I step outside the outskirts of the Underworld and gaze at Mount Sumeru.
The Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru.
There, a battle unfolds between mmm and Hyeon Rang.
The fists of the giant god of vapor, the Naming Supreme Deity Hyeon Rang, and mms, who has turned into a giant with his body steeped in a sea of starlight, collide against each other.
And as I watch them, I realize something.
"The more Hyeon Rang and ma Hyung-nim collide...the more ma Hyung-nim's presence fades.'
Each time he collides with the giant of vapor, his body seems to be gradually enveloped in mist, as though being pulled into an illusory dream.
I keep observing him, trying to understand what kind of phenomenon this is.
"I need to capture at least one thing with my eyes. I can't let Hyung-nim's sacrifice be in vain.
I though I truly hate it, realize that I must return.
Regressing by my own will is something I detest to the very core.
A single return means a single life...
Is gone just like that.
But...
aun...
My friend has staked his life on that assumption.
'So...just this once, even if I have to give up one life...I must turn it back!"
Even as my hands tremble, I keep watching the battle between the two.
With my consciousness having reached Araya Consciousness, I perceive Hyeon Rang's authority even more clearly.
And in that moment, I enter a new world.
"Centered around the Naming Supreme Deity...
Tsuaaaaaa—
Like ink spreading, a completely new Mount Sumeru appears.
"That is...the vision of a Supreme Deity...?"
The entire Mount Sumeru is formed of dense [Names], and those countless [Names] create countless flows.
Those flows gather to form an inverted cone, shaping the boundaries of numerous Heavenly Domains, Inner Sea, and the Outer Sea.
And among them, there is a single point where all those countless flows converge.
I realize that that point is none other than Hyeon Rang.
"The origin of all the names that exist in this world...
Thump, thump...
More precisely, he serves as the heart that helps the powers known as "names' to properly circulate in this world.
That is the Naming Supreme Deity.
I immediately realize what this vision I'm witnessing truly is.
Is this...the vision of those who walk the Immortal Dao of Naming...!?"
Through Araya Consciousness, I have become able to see the vision of even the opponent's Immortal Dao.
"Ah... see.'
I realize that this is the [Origin Essence].
Origin Essence is not a particular material or object—it is, by itself, a world.
'No...that's not it. It's not just because I reached Araya Consciousness that I can see this vision.
It is because I am directly witnessing a Supreme Deity fully exercising their power that I can see this vision.
Beings who seize the Origin Essence and become the Origin Essence itself.
Monsters who do not get devoured by the Origin Essence that is also called the Heavenly Dao, but instead devour the Heavenly Dao itself.
"Those who devour an entire Immortal Dao. Those who consume the very law itself— those are the Supreme Deities.'
Watching the battle between the Naming Supreme Deity and mam, I begin to understand, at least partially, what the little-known process of advancing to Supreme Deity entails. "To advance to Supreme Deity, one must at least, during the time of being an Immortal Lord, have faced a Supreme Deity in battle.
Before one can viscerally experience what kind of being a Supreme Deity is through a fierce battle, the difficulty of advancing to Supreme Deity must be immense. Kurururung—
I watch the Naming Supreme Deity, and I gradually grasp more clearly what a Supreme Deity is, and what a Seat truly means.
The Naming Supreme Deity throws a punch at mam.
A simple straight punch, devoid of any enlightenment of martial principles.
Yet with that punch, the [Names] composing mmm scatter.
"He is directly striking the law of [Names] that exists in phenomena.'
The [Arms], [Legs], [Torso], [Meridians], immortal Body], [inner World], and all other [Names] that make up mam are struck, and the blows surpassing the physical force of reality break mam apart.
Tracing the origin of that phenomenon, I gradually dig into the secret behind Hyeon Rang's power.
I see...
And when I grasp the principle behind Hyeon Rang's power, Hong Fan arrives beside me with the Immortal Treasures.
Strangely, although the [Names] of all phenomena in the universe are clearly visible to me while directly observing the Naming Supreme Deity, for some reason, Hong Fan shows only the character Hong (#1), and nothing more of his [Name is visible.
it feels as if something has been severed.
"This guy used to be one with the Radiance Mantra... Is it because he's now separated from it?"
Slightly puzzled, I ask,
"What brings you here...?"
"Did Master not come here to analyze Great Master Hyun-seok's battle? As Master's subordinate, how could I not come when my Master has?"
"Is that so...2 Thank you. It would be helpful if you assist with the analysis as well." Whatever the case, Hong Fan's abilities are genuine. If he helps, it will make things considerably easier.
Kuuuuung!
mmm is struck by Hyeon Rang and sent flying.
And the [Names] that compose him begin to scatter in fragments.
"Can you see it too, Hong Fan? mm Hyung-nim is..."
"Yes, I can. It is likely because the Naming Supreme Deity is properly unleashing his power..."
Then, after observing for a while, Hong Fan's eyes gleam as he speaks.
"I understand the principle. I see how the [Power of Names] works."
"That was fast."
With only a brief look, he's figured out the principle behind the Naming Supreme Deity's power.
"Though it is called [Names]...in reality, it is closer to a [Relationship]. Or perhaps the two are not so different after all."
Hong Fan begins explaining the analysis he has made of Hyeon Rang's power.
In the end, the Power of Names wielded by Hyeon Rang functions as follows:
Names exist, ultimately, to be called by others.
Therefore, the ability to steal, erase, or rename a [Name] means being able to sever the relationships that existed with oneself.
My comrade was wa Hyung-nim of the Oh Clan,
Not some unpronounceable entity called mm.
Those who lose their [Names] begin to feel all their relationships vanish and break apart, and in the end, they are forgotten by all and cease to exist.
tis a power specialized in killing Immortal Beasts or Earth Immortals.
Because they govern the power of life and history, Immortal Beasts and Earth Immortals are even more difficult to kill than Heaven Immortals. But if they are struck by the Naming Supreme Deity's power, they would not be able to resist and would gradually wither away and die.
In a way, it's similar to poison.
"No, more accurately...it's closer to radiation exposure than poisoning.
Gradually, mmm has the [Names] that comprise him erased and turns into a clump of steam.
"He's not disappearing.'
A being who has lost all names and been forgotten by all.
He is becoming a mass of ancient force.
His form grows fainter, and Hyeon Rang no longer uses his authority against him.
At the same time, I feel a strange sense of déja vu.
"What...is this?"
Everything feels dreamlike.
Everything is oddly unreal, and dizzying.
At that moment, Hyeon Rang meets my eyes.
[Have you been watching?]
[0 Ender. Not long ago, I realized my essence...and felt the duty to awaken your fate...] Those eyes, like the Sun and Moon, look upon me.
The giant god of vapor points at me.
[But as I read the history of the Eastern Twin Sal Tree, I came to understand. You...will no longer lose anything over a simple connection. Though I must give you pain and deprivation to progress your fate...I realized I cannot awaken you through a mere play of fate.]
"...S0, what are you going to do?"
Ll, as the Western Zero King, declare... You, O Ender, from this day forth, shall lose everything.]
"...Since you are mmm's teacher, I don't want to disregard you...but I'm curious. What exactly can someone like you do to me?"
[I shall not do anything to you. For you have already grown too strong for my hands to reach... However, if itis not 'you' but "another being,' the story changes...]
"You are saying you will target my comrades?"
[No... They are protected by the Western Heavenly Venerable, so I dare not lay a hand on them either...]
"Then you can't touch anything related to me, so how dare you think you can do anything to me?"
[I will say it again. You cannot be affected. However...things that are not you—I can interfere as much as I please. For instance...]
Kugugugugu!
Hyeon Rang raises his hand.
[If I erase the concept of [Names] from all of Mount Sumer, you will inevitably struggle, poisoned by a fatal toxin, and have no choice but to follow your fate.]
"...Are you declaring that you can erase that concept from all of Mount Sumeru?"
I ask him in disbelief.
