1370-1387

“What the hell!”

The moment the Evil God pointed at me and declared me a Reborn Person, I felt something was seriously wrong. A chill crawled down my spine as I recalled what Nailatop had just said.

[“Your abilities may not work. The Evil God isn’t operating at the level you think…”]

No way?!

I hesitated, but my anxious gaze landed on the horrific corpse of Jeon Wook.

‘Ugh.’

Suddenly, a wave of frustration bubbled up inside me, extinguishing the chill. It seemed that my fear was overridden by the disgust I felt at seeing Jeon Wook brutally murdered.

Having regained a little calm, I glared at the Evil God and shouted, “What do you want?! Stop spouting nonsense and kill me if you have to!”

I realized that my last remaining shred of dignity was to put up a final resistance, refusing to acknowledge my fate. No matter how much I struggled, my strength was nothing but a bug to the Evil God, so resistance was meaningless.

“Damn it… I can’t just go down without a fight!”

Before the power of Great Destruction ran out, I would use the Four Great Spirit Deities and try something, anything!

[….]

As I desperately thought of my last resort, the Evil God suddenly raised one of his hands and adopted a posture as if grabbing at the air. Soon, a tablet was summoned into his grasp.

GooOOO.

The tablet emitted an ominous sound as if it were alive. I wanted to see what was written on it, but it was unclear. After a moment, the Evil God stared at the tablet and spoke.

[“Child of the Spellbound. Have you achieved magnificent feats with that feeble power? And thus, acquired the non-aggression principle from me?”]

“?”

[“A feeble light… Is someone seeking the eternal path of Purgatory…?”]

I froze.

The Evil God’s unexpected words made me confused about what he was saying.

Kugugugu.

The Evil God’s body seemed to morph like liquid. As it vibrated, the corpses of the rulers scattered around the vicinity shrank into grains of rice and began to disintegrate into dust. During the process of their destruction, the Evil God’s body also scattered like it had no form, as if wisps of smoke drifted away.

‘…What the hell is he trying to do?’

I couldn’t understand. What was the Evil God up to after unleashing such carnage?

Huuuuu…

OoooO…

A horrifying breath, akin to a terrible scream, filled the hall. As that breath continued, the smoky mass that had been the Evil God floated mysteriously through the air and uttered yet another divine decree.

[“Now… you must have begun to understand everything, Emperor…”]

Huh?

At these unexpected words, I turned to the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen behind me. He looked like he was on the verge of death, but in response to the Evil God’s words, he managed to speak back.

[“So… this was also an illusion…”]

“Emperor!”

Shooosh…

The Emperor was barely maintaining his golden form, flickering as his energy waned. However, he did not kneel and eventually turned his gaze towards me.

[“Have I… already sealed my summoning abilities by some method? No… that could not explain it… Perhaps I… Could not seal myself… without those means…”]

[…Is that so…? I certainly didn’t expect that even I would be unable to anticipate a mere Reborn Person sealing the Overlord…!]

From the Emperor’s words, I understood why he’d let his guard down unexpectedly. The Emperor, curious about me, had assumed I wouldn’t be able to cause him harm with my power, thinking that even as a Reborn Person, I couldn’t gather the elements of causality to threaten him. Yet I had successfully sealed Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen at least once over three dozen cycles, which was probably why he couldn’t summon the Coming Chaos this time.

I stared intently at Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen and said, “I’m sorry about your situation, but it’s none of my concern.”

As I spat out those words with a hint of venom, he retorted, “It seems that while I was sealing you, a great amount of karma must have accumulated… hoho.”

“Don’t act like you know everything…”

I felt a surge of anger. A desire to finish off the Emperor right then overwhelmed me. I still had enough power left from Great Destruction to end his life. After all, this Emperor had tormented me and my companions during our twenty-eighth life, leading to the sacrifice of all my comrades; the resentment I harbored for him ran deep.

‘If there’s ever a time… it would be now… to take revenge for my twenty-eighth life against the Emperor…’

With a grunt, I tightened my grip on the sword in my left arm, battling the impulse. I knew it was utterly illogical, but the desire to cut down the Emperor gnawed at me. The faces of all my fallen comrades from the Great Bear Empire during that twenty-eighth life—Mangnyang, Zhuge Sa, Zhuge Bu, Seo Mun-hye, Asura, Miho, Master of the White Lotus Sect, Sword Demon, Cheon Woo-jin, Sagong Lin, Jin So-cheong, Yoo Ha, Ryu Jin, Han Baek-ryeong, Lee Seol-pyo, Master of Shadowless Sword, Jin Guk-jun—flashed before my mind.

