939——————==

True Martial Home

Ohh

I moved using the magic portal created by Dharma. As I stepped through the door, I found myself on a beach, and after glancing at the nearby terrain, I muttered.

“This isn’t the Eastern Peninsula.”

[That’s right. It’s Shandong.]

Sssss

Next to me, Dharma’s figure appeared like mist. I spoke to Dharma.

“Isn’t the strongest Sea God power currently in Baekje and Silla? Why would they attack on the Shandong Peninsula?”

[Look at the sky…]

The sky?

I looked up as Dharma instructed and saw dark clouds far away, with blood-red bursts intermittently glowing.

‘The magical power is swirling…’

Realizing this with the knowledge I learned from Zhuge Sa, I understood the hidden meaning in Dharma’s words.

“That place is already occupied by the Sea God.”

[That’s not quite correct… How could mere humans resist the [Old Ruler] in this world? They were just toyed with, unable to resist at all…]

“What’s the Sea God’s scheme?”

[Do you think there’s a scheme? It’s just a game, nothing more, nothing less…]

“……”

[It seems that in your world, mortals had some deterrent force to hold back the Sea God… but here, we have nothing like that.]

That much was true.

The Celestial Realm of the Central Plains had kept the Sea God from rampaging, and the Twelve Joules and Master of the Twelve Joules had used the power of the World Tree to suppress the Sea God. The humanity of this world didn’t even compare to that.

In other words, the Sea God was literally having fun destroying human civilization.

But many humans must have already died and sacrificed terribly from that “fun.”

[There’s no need to go all the way to the Eastern Peninsula, now that we can guard the Central Plains while summoning and attacking the Sea God here.]

As I listened to Dharma, I suddenly didn’t get it and said.

“I don’t understand.”

[What don’t you get?]

“The [Old Rulers] have such overwhelming power… why do they only act in evil ways? They could afford a bit of mercy or good with that power.”

[Once overwhelming power exists, good and evil lose their meaning. You should know this… From our perspective, they are merely extreme evildoers, while they themselves probably have no recognition of it.]

“I get it. I know all too well.”

I muttered bitterly.

“… I was just saying.”

I recalled my previous conversation with a transcendent being.

Humans are nothing but bugs, and if you change the perspective, can you even judge whether stomping on a bug is good or evil? Of course, I understood that person’s words too, and I knew how insignificant humans are. If the levels of power are so vastly different, there’s no way to discuss good and evil any longer.

But still.

I often wondered.

“Is there no kind god for humans…”

Dharma responded to my mutterings.

[There is not. Nowhere.]

“I suppose so.”

[Now we move. The decisive battle will begin.]

Swoosh

As Dharma raised his hand, the sea split open with a loud crack all the way to the horizon.

Splash—

And between the parted sea cliffs, I saw the deep sea floor, covered in darkness and a city of the Sea God Clan hidden beneath a water barrier. I frowned as I had once attacked that city together with the Master of the Twelve Joules.

‘So that city really exists in this world too.’

Back then, I had gone with the Master of the Twelve Joules, recovering strength with the Seven Luminaries and the power of the World Tree, to annihilate tens of thousands of the Sea God Clan. But this time, Dharma would attack the city alone.

Dharma coldly stared at the Sea God Clan’s city and slowly lowered his hand.

Brrrrrum!

Even from a distance, I could see the water barrier protecting the city breaking under the pressure, and the dark hand began to descend slowly, eventually resting over the city, palm down.

Could it be?

I looked at Dharma, but he showed no change in expression as he simply continued to lower his hand.

Swoosh

Kaboom!!

Even from a great distance, I saw the water barrier protecting the city couldn’t withstand the pressure and exploded. And the dark hand began to lower, crushing the city as if it were a palm gently pressing down.

Kudunk…

“……”

I watched in disbelief as the palm finally reached the ground.

‘… They’re all dead.’

Yes.

Dharma simply crushed the city of the Sea God Clan with his dark hand, and yet, due to its immense size, that very act annihilated tens of thousands of them in an instant. The Sea God Clan must have been unable to escape and were crushed to death.

Such massive slaughter occurred, and yet, there were no traces left; only silence remained. Dharma waved his hand once, and the dark hand dissipated, leaving only fragmented remnants of the city that were now barely recognizable.

