, suddenly his entire figure became that of bubbling chaos, transforming into some sort of horrible, greasy liquid that spat and sputtered. The very unpleasant sound of oil popping turned into a grotesque human figure fully vanishing, replaced instead by thousands of eyes appearing in the oily texture, seeming to breathe continuously.

After some time of bubbling and boiling, that greasy liquid morphed back into Hong Gyun Do-in’s form, eyes filled with the ominous gaze of All is One, he stared straight ahead.

[……!!]

“However, as a [mask], I can escape from your powers through crafty methods.”

Unbelievable!

Consumed by the liberated powers of the Three Sovereigns and on the brink of demise, Hong Gyun Do-in unexpectedly revived, shocking not only Xuyou but also Jeon Wook and Jeogok who wore expressions of disbelief.

Xuyou’s eyes glowed intensely as he asked,

[How did you do that?]

“Now, how did I do it, I wonder?”

[You rotten scoundrel….]

As Hong Gyun Do-in taunted, Xuyou invoked the ancient marks above Hong Gyun Do-in’s body again. However, unlike before, this seal did not penetrate Hong Gyun Do-in’s being but seemed to separate like oil and water, preventing any further invasion. Xuyou stared in horror.

[This cannot be.]

“You can no longer harm me. In return, I have synchronized myself, so I can also no longer interfere within this space.”

Hong Gyun Do-in chuckled in response.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered such a situation. The Three Sovereigns are formidable, indeed.”

“……!!”

Just as I thought, that scoundrel was indeed the culprit behind Fuxi’s assassination!

Upon hearing that, the desire for vengeance against Fuxi surged within me, and I tightened my grip around the spirits Agni and Vajra. But I held back the impulse to charge at him with rational thought.

‘Damn! With that monstrous figure who can inexplicably nullify Xuyou’s powers, can my half-baked Six Needs powers even touch him?!’

It seemed using the Four Great Spirit Deities would be essential to inflict any damage on him. Once I considered that, I began to think about how I could utilize the Four Great Spirit Deities.

‘Okay. If I can amplify the power of Six Needs one more time and channel the derived energy into the Four Great Spirit Deities to summon Agni or Vajra….’

If I could crack Hong Gyun Do-in’s defenses with the Four Great Spirit Deities, then the three sovereigns gathered could finish him off.

Buzz buzz

Just as I was gathering power to amplify Six Needs, I suddenly heard a voice resonate in my mind.

[It’s better to wait a bit, Baek Woong.]

I flinched at the voice of Cheon Woo-jin.

‘Wait? That Hong Gyun Do-in is clearly the most wicked mastermind! Shouldn’t we focus our strength to eliminate him first? The three sovereigns are here to help too—when is there a better opportunity…!!’

[…] True. That’s a sound judgment. I increased your intelligence temporarily using computational power, so it is natural to think clearly.]

‘What…’

[Thanks to me making you smarter, you’ve achieved an intelligence level within the top 5% of humanity.]

…….

Cheon Woo-jin’s words were something I half-expected.

…So that was it.

Ever since I met Cheon Woo-jin, things had been clearer, and now, I understood that Cheon Woo-jin was indeed helping me.

And then Cheon Woo-jin continued.

[However, under a broader view, pouring everything into stopping Hong Gyun Do-in now would be a bad hand. It’s too complex for even an intellectually enhanced human to navigate through it just with logical reasoning.]

That sounded absurd….

I thought Cheon Woo-jin was talking nonsense, but I was slightly taken aback by the follow-up.

[By awkwardly boosting your intelligence, I have dulled one of your biggest advantages.]

‘What? My advantage has been dulled?’

[Your instincts as a Reborn Person.]

‘……!!’

[After you became smarter, you’ve managed to achieve above-average results with logic and reasoning, but your ability to act recklessly driven by chaotic instincts has weakened…. This was my mistake.]

‘What’s wrong with that?’

[Do you really not get it?]

Cheon Woo-jin sounded almost regretful.

[You can no longer take the reckless actions that would have normally been avoided due to being overly smart. That outlandish, chaotic element was precisely what pulled you from desperate situations.]

‘…….’

[I never expected it to turn out this way. You’re currently in an unexpected crisis, and it’s highly likely that simply being smart won’t get you through this.]

‘Is it really that dangerous?’

[Based on calculations from advanced artificial intelligence, there’s a 92.9842% chance that you’ll die, primarily because other variables will soon intrude. You need to make a choice before that.]

‘What should I choose?’

Listening to Cheon Woo-jin, I realized I was at a critical juncture for an important decision.

[Will you proceed while remaining smart, or will you give up your intelligence to revive your instincts as a Reborn Person? If you recall the computational power I aided you with, you won’t be able to get support from me for the second time; if I assist again, it might lead to brain death.]

“…….”

[A probability of around 7% means you won’t be completely out of options, so trusting your logic alone could still lead to survival. The choice is yours.]

Would I trust my low probability of survival or my instincts, the intuition from my past life?

I took a moment to contemplate Cheon Woo-jin’s demand and finally spoke.

“I’ll go with the latter.”

[Are you serious?]

“Of course.”

I forced a sardonic smile as I tightened my grip on Xuyou. I felt it was time to rely on strength instead of intellect.

“If I’m facing madmen, I ought to be a bit mad myself, don’t you think?”

[Alright… Once I withdraw the computational power, I won’t be able to converse with you for a while. Just keep that in mind.]

“Got it.”

[I’m off!]

In a flash!

In the next moment, I felt a lightning flash pass through my head, realizing that all the lively associations and logical deductions I possessed until now had vanished. It felt as if I was floundering in darkness after losing my limbs. The sharp reasoning disappeared, leaving only an annoyingly good memory.

It felt like I’d gotten my head flattened under a cart, bumped against a wall a dozen times, and was now lightheaded.

…….

Ah…. Now I understand why geniuses looked at me in frustration… I think I get it now….

While feeling overwhelming self-loathing, I soon realized that the instincts I hadn’t thought of until now surged back to me.

‘Oh! That makes sense! Kind of no reason behind it…’

I immediately acted on my instincts.

“HONG GYUN DO-IN!! YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

I shouted at Hong Gyun Do-in, who was fiercely battling the Three Sovereigns.

“……?”

Not only Hong Gyun Do-in but also the Sovereigns turned their gaze towards me, and I couldn’t help but say something utterly absurd.

“Let’s bet on whether I can steal your mask or not!”

“…….”

Hong Gyun Do-in stared blankly for a moment before seeming flustered, replying,

“Have you lost your mind?”