Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: An Unacceptable Proposition
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When a person is exhausted, they sometimes see things that aren't there. This is a fact I can personally attest to.
But right now, I wasn't seeing things—I was hearing them.
“…A Martial God?”
[Indeed. Fated One.]
A Martial God.
A god…
It wasn't that I had no idea what this was about.
The inverted triangle symbol Kaljak had found.
The altar of a forgotten god, said to be somewhere in this cave.
‘Don't tell me…’
Did my recent battle awaken a forgotten god?
[Are you surprised? But, Fated One, this Martial God does not speak with two tongues. This glorious offer is not made in jest. Now, come to my altar at once.]
It was annoyingly loud.
My head throbbed, probably from overexerting myself for the first time in a while.
Martial God or whatever it was, I just wished it would shut up for a bit.
[Hmm. You do not seem pleased by this connection. Is that so? Were you not my Fated One…?]
I didn't care. I just wanted to sleep for a bit, then—.
[Then I suppose I must find another follower. It seems a skilled martial artist is heading this way as we speak.]
“…What?”
At those words, I forced my drooping eyelids open.
A martial artist was coming here?
It couldn't be Kaljak or Arjan.
If my predictions were correct, those two were still frozen solid by the blast of cold air from the Sapphire Snake.
[Someone is rushing from the opposite side of the cave at a ferocious speed. Hmmm. I can feel the blessing of a god as well.]
The blessing of a god.
That's what this being said, but it was unlikely that whoever was coming was a scion of a Great Family.
As I’d mentioned before, the forgotten gods have an ambiguous sense of good and evil.
In other words, they consider not only the blessings of the seventy-two gods but also the curses of the Calamity Gods as a form of blessing.
This meant that the one currently heading this way was a minion of Hadenaihar, and if that person became a follower of this forgotten god…
In the worst-case scenario, we could have another Demon King on our hands.
‘Damn it.’
I gritted my teeth, pushed myself up, and spoke.
“Where do I need to go?”
* * *
I headed for the place where the Jewel Beast’s eggs had been stored.
The space that had been revealed during the fierce battle with the Sapphire Snake.
*Crunch.*
A foul smell.
I moved forward, stepping on old eggshells.
As I advanced through the pitch-black darkness, I came across a series of branching paths.
[To the right.]
[Left, here.]
[Now, straight ahead.]
Following the guidance of the self-proclaimed Martial God, I proceeded with ease.
After passing through who knows how many forks in the path, a vast space appeared before me.
It was wide enough to easily accommodate dozens of buildings, and the ceiling was high enough for the Sapphire Snake to stand upright.
In that wide, distant place, a solitary structure stood.
“……”
An inverted tower.
The ruins of a forgotten god, symbolizing defiance against the heavens.
It seemed the tower hadn't been able to escape the ravages of time; it was shabby and damaged in many places.
Even so, I was momentarily overwhelmed by its atmosphere.
It felt less shabby and more ancient.
[Fated One, this way.]
At the Martial God’s words, I quickened my pace.
In front of the tower was a simple altar.
“…This one isn't built upside down.”
[That should be obvious. If the altar were upside down, how could one place offerings upon it?]
“Offerings…”
I sighed and said, “O, Martial God, I do not know much about the forgotten gods. If I become your first follower, what exactly do I stand to gain?”
[Hah. How can you judge the value of faith by gains and losses? Becoming a follower of this Martial God is a glorious thing in and of itself.]
“A god’s standards are difficult for mortals to accept. And I do not think it is wrong for a worldly being to covet worldly values.”
[Mmm…]
The Martial God hummed in thought.
[You are not wrong. Indeed. The perspectives of gods and men are different.]
After a moment of contemplation, the Martial God spoke in a triumphant voice.
[Very well. In that case… if you become my follower, I will pass down the strongest martial art I have mastered!]
“I don’t really need that.”
The Martial God, taken aback by my immediate response, asked in a flustered voice.
[You don’t need it? Why not?]
“I already have a martial art that I’m practicing.”
[That is not a problem. Fated One, you still seem young, so learning a new martial art should pose no issue.]
“I have no intention of learning a new martial art for the time being…”
[Why is that?]
“Because the martial art I’m learning is the strongest.”
[…]
The Martial God seemed at a loss for words for a moment.
[Fated One, you are still inexperienced as a martial artist and do not understand, but one who walks the path of martial arts should not utter the word ‘strongest’ so lightly.]
“You just said it yourself, didn't you, Martial God?”
[I am a Martial God. If a being who is a *god* of martial arts cannot call the art he created the strongest, would that not be strange in its own right?]
He had a point.
[How frustrating. Fated One, you do not realize what a great fortune this is.]
For a god, its reactions were surprisingly human.
Despite that, its tone and aura exuded a transcendent majesty and maturity.
Perhaps it really was a Martial God.
The thought made me want to ask it a few questions.
“O, Martial God, my master who taught me said that among all the martial arts that exist under the heavens, there is no high or low. The most important thing is the skill of the practitioner and how well the art suits the user.”
[That is not wrong.]
“Do you agree with my master’s words? If so, why do you call your own martial art the strongest?”
It wasn’t exactly a 'person' to refer to as such, but I couldn't think of a better term.
The Martial God spoke with a hint of laughter in its voice.
[Fated One, you are quite precocious for your age. It seems you have even grasped some clues about your own martial philosophy. Regardless of your level, that is a difficult achievement at your age…]
“……”
[I will answer your question. First, any martial artist who has reached a certain level will inevitably have a different view on what it means to be the strongest.]
