Chapter 28: Chapter 28

I climbed the upside-down tower.

Thankfully, the tower had an entrance, and there was a staircase inside. I didn’t need to climb the walls.

The outside of the building looked much weirder than any other building I had ever seen, but the inside looked pretty standard.

It didn’t look bad compared to the outside, but it was very dusty.

“When was this tower built?”

[It was built before I died, so about 2,000 years ago.]

“I’m more surprised it’s still standing after 2,000 years.”

[Thanks to the great materials it was built with, it won’t lose its place in the world even after five thousand years.]

“Then this building still has about 3,000 years left to go?”

[You could say that.]

The tower was pretty tall, so it wasn’t easy to climb.

I normally wouldn’t have had any trouble, but I was more exhausted than I had ever been.

In addition to internal energy, I had even used my true ki. I’d been able to feel my body starting to ache all over when the White Flame form ended.

To be honest, I wanted to fall over and collapse right now.

[Push onward, inheritor. You only need to go a little further.]

“I think you’ve said that five times now...”

[This time, it is the truth. Look.]

Hearing that, I raised my head, and I noticed a dusky light.

There was a hole in the ceiling, and the staircase was connected to something that looked like the roof.

“...You’re right.”

[Why would I lie to you about something like this?]

I nodded as I pressed onward, up the remaining stairs.

Finally, I ascended to the roof of the tower.

There, in the center, I noticed a shabby-looking sword stuck in a small decoration.

“Is this it? It looks different from the Sword of Seven Sins I’m familiar with.”

[It is, although it has lost its original form.]

“What do you mean?”

[I will explain the details later. I don’t think this is a situation you should relax in.]

Rumble...

As if in answer, I felt the cave shake.

I wiped off the dirt on my shoulder as I grabbed the sword.

“Does it have a scabbard...?”

[Why would it?]

“...Right.”

I nodded as I pulled it out. I used some strength, but it came out without any trouble.

“It came out so easily.”

[What do you mean?]

“Well, you know. Don’t you need the right to pull out the legendary sword or something? There’s also the saying that great swords choose their own masters.”

[You’re talking nonsense. Swords are tools. You aren’t even using it yet. No one needs a right to just pull it out. It’s nonsense to say that a sword chooses its own master.]

“...”

Maybe because he was a god, but he didn’t seem to enjoy the tropes.

Maybe heroic tales hadn’t existed 2,000 years ago?

I hid my sadness and stuck the Sword of Seven Sins in my belt.

Thankfully, it looked pretty rusty and relatively safe to wear.

“That’s done, right? I want to get out of this damned cave now.”

[There is one more thing.]

“What is it?”

[Go back to the altar, raise the sword, and make an offering.]

“An offering? I don’t have anything on me...”

I put my hand in my pocket and discovered a piece of half-eaten jerky.

“Is this good en—”

[Not food. Just go to the altar and give a short prayer while holding up the sword.”

“Ah. Okay.”

I hurriedly descended the tower.

Maybe because my body wasn’t normal right now, but getting down was harder than climbing up had been.

I felt like I was going to collapse the moment I stopped focusing.

And now, in this condition, I needed to pray.

I feared I might fall unconscious the moment I closed my eyes.

...While hiding these thoughts, I brought my hands together and lowered my head a little.

How was I supposed to pray?

Although I wasn’t an atheist, I wasn’t religious either. I didn’t believe in any god.

It might sound childish, but it was simply because I was unable to receive any god’s blessing.

This ego of mine was the reason that I’d never looked for a god, not even as I died.

I was talking and interacting with a godly existence right now, but... I still couldn’t find any faith in my heart.

How should one without faith pray?

What I was doing right now—putting my hands together and standing in silence—wasn’t even the normal way people prayed in this world.

I closed my eyes and mouth and stood in silence, and like this, time passed.

I felt a smooth wind pass by me.

The wind was warm, enough to make me forget the season.

In that wind, I could hear the Martial God’s voice.

[Open your eyes now.]

I opened my eyes.

As I did, I saw a faint silhouette appear over the altar.

It had the form of a human, but it didn’t feel like a human.

It merely looked like a bright shadow—I could identify neither age nor gender.

[Hmm. It seems I cannot fully manifest due to a lack of faith.]

“That form...”

[Didn’t I tell you, inheritor? I will teach you the Galactic Sword.]

“You don’t have to teach me now...”

[I do not know when I will next have the opportunity to do so. With this forgotten altar, I can at least teach you with my incomplete form.]

He thought about it that much, for me?

[Watch closely. I will now show you a grand display.]

The Martial God’s silhouette reached out to grab the Sword of Seven Sins... and took his stance.

“...”

The name of a martial art held the formula and truth of itself.

The White Sun Form I’d learned took inspiration from the fiercely burning sun.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Due to that, the breathing technique created for it, the Strongest Fire Technique, put importance on its explosiveness, tenacity, and regenerative capabilities.

Meaning, the truth held behind the Galatic Sword...

“...”

The Martial God’s movements were full of consideration for me.

Every single stroke was shown slowly and precisely. The movements put importance on teaching me.

If he hadn’t moved this slowly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to attain any enlightenment from the Martial God’s movements.

I could faintly feel it.

It felt as if I had grabbed on to one petal while the rest of the flower was falling around me. Still, I was able to feel some of the Galactic Sword’s truth.

It’s big and majestic.

These were the characteristics I felt were true to the Galactic Sword.

It was obvious if one thought about the origin of this martial art.

