NOVEL NEXT Chapter 834
True Martial Home
“You’re saying you can escape this universe by obtaining the Fruit of Good and Evil?”
The words of the Old Ruler, Relcrobaus, echoed Dr. Faust’s plan of escaping the multiverse. Mephistopheles responded to his claim.
“No matter how much you obtain the Fruit of Good and Evil, you cannot transcend the chaos that you are; you can’t cross the gaps of the universe. You cannot act against that which exists in the opposite of chaos.”
“I am aware of that fact. Parallel worlds and the multiverse are not the same. The existence of a Master can interfere across all parallel worlds by transcending time and space, but because the multiverse possesses distinct {Wheels}, you cannot.”
Relcrobaus fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“However, the Evil God promised me salvation. With that, I shall have the ability to flee this ultimate destruction.”
“….”
“Hand over the Fruit of Good and Evil, and I shall recognize you, Mephisto, as a part of the Master and take you to the New World.”
“How interesting.”
“I can feel that the ritual for the ascension of the Throne is drawing near. You are the first type of Master to appear in this universe… born of human hands and transcended as a god of machines, accept my offer.”
Evil God?!
Did Relcrobaus actually join hands with the Evil God?!
‘Come to think of it, that Evil God hasn’t shown itself at all in this instance! Is he conspiring something with that bastard?’
And did that mean the Evil God had the ability to cross the multiverse as long as he had the Fruit of Good and Evil?
As I carefully gathered information from the situation, Mephistopheles opened his mouth.
“The Lord, the Supreme One, has gifted you unrelenting destruction so that you can achieve eternity. How dare you attempt to escape that fate? The title of Master you possess is merely another name for eternal torment.”
He circled his words, but it was clearly mockery aimed at Relcrobaus. Despite presiding over chaos as the supreme being of the universe, was he now trying to run away from the great catastrophe invoked by the [Father]? Relcrobaus responded to Mephistopheles’ words.
“That being makes everything unfortunate. No matter how great a being’s will, can one really be entrapped in an eternal dream and be reduced to a mere ornament of narrative?”
“….”
“The will to resist the choking of fate itself is also a part of that being.”
“You’re allowing yourselves to be dominated while ruling over Purgatory. You cling to the vague omnipotence of the Absolute but are discarding the dignity of that Absolute, Master. Do you not realize you are swayed by desire just like those mortals you scorn?”
Mephistopheles mocked Relcrobaus and continued.
“I am Mephistopheles, the god of machinery crafted by humanity (Deus Ex Machina). The humanity that should be protected is no longer present, but to dispel your intentions shall be the last pride of mankind.”
“Very well. Crushing the pride of the Machine God shall become the final pastime of this world.”
Kuuuuh
With a body as massive as the continent, Relcrobaus lifted one of his tentacles and cast a spell. I couldn’t identify the nature of that magic, but in that instant, a terrifyingly vast area of time and space warped, birthing a dark force field. Dr. Faust warned next to me.
“The Master is using all of their magic to collapse the gravity in this area.”
“What will happen then?”
“When the grave of the universe manifests, even the Gigant Machine will not endure it. We must end this before their magic reaches fruition!”
With that shout, Dr. Faust continued.
“Mephisto will aid you. Get out of the cockpit and hit the Red Bow with the White Arrow!”
“I got it!”
“And since you’ve taken quite a beating, I’ll treat you with nanomachines.”
As Dr. Faust finished speaking, the visible wounds all over my body began to heal remarkably. The injuries that would normally take months to stabilize were instantly restored by the nanomachines. While it wasn’t the same level of recovery as that of the Wood Element, it was a significant help.
Wiying
I stepped out of the cockpit with the Red Bow in hand. It was my first time holding the Red Bow by my own will, and it felt strange. I drew back the bowstring firmly and, once I found my steady posture, took a deep breath.
“I learned how to shoot a bow at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School….”
Lee Kwang was practical, thus not only teaching swordplay and spear techniques but also how to shoot arrows and ride horses, which could be beneficial in real combat. So, while I couldn’t claim to be an expert archer, I at least knew how to shoot at a basic level.
However, the distance between Relcrobaus and me was at least twenty li, making hitting the target seem impossible. Even if I infused a powerful internal force into my shots, the range wouldn’t exceed five li.
“Right! Let’s awaken the spirit of the Red Bow!”
As soon as I thought of that, I channeled my Yin Spirit Power into the Red Bow. Colors erupted from the Red Bow, brilliant red and pure white intertwining, and a voice soon resonated in my mind.
“Did you summon me?”
“Yes! I need to hit that Evil God with all nine arrows from the Red Bow. If all hit, it can kill him. Can you help me hit them all?”
“….”
“As you can see, it’s too far!”