They all had perished due to the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s machinations surrounding the elements of causality.

Just how deep was our blood feud with the Emperor?!

But moments later, I recalled past words.

[“Dear king of man. If you hold the power to determine the end of this world… Do not be swayed by others.”]

The dying words of Abe no Seimei.

[“Foolish king of man. Can you truly become my equal when you challenge me again? Answer me!”]

… And the question the Emperor had asked me right before his seal.

“……”

I lowered my sword. While I hesitated, the Evil God spoke as if addressing the assembly.

[“You born from a mask, who has risen to the realm of divinity… I shall give you an opportunity… Ensure that you bind yourself to my service, and I shall release you.”]

[……]

[“If one can distinguish the great framework of karma, then you must be worthy of my offer…”]

His tone seemed arrogant, but none in this world would deem the Evil God arrogant.

Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen fell silent at the Evil God’s words. After a moment, he calmly stated, [“A mere dream… Thus, I have underestimated the foolishness… of clinging to the life of this era.”]

Seemingly articulate in an ancient dialect, the Emperor’s words brought a hint of amusement to the Evil God.

[“Is that so? Then I shall inherit your karma.”]

[“… Do as you wish…”]

Huh? Just now, was there some sort of deal?

Boom!

In that moment, the Emperor’s entire body seemed to be flung away as if repelled by an invisible force.

He was shattered into countless pieces without a muffled sound. There was no doubt that the Evil God crushed him with overwhelming power, causing me to flinch at the sight of that murder.

‘D… How could…’

How could the Evil God be so strong? I felt an involuntary shiver of terror when the Evil God again addressed me.

[“Reborn Person. I shall grant you the karma that the Emperor promised to you.”]

With those chilling words, I understood that a sudden moment of choice had arrived.

[“Will you return to your original world?”]

What?! Why is the Evil God suddenly offering me something like this…

I was flustered and about to refute when it suddenly clicked and I grasped the situation.

‘Ah… right! The Evil God just absorbed the Emperor after the Emperor was to grant me that [wish]!’

Was my brain working as it should? I was able to grasp the situation with surprising ease. The Evil God had taken the Emperor’s debt when he didn’t need to since the Emperor was destined to perish. Why was he forcefully assuming this debt?

It was an intentional proposition, so it was clear the Emperor accepted the Evil God’s offer.

I didn’t understand the Evil God’s proposal, but I realized it wouldn’t hurt me.

‘Well… whatever the Evil God is thinking… if I can escape this outer universe, that’s all that matters!’

I made my decision.

“Fine…”

At that moment.

[Baek Woong. This is a trap.]

The voice of the Observer echoed in my head.

……… A trap?

I couldn’t grasp the meaning behind the Observer’s words. Suddenly interjecting like that was confusing, but why would a good proposal of escape be a trap?!

No… But is the Observer even trustworthy?

After all, he had thrown me into that fight against the monster that was me from the thousandth cycle, spouting incomprehensible nonsense. I had nearly faced death multiple times, but now my trust in him was shaken. Shouldn’t he have helped me sooner?

As a doubt began to sprout within, the Observer continued.

[Do you think the Evil God is taking that form for no reason?]

‘… I don’t know.’

Looking closely, the Evil God had formed into a mist-like body, only dimly outlined. Why was he avoiding having a solid form? While standing there clueless, the Observer said, [Even a ruler close to the outer god cannot escape this closed outer universe through mere comprehension. Therefore, the Evil God is casting a power only he can wield.]

‘That’s the Evil God’s power?’

[Yes. It is the power to obliterate the vastness of time and space… the absolute aversion revered by many old rulers!]

The Observer’s tone seemed to contain a hint of reverence.

[The Evil God is not going to simply open a way for you to escape. If he did so, he would not only fall into the sight of the Guardians but would also cause a collision with the Observer. Maybe he can do that with the Emperor, but the Evil God is of a different lineage than the Observer, so in the end, the method he will choose is to forcibly fuse you to his power.]

‘Fused?’

As the Observer continued, I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise.

[In that transformed state, the Evil God can ignore space and time. He will mix you into his foggy form, and you too will become a twisted being like the Master of the White Lotus Sect.]

‘!!’

[Moreover, since he directly traverses the spaces of the outer universe, there’s no telling what side effects may arise.]

I trembled at the horrifying prospect.

Become fused with that monstrous Evil God?! No matter what I’d faced in my past lifetimes, I didn’t want to go through such a nightmare! Just as I was panicking, the Observer said.

[… Perhaps that would be a faster way to gain power as a Reborn Person. But it would mean you’d only have the future of making a pact with the Evil God. I must give you as many choices as possible.]

