The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 396

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 396
What did I just hear?
‘…Did I mishear?’
The words that came from Yoo Cheon-gil before me. Cold sweat dripped down as I recalled them.
‘…I must have misheard.’
My ears must be defective. Otherwise, the situation made no sense.
‘If that’s not it.’
The Yoo Cheon-gil in my dream.
‘He recognized me.’
It meant his reaction was as if he’d seen me before.
My hands trembled. I narrowed my eyes and tried to suppress my wildly racing heart.
I struggled to calm myself like this.
“When someone greets you, shouldn’t you return the greeting?”
Yoo Cheon-gil chuckles and speaks to me.
Hearing those words, I asked him.
“…Do you remember me?”
“Oh. So you’re not mute after all. Right, it’s a bit lonely talking to myself. Ah, what was the question? Whether I remember you?”
Whoosh.
Yoo Cheon-gil rises his massive frame.
“Well. I feel like I’ve seen something…. I’m not sure. But I have seen you before. Isn’t that right?”
“….”
“You’re wearing Wol-an colors. Are you someone from the Cheonwol Sect?”
“Something like that.”
“But I’m curious why you’re wearing their clothes.”
It was certain.
‘This is different from last time.’
His reaction was completely different.
Unlike before when he rushed at me and swung his sword, this time he was far too composed.
‘This is bad.’
That was actually worse.
‘…My calculations don’t add up anymore.’
My prepared calculations no longer matched. I had prepared by understanding Yoo Cheon-gil’s reactions.
‘A variable.’
A massive variable had emerged. This was something completely absent from my plan.
“Hmm.”
Yoo Cheon-gil looks around. Every time his blue eyes swept across something, I felt an inexplicable chill.
“Interesting.”
He smiles.
My legs tingle at that smile.
“Where is this place?”
‘Insane.’
I began to realize it myself. Within the dream realm, the subject of the dream—myself—was becoming aware of what I truly was?
‘What kind of absurd situation is this?’
I’d never experienced anything like it. What was I supposed to do?
‘What should I do in a situation like this?’
I gripped my sword. Should I fight against this impossible entity?
‘Gulp.’
I swallowed hard. How should I respond within such a dream realm?
‘…Why am I even thinking?’
There was only one answer anyway.
Shing.
I drew the Divine Sword. Just as I was about to rush at Yoo Cheon-gil.
Crack-crack-crack–!!!
“Huh?”
The space began to distort. Cracks spread everywhere.
Crash-!!
The space crumbled entirely.

* * *
“….”
My eyes opened. I pushed myself up, clutching my forehead.
“…What is this?”
What kind of situation was this?
The dream realm had shattered on its own.
The young Yoo Cheon-gil seemed to remember what happened before and recognized me.
“What did I do?”
Did Yoo Cheon-gil do something? If not, I couldn’t make sense of it.
‘A consciousness that awakened the dream realm on its own.’
I wondered if it was even possible for a thought to retain memories after breaking free from an endlessly repeating cycle.
“This is maddening.”
Things were already intense, and now they’d become even more so. Tsk.
How should I handle this going forward? My head was spinning when—
“You’re awake.”
“…Hm?”
A voice reached my ears. A familiar, cold voice.
“…What?”
I lifted my head. Someone was standing before me.
A middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a cold expression.
Wol Seon-geom.
“…?”
Wol Seon-geom stood in my residence, and I nodded upon seeing him.
“Am I still dreaming?”
It seemed I hadn’t fully awakened from the spirit dream. Yes, sometimes when I don’t properly wake from a spirit dream, I experience nightmares like this.
“My luck is truly abysmal. Such a terrifying nightmare….”
“….”
I sighed and lay back down. Now, let me try to wake up.
“….”
“….”
Time passes slowly.
After a brief moment, I carefully raised myself up.
Ah, this is definitely.
“…It’s not a dream, is it?”
This appeared to be a nightmare made reality.

