822 Episode 41 Sophistry (6)

I ran like crazy while carrying Yoo Jonghyuk. My panting breaths reached the tip of my chin, and my heels kicked the dirt floor.

I know. My actions right now are useless. This scene is just a virtual '40th Round' staged by 'Fear'. Whether I save Yoo Jonghyuk here or not, the story that has already been decided will be recorded.

But I couldn't shake off the eerie imagination.

What if this 'Fear' is real?

What if Yoo Jonghyuk dies because I don't save him now?

What if history changes like the 1,863rd Round that Kim Dokja visited?

"There he is! That bastard!"

At least Yoo Jonghyuk of the 40th Round wasn't destined to die here. And now, I was the only one who could save him.

"Wake up! Hey!"

I shouted at Yoo Jonghyuk several times, but he didn't respond.

After running away for several hours, I felt my stamina and magic power slowly draining away.

Damn it, Cheon Inho, didn't he even properly raise his overall ability? How on earth did someone like this get nicknames like 'Evil Sophist' or 'The One Who Deceived the Stars'?

"That’s it."

A storm of incredible magical power swept in from in front of me along with the familiar voice.

It was clear who he was.

Blood Demon.

A legendary martial arts master who had once joined forces with the Heavenly Demon and even faced the 'Breaking the Sky Sword Saint' was right in front of me.

It was definitely a Transcendent.

It was an incarnation with strength that rivaled even the Highest-Ranking Constellations.

I wondered why such a big shot had suddenly appeared.

"Cheon Inho, why did you suddenly betray us?"

It seems that the big shot knows Cheon Inho.

I opened my mouth with a hurried smile.

"I didn’t betray you in particular."

"Put down the tyrant."

"That would be a bit difficult. This guy has a place where I can use him."

"You must be thinking of uncovering the true nature of the Regression Law."

Regression Law.

The Blood Demon seemed to know that Yoo Jonghyuk was a Regressor.

"We must have decided to conduct research on the Law together, didn't we?"

What on earth was Cheon Inho doing in the 40th Round?

I could guess the situation.

That greedy Blood Demon must have been curious about why Yoo Jonghyuk was so strong. After investigating, he found out that Yoo Jonghyuk was a Regressor, and he set a trap with Cheon Inho to steal his power.

Then, my line was set.

"I will uncover the Regression Law and tell you. So, Blood Demon, please step aside for a moment."

"How can I trust you?"

"The Supreme King is already in a state of extreme insanity. If we leave it like this, he will regress before we even find out about the Regression Law."

"..."

"As you know, I have [Incite]. After recovering Yoo Jonghyuk a little, if I [Incite] Yoo Jonghyuk while his mental barrier is weakened, we may be able to find out the secret of regression—"

"I will count to three."

The Blood Demon's voice was cold.

"Leave the tyrant behind and get out. Then I'll spare your life."

I guess this kind of persuasion won't work.

I compared the intensity I felt from the Blood Demon's body with the strength I had. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't deal with the Blood Demon with such a weak body.

The only way to deal with the Blood Demon was to wake up Yoo Jonghyuk, but the probability of him waking up after using [Knight Resurrection] was close to zero.

No, why did this kid come to an area where blood cultists were swarming in the first place and make things complicated...

Sparks flew in my head.

I carefully moved my hand behind my back and checked one of the wooden armors in the guy's arms.

The moment I read the Chinese characters engraved on the armor, I could immediately understand why Yoo Jonghyuk had come all the way here.

A potion similar to the 'Gongcheongseokyu' or 'Doll Theory' of <The 0th Murim>.

Just by taking one pill, you can gain magical powers of over a hundred years. It was a legendary divine water.

Perhaps Yoo Jonghyuk came here to get this item.

Why?

I don’t know. He might have wanted to take it himself, or he might have wanted to give it to someone.

I took out the blood spirit tablet from the wooden box and the Blood Demon smiled.

"Do you think the situation will change if you eat that?"

I said, pretending to be indifferent.

"At least I can get the Blood Cult’s divine water. If I eat this, you won’t be able to absorb the magic of the Blood Spirits."

