The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Side Story 49

On the third day of Seong Jihan's challenge to the true Martial God,

"Good. Very good...!"

Jiang Shang exchanged sword strikes with Seong Jihan with a brighter face than ever before.

Gone was the look of worry and concern he had when seeing the rampaging Infinite.

He was purely enjoying the current situation.

Purely competing in nothingness with a challenger like Seong Jihan,

Was a first-time experience even for him who had lived a long life.

Meanwhile,

'As expected... it's different from Dongbang Sak.'

Seong Jihan furrowed his brow as he looked at Jiang Shang's Infinite.

The Infinite that wasn't perfectly implemented in the mission world.

That sword was easily broken by the sword Seong Jihan had completed, but Jiang Shang's was indeed not easy.

Fwoosh...!

As the swords clashed, space instantly distorted.

The two Infinites resonated with each other and tried to expand the realm of nothingness, but,

The light of the Transcendent flashed and stopped the swords' rampage.

After exchanging blows like this several times,

Crack. Crackle...

The light of the Transcendent was now rippling in Jiang Shang's Infinite, which had been completely transparent.

This was a situation that had been seen many times over the past three days.

However,

Swish...

Jiang Shang's Infinite seemed to ripple for a moment, but the light was quickly suppressed.

'It seems like it's about to break, but it doesn't.'

The strong centripetal force shown by the rampaging Infinite seemed to have been suppressed by the power of the Transcendent, but,

It didn't end easily.

Jiang Shang's sword would have to be completely consumed by light for Infinite to be subdued.

The light seemed about to consume the sword, but was sucked into Infinite.

"Hmm..."

And Jiang Shang, who had been purely enjoying this duel,

Stopped his sword for a moment as his Infinite absorbed the light again.

"By the way."

"Yes?"

"What's the name of your sword?"

Jiang Shang, who had purely enjoyed the battle for three days, now asked the name of the sword.

Seong Jihan answered that question.

"I haven't named it."

"No, why? After completing such a sword."

"What I did was merely fusing the power of Infinite and the Transcendent. Since I didn't create anything new, is there a need to name it?"

"A person shouldn't be so modest. Just bringing together different powers is a great achievement."

Jiang Shang stroked his beard and looked at Dongbang Sak, who was watching them from afar.

"Dongbang Sak. I have a name I'd like to give that sword. I wonder if you have the same thought."

"A name for the sword... There is one that comes to mind."

"What is it?"

"Infinity."

At those words, Jiang Shang's smile deepened.

"We think alike. I had the same thought."

"Infinity..."

"The only way to stop the journey to nothingness is to expand infinitely. Isn't my son-in-law's sword successfully doing that?"

Seong Jihan's sword, controlling Infinite through the power of light.

Was that why they called it Infinity?

Seong Jihan stared at his sword for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.

"I like the name, but it's not actually infinite. Even the power of the Transcendent has limits."

"Is that why you're not using your full power?"

"...Pardon?"

"Your Infinity is holding back power at the crucial moment."

Jiang Shang continued speaking while looking at his own sword where the light had disappeared.

"I don't know if it's out of consideration for me... but I've enjoyed these three days enough. Now, use your full power and break my sword."

Through three days of battle,

Jiang Shang, who had grasped that Seong Jihan's Infinity had surpassed his Infinite,

Urged him to make a decision.

But,

"..."

Seong Jihan couldn't easily answer as he looked at his sword containing light.

'If I use full power... the Transcendent's power will end.'

Although the sword was named Infinity (Infinity),

Unlike its name, it had limits.

To control Jiang Shang's rampaging Infinite, most of the Transcendent's power had to be poured out.

And Seong Jihan's own Infinite had to be controlled as well.

Only by using full power, assuming Infinity would break,

Could he finally break Jiang Shang's sword.

But if that happened,

'I'll barely be able to use the Transcendent's power.'

The power of the Transcendent that enabled creation.

Before, it was a power he didn't covet at all,

But now it was a power he absolutely needed.

That was because,

-...Is it because of us?

For Seong Jihan,

There were the 'Taiji's Lost Souls' to whom he had to keep his promise.

