Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

Yeodong-bin wasn’t taken aback by Master Mangnyang’s unexpected command to catch the imugi. After all, among the demon beasts and otherworldly races he had fought, a creature of that caliber wasn’t entirely unheard of. Plus, it felt like a task only a divine being would assign him.

Without delay, he made his way to the back mountain of the village to search for the imugi. It didn’t take long for him to stumble upon what seemed to be the imugi’s lair—a massive cave hidden behind a waterfall.

Coo-koo-koo…

Inside the cave, there was a vast chamber housing a truly colossal imugi, its length stretching over twenty lengths. It was uncommon for an imugi to grow this large, but Yeodong-bin thought it fitting for one that had lived for two thousand years.

Glowing crimson scales dotted its body as if it were on the verge of transforming into a fire dragon. Its serpent-like gaze fixated on Yeodong-bin.

The imugi spoke to Yeodong-bin. Its voice wasn’t human, but somehow, aided by some sorcery, its will resonated clearly with him.

[Are you the renowned Sword Master Yeodong-bin of the world?]

“Do you know me?”

[There isn’t a single demon or monster in the Central Plains who is unaware of the Eight Immortals’ fame…]

The imugi exhaled a breath of flames for a brief moment. Yeodong-bin tensed, thinking combat was about to commence, but his expression stiffened when he heard what the imugi said next.

[Save me.]

“……”

[I failed in becoming a celestial dragon a thousand years ago. Since then, I’ve trained for a thousand years, and now I’m on the brink of qualifying to ascend as a dragon. If only the Queen Mother of the West would permit it…]

“… What are you saying?”

Yeodong-bin was on guard, suspecting a trick, but the imugi deeply bowed its head and spoke.

[Please… I beg you for another chance to challenge my fate. I’ve trained for two thousand years to become a dragon…]

“Whatever your scheme is, I have to kill you.”

Clang!

Even though Yeodong-bin’s sword radiated strength, the imugi didn’t shift into a fighting stance. Instead, it remained still, its eyes locked onto Yeodong-bin’s.

[I know from living for so long that it’s evident you will win, no matter how hard I try. That’s why I’m begging you for my dream.]

“You are a great demon that has lived for two thousand years. Converting the demon power within you to divine power will take an immense amount of effort. Do you really believe you can ascend?”

[I don’t know either…but I’ve lived only for that purpose.]

The imugi cried out.

[Sword Master! Please don’t rob me of this chance to fulfill my dream.]

“……”

Yeodong-bin had no choice but to hesitate.

Ordinarily, humans would spend a hundred years attempting the ultimate challenge, with only a minimal few succeeding, while the rest peacefully passed on, never enjoying the joys of life. He understood well how deep the resentment runs for those cultivators who endure such a harsh existence, only to die meaningless deaths without rewards. Let alone the imugi, who had devoted a span dozens of times longer for one singular obsession—ascension.

Even the Fire Dragon Incarnate, perhaps due to her stature as the Fire Dragon and Dragon King, couldn’t adopt a resolute attitude towards the imugi. In fact, it seemed the Fire Dragon Incarnate was the more sympathetic one. Yeodong-bin felt her emotions as the flames of the Fire Dragon Sword gradually dulled.

What should he do?

But in the end, Yeodong-bin made up his mind and lifted the sword technique. At his stance, the imugi closed its eyes as though surrendering everything.

Yeodong-bin shouted with all his might.

“Ha!”

Whoosh!

His sword moved with incredible speed, and the imugi’s head flew through the air. Given the size of the creature, its heavy head hit the ground, rumbling throughout the cave. Yeodong-bin raised the head, channeling his internal power and intent, then returned to Master Mangnyang.

Upon his return, Master Mangnyang’s voice echoed in his mind.

[Yeodong-bin. You’ve returned?]

“Yes. I’ve slain the imugi.”

Swish!

As Yeodong-bin responded, the scenery around shifted, the village vanished, and he found himself floating in a void, surrounded by nothingness. All was colored in white, with no existence in this emptiness.

From the opposite side, dark bubbles began to ooze forth, slowly forming into a humanoid shape. This form transformed into that of a somewhat gaunt man, his face chillingly devoid of expression.

After manifesting in the void, Master Mangnyang spoke to Yeodong-bin.

[You followed my command and slayed the imugi. Do you have no regrets about that action?]

“… Not entirely.”

Yeodong-bin replied honestly. Master Mangnyang continued.

[You’ve sought me out for power. To gain this power, you must follow my command. So ultimately, what is your reason for seeking power?]

“I must defeat the colossal dragon that will soon descend if we are to save the human world.”

[That is your great desire. Then I will ask again.]

Master Mangnyang’s unemotional gaze bore down on Yeodong-bin.

[Was the imugi sacrificed for the greater good? Or was it sacrificed for your personal desires?]

“……”

Yeodong-bin bit his lip, confronted with a sudden, piercing question that struck at his conscience. After a moment’s thought, he responded.

“If you hadn’t commanded me, I wouldn’t have deliberately slain it.”

[But you did. You trampled the imugi’s hope for the sake of gaining power without caring.]

“Isn’t that a stretch?”

[A stretch? Why do you not even consider the option of refusing my orders?]

“……”

How could he refuse?

With the lives of countless souls resting on his shoulders!

While Yeodong-bin simmered with frustration, Master Mangnyang continued.

[You pursue power blindly, without knowing what the colossal dragon is or what will happen when it descends. I don’t see how you’re different from that dragon.]