Forgetting my tiredness and sense of time, I focused fully on the display.

I tried my best to take in even the smallest movements.

Although I wouldn’t be able to understand even one percent of his movements, just engraving them in my memories would definitely help me in the future.

“...”

Finally, the Martial God stopped moving.

It felt both as if an eternity had passed and as if no time at all had passed.

* * * * *

* * * * *

I remained silent. I couldn’t easily escape the imagery the Galactic Sword had shown me.

Then, I heard the Martial God speak with a gentle voice.

[The galaxy refers to the groups of stars that endlessly shine in the night sky. Inheritor, do you know that even your sun is, from a wider perspective, but a star?]

“Ehm. That would make any follower of the Sun God collapse from rage.”

[I have no intention of mocking their faith. I am only speaking of the truth of creation.]

“...”

The Martial God’s shadow put the Sword of Seven Sins down on the altar.

[What did you feel when you saw the Galactic Sword?]

“It was majestic.” Then, I added, “It also looked a little overwhelming.”

[Overwhelming?]

“Well... it scared me a little.”

[Hmm.]

The Martial God let out a laugh.

It seemed he liked how honest I was.

[You’re honest. Even as a young one, it isn’t easy for a martial artist to concede that they are afraid...]

“...”

[But it is natural. Humans fear that which is beyond the scope of their understanding.]

“Like the gods?”

[Not just the gods. Have you ever thought about the age of the earth you walk on, inheritor? Who was the ruler of the ancient world that no records or stories remember? On the other hand, how will the world look a billion years from today?]

The Martial God watched my reaction, then let out a gentle laugh.

[It seems you have never thought about these questions, inheritor.]

“I haven’t.”

[And why is that?]

“They are too distant. My life is always focused on where my next steps should be, so I have no leisure to think about such distant things.”

I felt the Martial God nod at my answer.

[That is human nature.]

Human nature...

For some reason, I liked those words.

[What I wish to say is that existences beyond recognition can make others feel awe with just their existence. This is in line with the emotion a human feels when they meet a god.]

“...”

[And the universe is a grander concept that encompasses all things.]

Only then did I understand what was imbued within the Galatic Sword.

“Embrace...”

[That is right.]

Fwoop.

The silhouette disappeared like a candle being blown out.

[The basis of the Galactic Sword is to embrace all of creation.]

“Then, if one masters this martial art completely...”

[Your plate will become big enough to embrace the entire universe. Even when you complete the Galactic Sword, it will not conflict with that martial art that imitates the sun.]

I quietly let out a breath. Only now did I understand everything the Martial God had said.

In some sense, the Galactic Sword was the martial art I needed the most right now.

This didn’t mean that the Galactic Sword was a better martial art than the White Sun Form.

This also didn’t mean that the Martial God was a more enlightened being than my master.

This was just a problem of aptitude.

[The Galactic Sword is divided into seven stages. In order, they are Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid. If you wish to obtain what you desire, you need to reach at least the fifth stage, Alioth.]

I nodded at the familiar-sounding names.

“Are these steps taken from the Seven Stars of the Red Heavens?”

[That’s right.]

“The Seven Stars of the Red Heavens” referred to the seven brightest stars in the night sky.

Interestingly enough, this constellation shone brightest during dusk, which was why they were named as such.

I looked down at the Sword of Seven Sins.

“Is the Sword of Seven Sin’s form also taken from the Seven Stars?”

[That’s correct.]

I felt a chill on the back of my neck.

The Seven Stars not only had importance in astrology but also in black magic, the arcane arts, spiritcraft, alchemy, and the divine arts.

In most disciplines, the Seven Stars represent light, dark, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

And thus...

Thinking about it in a bigger sense, the Galactic Sword could also be said to have been created by the inspiration of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.

In that sense, there was a part that resonated with the Strongest Fire Technique, which was my foundation.

I immediately recalled the Martial God’s swordplay.

Martial arts was an amazing subject.

Even though I had only just found one similarity with the Strongest Fire Technique, I no longer felt afraid of the Galactic Sword or thought it was too grand.

Rather, I became excited.

If I use the principles of the Galactic Sword I just realized with the White Sun Form...

...Of course, this wouldn’t be an easy task.

There was a big difference between a sword technique and a fist technique.

Even so, my mind continued to race at a thousand miles per second, and I instinctively infused the Strongest Fire Technique throughout my body.

Fwoosh.

This minuscule amount of internal energy raced through each of my veins.

I had repeated this process hundreds and thousands of times during my stay on Spirit Mountain, but I started to feel something unfamiliar and new.

The fact that this familiar path of practice now looked different meant that my perception had changed.

Right now, I felt as if my own body had become a small universe itself.

Universe?

In this moment, I couldn’t help but realize something: the concept of a universe wasn’t restricted by size.

Every human being had their own universe.

This was a simple truth once you realized it.

The human body itself was a small universe.

[This is...]

I heard the Martial God’s voice, but I couldn’t reply.

I was in the middle of being swept away by the mental ecstasy of enlightenment.

...

...

Time passed.

Although my body was sweating all over, I didn’t feel disgusted by the dampness.

It was the aftermath of obtaining a piece of enlightenment.

In this state, people wouldn’t want to be bothered by others, preferring to stay alone for quite a while.

[Inheritor. I congratulate you on taking your first step on the path of the Galactic Sword.]

I felt a gentle emotion in the Martial God’s words, but when I heard what he said next, my consciousness returned to me as if I had been suddenly drenched in cold water.

[But... what is your relationship with Baek Nogwang?]