Ubermensch – Chapter 135

Chapter 135

The Soldier was submerged in a lake of blood, not moving an inch. At a glance, it was clear that it was malfunctioning.

‘What in the world happened?’

Mason briefly examined the Soldier and soon realized.

‘It’s not grasping the situation.’

The Soldier was an object from the 28th century. The people of the 28th century were a small minority, and among them, the humans who had a so-called ‘humanoid’ form were only the three members of the Massachusetts Park family.

The Soldier could withstand being submerged in lava.

Because it was prepared.

The Soldier could withstand sinking into the deep sea.

Because it was prepared.

But being submerged in human blood?

It was inconceivable.

This was because even if all the blood of the 28th-century humans were combined, it wouldn’t be enough to create the lake of blood present here.

Even the genius scientist Robert Park couldn’t prepare for an unimaginable situation.

‘So the Soldier’s program had this kind of bug.’

It was more likely to imagine a situation where it would jump into the sun than to imagine being submerged in a lake of human blood.

The Soldier’s thought routine, caught in an unexpected situation, had malfunctioned.

‘It seems like the Destroyer unlocked the Three Laws of Robotics that were bound to the Soldier…’

However, even the Destroyer, it seemed, couldn’t completely dismantle the numerous subroutines derived from the Three Laws of Robotics. This was because it was, in a way, equivalent to the unconscious of artificial intelligence.

‘Anyway, what should I do about this?’

After pondering for a moment, Mason turned around.

‘Let’s just leave it.’

If the Soldier sends a signal, then it sends a signal. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. The Destroyer will descend.

If it has endured in this error state until now, leaving it as is was the best course of action.

Mason ascended the stairs once again.

Pacheonshinma and Seo Yeonhee were in the middle of a fierce battle. Taking advantage of their attention being focused on each other, Mason cautiously returned to Pacheonshinma’s residence.

Rumble. Crash!

Behind him, he heard the deafening sounds of the sky tearing and the earth splitting.

For quite a long time.

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It was around dawn when Pacheonshinma returned, battered and bruised.

“Hey, nerd. Where are you?”

Instead of answering, Mason quietly tapped on the table.

“Heh.”

Pacheonshinma chuckled and sat on the table.

“How did your little adventure go?”

Mason wasn’t in the mood to laugh.

Seeing his expression, Pacheonshinma’s face also turned serious.

“…What happened?”

“You won’t believe it even if I tell you.”

Mason spoke in a quiet voice.

“I need to talk. Let me meet Seo Yeonhee.”

“What? Are you crazy? You want to die?”

“It’s important. Really.”

“How important can it be that you’re willing to go to Seo Yeonhee on your own two feet?”

“It’s worth risking my life.”

Mason looked directly into Pacheonshinma’s eyes.

“The lives of everyone on the Korean Peninsula, no, the entire world are at stake.”

Pacheonshinma realized that it was pointless to try to stop Mason.

This was because she herself was the epitome of someone who wouldn’t listen to reason.

“…Don’t blame me if you die.”

“Alright.”

“Haa…”

Pacheonshinma gulped down a bottle of strong alcohol. Placing the empty bottle down with a burp, she muttered.

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do…”

She turned around.

“Follow me.”

As Pacheonshinma entered, the guards readily opened the way as if they hadn’t witnessed the fierce battle just moments ago.

Seo Yeonhee, who was tidying up the chaotic mess in the room, spoke.

“Deroa, are you still not satisfied?”

“I’m done with my business.”

Pacheonshinma grumbled.

“There’s someone who insists on speaking with you.”

Only then did Seo Yeonhee bring Mason into her view.

“Who is this person, and what business do they have with me?”

“The person who saw the metal giant emerge from the sea of blood.”

Seo Yeonhee’s face hardened.

In the next instant, a two-handed greatsword, shining with blood-red light, appeared in her right hand.

Blood Sword Witch Seo Yeonhee’s signature weapon. The Blood Sword.

It was an object Mason had seen before.

It was Red Girl’s greatsword. Though, it was an intact, unbroken weapon.

“You have a connection with someone who is not of this world.”

“You should choose your next words carefully.”

Seo Yeonhee pointed the Blood Sword at Mason. Maybe if he was in Barbarian state, but as an ordinary Mason now, he could lose his life in a single blow. No, even if Mason was in Barbarian state, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

Seo Yeonhee and the Blood Sword emanated a suffocating pressure and a murderous intent that felt like it could cut through flesh.

“…As do I.”

“…!”

Seo Yeonhee’s eyes wavered.

“Who are you?”

“I am… Oztalon.”

Mason said, looking directly into her eyes.

“I am someone who has experienced the very thing you fear, before you.”

Seo Yeonhee closed her eyes tightly.

When she opened them again, her wavering gaze had transformed into a cold and intellectual one.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to speak with you.”

“And what do you intend to achieve by speaking with me?”

“To prevent you from experiencing what I’ve been through.”

“In that case…”

Seo Yeonhee flicked her hand.

The Blood Sword transformed into a mist of blood and seeped back into her body.

“…Let’s talk.”

Pacheonshinma wore a confused expression, seemingly unable to adapt to the unfolding situation.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“The Destroyer’s subordinate is sealed in the basement of the tower.”

“What? The Destroyer?”

Pacheonshinma looked bewildered.

“What nonsense is that?”

Pacheonshinma looked at Seo Yeonhee as if seeking agreement, but Seo Yeonhee merely nodded slightly.

This made Pacheonshinma even more confused.

“Who is this Destroyer anyway? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know?”

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t know, Deroa. In this world, only I know. As the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult…”

Mason looked at Seo Yeonhee.

