The Falling Sun
The Titanomachy, the great war that raged long before I ever set foot in this Greek land. And the Gigantomachy, which began with the emergence of Heracles, the boy who strangled serpents in his cradle. Both were cataclysmic wars that shook the very foundations of the mythological world, and in my personal opinion, they were the very formula that taught me that a "major event in mythology" is synonymous with a "great war."
However, as I learned from Shin-i-jae-gwi, such mythological wars were not exclusive to Greece. In the Central Plains—the Chinese continent where I once resided—there were similar wars during the age of myths. The proof lay in the ancient ruins left behind by my master of thievery, the Shin-tu, and the ancient secret realms slumbering throughout the Central Plains and the lands beyond.
But there was one difference. Unlike the simple structure of Greek mythology—Titan versus Olympus, Gigas versus Olympus—the traces of myths left in the Central Plains were incredibly chaotic and complex, filled with bizarre spirits whose very names had vanished and factions of heavenly gods constantly warring among themselves.
What did it mean for it to be complex and chaotic? What else could it mean?
With all manner of gods and demons running rampant, clawing at each other to be the top dog, it naturally meant that an unimaginable variety of divine artifacts, demonic beasts, martial arts, and sorcery flooded the land.
If you managed to raid one of the Muyoung-shin-tu's secret realms, the gold and treasures were merely the basics; the quality of the loot would shift from the divine artifacts of the Four Heavenly Kings to the armaments of low-level demonic soldiers, making my mouth ache just describing it. Tiger spirits, the true Ho-jo-su (Tiger Claw Hands) used by monsters, the wish-granting orbs carried by dragons, or the Bagua furnaces used by immortals—these were practically child's play.
The real treasure was the martial arts and the sorcery. In the ancient eras where the boundary between Sul (Sorcery) and Mu (Martial Arts) was faint, the teachings were truly bizarre. Whether god or demon, history born from desperation and fear always shows evolution beyond imagination. The magic shown by Nemesis and Eris here in Greece looked like children's games compared to the sorcery of the Central Plains' ancient era, which toyed with the heavens and overturned the natural order.
And there was only one sorcerer who wove together such ancient sorcery and Taoist arts into his own secret techniques. A sorcerer who defied the heavens, toying with the laws of nature through sorcery and weaving the ley lines through Taoist arts. That was what Shin-i-jae-gwi (The God-Strange Ghost) was.
[KYYAAAAAAAGH!!]
A pitch-black abyss so terrifying that one feared their soul would be sucked in just by looking at it. Beyond that abyss, the horrific screams of a man and a golden aura, like a sunrise in the night sky, began to shimmer.
"Oh... Poseidon save us. Truly, truly that thing...?"
"Yes. A technique that those intoxicated by peace and radiance could never even imagine."
Dark Spirit Transcendence Soul-Binding Formation
A sealing formation created by the immortals of Kunlun in the ancient era, drawing upon the power of the underworld to seal the gods of war who were defeating them. It was a vicious formation that summoned spirits from the dark realms to weave across the world at the cost of thousands of sacrifices, dragging whatever target it locked onto through their true blood into the darkness, binding them tight before the caster!
It was said to have torn apart and sealed a god of war who once slaughtered a hundred dragons with a single swing of his sword and butchered thousands of divine generals with a single thrust of his spear.
...Or so I said with great grandeur. In the Murim world I inhabited, I was the biggest monster of them all, and as I’ve said repeatedly, I preferred using my fists over wasting my brain calculating sorcery or Taoist arts to build formations. If I needed to call someone or catch someone? Back then, it wasn't sorcery, but Gwon-beop (The Law of Power)—if the power of authority was applied just a little, even the Imperial Crown Prince would come running within a week.
"That’s why I never had a chance to test this power, so I was skeptical. To think that my master’s bragging was actually true...!"
I had only expected that by learning secret arts from Nemesis here in Greece, I might find the true value of Shin-i-jae-gwi’s sorcery, which was near-useless in the Murim world. But to think it actually worked?
"Hahahaha!"
How should I put it? It felt like finding a check in your pocket while organizing your winter clothes. To think that the pinnacle of sorcery, capable of toying with even the gods, had been in my hands all along without me knowing.
[Do not resist, come forth!]
[KYYAAAAAAAGH!!]
As I poured more power into the dark spirit's grip reaching beyond the abyss, the aura and screams beyond the darkness grew even louder. My robes and hair whipped wildly in the wind, driven by the intensifying suction and pressure.
"Ugh...!"
Even Antaios, seasoned in the mysterious, turbulent waters of the Sea of Tribulation, groaned under the weight of the unfamiliar sorcery and the formation's energy. As we engaged in a tense tug-of-war, the target began to be dragged out from beyond the formation.
"Antaios! Focus your mind and conserve your strength! Today, I will grant you one of your wishes, at least in part!"
"...Excuse me?!"
"Just grit your teeth and hold on!"
