I consumed one more enhanced Infinite Completion.
It felt a bit wasteful since I had already drained three from Nok Woo-rim, but letting this opportunity slip by was a bigger problem.
I swiftly folded space and moved in front of Lord Jooam.
The area around Sky Island was under a powerful anti-teleportation field, and there was a risk of getting torn apart if I messed up my space transfer.
But with the enhanced Infinite Completion wrapped around me, anti-teleportation fields were nothing to worry about.
As soon as Jooam saw me, he charged at me again, and the explosive sound of Infinite Completion reverberated around us.
“Where are you rushing off to?”
“Get out of my way! I need to go back!”
“You need to finish the calculations. If you leave like this, I’ll have to intervene…”
Oh dear.
He’s trying to escape again.
Rolling my eyes in resignation, I transformed the Infinite Completion into a hammer.
A hammer capable of producing a sound that could shake the heavens and earth.
My hammer, layered over a thousand times with the Roar of Acceleration, rotated menacingly.
“It’s going to sting a bit.”
“…Damn it! Just a little more…”
“Then.”
With that, the hammer came crashing down on Jooam, completely shattering his flesh.
It was utterly obliterated.
[?]
[????]
[What the heck]
[Is this a bug?]
[Huh?]
[Buffering?]
[Oh?]
“Whoa?”
“…As expected!”
He’s going back.
Before I struck Jooam with the hammer, he thrashed around desperately and then returned to before he was smashed.
It was like rewinding a tape; both Jooam and the surrounding space were reversing.
Before I knew it, I was back to the moment before I swung at Jooam.
He chuckled softly and cautiously stepped back.
“Keheh… It’s already too late, little brat. You should’ve moved faster.”
“This is quite troublesome.”
“Just wait and see. You’ll find out what consequences your arrogance brings!”
The sky darkens.
Night replaced day; it wasn’t Jooam using his power while awkwardly standing there.
‘Gyeoryu.’
The master of Jangmugye is descending here.
As a gigantic hand filled the sky moved, my hammer made of enhanced Infinite Completion began to fade slowly.
─You all are overflowing with power. You should’ve only caused chaos inside the Meeting Room.
“I would have liked to. O Great One.”
─Jooam. You’re a mess.
From the enormous hand, something small dropped.
It was the clone of Gyeoryu I had seen before, but this time it was stretching its branches and fog even more wildly.
The fog shimmered, resembling eyes.
[Gyeoryu?]
Oh, snap!
Why so suddenly, sister??
Isn’t this a disaster?
No way!
They’re blocking this!
“If that young Archlord hadn’t acted so aggressively, everything would have been fine.”
─Is that so?
“That’s right.”
─So you say. Lily.
Gyeoryu’s gaze is focused on me.
She judges the level between her and me.
Although we’re not in a timeline, I have enough power to instantly revert the broken Jooam.
I can use far stronger power than my realm, but it’s still a bit much to deal with the Master of Marriage Device.
If I want to do it, I would have to exhaust all the enhanced Infinite Completeness, and if that’s the case, capturing Jooam wouldn’t be meaningful.
─Why was that?
“The Lord Heukmuhyang suddenly bolted from the meeting, right? We have to finish the meeting first, don’t we?”
─It’s up to the individual Archlord to leave the meeting. I see no reason to force it.
“Well, if it were just a personal matter, that would be one thing.”
I explained what happened at the meeting to Gyeoryu.
From the start, no matter how much the meeting was said to be a space for the Archlords, Gyeoryu is the master of Jangmugye.
She would probably have seen most of it, but it seemed she didn’t know the exact situation.
It seems she was busy worrying about the “Mokmujin” I mentioned.
After hearing the story, Gyeoryu nodded slightly.
─I see. Duty and reward, huh…
“No matter whether Jooam wanted it or not, all four Archlords agreed to this. Even if adjustments are needed, discussing it is better than fleeing like this.”
─That’s not incorrect. What does Jooam think?
“…I’ll set aside the right or wrong of what happened in the meeting room.”
─Why?
“Because such things don’t matter outside.”
The meeting room on Sky Island is, from the beginning, a place that breaks away from the restrictions of Jangmugye.
The Archlords participated in the meeting thinking they would ‘break’ the restrictions from the start.
There was no issue whether they fought or quarreled there.
Considering how Gyeoryu said earlier, “The ruckus should’ve only been inside the meeting room,” it seems that most happenings in Sky Island were tacitly accepted.
However, outside Sky Island is different.
“According to the rules of Jangmugye, it is forbidden for Archlords to directly attack each other outside of Sky Island. And we are outside Sky Island.”
─Hmm…
“We will discuss matters between Archlords later. But I hope that any young Archlord who breaks those rules is punished severely.”
─That’s a valid point.
