The First Day of the Fourteenth Loop
A disgusting sensation that never became familiar no matter how many times I experienced it. A situation completely unlike the one right before death.
Boom!
A barrier unfolded beneath my feet on the Ascension Platform, and the surrounding space stabilized with gentle waves.
The immediate aftermath of gaining the upper hand in the Gwanghan Realm.
And...
That vile voice from the very end of my previous life.
“Choose for yourselves. We will now disperse according to the guidance of our seniors from the Gwanghan Realm. What faction will you join, young one?”
I blinked, scanning my surroundings.
Geum Byeok-ho.
Heuk-gwak.
Changhoza.
Seo Hyul...
And...
Goe-gun.
After taking in the entire scene, I turned my gaze to Kim Yeon collapsed beside Goe-gun, foaming at the mouth.
“...Wait a moment. Please hold on.”
I ignored Seo Hyul’s reply and immediately approached the unconscious Kim Yeon beside Goe-gun.
Goe-gun’s eyes were bright with interest, but I ignored his gaze and pressed the acupressure point on Kim Yeon’s major vessel.
“Ugh... uheek!”
Kim Yeon inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.
“Eh...? This is... Senior Seo...?”
And before she could fully regain her senses, I pulled her tightly into my arms.
“Hoooh...”
Goe-gun looked at me with a fascinating expression, while surprise flashed across the others’ eyes.
“Yeon-ah.”
I called her name.
“I love you. And I will continue to love you from now on.”
The promise I made with her in my previous life. Even in this life and beyond, always.
Even if the Kim Yeon of the next life is not the one I know, I told her I would love her countless times.
So I held her without hesitation and said,
“Y-yes...?”
Kim Yeon looked bewildered, as if she couldn’t understand the situation, and scanned the area.
Suddenly her face turned bright red.
“A-ah... w-what... am I dreaming?”
While still embracing her, I did not reveal the Invisible Sword and poured life force into her body.
A small technique was now engraved inside her.
I would be able to track her position from now on.
It was modeled after the spirit energy circuit of the Wondrous Castle, so there was no risk of it being discovered by any Goe-gun inside that fortress.
After holding her for a moment longer while she remained unconscious, I stood up and spoke.
“Jo Yeon-ssi.”
You don’t listen to madness with madness’s logic. But I had spent enough time with this madman and understood his logic well.
“She is a wonderful puppet master. That’s why I can say this.”
“Hoo...?”
“So, please raise her as a wonderful puppet master. One day I will enter the Wondrous Castle and become your [resident]. I want Yeon, who has become a puppet master while inside the Wondrous Castle, to be controlled by you as much as possible. Please do not change her too much—I want to be controlled by the most complete puppet master.”
I revealed my feelings openly before him.
I wanted to become a puppet for the person I loved. No one could understand his logic better than this madman.
Sure enough, Goe-gun shed tears from both eyes and clapped wildly.
“Aaaah...! It’s beautiful! Good, good! I will do that! I will raise this child well. But... does that mean you want to become a [resident] right now?”
I shook my head.
“No. If I become your puppet in my current state, I would only be a low-level one. I have no desire to be controlled by Yeon as a weak puppet. So please train her even more beautifully. One day I will come to the Wondrous Castle of my own volition.”
“Aaaah!”
Goe-gun poured out tears of emotion.
“What a magnificent person! Excellent! Whenever you wish, I will open the gates of the Wondrous Castle for you!”
Kim Yeon stared at our conversation with a puzzled expression, while Goe-gun patted my shoulder with tears in his eyes.
By explaining his logic well, he had clearly understood.
‘This is the best.’
I greeted Goe-gun and turned around.
I couldn’t take Kim Yeon away from this madman right now.
If I tried to steal what was mine, he would only go into greater frenzy...
I turned my back on Goe-gun and looked at the other factions.
Of course, the choice was already decided.
‘First...’
“I have long admired the fame of Changhoza, the founder of Changcheon Gaebyeokmun, and the founder of the Cheongmun Clan, Cheongmun Seon-woo. Since I have also had ties with the people of the Cheongmun Clan before, I ask for your permission to receive guidance from Seon-woo.”
I spoke in the Wallra language and bowed to Changhoza.
Changhoza crossed his arms with a hearty smile.
“Uha ha ha! Good! Our Changcheon Gaebyeokmun does not discriminate against people, so you can become an excellent disciple of our sect!”
“Thank you!”
And just as the Blood Marrow Woodman had told us in the previous loop to disperse to each faction...
“I hate hate hate hate... Don’t order me! [She] is speaking! Be quiet!”
Goe-gun went into a frenzy, opened a box, and pulled out the Wondrous Castle.
Kugugugugu!
And the same scene from the previous loop unfolded.
Seo Hyul hurriedly led Gyu-ryeon and the Demon Beast horde away, while Changhoza raised his familiar barrier with a calm expression.
Kugugugugu!
A blue barrier enveloped me.
Chzeong! Chzeong! Chzeo-eong!
