The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Side Story 36

"Hmm..."

Jiang Shang stroked his beard after hearing about recent events from Seong Jihan.

"So that happened in the Martial God's Tower. Interesting."

"Yes. Dongbang Sak said it was for the completion of Infinite. But no matter how I think about it, I have questions."

"What kind of questions?"

"During the 100 years of training, I remember giving up on Infinite quickly. I thought it was an unreachable realm."

Jiang Shang nodded at this.

"That's right. Your talent was extraordinary, but Infinite wasn't a realm that could be reached with talent alone."

"Why is that?"

"Didn't we investigate this together? Don't you remember this either?"

"No. Please tell me the reason."

When Seong Jihan asked like that, Jiang Shang opened his mouth.

"Infinite can only be reached by those who truly want to achieve nothingness. Of course, it's only possible for those like me or you who have reached the ultimate understanding of nothingness."

"Those who want to achieve nothingness..."

"When I touched Infinite, it was when Urd had destroyed my world and there was nothing left to protect."

Because there was nothing left to protect.

Jiang Shang, who tried to turn everything into nothingness for revenge.

Was that kind of mindset essential to complete Infinite?

'The reason I endured 100 years of training in Ark was to protect my world.'

Infinite, which returns everything to nothingness, and Seong Jihan's goal were completely opposite.

So that was why he quickly gave up on completing Infinite and focused on imbuing Blue with the power of the mixed defiled world.

"But why couldn't I remember this fact...?"

"Well. Did my son-in-law seal his memories? I don't know why he would have done that."

"I see..."

He got an answer about Infinite, but why he couldn't remember this fact?

Why such a phenomenon occurred in the Martial God's Tower - there was still no clear answer.

As Seong Jihan was deeply lost in thought,

"Ah. But I do know why your sensory stimulation was dulled."

Jiang Shang, who had been looking at him, opened his mouth as if he remembered.

"Why is that...?"

"You said you wouldn't use the power of creation and would scatter all emotions. As long as there are emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure, you'd unconsciously use the power of creation."

When he was in Ark.

The power of light given to Seong Jihan was immense.

He could truly reign like a creator if he just changed his mind slightly.

So Mitra wanted Seong Jihan to use creation like that.

He had been resisting the temptation to touch this power as much as possible.

"I thought so at first too... but in the Martial God's Tower, my senses returned every time I solved the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams."

"Hmm. If that's the case, didn't my son-in-law scatter it in his own fragments? His own senses."

So he did it to himself?

But.

'I don't know why I can't remember this. It feels like there's something more...'

It was strange that only memories related to this were completely gone, as if cut out.

Even though Jiang Shang told him various things, he couldn't know the crucial part.

Still.

'It's a gain that I clearly identified the reason for giving up on Infinite.'

It was fortunate that he got a definite answer from Jiang Shang and resolved one of his questions.

Meanwhile.

"To complete Infinite, become heartless... That's one path. But is that world worth that much to my son-in-law?"

Jiang Shang mulled over what Seong Jihan had told him, then asked him like that.

"Just hearing about it, it seems to be just a virtual world created in the Martial God's Tower."

"At first I thought so too... but maybe because I regained my senses there. Or maybe because I returned to the situation of my previous life. I have deep lingering attachments."

"Previous life... You mean the first round?"

Jiang Shang, who had many conversations with Seong Jihan during the 100 years of training,

Knew that he had a "first round".

"Yes. After reviving my niece who died due to my mistake. That world seems to have a deeper meaning for me. Even if they are virtual characters."

"Hmm... Well. Are they really virtual?"

"Pardon?"

"You're not someone whose emotions would be swayed by illusions."

"What do you mean by that..."

When Seong Jihan blinked his eyes, not understanding Jiang Shang's words.

"Is there no possibility that child is real?"

Jiang Shang brought up an unexpected topic.

* * *

"Real... you say? That's impossible."

No.

How could the Yoon Seah who appeared in the Martial God's Tower mission be real?

Seong Jihan immediately denied this, but.

"Just as you revived our empire and planet... isn't reviving one person nothing if you use the power of light?"

Jiang Shang's expression was serious.

"Seah already exists. Clearly in this reality. There's no reason for me to revive that child."

"Yes. That child exists. But the child who died in your previous life doesn't."

Then Jiang Shang pointed to himself.

"Even if they're the same person, Dongbang Sak and my journeys were different. And as time passed, he and I developed many differences."

"That's..."

"It's the same with your niece. Even if they're the same niece, the niece in this world and the child who died before can't be completely the same. Especially in your heart."

Seong Jihan suddenly recalled his final battle with Mitra.

-You tried to forget the scene you saw when entering the prison of time before. But forgetting wasn't easy. And in your heart, a desire to change that past arose.

-That planet is a stage to fulfill your wish. Fulfill what you want there to your heart's content.

When he entered to resolve the Transcendent Being.

The power of creation activated on its own and simultaneously created Jiang Shang's Murim Empire and the world of the first round.

At that time, Seong Jihan thought Mitra had deliberately created this just to shake him up.

He didn't think he really wanted this world.

So among the worlds Mitra created, he left the Murim Empire alone. @@novelbin@@

Didn't he re-seal the world of his first round?

But.

'...Was that not the case?'

Even if he had regressed to the past and lived a reformed life here.

Even if he made Yoon Seah the world's No. 1 ranker and made humanity prosper.

In the end.

The people who disappeared in the previous life were gone.

'The Yoon Seah of the first round and second round are the same but different people.'

So no matter how well he treated her in the next life.

No matter how much he thought he had saved the Yoon Seah of the second round.

The Yoon Seah of the first round who only suffered and died.

In fact.

Just ended up dying then.

So...

"You mean I revived her through the power of creation because I couldn't let go of my lingering attachment?"

