Chapter 499
Chapter 499
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 499
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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Right after that, Mangnyang dove into deciphering oracle bone script, scouring the libraries he knew across various regions for knowledge on the "First Characters." Cheon Woo-jin decided to head to a place rich in spiritual energy to reinforce the seal on Zhuge Sa. Mangnyang said to me,
"Baek Woong. First, go to the secret library beneath the Arasa Empire."
"You mean fetch the book that was written about Changhil?"
Mangnyang nodded.
"Unlike at Noeumsa Temple, touching that book elicited no reaction from Changhil. This suggests he placed spells on books and information about himself scattered worldwide, but overlooked the inventories held by the Great Race of the Prophet."
"Hmm..."
That made sense. It was wise to prepare for cases where information couldn't be extracted from the Prophet. I decided to follow Mangnyang's advice.
"Zhuge Sa's demonic power is beyond imagination."
Before leaving, Cheon Woo-jin frowned.
"This treasure can't seal him for long."
"Can't even the Mountain and River Nation Chart seal Zhuge Sa?"
"You saw the rejection reaction earlier. The capacity is insufficient. The wooden armor you have is probably the same."
Cheon Woo-jin continued curtly.
"Sealing a powerful being with a treasure has its limits. It's only natural, given we've acquired forty percent of the world's top-tier demonic tome, but Zhuge Sa's pure demonic power has reached its peak, leaving us no choice."
Had Zhuge Sa grown that strong?
Cheon Woo-jin subtly held out the Mountain and River Nation Chart toward me.
"I'll bolster my spiritual power to hold it as long as possible, but I can't guarantee more than ten days. At best, ten days—prepare your mind."
Ten days.
An ambiguous timeframe, I frowned. Suddenly realizing something from Cheon Woo-jin's words, I asked back.
"Prepare my mind?"
"To kill Zhuge Sa with your own hands."
"......!!"
"Killing him now would be ideal, but anyway."
Cheon Woo-jin continued calmly.
"If Zhuge Sa becomes the Demon King's subordinate, he'll be ten times stronger than now. At that point, Zhuge Sa himself will become a calamity. Better to sever his lifeline with the Flame Demon before then and absorb that power."
I grabbed Cheon Woo-jin's collar.
"I told you, I won't do that!"
"Hah. Reincarnator Baek Woong. Protecting your comrade's life, is it?"
"Yes."
Crack.
Cheon Woo-jin shook off my grip. Ignoring my internal energy, he must have used one of the 환신's unique tricks. Glaring at me with irritated eyes, he said,
"I truly despise demonic sorcerers like Zhuge Sa, and I loathe you just as much, but that attitude is mere self-satisfaction."
"What?"
"So what will you do? Only someone like me can seal Zhuge Sa in a treasure for ten days. A demonic sorcerer who's acquired forty percent of a top-grade tome like the Nameless Priest's Scripture has already transcended human limits. No sealing art in this world would be very effective. If you're so clever, suggest a method."
"......"
As I fell silent, Cheon Woo-jin growled instead.
"I won't go as far as telling you to pursue maximum efficiency through human sacrifice like Zhuge Sa suggested. But if there's no other way, killing him to strengthen the Flame Demon is better. Your master has likely thought of this too but can't say it because it's his blood kin, so I'm saying it for him."
"But what do we gain by going that far?"
I replied with difficulty.
"Must I keep sacrificing comrades' lives like resources—grinding them away, again and again—in my reincarnations? That's..."
"No different from the White Lotus Leader or the Twelve Lords, right?"
"...Yes."
Cheon Woo-jin chuckled in disbelief.
"Hah! You have no right to condemn them now."
"What do you mean?"
"They had convictions. You have convictions too, but you're mistaking something crucial. You're not sparing allies' lives for Zhuge Sa's sake—you're just making excuses to protect your own mental fortitude."
"......!!"
"I understand, but I can't sympathize. At least, prepare your own answer."
His gaze turned icy cold.
"Not an excuse—a true solution."
Whoosh!
The next moment, Cheon Woo-jin vanished. He'd poured out his words like a waterfall and left. I was furious at his attitude, but more than that, my chest stung. Cheon Woo-jin's words had struck the contradiction I'd harbored in my heart.
'Damn it...'
Protecting comrades and bonds, pursuing greater justice through benevolence and righteousness.
That would be ideal, but we're facing a reality no idealism can resolve. Saving Zhuge Sa, who's contracted with the Demon King, would just play into Changhil's hands—a fatal mistake. Yet there was no clear sealing method either. No best choice existed; we had to pick the lesser evil over the worst. The frustration was immense.
And this wasn't just now. In future reincarnations, I'd endlessly weigh comrades' lives against efficiency. I'd face even more agonizing dilemmas.
