Chapter 334

Chapter 334

The request appeared when I had dealt with the Snow Ghost and closed the Monster Realm.

[Emergency Request Occurred!]

“……An emergency request at this point in time?”

What are they trying to give me now?

After a brief pause, I pressed my finger against the semi-transparent window that appeared and expanded it. The request contents immediately appeared before my eyes.

『Branch Point

You have finally reached near the finale after overcoming countless hardships and adversity.

Many days remain ahead, but the branch point that determines your future is precisely this moment.

Your choice will determine your future going forward. Choose.

First Branch: Kill Heukya and save the world.

Second Branch: Let Heukya live and ???.』

“……Branch point?”

A point where something divides.

From the explanation, it seems to be called a branch point because it’s a point that divides my future. In fact, the request contents state that this choice will determine my future.

However, there’s one question.

‘Isn’t a branch point only relevant when you’re in a position to choose?’

The fact that I’m not in a position where I can choose this situation.

‘Heukya is strong.’

Hyung-nim predicted that even this force gathered from the Murim’s total strength would fall short of Heukya’s power.

Strictly speaking, those words weren’t wrong. Even I, who had reached Heukya’s presence like this, could clearly feel death cast over the back of my neck.

This might sound like self-praise, but my Ki sense has reached a level that allows no rival. Among the Sipcheon, probably only Ilryun could match or surpass my Ki sense.

My highly developed Ki sense allowed me to gauge Heukya’s level while watching the fight between Nakcheon and Heukya. And what I predicted at that moment was just one thing.

Certain defeat.

That if we fought like this, we couldn’t defeat Heukya no matter what we did.

‘Even if I fought with full power, nothing would change.’

It means that for me to spare Heukya, a situation where I could kill Heukya must be created in the first place. But the branch point is telling me to decide whether to kill or spare Heukya. What does that mean?

‘It means a situation will be created where I can decide Heukya’s life or death.’

Will such a situation truly be created? Even if it is created, isn’t the answer already decided?

If such a situation truly comes, what choice should I make?

I contemplated deeply, and I still haven’t decided on an answer. And…….

We’ve reached this point.

“It’s far.”

“What do you mean?”

“The summit.”

After finishing my thoughts and responding to the voice that came from beside me, Muheuggaek, who had spoken indifferently, looked up. The head of Sangwi rising so high it pierced above the clouds.

“I felt it was big when viewing it from below, but to think it’s still like this even after climbing on its back.”

“If we’re going to bring all these personnel with us, we’ll need to allow at least two hours.”

“Is there a need to drag everyone along?”

“We don’t know what he might have prepared. We can’t increase our speed on our own judgment.”

“The rabble will only be poison if we bring them along, does the leadership not know that?”

“Wouldn’t it be to increase the number of contingencies we can respond to?”

I don’t think numbers will help much in catching Heukya. But it should help quite a bit in dealing with the monsters under his command.

“……No matter how I look at it, you seem familiar with field warfare. Uicheon, who are you?”

“Did you not hear from the others?”

“Hm?”

“If you don’t know, that’s fine.”

Those who would notice have already noticed anyway, and they’ll find out later anyway, so is there a need to say it now?

As I began walking silently, Muheuggaek, who had been looking at me with a strange expression, shook his head and closed his mouth. Thoughts growing during the brief silence.

‘The circumstantial evidence says Hyung-nim is suspicious.’

Hyung-nim’s plan was to use that Monster Energy when the Great Sealing was released to defeat Heukya.

Because Hyung-nim’s words and actions were strange and suspicious, I tried to subdue Heukya without going as far as Hyung-nim’s plan. I couldn’t put the brakes on Hyung-nim’s plan based on mere suspicion alone, and above all, I trusted Hyung-nim.

If we blocked Heukya here, the objective would be achieved anyway, so Hyung-nim’s plan wouldn’t be necessary. Even if Hyung-nim truly tried to betray us, there would be no problem. If Heukya was subjugated, there would be no being capable of breaking the Great Sealing.

This was the only solution. That’s what I judged. However.

What about the current situation?

‘Branch point.’

A choice that determines the future.

‘Uicheonjang has never shown me a future that would harm me.’

Divine armaments choose their masters and exercise their abilities for their master’s prosperity.

Unless it’s a demonic weapon, they don’t put their master in a position of death. Then the two choices shown by Uicheonjang aren’t ‘good’ and ‘bad’ but could be seen as choices of similar quality.

‘I don’t understand why letting Heukya go is included in the choices.’

Does it mean that Heukya will turn to our side and fight for us? Or is there some other factor?

‘A troublesome matter…… Hm?’

This is strange.

While walking, I suddenly felt the surroundings fall into silence and instinctively placed my hand on my sword hilt. I was clearly walking with many people, but at some point, I couldn’t hear footsteps anymore.

“This is…….”

No one is here.

Neither the disciples, nor Muheuggaek who was walking beside me, nor Cheongong floating in the sky—confirming they had all disappeared, I quietly drew up Monster Energy. And at that moment, a voice reached me.

-Is there a need to speak?

A voice overlays.

-If something strange happens at this point, it’s all my doing.

Under the darkened sun, confirming the shadow rising from the ground that received no benefit of light curling up the corners of its mouth, I exhaled deeply. It was a familiar thing.

“Is it a formation technique?”

-Since it’s different from human ones, shouldn’t it be called Monster Technique?

“There’s no reason to pay this much attention to just me alone, so everyone must be seeing different scenes.”

-Clever.

“It’s an easy deduction.”

While it’s true that Heukya pays more attention to me than to others, there’s no reason to do so even in this situation. I should consider the Heukya before my eyes as either an illusion or a divided body.

“What business do you have? I know you don’t like this kind of trick.”