"Not even the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity or the Great Mountain Supreme Deity could erase concepts like [Mountain] or [Heavenly Punishment] from this world, yet you claim you can do that now?"
[Of course, had it been the former me, it would have been impossible.]
"You're saying it's possible now because you've awakened your essence?"
[Even with the power of myself having awakened the essence, it remains impossible.) With those words, I notice that the faint vapor spreading across Mount Sumeru is beginning to grow thicker and thicker.
I see. This power is...
A familiar Heaven and Earth spiritual energy fills Mount Sumeru.
This Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is...
The Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of the Head Realm.
ll, Hyeon Rang, in the name of the rightful heir of the Head Realm, declare...]
The Origin Essence of life, Omniscience.
From the farthest reaches of Mount Sumeru where the Head Realm lies, an immense light of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy bursts forth and pierces down upon Hyeon Rang.
The sight looks like a pillar of light piercing through the entire expanse of Mount Sumeru. lin the Three Heavens Great Thousand World, by the authority of the Owner of Names, I reclaim all [Names] of the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World...!]
Tsuaaaaaa!
With that one declaration, the vapor erupting around Hyeon Rang grows even denser.
At the same time, I feel an illusion as if my mind has suddenly gone blank. "WemEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?'
Even as I try to think, the very concept of nouns is gone.
No, at this level, it feels as though even the concept of "letters' themselves has been erased.
[Names] have been defining the contours of the world, and with their disappearance, all boundaries in this world have become meaningless.
That's right.
The boundary between the Inner Sea and Outer Sea of Mount Sumeru blurs, and Mount Sumeru begins to collapse.
"wan. mmm!'
I am struck with shock as I realize what the Naming Supreme Deity is aiming for.
in a world where all outlines have vanished, he wants me to recall the figures of my comrades and connections, to remember their forms, and to yearn for their [Names].
But do not do so.
I simply...
Quietly repentantly enlighten on my own history.
And in a single moment.
Shwikak!
I draw the Impermanence Sword and swing it.
Jjeooeok!
That is all.
At the same moment, a single strand of mist covering Mount Sumeru clears. [..Impressive. What have you done?]
Then, without a word, I raise my sword and strike down toward Mount Sumeru. Shwukak!
[This is...]
Shwukak!
Each time I strike down with my sword, Hyeon Rang's vapor peels away, and the world regains its outlines.
[What is this...> What is happening? How...1? I have taken all the connections that are the source of your strength, the names of the hearts you hold dear, and taken them into my hands to create a world of Grand Mist (J&%)!]
Words are unnecessary.
I continue to grip my sword, refining my form as I did when I first began learning martial arts.
Shwikak, shwikak, shwikak, shwikak!
Tsuaaaa—
At the same time, the mist pouring out from me begins to push back the mist that has veiled Mount Sumeru.
[This...1]
Chuhwaak!
[What is this!?]
I do not answer.
There is no need to answer.
What is imbued within my sword is...
The thing called failure.
Failure has no name.
Because it cannot be attached to one.
I simply pour all the failures I have experienced into this sword, and speak.
::1...as the Immortal Beast King, issue a command to all the nameless within the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World... : :
Failure has no name.
But even though it has no name, it does not mean it holds no meaning.
For the failure of the present is what becomes the stepping stone to move forward to the next.
Chwaak!
The sword wind of the Impermanence Sword sweeps across the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
A spiraling wind drives away the pale mist.
Names may have vanished across Mount Sumeru.
But that does not mean meaning has vanished with them.
Filling the Heavens Governing View!
:: Decide your own names, solely by the failures you have accumulated yourself. : Deeeng!
The entirety of Mount Sumeru trembles.
At the same time, a brahma bell seems to ring, and as Mount Sumeru hums, the once- blurred world begins to clarify and regain its outlines.
: If meaning does not vanish, then neither do relationships. And if relationships do not vanish...then names can still be remembered. : :
My eyes meet Hyeon Rang's.
:: You will destroy Mount Sumeru? That is impossible. For I will not allow it. : :
[..]
He gazes at me in silence before asking a question.
[How strange. Why...why do you not kill me? If you simply surround me with the immortal Art you just used and strike me down, you could surely kill me...]
:: Isn't it obvious? Your battle is not yet over. : :
Tukwaaang!
At those words, wam's fist bursts forth from Hyeon Rang's abdomen.
[Hoo...]
: wm Hyung-nim...is not dead yet. : :
Now his presence has completely vanished, and even I can barely sense him.
But stil, he undeniably exists.
And Hyeon Rang, sensing something strange, turns his gaze to me.
[..You...still have not forgotten him? I erased the [Name] and thereby deleted history from within all relationships... He should have died in loneliness, forgotten by all...and yet, you still remember him?]
+ Of course. : :
it's true, even I still cannot recall the [name] of mam.
But I definitely remember.
Even if the existence has been erased, the connection he and I shared remains within me.
From the moment I shattered the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and the Colorless Glass Sword with my own hands, to create the Immortal Crown...
.I have "never" forgotten my connections.
:: You, rightful heir of the Head Realm. : :
I step out from the Underworld and walk into the interior of Mount Sumeru.
Then, stepping over the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain, I approach the Naming Supreme Deity who is tearing out mum's arm.
[Absurd...]
Kwaaaang!
The Naming Supreme Deity strikes me.
As the fist of vapor touches me, I feel the authority of my [Name] gradually flow into him.
But I do not care.
: Son of the Origin Essence of Life, Omniscience. : :
I grab the now fully transparent and almost presence-less existence of mm Hyung-nim, and lift him up.
[You, shall remain powerless for a moment!]
Jjeooooooong!
The God of Humans strikes me.
However, I do not counterattack and focus solely on lifting mmm up.
Though I can't feel his presence, mmm S00N rises.
Whisper...whisper...
Because his presence has vanished, I can barely hear the words of mam.
But I receive his will through Indra's Net and nod.
:: My name... Please do not worry. After all... :
I reveal my true body.
Wearing a white round collar robe, in the form of a faceless mountain spirit with a head of candle flame, I am struck by Hyeon Rang as I completely lift him up.
:: As long as there are those who remember me, I will never forget: :
—And where...do such people exist? Once your name is stolen by Master, it's over...!
+ [Once], you say? : :
Sabak, sabak—
Beside the giant god of vapor and the mountain spirit in a white round collared robe, a giant deer appears.
itis the Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens, completed by devouring my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
inside Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens, countless memories are overflowing.
Before, upon seeing the form of a [baby], I understood the principle of the Radiance Mantra, and realized that the essence of my regression ability is the creation of parallel dimensions.
In other words, though it may be another timeline, it [remains], rather than vanishing in vain.
Therefore...
Even if my name is taken in this timeline,
Even if my relationships are stolen in this timeline, the name of [me of another timeline] still remains!
As if catching on to my words, Hyeon Rang's Sun and Moon eyes gleam.
[I see. Is that how it is? But how foolish. Have you forgotten? That due to you, the Emperors can now interfere in other timelines as well...
Hyeon Rang strikes me again.
And with that, my name in another timeline is taken once more.
However, I remain composed.
:: Excellent. Then...you just need to repeat that two thousand more times. : :
[..]
I have reached the ultimate of Martial Arts, attained the realm of the Immortal Beast King, and risen to the pinnacle of Heaven-Earth Great Net Immortal.
Moreover, even the [Wheel] now nearly obeys my will.
itis no longer a situation where I am unacknowledged as before.
I can feel it. The Wheel...
That noble Wheel now judges me as having "nearly reached the standard" and properly lends me its power.
As a result, I am no longer at a level where I could be Killed by a few punches from the Naming Supreme Deity Hyeon Rang.
No, I don't even feel a sense of danger, let alone death.
+ If you want to threaten me... : :
Kwaang!
Hyeon Rang's fist collides with my forehead.
:: At least bring someone like the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity...! : Kwaaaaaang!
