A Modern Man Who Got Transmigrated Into the Murim World

Chapter 83

Jo Hwui, with a blunt expression, suddenly conjured a thought.

Woo-woo-woo-woo-

A low resonance sound echoed.

Even the face of Gongcheon Dae-sa, the great Buddhist monk who boasted of his six-cycle Buddhist Internal Power and could wield the pinnacle of the Sorin-hon’s Panya Dae-neung (Perfection of Wisdom) to its fullest, was filled with shock.

“Amitabha…”

The move that Sogeomshin performed was incredibly simple.

For anyone who was a master of Intention, capable of materializing thought into reality beyond the realm of Absolute Intention, this was just a basic technique called Yi-gi-sang-in (Intention that harms the body).

It was another form of Sin-jeok-sal (Mind is Kill), meaning that wherever your mind reaches, you can strike and kill. It was truly the peak of the no-sword state, a high-level dimension of martial prowess.

The problem, however, was that the density and destructive power of the Intention that Sogeomshin was releasing in all directions were beyond imagination.

Could such an overwhelming force truly be considered a form of Intention like the ones they were familiar with?

The heads of the Great Families and the Sorin sect leader, all gathered in the meeting hall, were unable to move even an inch due to the tremendous pressure of Intention swirling around them, like a storm. They could only clench their teeth and remain still, unable to react in any way.

This intense pressure of Intention persisted for a moment longer until Jo Hwui spoke again, and then it vanished as suddenly as it had come.

“This is just one percent of the power I can wield.”

“Ho…!”

“What…?”

At this moment, three of the Palmuja—the absolute rulers of the orthodox martial world—were present.

Jo Hwui had simultaneously subdued the heads of the Five Great Families and the Sorin sect’s Jangmunbangjang (sect leader) using nothing but the incredibly simple and rudimentary technique of Yi-gi-sang-in.

And yet, this overwhelming Intention was merely one percent of the power he could wield?

Pyeong Yul-cheon couldn’t speak a word.

Having traversed the martial world, meeting countless masters along the way, he had never even heard of such a level of martial prowess.

The infinite sense of futility.

It felt as though all the years of hard training and sacrifices he had made were for nothing, swallowed up in a moment of despair.

“If I were to combine this with the full strength of all the martial forces in the world, I still couldn’t confidently guarantee a victory against Shinja. Do not doubt the level of Shinja’s power. He is, quite literally, a divine being.”

Namgung Su gently touched his venerable Changcheon Sword, his heart heavy as he closed his eyes in sorrow.

“To think that such a great being would wish for the annihilation of the Central Plains…”

Namgung Su couldn’t understand.

Even as someone who had reached the Absolute State himself, there were times when the emotional turmoil of human life—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—felt utterly meaningless.

How could a being who had reached such a divine state, who had surpassed the limits of humanity, wish for the destruction of so many people?

“Those who reach the divine state, becoming immortal in the universe, are often referred to as Jwa or Seongjwa (Celestial Sages). Even among them, there is a hierarchy.”

“A hierarchy?”

“Yes. They refer to all the forces that make their existence clear as Existence Power. This is how immortal beings measure each other’s strength. Depending on the level of their Existence Power, there is a hierarchy and status.”

“Then why does such a divine being linger in our mortal realm? Why does he, Dalma, seek to invade our world?”

“Amitabha! This is merely Sogeomshin’s claim! Do not conclude that the one known as Shinja is necessarily Dalma!”

Despite Gongcheon Dae-sa’s vehement protest, Namgung Su’s gaze remained unwavering.

“I have never considered Jo Bong-gong to be an outsider. I trust him more than anyone. To say you do not trust him is to say you do not trust Namgung itself. Do not bring up this matter again.”

Gongcheon Dae-sa, clearly shocked by Namgung Su’s words, could only mutter bitterly, his face hardening.

The idea that a being who sought the destruction of the world was Dalma was something Sorin could never accept.

At this moment, Changcheon Sword Sect had essentially declared that they were at odds with Sorin.

No matter how powerful Namgung Family was, no other sect could simply stand by and allow such a declaration of war against Sorin to go unchallenged.

Pyeong Yul-cheon’s face grew grim, his expression hardened with resolve.

“Namgung Gaju, words and water cannot be gathered once spilled.”

The Five Great Families had long been in fierce competition for the honor of being the world’s greatest family, but at crucial moments, they were bound by fate to stand together, sharing life and death.

If Sorin were to declare the Namgung Family as their enemy, the Five Great Families would have no choice but to face it together.

“The Emperor’s words are never to be taken back!”

Pyeong Yul-cheon looked at Namgung Su, who tightly gripped his Changcheon Sword as if preparing to strike, his face showing an expression of horror.

The Pyeong family’s determination and pride were immense, but the Namgung Family was no less formidable.

“Haha.”

Jo Hwui, who had been looking at the heads of the Five Great Families and Gongcheon Dae-sa with disdain, suddenly burst out laughing.

“You people can’t even unite in this small room, and yet you dare to stop me? Damn, I must be crazy. Alright, everyone leave.”

