The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 503

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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 503
If one were to contemplate the methods of slaying a Deity, three primary approaches exist.
The first.
It is not precisely killing, but rather diminishing the faith received from believers, allowing the Deity to dissolve of its own accord.
A Deity cannot exist in solitude. It can only persist through the memory and belief of others.
Erase all knowledge and traces of that Deity from the world, and it will inevitably fade away.
Expunging and erasing information is thus another method.
Most Deities meet their end in precisely this manner.
And the second.
This is the concept of ascension—an act performed for Deities who cannot endure eternity and wish to dissolve of their own volition.
For a Shaman, it may take the form of a ritual, or perhaps what is called a blessing or similar rite.
This too is grounded in the Deity’s will. One cannot truly employ the word “kill” in such a case.
A contradiction in language.
Though I said three methods exist, in truth only one is predominantly employed.
‘Seize and devour.’
Exorcise the Deity itself.
One might wonder how a mere human could exorcise a Deity, yet it is not impossible. The gap of ages. The disparity of vessels.
The difference in existence itself. All things proclaim that humans cannot possibly stand against a Deity.
‘Yet one must try to know.’
I, who have slain countless Deities.
I, who have devoured them and torn them asunder, scattering them across this land and sky—I know precisely how absurd such words are.
‘Deities are not eternal nor immortal.’
Though they may exist beyond the framework of time, they cannot be called truly imperishable.
For all their elevated station, they are unstable, riddled with gaps and vulnerabilities.
‘Therefore.’
Observing that entity shimmering like heat haze above Peng Doyen—a being of uncommon caliber even at a glance—I thought.
‘Do not provoke me.’
Should you continue to draw my attention, I will tear you asunder.
I merely hope that this formidable Deity does not act out of line.
That is all I desire.

* * *
Since properly embarking on the journey to Hanan, little has truly changed. My days continue to unfold with deceptive tranquility.
Tranquility? The word rings hollow.
The Disciples who had wrested enlightenment from me so despicably devoted themselves entirely to cultivation, save for their shifts standing watch and maintaining vigilance.
Peng Doyen remained perpetually stealing glances in my direction. Her sphere of movement remained almost entirely within my field of vision.
I could sense her reluctance to stray far from my presence.
‘What is this? I’m being treated like a human talisman.’
Whether she had learned something from Peng Dojun or simply exercised caution of her own accord, she seemed to maintain a certain distance nonetheless.
‘But her interest is undeniable.’
Peng Doyen’s fascination with my existence was genuine, and it proved remarkably tiresome and vexing.
Moreover.
“What exactly is that young girl?”
Gungwi posed this question to me directly.
“She keeps grating on my nerves with her constant fidgeting.”
“…Indeed.”
“And why does she avoid me? I haven’t done anything to her.”
Gungwi spoke with indifference, fully aware that she was being shunned.
“It’s because she can perceive you.”
“Perceive?”
“I’m uncertain of the extent, but she does possess sight.”
“…Oh? Sight, you say?”
Not mere sensation, but sight. Both Gungwi and I understood precisely what that signified.
“It’s incomplete, and it seems only fleeting—but she perceived something from you.”
“From me? There’s nothing to perceive in me.”
Emptiness. Absolute void. She understood this well herself. That was precisely why.
“Perhaps because there is nothing at all. That’s what made her perception so peculiar.”
“Hmm?”
Upon hearing my words, Gungwi broke into a grin.
“A promising talent indeed. I’d be tempted to take her as a disciple.”
“Please don’t. What sin has the child committed to deserve being cast into this wretched place?”
“Why? What’s wrong with this place?”
Gungwi spoke with an impassive gaze.
“With that level of talent, she’s already buried under the weight of the Deities. Wouldn’t it be better to save her life rather than leave her to squander it?”
I shook my head at Gungwi’s words.
“That is her choice to make.”
Living that way just to survive? I reject such a notion.
“A life lived that way could become hell itself. Death might be the kinder fate.”
…
At those words, Gungwi regarded me, her eyes harboring a subtle emotion.
“Is that what you chose?”
I did not answer the question. Did I?
‘I wished I had.’
I would have preferred to simply die.
Yet I recall the life I could not live that way. When I consider that cursed process and its consequences, I believed it better to let them choose for themselves.
“If they do, and having made such a choice?”
“Then they shall handle it themselves.”
Whatever it becomes. Whatever choice is made.
“We shall not interfere.”
“Mm.”
I spoke and turned my back. Gungwi watched Peng Doyen before following me.
Peng Doyen’s affair was merely irritating. It resembled my own situation too closely, which troubled me somewhat.
That was all.
For now, that sufficed. After all, what truly concerned me was something else entirely.
-Is there any other information?
I sent a telepathic message to the Gwima nearby.
-Nothing has been discovered yet.
-I see.
I nodded. That was not what I sought.
‘Those Nolrimdo bastards from before.’
The ones who had attempted to strike at the Peng Clan. They had vanished, and I had tried to find them, yet could not.
They must have survived, surely.
‘What is their purpose?’
The Nolrimdo had crawled all the way here to strike at the Peng Clan, to kill them. There had to be a reason.
‘I hope nothing happens before we reach Hanan.’
That would be preferable. Arriving without incident, submitting my report, and handling it would be the safer approach.
‘Indeed.’
How would it unfold? My luck was so abysmal that I feared some disaster would strike.
Yet, contrary to my worries—
“We have arrived.”
Dok-ryong announced our arrival in Hanan with a weary tone.
Fortunately, that is.

