Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Name of the Master
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Baek Rogwang.
The World's Greatest and the Greatest of All Time.
The Martial Immortal of Spirit Mountain and a Transcendent Being.
And my master.
It was a name I thought of several times a day... but since regressing, I never expected to hear it from someone else's lips.
Because my master isn't from this world.
Not in an idiomatic sense, but in the most literal one.
“How do you know that name…?”
By what means could a being of this world possibly know my master's name?
Even if the other party was a divine being, my surprise didn't diminish.
[I see. So it was Baek Rogwang who taught you martial arts. But why would that man take on a disciple…?]
“...”
The Martial God felt like a completely different person. From his mutterings, almost a whisper to himself, I felt an inexplicable chill.
Until now, the Martial God had only shown a warm and benevolent side, like a spring breeze.
But now, I felt a sharp edge, as if he would cut down anyone who approached.
A warning not to dig any deeper.
My instincts were sounding an alarm.
“What is your relationship with my master?”
I ignored it and asked.
For me, this was important enough to casually disregard the warnings of my instincts.
[...]
The Martial God fell silent.
With just that, I felt a sense of pressure.
It was ridiculous.
I was the one pressing for an answer, yet I was also the one feeling burdened.
I gritted my teeth and held my ground.
Since he was fundamentally an incorporeal being, I didn't know where to direct my gaze, so I just stared past the altar.
[I cannot say.]
“...”
[Do not misunderstand. It is not that I do not wish to speak. It is that I cannot.]
I wasn't foolish enough to misunderstand the meaning of those words.
But understanding was another matter entirely.
“You're a god. Even if you've been forgotten, who could possibly suppress you, a deity?”
[This is closely related to the story of how I came to be forgotten.]
“The story?”
[Successor, how many beings with divinity do you think exist on the continent today?]
Beings with divinity.
If he was asking about divine beings.
The 72 Gods.
The 13 Dragon Kings.
The Nine Spirit Gods.
The Five Kings.
And the Calamity God.
I listed the most well-known gods in the empire, one after another.
Hearing my answer, the Martial God nodded.
[The beings you mentioned are but a tiny fraction of those with divinity. The exact number is likely unknown to anyone. What could be the reason?]
I had no idea, so I shook my head.
[It is because there is no absolute god to serve as the center.]
“An absolute god?”
It was an unfamiliar term.
[In other words, a creator god. Are you aware? Every mythology must contain a record of creation. A mythology lacking that is inherently contradictory.]
“...”
[But in this world, no matter which mythology you look into, there is no mention of creation anywhere. The head of the 72 Gods, the lord of the 13 Dragon Kings, the leader of the Nine Spirit Gods, and likely even the Five Kings you mentioned—all of them possess immense power, but they have no connection to creation.]
The Martial God's gaze seemed to study me, and then his voice continued.
[…Of course, you mortals would feel no curiosity or sense of wrongness about this fact. Because everyone has forgotten. That is precisely what 'being forgotten' means.]
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
“That's not true. Now that I think about it, it is strange.”
At that, the Martial God asked, seemingly a little surprised.
[Do you believe my words?]
“I don't trust you completely. But if everything you've said is true, then I do find it strange.”
[That alone is curious… Are you perhaps a descendant of a hero?]
I knew what hero the Martial God was referring to.
I nodded and spoke.
“Come to think of it, my introduction is late. My name is Ruan Bednicker.”
[Bednicker…! Successor, you are a descendant of the dark elf Kuset!]
The dark elf Kuset was the hero who ended the desperate Dark Age and the founder of the Bednicker Family.
I needlessly fiddled with my bangs and said.
“Well, the dark elf blood is a bit thin…”
In truth, my appearance was more influenced by my mother than my father.
Most of my siblings have black hair, but I'm a blond, for starters.
Though my eyes are the same shade of violet.
“So you know my ancestor. Was he also your successor?”