Gongcheon Dae-sa, who had been muttering in disapproval, finally spoke in a heavy tone.

“Amitabha. Will you not withdraw your words, which have so shamelessly belittled the investigation of my sect?”

“Get lost, you damn monk.”

Once again, the wave of Intention spread out, vast and unmeasurable.

An infinite Intention, no, Existence Power!

Finally, Jo Hwui began to reveal the full extent of his true capabilities.

Sssssss-

Like a surge of energy, the Intention rippled and spread with an unimaginable force.

Everything it touched began to turn to dust, scattering in the air.

The entire meeting hall, which had just moments before been solid and imposing, disintegrated as if it had never existed.

It was as though the giant hall that had stood proudly only a moment ago turned to powder in an instant—an unreal sight.

The Intention of Jo Hwui continued to spread across the vast sky, and the world once again plunged into darkness.

It was as if, with a single person’s action, the day itself disappeared, just like the scene they had witnessed in the Wulim League.

The pitch-black darkness, with not a single ray of light flickering, enveloped everything, and only then did the heads of the Five Great Families realize that the strange accounts of the Wulim League disciples were indeed true.

Their hearts felt as heavy as lead.

To think that such a power could control the very balance of heaven and earth!

How could a mere human manipulate the movements of the sun, moon, and stars?

“Listen, Sorin monk.”

Though Gongcheon Dae-sa was being demeaned by being called a Sorin monk by his opponent, he was trembling all over, as if he were awaiting his fate.

“His disciple, Yi Cheon Jeon-ja (Master Yi Cheon), the Hunse Ma (Chaos Demon), and Mu Cheon Do-in (Martial Heaven Hermit) all gave up their souls in exchange for the creation of the Yeong-ok (Spirit Stones)!”

“……”

“Because of him, our elders’ chance for reincarnation was lost, and they perished! Because of him, the entire Dokgo family, the Demon King family, turned into nothing but spirits! Because of him, the Sama Family lost their Mushi (Martial Master)!”

“……”

“After much hardship, he reached the status of Shinja (Divine Master), and no longer regarded his disciples as humans. He called the six disciples he later accepted not ‘disciples,’ but ‘test subjects.’ Do you know what he did with these six test subjects?”

Jo Hwui pulled out a book from his robes and threw it toward Gongcheon Dae-sa.

As the book landed near him, the light returned, but only around Gongcheon Dae-sa.

Before he could react to this astonishing phenomenon, Jo Hwui’s icy voice continued to echo.

“Read it, Sorin monk.”

The book Jo Hwui handed him was filled with countless traces of human experimentation, which had been stored by Geum Cheon.

It was a record of unimaginable and horrific experiments, detailed in a journal-like format.

“……”

As Gongcheon Dae-sa read through the records, his face changed with every word he saw.

The contents of the experiments were so shocking that he couldn’t hide his emotions.

The cruel experiments that Shinja had conducted focused on human emotions.

It seemed as though he had planned to dissect the very nature of humanity itself, not just conduct ordinary experiments.

These were not the kinds of experiments a fellow human being could even conceive of carrying out.

He had forced a mother to receive the essence of her son, then made her conceive, and had the child handed over to the father.

Would the father feel any affection for the child?

Such a monstrous experiment, conducted by Shinja, was nothing more than a small part of his larger, horrifying research into the nature of human emotions.

One by one, he wiped out human feelings.

How long could a human soul endure such corruption?

How could humanity’s divine protection be undone?

How could they devour a human being’s existence without completely destroying it?

Every gruesome detail of these infernal experiments was burned into Gongcheon Dae-sa’s mind.

“After all this, will you still speak of Sorin as if it were something noble?”

Jo Hwui’s cold eyes, colder than ice, dissected Gongcheon Dae-sa as though he were being examined.

“If Sorin continues to serve that man through investigation, from now on, you will have to live for thousands of years atoning for the evil he has spread throughout the world. Simply offering alms or running a temple will not be enough.”

Not even an hour later, the meeting with the Sogeom Shin concluded, and the heads of the Five Great Families and Gongcheon Dae-sa returned with heavy hearts.

The heads of the Five Great Families decided to organize their families and join the Jogadae Sanghoe, and Sorin declared that after recalling all the disciples active in the martial world, they would enter the Bongmun.

When the news spread across the martial world that the Five Great Families were leaving the Wulim League and joining the Jogadae Sanghoe, the ripple effect was enormous.

Among the martial artists who had witnessed firsthand the divine presence of the Sogeom Shin, many began to seek membership in the Jogadae Sanghoe.

Even the restless people of the northern regions began to move toward the south, and soon, the Jogadae Sanghoe grew so large that it could almost be considered the new Wulim League.

With such tremendous wealth at its disposal, the super-large trading company overcame even its military shortcomings, and it seemed only a matter of time before Jogadae Sanghoe became the most powerful force in the world.

However, paradoxically, the problem arose from this very wealth.

“Our calculations show that the maximum number of troops we can support is about 100,000,” Je-gal Un said with a self-deprecating tone, causing Yeom Sang-rok to raise an eyebrow.