Then, with my headbutt, Glass True Fire explodes Hyeon Rang's hand and flings it away. (in the name of the Owner of Names, I command...]
Woo-wooong!
My [Name] reacts.
[You shall not dare oppose me. You shall step aside for a moment and simply watch as Oh Hyun-seok dies before me!]
Jjeooeok!
At the same time, my entire body stiffens.
itis the same phenomenon as when I first received Hyeon Rang's fist.
But it doesn't matter.
Wuduk, wudududuk—
: : You're not Hyeon Mu, nor Heavenly Punishment, nor Great Mountain... Showing this much of an opening to someone like you is nothing at all. :
itis certainly a powerful binding technique.
Even I have no confidence in breaking out of it within one second.
Had it been Hyeon Mu, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, or the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, they would have seized this opportunity to tear me into a thousand, ten thousand pieces—but against Hyeon Rang, a second is nothing.
Wiiiiing!
The [Wheel] begins to turn, breaking the binding.
immediately after, at the center of the Wheel, a white Three Great Ultimates appears and begins to spin.
The Wheel shines with starlight, releasing limitless and inexhaustible power, and Mount Sumeru begins to shake.
[What is this...?]
Witnessing this outrageous power, Hyeon Rang trails off in disbelief.
: If you had wanted to progress my fate or whatever...you should have at least done it before I became the Immortal Beast King. : :
I look at Hyeon Rang and inject power into wa.
+ 1 will not face you. : :
Power nearing infinity pours into mam, and the one whose existence had nearly vanished begins to revive.
:: Because this is between you and mm Hyung-nim, a matter of master and disciple. : : The Naming Supreme Deity Hyeon Rang.
He is not as troublesome an opponent as the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable,
Nor as sharp an enemy as the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity,
Nor as threatening as the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu.
He doesn't even reach the level of annoyance of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
He is, quite literally, just an average-level Supreme Deity.
Since he wields the authority of names, getting properly hit by that power can be dangerous, but it's only just that much.
He cannot defeat me in a single blow, nor render me powerless.
If mm Hyung-nim defeats you...we'll simply take your head. No matter what you want from me..no matter what pain you intend to inflict..it won't go as you wish. Because...my friends, including mw Hyung-nim, are far stronger than you what you imagine. : :
Kwaaaaang!
Hyeon Rang throws everything he has to push me away from mam, whom I'm restoring. Then, the recovered mmm approaches Hyeon Rang.
His presence still remains faint, but it doesn't matter.
His power has already fully returned to its former state.
—Thank you, Seo Eun-hyun.
aus calls my name and walks toward Hyeon Rang.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
amn's fist strikes Hyeon Rang's face.
[I see. To defeat you, I must target your connections and your world...but to target those, I must first defeat you, is it. A contradiction, indeed...]
Hyeon Rang gathers vapor and places both me and mm in range before extending his fist.
lin that case...I will first make you powerless, and then destroy what you hold dear...] Kugwagwang!
mmm and I are struck by his fist.
aun is sent flying, but each time that happens, I fill him with strength again.
Seeing this, Hyeon Rang's eyes flare as he mutters:
[it will not end like this. I have no choice but to go a bit extreme...]
He glances toward the lower part of Mount Sumeru and reaches out his hand.
ll, as the rightful heir of the Head Realm, beseech thee. O Heavenly Void Furnace pierced into the Head Realm, release the Eight Immortals and descend into my hands!] Kugugugugu!
At the same time, a chilling presence begins to be felt from far away, and something flies into Hyeon Rang's grasp.
Compared to the size of our revealed true bodies, it is extremely small, but the moment I see it, I can't help but be shocked.
"Ascension Path!?"
Yes.
itis definitely the Ascension Path that was in the Head Realm!
And while I am still flustered, the Ascension Path in Hyeon Rang's hand begins to break apart, its earth and stones falling away.
What is soon revealed is a small brazier with three legs.
Woo-wooong—
The moment I see that brazier, a headache strikes me, and a certain memory from the 16th cycle flickers in my mind.
And immediately after,
As Hyeon Rang breathes power into the brazier, its size begins to expand endlessly until it becomes as massive as our true bodies.
Kuuuuung!
Soon, Hyeon Rang lifts the brazier.
Kugugugu!
Grasping the massive brazier, Hyeon Rang swings it toward us.
Kwaaaaang!
Se
The moment I'm struck by the brazier, I feel a different kind of pain than before.
:: This actually hurts. : :
it's not something like a mere Immortal Treasure.
What I feel from it is, quite literally, the power of the absolute!
"A brazier imbued with a portion of the Absolute of Life...
Kwaaaaang!
But there's no time to even think. Hyeon Rang swings the brazier again, striking the two of us once more.
The sound echoes across the entirety of Mount Sumeru, and I can't hold back as I cough up a mouthful of Immortal Beast True Blood.
[How is it? Can you still afford to act so relaxed? Face me. If not, you shall be beaten to death by the Heavenly Void Furnace.]
:: Indeed, this is a bit dangerous. It's comparable to Hyeon Mu's single strike. : : [Then...]
: And when I fought Hyeon Mu, I took thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of her strikes. Even when my realm was lower than it is now. : :
Of course, that was partly because Kim Young-hoon was keeping Hyeon Mu in check so she couldn't fully focus on me...
Still, the fact remains that I endured countless strikes from a Heavenly Venerable back during the Hyeon Mu Battle.
Smirking, I look up at Hyeon Rang.
. : Go ahead and do more. The one fighting you is ma Hyung-nim, and the one who will defeat you is also mm Hyung-nim... Even without a name, as long as I remember him, he will never lose to you! : :
[In that case, I will make you change your mind.]
Kurururung!
Listening to my words, Hyeon Rang is struck once more by mma's fist as he raises the Heavenly Void Furnace.
lin the name of a Supreme Deity, I declare. Let the ownerless Heavenly Domain become charcoal and fuel the furnace.]
Kurururung!
The Twin Holding Heavenly Domain beneath our feet seems to ripple, in an instant, it begins to get sucked directly into the Heavenly Void Furnace.
Cn
This is a bit dangerous.
Hwarurururuk!
In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Void Furnace devours an entire Heavenly Domain and begins to burn, using it as fuel.
Kwarururur!
The Heavenly Void Furnace, having incinerated an entire Heavenly Domain, begins to burn with black flames.
Kwaaaaang!
Hyeon Rang swings the Heavenly Void Furnace, now spewing black fire, at us.
The massive brazier strikes both me and mam.
:: Keheok...! : :
Indeed, this strike is enough to put my mind in a daze the moment it hits me.
If I hadn't defended mam, he would have likely died in a single blow.
But I grin.
:: That so-called Heavenly Void Furnace...it doesn't seem like you can use it for long. : : [You seem to be misunderstanding. Apologies, but...I can swing it two thousand more times.
: : Before you can swing it two thousand times...I think those enraged enough to kill you will appear... :
At those words, Hyeon Rang looks down toward the lower parts of Mount Sumeru.
[..]
From that direction, eight beams of light burst forth, exuding a terrifying killing intent toward us.
I did wonder why the Radiance Eight Immortals were staying silent while Hyeon Rang committed this madness.'
Judging by what he said while summoning the Heavenly Void Furnace, it seems he had temporarily suppressed the Radiance Eight Immortals using the furnace.
But now that he has brought out the Heavenly Void Furnace, the Radiance Eight immortals are reappearing.
:: Hyeon Rang!!! : :
From the distant Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, the emblem of the [Black Snake Biting its Taill is being summoned.
And something about this emblem is different from all the ones before.
Shiver!
"That output... I see. They may be a fake Supreme Deity, but a Supreme Deity is still a Supreme Deity..."
Gradually, the Origin Essence of Light is also becoming capable of drawing power from other timelines, just like the other Supreme Deities.
It's possible that the other Radiance Immortals, other than Sword Spear, will begin retrieving memories from other timelines as well.
And unlike the other Supreme Deities, whose borrowed power from other timelines only amplifies strength by tenfold at best, the Radiance Supreme Deity is different.
