Chapter 1386
“The Soul of the Evil God.”
As the unexpected massacre by the Evil God commenced, I could feel it from the moment Vishnu’s head went flying and soared through the air. It was a divine attack, striking without any warning, but the critical point was that Vishnu had just been hit by the same lethal blow that he had delivered to Neith moments before.
Why couldn’t he dodge it?
The question of why Vishnu, a deity almost on par with the Three Sovereigns, fell to the Evil God without a fight vanished from my mind. I was only left wondering how such overwhelming differences existed in a battle between gods, and whether the Evil God truly intended to erase everything present here—only those thoughts swirled around in my head like a dream.
[Kuhak!!]
Vishnu’s head suddenly whipped back and attached itself to his body, letting out a strange shriek. Maybe it was because he possessed more power than Neith? Using his regeneration ability, Vishnu quickly summoned his four arms to form two sets of joined hands and began reciting a spell.
Om—!!
This was a well-known mantra from the Tianzhu branch of Buddhism! Originally, the esoteric teachings of Tianzhu were created by the superior god Vishnu, so the mantra uttered by Vishnu himself bore power beyond that of mortals.
In that instant, with a single chant of “Om,” countless spatial distortions appeared around Vishnu, and the Evil God’s body began shimmered with indescribable colors. Having knowledge of divine power, I realized that Vishnu’s counterattack was formidable enough that even ancient immortals couldn’t replicate it with their techniques.
‘That attribute is… creation?!’
It seemed to be an attack designed to decimate the foe, but upon closer inspection via the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, in this one moment Vishnu was randomly generating numerous dimensions around the Evil God. He intertwined those dimensions, increasing their density, seemingly sealing the very space and time around the Evil God as if it were a spiderweb.
Thud!
The Evil God attempted to swing his arm again but paused. It appeared even he couldn’t help but halt momentarily before Vishnu’s overwhelming technique, which bound the opponent with thousands of dimensions simultaneously conjured.
Boom—!!
As Vishnu continued his arm-joining technique, a fierce light emanated from his eyes and the third eye on his forehead. The energy surrounding Vishnu pulsed like a flame, and for a brief moment, the waves of that power spread beyond the intensity unleashed by Shao Hao Jin Tian when he liberated his powers. When I saw that spectacle, I realized what was happening.
‘Vishnu is scraping up every last bit of his latent power to unleash everything!’
Indeed, this was the spirit of “riding the tiger!”
It appeared as a simple tactic, but Vishnu had recognized that if the restraints holding the Evil God were released, he would inevitably lose, so he was pouring all his divine strength and authority into binding him tightly! Despite being a straightforward clash of strength, he managed to firmly ensnare the opponent.
KA-BOOM!
For a moment, a sound like an explosion rang out. Within the utterly darkened scene, transformed like an abyss, the multitude of dimensions created by Vishnu shook as if they were iron chains, as one of the stars in the universe suddenly burst into flames.
“……!!”
Is a star actually going to explode?!
I couldn’t believe it, but it looked all too real. Even though it was a space meant for summoning spirits, I could feel the laws of this space itself shifting. This realm had effectively become a virtual universe, the great cosmos with starlight spilling everywhere. It seemed true that Vishnu’s power could indeed trigger the explosion of stars.
‘Is that the true strength of the ancient god Vishnu…!!’
The Evil God merely stared silently at the chains that bound his body.
Drip… drip…
Having unleashed such tremendous power, tears of blood fell from all of Vishnu’s eyes. He cried out in agony.
[My brother Shiva, escape and seek refuge with Brahma!]
[What?]
Shiva flinched in surprise, as Vishnu lamented.
[You can’t win against him. Form an alliance using the Three Laws for the future…!]
The destroyer god Shiva hesitated for just a moment. But clutching the beads he had recovered from Jeon Wook’s trident earlier, he leaped toward the Evil God.
Boom!
[Such nonsense! Since I’ve got him bound, I’ll take him out for good.]
[No!!]
PAH!
[You bastard!]
[Evil God… brace yourself!]
At that instant, as if looking for an opening, Shao Hao Jin Tian and Shenglong both leaped in simultaneously. The Emperor and the rebels, sworn enemies by nature, formed an unspoken alliance because the Evil God’s presence was far too overpowering—they secretly agreed to eliminate the Evil God before anything else.
As the two wings of Shao Hao Jin Tian spread wide, it felt as if the entire abyss was draped in its feathers. Then, a light of destruction radiated from his eyes like lightning, and Shao Hao Jin Tian unleashed his power.
Shattering Divine Might!
The Silver River of the Western Heavens!
KEE-EEE-EEE!
