Second Life Ranker

Yeon-woo moved his hand towards the exuviae of the Monkey King, who closed his eyes. Like a sandcastle falling apart from a wave, the exuviae split into particles that Bathory’s Vampiric Sword absorbed.

As the exuviae disappeared, the chains clattered to the ground. However, Yeon-woo couldn’t hear anything because of the enormous amount of holy power that flowed into his hand. ‘I knew there was a lot, but I didn’t know it would be this much…!’ A divine being had a great number of Factors, and it was difficult to swallow one whole.

Crunch, crunch! He could hear his body adjusting already. The Philosopher’s Stone was spinning wildly to open up all possibilities, but there was just too much holy power. It was like he’d opened a dam to fill a small pot. It was a wonder he hadn’t cracked apart yet.

However, one of the benefits was that his potential as a dragon had widened, just as when he’d absorbed the Summer Queen. Although they were tied to the lower world, the Draconic species had once been a species equal to the gods.

The illusory world began to collapse around him since it was also part of the exuviae’s boy.

[‘Demonic Divine Draconic Body’ is being awakened. 92%, 93%…95%...]

However, its power didn’t disappear, and Yeon-woo activated a skill to keep a grip on his shaking mind.

[Time Difference]

As time slowed, he gritted his teeth. ‘This isn’t pleasant.’ Even though his thinking was faster, his physical pain hadn’t disappeared. In fact, he could feel pain even more intensely because he was more focused. He felt like he was dying, but he forced himself to endure it and think. ‘It’s hard to absorb the exuviae completely. If I had a bit more time, I’d try, but…’

[00:01:29_68]

‘I have about one minute left at the most. I have to swallow the exuviae in that time no matter what. Then…’ His eyes flashed sharply as the information continued to flood in. ‘I’ll just take the core of the exuviae and discard the rest.’ It seemed like a huge waste to only absorb twenty percent, but it was already an enormous amount for someone like him.

It was nearly impossible to pick out the core from, but Yeon-woo didn’t give up. He slowed time down as much as he could to absorb the information, which contained the life story of the Monkey King.

The king of monkeys had turned into a god, then a bodhisattva after he fell back into the lower world. He fought with the heavenly world and battled the Demon Kings with his blood brothers. Yeon-woo saw everything from the growth of the Monkey King to his tears and laughter as he walked next to his friends. Yeon-woo managed to review the Seventy-Two Bian he possessed.

The Monkey King didn’t use the Seventy-Two Bian he learned from his teacher, Subodhi, simply as Bian. Instead, he used it as magic, a fighting technique, or as Mugong. The Monkey King had pushed it into a new direction as he mixed various methods together.  

Yeon-woo was able to learn a lot of things from it. He also learned a bit more about the legacy called the Heavenly Bracket that the Jaecheondaeseong, another of the Monkey King’s titles, left behind. He selected the most important sections from the flood of information, and he felt that he could comprehend the Seventy-Two Bian fully at this rate.

Yeon-woo was slowly becoming the Monkey King. However, he was synchronizing with the divine being too quickly to notice. Boom! Something suddenly hit Yeon-woo, and he looked up in surprise to see Athena, who was larger than he remembered. Her eyes were still sad.

『Don’t get eaten up.』

As she spoke, she spread her arms out and held Yeon-woo. 『You have things to do.』

Only then could Yeon-woo see himself. The dragon scales that had grown on his flesh glowed with a golden light, and his hair turned white, reaching his shoulders. He couldn’t check, but he felt like his eyes were also glowing a fiery gold as well.

Gold and white were the symbols of the Monkey King. As he swallowed up the exuviae, he was being swallowed up himself as he grew drunk on power. If Athena hadn’t appeared, what would’ve happened to him?

He shivered and turned to thank her, but she had already vanished. Where had she gone? How did she even manage to manifest in the first place?

[Athena is silent.]

He was curious, but he just shook his head and checked his body. The white hair and golden scales that represented the Monkey King were gone. Instead, he could feel a strength in his body that he didn’t have before. His level had increased dramatically.

He thought that all the potential that he hadn’t been able to digest from the Summer Queen’s soul was finally revealing itself.  ‘I didn’t know the Seventy-Two Bian would do something so…incredible.’

[Your understanding of the ‘72 Bian’ has increased. Your skill proficiency has dramatically increased.]

[Your affinity towards water has increased.]

[Your affinity towards gold has increased.]

[Your affinity towards wood has increased.]

……

[You have gained an understanding of the superior property ‘Five Penances’.]

[The title ‘Successor of the Monkey King’ has been changed to ‘Heir of the Jaecheondaeseong.’]

[You have satisfied multiple conditions and gained a clue relating to ‘Legacy of the Jaecheondaeseong’.]

Yeon-woo was able to recreate the Seventy-Two Bian based on his deeper understanding of the Monkey King and open the Legacy of the Jaecheondaeseong. These were the Monkey King’s five signature skills that he’s completed after organizing everything he’d learned: Nuebyeoksae, Yusuhang, Shinmokryeong, Hwayeomryun, and Geumkangpo. 