Just the sheer magnitude of power they are drawing from other timelines is different... This is becoming a real nuisance.'
In a way, the Radiance Mantra seems to be the most optimal mantra for enhancing the Radiance Supreme Deity's strength.
Kugugugugu!
I smile as I watch the emblem of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] being summoned. Whether it's fortunate or not, the overwhelming increase in the borrowed power appears to have made it impossible to summon the symbol as quickly as before.
However...
No matter how slow it may be, it won't give Hyeon Rang the time needed to strip away all of my name.
: : Now then, go wild all you want. The time limit is...until the wrath-filled power of the Radiance Eight Immortals comes flying in. : :
[How confident you are... Do you truly believe you can endure until then without retaliating at all, just taking hit after hit?]
It's a bit difficult right now. : :
But that doesn't matter.
:: Yeong Seung!t! : :
Paaatt!
Yeong Seung appears at my side, looking at me with eyes filled with anticipation.
I hand him the coordinates of the Outer Sea where I encountered the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.
The release condition for one of the three remaining flags.
"Obtain a clue regarding the coordinates of the Outer Sea where the Heavenly Venerable of Time resides...and deliver them to the subordinates of the Heavenly Venerable of Time."
In other words, if I just deliver these coordinates to the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords and Yeong Seung...
Cheolkang!
This seal will be released!
Among the seven Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags, only the ones with the conditions "defeat three Supreme Deities in battle' and 'take the single strike of all the Radiance Eight Immortals in order' now remain.
"As for being struck by the Radiance Eight Immortals...it's not going too well, probably because it's hard to maintain the "order'"*
The moment five of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags are released— Kurururung!
The power surging within my body expels all the fatal injuries I've just sustained, granting me the strength to endure against Hyeon Rang for even longer.
:: Hit me all you want. : ©
I look at Hyeon Rang and continue.
:- 1 will not fight you. : :
The moment I act will only be after mmm defeats the Naming Supreme Deity, only when the Naming Supreme Deity takes his final breath.
This is between mmm and the Naming Supreme Deity—a matter between master and disciple.
[By doing this...do you think you will be able to save Oh Hyun-seok..2 His name has already been stolen by my hand. Even if I die, he will also die...! You will never be able to save him in this timeline...]
:: That is exactly why I will not fight you. : :
[What...2]
:: Our lives may continue...but Hyung-nim's life...this is the last of it. : :
Of course, if he awakens as a Heavenly King, this life may continue...
But that remains only in the realm of possibilty.
itis not a reality of this moment.
Kwaaaaaang!
amas fist strikes Hyeon Rang in the stomach.
Hyeon Rang looks down at him with eyes that suggest he feels no significant impact. Right now, the gap between mmm and Hyeon Rang is as wide as the gap between Hyeon Rang and me.
There's no way he can land a fatal blow.
:: And because this is the end...I will respect Hyung-nim's end. : :
[..]
At those words, Hyeon Rang silently swings the Heavenly Void Furnace and strikes both me and mam away.
Kwaaaaaang!
Now, no more words are exchanged.
Hyeon Rang swings the Heavenly Void Furnace at me and mam, and I block it.
And mau, taking advantage of the opportunity, uses the power he received from me and drives his fist into Hyeon Rang's chest.
: Heavenly Shatter! : :
With mma's cry, a fist of light burrows into Hyeon Rang's chest.
Hyeon Rang shows no response.
:: Heavenly Shatter! : :
:: Heavenly Shatter! : :
:: Heavenly! Shatter! : :
No matter how many times the strike lands, again and again...
Hyeon Rang does not respond.
Though I continue supplying him with power, perhaps the strain of forcing it out is putting a mental strain as Hyung-nim's voice grows quieter and his strength begins to fade.
:: Heavenly Shatter! : :
[Heavenly Shatter!]
[Heavenly Shatter!]
"Heavenly...Shatter..."
From the will of a True Immortal, to mental speech.
From mental speech, to spoken voice.
Before long, Hyung-nim's mind has weakened to the point he can barely muster the strength of a mortal being.
Ls this the power of the one you believe in?]
Hyeon Rang looks at him with pity.
[How pathetic. He cannot even scratch me. Even if the stolen name does not lead to death...it is clear he will die simply from exhausting all his Qi...)
[So the connection you believe in...only amounts to this level of strength. Even if Enders are said to bring about miracles...if the difference in rank is too big, nothing can occur...) Puk!
"Heavenly...Shatter..."
At last, mm's punch—now reduced to the level of a mere mortal—launches forward. Kwaaaaang!
Hyeon Rang swings the Heavenly Void Furnace once more, striking me who protects him.
[This is actually better for me. You, fight me to protect your weakened friend. He is now already no different from dead...]
Tok—
[..2 Ah, oh dear...]
Soon, Hyeon Rang taps his massive body and clicks his tongue as he sees mum stop moving entirely.
From the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, the snake is nearly complete, and the fire blazing from Hyeon Rang's Heavenly Void Furnace reaches its peak...
And waa..finally closes his eyes.
[Without being able to accomplish anything...he died.]
[This...is the connection you cherished so dearly...]
And then, I thrust my fist lightly into the chest of the [Western Zero King], in the exact same posture mam had used.
[What are you—]
immediately after, the [Western Zero King], Hyeon Rang, staggers in place, unable to hold himself up.
[12]
:: You said miracles do not occur... You are wrong. : :
Woo-wooooong!
I retract my energy and Transform my main body, returning to my human form.
"It has already happened."
It was not just a simple punch.
It was a signal a disciple used to call upon his master.
The [Western Zero King] Hyeon Rang clashes with the personality of the body's original owner, the [Human Hyeon Rang], momentarily causing him to lose control of his body. As I witness this...
I collect the remains of mmm, whose name I cannot recall.
aun's face is unrecognizable due to his name being stolen...
But truly, truly, he looks at peace.
"I may not know much about the power of my own connection...but the power of 'your' connection...seems to be just that much."
inside the Hyeon Rang who awakened to the will of the Future King, the personality of the [Human Hyeon Rang]l—who accepted mmm as a disciple, taught him, interacted with him, and gave him his affection—
Awakened at last in the face of man's relentless call.
"Do you understand? The connections between people...especially the connection between a master and disciple...are not something you can take lightly."
From the moment wa resolved himself, victory was already decided.
Kugugugugu!
A massive pillar of light targets us, and for the first time, Hyeon Rang panics and cries out.
[I, if I move to the next timeline...]
I lay down Hyung-nim's body and smile within the pillar of light fired by the Radiance Supreme Deity.
"Are you saying you intend to flee? From the connection of master and disciple? It's useless. Whether it's the next timeline or the next place...no matter where you try to run, you cannot escape. mma's heart has already reached you once."
Hyeon Rang has the ability to steal the opponent's name and make them gradually vanish as if poisoned.
And...
amu, by conveying meaning into Hyeon Rang's chest, injected into him a poison even more powerful than what Hyeon Rang has spread.
That poison's name is—
Not Established By Words Or Speech (FZ).
As I vanish with mmm within the Radiance Supreme Deity's strike, crossing into the next timeline, I steel my resolve.
Life must never be abandoned carelessly...
But now, having inherited the resolve of mma—
Just this once!
Even if I must die a hundred times over, I will reconnect the connection between master and disciple!
-x-X-x-
Within the flow of reversing time, I gaze up at the sky.
Beneath the black sky, I see new beings, and fallen beings also come into view.
The Ring and Seat symbolizing the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld stil shine the brightest.
And the Seat of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity now shines just as brightly.
The two Seats shine the brightest, and beneath them, the Seats and Rings of the Naming Supreme Deity, Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, Liberation Supreme Deity, and Emptiness Supreme Deity emit their light.
The Seat of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, which was taken by Jeon Myeong-hoon, has completely vanished.
And the Seats of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable and the Heavenly Venerable of Void have grown so faint they are nearly invisible.