‘To hell with this… but how do I escape without the Evil God’s help now?!

[……]

The Observer fell silent for a while. Then he said.

[Originally, I had intended to negotiate with the Emperor, but… it seems the cause and effect of the future has distorted, and now I must intervene directly with the power of the script.]

‘Huh?’

With the Observer’s next words, I realized I was facing an unforeseen situation.

[Baek Woong. Refuse the Evil God’s offer, and enter the Heavenly Secret. That is the only way.]

Enter the Heavenly Secret?!

I was taken aback.

“What… Do you mean go into?”

Isn’t the Heavenly Secret just a book or something?

Before I could process my confusion, the Evil God ominously spoke.

[Reborn Person… are you inclined to reject my offer?]

I could feel the pressure radiating from his emotionless decree. That single statement came infused with enormous force, and I felt all my limbs tremble at the sound of his voice.

Tremble

I struggled to avoid kneeling but felt a chill run down my spine.

‘The Will of the Absolute Realm… All the divine skills I’ve accumulated… Have all turned to dust.’

I had already understood this dreadful truth after witnessing the senseless slaughter, and it felt even more despairing now.

At present, I couldn’t even gauge how much of a gap existed in power between the Evil God and me. And all the Evil Gods I’d met had not treated me like an enemy. They had shown me just a mere fraction of their contempt, causing me to feel crushed like a bug underfoot.

At the same time, I realized I had to accept the Observer’s proposal.

‘The gap in power is too great… Accepting the Evil God’s offer would mean… I’d undoubtedly spend my entire next life tethered to him! There’s definitely a trap here!’

The instincts that come from years of being on the weaker side blossomed within me; there was a looming sense of danger that felt more clear than my reason. Naturally, I didn’t trust the Observer, nor did I want to believe such a strange proposal, but – following my intuition seemed better than drowning in logic!

I reached within myself and called out to the Observer.

‘… Observer. If I enter the Heavenly Secret, I will definitely be able to return to my original world while avoiding the Evil God, right?’

[‘Definitely?’] If that means 100 percent, then yes.]

‘Damn it… Why not just say that with certainty?’

[There’s one thing I can guarantee.]

‘What is it?’

What came next from the Observer was utterly unexpected.

[You must make proper use of the ‘Knot’.]

‘What…’

The Knot? That one from before?!

[First, it would be best to answer the Evil God. After all, once you enter the Heavenly Secret, you’ll have to explain it again.]

It was highly dubious… I had previously been badly burned by the ‘Knot’, so I had no trust in it now. Therefore, I had no choice but to weigh who to trust—the Evil God or the Observer. It seemed the Observer had no intentions of buttering things up for me.

The Knot…

What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

‘I’ve no clue at all.’

Yet, after some time, I decided to resolve myself and lifted my head to shout.

“Evil God! I refuse your offer!”

Whatever I did with the Knot was a problem for later. Right now, I had to focus on resolving the immediate situation before me. At that, the Evil God spoke as if surprised.

[Do you think you can escape this closed world by yourself?]

“That’s not for you to worry about!”

[……]

In a moment, the Evil God began to slowly disappear.

[See you later… ]

PaaAAH!!

As the Evil God emitted light and vanished from the hall, I noticed three large whirlpools erupting in this chaotic space.

“Huh?”

Kugugugu…

Just by looking, it felt as though a terrible omen permeated through the air. The whirlpools continued to spin, gaining momentum before gradually taking the form of circles, slowing down.

“Damn it! What the hell is that?”

The Observer whispered in my ear.

[The Evil God just opened a dimension door in this world. Soon, three beings will be summoned.]

“What? Summoned? What does that even—cough, cough!!”

Thump!

In the next moment, I screamed and collapsed, blood gushing uncontrollably from my mouth.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh, ugh…”

This was intense.

I felt blood pouring down my chin before I had a chance to gather myself to stop it. The blood seeped into the ground, steaming from the heat.

‘Did my organs just burst?! No, this isn’t just minor blood vessels; my life force is being shattered…’

As I assessed my grim condition with whatever medical knowledge I had, the Observer said.

[It’s only natural. By stealing the mask of Hong Gyun Do-in, your right arm became tainted by the primordial chaos, and despite my warnings, you consumed all your potential when activating Great Destruction. You should have died when you charged at the Evil God earlier, but thanks to the ability of the Hong Meng sealed in the Heavenly Secret, you’re still holding on.]

“!!”

[It’s perfect for the saying that even a Great Immortal would be helpless.]

Surely, my condition was in shambles!

‘… At this rate, I’m really going to die.’