These were arts that separated the stem of the Seventy-Two Bian, the Five Penances, and went beyond Bian and Martial studies to create new laws. Yeon-woo finally learned what the five signature skills were, but he didn’t know how to approach them.

The knowledge he had currently wasn’t enough, but he felt like with the Dragon’s Knowledge, he could start learning it. He shouted in satisfaction and raised his fiery, golden eyes.

[00:42:11_25]

Time was a little tight but he could still return if he hurried. However, before he left, he had an idea. There were too many remnants lying around him from the exuviae. It would be a waste to leave them like that. Could there be a way to use them as well?

Organizing his thoughts, he quickly turned to a different direction.  

[Current awakening progress: 98%]

* * *

『Finally, finally, our god is descending…! Here!』

Boom! Boom! Boom! The center of the palace began to shake violently. At Kindred’s cheers, the Consciousnesses of the bishops and diocesan bishops expanded farther. 

『Mahalbata, tamaha…』

『Mahalbata, tamaha…』

They were the ones who were controlling the Golden Headband, the power that could extract the Monkey King’s exuviae from the illusory world. It was a difficult process, and only when Kindred and the others worked together did they manage to control it and pull it up.

They believed that the Golden Headband was tightening around the exuviae in the illusory world because the contents pouring into the sacrificial vessel were extraordinary. It was holy power!

Kindred trembled with ecstasy. Even after becoming bishops, they hadn’t been allowed powers and couldn’t even dream of using holy power. What an exhilarating sight it was to see true holy power. Kindred was already feeling overwhelmed by the traces of the Monkey King, how much more powerful would they be once he had a chance to observe them carefully?

Most importantly, the exuviae was just a shell. How powerful would the real Monkey King be? And the Heavenly Demon? It was like a confirmation that everything else on the ninety-eighth floor was false and the only real god was the Heavenly Demon. 

‘The Head Bishop will be born with a new face after accepting that exuviae. He will be the eternal leader of the Devil Army!’ Madness flashed in Kindred’s eyes along with his obsessive faith in the Heavenly Demon and the Head Bishop.

If the heavenly world had the Heavenly Demon, the lower world had the Head Bishop. Both would shower him with honors. He shivered at the thoughts of the favor that he would receive.

‘Why isn’t it finished?’ Kindred’s eyes narrowed. The contents flowing into the vessel were just remains, the actual core of the exuviae was missing. Was he still resisting? But there would be limits to his resistance due to his condition.  

‘Oh, well.’ It would do to prolong the ceremony, and so he contacted the group’s subconscious, ready to help them pull the exuviae out and drag him to the vessel. ‘Hm?’

However, the group subconscious was too quiet. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They should have been pulling in the Golden Headband. At that moment, Kindred saw someone out of the corner of his eyes. The person must’ve felt his presence too because they turned to him. 

『I was just about to visit you. I guess you couldn’t wait and came to me first.』 The person wore a black mask and clothing, and he had a pair of Fire Wings on his back. It was a familiar appearance that Kindred had always wanted to chew up and swallow.

However, there was something different about him. Behind the mask, his eyes were a burning gold. Fiery Golden Eyes. It was the power that only an Heir of the Jaecheondaeseong who had deeply learned the Seventy-Two Bian could possess.

『You!』Kindred was so shocked that he could barely hold himself together from the dizziness that occurred after his consciousness was kicked out of the group subconscious. Boom!

Wondering what was happening, he tried to step forward. An intense storm was whirling around the center of the palace. It was hard to stay balanced, and he couldn’t even tell up from down.

Suddenly, he felt something sticky and warm pouring onto his face. He instinctively wiped his face with his hand. 『Blood?』 The blood was lumpy with bits of flesh, and he looked around anxiously.  

The diocesan bishops exploded like fireworks as though they had been waiting for this signal. Kindred couldn’t absorb the impossible sight at first, and he only screamed after a moment of realization. 『Cain!』

The vessel that was supposed to hold the exuviae was sending power back. He didn’t know how it happened, but as the core disappeared, the power that didn’t have anywhere to go exploded. 

The group subconscious, which had been trying to control the power, took the brunt of the impact. The priests who couldn’t withstand it were swept away. Bishops, diocesan bishops, high priests—ranks didn’t matter in death. Either they died from the impact or poisoned by the holy power and left in a vegetative state.

When the vessel exploded, the pieces of the Ruyi Bang scattered into the air. 

『Cain!』 Kindred’s mind exploded as well. The decades of waiting and effort had vanished into thin air. However, there was absolutely nothing he could do. He could barely hold onto his balance. His body was tattered. 

『The Monkey King asked me…』Yeon-woo suddenly appeared, his Fiery Golden Eyes flashing. 『To rip your mouth off first.』

『Cain!』

Yeon-woo jabbed his Magic Bayonet into the mouth of the screaming Kindred and spun it around. Puk! Thwack!