The Heavenly Venerable of Time, perhaps having recovered some strength compared to before, shines to a certain extent, but still dimmer than the Seats of the Supreme Deities. The Seats of the Heavenly Punishment, Sal Tree, and Void are either completely gone or so faint they are no different from being gone.
So, In truth, only the six Seats of: the Underworld, Great Mountain, Naming, Swallowing Heaven, Liberation, and Emptiness remain.
However, the Seat of Time barely clings on, making it look as though seven Seats still shine.
And then, there are the new Seats that have appeared.
Golden Speed Heavenly King (£FE).
Red Pearl Cycling Heavenly King (F3585E).
Lapis Lazuli Flower Heavenly King (BEER E).
"Three Governing Immortals have fallen from the existing order. Three new Heavenly Kings have joined."
In the end, among the Seats in the sky capable of influencing the world, the count returns back to the original number of ten.
As I ascend against the flow of time, I sense Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kang Min-hee becoming aware of me and following me into the new cycle.
"Compared to before...this warmth is truly extravagant."
I sense the warmth of those following me and smile sorrowfully.
"But...those who are left behind...
While the other comrades might one day become Heavenly Kings and regain memories of past cycles,
What should be done for those who have no such possibility?
Paaaatt!
Before I know it, I have returned once more, and with a melancholic heart in the new cycle, I softly call out the name of the one most precious to me who was unable to regress with me.
"Ran..ah.."
Now, everything with my child...
Has vanished beyond that timeline.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
As I recall that, I feel an uncontrollable trembling in my heart.
Perhaps because time has reversed, the name 'Oh Hyun-seok' comes back to me.
My friend lives again, and has not died.
However...
My child remains unborn.
At that fact, I am seized by a hollowness so great I cannot even find the words.
"Did I...do the right thing?"
Countless questions drift through my mind, and the painful turmoil sets fire to my chest. Just as my heart wavers—
Cheok—
Someone grabs my shoulder.
"..You..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon stands to my left, placing his hand on my shoulder and nodding.
My point of regression is the Outer Sea.
But perhaps because he himself is now a Heavenly King, he can cross such distances in an instant.
And just as I stare blankly at him, someone suddenly grabs my right shoulder.
it's Kang Min-hee.
"Seo Eun-hyun. I have something to say."
In this Outer Sea, where the Great Mountain Supreme Deity for some reason refrains from attacking me and conceals his presence, Jeon Myeong-hoon speaks quietly. "Honestly...we never had a proper moment to talk. I figured I can't keep putting it off...so I'm saying it now."
"..What is it?"
"It's something I realized after recalling the past cycles, but...you really did save us a lot. Even though I tried to throw you as fox food."
"L Kuk."
We all let out a small laugh at Jeon Myeong-hoon's half-joking words.
"To be honest, back then, I was going to beat you up and offer you up in place of Seo Eun-hyun."
"Eh, eh?"
Kang Min-hee recalls the first cycle and brings up her true feelings from that time, and Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at her with a slightly appalled expression.
At the sight, I let out another faint chuckle.
My gloomy and shaken heart...
Thanks to them, has settled down just a little.
"...S0, what is it you want to say?"
"All of us...were saved by you."
Jeon Myeong-hoon drops his smile and continues in a more serious tone.
"So, Seo Eun-hyun. You are now...no, honestly, since long ago...regardless of status or relationship from Earth, you are essentially our pillar. You are our Lord (£E)."
"...50 you're telling me to stop wavering because I'm the leader?"
I try to read their inner thoughts using Indra's Net, but perhaps they did something with the power of the absolute before coming to the Outer Sea—because I can't read their inner thoughts easily. So I ask them directly to understand their true feelings.
"...Yeah, even for your sake, wavering is..."
"I'm not trying to tell you to not waver."
Jeon Myeong-hoon cuts me off and speaks.
"If it's to steady your wavering heart...we'll do whatever it takes. So Seo Eun-hyun...give us your command."
"What...2"
At my response, this time Kang Min-hee speaks.
"You are our head. Our leader. Our Lord! So, if there's something that brings pain to your heart...give us your order. If you give us your command, we'll do anything to carry it out. Just like you faced the impossible for us...we'll face "any impossibility" for you. So Seo Eun-hyun. Your pain...share it with us. Tell us to achieve what you want the most, and command us."
"..What are you saying? What I want the most is..."
"Seo Eun-hyun. What's your dream?"
"..What?"
"Your dream...the desire you most long to fulfill. Tell us. And...command us to help you achieve it."
"..Kang Min-hee...I appreciate the sentiment, but...my dream is your dream. All of you making it back home and living happily is more than enough..."
"Seo Eun-hyun."
Then, Kang Min-hee looks me straight in the eyes and leans in close.
Her forehead nearly touches mine.
Is it perhaps due to the power of the absolute? Kang Min-hee's eyes are dyed deep blue. Within those deep blue eyes...
I feel a warmth, like I'm being embraced.
"Say it."
"..Wh-What..."
"The desire you carry...Before, I couldn't read you at all, but now I can. Only after becoming a Heavenly King did I learn your greatest secret...and through that secret... could infer it."
"Tell me, Seo Eun-hyun."
No
I don't want to ask my friends for the impossible.
But as if reading my heart, Kang Min-hee speaks again.
"Tell us, Seo Eun-hyun. You don't need to ask. Just give the command. If you do...we will make it happen, no matter what."
No
Jeon Myeong-hoon opens his mouth.
"I ask you as a friend. Give us the command, Seo Eun-hyun."
Bududuk...
No...
How do they know?
Even if they've discovered the truth about regression, this secret was the one buried deep inside...
How in the world do they...
"...As your friend. And...as your child's friend...I'm asking you."
No...
At Kang Min-hee's words, I grit my teeth, feeling as if my entire body is about to collapse.
But I must endure.
If I say it...
They will continuously grind themselves down in pursuit of an impossible goal...
For the sake of my personal desire, I cannot force sacrifice upon my friends...
"Give the command, Seo Eun-hyun. Just one word is enough. Just like how you risked your life countless times to save us...let us also risk our lives for the dream you desire." N.S
"This too, is our choice and our life...Please remember that."
"Aaah...
"...Kang...Min...hee...Jeon...Myeong...hoon..."
I feel my body trembling uncontrollably.
Even I, who possess a transcendental level of self-discipline that has reached the ultimate of Martial Arts, cannot control my lips.
More than the pressure of any absolute existence I've ever felt until now, Kang Min-hee and Jeon Myeong-hoon's request is harder to endure.
No...
itis impossible.
"l...command...you..."
I speak with my hands and feet shaking, my voice trembling, and tears flowing.
I'm...the worst...
Just by placing this impossible burden on those I hold dear—
I find myself unable to endure, feeling pathetic and repulsive at myself.
In the end...
"I...want to...meet them...again..."
I..said it...
I spit out to them the desire I had most desperately yearned for in my heart.
"I want to meet...the connections of my past..just once more...again... I want...! To turn back time..."
The most contradictory statement for a regressor.
But that's how desperate I am.
lee
I want to go to those past timelines...
And meet the connections from those timelines once more.
Just knowing that they weren't illusions that ceased to exist was an overwhelming salvation in itself.
But perhaps it's true when they say human desire has no end. The moment I realized that truth, I couldn't suppress the new yearning.
Until now, I've only endured through transcendent self-restraint, never speaking it aloud. But...
I want to meet them again.
In whatever form!
"Please...let me...meet my past connections...the life of that past time...again..."
Thus, I spill forth my deepest and greatest desire to return to the timelines already passed...
Before Kang Min-hee and Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Before my most beloved friends.
I reveal it all.
Cheok, cheok!
"I've said it before, but you are already...our Lord."
Jeon Myeong-hoon lowers his head in a bow.
"Therefore, if you command it, then as many times as you wish..."
Kang Min-hee steps back from me and bows with her eyes ablaze.
