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“Clank, clank!”

All around the continent, something was making noise as if it was [opening]. It was the sound of a gigantic door swinging wide, and soon enough, I spotted enormous iron gates about three yards high scattered across the world. The numbers were staggering, reaching up to hundreds with not a place unvisited. However, there were no buildings behind the doors, just the gates standing there, raising some eyebrow about their purpose.

‘What are those doors…?’

At that moment, I realized what they were and was taken aback.

“Transference Gate?!”

Memories of the past flashed back into my mind.

[Do you know that Zheng He made seven voyages across the world? At that time, the forces of darkness had already opened doors to various parts of the world. Zheng He was sent on that expedition for just that purpose: to easily transfer the army of the Great Ming Empire and conquer lands of foreign races.]

[The Philosopher’s Stone is not just an infinite power source; it also grants the ability to open and close those ‘doors’ at will. Thus, completing the Philosopher’s Stone means establishing a dominion over the entire world by the Great Ming Empire.]

[According to the historical records, it seems that the nobles of the ancient Yin Dynasty could utilize these Transference Gates. The one who documented this history was also a noble, and they likely traveled freely across long distances to learn other races’ cultures. And they probably had a premonition, which is why they translated the history of the Yin Dynasty into the language of ancient barbaric tribes, namely the runes.]

[The Transference Gates weren’t made by the Great Ming Empire; they were just using what was created in ancient times! That’s the crucial part!]

The knowledge of the Transference Gate I had initially acquired from Zhuge Bu, along with my investigation in the ancient library with Mangnyang, led me to uncover the secrets of the ancients. Zhuge Bu, alongside Zhuge Yulong and the dark forces, were aiming for the Philosopher’s Stone and the Portrait Immortal while wanting to wield the ability to activate the Transference Gates at will. However, their interest diminished in the Philosopher’s Stone as they focused solely on the Portrait Immortal thereafter.

So, are these the Transference Gates that the nobles of the Yin Dynasty established worldwide, and are they all activating simultaneously? That means the physical constraints of movement across this world have essentially vanished!

‘That means…’

I shouted to Changhil, “Did they complete the Philosopher’s Stone?!”

[It goes without saying… this time, Changhil completed it a while back. The Alchemist and Zhuge Yulong had nearly finished it, so it wouldn’t have been difficult. Based on that power, all the Transference Gates were revived along with the Portrait Immortal.]

“……”

[What nostalgia. I was the one who made those Transference Gates in the past.]

Changhil suddenly began mumbling something before shouting loudly.

[Awaken, my people…!!]

Oooooooh!

At that moment, people began pouring into the Transference Gates from all around the world. Their expressions were vacant, as if their souls had left them, and white light danced in their eyes. Moreover, the humans who leaped through the gates from other continents were instantly teleported to Luoyang.

Kurugugu!

It felt like a flood of humanity was crashing into the city of Luoyang. Countless people from different worlds, with varying skin and hair colors, were jumping into the Transference Gates without hesitation. Before long, the city of Luoyang seemed filled to the brim with humans, and the celestial immortals were taken aback by the abrupt invasion.

‘How many are there?’

Watching this bizarre scene brought confusion to my mind. Even if there were hundreds, it’d be shocking, but there were clearly thousands, possibly tens of thousands. The number could even be believable if it reached hundreds of thousands! Moreover, the different skin colors, hair hues, and clothing styles muddled the situation into chaos.

Noticing a mix of white and black individuals, I exclaimed, “This makes no sense! Your Chinese character’s dominance should only work on those who know it; how come those humans…?”

[Do you really think that ‘me’ this time would just resurrect the Transference Gates and do nothing else? I had already mobilized the Eight Parts of the Divine and the armies of the Great Ming Empire to spread civilization across various regions. I have even conquered single nations, so my script’s influence has already invaded over half the world.]

“……!!”

[The territory of the current Great Ming Empire… that must be the most expansive in the history of humanity.]

