Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 7: Dark Heaven Village

“Faaaather!!!”

Moments later, Seo Mun-hye’s wails echoed, but she could feel the great seismic shift reverberating through the hall without any time to drown in sorrow.

Kugugugung!!

She realized the [Grave of the God] before her was closing at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, the entrance vanished as if washed away, leaving behind only a desolate plain. Beside her, Berus remarked,

“Fortunately, Jeon Wook didn’t get angry. Looks like it was handled cleanly enough for the entrance to shut quickly.”

“T-That…”

“There’s no longer any way for mortals to enter the [Grave of the God].”

“…”

“I’m going back to the homeland now. May your father rest in peace.”

Without looking back, Berus vanished, believing he had done enough. Seo Mun-hye bit her lip tightly.

She thought, ‘There’s no way out from here. There must be a way to get back in.’

The Sword Demon had died protecting her. Now, she thought her task was to remember the location of this ruin and search it further. Even if the tomb was closed, she should find clues by uncovering nearby historical sites or other ruins.

She needed to gather more clues for Baek Woong, who would return. And ideally, she hoped to open the [Grave of the God] once more.

Seo Mun-hye sent a message to summon the Shadowless Sect, tantamount to her companions. Yet strangely, after spending over a month in this plain, not a single response came. Given that the Shadowless Sect was waiting near Liaoning Province, it was peculiar.

She moved towards Liaoning to track down the Shadowless Sect and soon realized a startling fact through her investigation.

All the Shadowless Sect members were missing.

Not a single trace could be found, as if they had soared into the sky.

She wondered if they had been murdered, but there were no signs of that either.

Seo Mun-hye felt despair creeping in, but she couldn’t afford to sit idly. Adapting to the situation, she prepared her equipment for the ruin exploration. Meanwhile, she began gathering money to acquire information from scholars, merchants, and village elders. She wished to contact her companions, but with no knowledge of their whereabouts, moving recklessly could attract hostile forces, so she continued to roam the plain, hiding her identity.

During this time, Seo Mun-hye heard a voice in her mind.

[Can you hear me?]

The voice felt strange, yet she soon realized it was familiar. Like when the Sword Demon first heard it, she was taken by surprise.

“It’s you! Where are you?!”

[… I can’t speak long. It seems the Sword Demon failed to relay everything to you, so listen closely and follow my instructions now.]

The voice continued.

[We need a device that can transmit memories. It’s crucial to prepare for unexpected incidents. Moreover, since you’re one of the few survivors, you must know everything that’s happened to relay the memories to Baek Woong.]

“Do you know everything?”

[So far… But I plan to make contact with the companions one by one.]

“Alright. What do I do?”

[We need a magical artifact that can receive the power of the Underworld. On the night of the full moon, recite the command I give you by the lake.]

Seo Mun-hye felt incredulous.

[I don’t know anything about sorcery. Can I just recite the command?]

[Of course not. You need some knowledge of sorcery to comprehend it. But… For you, it should be possible.]

[……]

[In addition, I’ll teach you the basics of sorcery by the next full moon.]

Though Seo Mun-hye was skeptical about the voice’s plan, she had no other course of action. With the current devoid situation, she could only rely on its owner. She learned the basics of techniques from the voice while waiting for the next full moon.

When the time came, she headed to the marshlands along the southern coast. As the full moon rose, she began to recite the techniques and commands relayed to her, and the moonlight floating over the clear lake slowly began to distort.

Cha-at

Light streaming from the center of the lake gradually immersed the entire surface in a dark hue. Soon enough, the entire dark lake transformed into a colossal mirror shimmering silver, and a silhouette appeared, standing in the moonlight.

Seo Mun-hye spoke.

“It was real.”

The counterpart replied.

[Yes. This place has turned into the Void Space, connected to the very heart of the Underworld.]

“How did this happen?”

[… I can’t tell you yet.]

“Why not?”

[Because your chance of getting captured or brainwashed by enemies is high… If my whereabouts or secret moves were to be revealed, it could bring a great vulnerability to Baek Woong’s movements.]

Seo Mun-hye thought the other’s words made sense. Currently, she was wandering an isolated place like a lonesome orphan, far from the Martial Arts World, and if ‘enemies’ began targeting her, she’d be utterly helpless. Moreover, she had no Sword Demon or other companions to protect her.

Knowing the precedent, she recognized the credibility of the other’s statements. The counterpart said,

[No one knows when Baek Woong will return. However, I estimate it to be around five to ten years.]

“Is there a reason?”

[If it takes longer…]

He seemed poised to say more before sealing his lips and continuing.

[In any case, Seo Mun-hye, your task is to develop your skills while continuing your investigation of the [Grave of the God]. You just need to follow through with what you initially thought to do.]

“So you made me go through all this trouble just to say that?”

[Of course not. I will provide you with a clue and a power.]

“A clue? A power?”

The counterpart nodded.

[The reason the Shadowless Sect members suddenly went missing near the Divine City. This is what you are most curious about, right?]

“You mean you know where they are and what happened to them?”

[Of course.]

“Then why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”

[Because even if I told you now, you couldn’t save them. Your strength is insufficient.]

“……!!”

