The Return of the God (1)
A fist came flying at me.
The Dark God’s punch landed with precision, striking every corner of my body.
Thud, thud!
The pain was so intense I wanted to scream, but no sound escaped my lips.
I struggled to fight back, but my attacks were utterly ineffective.
Ah, right. I need to visualize him in my mind and cut him down.
A solution dawned on me.
I tried to conjure every wicked thought I could muster, but nothing came. Instead, only the despair of deep defeat filled my mind.
As the Dark God laughed wickedly and prepared to deliver the final blow, I awoke from the nightmare.
A strange ceiling greeted me.
I found myself lying on a bed in a clean, neatly arranged room.
The recent battle felt like nothing more than a dream.
Had I truly defeated the Dark God? Or had I lost, just as in the dream? Then again, if I had lost, I wouldn’t be alive right now.
Slowly, I sat up. To my surprise, all my wounds had healed.
How was this possible?
These weren’t just minor injuries; my entire body had been shattered. Yet, here I was, completely healed.
Moreover, the energy in my core was fully restored, just as it had been before the battle.
There was only one person capable of such a miraculous feat.
And as if on cue, the very person I was thinking of entered the room, as if he had been waiting for me to wake up.
“Awake, are you? Here, have some water.”
It was the old man from the Sacred Mountain, holding a cup in his hand.
“Thank you.”
I drank the water slowly, feeling life return to me as my thirst was quenched.
“What happened to the Dark God?”
“He has been vanquished.”
“Vanquished?”
“It means the Dark God is dead. Not permanently, of course. He will be reborn if the conditions in another era are met.”
“Was it because of me that the conditions were met this time?”
The old man gave me a meaningful look.
“Why? Are you worried it was your fault?”
“A little.”
“Don’t worry. It wasn’t because of you. It was simply the workings of fate.”
That was a relief.
“Still, I feel ashamed.”
“Why should you feel ashamed?”
“Because I chose the trial to escape the crisis. To be honest, I hadn’t made up my mind until the very last moment.”
“Avoiding death was a wise choice. It was also a fateful one.”
“Am I destined to become a demon?”
“That, I cannot say.”
“When I saw the Dark God, he wasn’t a dark entity. If I become a demon, will I become like that?”
“Of course not. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have recommended a trial that only takes your body.”
“Then?”
“The appearance of the Three Gods in the world varies each time. Sometimes, like the Dark God, they choose a vessel to be reborn. Other times, like the Blood God, a successor meets the conditions for their descent. Or, like you, they undergo a trial.”
“Is the Blood God still meeting the conditions?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
“When does the trial begin?”
“It must start today.”
“Then let’s begin immediately.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I saw no reason to delay. If it had to be done, it was better to start sooner rather than later.
I didn’t ask what the trial entailed, how long it would take, or what would happen to those left behind. If it was something the old man could tell me, he would have.
Knowing wouldn’t change anything. Even if the trial lasted ten years, it was something I had to do. I had already committed. Knowing the worst would only cause unnecessary worry.
The old man extended his hand, and a door large enough for an adult to pass through appeared.
The doorframe was adorned with fearsome demons, and a red-green light flickered between them. It felt like the entrance to hell, a place from which there might be no return.
“If you pass the trial safely, this door will appear before you again.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t mention it. I hope you return safely.”
Just before stepping inside, I asked one last question.
“If I pass the trial, will I definitely become a demon?”
The old man only smiled, offering no answer about the trial’s content or outcome.
“Good luck.”
I vowed to return alive.
With determined steps, I walked through the door. As the red-green light enveloped me, I vanished from that place.
Galsaryang and Baekpyo stood side by side, staring at the empty seat of the Grandmaster in the main hall.
Ten days had passed, yet Byeokridan had not returned.
“The Grandmaster will be alright.”
“Yes, he will.”
“No trace of the Grandmaster’s body was found where the great battle took place. So don’t worry.”
Galsaryang had discovered the location where the Demon Lord had been taken, and Byeokridan had flown there.
When contact with Byeokridan was lost, Baekpyo led the Demon Slayer Squad to the site.
They found shattered formations, mechanisms, and bodies strewn about.
The sight left the Demon Slayer warriors in shock. It was hard to believe one person had faced so many.
In the underground chamber, they found the bodies of the Demon Lord, the Dark Entity, and a woman.
All were dead, but there was no sign of Byeokridan. A thorough investigation revealed that while Byeokridan had entered the place, there was no trace of him leaving.
“The Grandmaster’s martial arts have reached the pinnacle of the heavens. No one can threaten his life.”
“Indeed. That’s why I’m worried. Such a powerful man, and yet there’s no word from him.”
“Strategist.”
“What is it?”
“In the past, I would have been very worried.”
Baekpyo recalled the time when he had shed tears in the empty main hall after the death of the Heavenly Truth.
“Learning martial arts from the Grandmaster, I realized how strong he truly is. He is a man destined by the heavens. So don’t worry.”
“Indeed.”
Baekpyo raised his voice toward the pillar behind him.
“So don’t worry, Leader of the Light.”
From behind the pillar, Gwangdu’s voice responded.
“Yes, understood.”
Though he answered energetically, he couldn’t hide his concern.
Everyone hoped for news to arrive soon, for it to burst through the large windows of the main hall.
Another ten days passed.
It had been twenty days since Byeokridan’s disappearance. Rumors began to circulate within the Martial Alliance. Rumors that Byeokridan was dead.
Galsaryang tried to stop the rumors, but once they started, they were unstoppable. Especially when they concerned the safety of the Grandmaster.
