Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

“Hmph.”

In response to my question, the celestial disregarded it as if it held no value. However, unexpectedly, it was Gin Nara who reacted. His true form resembled a bizarre creature akin to a long-necked human-faced bird, the legendary Garuda. Gin Nara looked straight at me and replied.

“Indeed. Our lord will save humanity.”

“Gin Nara! Why are you answering the enemy’s question?”

The celestial reprimanded Gin Nara, but he responded calmly.

“If he is such a worthy opponent as acknowledged by our lord, then I should at least inform him. That’s only proper etiquette toward an arch-enemy, is it not?”

“… Are you planning to play games with him? We shall take our leave now.”

“Don’t be so uptight. Talking with that guy won’t cause any catastrophe.”

While Gin Nara was grumbling, I seized the moment to ask again without losing momentum.

“Gin Nara, I heard you were a great sage of Cheonchuk in your past life.”

“That is correct.”

“Could it be that all of you from the Eight Parts of the Divine were originally heroes, and you resonate with Cheonhil’s desire to save humanity, hence your loyalty to him?”

“Isn’t that obvious? There exists no one other than him who can definitively rescue humanity from the fate of destruction.”

“…”

“That individual is the light of humanity, the embodiment of glory, the true king of humans.”

Gin Nara spoke with immense pride. It was hard to believe that even after transforming into a mythical being, he maintained such loyalty. The moment he transcended humanity, emotions of joy, anger, and desire should have transformed into standards for a transcendent being, yet his loyalty to Cheonhil overshadowed those physical changes. It was an unwavering belief that made the following of Empress Wu Zetian’s people seem trivial in comparison.

‘Those guys will absolutely never betray Cheonhil…’

Even without speaking it outright, Gin Nara’s statement resonated with the eyes of all the Eight Parts of the Divine. They were individuals who would never betray even if torn apart by the hands of Cheong-yong or Jeon Wook. For those with such steadfast beliefs, no amount of bribery or torture could ever sway their resolve.

I said to Gin Nara, “So this is strange. Our goal, after all, is also to save humanity from destruction and revelation. So we could join forces, couldn’t we?”

“Join forces?”

I nodded.

“If Cheonhil can truly save humanity completely, I would follow him. Yet he never articulates his goals but only suppresses the remaining humans; how can I follow someone like that?”

“How laughable. Then why did you reject Lord Cheonhil’s proposal the other day?”

“As I mentioned before, it seems your lord is not merely trying to save humanity. Doesn’t it seem like there’s another purpose behind it?”

“That’s a ridiculous notion… Do you think every human deserves salvation? The ones doomed should die.”

“What?”

What did Gin Nara just say?

Gin Nara nonchalantly responded, “Baek Woong, I now see what kind of human you are. A child wrapped in absurd delusions.”

“Is it not you who are entrapped in delusion? You think it’s fine if everyone else dies as long as you don’t follow me.”

When I retorted, Gin Nara crossed his arms and nodded, as if it were obvious.

“Absolutely! We will only save the humans deemed necessary. All others will be eliminated as they pose an obstacle to our lord.”

“…”

“The Twelve Joules and the White Lotus Sect were eradicated for that very reason. Not just them, but anyone who opposed us has been taken out. Our Eight Parts of the Divine have traversed the world to root out any potential threats. Those attempting to uncover our lord’s identity deserve death.”

“… Are you speaking sincerely?”

“Then let me ask you. Baek Woong, do you think humans moved with a united heart and mind back in the ancient times when their numbers were few? Even then, humanity was anything but harmonious. Thousands of years ago in Cheonchuk, amidst merely thousands of humans, dozens of groups and ideologies clashed. No one endeavored to understand one another.”

“… Hmm.”

“Given the billions of humans currently inhabiting this world—no, let’s say 300 million—those numbers are thousands of times greater than before.”

Gin Nara continued his mockery.

“Ha! Do you seriously believe it’s possible to gather the will of all of them, leading them harmoniously against God? Especially while navigating the vile Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors along with the ‘Old Ruler’?”

“… That’s.”

“Even during the time I was still human, I never held such absurd dreams. It is an irrefutable truth that a singular will imbued with immense power must dominate all other forces, assimilating them. In that process, any violence may be employed… you see?”

“……”

“We are the truest. Our king is the king of humanity itself. And we, who have transcended humanity to obtain divine power, are the ones who choose worthy humans and deliver them salvation. Do you understand why I find your words so childish?”

I grasped Gin Nara’s insinuation.