I felt a wave of despair pass over me; dying in this outer universe might mean my soul would attach to this place forever—what a dangerous situation!

While I was panicking, the Observer said.

[So now, engage in negotiations with the approaching figure. I will extend your life as much as possible with nanomachines so that you may converse.]

[If that fails, we might have to fight, but at least your disciple seems to have the will to talk with you.]

“Hey…”

I realized that silence had fallen as I waited for a response. The Observer had gone quiet. As I faced this, I could see the battleship slowly approaching from the depths of chaos.

Wooong

A white-cloaked figure emerged from the battleship, which had been floating in the chaos. I recognized that face all too well, and when they spotted me, they grinned.

“This is quite surprising. Even Gaia could not find any traces of AI on your body. Were you speaking with the AI just until a moment ago?”

“… Nailatop.”

It suddenly dawned on me that this guy was already here in this chaotic space. After the battle had started between the Three Sovereigns and the Emperor, he had vanished without a trace, only to reappear now that all was settled?

I managed to raise my head just slightly while on my knees, weakly stating to Nailatop, “You seemed pretty pissed off after losing your head. Kill me if you want.”

“Am I angry? Me?”

Nailatop widened his eyes in surprise and burst into laughter.

“Of course not. I was merely astounded by the fantastic technique of hacking quantum entanglement through mind control. I never imagined such a thing was possible. Isn’t it worth dying for such a level of artistry?”

“Stop with the show-off…”

As I retorted, Nailatop shrugged.

“I’ve died at your hands more than a few times, and I’ve never held a grudge. It’s because the body is nothing but a shell.”

“…”

From the experience of someone who has died many times, it didn’t seem like a mere boast. This guy was essentially unhinged. No, he had no attachment to his flesh or life at all.

At a loss for words, Nailatop glanced at the dimension door swirling in the distance and spoke.

“It seems someone you know will be summoned.”

PaaAAH!

Then, I quickly spotted a familiar silhouette emerging from the swirling dimension and, upon recognizing it, let out a moan.

“… Lee Kwang?!”

All of a sudden, it appeared that Lee Kwang had been summoned here, looking around with a spear in hand, an expression of utter bewilderment on his face. When he spotted me lying down, his eyes widened slightly, and he said,

“Master. Where is this, and what’s happening?”

Seeing Lee Kwang maintain at least a modicum of calmness amidst the unknown reassured me ever so slightly. Instead of answering his question, I side-eyed Nailatop, who shrugged at me.

“I have no intention of harming the author. You can relax.”

I gestured for Lee Kwang to come closer and, when he approached, he looked at me with curiosity, a gaze seeking an explanation. Lee Kwang analyzed the situation murmuring,

“Is there a fierce battle that occurred in this strange place? And it seems Master has sustained fatal wounds…”

I attempted to chuckle casually.

“Ha… don’t worry about me.”

Lee Kwang looked genuinely worried as he replied.

“How can I not be concerned? You said you’d return me to the original world.”

“……”

“Before you die, keep your promise.”

This brat was solely fixating on his own return…

“What the hell… Kugh!!”

I was about to let out a slew of curse words when suddenly I realized that expending energy like this would be useless. So, I forced myself to steady my body into a sitting position and turned to Nailatop.

“Nailatop, whatever happens to me, make sure Lee Kwang gets back to the original world.”

“Why complicate matters unnecessarily?”

“What?”

“I told you before… my only request is one.”

Swish

As Nailatop extended his hand toward me, he continued.

“Hand me the core of the World Tree, and I shall ensure your escape.”

“……”

Now that I thought about it, right before the Evil God appeared, he had indeed mentioned that.

I stared at Nailatop with slightly glazed eyes and said, “I’m getting irritated now. What the hell do you really want?”

“What do you mean? I want the core of the World Tree.”

I shot Nailatop a disbelieving look.

“Quit joking. The core of the World Tree has probably been in your palm since the beginning. You imparted scientific knowledge to the humanity of this world, and the final bastion of that humanity is where the core has taken root. You could have accessed it any time without me.”

“……”

“Now you’re trying to act like you need this core from me. How long do you intend to toy with me?”

I had realized Nailatop was playing me for a fool since I first met him. No matter how simple-minded I might be, I knew that there was hardly any genuine intention behind his gaze.

Then suddenly, while I was contemplating this madness, Lee Kwang interjected, seemingly unperturbed.

“Nailatop, don’t you desire for Master to remain within this world?”

Lee Kwang crossed his arms, twisting his neck as he regarded Nailatop with a steely gaze.

