Галзуу (3)

What is this insane madman saying now?

I quickly dismiss the thought that came to mind and ask the Mad Lord.

"Aren’t there still less than five Four-Axis stage beings?"

This is an obvious fact.

Even if all the lower level puppets are combined, it’s barely equivalent to the power of five Four-Axis stage cultivators.

Considering just the current Cold Spirit Race, I heard that there are countless Four-Axis stage beings.

I even heard that there are Integration stage cultivators there….

So what does he mean by conquering the Cold Spirit Race?

I am puzzled when he speaks.

[So, we need to increase our allies, right?]The Mad Lord says with a chilling smile.

[I’ve already established the framework for a Four-Axis puppet modification factory. With just the ‘materials’, we can easily produce formidable power within a month.]

Shiver, shiver!

‘He's crazy.’

That means….

[First, I'll capture the nearby Four-Axis cultivators one by one, and welcome them as new residents of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. Then, once we put the collected materials into the factory and operate it…]

The Mad Lord laughs with his mouth wide open.

[Our side will grow even more! Isn’t that right?]

It sounds absurd, but why does it seem plausible, given that it’s the Mad Lord?

Either way.

A war that will spread throughout the entire Bright Cold Realm has begun, all because of one madman’s delusion.

Kugugu!

I look at the situation in front of me, as if a natural disaster has swept through.

[You wicked bastard! I’ve sent a signal, and all the Four-Axis cultivators nearby will be rushing to capture you!]

The Mad Lord acted quickly.

He quickly invaded the territory of a nearby Four-Axis cultivator and their land, clashing with them and driving the Four-Axis cultivator to a corner.

Kugugugu!

The Mad Lord laughs from above the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, commanding an army of puppets numbering in the millions.

[The materials are replicating? That's just too good! Hahaha!]

[Why are you taking such crazy actions! Do you really want to become the enemy of the entire Bright Cold Realm!?]

[Well, that wouldn't be too bad. Now, become nutrients for the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.]

[You! This madman! Arghh!]

Kugugugu!

Numerous Qi Building stage puppets swarm the Four-Axis cultivator of an unknown race, dragging him into the depths of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Woong!

That’s the end.

Inside the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the sound of a factory operating can be heard.

In a month, the Four-Axis cultivator who had just caused a natural disaster due to battle will likely reappear as a loyal Four-Axis puppet following the Mad Lord's commands.

Moreover, the modification factory is still in its initial stages, and as the Mad Lord modifies more Four-Axis cultivators, more data and information will accumulate...

‘Perhaps the process of producing Four-Axis puppets will become faster, and eventually, they might be mass-produced without even needing corpses.’

Truly a chilling force.

Is there anyone who can stop the Mad Lord?

Perhaps, the entire continent might be swept away by his puppet army.

‘Why aren’t there Integration stage cultivators trying to catch such a person?’

Even near the Flying Immortal Platform, I heard there are Integration stage cultivators.

So why aren't they pursuing the Mad Lord?

Indeed, the Mad Lord is wanted, but why aren’t there people eagerly chasing after him?

I am truly puzzled.

‘Before the Mad Lord grows further, someone of at least the Integration stage must stop him.’

Only then, Kim Yeon and I might be liberated from him.

The Mad Lord's tyrannical actions continued.

He kept capturing the pursuing Four-Axis cultivators, converting them into puppets, and with each battle, his power skyrocketed.

Even when the threatened Four-Axis cultivators formed an alliance and attacked the Mad Lord….

‘…He’s insane.’

[Hahaha! The materials can replicate!?]

The Mad Lord, who had already ground up numerous Four-Axis cultivators to evolve his Four-Axis puppet modification factory, was incomparable.

It had been 10 years since he first killed a Four-Axis cultivator and made a Four-Axis puppet.

Now, the Mad Lord has slain 46 Four-Axis cultivators and obtained a total of 46 Four-Axis puppets.

And, over these 10 years.

I have regained my Core Formation stage cultivation.

And….

Kim Yeon has, somehow, reached the Nascent Soul stage.

"Eun-hyun Oppa, can I ask you about the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon?"

"…Sure."

Zzzt, zzzt….

Having used a Four-Axis stage consciousness to condense a Nascent Soul, her power explosively increased upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

Having entered the Nascent Soul stage, where the power of consciousness significantly influences methods and techniques, she is already able to use Heavenly Being level spells despite being merely at the Nascent Soul stage.

I can feel my whole body tingling just from her approaching.

‘But the real problem is, even if Kim Yeon reaches the Four-Axis stage, can she kill the Mad Lord, that old monster?’

By the time she reaches the Four-Axis stage, wouldn’t the Mad Lord already have created several Integration stage puppets?