"We shall obey!"
"Your command!"
At those words, Kang Min-hee grabs my hand, and Jeon Myeong-hoon takes hold of my arm from the opposite side and stomps his foot down.
Kwarururung!
it happens in an instant.
We begin transcending the world, turning into a single streak of lightning.
Pachijiijik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon seems to accelerate faster than light in an instant, then immediately reaches Kim Yeon and Oh Hye-seo in the Outer Sea, snatches them up, and sets them down in Mount Sumeru before accelerating again.
"Huaaaaaaaall"
"Jeon Myeong-hoon!?"
I begin to panic as I see Jeon Myeong-hoon squeezing out far more strength than necessary.
And at that moment, Jeon Myeong-hoon's form begins to change.
"La
He begins to draw forth all his power from the Origin Essence of Heavenly Punishment and the Absolute.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's body transforms.
With three eyes on one head, three heads on one neck, and four arms on each shoulder, he changes into the form of a Vajra.
Kwajijjik!
Transformed into the figure of three heads, nine eyes, and eight arms, and having drawn out all the power of the absolute, Jeon Myeong-hoon lets out a great roar. "Kuhaaaaaaaal"
Kwarururung!
For an instant, I feel Jeon Myeong-hoon transcend the world at transcendent speed, using the power of the Absolute".
At that moment, I see a familiar scene.
"This is...
The very beginning point of creation that I once reached with Kim Young-hoon.
The outskirts of the Akashic Records!
The other side of spacetime!
The flow of countless timelines shaped like a [baby] becomes visible up close.
However, while Kim Young-hoon had moved so far that the [baby] looked small, Jeon Myeong-hoon, whether due to the nature of his authority or his strength, has only barely moved away from it.
"I can break away for a moment if I add the spell Returning Lightning Strike on top of my authority of the Absolute..."
Kurururung!
"With Returning Lightning Strike...he can partially break away from the very timeline I regress into...?"
Is this the authority of Jeon Myeong-hoon, who has reached Heavenly King!?
As 1 flinch in shock, Kang Min-hee, who is holding my hand, tightens her grip and speaks.
"Look...Seo Eun-hyun. This is the way we intend to repay you."
Chechechechechet!
And then...
As her next action unfolds, my eyes widen.
I tremble, struck by a shock greater than anything I have ever received.
"...Ah...aaaahh..."
The "lines' extending from Kang Min-hee intertwine and twist together, forming another indra's Net.
She is creating a law web that belongs to her.
But it doesn't end there.
Her law web seems to grow thicker and darker, and soon it extends to those far reaches of spacetime, taking on yet another form.
it rather resembles...
A hammock-like "bridge'.
Chwararararak!
Then, from Kang Min-hee's body, overwhelming dark blue petals begin to flow out, completing the bridge.
Splurt!
And perhaps due to the excessive forceful use of her authority, divine blood pours out from all seven of Kang Min-hee's orifices.
"Kang Min-hee!"
But despite my cry, she continues to wring out her authority with the resolve to burn away her life.
"Huaaaaaaaal"
Chwararararak!
The lines of law form the bones, and the petals that flow out from Kang Min-hee's body form the flesh.
Urururung!
Kang Min-hee's form transforms in an instant.
She bears a medicine bottle atop her head, and has changed into the image of a Bodhisattva radiating a blue hue from her entire body.
Her essence as the Lapis Lazuli Flower Heavenly King (BES7EX E) is revealed, and she radiates the power of the Absolute.
"Stop it, Kang Min-heet"
And only when I shout in desperation does she finally realize that no matter how much more power she squeezes out, the bridge can no longer be completed. She gives a self- deprecating smile and ceases her effort.
"Half' of the massive bridge is complete.
"Look...Seo Eun-hyun."
Kang Min-hee returns to her original form and pants heavily.
I hold her, who seems about to collapse, in my arms...
And at the same time, I gaze blankly at the 'half-bridge' she has created.
The end of that bridge...
Points toward the 201th cycle's timeline.
Tsuuaaaaaaaal
Jeon Myeon-hoon has also returned to his original form, having exhausted all of his strength, and we begin to be pulled back into the timeline under the attraction force of the 2012th cycle.
The familiar Mount Sumeru begins to appear once again.
As we are pulled into Mount Sumeru, Kang Min-hee and Jeon Myeong-hoon firmly grasp my hands.
"It's not...impossible. We will..make your dream come true. If we combine our strength...it's definitely possible... So, Seo Eun-hyun."
She smiles confidently, just like before, and says,
"Don't be too sad. I'll bear your sorrow for you. And...everyone will push you forward. From now on...let's go together."
I grit my teeth against the rising surge in my chest.
Until now...
I have been so utterly alone.
No one who stood by me understood my situation.
I wasn't even allowed to speak this secret to anyone, so for a long and longer time...
lee
"Thank you..."
I lived burying an impossible dream in my heart.
I embrace Kang Min-hee and Jeon Myeong-hoon tightly, shedding tears as we fall together back into Mount Sumeru.
"When everything is over.with everyone together..let's watch the story I went through..."
"...Yeah. Once everything is over, let's definitely do that."
The first day of the 2,012th cycle.
Thanks to the friends who are now becoming Heavenly Kings one by one...
I receive the greatest comfort I could ever be given and reaffirm my goal.
No—more accurately, perhaps I should say that a dream has been born.
My dream is...
To someday look back on all the past timelines together with my friends...
All together.
With no one dying, and everyone safe.
If that alone could be achieved...
Then life would be the greatest blessing of all.
"Life is..."
Kim Yeon and the Immortal Treasures who notice my existence in Mount Sumeru come toward us to receive us.
Hong Fan rushes over in a hurry with open arms toward us, who are falling from outside the timeline, and Kim Yeon, using the power of the Bright Cold Realm, heals our internal injuries inflicted from transcending the timeline.
"...a blessing."
"Master..."
Hong Fan flies over to me and asks how I am, and I smile in the embrace of my friends. From far away, the presence of the Naming Supreme Deity is felt.
Since the point of my regression is the Outer Sea, it seems Hyeon Rang has kidnapped Hyun-seok Hyung-nim taking advantage of that gap, as I can sense his presence from Hyeon Rang's direction.
And judging by how I am gradually forgetting Om seok's name, it seems the name retrieval is steadily progressing.
After a while, I can no longer remember mma's name no matter how hard I try, and I rise to my feet and look toward where Hyeon Rang is.
"...Everyone."
At my words, everyone turns to look at me, and I quietly...
Entrust a part of my burden to my friends.
"Please help me."
Thanks to Kang Min-hee and Jeon Myeong-hoon, I have come to understand.
They are no longer young mortal beings I must protect with my own hands.
They are now...
Each and every one of them, true "comrades'.
Thus, leaning on the shoulders of my comrades, I stand up and begin to discuss the operation to rescue mmm and annihilate Hyeon Rang.
-x-X-x-
Thump, thump...
Oh Hyun-seok looks around.
A strange pulsating sound echoes.
"This is..."
He instinctively understands.
"Inside... Master's body...?"
A world filled with vapor.
There, he realizes his body has melted, and he opens his eyes in a daze.
Then, he notices he can't recall his own [namel, shocking him even more.
"What..? My [namel...was taken by Master..? Why... Isn't this something Master only does to those he determines as enemies...?"
Outside, his name is probably perceived as something like mma.
"Have I become Master's enemy...2 No, that can't be... Why in the world...?"
Flustered, Oh Hyun-seok tries to find the reason, and after some speculation, one possibility comes to mind.
"Could it be that my comrades outside..have become hostile against Master..? So Master captured me, someone who could be their weakness..?'
He thinks in disbelief of his comrades outside.
"Seo Eun-hyun... Is it Seo Eun-hyun? If there's anyone Master would go this far to take me hostage for, it can only be him."
That must be it.
And so, Oh Hyun-seok clenches his teeth in this world that feels like inside Hyeon Rang's body.