* * *
The moment I arrived in Hanan. The journey that had taken several days was not particularly uncomfortable.
“We’ve arrived.”
“….”
The rest of the group felt the same. There were no particular incidents, and we arrived smoothly without issue.
That’s what made it strange. What’s this? Why no incidents? It should have happened, so the absence felt odd.
“What is it…. What’s going on?”
Even I, with my terrible luck, experience something like this.
Normally it should have happened as expected, but the absence of trouble made me uneasy instead.
“Shall we head to the main sect immediately?”
Dok-ryong, now fully accustomed to his role as a groom, spoke naturally.
The main sect, he said.
“We should.”
First, I needed to report. I headed toward the main sect with the horses.
“We greet the members of Cheongwol Sect…!”
The moment I arrived at the main sect, people recognized me. My attire marked me as belonging to Cheongwol Sect, and my distinctive appearance made identification unnecessary.
That was quite convenient.
I entered the interior. Though several months had passed, the inside looked much the same.
‘They’re working on something.’
I could see crowds of people constructing buildings. Deeper inside. I felt multiple presences from that direction.
“It seems they’re building the pavilion inside the main sect this time.”
Peng Dojun spoke as if he were familiar with it.
“Inside? Wasn’t that the case before?”
“Previously, we would borrow land in the mountains or areas near Hanan, but it seems different this time.”
“It’s probably because of the Demonic Sect.”
The meeting pavilion with the Demonic Sect. That’s why they’re preparing it within the main sect. That way, if anything happens, it would be easier to respond.
Anyway.
“Young Master Peng.”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you following me?”
“Huh? Why?”
“…Don’t you have something to do?”
This man seemed to have business. Why follow me all the way here? I looked at him with suspicion. There was no need to come all the way inside.
“There’s a place to stay, but it’s boring. Besides, our Yeon-a would be happy to see you more.”
“M-me. Why me?”
Peng Doyen, who had been quiet, spoke urgently. This man seemed to be teasing her while knowing everything.
“I can’t follow you inside anyway. Please stop here.”
“You’re always so cold, you know? Yeon-a. Despite how he looks, this guy is actually the warmest person in the world….”
“I’m going in.”
I ignored him and proceeded forward.
I step inside. Only I am permitted to enter.
“I am Bangseong-yeon. Is the Scholar present?”
“He awaits you within.”
I had already sensed his presence.
I proceed forward and stand before the door.
“Bangseong-yeon, I-”
-Come in.
The words reach me before I can finish speaking. I let out a quiet chuckle and open the door. Creak—
Beyond the threshold stands a familiar face. My maternal grandfather, looking somewhat more gaunt than before.
Cheon Rijin-an, as always, is buried beneath a mountain of work.
“You’ve returned.”
He speaks without lifting his gaze from the documents. By now, this sight is so familiar that I feel nothing in particular.
“Yes, I have.”
“It took longer than expected. You’ve been stirring up quite a bit of trouble, haven’t you?”
“…Ha, yes indeed.”
He mentions the incidents I caused in Yeolyeong. It seems Cheon Rijin-an already knows everything about them. There’s no need for tedious explanations.
“Hand it over.”
Cheon Rijin-an, knowing what I carry, naturally requests something from me.
“What exactly do you need?”
At least give me a proper subject. I can’t tell what you want if you just demand something.
At my words, Cheon Rijin-an finally looks at me.
His gaze is sharp.
“You know full well, yet you jest.”
“…That won’t work.”
I had tried to play along, but he remains as formidable as ever. With a regretful sigh, I retrieve the documents from my robes.
“It’s all organized.”
A report covering recent events, presented lightly—omitting what should be left out, including only what matters.
Cheon Rijin-an takes it and sets it aside on the table.
“You’re not reading it immediately?”
“Does it look like I have time to read it?”
“No.”
With so much work piling up, he obviously cannot read it now. The sheer volume is incomprehensible.
“I’ll read it once everything is finished.”
“Is there even a possibility of finishing…?”
“Perhaps.”
He lacks certainty. That even the legendary Cheon Rijin-an cannot be sure is a truly frightening prospect.
“Understood. Should I return later if you’re busy?”
“Ask what you wish to know before you leave. I have enough time to answer that much.”
“….”
He knows I have many questions.
So I decided not to decline.
“What do you mean by a Demonic Sect delegation? And not just me going, but assembling Disciples to accompany me?”
“Exactly as stated. The Demonic Sect will send their Young Master. The Alliance must send someone in response—”
“And you want me to go?”
“You possess the greatest justification and qualifications.”
“….”
“If you truly wish not to go, I will not force you.”
“I should go if it’s possible. It’s the right thing to do.”
“….”
Justification and qualifications.
Among the current Disciples, I was the most renowned, and from the Alliance’s perspective, I presented the most favorable image.
I understood this. The Demonic Sect had already sent their Young Master.
It was only proper to send someone of comparable standing.
Yoo Cheon-gil’s Jeonin.
This cursed existence that is me.
And I knew this better than anyone.

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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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