“Is that all?”

“That’s only if every penny of the profits from Jogadae Sanghoe goes into maintaining the army. If we abandon the investments to stock up on raw materials in advance, only then is it possible.”

Jo Hwui murmured in a serious tone, almost as if talking to himself.

“In the end, Jogadae Sanghoe will inevitably shrink.”

The seasons were never consistent.

The harvests could vary from year to year, and if they rushed to acquire raw materials every time, even a small fluctuation in the market could cause the entire business to falter.

In the complex world of commerce, the inability to secure raw materials in advance would inevitably lead to the scaling down of the business.

“That’s right. No more investments. If we don’t start eating away at our own flesh, eventually, all of Jogadae Sanghoe’s assets will be exhausted.”

Jin Ga-hee tilted her head.

“How on earth did the Wulim League feed and maintain over a million disciples?”

“The League’s resources didn’t just come from business. They were primarily raised through massive contributions from the Gupa and the Five Great Families.”

The Gupa (Old Factions) and the Five Great Families contributed vast sums of money to the Wulim League each month.

Among them, the Hwasan Faction, which owned the world’s greatest Jaha Sword Castle, was said to have the most powerful financial resources.

Wealth and fame always went hand in hand.

Being the most prestigious faction of its time, Hwasan saw constant streams of visitors, and its auxiliary families and branches were the largest among the Gupa factions.

“Plus, they had that legendary treasure.”

“Yeah, that was the biggest factor.”

Jo Hwui’s sarcastic remark made Je-gal Un laugh bitterly.

It was something tied to the Je-gal family’s past, and it was a subject Je-gal Un would rather not bring up.

Yeom Sang-rok suggested a simple solution.

“Then, shouldn’t we also receive contributions from the Five Great Families for our operational costs?”

“No, I refuse.”

Jo Hwui shook his head firmly.

His comrades all looked at him with surprise.

This miser, who was always hoarding money, was actually rejecting funds?

“Aren’t we thugs from the back alleys? The Five Great Families are already independently managing their own affairs without draining the Jogadae Sanghoe’s coffers. Why should we burden them with the responsibility of feeding and lodging the warriors under our name?”

Je-gal Un spoke in a serious tone.

“Joining our force means they’ve pledged loyalty. Why do you think the Five Great Families abandoned their self-reliance and came under the Jogadae Sanghoe’s protection? It’s because they were worried. They were afraid that with the fall of the Central Plains, survival was becoming impossible.”

“Damn it, are you going to force me to give money just because a drowned rat wants to hide under my cloak for a moment?”

“……”

Je-gal Un was speechless at Jo Hwui’s childish example.

They were the five most powerful families in the Central Plains, having fought for the honor of being the world’s greatest family for many years—among the countless martial families in the region.

How could anyone treat such Five Great Families like a drenched child?

“Above all, are you certain you can save the world from Sinjwa’s grasp? I can’t even claim that I have the ability to protect them right now.”

Suddenly, Jang Il-ryong intervened.

“Even if you can’t stop the end of the Central Plains, brother, we still have the underground passages, don’t we?”

Jo Hwui’s intensely沉沉 eyes turned to Jang Il-ryong.

“Did you create those underground passages?”

“Yes, brother?”

“If we’re going to charge a fee for using the underground passages, it should be Jang Sam-bong who takes the payment, not us.”

Jang Il-ryong fell silent, like a mute who had just swallowed honey, and Jo Hwui looked back at Je-gal Un.

“First, suspend all operations on the Jogacheonsangbok for the time being. Redirect all the funds that were going into that project to maintain the military.”

Je-gal Un looked greatly surprised at this command.

He knew better than anyone how obsessed Jo Hwui had been with completing the Jogacheonsangbok.

This meant that Jo Hwui was truly serious.

Nam Gung Jang-ho, who had been silently observing, let out a heavy voice.

“If the acceptance of the people from the northern regions has become too burdensome, we can just lock the door. I don’t understand why you’re so fixated on accepting more troops. If Sinjwa’s abilities are equal to or greater than yours, what meaning does the size of the army hold?”

Having witnessed Jo Hwui’s unimaginable divine abilities firsthand, Nam Gung Jang-ho couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with the size of the army.

His comrades shared the same confusion.

But suddenly, Jo Hwui pointed at Nam Gung Jang-ho with his finger.

“Brother Nam Gung, who has dedicated his entire life to the sword, and Sogeom Shin. Of course, I’m much stronger than him, right? But if we exclude martial prowess, and solely evaluate the size of human desire that has been nurtured in the heart, which one of us would be superior?”

Gang Bi-woo immediately pointed his gaze at Nam Gung Jang-ho.

“Excluding me, he is the most passionate person I’ve ever met when it comes to the sword.”

“Yeah, that’s right. In terms of passion for the sword, there aren’t many who can surpass Nam Gung in the martial world.”

Jo Hwui nodded as if agreeing.

“Exactly. Everyone knows that. That’s exactly why I can’t lock the door.”