In essence, Cheonhil’s faction dismisses the myriad heroes or sages among humans, viewing their attempts to save humanity as cumbersome and opting to focus solely on their own methods while eliminating all humans that obstruct their path. I sensed arrogance from that statement and burst out in anger.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Aren’t you exactly the same?”

“What?”

“The alliance of the White Lotus Sect and Twelve Joules perished utterly in the World Tree War five years ago. Of course, we won in open combat, but you know there was a true instigator behind their downfall. That would be you, Baek Woong, and your followers.”

“…”

“You all were also planning to dispose of the White Lotus Sect and Twelve Joules, weren’t you? What’s the difference?”

Though Gin Nara merely speculated that I would be the culprit, he had astonishingly approached the truth. I had no retort to Gin Nara’s words. Although it was indeed a plot of the Zhuge Clan, regardless, eradicating the White Lotus Sect and Twelve Joules had undeniably made things much easier for us.

I glared at Gin Nara and said, “It’s not the same.”

“It is. Humans are, by nature, mere remnants of chaos, inherently wicked since birth. They are foolish yet think they are superior, selfish in nature. We all realized in our human days that no good intentions could save anyone…”

Gin Nara mumbled as if reminiscing.

“In this world, there exists no promotion of good and punishment of evil. If punitive justice runs rampant, the wisest choice would be for us to fall into depravity too! Yet, our lord, Cheonhil, stands as the great superhuman and God, guiding us to ensure we do not descend into essential evil.”

“……”

Considering Gin Nara’s role as the strategist of the Eight Parts of the Divine sent chills down my spine. Even the strategist’s blind loyalty toward Cheonhil had morphed into fanaticism; what kind of existence is Cheonhil?

“Then it’s goodbye, Baek Woong. In the end, you were just an ordinary human.”

*Pa-at!*

Moments later, the Eight Parts of the Divine disappeared through spatial movement. I silently watched the void where they had been, and the prophet began to speak to me.

“How curious. You seemed like you had something more to say to the Eight Parts of the Divine, yet you held back…?”

“Because it was meaningless.”

I muttered, “It wouldn’t matter how sincerely I approached them; it would never get through.”

An enemy with conviction.

This wasn’t my first encounter with such a being, but the Eight Parts of the Divine were different. It felt like they were unified under a single absolute monarch, even emanating a sense of faith. Trying to persuade them would be akin to speaking to a wall. In truth, Gin Nara’s logic was steadfast, and there were points I found myself intrigued by as I heard him out.

Indeed, Cheonhil seemed tremendously appealing from the perspective of the human race’s heroes. He had already attained divinity, placing himself on par with divine beings, and it appeared he had established a definite method to save humanity from demise. If I hadn’t come through my reincarnation without my own set of beliefs, it was very likely I would have been swept away by their words.

However—there is discomfort. That discomfort was precisely the reason I could readily reject Cheonhil’s proposal at the moment.

‘Why did Cheonhil bind an additional contract?’

Along with arrogance, an unsettling tension lingered. There appeared to be entities protecting Cheonhil, combined with him having established an additional contract with someone. Cheonhil also was deeply involved with the Seven Luminaries, yet it was Jeogok who fixated on the Seven Luminaries. Moreover, Cheonhil displayed restraint by not attacking me, who held the Flame Elemental Sword, within Luoyang. On top of that, his relationship with the Emperor remained obscure, leaving me entirely unaware of any pact established with him.

To label Cheonhil as a monarch saving humanity leads to unfurling many discomforting elements.

‘Something’s off.’

Could it be that even the Eight Parts of the Divine have been deceived by Cheonhil?

It was a ridiculous thought, but the intuition gnawed at me. Just as I was deep in thought, the prophet spoke.

“With such threats still looming… I can’t share information regarding Cheonhil with you… However, the cost of the egg is great; if you have queries, I shall answer them all for now…”

Upon hearing the prophet’s words, I felt a jolt of realization. I then asked him,

“Prophet! Am I perhaps being manipulated by someone?”

At my question, the prophet rolled his eyes as if incredulous. He carefully scrutinized me and then twitched his tentacles.

“I don’t know… I can’t perceive anything like that… If it exists, the one being manipulated wouldn’t be so foolish as to recognize it… Is it really true that, like Gin Nara said, I’m gripped by delusions…?”

“Blast it! Are you joking? Ugh, what should I say…”

Frantically racking my brain, I said, “I mean, is there sorcery or magic so sophisticated that neither you nor the Heavenly Mysterious Woman could detect it? Such sorcerer?”