"Master...damn it. Even so, how could Master do this to me...?'
Kugugugugu—
Oh Hyun-seok feels even his consciousness within the vapor starting to scatter.
"Is this...is he trying to erase me completely...? Damn it... No...I can't die like this...
Inside the world of vapor.
Oh Hyun-seok gradually dissipates into the vapor, slowly closing his eyes.
"Ah...is this how I die... Master... Seo Eun-hyun... Young-hoon Hyung-nim... Dear..."
In Oh Hyun-seok's vision, people precious to him flicker like a flashback.
My child..!
The deeper his consciousness sinks, the more he feels the presence of those dear to him flash in his mind, and he recalls those most precious and painful to him.
Oh Hyun-seok's miscarried child.
And the new daughter he had once again lost in Penglai Island...
As he recalls those lost children, his consciousness fully fades away.
While unconscious, Oh Hyun-seok senses a ripple of violet energy.
For some reason, he reaches out toward that violet energy.
itis because from it, he senses a familiar throbbing.
A heartbeat he once heard by pressing his ear to the belly of his pregnant wife.
The heartbeat of his miscarried child...
It now faintly echoes within that purple Primordial Chaos.
An...
And when Oh Hyun-seok reaches that Primordial Chaos—
Tsuuaaaaat!
'Uh..2"
Oh Hyun-seok realizes his mind has reached somewhere.
At that moment, he comes to his senses.
"Heheouk..."
The surroundings remain unchanged.
"Th-That just now..?'
Still the world of vapor.
itis still somewhere inside Hyeon Rang.
"Did I just die...? No, I didn't. Why..? I had my [name] taken by Master with my existence fading and nearing erasure..."
Having regained clarity within Hyeon Rang, he reflects on the bizarre phenomenon that allowed his survival and realizes that in the moment of death, he accessed 'a certain domain' which let him survive.
"That domain of Primordial Chaos...when I reached that place, my mind returned. What is that domain...? How did it restore my mind when even my name was...taken..2'
And as Oh Hyun-seok thinks this, he notices once more that his consciousness is beginning to blur.
"Damn it...there's no choice."
His consciousness has returned briefly, but nothing has changed.
Once again, Oh Hyun-seok is about to melt away and vanish within Hyeon Rang.
"Let's try reaching that domain again. If I can, I should at least be able to survive.'
To avoid dissolving inside Hyeon Rang's belly, Oh Hyun-seok closes his eyes and focuses on the sensation he felt when he entered that domain.
Oh Hyun-seok melts again, and gradually senses the power of that Primordial Chaos, concentrating on it.
And as Oh Hyun-seok completely dissolves, he senses the Primordial Chaos again and wakes up.
"Heheok...heok..."
"As expected...I could survive again.'
Feeling the strange phenomenon of the Primordial Chaos, he instinctively realizes.
If 1 want to escape Master's power... need to borrow the power of this Primordial Chaos!"
With eyes shining, he concentrates once more.
"There is...nope! So let's hold on!"
Tsuaaaa—
Oh Hyun-seok, in order to escape from within Hyeon Rang's body, endlessly sends his mind towards that domain.
Over and over, tens, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of millions of times his consciousness melts and awakes. His mind grows weary, but Oh Hyun-seok does not give up.
Because his first master, Azure Tiger Saint, once taught that his disciple must not give up over something like this.
Recalling Azure Tiger Saint's spirit, Oh Hyun-seok continues to feel the pulse of that domain of the Primordial Chaos with an unyielding mind.
Once, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred million times...
And when Oh Hyun-seok's efforts, nearly ten billion in attempts, finally come to an end...!t
"Huh?'
Oh Hyun-seok suddenly realizes that at some point, he has arrived in a new space.
"This place is..2"
It feels similar to the world of vapor inside Hyeon Rang.
But when he looks closely, it's different. Instead of a world of vapor, a dull, ashen world makes up the Heaven and Earth.
Not clouds of vapor, but a dull, ashen nothingness!
It is emptiness, and it is chaos.
Seeing that chaos, Oh Hyun-seok trembles.
I see... From the moment I lost consciousness, I wasn't actually surviving inside Master's body. I was slowly moving to this domain all along."
His consciousness hadn't survived within Hyeon Rang. Rather, it had been slowly shifting, through repeated cycles of death and revivals, to a place overlapping with Hyeon Rang's inner dimension.
"Then just what is this domain...?"
As Oh Hyun-seok is taken aback and looks around—
"...Huh?"
He suddenly senses something calling out to him from within this world of nothingness. "This is..."
A throbbing sound.
The faint heartbeat of a child.
Yes...
itis the heartbeat he once heard inside his wife's womb.
As if entranced, he flies toward the throbbing sound.
He feels no energy at all, but somehow, just by willing it, he is able to fly.
It's as though he is in a spirit form.
How long does he fly through this space of nothingness? Eventually, he reaches a place where there is something like an [egg].
From within that egg, Oh Hyun-seok senses the pulsing sound of a beating heart.
And then, for some reason, Oh Hyun-seok kneels before the egg and looks up at it.
itis because of a certain divinity emanating from the egg.
"Who...are you..?"
Is it because of that divinity? Oh Hyun-seok naturally speaks in honorifics as he asks the egg,
Then, a reply comes from the egg.
[1am...smmmmms... A being whose true name you can neither hear nor withstand. ] "Then...what should I call you?"
Normally, he would ask who the being is or why they brought him here, but for some reason, Oh Hyun-seok prioritizes asking for the being's name.
This is partly thanks to Hyeon Rang's teachings, but also due to the pressure that if he does not define the being's existence, he feels he might be crushed to death within this divinity.
In response to Oh Hyun-seok's question, the egg replies.
[Silver Basket (3%). In this world, I was called Silver Basket.]
Shiver!
For some reason, Oh Hyun-seok feels a horror and fear that pierces to the level of his essence.
Just hearing that name makes it feel like his heart might stop, and he is overwhelmed by a reverence that makes him want to rip out his own heart and offer it up.
"...Silver Basket...why have you called me here?"
Within that reverence, Oh Hyun-seok slowly asks the purpose of the being called Silver Basket.
Then, a brief reply comes from Silver Basket.
[1 did not call you. You have come to me.]
"Pardon..?"
[You, O mortal being.]
Though Oh Hyun-seok has clearly reached True Immortality, the being still addresses him as 'mortal being" as if it is only natural.
[Why have you come to me? Speak the reason you have sought me out...]
"Reason..."
Oh Hyun-seok thinks in front of Silver Basket before opening his mouth.
"If I tell you the reason...will you help me?"
[If you please me.]
Oh Hyun-seok lets out a bitter smile at those words.
He has rarely been someone who pleases others.
He has always had a straightforward personality, charging ahead like his appearance suggests, and because of that nature, many have spoken ill of him.
"Will I be able to please that being?'
For some reason, he lacks confidence.
Rather...
"Rather, Seo Eun-hyun. If it were him...he might please that being."
He falls silent, recalling his comrade who, since arriving in this world, has always stood ahead of everyone else, shining brilliantly.
But after some time, unable to endure the silence himself, he opens his mouth and begins to explain slowly.
"First...let me explain everything from the beginning."
For some reason, instead of addressing the immediate problem, he begins to confide his entire life story to Silver Basket.
He does not know why.
He just feels like he must.
Anyone standing before this being would likely feel the same.
Oh Hyun-seok begins from the day he was born to his growth, his relationships, his experiences at the company, the events in Mount Sumer...
He pours it all out before Silver Basket.
For a long while, he speaks of countless matters to this being, explaining every experience that has brought him to this place.
"...And so, I have arrived here."
[..]
"...Does my story...please you?"
Oh Hyun-seok cautiously asks Silver Basket.
Then, a strange reply comes from Silver Basket.
[You have not yet told your full story, so how can you ask such a question? Tell me your entire tale.]
"Pardon..?"
Oh Hyun-seok does not understand those words.