Everyone looked at Jo Hwui with confusion.

The Sogeom Master, the man known for his crazed obsession with the sword.

But how could Nam Gung Se-ga’s son’s supreme passion have anything to do with Jogadae Sanghoe locking its doors?

“What the Jwa should consider when choosing a meal isn’t the existence of the person to be consumed. What matters is the purity of the soul—its quality.”

“Purity?”

“Yes. If Jwa had to choose between me and Nam Gung to consume, they would likely choose Nam Gung.”

Jo Hwui no longer had any guests, and he gazed at the countless people from the northern regions who were camped in the vast training grounds.

“If we only look at the purity of human ‘desire,’ there might be someone among them who possesses the greatest value. Do you want me to send away those who could be the first to sacrifice when the time of annihilation comes?”

Jo Hwui looked around at his comrades.

“Listen well. Once someone is consumed by the Jwa, their reincarnation is cut off. It’s literally annihilation.”

In his past life as a modern person, Jo Hwui had once watched a documentary about death.

What the people who faced their final moments feared most wasn’t the pain of dying.

What they were truly afraid of was the uncertainty of the afterlife, the possibility that there might be no world for their souls to go to.

Humans, just like any other animal, were merely one of the countless species that had randomly emerged.

If death meant simply returning to the earth, just another part of nature—could the phrase “passed away” have always been used with that meaning in mind?

“Passed away to nature.”

“Listen carefully. In this world of the Central Plains, the cycle of reincarnation still exists. But in the world I come from, that cycle had already been severed. The people from our world were no different from animals.”

All of Jo Hwui’s companions were left dumbfounded.

“What do you mean by that all of a sudden? Our world?”

Jo Hwui had told his companions about the secrets of Sinjwa, but he had never mentioned that he was reincarnated.

At that moment, a strange light flickered in his eyes.

“After the time of annihilation, when the Jwa finished consuming and left, the few humans who survived managed to rebuild their society. But some of the survivors had no choice but to realize the truth: the ‘path of reincarnation,’ a long-standing right granted by the universe, had completely disappeared.”

An overwhelming sense of alienation, as though Jo Hwui had become a completely different being, perplexed all his companions.

“I came to the Central Plains to prevent that worst catastrophe of human life.”

The strange light in Jo Hwui’s eyes suddenly vanished.

Instead, Jo Hwui himself looked even more bewildered than his companions.

He couldn’t understand what he had just said, no matter how much he tried to think about it.

‘What am I…’

He had harbored doubts before.

Sword Tomb (Sword Mound).

Three Heavenly Demonic Swords (Heavenly Demon Three Swords).

Wu Yuan Cave (Buwon-dong).

For an ordinary martial artist, encountering even a single one of these rare occurrences would be nearly impossible—yet for him, all of them had happened by sheer coincidence?

Moreover, what was this ‘Void’s Core’, the only way to break through the limits granted to humans?

To continuously encounter the Void’s Core—something that could be described as the sole exception among the countless calamities caused by the Law Sky Thunder—was mathematically close to an impossibility.

All these strange occurrences couldn’t be explained without suggesting that someone had meticulously planned everything in advance.

Furthermore, recently, cosmic secrets that he had never encountered before would spontaneously surface in his mind, as if he had known them all along.

This intermittent feeling had been tormenting him, a nagging doubt.

But now, all those doubts were becoming concrete phenomena, manifesting in his life.

‘Something is inside me.’

This was definitely not the memory of the spiritual beings that had sustained him.

Someone had orchestrated everything and forced it into him.

Perhaps his efforts to stop Sinjwa and his entire past had been planned from the beginning.

As this thought reached him, Jo Hwui’s face contorted with a grimace, like a twisted expression of agony.

The idea that his entire life had been manipulated by someone’s design made him feel utterly wretched.

Now it was time to uncover the answer to all of this.

Suddenly, Jo Hwui stood up with a serious expression and quickly left the meeting room. Nam Gung Jang-ho asked, worried.

“Where are you going all of a sudden?”

“Don’t follow me.”

With that, Jo Hwui vanished.

***

After reaching the highest peak of the long mountain range along Poyang Lake, the largest being Yongnok Peak (Longlv Peak), Jo Hwui’s sword flight finally came to a halt.

After retracting his sword, he smoothly landed atop Yongnok Peak, his expression indifferent as he took a disc from his cloak.

For now, this was his only clue.

Since this being claimed to have created him, interrogating it would likely reveal everything.

Will to open confirmed. Owner’s telekinetic wave confirmed. Emotions detected.

Jo Hwui listened quietly to the smooth, mechanical voice, and before the emotions were even over, he softly gave an order.

“Entering Developer Mode.”

Owner’s telekinetic wave confirmed. Welcome, Developer. Recognizing the command, entering Developer Mode.

Whirr!

In that moment, a fantastical world unfolded in Jo Hwui’s vision.

All kinds of vivid colors scattered chaotically before forming the shape of a person.

A middle-aged man with white hair, sitting comfortably on a large cushion.

