Jiang Shang said that now that he had joined, they could just cut off Urd's head and be done with it.
Indeed, as he said, the biggest obstacle to reaching the central part of the Ark had been resolved.
However.
'It's not over just by cutting down Urd.'
The first future vision Seong Jihan had seen with his power of observation.
There, even though they successfully subdued Urd...
The light of the transcendent being removed all of the blue realm and fused with Seong Jihan.
Without a counterasure for this, it wouldn't end just by cutting down Urd.
anwhile.
"Ah. I'm sure my son-in-law also has many grievances against Urd, but please leave the beheading to . She is the enemy who destroyed my world, you see."
Jiang Shang was already speaking as if he had subdued Urd.
He was telling Seong Jihan to leave subduing her to him.
Well, in terms of grudges against Urd, Jiang Shang, whose world was actually destroyed, certainly had a much deeper one than Seong Jihan.
Giving up the honor of beheading her was sothing he could easily do.
However.
"I can certainly yield that to you. But before that, please take a look at this."
Ziiing...
With that, Seong Jihan showed the first future vision he had seen through ntal projection.
"Hmm... What is this? Why is it you beheading her instead of ?"
At first, Jiang Shang complained about seeing Seong Jihan behead Urd.
"...But what is this light that's absorbing my son-in-law?"
After watching the whole future vision, he asked with a puzzled look.
"Do you know about transcendent beings?"
"Transcendent beings? What are those?"
Despite being used as Urd's ans of force in the Ark for so long...
It seed he didn't know about transcendent beings.
"It seems we should share information before entering."
Seong Jihan said that and then...
He explained what he knew about transcendent beings, servers, and the new human race.
"...So you're saying we are beings in a virtual reality created by them? And that bald guy is one of the new humans?"
"That's right."
"And these transcendent beings are ultimately a ans to obtain solar resources... Hmm. What a bizarre story."
Stroking his beard as he listened to Seong Jihan's summary, Jiang Shang soon raised a question.
"But one thing in your explanation puzzles ."
"Oh? Which part are you referring to?"
"Didn't you say we are beings in a virtual reality?"
"Yes."
"But I have seen the Ark in my world."
"...The Ark?"
Seong Jihan blinked at those words.
No.
Was that even possible?
Seeing that he couldn't easily believe it...
"Seeing is believing."
Ziiing...
Jiang Shang also projected a ntal image like Seong Jihan had.
And there...
The Infinite Sword buried in the void...
It was shown cutting through everything, forging a path forward.
"At that ti, I abandoned my physical body. I beca completely one with the sword, with only the thought of taking revenge on them..."
So that was why the sword was moving through the void without a body.
However, no matter how much the sword moved, the targets of revenge - Urd and the Black Administrator - were nowhere to be seen.
All that appeared was just purple void.
But the Infinite Sword did not yield to this and kept moving.
And after cutting through the void for who knows how long...
[No. You're still resisting...?]
Just as Urd's surprised voice was heard...
Fwooosh...!
From within the void.
A huge spherical tal object gleaming with bright white light appeared.
In a world of nothing but void.
A white sphere revealing the only presence.
Id, who had been stuck in the wall and struggled to get here, widened his eyes at the sight.
"That, that's... definitely the Ark..."
"Is that so?"
"Before being confined here, I saw a presentation about the Ark... That's exactly what it looked like."
As he said this, Id stared at the screen in disbelief.
"But how is it possible to directly approach the Ark from within a server...?"
"Hmm. Are you sure the server is definitely a virtual reality?"
"...Well, isn't it? Don't you also connect to the server using a server access device when entering? And why is there a server managent device, and why does your world stop when you co to the Ark?"
That was true, but...
Approaching the Ark from a virtual reality also didn't make sense at first glance.
'I should have asked the Black Administrator more clearly about the server, what a sha.'
As Seong Jihan was thinking this...
The screen that had paused to show the Ark began moving again.
"At that ti, I judged the Ark to be their power source. So I tried to cut it down."
Swoosh!
The Infinite Sword stretched out straight towards the Ark.
Though dense void blocked the way, the sword cut through all of it...
Attempting to cut down the main target, the entire Ark.
However.
The mont the Infinite Sword touched the surface of the Ark.
Fwooosh...!
An intense blue light burst forth, and the sword stopped.
And then.
[Whew. That was close... How can a single human be this strong?]
Urd's voice was faintly heard.
[I didn't know the Ark had such a function... I need to be careful too.]
And with this, the ntal projection ended.
So even Urd didn't know about the light flashing from the Ark.
But.
'That light just now... It's similar to what I saw when the transcendent being absorbed .'
