NOVEL NEXT Chapter 680
Chapter 680: The Dark Heaven Village
As I raised my opponent, he wore a strange expression.
“Baek Woong, do you know about Demiurge?”
“Uh? That… fake god, right?”
“How do you know that my goal is the Revelation of the End and that I am reaching for Aion?”
“……”
“Sure, Zhuge Sa might have told you, but… could he really have explored me to that extent? Hehe.”
Suddenly, the shape of my opponent seemed to waver. It looked like he couldn’t withstand the powerful magical aura, causing the space to distort. I recognized that his reaction was distinctly hostile and realized I had made a mistake in my words.
‘Ugh, damn…!! I thought what I heard back then was bragging…’
In the past, we had attacked the Demon King of the Fengshen War together, and during that time, he confidently shouted that he was destined to become the God King Demiurge and aimed for Aion. I thought it was just his own bravado, but it turned out he was revealing his true objective!
‘Did he consider us a genuine threat and earnestly declare himself?’
Was that information truly that important?!
Just as I was bewildered by this unexpected blunder, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens released her aura behind me.
Wooooo—
[If you wish to fight, I will grant your desire.]
“Hmmm… that’s not quite right. Calm down.”
Feeling the pressure from the Mysterious Woman, the Demon King of the Fengshen War took a step back. He continued with a peculiar smile.
“Fighting a powerful being like you won’t yield any profit for me… It would be hard to win, and I can’t waste my strength on such trivial matters.”
[So?]
“Shall we have a conversation?”
It seemed the Mysterious Woman’s power was indeed greater than the Demon King’s. Realizing his chances of winning were low, he decided to back off and try to negotiate. It was the nature of demon sorcerers to be weak against the strong and strong against the weak, and I could confirm that I had a slight advantage right now.
‘But I must not underestimate that guy…’
Fortunately, I had somehow made the Heavenly Mysterious Woman my ally; otherwise, I would have already faced death twice since returning to reality. Whether it was the Sorcerer Cheon Gong-pyo or the Demon King of the Fengshen War, they were absolute powers far beyond my original capabilities, so I had to be cautious. No matter how much the Heavenly Mysterious Woman was on my side, I couldn’t rely on her help forever.
I calmly stated my purpose.
“I believe one of my allies, Jin So-cheong, is here. His soul seems unstable. Do you happen to have him?”
“You came for that, after all.”
After I focused on the way he spoke, the Demon King instantly teleported to his throne and said,
“Zhuge Sa made a contract with me to protect him. Moreover, Jin So-cheong is currently residing in the Otherworld I created.”
“You made a contract with Zhuge Sa? What kind of contract is it?”
“A contract to protect him from enemies targeting Jin So-cheong. The reason his soul appears unstable is that I’ve concealed all search abilities with my magic.”
So that’s what it was.
But considering someone managed to find him despite the Demon King’s magic hiding him, it was certain that the Mysterious Woman’s Corpse Dissolution Technique was far superior. The flickering feeling I sensed was probably due to magical interference.
I said to the Demon King,
“I know you’re not one to do something for free, no matter how benevolent you are. What did Zhuge Sa offer you?”
“I see no reason to tell you about the terms of the contract…?”
“Zhuge Sa is already dead. I presume he did everything he could to take care of his remaining allies. From now on, I must take responsibility for my ally’s well-being.”
“Hmm. You consider Zhuge Sa an ally…?”
The Demon King chuckled, as if finding it amusing.
“It seems we have quite a bit to discuss. First, let’s clarify one thing.”
“What do you want to say?”
“I can give you the information you desire. But what do you intend to give me in return?”
“……”
The words “What do you want?” didn’t easily come to my lips. Because even if I wanted to give something, most of my treasures, including the National Seal, had vanished, and I had already offered my only energy to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. I hardly had anything besides the Seven Luminaries and the Fire Dragon Sword with the Ruyi Staff. Offering the Fire Dragon Sword or Ruyi Staff to the Demon King was an unthinkable choice.
As I hesitated, the Demon King continued.
“Since it’s a contract, if you want, I can return Jin So-cheong to you. However, without offering something in return, I cannot give you more information.”
“Are you asking for a tribute?”
“Uh-huh. I can assure you that I possess information that will surprise you.”
What should I do?
It seemed Zhuge Sa had set the contract terms such that if I came with my allies, he would return Jin So-cheong. So getting him back would presumably be easy. But it also seemed that the Demon King had information of significant value, one that might shake the current situation. I needed to comprehend the circumstances surrounding Zhuge Sa’s request to know what Zhuge Sa or Mangnyang did and wanted before their deaths.