“What are you talking about? It’s only natural to prepare for the upcoming calamity…”

[Is it really natural? The fact that the imugi died because of your so-called great desire doesn’t change. You too are just a weak-minded person seeking a way to overcome this crisis with my power.]

“Ugh.”

Swoosh!

Just then, the immense head of the imugi Yeodong-bin was holding vanished. Startled, he looked to his side and saw particles of light swirling away. Then, Master Mangnyang remarked.

[In the future… someone with strong will shall attempt to escape the fate of doom. He will conduct a ceremony to prevent a calamity that would slay hundreds of millions, but to do so, thirty thousand innocent lives must be sacrificed. Under such circumstances, would you stop him?]

Yeodong-bin answered firmly.

“I would stop him.”

[Why? Thirty thousand is far less than hundreds of millions, isn’t it?]

“Human lives cannot be judged by numbers.”

In response, Master Mangnyang retorted lightly.

[Indeed. The imugi’s dream, forged over two thousand years, holds no particular importance compared to the preservation of a whole empire’s populace. How very clear-cut.]

“……”

As Yeodong-bin was left speechless, feeling cornered, Master Mangnyang appeared to smirk.

[What I just mentioned was one of the parallel worlds I’ve observed. But strangely… although there are infinite parallel worlds leading to doom, the likelihood of them being actualized always exists while simultaneously not existing. Moreover, predicting fates after the end is impossible, shrouded in a curious closure, as if someone has deliberately sealed it away.]

“……?”

[Yeodong-bin. What were you expecting when you came to me? You want to borrow my power to stop the calamity the dragon will unleash, but is that your only true goal?]

Yeodong-bin felt confused.

He sensed that Master Mangnyang disapproved of him—and he could guess it stemmed from the slaying of the imugi. Yet discerning what Master Mangnyang truly wanted from the conversation was impossible; the dimension of his thoughts was too vast for Yeodong-bin to grasp.

Ultimately, with a hint of resignation, Yeodong-bin decided to speak honestly.

“I want to find peace in this world. I can no longer bear the sight of innocent, unjust lives being brutally snuffed out. For that, I am prepared to become an Asura and tread the thorny path if need be. I hold no greater desires than that.”

As he cried out, Master Mangnyang coldly replied.

[How similar. You claim to save this world, yet insist on accepting trivial sacrifices for a greater purpose; it’s quite the same. There have been many like you in the past.]

“… I won’t ask again.”

Yeodong-bin glared at Master Mangnyang.

“You must be satisfied after playing with me this much. I apologize for rashly seeking your power. I shall take my leave!”

Just as he shouted this, the brilliance enveloped his body, pulling him back from the void into reality. He found himself lying in a small shrine.

‘Where is this…?’

This shrine was brimming with a divine aura, and at the front, something was being offered. Upon peering closer, Yeodong-bin realized it was a lizard’s tail. Staring intently at the small reptilian appendage, a voice rang out in his head.

[Yeodong-bin. The celestial realm is not absolute justice. It’s merely a management system created by gods to oversee the human world, and it cannot escape the fate of doom. Even if you stop the colossal dragon, it would ultimately amount to futile struggles.]

“……!!”

[This world shall perish in a few hundred years. There is no escape from it by any means. On the day the constellation descends, everything will be destroyed, ravaged by chaos. The echoes of ten thousand demons will consume flesh and blood, and the world will meet its end in sorrow.]

Yeodong-bin’s heart sank.

Though it felt like Master Mangnyang was mocking him, what such a divine being said about the celestial realm and doom was not something to be taken lightly. According to those words, no matter how hard he tried, despair was all that awaited him in the future. While Yeodong-bin froze in place, Master Mangnyang continued.

[And you have just shown me the limits of a human hero. Great desires, sacrifices… an overwhelming contradiction that cannot be overcome when faced with reality. As long as you possess such limits, a mere human can never triumph over a god and will only continue to be played with and subjugated. For with the gods, good and evil hold no meaning.]

“Master Mangnyang, what do you wish from me?”

[Your willpower.]

Flare!

In that instant, a pale, white visage akin to a ghost was summoned before Yeodong-bin. Overcome by a momentary cosmic fear, he staggered backward, and Master Mangnyang conveyed his will through this spectral manifestation.

[Far away lies a being who wishes to impart his will to the world. If you truly want to overcome all contradictions and absurdities to save it, I will arrange a way for you to contact ‘that being.’ However, the moment you choose this path, you will suffer endless despair and pain as you await doom.]

“……”

[Let me say again, this is a path filled with absurdity and suffering. It would be a hundredfold harder than breaking the colossal dragon and living a life of comfort as the celestial sword master. Would you still accept it?]

Yeodong-bin understood the implications of Master Mangnyang’s words.

And he trembled.

‘… A cosmic being. Does he mean… a being equivalent to a [Master]?!’

Moreover, it was indisputable that the moment he connected with that being, the task at hand would far surpass anything akin to quelling the current demon threats, binding his soul to a path of destiny laden with suffering. If Master Mangnyang was warning him directly, it was certain to be a dark path indeed.

Yeodong-bin found himself contemplating for a moment.

Was it truly necessary to acquire that much power?

Did he really have to plead so desperately for the sake of all living beings?

In that moment, a girl with a floral headpiece flashed through his mind.

“I will accept.”

[Very well. Henceforth, I shall link you with ‘that being’…]

Yeodong-bin could not conceal his tension. He had no choice but to prepare himself with fierce determination, stronger than when facing any formidable foe.

[In truth, I don’t really know who that being is. I’ll only provide the connection, and you’ll have to figure it out yourself.]

Bright light engulfed him.

And – Yeodong-bin met the Martial God for the first time.