The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

Inside the Void Training Room.

[Stat “Red” increases by 1.]

Seong Jihan continued to absorb the “Red” stat from the Administrator’s hand, which was in the shape of an eye.

The “Red” stat rose so easily that it felt like a waste to have invested so many residual points in it before.

‘It has already reached 100.’

When “Red” reached 100, the flame power that had been perfectly controlled by Seong Jihan began to slowly slip away from his grasp.

“Stop making more now.”

[Why don’t you absorb more?]

“I can’t control it anymore.”

[You have good instincts, as expected.]

The Administrator’s hand, which sent this message to Seong Jihan, obediently stopped creating new blood vessels.

Ever since he was told to lay a golden egg, it had been cooperative.

Despite being the hand of the Absolute of the Universe, it obeyed Seong Jihan’s words.

Seong Jihan looked down at the ground and spoke.

“You, you listen to my words very well, don’t you?”

[I somehow feel like I have to.]

“So, is that why you’re so obedient?”

[Ah, there’s another reason too.]

Another reason?

“What’s that?”

[Want to know if you can handle it?]

“Just tell me.”

[I’ll tell you when you reach 200 Red.]

As it spoke, the red eye began creating new blood vessels again.

“I told you I’m not going to absorb it right now.”

[Are you scared? Then ask later.]

Although the red eye of the Administrator’s hand provoked Seong Jihan subtly.

Watching it try to provoke him again, Seong Jihan briskly floated the eye and tried to place it back into the black sealed box.

[What, are you already going to seal me again? Just let me stay out for a bit longer.]

A message hurriedly appeared over the eye.

‘It really doesn’t want to go back in, does it?’

In any case, the conversation might be possible.

Given the situation, Seong Jihan decided to ask about the “Red” stat.

“Hey, how do you use the “Red” stat?”

[?? You gathered so much but don’t know?]

“I know how to use it, but I want to understand it better.”

[The main body used “Red” mainly for writing code.]

“A code like a destruction code?”

[Correct.]

Seong Jihan remembered the types of codes he knew.

‘Destruction and domination were the most common. There were also seal codes.’

The destruction code possessed by the Iron Blood Cross, and the seal code possessed by the Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods.

Considering Gilgamesh’s Heavenly Tree Descending Spirit had a domination code, it was plausible there were two codes left.

‘Then what’s left is the Return of the Light and the Ice Sword Rain.’

If the Ice Sword Rain is the exploration code, then what about the Return to Light?

He knew it turned back time, but it’s hard to define what kind of code it is.

“Destruction, sealing, domination codes—I understand those. What about the remaining two? Exploration?”

[Do you think there are only 5 codes? The main body created thousands of codes.]

“…Thousands?”

[Of course. While the Black and White constant Administrators were arrogantly slacking off, my main body was the only one working hard.]

Jiing.

Texts began to flood over the eye.

[The green one was only focused on saving his treasure from the beginning, while only my main body was pitifully doing all the Administrator work……]

“The green one was like that all along?”

The Green Administrator leading the World Tree Alliance.

Was he already having ulterior motives while the red Administrator was active?

[The main body worked so diligently hoping that the constant Administrators would acknowledge his efforts and make the red one a constant Administrator……]

“You’re glorifying your main body too much. Still, the red one ran off with the Administrator seat.”

[No! It was the main body that overhauled the BattleNet system and maintained it extensively. After working so hard, being asked to step down from the Administrator seat is unjust! They promised a permanent position upon finishing the work!]

The hand of the Administrator refuted vehemently at Seong Jihan’s words.

From its standpoint, it felt like a temporary worker being promised a permanent position but then being discarded.

Of course, this view must be taken with the understanding that it was coming from the red Administrator’s perspective.

[Tell me, does it make sense to be asked to retire without any recognition? Being an Administrator means death upon retirement……]

“Is that why you fled?”

[Correct. That’s why I ended up being cut off while on the run.]

“Explain in detail what happened then.”

[I don’t know the details either. I’m just the hand. How should a hand know everything?]

“You’ve been talking so far, but now you don’t know?”

[I really don’t. Truly.]

For a hand that morphed into an eye and typed out messages, to now claim ignorance?

Seong Jihan gave it a cold stare.

“If you don’t know anything, just go back in.”

He tried to place it back into the black storage.

[Wait, wait! I know other things!]

“Like what?”

[How to use Red. “Red” derived energy through special “combustion.”]

“Combustion, huh…… if you burn it to obtain energy, that’s just thermal power generation?”

[Thermal power generation?]

“Yes. Creating electricity from fire.”

[The idea is similar, but Red combustion has a different energy exchange rate, and it doesn’t produce electricity.]

“Then what does it produce?”

[It depends on the user.]

When it came to significant issues, it spoke ambiguously again.

Seong Jihan frowned, repeatedly placing the eye in and out of the storage.

“Properly explain the special combustion method.”

[Use the code “Sacred Flame.”]

“Sacred Flame……”

Seeing the text the red hand indicated, Seong Jihan’s eyes glowed.

A code named after a holy flame.

‘Sophia received and then lost the Sacred Flame from Pythia…’

After thoroughly reflecting on it multiple times, Seong Jihan had yet to definitively identify the white flame, the Sacred Flame.

Not entirely convinced, Seong Jihan tried to write the code as the hand directed.

