Chapter 701

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

"Urk."

Zhuge Sa watched Jin So-cheong's charge while engulfed in a gloomy mood. He had no idea how much stronger Jin So-cheong could become, and while he knew the man's talent was extraordinary, what of it?

"It's all wrong..."

Jin So-cheong had no weapon or means to slay a god. He might be able to temporarily strike a divine being with his intent, but it was virtually meaningless against existences beyond the Eight Great Divine Beings. To defeat an invincible foe, one had to find and exploit a weakness, yet Jin So-cheong had charged in without any countermeasures.

Of course, Jin So-cheong might grow through repeated advancements to reach a realm where he could slay a god, but even Zhuge Sa, with his limited martial knowledge, knew that was impossible. Jin So-cheong was already badly wounded, his stamina and energy depleted—he had no margin to endure that long. He would surely be killed within a few dozen breaths!

In that moment, he acutely felt Baek Woong's absence. If Baek Woong had been there, Jin So-cheong wouldn't have gone so berserk. The mere presence of a reincarnator acted as a deterrent, making reckless adventures unappealing. Baek Woong's absence had no doubt pushed Jin So-cheong's back.

No matter how brilliant his strategies or how great the results, there were limits to filling Baek Woong's void. Baek Woong might seem like a fool who accomplished nothing at a glance, but his existence alone had maintained the balance.

However, Zhuge Sa's sense of powerlessness was fleeting. His brilliant mind span in an instant, finding a way to turn the situation around—and realizing that executing it would bring him immense loss. It was still a recoverable state if he rallied, but trying to save Jin So-cheong would cost him everything.

'No choice.'

He couldn't blame Jin So-cheong. Even leveraging his own violent talent, it wasn't easy to walk into the jaws of death. Jin So-cheong had staked his fate on becoming strong enough to escape,

but the gamble had failed. As a strategist, he had to focus on saving Jin So-cheong.

Taking responsibility for a comrade's failure was the role of a strategist.

He thought for a moment, then concentrated his spiritual power and spoke.

"Cheon U-jin. Can you hear me?"

[What is it?]

He needed to coordinate organically with Cheon U-jin, so even now that the man had distanced himself with shrinking-earth technique, they could exchange brief words via a magical communication terminal. Of course, it was possible only with Cheon U-jin's sorcery support. Zhuge Sa said to him,

"I'm probably not making it to the rendezvous. Continue with the plan on your end."

[What are you saying? Don't tell me...]

"Jin So-cheong is in danger. I'll leave him at the Demonic Cult's temple in the west market, so when Baek Woong returns, retrieve him at the right moment."

[...Stop it.]

Cheon U-jin warned in a low voice.

[What about the rest if you vanish?]

"Heh... Even in a lost game, you grab what gains you can. I can't abandon Jin So-cheong."

[Crazy bastard. Fine.]

Pfft.

The communication cut off. Zhuge Sa felt his power nearly depleted, his vision blurring. As his mana drained, his physical abilities faded in real time. Confirming he still had some leeway, Zhuge Sa began chanting a spell.

Come forth.

O great sorcerer—King of Samaria.

Sss...

The spirit of darkness began to summon at Zhuge Sa's call. The formless entity writhed, emanating malevolent energy, its squelching mass seemingly filling the secret chamber in an instant. Though his eyes no longer worked, Zhuge Sa already knew what it looked like.

The existence spoke.

[You've made up your mind, it seems... my disciple.]

"Were we ever that close?"

[Such harsh words... If we only used each other, the same holds for all things in this world.]

"I see."

Zhuge Sa sneered inwardly. The figure before him was a mentor who had taught him spells and sorcery, but utterly untrustworthy—an incarnation of supreme evil. It was fortunate he hadn't had his soul devoured while learning from such a one. No doubt, even now, it feigned consideration while secretly delighting at the chance to consume his soul.

Zhuge Sa said,

"Save Jin So-cheong. And protect him as well."

[On what terms?]

"In exchange, I submit to your Ten Thousand Demons Hall."

[Strange words... Aren't you already my disciple and thus bound? That can't be a bargaining chip.]

"I mean adding to the contract terms. I'll forgo the status you promised then."

[Oh?]

The Demon King accepted Zhuge Sa's proposal with ease. Geniuses as brilliant as him were rare, leaving little room to refuse. The Demon King summoned a new contract, then struck Zhuge Sa's chest.

Thung.

The contract was absorbed into his heart like a vortex.

"Urk..."

[The contract is established.]

Zhuge Sa smiled bitterly. He had planned to steal and nullify the contract from the Demon King's subspace when the chance arose, but now it had been reinforced. Upon death, he would be utterly enslaved, with a living hell awaiting.

"Now, do your part."

[Heh... Feels like I'm taking the loss. Rescuing a human from that mess.]

"No need for complaints. You're no match for the Eight Great Divine Beings."

[True... heh heh.]

Wooong.

Moments later, dark mist seeped from Zhuge Sa's eyes, nose, and mouth. He sensed the mist writhing inside him like blood, transforming his body into some monstrous form. And he realized his humanity was finished.

'Not even soul transcendence.'

No helping it.

The descent of the Demon King demanded such a price.

Paaat!!

The next instant, the being that opened its eyes in Zhuge Sa's body emitted pitch-black light from its gaze, transformed its body into mist, and dashed out. Hundreds of ancient spells swirled around it, each brimming with heinous power.

