The First Day of the Thirteenth Loop
I pressed my head between my hands and looked around.
Who should I choose?
I still didn't understand what was happening right now...
At least the regression timing had suddenly fixed.
That alone made my head feel like it was about to split open.
Fixing the timing meant everything I had done in that short time since the regression... had become permanent.
The slave I gave to Hyang-hwa.
The relationship between Song Jin and Seo Ran.
The longevity fruit I gave to Kim Young-hoon.
Won Rip who died and the vanished Makri sect...
No matter whether I had done well or not,
the actions themselves had become fixed.
In other words...
Everything I had done so far...
A strange, indescribable feeling rose in my chest.
It had not been meaningless...
No matter when I died, I had done my best,
and even if that life had been meaningless, the result of giving my all in my actions
had finally become meaningful the moment time fixed itself.
I recalled everything I had done in the lower realm.
Ah... really...
Thank goodness.
That was when Seo Hyul, stroking his chin, walked over.
“Hmmm, you must be in quite a dilemma.”
“It seems we should leave now. Honestly, I’d love to stay and watch your performance, but...”
Not just him.
The other monster kings, Seongbung-wang and Geoh-wang, were also sharpening their appetites for me.
It meant they saw me as a promising talent worth stealing.
But behind them, the dragons’ eyes watching me were displeased.
[That trash isn’t worth this trouble. From near the Kun-Earth Axis to the land of the four seas, it’ll take ages. We should leave immediately, Your Majesty.]
“The elder seems in a hurry. We should go now.”
“...Yes, please look after yourself, Dragon King.”
“Ha, Dragon King. I appreciate the words, but from now on call me ‘King.’ The real monster kings of the central realm might get angry.”
He laughed lightly and patted my shoulder before turning to head toward Gyeu-ryeon.
I bowed to Seo Hyul as best I could and watched him depart.
For now, I had no intention of going with him.
After gathering a little information through many lives, perhaps...
But even if he had said to join the monster alliance instead of the real dragon alliance, I would have refused outright.
As I watched Seo Hyul preparing to leave, the green-scaled woodcutter crossed his arms.
[Since you’re human, come with us. No matter which force you follow, you won’t have trouble staying.]
Goe-gun suddenly opened his eyes wide and spoke.
Kugugugu!
He was already at the Heavenly Human stage, having sucked in the heavenly energy of the Gwanghan realm, and the momentum of one foot into the Four Pillars felt overwhelming.
Unlike the other three Heavenly Humans and Seo Hyul who hadn’t quite reached Four Pillars, he gave off the pressure of someone at that stage, proving that Heavenly Thunder Banner’s power alone hadn’t drawn them.
[If no one chooses, come with me. What exactly are you, huh? Too curious to die. How can a human have such thoughts? Ah, so curious. I’ll take you as my disciple, so follow me. Follow me. Follow me. Follow me. Let’s go to the Lake of Bright Spirits together.]
His eyes burned with madness as he stared at me, and I instinctively stepped back.
At that moment, the green-scaled woodcutter frowned.
[I know you’re a great talent. First, both of you humans must get an identity token in the human area. But where exactly are you going? Come with us first.]
That was when Goe-gun shook his head wildly, teeth bared in a grin.
[No. I need to find materials to complete ‘Her.’ That’s why I came to the upper realm. I don’t need anything else. I’ll find the Lake of Bright Spirits in the Gwanghan realm and let its blood flow into ‘Her’ body.]
[Did he not understand? I don’t care what he came to the upper realm for. First, you go to the human area...]
Goe-gun suddenly began shaking his head even more violently.
[No! No no no no! Don’t command me! I’m heading straight to the Lake of Bright Spirits right now! I must find the lake and complete ‘Her’! Don’t stop me! Don’t stop me!]
The three Four Pillars cultivators who had just entered the stage, along with Seo Hyul, all looked grim as they backed away, each protecting their own forces.
I felt a chill at Goe-gun’s actions as well.
‘That guy always acts like this before going crazy...’
―Why not? Why not? Why not? Why not? Why not?
―He’ll evolve me into a superior being?
―You, you, you, you, you...
Recalling that terrifying memory made my body tremble with cold sweat.
Meanwhile, the green-scaled woodcutter’s expression twisted with anger at Goe-gun’s attitude.
[Have you ever seen such a madman? In the lower realm, with Heavenly Human stage, they’d all fawn over you, but this is the Gwanghan realm. How dare this monster go berserk here?]
Kugugugugu!
The heavenly energy of the woodcutter surged.
[I’ll teach you a lesson properly. Keep acting crazy. I’ll blow you to pieces.]
Suddenly, Goe-gun stopped. His eyes blazed as he looked at the woodcutter.
[Destroy me?]
Goe-gun brought both hands to his mouth.
Udduk, uuddok, ppaddeudeuk!
[Destroy me? Destroy destroy destroy destroy destroy? No no no no... no no no... Aaaah, ‘She’ says! Everyone be quiet! Quiet! Ah, yes! Did you hear? ‘She’ gave me her opinion!]
His eyes filled with madness as he bit his own fingers until they bled and continued.