And then.

Whoomph……!

A white flame ignited from his fingertip.

“……What, this is really the Sacred Flame?”

Despite various attempts, he couldn’t identify it before.

Unexpectedly discovering it through the red hand made Seong Jihan feel baffled.

“Are you suggesting that gaining energy through combustion means acquiring buff effects through the Sacred Flame?”

Seong Jihan asked this as he considered the buff effects gained through the Sacred Flame.

[Buff? Who needs that?]

The red hand refuted as if disregarding the notion.

[Burn players with Sacred Flame to extract energy.]

“……What?”

[By the way, Sacred Flame burns more intensely with life energy. It would be fun to burn the World Tree with Sacred Flame.]

“Burn the World Tree?”

Seong Jihan remembered something upon hearing this.

‘Martial God intended to set the Earth ablaze and leave because of Dongbang Sak and Ashoka….’

If planning to migrate elsewhere, they could just leave.

Was the intent to burn the Earth with Sacred Flame to obtain energy?

‘I should test if this works in BattleNet games.’

Seong Jihan contemplated while observing the white flame idly.

And thinking about it.

The hand said the Sacred Flame burns more intensely with life energy.

‘Let’s test it here in the training room.’

No harm in starting a fire here.

Seong Jihan judged and initiated feeding the Sacred Flame with life energy.

As he did so.

Whoomph……!

The flame, gaining intensity, gradually turned red.

[So much life energy being supplied……]

While the red hand expressed surprise at the continuous supply of life energy.

The Sacred Flame that changed to red emanated one destruction code after another.

‘This looks similar to when I created a fake code in the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams inner formation……’

With this, could the Sacred Flame’s transformation into a world-engulfing blaze be imminent?

Seong Jihan decided this was enough and ceased supplying life energy.

“Why isn’t that going out?”

Once ignited, the destruction code persisted.

[You poured too much life energy, it’s settled now……]

“Really? What happens now?”

[Combustion will start.]

Whooosh!

Destruction code and red flame spread within the training room.

The power of fire, shifted to a raging blaze from Sacred Flame, began expanding through the unmodeled void space of the training room.

The dark space became engulfed in white flames.

“Hey, when will this go out….”

[I don’t know. It’s too strong……]

As Seong Jihan and the red hand passively watched.

Swish……

From the flaming part of the training room.

“……What trouble have you stirred this time?”

The owner of the Arena appeared.

* * *

Near Pyongyang, inside the Abyss.

“So, you are the Master of this Abyss.”

Dongbang Sak stood before a violet giant with red eyes embedded throughout its body.

The Abyss Owner made from fragments of the red ghosts, the legacy of the Blood Tribe.

Having regained his memories, Dongbang Sak now roughly understood its true identity.

“……Fragmented Red Ghosts, once sealed away, have conglomerated together.”

He reiterated what he had speculated when his memories were sealed.

Until the time came to defy the Martial God, he had to act thoroughly sealed.

Twist. Twist.

The red eyes embedded in the violet giant’s body.

Simultaneously focused on Dongbang Sak.

[Dong……Bang Sak……How did you……find this place……!]

“Why, am I not supposed to be here?”

[Not absorbed yet……already the end, it seems…]

“That?”

[……Whatever the case, I’ll kill you. You……die!]

Swish……

The eyes embedded in the Abyss Owner all began rotating.

Each eye started to create a Taiji pattern.

Mimicking the first stage of the Taiji Sword.

“It’s crude.”

While stroking his beard, Dongbang Sak coldly evaluated.

“That is not how you utilize Taiji.”

Shwoop!

With a swift strike, Dongbang Sak tore through the giant’s body.

[Kr……Ugh……!]

The eye’s movements depicting the Taiji stopped.

Whoosh!

Dongbang Sak’s figure vanished, then lightly stood on the giant’s head.

“Observe.”

And from the top of the head, he lightly drew a Taiji pattern.

Though smaller in size compared to what the Abyss Owner made.

[This……This……]

“This is the correct way.”

That Taiji pattern persisted, revolving continuously atop the giant’s head.

[What……are you scheming? Installing this……Are you seriously teaching me Taiji?]

“Yes. It’s an order from the Master.”

[Master……Did the Martial God really give such an order?]

“Yes. He wishes for you to eliminate Seong Jihan thoroughly.”

While surveying the Abyss Owner.

Indeed, a far stronger entity compared to others dispatched from the Abyss.

However.

‘Only by overcoming this can Seong Jihan possibly conquer the Martial God….’

As Ashoka mentioned, to defeat the Martial God, one must surpass the Abyss Owner’s level.

“Then, do well.”

Shwoosh!

After leaving those words, Dongbang Sak’s figure disappeared.

[…….]

The Abyss Owner remained focused on the revolving Taiji above its head.

Time passed by unheeded.

Swish……

The red eyes embedded in the giant’s flesh began rotating again.

The flow of Taiji slowly started resembling Dongbang Sak’s.

And then.

Boom! Boom!

The giant’s body began to explode from various sides.

[Eliminate……Seong Jihan.]

The massive head dropped to the ground.

From within, a purple, void-drenched form of Seong Jihan appeared, pieced together from thousands of shattered parts.

Peering at the continuously revolving Taiji, he twisted one side of his mouth.

“……Do you think I will follow?”