Each time, I'd have to choose. Cheon Woo-jin, having seen my past life memories, anticipated this and demanded I decide my heart now as a third party. Otherwise, the same torment would repeat.
"......"
Not an excuse—a solution.
Muttering those words, I headed to the Prophet. Advice was advice; regardless, I had to act and find a way.
Flash.
I first used Return to head to the [Great Race]'s secret library in the Arasa Empire.
Thud!
"Ugh?!"
But I was suddenly repelled, flung onto the snow mountains near Moscow. Seeing the distant castle, I'd been bounced back about ten li. This was like before—a barrier preventing entry.
'The secret library now has a barrier, unlike previously...'
Had the [Great Race] felt the need to protect their knowledge vault amid sudden changes? They'd clearly erected a powerful barrier that even a mere magical tool like Return couldn't breach.
I used the Messenger Pearl to report to Mangnyang. He, deep in interpretation work, replied,
[Baek Woong. Then don't force entry—negotiate with the Prophet.]
[I think the Apostle's power could pierce that barrier...]
[It's not just an outer protective barrier. They likely placed guardians inside or tracking spells on each book. A knowledge-obsessed race like the [Great Race] would do at least that, right?]
[Hmm. True.]
[We could force it out, but giving the impression of a bandit before negotiating with the Prophet is unwise. If desperate, we can later.]
[Got it.]
Regretful, but per Mangnyang, I couldn't extract books from the secret library now. I used Return to arrive before the Prophet in Astana.
"Prophet. It's Baek Woong."
[Oh... The Apostle of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors.]
The greeting differed. In past lives, the Prophet treated sudden human visitors casually, but this time, he identified me as an Apostle immediately. Staring at him, I said,
"Prophet. Do you know me?"
[Of course... The great hero who felled the Sea God... Chosen Apostle of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors... Your feats are widely renowned.]
The Prophet seemed highly curious. Thinking he hadn't detected the past life mark he'd once placed on me, I replied,
"I've come to trade with you. And one thing to say upfront."
[What is it...]
I declared boldly,
"I'm a reincarnator."
[......!!]
The Prophet writhed his tentacles, projecting strange geometric shapes in the air. After his verification, he groaned.
[Indeed... Convinced... As a reincarnator, you amassed karma to fell the Sea God in a fleeting human lifespan... But why tell me?]
"You placed a mark on me, so hiding's pointless. Just choosing not to for mutual trust."
[Kekeke... Seems we've traded long... You know my temperament...]
Amused, the Prophet chuckled. Then he said,
[Fine... State your business. I'll happily trade.]
"What I want is info on Changhil. Why the Demon King rampaged, and on the 'First Characters' that can control Changhil's incarnations."
[......]
After a long silence, the Prophet spoke.
[I've been dragged into a complicated game... Where the victor claims heavenly dominion... Hmm...]
Muttering cryptically, he continued,
[Personally, I withhold judgment... Between you and Changhil... I can't predict the winner... Can't take sides.]
"Cut the nonsense—can you sell the info or not?"
[Of course, for a suitable price...]
"Here."
Swish.
I pulled from the wooden armor: the demon beast summoning bracelet, portrait machine, crystal monument, and all sorts of miscellaneous treasures. Everything except essentials like Flame Demon, Return, Heavenly Dark Secret Book, and Imperial Seal.
'This is all I can muster now.'
This life yielded much, but early treasures were heavily depleted, converted into blessings and gains. Still short, but I'd extract max info with this. The outcome hinged on how much I got from the Prophet—no room to skimp.
Eyeing the treasures, the Prophet said,
[You have quite a lot... But...]
"But what!"
[Changhil has a secrecy pact with me... So I can't reveal his secrets for this... Even if I knew any...]
"What..."
[Besides, excluding some items, the rest don't appeal much...]
My head rang.
"A secrecy pact! You're lying!"
The Prophet writhed his tentacles.
[No need... It's an ancient pact between Changhil and me... He had an abnormal obsession with guarding his secrets... He approached beings like me who could uncover them... Silencing them all... We made an equal pact, but many were killed or sealed by him then...]
"......"
I recalled suddenly sealing the Imperial Seal's power via the semi-administrator's authority when trying to activate it. Paengjo desperately sealed it to avoid detection, radiating intent to protect his secrets. If allies, Changhil would obsess similarly, or more.
'Doesn't sound like a lie.'
If true, Changhil and Paengjo lurked in Central Plains and the West, hiding meticulously for millennia! Yet as Apostle-level or higher, what fear drove such secrecy?
"Wait a moment. Let me think."
[Take your time...]
Leaving the Prophet, I crossed my arms.
'Hope remains.'
His secrecy pact sounded plausible, but he was essentially an informant. For enough price, he'd break it—past lives taught me that. My offerings just didn't meet his betrayal threshold.
Ways existed to pry his mouth open. But I hesitated.