"It's just a guess. To know for sure, we'd need to confirm."

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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"If you mean confirm..."

"Didn't you use 'Analysis' in Ark?"

If he used the light power 'Analysis'.

He could find out if Yoon Seah was really the one from the first round.

Or if she was just a being from the mission.

But.

"I can't use the power of light right now."

"Is that so? That's a shame... If you could get even a little bit of light power, you'd be able to use Analysis."

Hearing that, Seong Jihan suddenly remembered the sub-quest he saw before.

'Didn't it say it would give 10 White Light if I allowed Seah's Void corruption?'

The quest that said it would give White Light if he handed Yoon Seah over to the Witch of The Void.

He didn't proceed with it because it seemed like a trap.

But thinking about it, the very fact that it offered light power was suspicious.

'The light power I sealed in the Martial God's Tower is clearly working in that world...'

So it seemed like he could get 1 or 2 White Light, but.

Of course, if he started getting this.

The meaning of sealing White Light in the Martial God's Tower would be diminished.

'And what will I do after clearly identifying Yoon Seah's identity?'

If Yoon Seah was really her from the first round.

Would he bring her out from that world to reality?

But how?

'It's impossible with Blue.'

In the end, to extract her from that world into this one.

The power of light.

He'd have to touch the realm of creation.

Then all his previous efforts to not handle the power of creation would be in vain.

Of course, if he decided to only extract one person.

If he only touched it very slightly, it might not be a big deal.

'...For now, let's first confirm with Analysis.'

He would get White Light and use Analysis on Yoon Seah.

And think about what to do next later.

Seong Jihan stopped his thoughts there and looked at Jiang Shang.

"Thanks to you, my thoughts are somewhat organized. Thank you."

"Is that so? You seem more confused to me."

That was true.

As Seong Jihan gave a bitter smile, Jiang Shang patted his shoulder.

"You're the master of this world, so do as your heart desires. You're the only administrator, aren't you?"

"As my heart desires... That seems to be the hardest thing."

"My son-in-law thinks too much. If the choice is difficult, just pick the option that comes to mind first."

"The option that comes to mind first, you say..."

"Yes. That will be your true heart."

As Seong Jihan mulled over the solution Jiang Shang gave him.

'But...'

Only then did he look around once.

A space in the universe full of light.

No, at the center of the light was darkness.

More precisely, the Infinite Sword.

It alone contained darkness in the center of the light.

"By the way, what were you doing in this far-off place? I couldn't even contact you. Was there still Void left?"

"Ah. About that."

Swish.

As Jiang Shang reached his hand behind him.

The Infinite Sword came into his hand.

"I've been going as far as possible because of this guy. I removed the Void long ago."

"Because of... the Infinite Sword?"

"Yes. Didn't I say this sword returns everything to nothingness?"

As Seong Jihan nodded to this.

Jiang Shang continued speaking as if it wasn't a big deal.

"The journey to nothingness is still ongoing."

"You mean Infinite is still moving?"

"That's right. I'm controlling it now, but since escaping Ark's control, I've felt Infinite's power gradually getting stronger."

So while it was fine in Ark.

After coming out, Infinite has been slowly building up power?

Seong Jihan looked intently at the Infinite Sword containing darkness.

'The power Infinite contains doesn't seem much different from before...'

Still, he was a third party.

The sword's owner must have felt something different.

"So I came far to look for a solution."

"Is there a need to go so far?"

"If I fail to control it, Infinite will return everything to nothingness. Shouldn't we minimize the impact on our world?"

"...Is it that serious?"

"Of course, don't worry too much. If I lose control, I'll stop it even at the cost of my life."

"You'll risk your life?"

No, he said he was doing something far in the universe, but.

Was the Infinite problem so serious that Jiang Shang himself would risk his life?

"Hm? Why are you reacting like this? Didn't we discuss this several times before?"

"We discussed this too?"

"Yes. Quite a few times. I said if I can't control Infinite, I'd go to a far universe and die. Don't you remember?"

It was not like he had dementia, why were there so many holes in his memory?

As Seong Jihan was bewildered.

"Hmm... Son-in-law. Seeing as you can't remember anything related to Infinite. It seems you sealed this information yourself."

"...Yes. It seems so."

"And given that Infinite is mentioned in the world inside the tower, the sealed memories or information are probably there."

As Seong Jihan nodded.

Jiang Shang thought for a moment and then spoke.

"By the way, are there any differences between your first round world and the mission world?"

Differences.

'There are some differences from the first round.'

The aliens of the BattleNet world not being implemented.

The Martial God Dongbang Sak existed and everyone knew about him.

The Witch of The Void actively emerged from the Abyss underground.

There were several differences if he looked for them.

And...

'It's trivial but there was definitely something strange.'

Seong Jihan recalled the Sword King.

The Sword King who was beaten by him with his sword breaking at the BattleNet center.

Actually, at that time.

Having been hit by Seong Jihan with Blue stat, the 'Charm' status effect should have been lifted.

He should have returned to normal like in the real world.

But.

'He's still faithfully following Ito Shizuru...'

At the time, he just thought it was because it was the mission world.

But now that he was trying to find differences from the first round world, it was definitely strange.

'I should go check on that.'

Anyway, he could go to Japan just by opening a portal.

"Thanks to your words, I've found a difference that's bothering me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I'll go check it out. Thank you so much for today's conversation."

"It's nothing. If you're grateful, hurry and bring a grandchild. A child between you and Seol-young might surpass us."

"...I'll see you next time."

Whoosh!

As Seong Jihan left without answering the grandchild question.

Jiang Shang smiled broadly.

"I hope it won't be long until I see that grandchild."

Then he looked at Infinite.

"I don't think I can hold out for that long..."

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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