The prophet burst into laughter.

“Where would such magic exist… What sorcery could fool you and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman alike…”

“Really? I just keep feeling this bizarre sensation… Things aren’t going well…”

“Haha… Maybe your luck is just poor… If such a thing exists…”

In that moment, the prophet abruptly stopped moving, as if in disbelief. He then turned his tentacles and gaze towards me, and after a moment’s silence, he sighed.

“I can’t believe it… Could that suspicion purely arise from a raw instinct?”

“What? Did Master Mangnyang tell you something?”

“Is that so… As expected… Master Mangnyang… an absolute being… Even so… the existence of a Reborn Person is indeed… an incomprehensible sensation…”

“Could it be that I’m entangled in something?!”

Startled by my own outburst, the prophet replied, “I don’t know… At least not on my level… even now, nothing seems odd to me…”

“What? Then what’s with your reaction?”

“I can’t know what’s unclear. Isn’t that obvious? In the first place… if my thoughts are correct… that lies beyond the realm of sorcery or magic… even the Heavenly Mysterious Woman wouldn’t grasp it… neither would the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors comprehend it…”

“……?”

“Your suspicion seems justifiable… However… if the situation were truly as I consider it… knowing wouldn’t change anything… even for God… intervention wouldn’t be possible… due to the principles of the universe, something nearly impossible has occurred…”

“Ugh… What kind of sorcery is it?”

“It’s neither sorcery nor magic… Indeed, it dwells within the domain of [Wheel of Destiny].”

“…?”

“But if Master Mangnyang is watching… heh… there’s no need to fret.”

With his vague mutterings completed, the prophet continued, “You needn’t trouble yourself… As Master Mangnyang said… just flow along and make your choices… that’s all there is to it…”

“Damn it! Who wouldn’t be concerned about being manipulated like a puppet?!”

“Are you aware of the structure of karma? You are not just a puppet… that’s not how it works… even if the result is the same, the process is something you can choose… That’s why I’m saying it’s not harmful to you… A smart chap like you would recognize that there’s no reason to worry with this much clarity.”

The prophet spoke as if dismissing my concerns altogether.

“Well then… since it seems this won’t benefit you much… let me actually give you a bit of assistance…”

“How?”

“Because I want to play a trick on Cheonhil…”

*Swish swish swish*

The prophet reached out his tentacles and made contact with my hands.

“First of all… I shall amplify the blessing you currently possess through the technique of our race… And…”

An orange light surged throughout my body. Something resembling an unusual symbol began to shine upon my palm—an emblem I had never seen before. With curiosity, I stared at the marking when the prophet spoke.

“I don’t know what kind of powers I’ve traded with you, the Reborn Person, thus far, but… this ability is likely something you haven’t obtained before… it’s a power only the king can wield…”

“Is this like an unlimited pass for the Tower of Muwang?”

“……”

“……”

“Could it be… I… I traded for something like that?”

“Yes.”

“What on earth is happening… So Cheonhil had a reason to be cautious of you…”

The prophet seemed a bit flustered, swaying slightly. However, he quickly regained his composure and said, “No… it might be something even more powerful… my unique ability… the Seal of the Supreme King…”

“The Seal of the Supreme King?”

“Only I… it is a power passed down through the lineage of the king of my race…”

The prophet declared, “You can only use it once in this lifetime… I hope you can manipulate your fate with that ability…”

I listened as the prophet explained what the Seal of the Supreme King entailed.

“Hmm…”

However, although it’s a powerful ability, I couldn’t fathom how it would be of help. In truth, given how big the situation had grown, it would be apt to say I had no clue how to use it.

‘Still, at least there’s some gain!’

I distanced myself from the prophet and waited for Cheon Woo-jin. Moments later, Cheon Woo-jin returned and led me back to our base. Standing in front of the base, Cheon Woo-jin remarked, “We have a guest.”

A guest?

As I stepped inside and laid eyes on the individual who had come to visit us, I was slightly taken aback.

“Abe no Seimei.”

He was the Guardian protecting Dongyoung’s humans and one of the top Grand Sorcerers. Though his androgynous appearance remained unchanged, he seemed weary. Sitting cross-legged, Abe no Seimei spoke to me.

“I’m glad we could meet like this before it was too late…”

“What’s going on? How did you find your way here…?”

“……”

Abe no Seimei paused momentarily before delivering a shocking statement.

“Dongyoung has perished.”

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