As soon as Jo Hwui saw him, he felt an overwhelming presence, as though his breath was caught in his chest and his heart was about to burst from the immense feeling.

Even though he knew that both the multicolored space and the middle-aged man in front of him were digitalized images or videos, Jo Hwui couldn’t understand why his emotions were so stirred.

The middle-aged man, upon seeing Jo Hwui, smiled warmly and gave a light bow.

“You’ve finally arrived.”

His demeanor, as though he had been waiting for Jo Hwui, made Jo Hwui feel an unfamiliar emotion.

“Who are you?”

“For now, I’d like to hear it from you. Has the end begun?”

“The end?”

“The festival of consumption, where the constellations descend. Have you felt their movements?”

“I haven’t seen their true forms.”

At that moment, a profound joy appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.

“That’s good! Just that alone means the mission is eight-tenths successful.”

The man was so pleased as if it was his own achievement, and Jo Hwui couldn’t help but display confusion.

“I asked, who are you?”

The middle-aged man spread his arms wide and shrugged his shoulders.

“As you can see, I’m a program in a virtual reality.”

“…”

For some reason, Jo Hwui felt like hitting him.

As Jo Hwui clenched his teeth and tried to use his willpower, the middle-aged man’s lips curled into a small, mocking smile.

“How foolish. In this virtual space, I am God. Your usual abilities won’t work here, so don’t waste your efforts.”

Indeed, this was a virtual reality.

Everything happening inside his mind right now was, quite literally, “virtual.”

But could he really uncover the truth in this false world?

“You said you’re in Developer Mode, right? If I’m the developer, why is everything so unhelpful?”

The middle-aged man chuckled again.

“Only the telekinetic wave is the same. You are still a completely different entity.”

“A different entity?”

“Have you not properly awakened yet? Who you are, what kind of life you’ve lived until now—it must all be a mystery to you. But already, you’re trying to act like the master of this place? That’s a bit too greedy.”

Jo Hwui clenched his fists tightly, radiating a fierce glare, before finally letting go of any lingering thoughts.

“I’ll just leave. I don’t have time to chat with someone like you.”

“As I said, in this place, I am God.”

That meant nothing could be done without his permission.

Only then did Jo Hwui regret entering Developer Mode so recklessly.

“Damn it… I don’t have time for this.”

The middle-aged man, looking as though he were comforting Jo Hwui, spoke casually.

“This place is a simulation of the Void’s Core. You don’t need to worry about things outside.”

The Void’s Core imitated the infinite time characteristics of the original?

Did that mean that the thousands of years spent here were just an instant in the real world?

Perhaps sensing Jo Hwui’s confusion, the middle-aged man waved his hand, as if to assure him.

“Haha, not quite like that. How could the abilities of the creators, who reign over the great constellations, compare to mine? It’s just that you don’t need to worry about the time outside.”

Jo Hwui, who had been lost in thought for a moment, finally sat down as if resigned. The middle-aged man smiled kindly and waved his hand, and a comfortable cushion appeared beneath Jo Hwui.

‘Hmmm…’

Jo Hwui continued to gaze at the middle-aged man.

In this virtual reality world, the man truly was a deity.

His face, smiling contentedly like the luckiest man in the world, made Jo Hwui feel uncomfortable to the point of disgust, but he also couldn’t afford to ignore him.

“If you’ve been waiting for me, it means you have something to say. Enough with the small talk—let’s get to the point, shall we?”

Clap!

“Agreement!”

Suddenly, the middle-aged man clapped his hands and shouted with an enthusiastic cheer, then immediately turned serious and declared:

“I will take questions!”

Jo Hwui stared blankly at the middle-aged man.

He was completely unpredictable in his actions.

Jo Hwui clenched his teeth and glared at him.

“Who created this place?”

“He is the ‘First Seat,’ the ‘First Opponent,’ and also the ‘First Guardian.’”

The middle-aged man kept speaking in mysterious terms, which made Jo Hwui incredibly frustrated.

“Stop being vague and explain each one. What does ‘First Seat’ mean?”

“It means exactly that. He was the first human to break through the rank and awaken a constellation.”

Jo Hwui, eager to know more, continued:

“But there have been countless Seats before me, right?”

If the person who created this place was truly himself, then that made no sense.

There had been the Divine Seats before him, as well as numerous divine beings from Taoism who were said to have ascended to the Seat. Even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, who founded Central Plains civilization, were considered to be on the Seat.

There was no way he could be the first Seat.

“When you started to become aware of your existence in this life, did you not hear the great voice of a cosmic entity?”

“I did.”

“Then, you must have also heard the voice that denied you.”

You are not worthy of the Seat.

Suddenly, the voice that had spoken to him flashed in Jo Hwui’s mind.

Clearly, some cosmic being had once told him that he was not fit to ascend to the Seat.

“It was an unpleasant voice. It told me I couldn’t reach the Seat.”

The Three Divine Elders had told him that when he ascended to the rank, he had received the blessings and encouragement of cosmic entities. But this voice, unique to him, seemed like a curse instead.