Demon King Simon Magus soon arrived at the battlefield where Jin So-cheong fought and thought,

[The more I see, the madder these humans get. He'll die soon.]

Zhuge Sa's consciousness still lingered within. Simon Magus, pleased at the thought of soon enslaving him like a slave, extended his hand and scattered dark mist.

Sss.

The dark mist stealthily enveloped Jin So-cheong, then abruptly expanded, blanketing fifty li in darkness. It harmed neither Zhu Rong nor the Eight Great Divine Beings, but could instantly kill ordinary lifeforms. Simon Magus chanted another ancient spell.

[In the name of Netzach, I command: By day, the sun's nipple shines; by night, the moon's bowstring tautens. Evening comes, and morning follows—this is the fourth day of creation.]

In that moment, Jin So-cheong's body was teleported far away. It was his evil spell, capable of instant relocation of anything within his mist range.

At the same time, Zhu Rong, sensing the interloper, roared.

[You!! Hand over that human!!]

Whiiril!!

The azure flame whip flew, ignoring space-time. It was a strike that could critically wound even one of the Eight Great Divine Beings, and Simon Magus inwardly panicked. Fighting a divine rank head-on was too burdensome, no matter what.

Kwaang!!

"Urk."

He blocked Zhu Rong's whip with a spell, but Simon Magus felt his left arm burning away. Even descended into Zhuge Sa's body, his power fell short. Still, holding against Zhu Rong—who even his true form would struggle against—was no shame. Instead, he grinned mockingly at Zhu Rong.

[Big dumb giant... Gahk.]

Kwarung.

Simon Magus panicked at the sudden whip strike. Enraged, Zhu Rong had infused several times the power, and the full-force blow dazed him. Only then did Demon King Simon Magus snap to clarity.

'What the? How is that guy so strong?'

After manipulating hundreds of thousands of humans, performing human sacrifices, and amassing evil arts for millennia to reach Demon King realm, he thought even gods held no fear. Yet Zhu Rong's ancient giant power far exceeded his expectations. He had thought it merely an ancient existence, but it was divine on another level! He never imagined someone not of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors could be this strong.

'No way he's as strong as the Muspelheim Emperor?!'

If so, big trouble! Against such overwhelming might where all his magic seemed futile, Simon Magus quailed and hurriedly deployed mana for spatial transfer. No matter the gap, this much he could manage.

[Don't you run!]

Zhu Rong bellowed as the azure flame whip pierced dozens of li of space-time to strike, but Simon Magus blocked with the fourth Sephirot's thought-magic.

[Think you can just stop me?!]

Paat.

Successfully escaping the battlefield with Jin So-cheong, he headed straight for the Demonic Cult's Jurbahn Temple. He stored the critically wounded Jin So-cheong in a pocket dimension to begin recovery. That was per the contract with Zhuge Sa.

Moments later, smoke billowed as the Demon King exited Zhuge Sa's body. As Zhuge Sa collapsed, the Demon King looked down and said,

[Per the second condition, I'll take you to the depths of the underworld. In your state, evading the hell gatekeeper's eyes is impossible.]

"Aren't you too kind?"

Simon Magus smirked slyly.

[If you fully come under me, it's not such a loss...]

"Is that so?"

[Until now, the contract's minimum kept your human shell intact out of consideration... But reincarnating you as a greater demon will surely... yield something extraordinary.]

The "status" Zhuge Sa discarded was maintaining his soul's human qualities. Having thrown that away, upon death, his soul would endure horrific torture in the Demon King's hands, then degenerate into a nether-realm demon. Reborn as a demon, he'd be dozens of times stronger than as human—a natural choice.

"......"

And that would surely not be me, but something wearing my shell.

The bastard mastered soul-seizing arts to the extreme and wielded magic masterfully—he wanted the strongest demon under his banner.

To become Demiurgos in the apocalypse.

Zhuge Sa thought as much but said nothing. Instead, he felt refreshed.

'Fool knows nothing.'

If his hypothesis held, this deal was no loss.

No—it was definitely Zhuge Sa who profited.

Once his tasks were done, he resolved to shatter his own mind.

If the reincarnator's secret and his knowledge spread, it would be disastrous.

At the moment Zhuge Sa rescued Jin So-cheong, the Sword Demon stood alone by a desolate riverbank.

Having suffered major wounds, he circulated internal energy to recover his stamina and vitality, soon regaining considerable strength. Thanks to the elixir from Baek Woong, his internal energy was exceptional, boosting his recovery. Physical injuries would take time, though.

He decided to head to the promised assembly point without waiting for Zhuge Sa's orders. His mission was complete, and they were to gather there. But he couldn't move from the riverbank and had to stand frozen.

Someone approached from the opposite horizon.

The figure grew visible to the naked eye, closing the distance.

Finally facing off at three zhang, the opponent spoke.

"What a coincidence."

It truly was. The other hadn't come seeking the Sword Demon.

He had simply arrived here while shaking off the Buddhist guardian Dokgo Jun.

"What brings you here?"

"...You're injured?"

"Yes."

The opponent sat on a nearby rock and said,

"Wait a day. Get your condition to peak."

"What are you suggesting?"

"When warriors meet with weapons drawn, there's only one thing to do."

"......"

"Neither of us is on duty, so let's clash properly."

The Sword Demon groaned, then steeled his resolve.

"Fine, Miyamoto Musashi."

Was this fate too?

A life-or-death duel with Miyamoto Musashi awaited the Sword Demon fresh from battle.