Whenever two or more warriors gathered, they discussed it.
“Have you heard the rumor? They say the Grandmaster died in the recent battle.”
“I’ve heard it too. Could he really be dead?”
“If not, why would there be no news for twenty days?”
“True.”
“The emergency at the Hall of Justice hasn’t been lifted.”
“My goodness. Are we going to have another change in leadership?”
At that moment, someone shouted from behind them.
“You fools! What nonsense are you spouting?”
The two men turned in surprise to see Machulgun standing there, his face angry.
“If I hear you spouting such nonsense again, you’ll die by my hand!”
The two men bowed their heads at Machulgun’s scolding.
“We’re sorry.”
“We won’t speak nonsense again.”
Machulgun glared at them and continued on his way.
Once he was out of sight, the warriors sighed in relief.
“Why is he so happy when the Grandmaster expelled him?”
“He’s grateful for being spared.”
“They say they found the Demon Lord’s body there too. Yet he’s still siding with the Grandmaster?”
“What a mess.”
“What’s the use of wealth and power? It’s all so tragic.”
Though he was far from the two men, Cheonma heard their conversation. His martial arts were recovering rapidly.
He wanted to run over and smack them on the back of their heads, but he restrained himself.
In truth, he was the most worried. He knew the enemies better than anyone. He knew how terrifying and formidable they were.
“Damn it! If I had known, I wouldn’t have left his body.”
At least then, he would know what had happened.
“Where are you, you fool?”
Only Cheonma’s desperate voice echoed in the air.
Sssssss.
The celestial energy was being absorbed. As if through an invisible straw, the old man’s energy flew through the air and entered Cheonsoseon’s mouth.
Now, Cheonsoseon wasn’t just absorbing blood. She was also absorbing her opponent’s internal energy.
Until now, she had killed anyone with blood, but now she was targeting only masters.
She was accelerating toward greatness. Cheonsoseon had said she didn’t know when that day would come, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it were tomorrow. Her aura and presence were entirely different from before.
“I’m hungry.”
Standing amidst the corpses, Cheonsoseon spoke nonchalantly, as she always did.
“Let’s go eat.”
“Where to next?”
“The Seven Sword Sect, about a hundred li to the east.”
“Let’s eat and head there right away.”
Yang Sahwi no longer bothered to clean up the bodies. Instead, he focused on finding the next prey.
Byeokridan, who had been tracking them, had vanished. Rumors of his death were widespread in the martial world.
“Could he really be dead?”
“Perhaps. Or it could be a ruse.”
Cheonsoseon nodded at Yang Sahwi’s words. They knew Byeokridan better than anyone.
“If he’s dead, who killed him?”
“The Dark God.”
“Could the Dark God have descended?”
Yang Sahwi shook his head.
“The Dark God hasn’t resurrected. If it had, the martial world wouldn’t be this quiet.”
Yang Sahwi knew exactly what kind of being the Dark God was—destructive and powerful beyond measure. It wasn’t in its nature to hide.
“What if they both ended up destroying each other?”
A flicker of joy crossed Yang Sahwi’s face, while disappointment shadowed Cheon Soseon’s.
“What’s wrong?”
“If a formidable foe disappears, where’s the fun in that…?”
Smack!
Yang Sahwi slapped Cheon Soseon hard across the face, leaving her stunned.
“You!”
“Get a grip! Only fools who can’t tell heaven from earth lament the absence of a strong enemy. If the Dark God and Byukridan are gone, it’s a chance the heavens have given us. Don’t get cocky!”
Inside, she was seething.
‘How dare he lay a hand on someone destined to become a Blood God!’
But she didn’t let her anger show. Instead, she apologized politely.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Yang Sahwi’s tone softened as well.
“How much further to Daeseong?”
“Not far now.”
She replied gently. Yes, the day wasn’t far off.
A month after Byukridan vanished, Galsaryang visited Song Hwarin at the island’s hideout.
“The leader hasn’t been heard from in a month.”
“Oh, I see.”
Galsaryang was surprised by her calm response.
“Have you heard any rumors?”
“No, this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
The island was isolated from outside news. Galsaryang had deliberately kept it that way to prevent unnecessary worry for Byukridan’s parents and Song Hwarin.
“Was I too calm?”
“No.”
Though he said no, he was a bit taken aback.
Song Hwarin spoke calmly.
“I learned a lot from him. One thing was to do something useful instead of worrying unnecessarily. In tough times, effort is what’s needed, not worry.”
Galsaryang smiled faintly. Both Baek Pyo and Song Hwarin were handling things more steadfastly than he was.
‘I’ve aged in vain.’
People say you grow wiser and more composed with age, but that didn’t seem to be the case for him. The older he got, the weaker his heart became.
“I should inform the leader.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Would you?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
“I’ll contact you immediately if there’s any news.”
“Alright.”
She watched Galsaryang leave.
Once he was completely out of sight, Song Hwarin collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
When she heard there had been no news for a month, it felt like the sky was falling, and her heart pounded so hard she could barely stand.
But if she showed her shock, it would make Byukridan’s absence, the rumors of his death, feel all too real.
She stood up, knowing more tears would only make her eyes swell.
She washed her face and reapplied her makeup.
Standing before the mirror, she took a deep breath. If she showed any sign of wavering, Byukdojun and Im Yehwa would be even more alarmed and worried. She had to deliver the news as if nothing was wrong. She was the only one on the island who could support and comfort them now.
After several deep breaths, she looked at her reflection and spoke with a trembling voice.
“I’m not good at this kind of thing, so please, come back soon.”