“When initiating a conspiracy leads to a decisive finale, then one would either capture, torture, or kill the opponent. But if the opponent neither dies nor fights, then the answer lies elsewhere. The very act of keeping the opponent enmeshed signifies the desire for Master to stay within this world.”

Nailatop remained silent for a moment and then, after a while, smirked.

“You’ve already informed Baek Woong, but it seems that you are quite the clever one despite not being fully in the loop.”

“……”

Indeed, Lee Kwang understood everything rushing past me in a moment. I wasn’t keen on acknowledging it, but his intuition and sharpness in such matters exceeded mine.

I glared at Nailatop with frustration and stated, “You claimed I wished to remain in this world. That I desired to witness another possibility of this world… but I no longer want to entertain your ridiculous whims. Let me go.”

“Hmm….”

Nailatop regarded me pensively.

“Baek Woong… do you know the law of equivalent exchange?”

“What? That’s a scientific principle.”

I instantly answered using the future knowledge I obtained from Professor Sima Ling, and Nailatop nodded.

“Correct. It’s a scientific principle. But it is not confined to science alone. The law of equivalent exchange also applies to sorcery and magic. If one does not offer an equivalent return, their magic or sorcery will not be effective. That is the similarity between science and magic.”

“Then why do you think this similarity exists?”

“Damn it… Are you really lecturing me on theories right now?!”

I shouted in disbelief as Nailatop continued unhindered.

“Because all things in the universe are governed by transaction. Science and magic, two utterly different systems and principles, possess the trait of equivalent exchange because they are all based on a ‘transaction.’ If there’s no equal return during exchanges, this is simply the universal selfishness of all beings, is it not?”

WooWoo

While Nailatop babbled on, I noticed that one of the other two whirlpools was taking form, revealing a silhouette within. I sensed my urgency and quickly spoke up.

“Damn it… Yes, transactions are important. So, make a deal with me to return me to my original world!”

“No. You seem to misunderstand the importance of transaction. It appears you have no clue what it means to provide an equivalent return.”

“Ugh, damn it!!”

“Do you not even grasp what I truly desire…?”

What the hell was he saying? Was he proposing to make a deal or not?! He cast me into this paradoxical situation, claiming he wished to view the potentiality of this world!

Clearly, the answer was in front of me, but what more could he possibly want?!

As I was about to scream in frustration, Lee Kwang unexpectedly interjected.

“Indeed, it seems the Evil God through your words seeks to bind Baek Woong within this world.”

What?

In an instant, Lee Kwang’s words stopped me in my tracks.

As Nailatop recognized Lee Kwang’s astute insight, he replied.

“Oh? You are quite perceptive.”

“Then, if I may inquire, what about your connection with Baek Woong?”

Forcibly being drawn into the world by my Master, Lee Kwang understood why the Evil God desired me—perhaps he was trying to extract all value from our connection!

“Yet you seem to have no real intention to kill me, based just on your rhetoric!? So what’s the catch here?!”

I had to fight back the urge to raise my voice and become frustrated, realizing that Lee Kwang was not a threat in this regard.

“On the contrary, you seem to have been the one at a loss, no?”

“But why sacrifice me in your explorations?”

“If you consider that part of the kindly fate, it’s evident. You happen to contribute for both of us.”

“You’re telling me to make peace with you with no benefit at all?!”

“But of course. Your cooperation will reinforce our circular destiny.”

I was absolutely bewildered at how the Evil God pivoted so easily. There was a grip of life-and-death between him and me, yet he had pulled Lee Kwang into this deal!

But I was still trapped in Nailatop’s schemes.

“Damn it…”

Then, something unexpected intervened.

Without warning, Lee Kwang turned toward Nailatop, declaring boldly.

“I’m thoroughly unimpressed. Let me take the reins here!”

In a sudden flourish, he stabbed into the dark swirl of chaos, incorporating all my accumulated despair into reality.

“Nailatop! You’re the one standing in the way of our destiny!”

“Are you trying to enforce wisdom through pain?! Ha!”

Nailatop grinned.

“This means I hold the edge, and you’ll ultimately be the one to bear the burden!”

Lee Kwang flashed a glance at me, and in that moment, I knew things were spiraling. Whatever hidden intent lurked behind the Evil God’s desires, no matter how we peeled back the layers, it all led me back to this single confrontation. The thousand cycles I endured clawed back at me viciously!

The exact same question haunted me like a specter:

“Who was my real enemy?”

And while caught in tangled fates, I made a desperate vow—no more would I wander amidst illusions!

“Let’s end this, Lee Kwang! Together!”

Cosmically, everything slowed down, and I felt I could finally revolve forward!

“`

 

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