The Blood Spirits are a sacred item passed down through generations for the cult’s leaders. It was a terrible item made by sacrificing more than ten thousand masters in order for mortal humans to reach the stars.

I think the Blood Demon who killed the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint also absorbed this 'Blood Spirit Clan'.

So if I threaten him with this item, even if it’s the Blood Demon…

"Try it."

I sensed the dark magic rippling in the Blood Demon’s grasp.

Absorption Technique.

An extremely evil magic technique that absorbs the magic directly from the opponent’s body to increase his own internal energy.

Only then did I realize the Blood Demon’s plan.

The moment I secured the magic with the Blood Spirits, the Blood Demon planned to use [Absorption Technique] to take away the magic.

"Eat it right now."

I cursed inside, but there was no other way. Anyway, I’ll die anyway. If so.

"Then I will eat well."

Without hesitation, I poured the Blood Spirit Clan inside the wooden armor into my mouth.

The Blood Demon's eyes flashed red and burst into rage.

"You idiot. If you eat that as is... !"

I know. Blood Spirit Clan has side effects. The moment you take this medicine, ten thousand vengeful spirits in the pill will attack the user's mind at the same time.

—Hahahahahahahaha!

—You finally took it!

—I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!

—Cult leader! You're finally getting revenge on a hundred years of grudge!

—Huh...?

The voices of the vengeful spirits that had been heard disappeared in an instant.

While the astonished Blood Demon glared, I felt the intense magical energy pulsating throughout my body.

I wondered if this was only making Cheon Inho stronger, but there was no way for me to survive right now.

The Blood Demon, who barely managed to calm his confusion, said.

"How."

"Blood Demon. Have you forgotten who I am?"

"You—"

"I am the 'Evil Sophist' and the 'Star-Deceiver'."

I don't know if Cheon Inho is still called that, but I talked as I pleased and lured the Blood Demon into letting down his guard.

The great Blood Demon tried the absorption method first.

"Die!"

I barely avoided his attack and unleashed my only special skill.

It felt completely different from the [Incite] I had done before.

Is it because the body I possessed was 'Cheon Inho of the 40th Round'?

The possible and impossible [Incite] orders were neatly organized in my head.

It was as if someone was telling me how to use [Incite].

I calmly took a breath and spoke to the Blood Demon.

"Are you nervous? Are you afraid that I'm stronger than you?"

"Shut up! You—"

"Let me tell you something important. Even if you obtain the Great Law of Regression, you will never become as strong as the Supreme King."

The Blood Demon, with his eyes wide open, shouted at me.

"What do you know—"

"From a lowly third-rate villain. On your first trip to the martial arts world, you accidentally collected the remains of a previous great demon and acquired the 'Blood Spirit Divine Skill'."

It was the Blood Demon's secret that also appears in 'Ways of Survival'.

The Blood Demon glared.

"Yes, how did you—"

"You probably know that too. Your talent is not even capable of properly mastering one 'Blood Spirit Divine Art'."

"..."

"You trained for a hundred years and still can't master that one martial art, and you couldn't even endure the 'Time Fault' and jumped out, so how dare you pursue other martial arts?"

"That's—"

"With that much willpower, you dream of 'Regression'?"

The Blood Demon staggered and shouted.

"I can do it too. If I can return, if I can regress like that guy—"

"No. You can't. Regression is useless to you, who can't even endure a mere hundred years."

"That's not true. I— Me too—!"

The Blood Demon's eyes were suddenly clouded. The demon inside him had manifested doubts about his talent.

Concerns about his will.

All the history that had made him a Transcendent was now his enemy, attacking his mind.

"Just as a roach can only become a ' roach that has lived for a hundred years' even if it endures for a hundred years, it cannot become a dragon, no matter how much you struggle, you are a third-rate unmanned rascal. Even if you gain good martial arts or return, it is the same. That is your birth. That is how you have lived until now with such a weak mind."

"There is no need to struggle. The sky is high, and the stars are far away. There is no place for you in the <Star Stream>. You are nothing more than a speck of dust that cannot even play a supporting role. Accept that fact. Then you will be at ease."

"Ah, uh, uh—"

"Go back to where you lived. And don't stick your head out again."

