The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2 Novel

Chapter 382

"A person like me...."

"That's right."

Asoka's eyes emitted a strange heat.

"You have an astonishing lack of interest in longevity. Even though I warned you that using the Void would bring an end to the lifespan of the human race, you prioritized the completion of the Taegeuk Sword."

"Whether it's a hundred years or a thousand years... is it really that important? We're going to end up fighting the Void God anyway, so it's better to increase our strength by any means necessary until then."

Sung JiHan looked at Asoka as if asking what was so unusual about it.

There is an enemy called the Void God, so what does it matter how many years are left?

In fact, pursuing strength in this way is more advantageous for survival.

"But, weren't you also not immune to temptation?"

"That... "

"As a living being, it's natural to want to keep living. But you readily embraced the Void without hesitation. Truly... without a single gap."

Sung JiHan recalled the conversation from earlier.

When Asoka discussed lifespan.

It really didn't bother him at all.

This wasn't just something that happened today.

It was the same when he accepted the Void before.

And even after that, whenever a conversation about lifespan came up, his thoughts were always the same.

"What's important is gathering strength right now, not how long I will live in the future."

This perception was firm in Sung JiHan's mind.

"You can only overcome the Void God by completing your strength. I think I'm being perfectly rational."

"Then why didn't you take the easy path that sacrifices lives?"

"Are you talking about offering sacrifices? That's... not my taste."

Sung JiHan retorted like that.

Unbeknownst to himself, he thought of the 'Sung JiHan' inside the Taegeuk's Mandala.

How did they cultivate their strength and end up there?

"Hehe..."

Meanwhile, a smile spread across Asoka's lips upon hearing Sung JiHan's response.

"So you passed both tests. You are the person I have been waiting for all this time."

"...So the sacrifices and the Void were the tests?"

"That's right."

After obtaining the stats, Asoka told Sung JiHan to come to him, who was at the lowest level.

One thing he wanted to test was whether he would fall into the wrong path for the sake of power and sacrifice humans.

And at the moment when he had to give up his lifespan for the completion of the sword, whether he would show any regret.

Sung JiHan passed both of Asoka's expectations.

And...

"You have fulfilled the conditions to confront the Void God... but there is one test remaining."

"What's the last one?"

"Talent."

Asoka extended his finger.

"You must prove your talent in the Void."

What?

That's ultimately the most important thing.

Sung JiHan smirked as he looked at the inside of the Taegeuk.

The Void, which seemed like it could explode at any moment, roared.

"If you draw out the sword from within, not only will you inherit the throne of the ruler, but I will also give you more rewards. Just draw it out for me."

It seemed that Asoka was even more excited about the completion of the Taegeuk Sword than the person involved.

Sung JiHan listened to his words and focused his mind inward.

Unlike Dong Bangsak, he knew that he had to use the Void as a material for the sword.

"...It won't be easy."

Even though I found the clues, completing the sword was a separate issue.

Through the mask, the amplified emptiness continued to enter the Taegeuk.

Some gathered within it, while others completely disappeared, repeating this process.

As this process continued,

[Emptiness decreases by 5.]

The emptiness value, which had only been increasing when wearing the mask,

Finally began to decrease.

"The emptiness... disappears here?"

If that's the case, there's no need to worry about the limit of emptiness absorption anymore.

If it gets too high, just put it in the Taegeuk of the Taegeuk Sword and get rid of it.

When Sung JiHan unexpectedly saw the unexpected utility of the mask and his eyes lit up,

Crack...!

A crack appeared on the mask.

"No, a crack here...?"

The emptiness processing facility created by the World Tree Union.

It has been useful so far for amplifying power.

Why is it already showing signs of damage?

Sss...

As gold entered the mask, the flow of emptiness became chaotic.

As Asoka watched it from below, he expressed his regret.

"I've fulfilled everything else, but do I lack talent...?"

Sung JiHan, who stood at the pinnacle of humanity faster than anyone else, furrowed his brow at the sound of lacking talent.

It's subtly unpleasant.

"Let's stabilize the flow of emptiness first."

While controlling the chaotic emptiness within the gold-damaged mask,

Sung JiHan continued to create the sword.

The first thing he wanted to create was a sword that resembled the Eclipse, the dagger he was most familiar with.

"But I can't maintain that size in the current state."

To create a sword the size of the Eclipse, the emptiness was far from sufficient.

"...Let's at least complete it on a smaller scale."

Originally, Asoka's test was to retrieve the "sword" created from emptiness in the Taegeuk.

The form of the sword was not important.

How long has it been since Sung JiHan made up his mind like that?

Shuuu...

The Taegeuk, which had been maintaining a stable size, began to grow restless again.

A powerful energy burst out in all directions from within it.

"...Is this the end?"

As Asoka looked at the Taegeuk, he placed his hand on the golden skull with a disappointed expression.

The end of the wheel, the golden skull.

The wheel that had been turning on its own until now.

This time, Asoka was trying to turn it himself.

And then.

Chiiing!

From within the swirling Taegeuk, Sung JiHan took something out.

And then.

"That is..."

As Asoka's hand, which was pushing the golden skull, stopped.

* * *

"Hmm... I did manage to pull it out."