'...Sacrifice the Imperial Seal?'
Tough call.
The Imperial Seal's value equaled ten treasures, surely unlocking the Prophet's lips. But it powered the Great Immortal descending into me, fueling battles against mighty foes. Without it, even Jang Sambong descending would drain my vitality, self-destructing quickly.
Sacrificing it meant losing power against Apostle-level enemies ahead. A massive loss—I had to hesitate.
I spoke.
"Prophet. Payment on delivery."
[On delivery...?]
"I'll give all this now, and settle the rest later. Short on funds immediately."
The Prophet sounded surprised.
[Hmm... On delivery... No one's ever proposed that to me.]
"Any reason to refuse? As you said, I'm the hero who felled the Sea God. And Apostle of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors! Post-crisis, be it 100 or 200 years, I promise full payment."
[......]
Would the deferred payment work?
Soon, the Prophet replied.
[Impossible.]
"Why?!"
Dumbfounded, I said,
"I can pay! You know what being a reincarnator means better than most?"
[I acknowledge your ability, fame, qualifications... You're an Apostle of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors... But your reincarnation is exactly why I refuse deferred payment.]
"What do you mean?"
[Reincarnators die and restart—done. If you request deferred, then die inconveniently... I can't collect the rest... Right...? Even gods don't know if soul-summoning works...]
"......"
[Plus, your current situation is perfect for sudden death...]
The Prophet glared suspiciously.
[You're... way too high-risk for skipping out... Highest in the universe... Cash upfront only...]
Cash upfront only!
My head spun. I'd never considered it as a reincarnator, but knowing that, he'd think exactly so. As I stood dazed, the Prophet appraised the treasures and said,
[But... Not Changhil himself... I can tell you why the Demon King rampaged... His goal... The First Characters... That much, the price covers...]
"Really?"
[I anticipate your clash will be thrilling... Offering objectively—how about this exchange...]
I pondered, then said,
"Fine."
I could force with Imperial Seal or unreleased Suyo/Moonyo. But that could wait for later lives; giving Chilyo now risked unknown heavenly backlash. With aces left, I'd get peripheral info first.
'If needed, I'll raid the secret library for Changhil's info, thief or not.'
The Prophet began.
[First, the being called Demon King rampaged simply... He always eyed the Central Plains... Karma limited him to body-snatching for amusement... But recently, someone approached him, giving a supreme treasure nullifying karma...]
"Supreme treasure? A treasure?"
[Unclear... But items nullifying karma are rare across heavens and earth... Maybe one or two in Heaven... Only he knows what the Demon King got...]
"Hmm."
[That move was intended by one of Changhil's incarnations, the Eight Legions' Kinnara...]
"Kinnara, huh."
I asked the Prophet.
"How strong is Kinnara? Appearance, abilities?"
[Secrecy pact bars details... But Kinnara excels in transformation among Eight Legions, near-humanoid... Brains of the group... I know he had close ties with the Demon King already...]
"Hmm. Something odd?"
[What's odd...]
"Eight Legions are Changhil's incarnations. Shouldn't they share one mind? 'Brains' sounds strange."
[Heh... Incarnations are conceptual beings. Not just Changhil—all incarnations have their own wills, unlike the origin... Independent personalities... Their essence merely unchanging.]
"Hmm!"
Unexpected info.
Incarnations' wills didn't perfectly align with Changhil's. They obeyed commands, but the bond seemed looser than thought.
'As he says, Eight Legions are eight independent personalities united for one goal—like a coalition.'
While I thought, the Prophet continued.
[As you guess... You and your group touched Changhil's reverse scale, prompting his immediate reaction... Your war has begun...]
"Tell me about the First Characters too."
[The First Characters... Tied to Changhil creating script in the Divine Era...]
Pausing, the Prophet said,
[Baek Woong... Do you think script is essential for sentient beings to develop civilization...]
I answered without hesitation.
"Isn't it obvious? No script, no recording knowledge, no communication."
[Not necessarily... Among cosmic intelligences... Many develop civilization via spells alone, feeling no need for script... Others deliberately avoid advancing script due to its dangers.]
"Script's dangerous?"
[Script... bears names... And names define existence...]
Names define existence?
Tilting my head at the cryptic words, the Prophet continued.
[Changhil didn't just give hanja to humans... He created language prototypes for all races across continents... Aiding civilization's speed... But a constraint on humanity itself.]
"So what constraint and danger?"
[Those under Changhil's blessing... wield absolute dominance in that language sphere... Script interferes with human subconscious, binding souls to submission... Indirectly dominating names via script... Seizing essence through control.]
"......!!"
Dominating names via script!
[An ancient, perfect domination structure... Your human script, enslaved to Changhil... Acts like a collar on livestock.]
I grasped the Prophet's words.