I blinked slowly.
It had been a while since I’d heard something I couldn't understand.
[To some, being the strongest may simply mean being invincible, while to others, it may mean being undefeated. Still others may consider simply surviving to be the ultimate strength. The difference arises from the life each has lived.]
The Martial God’s explanation made sense.
Invincible and undefeated might sound similar, but the difference was clear.
Having no equal was different from fighting and only securing victories.
And as for not caring about defeat and counting ultimate survival as victory… well.
From my perspective, that seemed closer to the brawls of beasts than humans.
[The reason my martial art is the strongest is simple. Anyone, under the same conditions, investing an equal amount of time, will have the highest probability of reaching the pinnacle of strength if they learn my art.]
“Has that been proven?”
[It has. A very long time ago… in an era you have forgotten, it was proven countless times.]
A hint of wistfulness lingered in the Martial God’s voice for a moment.
[…In any case, I am curious. The one who taught you, Fated One, seems to be a considerable master. What did he say about his own martial art?]
“He said that not only under the heavens, but also before him and after him, no martial art would ever surpass it.”
This was more a description of the Arts of the Greatest of All Time than the White Sun Eclipse.
But since this philosophy was ultimately Baek Rogwang’s, it wasn't an incorrect statement.
[A martial art without peer, before or since… What an arrogant man.]
The Martial God added.
[But it seems he has the right to be.]
“……”
[Judging from what I've heard from you, Fated One, your master probably holds this kind of belief.]
—Even if I only half-learned some back-alley sword style, I would still be the strongest.
A sudden shiver ran down my spine.
Despite never having met him, this Martial God had perfectly seen through my master’s disposition.
[Interesting. I do know one other person who was similar…]
“……”
[In any case, for someone with such a mindset, it is only natural that he would consider the martial art or method he created to be the strongest. In other words, when he told you, ‘There is no hierarchy among martial arts,’ what he meant was this.]
—There is no hierarchy among all the martial arts that exist under the heavens. Except for the one I created.
“…Hm.”
I had never met anyone who could grasp my master's character so quickly.
And this was without ever meeting or seeing him, based only on a few things I’d said.
“I understand what you're saying.”
I spoke politely.
Truth aside, I had decided this was a being worthy of respect.
But that didn't mean all my questions were answered.
“However, O, Martial God, if what you say is true, couldn’t it be that the martial art you would teach me is not truly the strongest, but simply what you yourself believe to be so?”
[Hoho.]
The Martial God let out a laugh.
Fortunately, it didn't seem particularly offended.
After a moment of thought, the Martial God said:
[Then let us do this. Show me the martial art you have learned. Then I will tell you how to improve it.]
“……”
[I have no intention of insulting your master, so you can relax your expression.]
What was my expression like?
I instinctively almost touched my face, but I managed to stop myself, thinking it would be an even more pathetic gesture.
[Listen, and if you feel there is merit in what I say, you can accept it. What do you say?]
“…Hmm.”
I never thought the day would come when I’d hear such an arrogant proposal.
To think it would offer to critique the martial art of the World's Greatest, Baek Rogwang.
If it weren't for what had happened earlier, I wouldn't have even snorted at such a claim.
But now… I was curious.
Perhaps this being, this Martial God, was a peak of martial arts on par with my master.
“Very well.”
I immediately took my stance.
* * *
As if performing a sword dance, I began to execute the White Sun Eclipse from the beginning.
There was no need to rush, so I moved slowly.
I wanted to ensure that this being called the Martial God could clearly grasp the core and essence of this art.
[…]
In the middle of it, Kaljak’s offer suddenly came to mind.
He had said he wanted to take me as his disciple.
Kaljak was a man worthy of respect.
He was strong, warm-hearted, knew when to be strict, and possessed perseverance.
He didn't lack social standing, nor was he inept at teaching.
All in all, Kaljak was an excellent master with a human touch.
My thought that my life before regression might have changed if he had stayed at the main estate wasn't just a fleeting fancy.
But I had refused Kaljak’s offer.
Not just once, but several times.
For some reason, I just didn't want to call him master, teacher, or instructor.
In fact, that went for anyone, not just Kaljak.
*Swoosh—.*
[…]
The White Sun Eclipse, the martial art I created with my master.
To me, the White Sun Eclipse was a memory.
From the first form to the tenth form of the first half.
The origin of every form, the process through which they were created, how they were born—it all came back to me as vividly as ever.
…I learned so much.
Not just martial arts.
My flaws as a person, what I needed to fix, my direction in life, how I should live, and how I wanted to live.
And I learned that even a guy like me had his strengths.
So, to me, Baek Rogwang was a being that the simple word ‘master’ was insufficient to describe.
“……”
The demonstration of the White Sun Eclipse was over.
I panted slightly as I looked at the altar.
My body was in bad shape; just demonstrating the forms had made me feel feverish.
‘Damn it…’
When I woke up, it would probably be hard to even lift a finger.
I swallowed hard, thinking of the backlash from Baekhwa that would soon hit me like a boomerang.
[Fated One, what is the name of the martial art you just practiced?]
The Martial God, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
“It is the White Sun Eclipse.”
[Hmm.]
After a moment of silence, the Martial God spoke in a firm voice.
[Fated One, I will be blunt. You must stop practicing the White Sun Eclipse.]