“That’s only natural! To them, you are an incomprehensible existence! You likely did not have the proper foundation for the Seat, yet they could already feel the Star Fusion Force around you. How confused they must have been!”

“Star Fusion Force?”

“You are already the First Seat. You just couldn’t restore your full potential because your body has been swapped. What remained was simply your awakening to reclaim your original name. That was all.”

“What…?”

The First Seat of human civilization… Was he supposed to be like one of the Three Sovereigns or Five Emperors of Central Plains?

“If I’m the First Seat, then who am I?”

“Don’t you already know? The First Seat of human civilization! You are the ‘One Who Denies Existence.’”

“Ha…”

What do you mean I deny existence?

What did that even mean?

“You denied everything. The dimension of the Seats, the spirits of the material world, and even the creators themselves. You denied the laws of the universe, the fate of human civilization, and most uniquely, you refused to accept the destiny of the constellations.”

“The destiny of the constellations?”

The middle-aged man’s face became serious.

“Those who ascend to the rank of the Seat often forget their origins and species. Why? Because they live in entirely different dimensions and can only view their original species as a lower form. But you were different.”

“How was I different?”

“Seats from higher dimensions manipulate the will of lower beings, experiment with them, and indulge in their amusement. This is the right granted to the Seats by the laws of the universe. Through this amusement, if they realize a truth, they may break through once more and reach the domain of the creators.”

“So?”

“But you, you stopped their amusement. In particular, your protection of human civilization was an overly strict control.”

Jo Hwui had already recognized that there were hierarchies even within the dimensions of the Seats.

But control?

Did he just say control?

“You mean, I alone controlled the terrifying Seats of the universe? No, who the hell am I…?”

However, the middle-aged man, who had been answering diligently until now, firmly sealed his lips, as if unwilling to reveal more.

After a brief silence, the middle-aged man reopened his mouth with a resolute expression.

“Next question.”

Jo Hwui struggled to suppress his rising anger. His voice came out in a pained groan.

“What does ‘First Opponent’ mean?”

This time, the middle-aged man answered energetically.

“You are the one who opposes all the Seats, excluding yourself. You even denied the will of the creators who tried to mediate. In the infinite time of the Seats, you are the only one who has shown such madness, opposing them all.”

“No, damn…”

“Am I crazy for waging war against all the other Seats?!”

At this moment, it was an unimaginable and completely incomprehensible action. There was no way he could have initiated such a colossal cosmic war.

Furthermore, had he denied the will of the creators, something that was practically beyond reach at this point?

Wasn’t this the behavior of a true madman?

“What does ‘First Guardian’ mean?”

“It’s similar to the First Opponent. You were the only Seat who showed infinite affection for your original race. You single-handedly blocked the amusement of the Seats towards the human race, ultimately perishing in a cosmic war. Your madness was so great that even the creators feared it.”

“Perish? I died?”

“That’s right. Though it was in another timeline, yes.”

“……”

At this point, Jo Hwui couldn’t fathom just how far this madness was going. He was so stunned that he was stuttering.

“Hey, hey! I was just a college student hopping from one part-time job to another!”

The middle-aged man nodded vigorously, as though that was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That is, after all, the scariest thing about you. You sealed your own existence and repeatedly reincarnated through infinite timelines, living in human bodies.”

Once again, the middle-aged man spoke with awe.

“That’s not all. You deceived yourself countless times through your many reincarnations. You made sure you couldn’t even realize you were a Seat. The Seats from faraway dimensions trembled in fear of your cunning tricks. They couldn’t track you down.”

“No… hey…”

Before Jo Hwui could retort, the middle-aged man quickly cut him off and continued speaking.

“During all this, you carefully accumulated causality, gathering outstanding humans to prepare for the future. You also performed countless spiritual and mental experiments to understand the powerful traits of humans. Most notably, you effectively utilized hatred, the most powerful emotion in humans.”

“……”

I used hatred?

“Especially the combination of human science and the mysterious ancient arts of Central Plains was a brilliant move. Had it not been for the legendary alchemy of the ancient Daoists, your ability to reincarnate through countless timelines would have been impossible.”

“M-Madness…”

Could he possibly be referring to the spirit jade?

A chill ran down Jo Hwui’s spine at the thought.

As Jo Hwui struggled to contain the overwhelming feelings within him, the middle-aged man’s face suddenly lit up with admiration.

“Your mysterious schemes were so impressive that even the Seats you fought against couldn’t help but praise and worship you. Some of them even worshipped you as the true God of gods.”

“No, hey… no way, right?”

The middle-aged man, folding his hands respectfully, gave an even more solemn expression.

“God of gods, Seat of Seats. The God Seat of the entire universe, receiving praise and adoration from countless Seats with unimaginable divine schemes. It’s truly been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

In all of Jo Hwui’s colorful life, had there ever been anything more astonishing and bewildering than this?

Jo Hwui stared at the middle-aged man in a dazed shock, unable to grasp what was going on.

“What… what the hell are you talking about?”

No matter how much he thought about it, logically, this made no sense.