"...Changhil wanted perpetual human domination."
[I don't know... But your human script... is undoubtedly an artificial grand spell's product...]
"Anyway, assume so. So First Characters are hanja?"
[No... Not that...]
"Then?"
Pausing, the Prophet said.
[As I know, Changhil created human script... But permitting it was Emperor Huangdi Gongsun Heonwon. Changhil petitioned Huangdi to create script; Huangdi replied...]
"How?"
["First create characters proving we keep our promise. Offer them to me."]
"......?"
Promise?
What promise? And "we"?
Before I could speak, the Prophet continued.
[Changhil expressed difficulty with his power... But Huangdi refused without compliance... Reluctantly, Changhil discarded his original script, remade from scratch... Huangdi approved the offered characters... Permitted lower scripts... Thus hanja and others' prototypes emerged.]
I groaned.
"Something... complicated."
[I learned incidentally acquiring heavenly intel... A secret not in our records.]
"Why demand such characters?"
[I don't know... Huangdi's the most enigmatic among Three Emperors and Five Emperors... Even fellow Three Emperors and Five Emperors might not fathom him.]
"Hmm..."
[Anyway, those offered to Huangdi were the 'First Characters.' Changhil poured divinity into them, so confronting them weakens him inevitably. His hands or incarnations too...]
"Hmm. Ineffective on others besides Changhil and kin?"
[So I believe...]
Different from expected secret. I thought Changhil led, but Huangdi demanded it, with clear reason. Changhil brought hanja prototype to Huangdi, but faced unexpected overtime.
Also, Huangdi clearly subordinated Changhil, an absolute ruler immune to cunning.
What did Emperor Gongsun Heonwon think?
Why demand those characters?
It hit me.
"Then Huangdi Gongsun Heonwon knows what the First Characters are?"
[Yes...]
"No records? Ways to obtain...?"
Regretfully, the Prophet said,
[Sorry... We collect all world knowledge... But offered immediately to Huangdi... Not recorded in books... Even we couldn't collect it.]
"......"
[However... Fellow Three Emperors and Five Emperors know and can use them.]
"Yes!"
My face lit up. Normally vague clue, but for me:
'I'm Apostle of Three Emperors and Five Emperors Jeonuk!'
On his secret mission, invited to banquet, trained five years under his power. No human closer to Jeonuk. Begging might reveal the 'First Characters.'
The Prophet said.
[Payment remains... Ask a suitable favor, I'll grant.]
He haggled but settled cleanly when owed.
'Plus, his answers show he feigned neutrality while leaking much. Enjoys our clash... Secrecy pact's just words.'
His tendencies usable later.
Pondering his offer, I said,
"Two questions."
[Ask...]
"First, the Flame Dragon Immortal in my Flame Demon is injured. Way to quickly recover from Sea God's demonic power?"
[Let me see...]
Staring at Flame Demon's sword spirit, he replied.
[Only activate Flame Demon with immense flame energy... Symbolizes fire, but external aid helps... Seek human realm's strongest flame.]
"Got it."
[Other question...?]
I explained Zhuge Sa's situation, then said.
"Way to break Zhuge Sa's contract?"
[Demon King dies... Or he releases it... No third party can undo soul-binding to Ten Thousand Demons Hall.]
"...Really no way?"
[Answer's fixed—keep asking...?]
"N-No, not that."
[Ask another...]
Pondering, I said,
"...Then give me ability to interpret demonic tomes!"
[Hmm...?]
"Even basic. Let me read怪語."
The Prophet seemed taken aback by the unexpected request. Then,
[Clever loophole...]
"......"
[Fine... I'll allow this much...]
Flash.
Light from his tentacle hit me. Green glow lingered, then info flooded my mind. Soon, vast knowledge swirled in my head.
The Prophet said.
[Basic ability only... No guarantees if you can't read.]
"Payment settled?"
[Yes.]
He seemed to smirk.
[Hope for an entertaining war...]
With eerie biped laugh, the Prophet vanished.
I inhaled deeply, clenching my fist. Now, use this interpretation to decode Noeumsa's demonic tomes.
"So what if second-best."
Pursuing impossible—plausible logic alone won't suffice. Even forcing, bullying—I can't yield or quit.
Even picking lesser evils repeatedly.
Even agonizing over comrades vs. efficiency often.
All I can do is cling to conviction, act ceaselessly, seek the best.
Returning from Prophet, I briefed Mangnyang. Then checked if my new ability decoded Noeumsa's ancient books.
Hum.
"It reads!"
Demonic怪語 differs utterly from human language/script. Closer to curse-words only his race deciphers. Mangnyang's past claim—impossible for human scholars—now clicked.
"Good."
Mangnyang beamed.
"Changhil reacting to Noeumsa's book leak means it holds fatal secrets on him. We must find it in this demonic tome."