Lightning flashed as Goe-gun and the Four Pillars cultivators collided.
And...
Whoosh!
Goe-gun captured the Blood Marrow Woodman into the Wondrous Castle once more and fled far away with [her].
[That madman!]
[Put a bounty on that creature!]
The Four Pillars cultivators who had been on the Ascension Platform shouted angrily toward Goe-gun.
In the midst of the Four Pillars cultivators who had been rampaging toward Goe-gun...
Changhoza asked me with a concerned expression.
“By the way, are you really going to the madman to become his puppet?”
I looked at him and shook my head.
“No. I only said that because the person who was lying beside me is someone I love.”
“Hahaha! Splendid! To think you tricked that madman in consideration of your companion!”
Changhoza laughed heartily.
Paseuseu...
Changhoza lowered his barrier, and Geum Byeok-ho and Heuk-gwak lowered theirs while laughing.
“What a chaotic mess. To think you tricked that madman to ensure the safety of your companion.”
“You should have helped us when we came to Black Ghost Valley. What a pity.”
Heuk-gwak stared at me with his characteristically ambiguous appearance and licked his tongue.
I returned the courtesy and said,
“I also feel a bit sorry because I have some acquaintance with Song Jin, the elder of Cheongsaek Gwimgol Valley.”
“Oh ho, with Song-ssi?”
“Yes. The great person who stayed in the lower realm after vowing to protect the Seopmyeong Ship that was destroyed in the battle against Goe-gun.”
“Hoo, so you were acquainted with Song-ssi too. What a pity. You would have been helped if you had come here.”
“Haha, because I already had connections with the Cheongmun Clan...”
“Well, that can’t be helped...”
After briefly greeting Heuk-gwak, I bowed to Geum Byeok-ho.
“I have come to offer a few words to Geum Shincheonroe Moon’s Supreme Sect Master.”
“What is it?”
Geum Byeok-ho, who had been watching our conversation with interest, asked.
I did not beat around the bush and asked directly.
“Do you know anything about the Divine Treasure of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the Heavenly Thunder Banner?”
“...? Of course. It is a divine item of our sect, so...”
“Then...”
Without hesitation, I immediately told him about the contents of the stone’s upper part that existed in the lower realm.
“...Due to the great war of forty thousand years ago, the upper part of that stone was damaged. As I mentioned, if one possesses the Heavenly Thunder Banner, it may be dangerous...”
And...
Kwa-reureureung!
A thunderbolt struck toward me from the sky.
“!”
I gritted my teeth and fell, being struck by lightning.
[This insolent brat! I’ve been listening to your nonsense about the Divine Treasure of our sect. Do you even know anything? Do you have any proof? If you knew about it, why didn’t you say anything when we met last time?]
Kurung, kurung!
Geum Byeok-ho’s entire body was wrapped in golden lightning and transformed like a thunder god.
[Perhaps you didn’t know when we met in the lower realm last time. We spent several days while gaining the upper hand and found the old shrine of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect in the middle of the desert. We found the upper part of the stone there and decoded the ancient language to learn of it.]
“...”
I had guessed correctly, but the obvious rage that would follow if I insulted him was plain to see.
[Be grateful that you entered the Gaebyeokmun! If Changhoza’s face hadn’t been spared, I would have turned you to ash and sold your soul to Black Ghost Valley right now!]
Pzazik, pzazik...
After swallowing another golden lightning bolt, he turned his back and moved away from the Ascension Platform.
Several Heavenly Person cultivators from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect who had accompanied him followed.
“Heum heum, honestly your words weren’t very credible, so the sect master reacted that way. In the future, train hard and make your words weigh, then I’ll listen again.”
Tuk tuk!
Changhoza patted my shoulder, and blue spiritual energy covered my body, healing my wounds.
“...Thank you.”
Uuuuung!
And from the sky above...
It seemed some Four Pillars cultivators had failed to chase Goe-gun and were descending.
[...For now, everyone make identity verification seals. All... follow me.]
Following the Four Pillars cultivator’s guidance, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Changcheon Gaebyeokmun, Black Ghost Valley, and even the joint forces of other factions followed him.
We descended from the Ascension Platform and relocated.
* * *
[This is a place called Geongon City in the Geongon Central Region.]
A blue-skinned foreign race Four Pillars cultivator led us while explaining.
[Because the spirit energy of the Gwanghan Realm has opened and there is a spatial rift connecting to the lower realm, the Ascension Platform was built here to manage those who came from the lower realm. Because countless races have gained the upper hand from countless lower realms, there is no war or conflict here.]
‘Countless lower realms...’
As expected, it seemed other lower realms besides the Water Realm existed.
‘In my previous life I lived as nothing but a puppet for so many years and had no way to receive proper information.’
I had only known the rough timing of major events.
Following the Four Pillars cultivator, we passed through the various gates of Geongon City and moved somewhere.
And when we passed through the large blue jade-colored gate of Geongon City...
Wagl wagl...