-A trick, you say.

At my question, Heukya drew an arc at the corners of her mouth.

-That’s right. I don’t particularly like tricks. However,

“…….”

-Even more than that, I don’t like noisy things. Even more so those trivial beings chattering before my presence.

“Are you going to reduce the numbers?”

-It means I’ll test their qualifications.

At the same time as speaking, Heukya, who swayed her tail, covered her mouth.

-This Monster Technique visualizes the hardships you’ve all experienced until now.

“…….”

-Those who have found answers to their lives will be able to easily present those answers and ascend. However, those who haven’t found answers and have avoided choices cannot ascend. That has nothing to do with the level of martial arts.

Neither talent nor martial arts has meaning in here. Unless you have the power to shatter the Monster Technique itself, there’s no way to bypass this Monster Technique.

-Let’s test how deep the hardships you’ve endured while climbing to this position were.

Watching Heukya disappear at the same time as speaking, I inhaled deeply and placed my hand on my sword hilt. And at that moment, the air changed.

‘Is it beginning?’

What would the hardships I’ve experienced until now be? Will the monsters I faced appear? Or perhaps the warriors of the Sado Alliance and the Divine Cult?

“…….”

While thinking for a moment and not letting down my guard, I suddenly felt a gaze and turned my head. And at that moment, a voice reached me.

“Uni. Our Uni.”

“…….”

“Have you been well all this time?”

At the familiar yet now unfamiliar gentle voice, I bit my lips while feeling the strength drain from my hand gripping the sword hilt without realizing it.

Ah.

“Well, what terrible taste.”

Damn it.

***

Beijing. The mountain range near the Imperial Capital.

“Just one more to carry up and we’re done.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t you need more?”

“This is sufficient.”

“What on earth are you going to use all this for…….”

Confirming the man who had been looking at the neatly stacked items shaking his head and going down, the white-robed man, Baek Riseon, wore a faint smile and waved his fan. The texture of wind no longer felt even on his skin.

‘Heukya has begun rampaging in earnest.’

At the premonition spreading from a distant place, Baek Riseon gave a bitter smile. A strange intention was flowing in through the air.

‘Are you suspicious of me, Un-ah?’

Baek Riyun is suspicious of him.

He began feeling that from the point when the Number One Under Heaven Martial Competition started. Baek Riyun’s intention, connected by blood, dug into Baek Riseon’s heart and aroused a strange sensation.

‘San has always viewed me unfavorably, and now even Un harbors some suspicion of me.’

Is he in a bad mood for receiving Baek Riyun’s suspicion?

No, that’s not it. Rather, this situation of receiving Baek Riyun’s suspicion was too welcome for Baek Riseon. That’s because receiving Baek Riyun’s suspicion means Baek Riyun has finally begun judging for himself.

‘You are too weak to bonds.’

Baek Riyun doesn’t doubt those he begins to trust.

That’s probably because Baek Riyun’s discernment as a person is abnormally good. It means he doesn’t form friendships with those who might betray him in the first place, so it’s fine to trust them.

People say humans are bound to change, but influential figures like Baek Riyun tend to control and manipulate even that change according to their will. It’s partly due to this that the people around Baek Riyun head in more righteous directions.

However.

‘Not blood relations.’

Did Baek Riyun judge and accept Baek Riseon himself?

That’s not the case. From the moment of birth, Baek Riyun trusted and followed him just because he was his older brother. Baek Riyun’s judgment wasn’t included in that. Then what about his way of thinking?

‘Your way of thinking was also inherited from me.’

Rather, Baek Riyun was influenced by Baek Riseon. Baek Riyun didn’t exert any influence on Baek Riseon, and naturally Baek Riyun doesn’t know anything about Baek Riseon’s essence.

A tragedy that occurs because he didn’t doubt, because he didn’t guard against.

‘You must not be that way.’

He must be able to doubt everything.

Enlightenment is born within contemplation. Being able to realize something must only be possible by thinking deeply about that something.

‘You must be able to doubt even what’s obvious.’

‘You must doubt everything around you, yet still be able to affirm it.’

If said directly with his mouth, Baek Riyun would answer that he understands, but in reality, he wouldn’t be able to do so. He’s not someone whose character is twisted enough to blindly suspect others.

That’s why he has no choice but to take this troublesome method. So that Baek Riyun can cast off his limits.

Because he intended to stab Baek Riyun in the back of the head.

Thud!

“I’ve transported everything.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Ah, a street vendor gave me a skewer saying he made it wrong on the way here, will you eat it?”

“I’ll accept it.”

As Baek Riseon received the skewer that looked quite appetizing for something made wrong and took a bite while chewing, the robust man who had been tilting his head must have been hungry and took a bite of the skewer. And at the same time, the robust man’s eyes widened.

“Ugh. Ptooey! Why is there so much salt on this! He said he made it wrong, but did he pour salt instead of spices?”

“…….”

“No, why are you eating something like this so deliciously? Isn’t it salty?”

“Because I have a taste for strong flavors.”

“Even strong flavors have limits!”

Is that so? Was it salty food?

“I ate well.”

“No, you ate all of that……?”

Inferring the taste of the skewer from the man’s expression, Baek Riseon smiled and discarded the empty skewer while looking at the sky. Perfectly completed preparations.

‘The ritual is just before completion.’

At Hwangryongjang, a competition is currently taking place.

‘Setting up altars on sixty-six peaks also succeeded.’

The altars are also ready. What remains is one thing.

“Defying heaven.”

Going against providence and overturning the laws of the world.

“Only your choice remains, Un-ah.”

Feeling a pleasant mood suddenly rise while covering his mouth with his fan and smiling gently, Baek Riseon thought:

The finale approaches.

A finale that will become a new beginning.