[Having exterminated the Sea God Clan, the Sea God will respond. When he comes, the fight will begin.]

Did Dharma think of this as a fight?

Well, you wouldn’t call a one-sided massacre a fight.

‘This is Dharma’s power…’

Truly incredible. I felt it when facing the Avatar, but he had reached a level unimaginable for any mortal. The Giant God wouldn’t refuse a fight for no reason. I believed more firmly that with this level of power, he could easily take on the Sea God.

There was no way he couldn’t.

This monster could destroy planets with a single command; how could he not handle the Sea God?

Just then.

Swish

A portal opened, and the Divine Thief appeared before us. He seemed unamused, muttering something under his breath.

“Damn it, looks like it’s happening after all. This crazy business.”

[Is everything ready?]

“It should be, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

[Divine Thief. Can you face the Sea God without losing your mind?]

At Dharma’s question, the Divine Thief shrugged.

“I wouldn’t feel fear facing the Sea God even without your power. Honestly, I was hoping to meet that bastard and stick my sword in its neck when I crossed over as Dongyoung…”

“That’s some bravado.”

I laughed at the Divine Thief, who responded with a laugh.

“Heh, going along with this craziness isn’t something I do often. Baek Woong, your day of reckoning will come soon.”

“Yeah, I hope that happens, senior.”

[Both of you, cut it out.]

After Dharma told us to calm down, he said.

[Here it comes.]

Koo-kwaka!

Suddenly from the rubble of the broken Sea God Clan city, a crimson aura surged up. This aura formed a magic circle in the air, and slowly, a massive fish giant was summoned with an imposing presence.

It was enormous.

And… strong.

“……!!”

This wasn’t my first time facing a Sea God, but I felt a weight in my heart that I couldn’t express. I could feel that the monster over there was something beyond the reach of mortals.

‘Damn it… Even if it’s the weakest among the [Old Rulers]… I still can’t take it down alone.’

Even if it was the weakest among the [Old Rulers], it was still a being I couldn’t reckon with. When I reincarnated, I often beat it up, but it was far from an easy opponent. If I hadn’t been a reborn person, the very fact that this being was an enemy would have been a source of despair and fear. There was no martial arts technique capable of dealing a fatal blow to a Sea God, and both attack and defense were on an incomprehensible level. The horrifying sight of the Sea God’s light beam drying up the ocean still haunted me.

Dharma glanced at me and muttered.

[So it really is like that…]

“What do you mean?”

[You don’t feel fear at all, do you? I figured as much.]

“……?”

Normally, being nonchalant in front of a transcendent being would make everyone else gasp or think it odd, but Dharma’s reaction seemed to be one of muted anticipation. It was as if he believed I should behave that way. Rather, he looked surprised at the Divine Thief beside me.

[… And Divine Thief, you’re truly peculiar.]

“Yeah, I hear that a lot.”

The Divine Thief showed no change in expression upon seeing the Sea God. He didn’t seem fazed at all; instead, he was casually bored, even scratching his ear. It was like he was just hanging out in the neighborhood.

… Huh?

Something definitely seemed off…

It couldn’t just be that the Divine Thief was a Peerless Master capable of disregarding the Sea God’s pressure. No matter how strong you are, the overwhelming might of the Sea God would normally tighten the nerves even more. Even the Fire Dragon Incarnate or Yeodong-bin felt their tension rise in the presence of that power. It was inevitable when the Sea God’s magical power was so strong.

But the Divine Thief showed absolutely no tension at all. He had none of the basic reactions or awareness one should have as a living being.

This was seriously strange.

It wasn’t quite the relaxed demeanor of someone strong.

Before I could figure out what that discomfort was, the Divine Thief casually said.

“Our goal isn’t just to hit that thing. We want to steal its soul as well. To catch the Sea God’s soul, we first need to pinpoint its core. I’ll be back after I have a little fun, so you wait here, Dharma.”

[And what are you planning to do?]

“What do you think? Just a friendly visit.”

Whoosh!!

The moment the Divine Thief finished speaking, he shot towards the Sea God like a gust of wind, using the obscure secret technique. He moved so fast that it felt like he crossed the horizon in an instant. I finally realized what was happening and fell into a panic.

‘What do I do?’