[The Shadowless Sect members are currently…]

The counterpart began detailing the events that had befallen the Shadowless Sect members and their present condition to Seo Mun-hye. After listening to the whole story, her heart brimmed with distress and despair. It became clear that, at present, there was no chance of rescuing the Shadowless Sect members. Drying her tears, she spoke.

“Isn’t there… isn’t there any way?”

[Not particularly. But they shouldn’t be directly harmed right now, so take comfort in that. At least they aren’t of the Otherworldly Race. They’ll likely be fine.]

“……”

[And the power I’ll give you is this mirror.]

Pa-at

A pitch-black handheld mirror appeared on Seo Mun-hye’s palm. Strangely, the mirror’s surface was completely stained in pure black, making it seem unusable. Additionally, as nothing reflected in it, distinguishing back from front was a hassle. As she inspected the handheld mirror, the counterpart spoke.

[This mirror is a divine treasure; it will gradually awaken the power sleeping inside you. I can’t say how far it can go, but it should suffice for self-defense. And later, whenever you wish to contact me, simply use the dark mirror.]

“… I have a question.”

[What is it?]

“Does that mean you won’t be contacting me anymore?”

[Yes. In fact, even the current communication has been rather risky and cautious… I would appreciate it if you only contacted me when Baek Woong returns.]

“I understand.”

[You’ll need to be informed, so I’ll transmit the minimum necessary memories to you.]

Then, Seo Mun-hye noticed the bizarre phenomenon had vanished, and the lake before her turned back to ordinary water. She found memories from the battle at the Divine City vividly returning to her. It was undoubtedly visual and auditory information collected by Zhuge Sa during the event. Yet she also realized some fragments were missing, presumably to limit information for any contingency.

Seo Mun-hye thought.

‘I must wait.’

When Baek Woong would return was uncertain, but she couldn’t afford to waste a single day. Her father, the Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong, had risked his life to protect her, so she had to carry on his legacy until he returned. From that day on, she dedicated every spare moment to finding texts and seeking scholars while sometimes concealing her aura, diligently training in martial arts in hidden valleys.

And thus, five years passed.
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“Baek Woong! Can you hear me?”

I responded, sprinting through the nameless mountains, following Seo Mun-hye.

“I can hear you well.”

Ta-daht

While I leaped among branches, every detail of her story resonated clearly in my ears.

As soon as I joined Seo Mun-hye, we left the ancient ruins and headed toward the lake in the south under her guidance. During that journey, I kept listening to her long tale. A few parts were a bit vague, as she seemingly glossed over some details.

‘We’re about twenty li away from the lake now?’

We were nearly there. At this pace, we would arrive soon.

Swoosh…

Once we arrived at the lakeshore, Seo Mun-hye and I silently gazed at the night lake. The lake stretched vast, at least twenty li in radius. Not elongated but wide, making it feel even more expansive.

“……”

As I thought about the story I had heard, spanning around five years, I felt an indescribable surge of emotions. I had thought I endured countless hardships coming from Dark Heaven Village, yet my comrades had suffered even more. Moreover, the news of the Sword Demon’s death hit me like a harbinger of calamity.

Right now, I wished to pay my respects to the Sword Demon, but Seo Mun-hye had led me to the lake instead, claiming there was no time for that. Knowing she was the Sword Demon’s daughter, it was likely she wanted to perform that rite, but her understanding of her burden’s gravity made her lead me here instead.

Looking at the sky, I spoke.

“It’s night, but tonight’s a crescent moon. Doesn’t that make calling it difficult?”

To my question, Seo Mun-hye pulled out the dark mirror from her bosom and replied.

“That’s not true, Baek Woong. You must use this mirror.”

Then she raised her voice towards the sky.

[By the strength of the Mirror of the Underworld, I command you to come forth, full moon!]

Pa-at

In that moment, the crescent moon hanging over the lake suddenly transformed into a full moon. It was an impossible event, appearing almost as if the dark mirror had conjured a miracle temporarily. And as the full moon rose above the lake, Seo Mun-hye began reciting additional commands.

I watched her in quiet astonishment.

‘She’s probably only learned the basics of sorcery, but she seems to have reached the intermediate sorcerer level already…’

Though she had persistently trained for five years, could someone truly accumulate such sorcery prowess with only a basic foundation? I was once again convinced of Seo Mun-hye’s remarkable talent.

Splash!

Moments later, as she tossed the dark mirror into the lake, just as she said, the entire lake transformed into murky dark hues, then began to shimmer with silvery light.

Woosh…

In the center of the silver lake stood a human figure.

I realized ‘that’ was the person Seo Mun-hye referred to, the one who had guided her all along. He was someone I recognized well, but his face appeared drawn and haggard. As soon as I saw him, I spoke in a quivering voice.

“You’re… alive…”

He smiled faintly and replied,

[Having entered the heart of the Underworld, one cannot say they live or die. Yet I still have power left to assist you, Baek Woong.]

“…….”

What could I possibly say?

When I first heard the Sword Demon had died, I was engulfed in sadness, but now, my emotions felt different. Feeling the dedication of my comrades, who had strived through all this, I experienced an overwhelming fear of whether I could truly help them.

But I couldn’t afford to weaken now, so I clenched my fists and addressed him.

“Please help me, Mangnyang.”

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