For a moment, I poured my divine demonic energy into both hands, spurring the formation on.
-KUWAAAAAGH!
[UAAAAAAAGH!!]
A bizarre sound, as if the very air were being sucked in, shook the temple, and a familiar handsome man revealed himself beyond the darkness. Unnecessarily blinding blonde hair, a twisted, gigolo-like face, and a fragrant scent of wine so strong it stung the nose, as if he’d been bathing in nectar.
It was undoubtedly the Greek sun god, the son of Zeus whom I had pierced with my own hand.
"Gotcha!"
A big catch! I almost shouted it out loud, forgetting my dignity, but it was well-deserved. Since the ancient era, this was perhaps the first time in this world that a god had been dragged out by sorcery—a monumental achievement!
[KYYAAAAAAAGH!!]
Once the target was fully summoned, the Soul-Binding Formation closed the passage, and instead, chains extending from the formation tightly bound his limbs.
However.
[You, you...!!]
"Tch."
-WHOOSH!
-SKREEE!
Apollo, who had been caught by my hand and dragged here, was being tightly restrained. But the solar divine power beginning to surge from his body was slowly weakening the Soul-Binding Formation.
I had used my divine demonic energy to suppress him and forcibly take the place of the master of this land, this sacred ground. But as the true master—the one who had exercised divine power here for thousands of years—returned, the spiritual energy of this temple was slowly flowing back to Apollo.
[This place is your territory before it is a Temple of the Sun, and from this moment on, it is my sacred ground that I rule...]
"..."
[Act on my will and bring down the sun, Antaios.]
"...I obey, oh great god!"
Antaios, who had been hiding after taking fifteen steps back—five steps, then ten—leaped at Apollo at my command.
[A, Antaios!?]
"Yes!! The younger brother of Charybdis, who fell and perished to make room for you twins. And the son of Poseidon, who lived in silence while being insulted and mocked, even while tending to your horses!"
-WHAM!
A blue fist that seemed to shatter the sky struck the face of the tightly bound sun god.
-CRACK!
"...I thought as much."
Thanks to that, the restraint of the Soul-Binding Formation, which was already weakening, couldn't possibly withstand the fist of a giant who had reigned over this land for thousands of years. As soon as the restraint was broken, Apollo's noble body flew through the air.
[W, wait! You are currently...!]
[Shut, your mouth!]
-WHAM!
Apollo was already far inferior to Antaios in divinity, divine power, and even martial prowess. Antaios was a descendant of Poseidon, born of Gaia, who had fought his entire life in these turbulent waters and continued to spar with endless challengers even after pacifying them. He was born with a "divine spoon" rarely seen even in myths that transcended talent, and on top of that, he had layered thousands of years of his own tenacity and resentment.
The execution began with a roaring sound that seemed to twist the air.
"YAAAAAAAGH!!"
Apollo, sprawled out by Antaios's artistic tackle, was nothing more than prey for Antaios, who had already mounted him.
"Why so quiet! Sun god of Olympus! Why don't you mock me as a stable boy like you used to!"
[Ugh...!]
"What did you say?! Did you say that if I didn't want to fall like my sister, I should lick the feet of you twin bastards and grovel?!"
[T, that is...!]
-BANG! BANG! BANG!
Fist strikes that seemed to shatter mountains and part the seas, causing earthquakes, rained down endlessly. The noble blood of a god decorated the air like a fountain, and the insults endured for thousands of years were poured out along with the fists, seeking their original owner.
Truly the son of Poseidon. Even if he hid it with a strange, archaic tone and a boisterous attitude, he could never forget that anger and resentment.
It was truly an excellent choice.
'Yes, with Apollo's penchant for arrogance, there’s no way he would have said anything nice to Antaios, who was supposed to be in his rightful place.'
Besides, no matter how much Antaios burned with revenge, he wouldn't have been so enraged every time he spoke of Apollo and Artemis just because they took his place. I had set the stage, and I would take the responsibility for him.
Antaios would release his long-held resentment for the first time in thousands of years, and Apollo would curse his own immortality for the first time in thousands of years.
"Then, Antaios. Enjoy the gift I’ve given you to your heart's content. You won't kill him anyway. Just don't kill him completely."
With this, my business here was done for now. It was time to bring down the other one.
[W, wait... Diane...]
-CRUNCH!
The noble mouth that once delivered oracles was crushed, and the roar of an earthquake bid me farewell instead.
[I obey your command!!]
"Good."
The Soul-Binding Formation was not just for sealing gods; it was a barrier that fundamentally blocked external intervention. Since I had reinforced it with the spiritual energy of this land and my own divine demonic energy, it would hold long enough for Antaios to vent his anger.
At my gesture, the Saeng-mun—the gate of the sacred chamber—opened slightly and then closed again.
"A, no... wait!"
I thought I saw a hand reaching out toward me as if pleading, but...
"Well, what does it matter."
-CREAK!
Once the gate is closed, it never opens again. Just like all opportunities.