Fwoosh...

Sung JiHan pulled out his right hand from the Taegeuk.

In his hand was the handle of a purple-tinged sword, radiating a violet aura.

That too, it's so small that it's not even half the size of his hand.

"......"

As Asoka watched silently, he took a step forward.

Whooosh!

His body, which was on the lowest floor, had suddenly moved next to Sung JiHan.

"Hmm... it's ambiguous."

"Ambiguous?"

"Yes. Your talent."

Asoka observed the item Sung JiHan took out with a more serious expression than ever before.

"It's not a skill that transcends the bell completely... but it easily surpasses the realm of humanity."

"To transcend the bell completely... was that your goal?"

"Yes. Although not to the level of Dongbangsak, I wanted to be at least below that."

So, does Dongbangsak refer to a skill that transcends the bell and is one level higher?

"I knew he was a monster a long time ago, but I never expected him to evaluate my skill higher than that."

Feeling helpless, Sung JiHan asked him.

"So does that mean I failed the test?"

"No, not at all... let me try once..."

Whoosh!

Asoka's body returned to the lowest floor in the blink of an eye.

Movements that Sung JiHan couldn't even follow with his own eyes.

"The third bell, Asoka... it seems like he possesses considerable talent."

With a single step, he carefully observed Asoka, who could leap through space.

A skill that transcends the bell... could it be referring to his own level?

"Hold that item and come here."

"Alright."

Sung JiHan descended with the purple sword handle in his hand.

Drururur...

The golden wheel behind Asoka began to move.

Just a moment ago, if that happened, time would have reversed.

Sueee...

Purple smoke rose from the sword handle.

"Oh...!"

Sung JiHan's physical body was able to continue moving without being affected by the reversal of time.

Drurk. Drurk.

The golden wheel automatically turned several times to push Sung JiHan back.

Although everything else was restored.

Sung JiHan's position did not return to the past.

And there was no interference.

Thump!

Sung JiHan was able to land directly on the lowest floor.

"It was this close."

When Asoka was about to reverse time, it seemed like Sung JiHan would never be able to descend.

But now that it was blocked, it was easy to reach the bottom.

However.

"Asoka was definitely faster when he descended earlier. I'm definitely late."

As soon as he took a step, he completely leaped over space.

It was a movement that even Sung JiHan, who could learn all of humanity's martial arts, found unpredictable.

He could acquire all of Dongbangsak's martial arts except for the Taegeukma Sword.

Why doesn't that come to mind?

While Sung JiHan was pondering this question.

Asoka looked at him with a complicated gaze.

"It can be done..."

As Asoka continued to gaze at Sung JiHan's sword handle.

After deep thought, he opened his palm.

Ssshhh...

A golden crown materialized in his hand.

"I will fulfill the promised throne."

He handed it over to Sung JiHan without hesitation.

As the golden crown touched Sung JiHan's hand, a message appeared.

[The throne has been inherited by the Seat 'Asoka'.]

[The inherited ruling characteristics of Asoka are far superior to the player.]

[The level of the Seat characteristic 'Ruling' has increased to 2.]

"Level 2...!"

Didn't Asoka say he was at level 8 in ruling?

Although he couldn't inherit all of it, the fact that his ruling level had increased to 2 from his current state was a tremendous growth.

"And I cannot yet give additional rewards and information."

"Because you can't draw the sword?"

"That's right."

Asoka looked at Sung JiHan with a disappointed expression.

"To give you more, I must break the kumnyeokjeongbo with my own hands... but I still don't have complete confidence in you."

"Hmm..."

"But if you defeat your abyssal self... you might gain that confidence."

His abyssal self?

Sung JiHan widened his eyes, wondering what that meant.

"Could it be referring to the Taegeuk's Lost Soul in the Abyss?"

The owner of the northern Abyss.

Inside the Taegeuk's Lost Soul were 'fragments of Sung JiHan'.

Considering that Asoka mentioned his abyssal self, it seemed that the one he was referring to was most likely the Taegeuk's Lost Soul.

"How... do you know about that?"

"I will tell you how I know, if you defeat yourself."

"Huh. There's no end to what you know. Are you really Asoka?"

"Asoka is just one aspect of me. My true essence... is just a foolish person. Unaware and wandering."

A foolish person.

One who revealed the emptiness of the Taegeuk Sword.

And already knew the identity of the owner of the Abyss.

Sung JiHan looked at the kumnyeokjeongbo behind Asoka.

An object with the power to turn back time.

"Is that... related to it..."

While Sung JiHan was carefully observing it.

Suddenly, the kumnyeokjeongbo disappeared.

-What the... the lights went out and the game ended?

-And Sung JiHan won, no less.

-What just happened...?

Chat messages started appearing.

The blocked Battle Tube had reopened.

"Well then... I'll be waiting for good results."

Asoka smiled and slightly bowed his head to Sung JiHan.

After the farewell, his new form disappeared in an instant.

"...I don't know his true identity."

Sung JiHan silently watched as Asoka disappeared.

[The Seat game 'Throne Succession Ceremony' has been cleared.]

[Logging out of the special map 'Geophwa劫火'.]

He left the game map.