* * *
I placed two cups of tea on the table and faced Wol Seon-geom.
An awkward silence hung between us. It was quite an uncomfortable moment.
After a brief pause.
“…So, what brings you…?”
Why had Wol Seon-geom sought me out so early this morning?
When I asked about this.
“I came to examine your physical condition.”
Wol Seon-geom offered an unexpected answer.
“My physical condition…?”
“After the Rebirth of Bone and Shedding of Flesh, rapid physical changes occur, and I thought problems might arise.”
Wol Seon-geom examined me carefully.
“But it appears there’s no cause for concern. Your balance is stable.”
Problems that occur during Rebirth of Bone and Shedding of Flesh…? I’d never heard of such a thing. Well, how could I know when the Demon who should have explained it disappeared?
“…Ah, yes….”
Stable balance meant there were fortunately no issues.
“Since there appear to be no problems, that settles it.”
“You really came just to confirm that?”
“That can’t be it.”
Wol Seon-geom smiled as he spoke. So this man does smile.
‘How unsettling.’
Despite his handsome face forming a smile, the air around him grew cold.
“Then…?”
If he hadn’t come to check my physical condition, why did he come at all? When I asked this.
“It’s tomorrow.”
Wol Seon-geom spoke matter-of-factly.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. The Cheonglang Conference begins tomorrow. You’ve likely already heard, so I won’t bother explaining.”
“….”
He’s convinced I would have figured it out myself. This is absurd.
‘Though I actually did find out.’
What does Wol Seon-geom see when he looks at me?
I feel slightly embarrassed.
“…Yes. I did manage to gather some information.”
“It’s tomorrow.”
“Was the schedule originally set for tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Wol Seon-geom nodded calmly.
“Tomorrow.”
He repeats it several times even though I already understand. Is he trying to drill it into my head?
“Yes, I understand. So… you wish for me to participate there, Moonju?”
“Do you think it unnecessary?”
“No. It’s not that I think it unnecessary, but rather a question of whether it’s necessary.”
They call it the Cheonglang Conference, but in reality it’s a struggle for the position of Vice Moonju.
‘Yoo Cheon-gil doesn’t seem to view it favorably either.’
The position of Vice Moonju in the Cheonwol Sect didn’t even exist in the old days.
To become Moonju, one didn’t need to go through Vice Moonju—you simply seized the position through a life-or-death duel with the current Moonju.
I wondered what one could gain by becoming Vice Moonju here.
‘They say it opens access to something important.’
But would that truly be so significant?
Besides.
‘I have Yoo Cheon-gil.’
Opening the Cheonwol Sect’s archives to obtain martial techniques held little meaning for me. I already had someone far greater teaching me.
“You’re quite confident.”
“Confident, you might say…. Well.”
“Can you defeat Eunwol Sword?”
“Pardon?”
Why does Eunwol Sword suddenly appear here?
I looked at Wol Seon-geom with confusion.
“That child is my masterpiece.”
“….”
A resolute statement came from Wol Seon-geom’s lips.
Masterpiece. It was certainly a flattering term.
“A masterpiece, you say….”
For Wol Seon-geom to speak in such terms.
‘Certainly.’
The Eunwol Sword was formidable. Among martial artists I’d encountered in that age bracket, he was one of the few worth counting on one hand.
‘Compared to the other seven, it’s even more pronounced.’
Even when measured against the monsters called the greatest of the Disciples, he stood several tiers above them.
It was almost surprising that someone with such skill had remained quiet in the Central Plains.
“I even thought that if the time came, he would surely kill me and ascend to Moonju.”
A masterpiece meant to kill him. From Wol Seon-geom’s words, I could smell something raw and bloody.
It meant he was nurturing the very person who would kill him.
“That’s why I’m curious.”
Sharp eyes turned toward me.
“Between you, who inherited the Sword Saint’s will, and my masterpiece—which is superior?”
“….”
Clear curiosity gleamed in his gaze. Something about that pure emotion made me feel oddly diminished.
“…You’re curious about something quite strange.”
“It’s pure curiosity. Truly….”
Wol Seon-geom’s eyes shimmered with blue light.
“Which of you two will sever my neck.”
“….”
I faltered at those words. I couldn’t help it.
‘What kind of expression is that.’
The expression on Wol Seon-geom’s face was one I’d never seen before.
Madness, perhaps. No—no word could adequately capture that expression.
I feigned indifference and asked him.
“…If you tried to cut me, would you let me cut you without resistance?”
A life-and-death duel with Moonju.
At those words, the air around Wol Seon-geom grew heavy in an instant.
“Not a chance.”
The words flowed out—absolutely not.
“Do you know what my greatest regret in life is?”
“I don’t.”
I didn’t even know Wol Seon-geom’s life—how could I know his regrets?
As if reading my thoughts, Wol Seon-geom immediately revealed his regret to me.
“Not having a life-and-death duel with the Sword Saint is my greatest regret in life.”
“….”
Ah.
‘That’s right.’
His words brought it back to me.
The Sword Saint was reported to have died of natural causes, and so Wol Seon-geom was the one person who never had a life-and-death duel with him.
He had simply become Moonju because he was the strongest martial artist in the Cheonwol Sect aside from the Sword Saint.
‘That’s his greatest regret?’
Not being able to fight the Sword Saint.
Failing to ascend to Moonju after fighting a life-or-death duel.
Was that my greatest regret?
‘These madmen.’
I laughed inwardly at those words. I was realizing it anew.
‘This really is a den of madmen.’
The very idea of selecting Moonju through a life-or-death duel was absurd.
Yet the one who ascended to Moonju claimed his greatest regret in life was never fighting a life-or-death duel with the Sword Saint.
“You’re all quite remarkable, truly.”
The words tumbled out before I could stop them, and Wol Seon-geom’s expression went blank.
‘Oh no.’
Had I crossed a line? I hesitated and looked at him.
“Then show me.”
Wol Seon-geom spoke, looking at me.
“Just how far does the Sword Saint’s will reach? What exactly is his will?”
Slowly.
Wol Seon-geom gradually brought his hand to his own neck.
“Is it strong enough to reach my throat?”
“….”
It reached my throat.
‘…I see.’
Yoo Cheon-gil had told me before.
I had to become the Heavenly Supreme.
And before that, I had to ascend to Cheonwol Munchu.
The meaning of those words finally became clear to me.
‘For me to ascend to Moonju.’
I would have to kill the man before me.
That reality sank in. The ironic part was that Wol Seon-geom wanted exactly that.
Perhaps.
‘Yoo Cheon-gil felt the same way.’
That’s why he must have been enraged by the talk of a junior Moonju and such things.
“…Hmm.”
In the old days, I would have questioned why I had to do something so strange and terrifying.
‘I’m going insane.’
One thing was certain.
‘I’ve gone mad too.’
I didn’t hate this situation.
I too.
Seemed to be gradually corrupted by that monstrous old man.
“…So whose masterpiece is superior?”
Thus I spoke, lifting the corners of my mouth into a smile.
“Of course it is.”
There was no other way.
“Behind me stands the Supreme of the Ancient and Modern.”
No matter how formidable Wol Seon-geom might be.
Behind me stood the master of all under heaven.
Though his temperament was utterly vile and his nature despicable beyond measure.
At my response, Wol Seon-geom laughed just as before.
It might have been my imagination.
-…I never said anything about a masterpiece?
But I could have sworn I heard a grumble that sounded like something Yoo Cheon-gil would say.
And it left a distinctly unpleasant taste.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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