Gyeoryu nodded.
She looked back at me, exuding the authority of the Master of Marriage Device.
[What? Is this really happening?]
[Oh my god]
[Hahaha]
[No]
[Why does everyone agree?]
[Do I have to face Gyeoryu?]
[That grandpa was so full of himself, and now he’s bowing to Gyeoryu, it’s disgusting ;;]
[Why is everyone so positive?]
[Seriously, haha]
[This is totally lucky, haha]
─Lily, Lord Jeokmuhyang.
“Yes.”
─I understand the issue you mentioned. You tried to oppress other Archlords using your position and power. That is certainly an act against the rules.
However.
─That only applies within the confines of Jangmugye. What happened in the meeting room is out of the question, thus your wrongdoing for causing trouble outside Sky Island is significant.
“Well… I do have some faults.”
─So you acknowledge that.
“Of course.”
If I hadn’t been careless and had quickly subdued the situation, this wouldn’t have happened.
In that regard, I can say I bear a considerable part of the blame.
─Therefore, I must impose a punishment upon you. Don’t worry. I’ll take the situation into account.
“Thank you. But can I do something instead?”
─Hmm? What do you mean?
“If we send Lord Heukmuhyang away like this, I don’t think he’ll come out of his territory until the next meeting…”
An Archlord within his own territory is nearly invincible.
Not only in power but also in terms of the rules of Jangmugye, there’s a significant advantage.
I don’t know when the next meeting will be, but it will likely be decades away.
“Someday, when I go to visit Lord Jooam in Heukmuhyang, could you nullify the restrictions?”
“…?! What is this! Are you spouting nonsense!”
─Why do you make such a request?
“If this ends like this, won’t the other Archlords suffer greatly? I think even the fair laws of Jangmugye need a chance for open dialogue every once in a while.”
─Hmm…
“Great One! You don’t need to listen to what that Young Archlord says!”
─No. I think that statement is reasonable.
As Gyeoryu extended his hand, I felt faint patterns etched onto my and Jooam’s shoulders.
Patterns blurred with mist and branches.
─Didn’t you directly state that you would discuss it later? Therefore, I am giving you this opportunity.
“So at the next meeting…”
─Don’t worry. I won’t nullify all restrictions. I won’t allow death or excessive oppression.
“That’s not the problem…!”
─You should leave now. I will personally see you off.
As Gyeoryu reached out his hand, Jooam was drawn somewhere, as if being sucked in.
Looking at the general direction, he must have returned to his territory, Heukmuhyang.
Gyeoryu smirked and turned to me.
[Oh]
[You’re still being fair though]
[This is decent health]
[Totally positive, right?]
[Let’s kill it]
[No, just take the lifespan]
─You should start heading back too. I really need to go now.
“Did you check the eyes?”
─Hmm?
“The ones infused with the powers of a Master of Marriage Device. I think the True Name is Mokmujin.”
When we first met, Gyeoryu rushed back to check it out, and I was curious about how much progress had been made by now.
Recently, Yena was attacked during her promotion, so I figured she must have gathered a lot of information.
Gyeoryu made a strange expression.
Of course, since it wasn’t exactly a human face, it wasn’t right to call it an expression, but the sentiment was there.
─I don’t know.
“Pardon?”
─Lily, do you know what level of practitioner is referred to as “true lord”?
“Well… since a true person is the Master of Marriage Device…
The practitioner of the Display Case is “Jongja.”
The practitioner of the Marriage Device is “Jin-in.”
So, what would be the practitioner that refers to “True Lord”?
“Maybe it’s “Jinsun”…?”
─That’s correct.
Jinsun.
A being who transcends the Marriage Device.
A person who has entered the “Great World” beyond the Mid World, capable of bending the world with a single breath.
I can’t tell how strong they are, but they probably possess power comparable to the top-tier Celestials or Demon Races.
Of course, beating the absolute strongest Celestials or Demon Races from the Eastern Continent would be impossible, but even that level is quite formidable.
‘Celestials and Demon Races have a different “rank” than typical races.’
─If my guess is correct, the master of the eyes is Jinsun.
“Jinsun seems a bit dangerous…”
─But I also think he’s not Jinsun at the same time.
[?]
[Yes?]
─Think about it. If he were truly Jinsun, why would he be operating in the shadows like this? He would’ve stormed into my territory, cut down my spirit, and taken over Jangmugye instantly.
“Well, that’s also true.”
─I think it’s one of two things. One is that he has obtained the legacy of the deceased Jinsun known as “Mokmujin” and is pretending to be him. This assumption is probably highly likely.
“And the other one?”
When I asked that, Gyeoryu stared at me intently.
─…a Fallen Being of Jinsun.
Whichever way you look at it, it’s still a threat.
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