“As I said, I lost my world to the Destroyer. Only then did I learn about the Destroyer. But you… seem to be coping with the Destroyer fairly well.”

“Yes.”

Seo Yeonhee briefly looked away, towards a distant mountain. This was because she hadn’t planned to explain, so she needed to organize her thoughts on a story she wasn’t prepared to tell.

“The First Heavenly Demon, Jesus Christ, prophesied. That one day, a momentous event would occur, one that would determine the fate of the world. He said we have a duty to protect the world.”

Seo Yeonhee spoke in a melancholy tone.

“The Heavenly Demon Cult has been growing its power according to the will of the First Heavenly Demon. Cultivating martial arts, expanding the organization. All for that day, that moment, that would eventually arrive.”

“And it finally arrived.”

“Yes. During my reign.”

Seo Yeonhee looked at the night sky with a bitter expression.

“I wasn’t a particularly devout believer. I just happened to be born into the Heavenly Demon Cult, and I happened to have talent, so I was chosen as the Heavenly Demon. I was skeptical about the prophecy.”

There might be a saying that blessed are those who believe without seeing, but those who can believe without seeing are merely fanatics.

“It seems many Heavenly Demons were skeptical. Considering how they used the power we cultivated to prepare for the Destroyer for the secular purpose of conquering the Murim. But the moment the Destroyer’s angel descended from the sky, I realized that everything had begun.”

It was truly an instantaneous event.

The angel of machinery, transcending any physical laws, descended upon this world.

Even Seo Yeonhee, who had always kept the prophecy in mind since ascending to the position of Heavenly Demon, was so flustered when the angel actually appeared that she almost made a mistake.

In fact, how could it be otherwise?

The prophecy said that one day, the Destroyer would come, and we must prepare for it throughout our lives, and if that happens, we must pour the blood of the people to stop it. Who could remain sane if this kind of cult-like prophecy turned out to be true and real?

In any case, Seo Yeonhee succeeded in pushing the angel into the lake of blood she had prepared in advance, and thus managed to seal the angel.

“The Murim warriors were thinking the other way around. The Heavenly Demon Cult wasn’t an organization aiming to conquer the Murim… but rather, it conquered the Murim to seize the city where the Destroyer’s angel would descend.”

“Yes. The problem was… what came after.”

The problem started from that moment.

“The prophecy only mentioned that the Destroyer’s angel would come and that we must trap it in human blood. From then on… we had to live in a situation where there was no prophecy.”

It felt like living with a time bomb under the bed that could explode at any moment.

A bomb that couldn’t be defused, shouldn’t be attempted to defuse, and could explode at any time.

The weight of the entire world rested on the shoulders of Heavenly Demon Seo Yeonhee, but she had nothing she could do.

All she could do was pray.

Pray that the time bomb wouldn’t explode.

There was nothing else she could do except add anticoagulants to prevent the blood from clotting and pour freshly transfused blood into the lake to prevent it from drying up.

The feeling of helplessness from having nothing to do was more unbearable than she had imagined. In a way, it was even more unbearable than the anxiety of not knowing when it would explode.

“I see.”

Mason wore a bitter expression.

“That must have been… difficult.”

And that was something… Mason had also experienced.

Therefore, Mason could understand.

How cornered Seo Yeonhee was.

And…

How lonely she must have been.

“Now, I’ve told you everything I can.”

Seo Yeonhee smiled weakly.

“It’s your turn to speak, Oztalon.”

“As I said, I lost my world to the Destroyer.”

Mason spoke with a calm expression.

“And I’m working as a subordinate of Nodens, the Magnificent.”

“Who is that?”

“The archenemy of the Destroyer. The last bastion of living beings. And… the mad god of good.”

Nodens was good, but not merciful. His goodness, like the Destroyer’s evil, belonged to the realm of madness.

“Can you, no, can Nodens help us?”

“Perhaps.”

Nodens had complete control over his dimension. He could probably find an empty planet.

The problem was…

“But… Nodens also has to fight the Destroyer who will come someday.”

“…”

“As long as the Destroyer exists, there is no true peace…”

“I see.”

Seo Yeonhee wore a bitter expression.

“We were… in the clutches of a far more powerful enemy than I imagined.”

“But at least we can fight.”

“…”

“Fight, Seo Yeonhee. Fight against helplessness, despair, and fight against the Destroyer. The Seo Yeonhee I know is not someone who gives up easily.”

Seo Yeonhee smiled faintly.

“You overestimate me.”

“The Seo Yeonhee I know was like that. And so will you.”

Seo Yeonhee collapsed onto a chair.

“Huu…”

It seemed that the tension in her heart had eased after revealing a century-old secret. She let out a sigh, a mixture of relief and powerlessness.

“Rest for a bit. I’ll talk to my boss.”

“Yes.”

Mason walked out.

Seo Yeonhee looked at Pacheonshinma and said,

“I’m sorry, Deroa. For not telling you until now.”

“Ah, no. It’s okay. Everyone has secrets.”

Pacheonshinma, her eyes darting back and forth, wore a subtle expression.

‘…How do I tell her that I almost betrayed her?’

She, too, was caught up in her own problems.

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In an empty room.

Mason sat on the bed and put on the interdimensional communicator.

With a buzzing sound, Nodens’ avatar appeared before Mason.

“How is your martial arts training going?”

“I have something to tell you about that.”

“What is it?”

“The Soldier is sealed in this world. We don’t know when it will awaken. I want you to accept the people of this world as refugees.”

Nodens was silent for a moment.

He read Mason’s memories and grasped the situation.

Nodens looked at Mason.

“I can’t.”

“…What?”

Nodens said in a calm voice.

“You won’t be able to save them.”