Either way, for now, the only way to escape the Mad Lord is to foster Kim Yeon’s growth as much as possible.

The consciousness method the Mad Lord mastered, the 'Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon,' is not as tricky as Seo Hweol’s Summoning Wind, Coagulating Core Transformation and is an excellent method without anything to criticize.

Mastering the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon stabilizes the consciousness, increases control over various parts of the consciousness, and makes it more pure.

It also has the effect of increasing the size of the consciousness compared to other cultivators of the same level, making it an excellent method.

The only downside to this perfect method is that it’s too complicated to learn and master.

"If Eun-hyun Oppa hadn’t been here, I wonder how I could have mastered the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to this extent. My head already hurts.."

However.

I could understand as soon as I received the essence of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.

The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is an interpretation from a cultivator’s perspective of the colors of intent seen by a martial artist who has reached the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

Furthermore, developing from this perspective of intent, I, who have reached ‘Treading Heavens Beyond the Path' by fully delving into and mastering heart essence, could comprehend the true meaning of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.

Therefore, even though she’s at the Nascent Soul stage and I’m at the Core Formation stage, the understanding of the method is higher in me, and Kim Yeon often finds herself in the strange situation of learning from me.

‘The ultimate goal of this method must be Beyond the Path to Heavens.’

No, to be honest, it’s one step short of Beyond the Path to Heavens.

If Beyond the Path to Heavens materializes one's heart essence, then mastering the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon only gains the 'vision' of Beyond the Path to Heavens.

But, somehow.

I have a feeling that the Mad Lord has reached Beyond the Path to Heavens.

‘If I look through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon created by the Mad Lord, his attainments are probably closer to a convergent evolution of Beyond the Path to Heavens.’

Just like how I reached Ultimate Pinnacle and my Inner Core underwent a convergent evolution with the Demon Core.

The Mad Lord’s consciousness method, the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, must have also evolved closely to Beyond the Path to Heavens due to his efforts.

‘Just one step.’

The extreme described by the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is really just one step away from Beyond the Path to Heavens.

‘Crossing this threshold, one can really reach Beyond the Path to Heavens. Perhaps the Mad Lord, without even realizing, has already entered the realm.’

Simply because he had unknowingly reached an unknown realm, he might not have included that essence in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon due to a lack of knowledge in that area.

‘He is truly astonishing. How can he, without practicing martial arts and simply by researching consciousness, go beyond Three Flowers, surpass Five Energies, Ultimate Pinnacle, and come close to entering Beyond the Path to Heavens…’

The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is also quite important to me.

Until now, I only dealt with the domain of consciousness purely from the perspective of a martial artist, but the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is a method that thoroughly analyzes the domain of consciousness from a completely opposite standpoint.

"By the way, Eun-hyun Oppa. Have you heard what the captured Cold Spirit Race cultivator said?"

"Hmm?"

I glance at a Cold Spirit Race puppet walking among the puppets in the distance.

The Mad Lord has been slowly infiltrating the territory of the Cold Spirit Race for 10 years, creating a lot of Cold Spirit Race puppets.

Many of the Cold Spirit Race captured by the Mad Lord helped us gain some understanding of the Bright Cold Realm.

The general flow of the Bright Cold Realm.

The major races of the Bright Cold Realm.

Recent movements in the Bright Cold Realm...

We learned many such things.

"There are no Entering Nirvana cultivators in the Bright Cold Realm, only one Sacred Vessel cultivator called the White Cloud Sacred Master. Star Shattering cultivators have all gone to some other dimension with no promise of return, and recently, even the cultivators at the Integration stage are showing some strange signs.... Maybe it won't be too difficult for the Mad Lord to conquer the Bright Cold Realm. If that happens..."

Kim Yeon lets out a bitter laugh.

"If that happens, can we see our scattered colleagues again?"

"...Probably."

She’s longing for the people from the same homeland.

Living every day with puppets in this insane Mad Lord's fortress is a tremendous psychological pressure.

Perhaps because of that, the time she spent talking with me has recently increased.

Somehow, she seems to be sitting closer to me lately.

"Eun-hyun Oppa?"

Kim Yeon moves a little closer to me.

"There's something I want to ask..."

"...Sorry. The Mad Lord is calling me now."

I turn away from her as she comes closer to me.

I know her feelings.

But I can't accept them.

Because I am already betrothed.

I cannot share my heart with another carelessly.

[Now, disciple. The conquest of the Cold Spirit Race is about to end. Once we occupy Light Spirit City, the Light Spirit Pond will be in our hands, and [She] will reach the Integration stage! Hehehe! Then, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will be one step closer to completion...]