Normally, I would have to follow him, but getting close to the Sea God like that was tantamount to suicide. Even the Master of the Twelve Joules didn’t dare confront the Sea God head-on. Following him now would clearly spell my doom.

What on Earth was he planning?

The Divine Thief flew right up to the Sea God and abruptly changed course, shooting vertically into the air. Then, he charged straight toward the area that seemed to be the Sea God’s heart.

Phaaat

‘No! He’ll die like that!’

I felt pressure and urgency seeing his reckless actions. The Sea God possessed an extraordinary level of perception and reflexes that belied its massive size. It was the Sea God that could track Yeodong-bin’s movements even when he flew with the Sword Flying Technique. If you approached the Sea God at a clumsy speed, you would be swatted down like a fly.

As expected, the Sea God immediately reacted to the Divine Thief’s movements, slightly parting its mouth, and from it, a terrifying beam of light shot out at incredible speed.

Zin!!!!

In an instant, the terrifying beam didn’t give the Divine Thief any chance to react, and before long, the air was reduced to nothingness.

“……”

Did the Divine Thief just die?

So easily?

I had a blank expression, watching him get hit from afar, but soon something astonishing happened.

“Yosh!”

Single Strike Robbery

Flash

Suddenly, with a battle cry, the Divine Thief’s hand shone with brilliance, and the next moment, he began to plummet with something bigger than himself. The place he was falling from was completely different from where he had been, making it seem as though he had used space manipulation.

And the Sea God roared.

[————-!!]

A sound no human could hear reverberated, shaking the insides. I quickly tapped into my internal strength to shield my body from the noise, realizing that there was rage intertwined within that sound.

‘No way…’

I used my enhanced vision to examine the round orb that was the source of the sensation. After a moment, I figured out what it was and was astonished.

“Scales!!”

In an instant, the Divine Thief had dodged the beam while ripping a scale from the Sea God’s back!

It was like peeling off the skin of a person.

Kaboom

The Sea God attacked again, but the Divine Thief seemed to seamlessly dance through the air, returning to where we were as if nothing had happened. It appeared the Sea God’s attack didn’t even graze him.

Tydaht

The Divine Thief threw the massive scale he was holding and spoke.

“Dragons or mythical beasts usually have reverse scales, but it seems this thing doesn’t have any. If it doesn’t have a reverse scale, then where’s the core?”

“… There is no distinct core. Even if you peel its limbs off, it won’t show itself. In the end, we have to beat it down with force…”

“Heh, you speak as though you’ve fought a Sea God before, Junior?”

“……”

I fell silent as the Divine Thief continued.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing left for us to do. We’ll just have to wait for the soul to slip out. Right, Dharma?”

[I’m aware of that.]

Dharma’s body began to slowly levitate into the air. He twisted his hand in the air, assuming a gripping posture as he coldly said.

[Let’s break it down…]

Crack!!

The moment Dharma’s words finished, the dark hand was summoned into the air, holding the Sea God’s body tightly. As it gripped, the multiple layers of magical power and barriers surrounding the Sea God’s body visually shattered. I was filled with amazement watching the sheer destructive force.

‘That barrier held Yeodong-bin’s life at stake…’

Creak…

Creak…

[Let’s finish this.]

Dharma tightened his grip on the dark hand, squeezing the Sea God. With every squeeze, pieces and scales seemed to fall away from the immense body, clearly showing that Dharma could actually destroy the Sea God just by grasping it.

‘Incredible. What level of power allows such a feat…?’

As I admired quietly, the Sea God opened its mouth and let out an eerie roar.

[————-!!]

It was another unintelligible roar, but one thing was clear: it wasn’t just a scream. While the Divine Thief and I watched in confusion, Dharma spoke.

[Could it be it’s asking for help…]

“Help?”

Dharma looked troubled.

[I thought a mortal would not seek help when facing the Sea God out of pride, but I miscalculated. More enemies are coming…]

Fsh!

Fsh!

Moments later, I saw two massive magic circles forming in the air on either side of the Sea God, and I understood what Dharma meant.

“……”

That’s the summoning circle of the [Old Rulers]. It had to be cast with the power of the Sea God, so the success rate of summoning would be very high.

And with this, I truly had nothing left I could do here. I cursed under my breath.

“Damn it…”

As the Sea God faced death at Dharma’s hand, he summoned two [Old Rulers] with its own magic.