As he nodded lightly to the voice heard from within,

-So, you couldn't make a decision...

-But Seong Jihan.

-There's no need to restore all worlds.

The Taiji's Lost Souls said something unexpected.

* * *

'No need to restore... all worlds?'

What did that mean?

The Taiji's Lost Souls.

Didn't a thousand Seong Jihans pour five hundred years into this in the underground of the Abyss?

Because they were that desperate.

Wasn't Infinity the result they achieved by doing their best together?

However,

-Our deaths... didn't you see them too?

-Most died entangled in Taiji at the end of despair.

-There's no need to forcibly return to those times.

Except for a few Seong Jihans,

Most of the Taiji's Lost Souls met their end in miserable situations.

Not only did they not have families,

But they died in gambling addiction or got caught up in Taiji while illegally immigrating,

The overall circumstances couldn't be said to be good.

-Even if we return to life, we won't do better than you...

-It's enough to have seen everything set right through your life.

-If there's something more we want,

-Beyond Taiji, Unity... the pinnacle of nothingness that reached Infinite.

-Break Jiang Shang with our sword.

Rather than returning to their desperate lives, the great wall they could never overcome in their lifetime.

Defeat that opponent who could be called the 'true Martial God'.

'...'

The underground of the Abyss flashed through Seong Jihan's mind.

The Taiji's Lost Souls who feared and tried to avoid even just Dongbang Sak standing there.

Dongbang Sak was an object of hatred for the Lost Souls,

But at the same time, he was also a trauma that instilled deep fear in their bones.

The only way to overcome this was with Infinity, which they had created together over five hundred years.

The only way to completely break Infinite.

-So that we no longer fear him.

-So that we're no longer scared.

-Seong Jihan. Become the Martial God.

-That is the true way for us to break free from the shackles of being Lost Souls...

-More than returning to life.

-What we truly want is to surpass Taiji.

A thousand Lost Souls.

They all expressed their will unanimously.

With the Infinity we created,

Please decisively break Infinite.

However, two,

-...Is that so.

-If we can't overcome Infinite, we'll eventually perish... I guess it can't be helped.

The two Lost Souls who had married Sophia and Lee Hayeon and even had children,

Showed signs of hesitation for a moment.

For them who had formed families,

Unlike the other Lost Souls, they had a much greater motivation to restore their worlds.

Seong Jihan read this sentiment and,

'...I'll ask for your consent. If I preserve the Transcendent's power, I'll implement your two worlds first. Is that okay?'

He transmitted his thoughts to the Lost Souls.

-We agree.

-That would be better than my gloomy world.

-Raise them well on our behalf too.

Then the Lost Souls readily yielded to those who had formed families.

-Is the guy who dated 9 women at once okay with this?

-Yeah. I don't have kids, and I've played around enough.

-That's a relief. I thought you wouldn't agree.

-Then don't ask, you bastard.

After listening to this heartwarming conversation for a moment, Seong Jihan,

"...I understand. I'll use my full power."

Smiled slightly and made his decision.

Fwoosh...!

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

From the edges of Seong Jihan's sword, Infinity,

The light that had been flowing endlessly spread out in all directions.

And soon,

Not only Jiang Shang's Infinite,

But also Seong Jihan's was completely engulfed.

Crack. Crackle...

For three days,

The Infinite that had been resisting the Transcendent's light was gradually being consumed,

Swish...

As the sword slipped powerlessly from Jiang Shang's hand,

An enormous light enveloped both Infinite swords simultaneously.

"Huh..."

As the light and the two realms of nothingness coexisted,

They began to neutralize each other and fade away.

Swish.

Jiang Shang stroked his beard with a bitter face.

"Is this... defeat?"

"..."

"The feeling is so different from when I was defeated by Urd..."

"It must be because it's your first defeat in the realm of nothingness."

Nodding at Dongbang Sak's words, Jiang Shang,

"A life with something to overcome..."

Calmly watching Infinite completely disappear,

"That could be fun in its own way."

He gradually relaxed his expression.

Although he had stepped down one level from the pinnacle of nothingness,

That seemed to have stimulated his competitive spirit instead.