He has already told everything from the day he was born until now, so what more could Silver Basket possibly want?
"I apologize, but that is the end of my story. I do not really know...what more I should say."
[I see. I understand. So you do not know, for you are a mortal being.]
"Pardon..?"
[1 shall help you, so begin your story again from the beginning. I shall listen.]
"...What does that...understood."
Though confused, Oh Hyun-seok follows Silver Basket's words and begins telling his story again from the very start.
And finally, when his story reaches the point where he arrives at "Mount Sumeru'— Something changes.
"Huh..2'
"I then entered the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, lost my master Azure Tiger Saint to the Devil Race, and became a broken man..."
Why is it?
Under Silver Basket's gaze, he is spilling out stories about himself that even he does not know.
"What is going on?"
"...So, I indulged in male and female pleasures, drugs, and the like, and then was killed by someone named Seo Hweol...2"
Oh Hyun-seok finishes the story in confusion and looks up at Silver Basket.
Then, Silver Basket speaks again.
[Continue. There is still much left. I am listening, so you will be able to tell everything ] [Pardon..? Uh, ah, and...if I were to start again...]
At some point, Oh Hyun-seok begins to endlessly repeat the story of Mount Sumeru. And each time he repeats it, everything is exactly the same.
"What is this...?'
Yet Oh Hyun-seok feels that each of those identical stories are entirely different.
And at some point, the stories begin unfolding in a different direction.
it starts when 'Seo Eun-hyun' appears in the story.
"Huh?'
"...Then, together with Eun-hyun who also entered the Azure Heaven Creation Sect..." "Master self-destructed while charging at the Black Dragon King..."
"Eun-hyun also self-destructed toward the Black Dragon King, who was defiling Master Azure Tiger Saint's corpse..."
As he speaks, Oh Hyun-seok feels stories he never knew pouring out of him, and he falls into a state of panic.
But at a certain moment, Oh Hyun-seok realizes.
"Ahh...could it be...
He realizes why Seo Eun-hyun stands at the center of every story, why he is at the center of every change, and he finally understands why Seo Eun-hyun has always seemed to shine the brightest, why he has always seemed to be ahead.
And when Oh Hyun-seok's story reaches the 2011th telling—
"..And so, I conveyed my heart to Master, who awakened as the Zero King, reminded him of the heart of a person...and then died."
Only then does Oh Hyun-seok become aware that the stories flowing from his mouth have come to a stop.
I see. 2012 times. Seo Eun-hyun...has turned back time 2012 times...!"
Under Silver Basket's gaze, having realized a staggering truth, Oh Hyun-seok suddenly feels a tear fall down his cheek.
[Why do you cry?]
"... cry...because of the countless truths I did not know."
Seo Eun-hyun, who struggled endlessly to save him.
Oh Hyun-seok and the comrades, who died again and again within Seo Eun-hyun's regressions.
And...
Everyone who appeared in Oh Hyun-seok's story and had formed relationships with him. Their stories ache his chest so deeply.
Azure Tiger Saint, who died over and over again trying to save Oh Hyun-seok.
The people of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, who shared affection with Oh Hyun-seok over and over again.
And...
Oh Hye-seo, Oh Hyun-seok's family who suffered again and again under Seo Hweol's bridle.
"To have not been able to do anything for them...to have spent every moment in vain...it is unbearably painful and heartbreaking..."
[..]
After shedding tears before Silver Basket for a while, Oh Hyun-seok wipes them away. "...I want to save my master. I want to save Seo Eun-hyun. Please, let me borrow your strength."
[..]
"0 Silver Basket. Have I...gained your favor?"
Oh Hyun-seok instinctively realizes that to overcome the current situation, he must borrow Silver Basket's power.
And standing before Silver Basket, he wipes away his tears and speaks as confidently as he can.
"Have I...met your standard?"
To this, Silver Basket replies.
[You have failed to please me. Nor have you met my standard.]
[Rather, the one I find pleasing is that one called Seo Eun-hyun. That existence would gain my favor, and meet my standard. For that one shows a [sprout].]
"A sprout...2"
[Something you need not understand. What is clear is that you have not pleased me, and by my standard, you are an insignificant existence. Your presence is so faint that, even if my traces remain in Mount Sumeru, had you not sought me out, we would never have met.]
Oh Hyun-seok feels his heart grow heavy at those words, but he does not lose hope and speaks to Silver Basket.
"...I cannot give up hope. Please, lend me your strength!"
[...Hope, you say?]
As if Silver Basker recalls something from Oh Hyun-seok's words, the smooth surface of the egg ripples like the surface of water.
[How unpleasant. You remind me of them.]
"Pardon..?"
[You need not know. It is not that I do not wish to tell you this time, but that I am being considerate for your sake.]
Muttering incomprehensibly by themselves, Silver Basket continues speaking to Oh Hyun-seok.
[You do not please me.]
"Then."
[But you have offered me your story. Through your story, I have experienced something new. So I can pay the price for your tale.]
Woo-wooooong!
The form of Silver Basket, shaped like an egg, expands.
What was once a silver egg the size of a palm now expands rapidly, becoming the size of a large house.
[Ask what you are curious about, or ask about the path you must take. Then I shall answer, to the extent of your story's worth. When the worth of your story is paid in full, I shall return to my original size. So think carefully and ask only for what you truly need.] "...0 Silver Basket..."
Oh Hyun-seok asks in a trembling voice.
"Who...are you? Please tell me, even just briefly, your story."
It seems like a foolish question, but Oh Hyun-seok instinctively feels he must understand Silver Basket's identity.
And, upon hearing Silver Basket's response, Oh Hyun-seok's eyes widen.
[I am the Creator God of another world. Yet, an incomplete creator who has not yet created a world... I, through my incarnation, stole a fragment of the Absolute that flowed out of Mount Sumeru and used it to infiltrate Mount Sumeru before being temporarily slain.]
Before Oh Hyun-seok's eyes, the life story of a divine being flashes by like a shooting star.
A divine rank of another world secretly entered Mount Sumeru, took the place of an Ender to carry out their fate, and absorbed the power of Mount Sumeru.
They reached Heavenly King, and just as they tried to escape beyond Mount Sumeru... They were pierced by a [black something] thrown by a [being wearing a black mianguan] and flung out to the Outer Sea of Mount Sumeru, where the silver giant god was impaled at the boundary known as Cakravada.
Even in that state, the giant god borrowed the Creator God main body's power to tear open a hole in the boundary and tried to escape, but in the end, they were slain with even the main body being torn apart and killed by the [being wearing a black mianguan]. As Oh Hyun-seok watches this story unfold, his eyeballs and skull burst and he dies. "Keheok... Keeeoooookh..."
Oh Hyun-seok barely rises, letting out a voice full of blood.
"Kurlulukuk..."
His head is dizzy and full of pain.
Before him, the house-sized egg has shrunk slightly, if only by a little.
Oh Hyun-seok realizes the source of the divinity radiating from Silver Basket.
"Keok... Keheok..."
The "wisdom' of divine beings threatens to kill him at any moment.
But he clenches his teeth.
There is someone who died over two thousand times trying to save him and the comrades.
There is someone who exploded their one and only life and died for the sake of his disciple.
There is even a child who could not be born because Oh Hyun-seok could not protect that one and only life.
"Wisdom' is giving him strength.
Power originating from 'wisdom' seeps into Oh Hyun-seok's entire body, and a power of silver light blooms from him.
"...1 will ask...the next question."
Oh Hyun-seok, realizing that there is much pain, much wisdom, and much strength to be gained from this divine being, smiles madly amidst the wisdom still crashing through his mind.
"0 Silver Basket, if you are one who can even steal the Absolute of an Ender, then our end...our conclusion...please, reveal it to me. For what purpose are Enders born, and what end awaits us?"
[All Enders are, after death, taxidermized by the Future King. That is the end of all Enders.]
Once more, new wisdom pours down, and countless "wisdom' rain upon Oh Hyun-seok.