With a sound akin to scratching an itch, the Evil God was trapped within an immense area bursting with light. The bright energy swirled around, seemingly aiming to slice through the Evil God, creating a gaping wound on his chest.
SHWACK!
I assumed that was just the cutting ability, but soon realized that the rotating light was interspersed with countless pearls of starlight, and my eyes widened in shock.
‘Wait… did he summon the light of the galaxy? Then that twisting power pulling into the center of the Evil God’s body must be…?’
While learning modern astrophysics from Professor Sima Ling in the future Great Bear Empire, I had once heard that at the core of every galaxy, there existed a massive black hole that absorbed everything within its grasp, and I began to dreadfully wonder if the twisted force was indeed such a black hole.
GUGUGUGU!
Yet even while bound by chains, the Evil God remained unaffected by Shao Hao Jin Tian’s attack.
While the Silver River of the Western Heavens’ blade pierced through his chest, it still showed no signs of movement. How could the scale of the Silver River of the Western Heavens, which far exceeded human imagination, be endured like this?
Meanwhile, Shenglong released his powers.
[The winds of the universe are howling…]
A tremendous cosmic typhoon, which had bombarded us during the trials of the Seven Luminaries, erupted and surged towards the Silver River of the Western Heavens. As the two powers merged, the rotating blades of the galaxy intensified, visibly growing stronger. Shenglong had decided to assist Shao Hao Jin Tian, realizing he was stronger.
BAM BAM BA-WAM!
Could it be due to the joint attack of two powerful entities? The Evil God finally showed the slightest flinch. The destroyer God Shiva, getting closer to the Evil God, unleashed his full power, eyes sparkling with blood.
[KRAAAAH!!]
BOOM!
A tremendous barrage of punches!
Countless shadows of punches formed, faster than light, constantly pounding the Evil God with Shiva’s colossal fists and beads. Even masters of the Absolute Realm couldn’t dream of replicating Shiva’s current power and speed. As he began to surpass the speed of light, Shiva unleashed thousands of afterimages while swinging his beads.
CRASH!
Every impact shattered the very time and space around the Evil God like glass, containing immense strength capable of destroying the dimensions created by Vishnu. As I watched the brutal blows, it became evident why he was called the destroyer God.
Splat!
Shiva landed a brutal hit on the Evil God’s jaw, shaking his head. The Evil God momentarily let his jaw drop but quickly returned to a stoic stance. After being mercilessly pummeled by Shiva, he still showed no significant reaction.
‘At this point… doesn’t it seem like we’re winning?’
With four top-tier rulers attacking, including Vishnu, and Shao Hao Jin Tian with his powers unleashed, the Evil God was practically a punching bag. He almost seemed pitiable, only taking hits while bound by chains.
Perhaps that was why? I felt a sense of relief as my anxiety from earlier faded away. I could finally brace myself against the Evil God’s pressure.
But just then, Jeon Wook, who had been standing beside me, spoke up.
[Baek Woong. Hurry and take off my mask.]
“…What?”
Taken aback by the sudden request, I was caught off guard as Jeon Wook continued.
[Quickly. I’ll lend you some power, so just do it.]
WHOOSH!
As Jeon Wook reached out, a powerful clump of energy surged into my body, and I felt a tremendous recovery from the injuries I’d sustained. Although my right arm, having stolen Hong Gyun Do-in’s mask, was still unusable, this was already a significant improvement.
Feeling Jeon Wook’s sincerity, I nodded quickly.
“Yeah, got it!”
With lightning speed, I attempted to use the Technique of All Things to rip off Jeon Wook’s mask. Thankfully, even though Jeon Wook couldn’t speak, he was still helping me, so I soon detected the outlines of the mask beneath my fingertips. I exerted my strength along those outlines, beginning to pull off the mask, which had previously stuck as if glued.
‘Ugh… this is tough…!!’
It was just as hard as removing Shao Hao Jin Tian’s mask! Midway through, I felt a bit stuck, and beads of sweat began forming all over my body, while my throat felt parched. I wanted to give up right then, but I dug deep and forced myself to continue until finally, I removed Jeon Wook’s mask.
POW!
And the moment the mask came off, he began to release tremendous power once again.
[Oh… it feels good to reclaim my strength…]
After briefly reminiscing, Jeon Wook glanced at me and said,
[There’s an odd fellow trying to intrude. Are you perhaps fighting someone from outside?]
“……?”
Odd fellow?
I felt slightly dazed for a moment, but soon realized who he meant, and my expression hardened.
“That seems likely.”
[I will also join the attack. You be on guard, making sure that guy doesn’t get behind you.]
“Understood.”
[Hehe… with my empowerment restored, use the patterns of the apostle actively.]