We could see an enormous crowd.
“Hoo, who are these people?”
Interest sparkled in Changhoza’s eyes.
I felt a little tired and looked at the people in the square.
Every single one of them was a Heavenly Person cultivator.
[They are those who gained the upper hand in other lower realms from you. They used Ascension Platforms different from the ones you passed through. There are many more Ascension Platforms in Geongon City.]
After finishing his explanation, the Four Pillars cultivator flew up and shouted toward the square.
[Those who gained the upper hand in the Star Realm, go to the other side! Those who gained the upper hand in the Corpses Realm, go to the other side!]
At those words, dozens of cultivators headed in different directions.
Changhoza asked the Four Pillars cultivator,
“What is the Star Realm, and what is the Corpses Realm?”
[Ah, we haven’t explained it to you yet. Think of it simply. Is the ground flat or round in your world?]
“Um...?”
[Lower realms whose ground is flat and protected by some invisible force are called the Corpses Realm. Lower realms whose ground is round and extends infinitely into the sky are called the Star Realm.]
At those words, Changhoza and the others looked toward the Corpses Realm.
“Then we must be in the Corpses Realm.”
Changhoza walked into the group of Corpses Realm upper-hand cultivators, while Geum Byeok-ho and Baekgol Gwima entered with their own sect’s Heavenly Person elders.
The Heavenly Person cultivators who had gained the upper hand from other lower realms backed away stealthily, seeing Changhoza, Baekgol Gwima, and Geum Byeok-ho emitting Four Pillars-level spiritual energy.
[Now, I will issue identity verification seals. All...]
Changhoza, the Heavenly Person elders, and the Nascent Soul cultivators who had followed them could each receive identity seals.
However, the numerous disciples brought from the lower realm could not receive verification seals.
[This damn place! To think they claim to have gained the upper hand as a whole clan! The spatial pressure will explode to insane levels. Is that even possible?!]
It seemed the Geongon City Four Pillars elder who was making the identity seals was frowning and roaring.
[Do I have to make verification seals for hundreds of millions of those bastards?! Don’t talk nonsense! Say something reasonable! What kind of monsters are tearing their own sect to shreds for a mass upper hand! Even if they formed formations to lighten the burden inside the compressed space, it still doesn’t make sense!]
Following the elder’s somewhat heated argument, the disciples of the three sects decided to receive verification seals separately in the human race region.
And...
Kugugugugu!
Following the Four Pillars cultivators who had come to greet us from each race, we dispersed into the respective race regions of Geongon City.
“Hehe, what a mess. In this upper hand, our human race gained the upper hand as a whole by such a large margin...”
And the Four Pillars cultivator who had come to greet us, a certain ancestor of the Black Ghost Valley named Heol-yeong, looked at us with an incredulous expression.
“Really... even though I am your descendant, what kind of stunt did you pull?”
“Ancestor, Heuk-gwak pays respects.”
“...I heard. As soon as we arrived you reached Four Pillars level. What... the generation this time... uuu...”
Heol-yeong looked us over for a moment, then stuck out his tongue and flew into the air.
“Well, everyone follow me! We’re going to the human race region!”
And along with the human race cultivators who had gained the upper hand from other lower realms, the people from the three sects each summoned flight techniques and headed toward the human race region.
Pa-aaah!
Oh Hyun-seok and I boarded the flying chariot Changhoza had provided and soared.
I could have flown directly with the Invisible Sword, but to avoid any suspicion of being mistaken for a foreign race spy, I gradually loosened the Invisible Sword from inside my body and removed it.
The Four Pillars cultivators flew in front, and the flying chariot Oh Cha-jang and I rode followed right behind Changhoza, so I could hear their conversation.
“Ancestor, could you give us a general explanation about the Gwanghan Realm?”
“Sure, it’s not difficult. You have the information I provided, but first let me explain...”
Information about the Gwanghan Realm flowed from Heol-yeong’s mouth.
“The Gwanghan Realm has three major races. The Heavenly Race, the Earth Race, and the Heart Race.”
“Um? But earlier in that great war there seemed to be many more races...”
One of the Heavenly Person cultivators following from behind muttered to herself in wonder.
Heol-yeong answered.
“Correct. There are enormously many races. But since we can’t know all of them, we divide the races of the Gwanghan Realm into three large categories—Heavenly, Earth, and Heart.”
His explanation continued.
“The criterion for dividing the three major races is simple: [vision].
The Heavenly Race (Ten-jok) is a race that finds the appropriate ancestral rites for their own race, conducts ancestral rites in the sky to read the heavenly mysteries, and possesses eyes that perceive the will of the heavens. Our human race is also included in this.
The Earth Race (Ji-jok) trains the body, draws out the limits of the body through training, awakens specific senses, and possesses eyes that read the spirit energy of the earth. Mostly the Demon Beasts born from beasts make up the vast majority.
And finally the Heart Race...”
I listened more intently, focusing on Heol-yeong’s description of the Heart Race.