The spread of civilization. Alternatively, that meant – the Eight Parts of the Divine were moving with their armies, attacking and killing foreign humans with guns and blades. I recalled the brutal massacre of indigenous people by white fleets in the southern continent before. Changhil must have committed acts of atrocities hundreds of times the scale of that.

Kraaaah!

Suddenly, the humans that poured into Luoyang began to wail.

Crackling!

From behind them, powerful wings shot up alongside dazzling light, and their bodies began to blaze like fire. They resembled a fiery humanoid with wings like a bird, and the moment I witnessed this, a realization hit me.

‘Western angels!’

In the unique faith of the West referring to the singular deity, angels were its agents, and I recognized that form from studying Western culture. However, despite their resemblance, they exuded an overwhelming presence and magical power, akin to bizarre mutated beings from another world with a terrifying killing intent.

But it wasn’t just angels. Among them were others who grotesquely morphed as if they were emerging from chaos. Some transformed into dragons, while others appeared to be a fusion of golden eagles and humans.

Moments later, the first transformed angel swooped in and swung their sword to behead one of the immortals.

[Gah!]

As the humans continually flooded into the Transference Gates, they transformed and fled, attacking everything they saw. The problem was that each of those beings was absurdly powerful.

Bang!!

The sound of destruction echoed repeatedly. And as I observed the situation unfold, I was left astonished.

‘Are the Celestial Realms being pushed back?!’

The transformed humans were torn apart by the treasures and martial techniques wielded by the celestial immortals, yet some endured or even reflected the attacks. In fact, the transformed individuals had sufficient battle strength to withstand encounters against the Overlay Technique. For instance, when over twenty angels clung to Lee Rang-jin-gun, he looked like he couldn’t maneuver anywhere else.

This meant – each of those individuals wielded power on par with high-level otherworldly races. Additionally, they appeared to have branched out into numerous forms, capable of employing various tactics while wielding potent chaos. Their combat showed intelligence that wasn’t low at all.

What in the world was that unfathomable power? Just a bunch of humans transforming once, and they could fight against celestial beings?!

As I watched in utter disbelief, Changhil spoke up.

[What do you think of my people’s strength?]

“You madman…”

[The characters I designed erode the essence of humanity, awakening the internal chaos while giving them artificial immortality and tremendous chaotic power when I activate a curse.]

“…Are you saying you’re creating a new race in the Changhil lineage?”

[You’re quick-witted. As long as your civilization is achieved through the characters I’ve created, you were already my people.]

“Inconceivable. No matter how powerful, even the Old Ruler couldn’t use that many times!”

Changhil chuckled softly.

[Exactly. No matter how powerful the Old Ruler is, awakening the essence of the characters can only be activated once… I planned to use it when the human population surpasses 10 billion on that fateful day. But now is fine, too.]

“Can those beings return to how they were?”

[Why would they need to return…?]

“What?”

Changhil stated confidently, [Humans are a weak race. The chaos they hold is insignificant, and from their essence, they were slaves, so both their physical and mental capabilities are feeble. Compared to the numerous otherworldly races roaming the universe, they’re akin to bugs… Now my people will evolve from humans into powerful chaos, becoming a paradise of immortality in the Peaceful Millennium Kingdom.]

“…Evolution?”

[Indeed! This is a plan I’ve pursued since I was King Tang of the Yin Dynasty!]

He burst into excited laughter.

[Humanity will soon break free from its frail mold, becoming the cornerstone of a grand civilization led by the great Changhil!]

“…!!”

[The history of the upper human beings begins now.]

This lunatic! They said they’d save humanity, but what they meant was saving it by evolving them into high-level otherworldly beings?!

Could that truly be considered saving humanity?!

At that moment, a conversation with Empress Wu Zetian came to mind.

[They sought to adapt to the lives of otherworldly beings, discarding their identities as humans. They believed that human existence was inferior and grotesque, making it impossible to align themselves with their evolved forms. Initially, they purged those individuals but eventually gave up and allowed them to leave.]

[Haa, what is humanity? They thought that maintaining human life while transforming their appearance was the best path to eternal life. However, if they deny their humanity, then what significance does this kingdom even hold?]