The spirit responded, “Distance is irrelevant. We have the ability to hit from any distance. Nonetheless, your archery seems rather trivial.”
As expected of a divine artifact, it seemed to gauge my capabilities at a glance. But I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
“…Damn it! My specialty is swordplay! Of course my archery is trivial! And I have this ability; what does it matter about my archery!”
“Shooting is not all there is to archery. When the nine arrows strike, they must all pierce the target’s core at a single point, and that requires advanced skill.”
“Are you saying the pinpoint shot can’t be achieved with the hitting ability?”
“The opponent’s magic will hinder our abilities. Moreover, even a slight deviation can significantly affect the power; thus, overcoming that resistance relies on the user’s archery skills.”
“Hmm….”
I gritted my teeth. It seemed the spirit of the Red Bow was lacking in power to penetrate the protective magic around the core of the Old Ruler, and without archery skills comparable to that of Xiang Yu, pinpointing wouldn’t be possible.
But after thinking it through, I realized I lacked the skills to achieve anything close. To gain such skills, I would need to practice archery for over a hundred years. It required a precision level that could pierce a needle hole from hundreds of paces away.
Swaat
As I was pondering, the phantom of Mephistopheles appeared before me.
“Mephisto!”
“Reborn person. I shall lend you my computational abilities. Leave the trajectory calculations to me.”
Zzzzzzzz
The moment Mephistopheles grabbed my hand, thoughts began swirling in my mind at an incredible pace. It was as if the world were a collection of zeros and ones, and soon those numbers disappeared, revealing a terrifying point of infinite numbers. Staring, awestruck, at the vast microcosm I observed, Mephistopheles said.
“I fell short of becoming Laplace’s Demon. The reason is that fully interpreting the law of cause and effect in this world is impossible even for a transcendent AI. But you, the Reborn person, are beginning to transcend that law, so I entrust everything to you.”
“Is there a way for us to survive if we take that guy down?”
“That will be a story for later.”
“Alright!”
I aimed the Red Bow at the Old Ruler. At the same time, I fired the first shot of the White Arrow at the Master.
Thwock!!
“I hit it!”
In that moment, I realized that the combined powers of the Red Bow’s spirit and Mephisto’s abilities had directly penetrated the core of the Old Ruler, Relcrobaus. However, it felt as if hitting an egg against a rock due to the massive magic protecting it.
I grimaced slightly, and the spirit of the Red Bow spoke.
“Do not be disappointed, my master. You have yet to grasp the true power of this Red Bow.”
“The true power?”
“Each successful hit multiplies its power by four; that is the real strength of this arrow.”
“……!!”
“If all nine arrows hit, they can eliminate anyone. The only problem is hitting them all… The former master of ours, Xiang Yu, possessed archery skills that guaranteed every shot, eliminating all twelve from the Eighth Sovereigns’ offspring in the mythical era, thus celebrated as the Strongest.”
Wha…what?!
I was aghast, but I began to draw conclusions.
“Who said it couldn’t break through? This should be simple. I’ve only fired twice.”
“Indeed! Damn it… I managed to make it up to seven shots somehow, but the last two were impossible. If I messed up, I’d have been hit in the heart and died. My body is a low-grade alloy, and this damn arrow is just too strong….”
Xiang Yu had confirmed that his eighth shot could certainly break through the Flame Elemental’s barrier, and when he faced the Celestial Sage one-on-one, he also acknowledged that he was unable to do so with the eighth shot. Particularly, the Celestial Sage felt he was genuinely about to die, implying that the spirit’s words held immense gravity.
“If all nine arrows hit, the first shot’s power would become 65,000 times greater!”
That meant I could indeed kill the Old Ruler!
No matter how powerful the divine status, sustaining such a hit to the core would leave them unable to endure.
I steeled myself and re-readied the White Arrow. Then I fired again.
Whooosh!
Whooosh!
Using the help of my computational abilities, I swiftly shot again, and in an instant, all five arrows struck the Master’s core. But even with the power already magnified a thousandfold, the Old Ruler showed no signs of discomfort, not even flinching or blocking.
“What…the heck? What kind of durability is that….”
Unlike the first shot of Xiang Yu’s White Arrow, which could obliterate a Great Demon with a single hit, hitting a thousand times might suggest I could destroy a thousand Great Demons. Yet, it felt as if the Master’s defenses were impenetrable. I suddenly realized how truly monstrous the Old Ruler right in front of me was, but I gritted my teeth and shot the White Arrow again.
Whooosh!
As the seventh shot hit, the Old Ruler finally reacted, seeming annoyed and let out a scornful growl.
“Are you trying to eliminate me with your bothersome little toy? What a futile endeavor!”