However, I had nothing substantial to give that would satisfy the Demon King. The Ruyi Staff and Fire Dragon Sword were my trump cards, and I couldn’t hand them over lightly. If only I had strategists around me, they might have come up with a plan, but nothing came to mind. Reluctantly, I opened my mouth.
“… Please just return Jin So-cheong. If you’ve placed any curses, brainwashing, or other magical bindings on him, please remove them all.”
“Don’t worry; I’ve already agreed to Zhuge Sa’s terms. Jin So-cheong is in perfect condition.”
He added,
“However, he’s been in the Otherworld for a long time, so he will be in a state of unconsciousness for a while.”
“What?!”
“Having been exposed to dense magical power for so long, he will get a shock when coming into contact with the atmosphere of the present world.”
Wooooo!
The next moment, Jin So-cheong’s body fell from the void, and I hurriedly channeled my Qi to catch him. Jin So-cheong’s complexion was somewhat pale, but I could certainly feel the vitality in his body trying to cling to life. Clenching my teeth, I glared at the Demon King.
“Is Jin So-cheong safe? When will he wake up?”
“I don’t know. Given his skills, he should wake up within a hundred days. I can stake my name that there’s no danger to his life.”
Thank goodness. I quickly infused my Qi into Jin So-cheong to strengthen his vitality before placing him into the Wooden Armor.
“Then I shall take my leave…”
I sighed in relief and turned to leave. At that moment, the Demon King called out to me from behind.
“Wait a moment.”
“Why? Even if I wanted to make a tribute, I have nothing.”
“You need not bring a tribute. Would you reconsider talking to me before you leave?”
Suddenly, he wanted to converse, and I felt perplexed. He had behaved like he wouldn’t reciprocate without offering something, so why the sudden change of heart? Perhaps he was trying to extract the information I held or lure me into a trap, so I firmly rejected the offer.
“I’m sorry, but I need to gather my allies as soon as possible.”
“It must be because of the Master of the Absolute Teachings?”
For a moment, I almost froze.
How could he possibly know that?
I quickly managed my expression, but it seemed the Demon King of the Fengshen War had already caught my agitation and chuckled.
“I’ve sprinkled my eyes and ears all over this world. And a spy in Golden Crow Island reported that the Master of the Absolute Teachings has suddenly returned. The timing coincides with your appearance; surely there’s a connection?”
“… What do you want?”
“As I said, I want to talk to you.”
His eyes briefly gleamed with blood-like intensity.
“It’s clear that you are at the center of this flow… so let’s talk, and if I like what I hear, I might grant you a magical treasure or lower the conditions of the contract.”
“……”
It seemed he was genuinely interested in me. I glanced at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman standing behind me, who transmitted her resolve to me.
[Accept it.]
[Is it really alright?]
[I will block his forbidden law. Opportunities to obtain information from a high-level existence like him are rare.]
[Understood.]
If the Heavenly Mysterious Woman guaranteed my safety, it would be a worthwhile challenge. I nodded in agreement and said,
“O great Demon King, I accept your proposal. But how should I address you?”
“Feel free to call me however you like…”
Suddenly, a huge banquet table appeared, adorned with all sorts of lavish foods and gold and silver treasures. It was undoubtedly created by magic, and the Demon King looked at me from across the table.
“How much do you know about Demiurge?”
“Hmm…”
Having learned magic and scholarship from Zhuge Sa, I spoke to the best of my knowledge.
“He’s the fake god who created this world, yet he is not the ‘real’ god. He merely created a simulated world, ultimately posing an obstacle to a complete world…”
“You seem to know quite a bit for an Eastern person. After all, you must have learned a lot from Zhuge Sa.”
The Demon King Simon Magus took a sip from his crimson goblet as he spoke.
“That’s right. I intend to become Demiurge.”
“… Isn’t that merely the philosophy of Gnosticism?”
A cruel smile danced on his lips.
“Who is the Master of Gnosticism? That would be me. I have been devouring the path of demons and building my power with magic long before the guardian of the Western regions appeared. I am the successor who has inherited the secret teachings left by the great sorcerers of the ancient continent. Thus, I am truly exploring the truths of the world.”
There was a hint of pride in his tone, reminiscent of a scholar. After all, those who became demon sorcerers often walked the thin line between insanity and genius.
As I contemplated Simon Magus’ words, I felt something was off and asked,
“Are you suggesting… that Demiurge truly exists?”
“Indeed.”
“That’s another name for the Old Ruler.”
“Bwahahaha…!”
The Demon King laughed heartily and said,
“Not at all. Demiurge is neither the Old Ruler nor an Outer God.”