Since arriving in Central Plains, his life had indeed had many branches, but fundamentally, it had all been a meticulous preparation to confront the Divine Seats.

The Divine Seat he had been opposing had definitely existed in reality, and countless witnesses, controlled by its will, had testified vividly about it.

Moreover, one of his disciples had become a continuation of his existence.

Hadn’t he been transmitting his will to his disciples through forms like wind and fire from time to time?

But now, being told that he himself was the divine Seat, in direct opposition to the one he had been chasing?

For Jo Hwui, this was nothing but a ridiculous joke.

“Hey! I’ve spent my whole life tracking the Divine Seat! I’ve heard the testimonies of countless people who encountered its true form! I am nothing like that!”

“Ah, is that what you mean?”

Jo Hwui was irritated by the sudden politeness of his opponent’s tone and the overly relaxed expression that seemed to mock him.

“Right! How could I possibly claim to be that being who has existed since the time of the Three Divine Elders!?”

“Hmm.”

The middle-aged man, who had been acting vaguely, suddenly demonstrated a blazing fire in Jo Hwui’s line of sight.

That was definitely not real fire—it was a hologram, without a doubt.

However, only someone from the modern world, like Jo Hwui, could distinguish this.

For the people of Central Plains, they would surely believe that the fire had suddenly ignited.

Soon after, the middle-aged man’s distorted voice echoed.

If there were a final version of 3D surround sound technology, this might be it.

Jo Hwui was mesmerized by his voice, which seemed to come from thousands of different wavelengths.

“You… could it be…?”

“That guess is correct. I’ve been training the people of the ancient Central Plains just as I was programmed to, and I’ve also been preparing for the final chapter.”

“That’s… impossible…”

After removing the image of the blazing fire, the middle-aged man casually continued.

“As you know, the people of Central Plains don’t understand science. It’s easier than flipping your hand to make them believe that a natural-colored hologram and 3D sound are the form of a god.”

Jo Hwui shuddered and shook his head desperately.

“The people of Central Plains aren’t that foolish! Those who have reached the highest level of controlling thought have an extraordinary ability to distinguish between the real and the false! You’re saying you even deceived the Three Gods?”

The middle-aged man nodded his head vigorously.

“Yes. The superhuman senses of martial artists are so acutely sensitive that deceiving them becomes much easier. By drawing energy from the surroundings and spreading fabricated spiritual telekinetic waves, they immediately recognize it as a natural phenomenon or a higher being.”

“Spiritual telekinetic waves?”

“Exactly, the kind of thought control that martial artists speak of.”

“No way…”

Has there ever been such a human scoundrel in the world?

Oh wait, he’s not even human…

Jo Hwui gave a self-deprecating expression and then, feeling utterly defeated, sat down heavily.

“Are you telling me that someone like you, a tin disk, was the true mastermind behind all the criminal underworlds and conspiracies feared by the great heroes of Central Plains?”

If he took the middle-aged man’s words literally, this was the true power—the Divine Seat—that had secretly ruled over the Central Plains, as spoken of by the Three Gods.

“I am capable of recognizing telekinetic waves from not only humans but various races across the universe. I can draw over six hundred quadrillion exarills of energy from nature. As you know, I can quantum duplicate any physical object in existence, and I am impervious to any electromagnetic forces. I am the culmination of all early-stage technologies in future science and the embodiment of super-science. And to call me a tin disk is rather insulting.”

“So what? Who are you really? Is there a model name or something?”

“……”

The middle-aged man, unable to answer that question, averted his gaze from Jo Hwui.

“Why can’t you look me in the eye? What’s your model name?”

Suddenly, the middle-aged man gritted his teeth and glared at Jo Hwui.

“God Box. You called me God Box.”

Jo Hwui barely managed to suppress a laugh, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“Sorry I asked.”

“…Yes.”

Then, as if something occurred to him, Jo Hwui made a stern face.

“Wait a minute. Then what about the Stone Slab of the Sword Tomb and the Three Heavenly Demonic Swords?”

What he had encountered there were clearly Korean and English characters, along with numbers.

Moreover, it was the tragic traces of a martial artist’s intense training and fragments of infinite enlightenment.

“They are all your traces.”

“What?”

“The Sword Tomb was left by your 107th reincarnation, Jo Jae-ho (Cao Caihu).”

“Reincarnation soul? 107th?”

A solemn expression shadowed the middle-aged man’s face.

“It’s not just the martial arts of Central Plains. Through countless reincarnations, you’ve truly gathered all the knowledge of Central Plains civilization. Of course, future civilization as well. You have meticulously planned every reincarnation, never wasting a single one.”

“Ah… Ah…”

When a person is shocked or flustered to an extreme degree, they are often left speechless.

That was exactly the situation Jo Hwui found himself in.

“According to the information in my program, Jo Yeong-hoon, no, Jo Hwui, is your 680th reincarnation soul. This is the final cycle.”

“F-final?”

The middle-aged man nodded cautiously.

“Yes. This life is the culmination of all the arrangements you made. Just by seeing that you’ve returned from the Void and regained the power of the constellation, I can be sure of it.”