[As a souvenir for crossing into the Gwanghan realm, let’s see how effective a Four Pillars-grade material is!]
[This... madman!]
The woodcutter swung his hand.
And Seo Hyul, urging the dragon alliance elder, fled away at once.
The three Heavenly Humans each raised protective barriers around their forces.
Since no one had chosen me yet, no one helped.
And then the Four Pillars woodcutter and Goe-gun collided.
Flash!
Chiiiing!
Heavenly energy surged wildly as the surrounding space shook from their clash.
Kugugugugu!
“Kheuk!”
‘Damn it, if I hadn’t had Blood Body Armor I’d have died!’
Thanks to the regeneration of Blood Body Armor, I barely survived.
Crushed beneath their pressure, I lay crumpled on the ground and slowly raised my head to watch the sky where the two were fighting.
And that day, I finally saw Goe-gun’s true power.
Kuo-oooooo!
Goe-gun opened a box.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
From inside the box, a massive fortress emerged.
It looked as if three Bongmyeong Castles had been fused together.
Goe-gun’s fortress, with three cylindrical pillars forming a triangle.
And from atop the fortress, Goe-gun’s voice thundered across the heavens.
[Wonderful Fortress! Open your mouth!]
Kugugugugu!
The gate of Goe-gun’s fortress opened and the sky began to be swallowed.
That... that is...
I stared with wide eyes in shock.
Not only me, but other Four Pillars cultivators in the Gwanghan realm also stared in astonishment.
Boo-woooooong!
The puppets emerged: bug puppets, spider puppets, mantis puppets... animal puppets, human puppets...
All kinds of puppets.
They filled the sky.
Beyond them, Goe-gun’s voice echoed.
[One hundred million nine hundred thousand for the Kugi realm puppets. Sixteen thousand five hundred sixty for the Jeonjeong realm puppets. Four thousand two hundred thirty for the Wonyeong realm puppets. Sixty-three for the Heavenly Human realm puppets. Two for the Four Pillars realm puppets.]
Two genuine Four Pillars-grade powers.
And the combined power of all the other puppets covering the sky.
If I summed their strength...
Four Pillars...
Four times the power...!
I stood stunned, mouth agape, staring at the three cultivators below who were quietly unfolding their own barriers with a calm expression.
Now they were Four Pillars cultivators themselves.
Kugugugugu!
Goe-gun manipulated the puppets in perfect unison and began relentlessly pushing the green-scaled woodcutter.
The other Four Pillars cultivators, staring in a daze, quickly flew up to help the woodcutter.
I watched the Black Ghost Valley with wide eyes.
Only today did I realize just how mighty and powerful that sect truly was.
Fighting a mad monster and barely surviving with only a third of the sect alive.
It truly was an immensely powerful sect.
Kwang, kwa-kwa-kwang!
The Four Pillars cultivators, flashing through countless Kugi realm puppets, fought fiercely.
And then...
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
The puppets parted, creating a gap as they were pushed outward.
Through that gap, the green-scaled woodcutter fell, blood flowing from his whole body.
At the same time...
Pwook!
Goe-gun’s Wonderful Fortress fell from the sky and captured the woodcutter.
And the puppets instantly pulled him back into the fortress, which was then sucked into Goe-gun’s box.
Pa-ah-ah!
Behind Goe-gun floated a dazzling white light that seemed to be holding him.
That is... ‘She’...?
I was startled.
The light looked like a human figure, but the rays bursting from ‘Her’ were too bright, and observing it closely made my eyes water.
At that moment...
[Hey, you!]
Goe-gun flew over with ‘Her’ toward me.
Paat!
No, ‘flew over’ was wrong.
He simply bypassed space and appeared right in front of me in an instant.
Kwa-ah!
‘Her’ grabbed the empty air, and heavenly energy surged as it seized me.
At the same time, Kim Yeon-jim, who had been foaming at the mouth and passed out beside me, was also lifted into the air.
[Great! We got a Four Pillars-grade material too!]
‘Damn it!’
Boo-woong, boo-woong!
I drew the Invisible Sword and tried to resist desperately, but I was completely frozen by ‘Her’ at Four Pillars stage.
[This is fun! Hee hee! Two decent disciples and one Four Pillars-grade material. The crossing to the upper realm succeeded! Soon you and I will dance together! Aaaaaaah!]
Pa-ah-ah!
Goe-gun flew away with ‘Her,’ and I was pulled along by the force.
The distance behind me vanished rapidly as the Four Pillars cultivators screamed in fury.
Kugugugugu!
The ground shook violently wherever their angry voices echoed, earthquakes raging everywhere.
These Four Pillars cultivators, surpassing natural disasters just by existing, were being toyed with and trembling in rage by a single madman.
[Chase after that madman...!]
[Hunt him down in the Gwanghan realm!]
[You crazy bastard! The entire Heavenly race will chase you!]
In the chaos, I gritted my teeth as I was dragged away by Goe-gun.
‘Damn it!’
I hadn’t chosen my force in time and ended up caught by him!
Pa-ah-ah!
I flew away at high speed with Goe-gun, ‘Her,’ and Kim-jim toward some unknown destination.