"Now that you've broken Infinite, tell me. How did you create Infinity?"

"A thousand Seong Jihans created it together."

"A thousand Seong Jihans...?"

When Seong Jihan, who was hurriedly gathering the remaining light power after subduing Infinite, answered like that,

Dongbang Sak explained the situation instead.

Hearing this, Jiang Shang showed a curious expression.

"It's a shame you were doing such an interesting thing alone. Can't we make a thousand Jiang Shangs?"

"...Please don't say such terrible things."

A thousand Jiang Shangs?

Was he thinking of making a sword that could end the universe in an instant?

"Haha. I guess I'll have to play with this friend then."

Jiang Shang laughed heartily and patted Dongbang Sak's shoulder.

"I'll invite you to my empire. Will you come?"

"Gladly."

"Then son-in-law. You seem to have urgent business, but when you're done, come to the empire. We'll catch up."

"Understood."

As Seong Jihan, who was gathering the Transcendent's power, nodded,

Jiang Shang and Dongbang Sak left together.

And after they disappeared,

Swish...

Seong Jihan gathered as much of the Transcendent's power as possible that was scattering after subduing Infinite.

'...This should be enough to implement two worlds.'

Making the name Infinity seem ironic,

The Transcendent's power that remained was pitifully small, enough to materialize only two worlds.

Seong Jihan looked at the light flashing in both his hands and,

'Is it really okay to yield to those two?'

He asked the Lost Souls for their opinion once more.

-It's fine.

-Those with families should have priority.

-We'll slowly disappear while clinging to your body...

-Just don't drive us out.

The Taiji's Lost Souls whose intentions hadn't changed from before.

When a thousand of himself said that,

Seong Jihan smiled.

'Alright... stay as long as you want.'

* * *

Inside the Sword Palace building, at a beef restaurant in the food court.

Yoon Seah blinked her eyes as she watched the plates of beef piling up.

"...Mom. Can you eat all that?"

"I didn't notice when I was a statue. But now that I'm in a human body, I feel hungry..."

Seong Jiah said this sheepishly but didn't stop using her chopsticks.

"Aren't you eating, daughter? You were starving for so long in the underground of the Abyss."

"I'm... not that hungry. Is it because of eternity?"

"That's a really interesting ability."

After eating several more plates of beef, Seong Jiah said,

"Shall we go for dessert now?"

"...Again?"

"There's a separate stomach for dessert, you know. There's a cafe I often went to in Sword Palace... I wonder if it exists in this world too?"

She was full of excitement at the thought of going to a dessert cafe.

'I was planning to go to the penthouse... but I guess I should fulfill mom's wish first.'

Although Seong Jihan had told Yoon Seah not to go to the penthouse,

She had planned to go up there after finishing the meal to meet this world's Yoon Seah once.

But seeing her mom, who had returned to being human, so happy,

It seemed they would have to go to the dessert cafe for round two.

"The cafe mom often went to... was it called Pandora?"

"Yes. That's right. That's the name."

"Let's go see. I'm curious if it's here too."

So Yoon Seah, heading to the cafe 'Pandora' with the excited Seong Jiah,

Tilted her head when she saw the CLOSED sign.

"Looks like it's closed today, mom."

"Really? That's too bad... Shall we go somewhere else?"

As the two were about to change their destination after seeing the closed cafe,

Just then,

Clatter!

The door of cafe 'Pandora' opened wide from the inside,

And a person burst out.

"Ah. Mom! How can you do this so suddenly!"

"How desperate do you think I am to do this? It's because you're always just playing BattleNet at home!"

"No...! But to introduce a man without any warning! I came out without even putting on makeup!"

A woman angrily scolding her 'mom' inside the cafe while fuming.

Seong Jiah's eyes widened as she saw her.

And she too,

"Ah. I'm sorry..."

Quickly bowed her head after noticing the 'Yoon Seah' in front of her, but then,

"...Huh?"

Looked at Yoon Seah with a surprised face.

That's because,

"W-What... who are you?"

"Um... hello?"

"Who, who exactly are you?"

The person who came out of the cafe was also,

'Yoon Seah'.

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]