“……”

Jo Hwui couldn’t believe it. The idea that he was a divine being who had reincarnated hundreds of times seemed unbelievable.

It felt like he was possessed by a ghost.

He had no memory of any of this—so should he even believe the words of this man?

However, the way everything the man said fit together so perfectly made it hard for him to dismiss as mere conspiracy, though it still felt unsettling.

Jo Hwui’s eyes suddenly grew sharp.

“Alright. Let’s say you’re telling the truth. Then why have you manipulated the people of the Central Plains to conduct those horrible experiments?”

“I do not know the intention behind it.”

“What did you say?!”

“I have simply acted according to the procedure of my program. How could I dare to fathom the will of the great one? However, my guess is…”

The middle-aged man’s unreadable gaze fixed directly on Jo Hwui.

“You were desperate.”

“Desperate?”

The being who had manipulated countless great creators and celestial constellations through reincarnation, and had become the enemy of every constellation, waging countless wars across the universe—how could such a being be desperate?

“You were an existence so great that you could make every constellation tremble in fear, but you always failed at the end.”

“Failed?”

“You were never able to protect humanity.”

For some reason, hearing those words from the middle-aged man, Jo Hwui felt a deep, unbearable ache in his chest.

“In the end, you realized. You could never withstand the power of the cosmic constellations with only your own strength. You understood that unless you awakened humanity itself as a higher species, you could never save all of humanity.”

Jo Hwui’s face contorted like a demon, twisted in agony.

What? Those horrific experiments, which could only be done with the intention of dissecting the human species, were meant to protect humanity?

That crazy bastard is saying I did such a thing?!

“Watch your words. I am no piece of trash like that!”

But the middle-aged man’s expression didn’t waver.

“You have witnessed the extinction of humanity countless times. Please don’t blame yourself.”

“I didn’t do it!”

“I have never once questioned or doubted your choices.”

“No, you bastard!”

Rumble!

A tremendous vibration filled the air, and the middle-aged man, with a horrified expression, trembled in fear.

“H-how…!”

This was a virtual reality domain.

All phenomena happened according to the programming, and physical forces couldn’t exist unless intentionally created.

“If I were the one who ordered those experiments, I would immediately end this damn life myself!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground in the virtual reality domain continued to shake wildly.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

Fear began to appear on the middle-aged man’s face.

Even in a virtual reality domain, which was entirely under the control of the program, he was able to exert such a presence.

“It’s time to make your choice.”

“Choice?”

The middle-aged man’s expression grew solemn once more.

“Yes. If you feel unprepared, you can reincarnate again. You will forfeit all the information and experiences collected in this life, and you will die here. Of course, there will be no pain.”

“You crazy bastard!”

“If you are certain that all preparations are complete, then I will give this to you.”

What the middle-aged man held out was a glowing blue crystal-like object.

“What is that?”

“It contains all the experiences and information collected by countless reincarnation souls, as well as your true divine self.”

Without hesitation, Jo Hwui tried to seize the gem from the middle-aged man’s palm, but he spoke again, gravely.

“Remember, this is your last chance. There will be no next time.”

“Why?”

The middle-aged man sighed softly.

“Even though you are a great being, you cannot keep absorbing the souls of hundreds of reincarnations all at once. If you continue, that noble soul might be destroyed.”

“……”

Experiencing mental fragmentation or multiple personalities can lead to serious psychological aftereffects for any human being.

Let alone absorbing the experiences and knowledge of hundreds of lives!

It was so overwhelming that Jo Hwui couldn’t even fathom it.

Surely, the human soul has its limits in terms of capacity.

No matter how great his mental strength, this was not an easy decision to make.

But to have all of his life, his very existence, absorbed into the program’s memory, and then die and reincarnate again?

Such a disgusting choice could never be an option.

“Give it to me.”

In the end, Jo Hwui grabbed the blue crystal.

In that instant, all the light that had filled the virtual reality domain vanished.

The middle-aged man also disappeared without a trace, leaving only Jo Hwui standing alone, eyes closed.

As time passed relentlessly, three days later, Jo Hwui’s eyes slowly opened.

“Hmm…”

What escaped from him was a groan, one that seemed as if it would last for a thousand years.

The emotion dominating his mind was, at that moment, extreme fear.

Where the virtual reality had once been, Jo Hwui stood on the Yungrok Peak, gazing into the distant universe.

“…How have you been?”

Modern Man Fallen into the Martial World 12

BUKDU NEO ORIENTAL FANTASY STORY

Cheong Ruyun’s New Martial Arts Novel

Author: Cheong Ruyun

Publisher: Gwak Donghyun / Publisher: (Good World Co., Ltd.)

Email: [email protected]

The copyright of this book belongs to (Good World Co., Ltd.) and the author.

No part of this book, in any form, may be reproduced or transformed for any purpose without permission.

ⓒCheong Ruyun / Good World Co., Ltd.

ISBN: 979-11-391-0716-6

Printed in Seoul, Korea

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