Empress Wu Zetian used assistance from the Eight Parts of the Divine to ascend humans and their souls from the Tang Dynasty into the Dark Heaven Village to create her own Peaceful Millennium Kingdom. However, contrary to her intentions, the humans who transformed into high-level otherworldly races rejected their humanity and abandoned their lives, leading to a severe misalignment in their identity and values.

Changhil’s mind was now filled with a mad arrogance that could be realized immediately through my past dialogue with Empress Wu Zetian. I recalled my response back then.

[If they consider themselves human, they are human.]

Precisely. What I see as ‘human’ isn’t just a mere distinction between body and mind. If they have an identity that desires to be human, then they can immediately identify as such.

Thus, the ‘upper human’ kingdom that Changhil is building will never be descendants of humanity. How could those transformed souls with immense divine abilities and, moreover, brainwashed by Changhil consider themselves human? In the end, they would merely become a high-level otherworldly being lost to infinite chaos!

At that moment, a shiver ran down my spine.

‘What if… in five hundred years, during the century of the apocalypse… a time when science and technology has advanced beyond imagination… if Changhil activated this ability for 10 billion humans before the apocalypse and revelation…?’

Right now, it’s merely the Celestial Realm being overturned, but what kind of chaos might unfold then?

Sure—my adventure could only see from beginning to end. Compromise couldn’t be made to pursue my happiness along the way.

Counting on our descendants to fend off adversity, it was impossible to lay burdens on their futures blindly. Five hundred years from now, the unprecedented despair that humanity could hardly fathom had already been planned by Changhil since the days of the Yin Dynasty.

I said to Changhil, “…But your mighty people are attacking their own too?”

Bang!!!

As I had predicted, Changhil’s ‘people’ were using their powerful chaotic might not just to overpower the Celestial Realm but were also rushing toward the heart of the Eight Parts of the Divine. Furthermore, they recklessly charged at the principal body of the three sovereigns, Zhuge Bu, only to be swatted away like flies. Although the Eight Parts of the Divine seemed unscathed, the endless influx of monsters gave them grave concern.

Gin Nara cried out in anguish.

[My lord!! We’re finished! Please call us back!]

[Just hang on a bit longer, Gin Nara!! The lord is still performing the rite.]

[Hold on!!]

The Eight Parts of the Divine wished to escape from this calamity, but since Changhil had ordered them to defend Luoyang, they appeared to muster all their strength to hold their ground. I was utterly bemused at seeing them encourage each other, snickering at Changhil.

“Ha, so now you plan on summoning the Eight Parts of the Divine to soothe your subordinates? You’ll be face-to-face with them soon enough.”

[……]

But something felt off. Changhil merely watched the screen, not shifting a finger. It didn’t seem like he was focused on anything particularly important; something was strange. I caught on to that vibe and whispered, “You… don’t tell me…”

[The character’s curse is a grave major spell I can trigger only once throughout history. I’ve bet everything on this board, so the Eight Parts of the Divine are no longer necessary.]

“What do you mean?!”

Changhil’s next words sent a chill down my spine.

[Ah, Reborn One. It’s only now that the real game begins…]

Changhil was laughing.

[Craaah… I’m off, my brothers!!]

Bang!

[Mahuraga!!]

Gin Nara yelled in anguish. Mahuraga’s main body struggled in the fight until it ultimately succumbed to the horde of Changhil’s ‘people’ and self-destructed in humiliation. With Mahuraga’s death as a precursor, the Thief Gang soon perished, and the rest found themselves cornered in an instant.

Shcribble!

Finally, the spirit body of the Celestial collapsed, transforming into a mass of light. The Celestial, seemingly grasping what was happening, screamed with a sense of betrayal.

[My lord… how… could… you… absorb us…!]

Swish, swish!

And I stood by Changhil, witnessing the scene, feeling the pure light seeping into his body as his essence grew stronger.

[Haha… the law of cause and effect accumulates…]

I could see Changhil, grinning with a white smile, watching his subordinates being slaughtered.

The Eight Parts of the Divine were merely sacrifices for Changhil.

 

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