WHAM!
Jeon Wook immediately dove back into the fray, joining the attack against the Evil God. Unconsciously, I raised my palm, as if ready to respond to Jeon Wook’s words.
WHOOSH…
On my palm, where a mysterious spiritual energy flowed, three patterns were originally inscribed. But now, it seemed one of those patterns had disappeared, leaving two remaining.
‘Did Jeogok disappear as a result?’
And the two remaining patterns had grown larger than when I first saw them, revealing different engravings than before. That was likely the result of both true forms of the Three Sovereigns, Shao Hao and Jeon Wook, unleashing their powers.
“Hmm…”
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t used any of these patterns earlier.
Well of course, since I had no idea what they could do, I didn’t know when to use them. Instead, I initially used the Four Great Spirit Deities. But now that I had obtained the patterns of the apostle, it might be better to use them first instead of draining powers using the Four Great Spirit Deities.
Just as I was mulling this over…
CRACKLE—
“……!!”
For a brief moment, I sensed ominous energy seeping from a corner of time and space. I was the only one in this relatively calm context to notice it, and I realized something was about to emerge from the rift far away. I already had a guess as to who it would be.
‘Alright. It’s probably not my place to meddle in that monster fight…’
Should I settle the score from earlier?
Just as I was about to rush towards the newcomer,
WHOOSH!
“Baek Woong, where are you going?”
“…Nailatop.”
The figure of Nailatop suddenly appeared before me, blocking my path. Anger surged as I recognized his face, but I managed to suppress it and said,
“You think I’m an easy target just because I’m injured?”
“I didn’t say anything like that.”
“If you’re looking for a fight, bring it on. Just know I’ll need to take you down to escape this.”
Gripping my sword with my left hand while letting my right arm hang uselessly, I amplified my power by raising my Qi.
Whether it was Infinite Slash, the Four Great Spirit Deities, or the Patterns of the Apostle, I would use everything at my disposal.
And I would send this mutt crashing down.
Seeing my fighting spirit, Nailatop chuckled and replied,
“The opposite, in fact. Unexpected circumstances have arisen, and I would prefer to ally with you.”
“…What?”
“If this continues, I might be obliterated. In this endlessly repeating world, now I’m touching upon a taboo I’ve always tried to avoid; truly, Baek Woong, this is quite concerning.”
“You’re not talking about…?”
Nailatop glanced behind himself at the temporal rift from which an intruder was attempting to emerge. He directed his gaze back at me and flashed a grin.
“Such minor nuisances aren’t anything to concern yourself with. If you hand over the core of the World Tree, we could escape together.”
“How can I trust your word?”
“Hmm. Then how do you plan to escape? Is there any means to get away from here that doesn’t involve dealing with me or the Evil God?”
“I’ll find a way.”
“……”
At that moment, Nailatop’s expression shifted from calm to a pale shade. He nervously glanced at the Evil God in the distance and urgently said,
“D-Don’t resist anymore. This is truly getting dangerous. I didn’t expect him to rage this much…”
Curious, I turned to glance at the Evil God. I noticed that the grayish hue enveloping his form was suddenly flushing red. Was that change significant?
WHAM!
‘But he’s still taking hits…’
Nonetheless, the Evil God remained bound, persistently getting pummeled by the four “Old Rulers,” which oddly brought me some relief.
“Hmph, don’t be ridiculous! If I die, so be it…”
“Your capabilities might not work. The Evil God is not of the caliber you imagine…”
Nailatop, about to explain something, suddenly changed his expression to one of horror.
“……Huh?!”
He hastily shouted one last word before vanishing.
“Get away while you can.”
PAH!
“……?”
My eyes widened in disbelief as I witnessed Nailatop vanish along with the ship Gaia, bolting away from this space. Was he really that terrified? What had he sensed?
It was at that moment that the Evil God finally stirred.
With a crackling sound, red-hot, lava-like muscles swelled from the Evil God’s right arm. As if his chains had never existed, that arm gradually extended forward, and Vishnu suddenly began screaming.
[KAAAAAAAH… Ugh…. There’s no way….]
CRACK!
I saw the Evil God stealthily grasp one of Vishnu’s tethering chains. Then, with a forceful flick of his wrist, he swung hard.
BOOM!
“……!!”
That was the end of Vishnu, the highest deity and one of the ancient gods of the Divine Temple. His body burst apart like a soap bubble, scattering flesh and blood in every direction.
Having taken out Vishnu without breaking a sweat, the Evil God now turned his attention to Shiva, who was still pounding him with beads.
He suddenly reached out with his left arm and seized Shiva by the throat.
WHUMP!
[KRAAAAH!!]