[Not quite. Kuset was a man more akin to my comrade.]
Come to think of it, the Martial God had said he died about 2,000 years ago when I was climbing the tower.
There are hardly any records from that time, but it roughly overlaps with the period when the dark elf Kuset was active.
Hearing the Martial God's words, I was lost in a strange sentiment.
Two who were active in the same era.
One became a god but was forgotten, while the other is still spoken of as a hero.
To become a god and be forgotten, or to become a hero and be remembered…
I don't know which is the better end.
[In that case….]
The Martial God looked at me and said.
[Perhaps a successor like you might be able to reach the truth of the 'Forgotten Age'.]
“I have other things I need to do, though…”
[I have no intention of forcing you. You can push this matter to the very bottom of your priorities. After all, things like this tend to slip further away the more you try to grasp them…. You need only keep this in mind and follow where fate leads.]
“...”
[However, I will assert this once more. Just like the Galaxy Sword, the truth of the Forgotten Age will also be of benefit to you.]
I looked at the Martial God and asked.
“In the process of uncovering the truth of the Forgotten Age, will I also learn about my master?”
[That is a question I cannot answer.]
The Martial God said as much, but that itself was an answer.
I paused to think.
I was greatly flustered when my master's name suddenly came up… but then a thought occurred to me.
Is this really something to be so surprised about?
I don't know the exact circumstances, but my master dragged me to Spirit Mountain just before I died and even sent me back here.
And he turned back time by a great deal.
In other words, it's not strange that my master could come to this world…
and it also means that reversing the past isn't an impossible feat.
And knowing Baek Rogwang's personality, it wouldn't be strange if he had gone around picking fights with the gods back in the age of myths.
The problem is that I can't guess my master's true intentions.
‘Did he send me to the past simply because of Eldest Martial Brother? To make me grow much stronger than before, so I could catch him?’
That might not be the only reason.
There's something more, something hidden.
And that secret might be deeply connected to the truth of the 'Forgotten Age,' just as the Martial God said….
I had no concrete evidence, but I felt a sense of conviction.
“Alright.”
I raised my head and said.
“I accept your proposal, Martial God. What specifically should I do?”
[There must be someone in your family who carries on Kuset's will. Most likely, it would be the family head.]
The Martial God looked at me and said.
[That person would be able to tell you far more than I. Who knows. Much time has passed, so he might even know more than I do.]
“Hmm.”
So it connects like this again.
In any case, it seems what I need to do right now hasn't really changed.
The direct descendant of the dark elf hero Kuset and the head of a Great Family.
Also, a man who is both the sword and executioner of the imperial family.
I must meet my father, the Iron-Blooded Duke.
* * *
I retrace my steps.
Just doing that feels like I'm going to die.
-Once the White Sun Eclipse is over, just get some damn sleep.
My master's advice comes to mind.
He'd said it casually, but since he was a man who had built a wall between himself and kindness, the occasional advice he offered carried a different weight.
‘How much time has passed since the White Sun Eclipse?’
An hour? Two hours?
In any case, the price for ignoring his advice is harsh.
“Haa, haa…”
Just walking makes my consciousness flicker in and out.
This is why I'm moving as slowly as a turtle instead of running.
The place with the Sapphire Snake's corpse, which definitely wasn't far, feels incredibly distant.
[Successor, do not overexert yourself. Why not rest for a bit before moving?]
“The one coming here is my enemy. If we run into each other, he'll try to kill me, nine times out of ten.”
I asked, gasping for breath.
“Where is he now?”
[I cannot tell.]
“What?”
[Until a moment ago, I could perceive the inside of this cave because the Seven Sins Sword was embedded in the tower. Now, my consciousness has separated from the cave and moved to the sword. This means I can no longer perceive it. I will likely fall asleep once we leave this cave.]
“So I'm screwed?”
[Successor, your language is a bit rough—.]
“Forget it! Where was he the last time you checked?”