"...What have you called me for?"

[Oh, the reason I called you is simple]

The Mad Lord continues.

[The Cold Spirit Race will desperately resist losing the Light Spirit Pond. There might even be a chance that an Integration stage cultivator will get involved. There's a high risk of death for both of you. So, I have a proposal.]

"What is it?"

[I want to fully integrate you into 'my world'.]

"...!?"

[If both of you become superior puppets, there's no need to worry about dying, right? If that happens, I will personally make you and Kim Yeon into a puppet couple. It seems Kim Yeon also has feelings for you. Wouldn't that be good for everyone?]

Kurgh

At those words, I felt like throwing up in agitation but I managed to hold it back.

'Calm down.'

Following this madman, I have somewhat expected something like this.

'Getting angry won't stop the Mad Lord.'

On the contrary, if I refuse, he might go berserk and modify us right away.

Therefore, I have to compromise according to the logic of a lunatic.

Fortunately, I have gotten a sense of his logic after following him for 10 years.

"I have a request."

[Hmm? What is it?]

If he brought up this topic, it means,

Regardless of the uniqueness of my heart essence or anything else, he no longer cares about my Formless Sword since Four-Axis stage and Integration stage puppets are more attractive to him.

Then I must,

"Anyway, to your eyes, Master. I am a lowly person with inferior qualities who would be better off as a full resident of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."

[Right. That's why I want to help you become even more superior.]

"Correct. But, doesn't Kim Yeon still have more potential to grow?"

Sacrifice myself and make Kim Yeon's potential growth more appealing to him since he still finds her attractive.

"Rather than making her a puppet, it would be more efficient to properly train her as a puppeteer. Above all…"

I match my reasoning to the logic of the Mad Lord.

"If you make me a puppet, I would like to be handled by Kim Yeon with her vast consciousness."

[Oh....]

"Being handled by an excellent puppeteer is also the happiness for a puppet, is it not? Instead of making both of us a puppet couple, if you only make me a puppet and leave the control to Yeon..."

I continue, hiding my true feelings from the Mad Lord using my Treading Heavens Beyond the Path heart manipulation.

"Both of us can be happy."

[That’s right, that’s right...! It’s wonderful! Perfect!]

The Mad Lord claps frantically, tears streaming down his eyes lit with insanity.

[I will make you both happy! I knew it from the moment I saw Yeon like you. You two can achieve the perfect love that I couldn't!]

"…."

[Now, lie down right away! I will make you into a perfect puppet! You, you will become the best puppet! I will appoint you as the martial arts instructor for the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress! You will become the guardian deity of the fortress, the general of the castle!]

Externally, I feign joy, but internally, I grit my teeth.

‘Yeon-ah, I’m sorry.'

It seems.

This is my limit.

I've been intervening and taking the modifications myself to prevent her from being modified as much as possible.

But that's all I could do till now.

It seems this short and intense journey of mine ends here.

'But at least since the Mad Lord listened to me, he won't fully turn her into a puppet.'

With her talent, it might take time, but she will eventually surpass the Mad Lord.

And she will avenge me.

Definitely.

Click, click, click….

I get onto the Mad Lord's operating table, waiting for his modification.

It isn't just a full-body modification.

The Mad Lord's statement about accepting me into his world means that he will turn me completely into a puppet, leaving only a bit of my shell intact.

Today, I am going to die.

Click, click…!

Chilling mechanical sounds envelop my entire body.

I thought this would be my fourteenth return.

Click….

‘...?’

I slowly opened my eyes.

"Ah, perfect. Rise!"

Creak!

'I' rose from my seat.

'Uh…?'

My whole body moves.

"I did my utmost best to create you. Though your body didn’t even reach Nascent Soul, I generously used precious materials, so you should have the power comparable to a Four-Axis. I entrust the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress to you, General Seo."

And then,

"Just leave it to me, Lord of the Fortress."

From my mouth,

A strange mechanical sound emerges on its own.

"Now, go to your post. The battle with the Cold Spirit Race is imminent."

"Understood, Lord of the Fortress."

'I' move my body and leave the Mad Lord's workshop.

My whole body pierces through space, moving instantaneously to the outer walls of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Four-Axis spatial movement!

And then,

'I' begin patrolling the outer walls of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

'What…?'

I move my consciousness in confusion.

Wasn't being modified by the Mad Lord supposed to mean death?

Wasn't I supposed to regress?

But contrary to such expectations,

'I' maintain my consciousness in the state of being turned into a living puppet.

'What, what is this…!'

In a state of panic, I scream within the body of the living puppet 'I' have become.

I have been turned into a puppet by the Mad Lord, left in a state neither dead nor alive.