BAM!
But Shiva, despite being choked, did not give up and continued to strike the Evil God with his beads. It seemed that even the Evil God, regardless of his strength, found it hard to eliminate Shiva instantly. As if considering this, the Evil God glanced downward at the silver rotating sphere tearing apart his chest, suddenly stretching his bat-like wings wide.
WHOOSH!
[WOOOAHHH.]
The wind from the Evil God’s wings pierced through Shenglong, creating round holes in his body. Writhing in agony, Shenglong was thrown towards Shiva, who was still being held by the Evil God.
CRASH!
[Keh!]
The two bodies collided, leaving Shiva bloodied and coughing as Shenglong disappeared entirely. Finally, the Evil God yanked out the Silver River of the Western Heavens embedded in his chest, playfully tossing it around like a toy.
[No…?]
As the embodiment of fate, upon seeing the deactivated Silver River, Shao Hao Jin Tian exclaimed in disbelief. But by that time, the Evil God had already hurled the Silver River back in his direction. Naturally, Shao Hao Jin Tian hastily nullified his power, but the Evil God lashed out with his right arm once more.
SQUIRT!
Like Neith, Shao Hao Jin Tian’s head was severed clean off. Already three of the “Old Rulers” had fallen to that technique. Whatever it was called, it seemed one couldn’t resist once hit.
Now, only the Emperor and Jeon Wook remained standing amid this chaos.
Jeon Wook, who had joined the fight earlier, now looked on in horror from a distance as he stared at the Evil God. He shuddered momentarily before screaming.
[How can this be? A god should have limits unless one escapes the “Cycle”; how can you, Evil God, defy the laws of the universe!]
[…….]
[How can the absence of limits be accepted while bound to the finite law of causality?]
This was no mere anger from powerlessness.
True confusion arose from the source of the Evil God’s strength.
The Evil God did not respond.
Instead, the one who spoke in reply was Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.
[It’s very much possible, Jeon Wook.]
[How can that be?]
[He is fundamentally an authentic harbinger of doom and the protagonist of the end. Though many were unaware, it essentially meant one thing…]
Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s voice echoed like thunder throughout the arena.
[Considering doom is the fate of this world, the harbinger will possess immeasurable power when the end begins. That is the true causality the Evil God was given by the “Father.”]
[……!!]
[Hence, I have never planned to fight him with force from the beginning.]
The unexpected truth brought about a paralyzing silence!
The Evil God, for some reason, appeared to observe the Emperor and Jeon Wook rather than directly attacking them, and Jeon Wook stood silently with his concealed weapon clenched.
[Jeon Wook. It’s time to stop.]
The Emperor spoke gently to him, as if soothing him.
[You long for victory, yet you were never in a position to claim it from the start.]
[…….]
Jeon Wook said nothing.
Then suddenly, after a moment, he muttered.
[Apostle Baek Woong.]
I wasn’t surprised by his calling my name. I instinctively sensed he was prepared for his end. I calmly knelt down, properly gearing myself for what was to come.
“Speak your will.”
[This is now yours.]
WHOOSH!
A massive dark spear Jeon Wook sent flying landed before my eyes. Staring blankly at the spear, Jeon Wook asked,
[Don’t you desire to accept the spear of the defeated?]
“……!!”
I gritted my teeth, all focus directed to the spear. Then I called upon the Patterns of the Apostle with everything I had.
WHOOSH!
As the Patterns of the Apostle activated, I managed to pull the spear out effortlessly, using only one hand.
It was extraordinarily heavy.
Even activated, the power of the blast was insufficient to carry Jeon Wook’s spear properly.
But I strained, feeling as though my muscles were soaked, and rose to say,
“It is an honor to be bestowed the spear of the king!!”
I wasn’t sure why I said that.
If it came down to it, I had no reason to pledge allegiance to that spiteful Jeon Wook, so why did I choose to wield that spear? It wouldn’t matter against monsters like the Emperor or the Evil God.
Yet somehow, it didn’t sit right with me that he would call himself a loser.
[Hmph.]
Jeon Wook merely smiled lightly before charging toward the Evil God.
The Evil God displayed no changes in emotion as before, impaling Jeon Wook’s heart with his hand. It was an overwhelmingly dry and decisive strike.
SPLAT!
With a short sound, the great giant of darkness fell.
It was the passing of Jeon Wook, one of the Three Sovereigns.
I stood there, dumbfounded, mouth agape.
“Ah….”
…if that were the limit, I might have done nothing at all.
CRACK!
Unless the Evil God didn’t stomp down on Jeon Wook’s head afterward.
“……!!”
Great Destruction.
And without realizing it, I leapt into the chaos against the Evil God.