After a while, the Blood Demon, unable to endure the pain, lay on the gRound, flailing its mouth as if it were a loach.

Even though I was watching the process of [Incite] developing in real time right before my eyes, it didn't feel real.

Cheon Inho has used this devilish tongue to subdue countless opponents.

I looked down at the Blood Demon for a moment and then started running again.

"Oh my God! How much are you!"

The Blood Cult group that had already chased me.

"Chase them! There!"

I ran and ran, but now there was no more escape. The cliff was blocking my way.

I stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down.

What I could see from the edge of the cliff was the rough yet still flowing river.

I had no choice now.

"Hold on tight, Yoo Jonghyuk."

I grabbed the guy by the collar and jumped down the cliff.

This is not Dongho Bridge, and there is no ichthyosaurus to swallow us.

Nevertheless.

I had a feeling that we would not die.

That was, so to speak, a writer's intuition.

Cheon Inho and Yoo Jonghyuk would not die here.

And if the two of them survived here.

The two could become comrades.

…

A voice I knew very well whispered in my ear.

Yoo Jonghyuk was looking up at the night sky of Murim. It was a night sky filled with Constellations he hated.

How long had he been looking at the Constellations like that? Yoo Jonghyuk unconsciously began to count the stars hanging in the sky.

It was strange. He had no habit of counting stars, so why was he counting them?

A memory suddenly flashed through his mind. A subtle warmth that did not fit with his life. A sudden bond that should not exist for him.

"Disciple."

Yoo Jonghyuk woke up from his thoughts at the voice from behind him.

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was looking down at him as if worried.

A bright light was emitting.

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint finally recognized her disciple who had reached the 41st Round.

"Which Round has this been when you have given me memories?"

"It's the 32nd Round."

"I think this is the 41st Round."

"There are also Rounds where you have not given me memories."

Breaking the Sky Swordsman did not ask why he had not given her memories. She simply smiled lightly.

"If you gave me your memories, it means you have a desperate reason."

Yoo Jonghyuk's regression draws in and devours everyone aRound him. It destroys them. It dismantles lives and wears out existence.

Nevertheless, Yoo Jonghyuk once again dragged Breaking the Sky Swordsman into the vortex of regression.

"I must become stronger."

"You are already strong enough. Stronger than the last time, and the time before that."

"I must become stronger than that."

"For what reason?"

Yoo Joonghyuk did not answer, but Breaking the Sky Swordsman heard the answer.

Strangely, the two of them had the same face at that moment.

"It's strange."

"I don't understand it either."

"Well, it's time for my blunt disciple to make a friend."

"That's not the reason."

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint smiled faintly at Yoo Jonghyuk, who shook his head. Then, her expression hardened for a moment and she asked.

"Are you thinking of entering the Time Fault?"

"Yes."

"I know what it means for you to enter the Time Fault."

To most mortals, the 'Time Fault' is a worthless darkness where nothing exists.

In the void where only the density of time is extremely concentrated, mortals test their limits and challenge transcendence.

However, some 'Time Faults' are different. There are stories within those Time Faults.

A Time Fault with a much harsher survival difficulty than a Time Fault filled only with emptiness, but one that offers unimaginable rewards if you can clear it.

"You must return to the world you failed to protect again."

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint knew whose story that 'Time Fault' was.

"The more often you visit there, the more crazy you will become. No matter how strong your mind is, you cannot endure such things repeatedly."

"Still, I must go."

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, who confirmed that her disciple's determination would not change, asked with a light sigh.

"Yes. Are you going now?"

"Yes."

"Get ready. I will accompany you to the entrance of the Fault."

Yoo Jonghyuk nodded.

Breaking the Sky Sword Saint asked again.

"Are you going to use the 32nd Fault this time?"

The 32nd Fault was the worst Fault that Yoo Jonghyuk had used in the 40th Round.

There, Yoo Jonghyuk gained the power to bring down even the stars.

"No."

Time that had fallen asleep like a fossil buried deep inside.

In some Time Faults, there were stories that even he had not experienced.

Yoo Jonghyuk looked up at the sky for a moment and opened his mouth.

"This time, I plan on going to the '40th Fault'."

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