Fwooosh
At that moment, a powerful magic barrier spread across Relcrobaus’ entire body, its fortitude appearing thousands of times stronger than before. It hit me in the face with the realization that this single being could easily annihilate an entire civilization, and the moment the barrier manifested, half of the Gigant Machines bombarding the Master were destroyed.
Kaboom!
Kaboom!!
The Gigant Machines, forged from metals hundreds of times stronger than titanium alloys, erupted under the power of Relcrobaus’ magic. It was an otherworldly sight where dozens disintegrated with a single spell. Facing such a being would undoubtedly elicit a feeling of despair regarding scientific advancements.
I dodged the magical waves, smoothly retreating while concentrating to fire my eighth shot.
Fwoosh
Kaboom!!
“I hit!”
This time, the reaction was different from before. Relcrobaus slightly staggered, and an ominous sound echoed around. Suddenly, a massive eye opened in the middle of one of his tentacles, glaring at me.
“Impudent mortal! Suffer my curse!!”
Kugugugu
“…?”
Even though he stared at me intensely, I felt no curse lingering against me, leaving me puzzled. Was it a type of delayed curse? But strangely, it did not seem to work, and Relcrobaus began to panic.
“No, is this possible…? Could there be someone stronger than I with a curse already cast…? Yet how can he still be alive? That shouldn’t exist!!”
Swoosh
I took aim at the final ninth arrow. Relcrobaus, unlike a true Master, raised all of his tentacles to form a physical wall, but I knew that I could ignore his defenses, so I fired the last White Arrow.
Swooosh –
Kaboom!!!
The White Arrow, packed with the 65,000 times power, directly pierced the core of the Old Ruler. Relcrobaus let out a horrific cry, momentarily kneeling, but then slowly raised his body.
“Pathetic!! It hurts, but you thought you could eliminate an Evil God with just that? I shall punish your arrogant delusions!”
“Huh….”
The next moment, I felt my body freeze. It was as if all of Relcrobaus’ magic focused solely on me, and I found myself unable to move. This was not simply a curse; it was as if thousands of spells had struck me simultaneously, leaving me powerless.
“Argh…, you monstrous bastard!!”
I felt incredulity rise within me. Something like this survived after suffering a direct hit of 65,000 times the impact to the core? I could feel that Relcrobaus wasn’t even among the stronger of the Masters, leaving me in complete disbelief. Perhaps the power required to conquer a Master was far beyond my initial estimations.
At that very moment.
“Kuoooo… Oooooo…!!”
Relcrobaus’ magic suddenly unraveled, and his massive body froze in place. Mephistopheles’ voice erupted into the ether.
“Of course, it’s impossible for a being who has devoured 29 galactic civilizations like Relcrobaus to be eliminated so easily. However, I can corrupt you.”
“Mephistopheles…!!”
Whoosh
The colossal and malevolent apparition of the demon began to envelop Relcrobaus’ tentacled form. Furthermore, in the spots touched by Mephistopheles, a rapid decay set in, and Relcrobaus’ form quickly began to wither.
As I watched the unusual scene unfold, the phantom of Faust appeared next to me.
“This is the end for us. Baek Woong….”
“Faust! What’s happening?”
“You have packed Mephistopheles’ entire existence into the ninth arrow you just shot. And Mephisto is using the computational power of information lifeforms to crack Relcrobaus down.”
“……!!”
“That Master shall perish. However, the last strongest AI, Mephisto…, and I who depended on her for survival will also vanish….”
Srose
The apparition of Faust gradually dimmed. He looked at me for a moment and said.
“Baek Woong… now there is one place you must go.”
“Where must I go?”
“Head towards the wavelength of light you witnessed.”
A moment later, Dr. Faust extended his hand for a handshake. As I instinctively took his hand, he whispered his final words as he faded away.
“The Throne… if it’s you, you’ll be able to enter it….”
Kuwaaaaaah
The Old Ruler, Relcrobaus, enveloped in pink mist, quivered in agony. He wailed intensely.
“Ooooo! To be trapped in the dream of my Father and become an endless dream’s ornament! Stop! Is it wrong to refuse my fate!”
Mephistopheles coldly replied to those words.
“Only the eternal dream will continue.”
“You bastard…!!”
“Then let us go together—into hell.”
Paat!!
The two beings vanquished almost simultaneously, and the Gigant Machines hovering above disintegrated into pieces, crashing down to the earth. With the collapse of the gravity Relcrobaus produced, the grounds surrounding the World Tree began to shrink. With Mephistopheles’ dissolution, the World Tree lost its life as well.
“…….”
I stared into the face of complete finality and destruction, remaining silent for a while.
And I sensed the last moment approaching me.
“It’s time to go.”
The location where the ‘Revelation’ occurs.
Reaching there will be my final challenge in this lifetime.