[Hmm. Based on this location, he was about ten minutes away.]
“When was that?”
[Ten minutes ago?]
“Ah, shit!”
I immediately started running.
I could feel my whole body creaking, but I forced myself to run.
Before long, I returned to the original spot.
The place where the corpses of the Sapphire Snake and its young were piled still emanated a biting chill.
Being tired and cold on top of it all just sucks even more.
Where are Arjan and Kaljak?
“Young Master!”
Just then, someone dropped from above.
It was a woman, her body splattered with crimson blood.
Of course, it was a face I knew.
“Arjan.”
“You're safe. Are you alrigh—”
“Where's my senior?”
Arjan shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“…The situation is not good. The Dark Cult is coming here. I'll explain the details later, so let's find my senior first and then get out of here.”
“Understood.”
Thankfully, Arjan was quick on the uptake.
Without questioning the trivial matter of how I knew that, she left with a hardened expression.
I also dragged my ruined body around to look, then glanced toward the entrance.
The place the Sapphire Snake had been blocking.
The view of the open sky and the mountain range came into sight.
Only now did I realize it was daytime.
The sunlight, which I hadn't seen in a long time, stung my eyes, and I briefly closed them.
…Come to think of it.
I feel like I'm forgetting something.
*Rumble…*
“Ah.”
I forgot about the state of the cave.
“Arjan!”
This is no time to be looking for Kaljak.
This cave probably won't hold for much longer.
First, we need to get out of here and—
“Duck!”
The moment I heard Arjan's voice from somewhere, I immediately dropped my head.
I felt something graze the top of my head.
A chill ran down my spine.
Because I hadn't sensed at all that someone had attacked me.
It was proof that my senses were in a terrible state.
Immediately after, Arjan shot past me and clashed with someone up ahead.
‘They're already here!’
No. Should I say they arrived right on schedule with the Martial God's prediction?
The one Arjan blocked was a strange figure cloaked from head to toe in a bright red robe.
I had seen dozens of the Dark Cult's assassins here, but this one's attire was clearly different at a glance.
In other words, that bastard is…
‘A High Priest!’
The man was shrouded in a sinister killing intent, and just looking at him made my knees weak.
It was only natural.
The opponent was an executive of the Dark Cult.
A monster I was certain to lose to, one hundred times out of one hundred, even if I were in perfect condition.
I looked at Arjan.
It seemed she was unable to use the unidentified power she had used when escaping the assassins or fighting the Sapphire Snake.
In that case, she wouldn't last long either.
*Thwack!*
As expected, Arjan was kicked in the stomach and sent flying toward me.
The moment I reflexively caught her, the High Priest swung a jet-black sword.
He intended to cut down both me and Arjan at once.
This is bad.
I can't dodge this.
*Clang!*
In that instant, Kaljak appeared as if falling from the sky and parried the High Priest's black sword.
“Senior?”
“Go!”
I shut my mouth.
And while Arjan staggered to her feet, I spoke.
“Senior, this cave—”
“I know, so just go!”
So he heard the cave collapsing.
He knows, yet he intends to hold him off.
While admiring Kaljak's quick judgment, I realized he had made a certain resolve.
Kaljak intends to be buried along with that bastard if it comes to it.
“You said this sword was expensive.”
I couldn't see Kaljak's face, but his voice held a hint of a laugh.
“I'll return it in one piece, so don't worry. Go on ahead to the main house. I'll catch up soon.”
“...Yes.”
I gave a brief reply and then tended to Arjan.
“Arjan, let's go.”
Arjan also gritted her teeth, her face grim.
Supporting each other, we quickly escaped the cave.
The sounds of battle came from behind, but I deliberately didn't look back.
The moment we finally left the godforsaken cave.
*Ruuuuuumble—!*
A sound like a massive landslide echoed all around.
The cave entrance, large enough to house a Jewel Beast, was buried under a pile of rubble.