“What? Then what is it?”
I had always thought the highest deity in the world was the Old Ruler, and that those above them were Outer Gods, yet now there was another classification?
As I became bewildered, Simon Magus remarked,
“As I said, that is a ‘fake god.’ However… everyone desires to become Demiurge. The higher the being, the more they yearn for it.”
“Why do they desire that?”
His voice became somewhat excited.
“Because by doing so, one can reach Aion and transcend the phenomenal world. To compare it to the Sephiroth, it’s comparable to reaching the 4th realm of Absolute. If one can reach ‘there’, everything in this world becomes worthless. The glory will be such that even the Tree of Sephirot and Ain Soph would seem trivial…”
“……?”
“Moreover, the minimum requirement to become Demiurge is the Revelation of the End. Thus, I’ve been gathering power until the time of the end.”
Bloodlust trickled from his eyes.
“I will become the last victor…”
“……”
I had no idea what he was talking about. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman appeared to be confused as well.
Could it be that he was toying with me, presuming I wouldn’t understand?
I sighed and said,
“I’m not well-versed in magical theory. I can hardly call myself a fraction of a sorcerer yet. What I currently desire is merely to rescue my allies.”
“Do you acknowledge your own ignorance?”
“Who among the Easterners can discuss the teachings of Gnosticism and the magic that has been honed for thousands of years?”
“Then let me cut to the chase. If you reveal everything you want and what happened with the Master of the Absolute Teachings, I shall bless you.”
“A blessing?”
The Demon King nodded.
“If you need power, I can grant it to you. After all, your destiny is intertwined with my blessing, so it won’t be that difficult.”
Well, the blessing of the Master of the Absolute Teachings had already been passed down through my reincarnation. In a sense, the Demon King before me could also be seen as a high-level existence related to me. I pondered for a moment and then asked,
“I’d like to know as well. Did Zhuge Sa perhaps offer his soul to you, completely reducing himself to your servant?”
“No. He is still my hostage, but has been granted a reprieve to go elsewhere.”
“Where did he go?”
“I can say no more. Now it seems it’s time for you to decide if you will engage in the transaction?”
“……”
Should I accept this deal?
If I were to disclose my current objectives and everything that transpired in the Dark Heaven Village, the Demon King would surely discern the situation and try to use me as a pawn to intervene in the present world. No, it was certain. I had confirmed in my past reincarnation that the essence of the Demon King was to want to interfere with the world as soon as he grasped causality.
But receiving a blessing from him would greatly assist me, given my current lack of strength. It was tempting enough to accept, even considering the possibility that it was another trap.
I thought for a while and then shook my head.
“Please give me a moment to consider. I still need to find a few more allies.”
“Fine. Then once you find them, come back to me.”
His eyes curved like a crescent moon. That smile was incredibly chilling.
“I’ll be waiting…”
Pa-at!
Leaving the Divine Temple of Juuban, I followed the guidance of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman to Liaoning Province.
‘I must find Seo Mun-hye.’
While things concerning Tang San and the Extreme Tiger were significant, I wanted to protect Seo Mun-hye first, as she seemed to be weaker in martial arts. Heading towards the northwestern part of Liaoning Province, I encountered a vast plain where desolate sandy winds blew, with nomadic villages scattered about.
‘Is this the boundary between the Central Plains and the Northern tribes…’
I searched for Seo Mun-hye’s aura. She must be nearby, as I’d easily discover her if I expanded my Qi sensing. Sure enough, after about a meal’s time of searching, I felt her presence.
“Seo Mun-hye!!”
“… Baek Woong…!!”
Seo Mun-hye looked at me with wide eyes, startled. She was sitting in front of what appeared to be ruins, but more like remnants. She seemed to have pitched a tent and had been here for a long time, looking rather shabby. After a moment, tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
“I can’t believe you’re alive… You made it back from the Dark Heaven Village!!”
“What happened? Why are you here… And what went on for the past five years?”
As I questioned Seo Mun-hye, she wiped her tears and glanced at the ruins behind her. The ruins seemed to have been broken for hundreds of years, making it hard to find any traces left, but it felt quite expansive.
“I came to Liaoning Province with my father during the attack. While searching for the [Grave of the God], my father fought Miyamoto Musashi and fell in battle… I was hoping against hope to find this ruin.”
“……?!”
Miyamoto Musashi killed the Sword Demon?!
I couldn’t grasp what was going on and questioned Seo Mun-hye.
“What happened?!”
“… It was horrifying.”
She bowed her head, her dark eyes telling the story.
“Everything crumbled that day…”