* * *
The light that burst forth from the Ark.
It clearly changed from white to blue and instantly stopped the Infinite Sword.
The blue light stopped the sword that had been slicing through that powerful void zone.
Jiang Shang seed to have the sa thought about this and spoke up.
"But now that I'm seeing this, there's a similarity with what you showed earlier..."
"I was thinking the sa thing."
"You an about the blue light?"
"Yes."
"And the energy emanating from your body also seems similar to that light."
As Jiang Shang looked this way and asked that...
Seong Jihan slowly nodded.
"I suspect it's related to the President's ability, 'Nullification'."
At those words, Id reacted from behind.
"Nullification? Is that the destruction-related ability you ntioned?"
"Yes."
"I didn't know the President had such an ability... I never saw it in his biography."
The President, revered as a great figure of the new human race for establishing the light body system.
Though biographies and life stories about him poured out...
It seed they didn't cover 'Nullification'.
Seong Jihan continued his conversation with Jiang Shang, leaving Id with a puzzled expression behind him.
"'Nullification'. Was it that power that shook the Infinite Sword... I was lacking. But how were you able to obtain such a power?"
"I received it from Ashoka."
"Ashoka? Who is that?"
"His real na is Siddhartha, but..."
"Ah. You an Buddha."
So he was Buddha in that world too.
As Seong Jihan was briefly recalling Ashoka...
Jiang Shang slowly stroked his beard.
"Many of my disciples also believed in his teachings. Of course, I burned all the books, saying why recite Buddhist scriptures when you should be training in martial arts."
"...I see."
"Yes. I only allowed religious freedom to disciples who made it into the top 100. Before that, they naturally had to worship ."
But Jiang Shang laughed heartily, saying that their faith in him was already at its peak by the ti they made it to the top 100.
'He's really different from Dongbang Sak.'
Seeing this, Seong Jihan felt again that Jiang Shang was definitely a different being from Dongbang Sak.
"Hmm... But to think those Buddhist scriptures I burned contained sothing related to nullification."
"It's probably not directly related to the scriptures. It's an ability Ashoka created in connection with our world's situation."
"Is that so? In any case, it's an impressive ability. I'd like to et this person."
As Jiang Shang was expressing admiration for Ashoka who created the 'Blue'...
He suddenly looked at the Tower.
"Ah, right. Son-in-law. Can't we summon him with that?"
"You an with the Tower?"
"Yes. Let's hear directly from the one who devised the ability about how to deal with the blue light."
It seems he wanted to summon Ashoka as a final boss of the Tower, like how Dongbang Sak was appointed.
'It's worth trying.'
Seong Jihan approached the Tower and fiddled with the settings.
Currently, Dongbang Sak was at the top floor.
Below him was the forr wandering martial god, 'Snake', but...
'I can't put Ashoka below him.'
Seong Jihan moved Snake down one floor and assigned Ashoka to that spot.
Then, he summoned him out of the Tower.
Swish...
Ashoka stood next to the Tower with a blank expression.
"Is that Buddha? He's quite handso."
"Yes. But it seems he's just in an NPC state. I don't think he'll answer questions."
"Hmm... How did the other , Dongbang Sak, wake up?"
Seong Jihan recalled when Dongbang Sak woke up.
Clearly, while having a mock battle, when his Taiji Sword clashed with Blue and Red...
-Data seal partially released due to error.
Such a ssage appeared, and then Dongbang Sak regained consciousness.
Seong Jihan explained this to Jiang Shang.
"Hmm... So the seal on the Taiji Sword was broken by that power."
"Yes, that's right."
"Then why don't you try burning Buddha with Blue and Red?"
"...Excuse ?"
To Seong Jihan's questioning response, Jiang Shang answered nonchalantly.
"What's the problem? He's just an NPC anyway."
"Even so, I can't do that. This person saved my life."
If it weren't for Ashoka, he would have died long ago at the hands of the Martial God.
Thinking of the grace he received in Tuseong, Seong Jihan couldn't bring himself to burn Ashoka, even if he was an NPC.
Jiang Shang frowned at this and was about to do it himself, but...
"Huh. If you can't do it, I'll move the sword instead... Hm? Why are you... Ah, he's your irreplaceable friend? Sigh. If he's a friend I'd understand even more... Ah, alright."
It seems Dongbang Sak intervened to stop him from burning Ashoka.
Jiang Shang stopped his attempt and looked at Seong Jihan with a dissatisfied expression.
"Can't be helped. Just try sending so of your energy. Wouldn't that cause so reaction?"
"That's what I was thinking too."
Swish...
Blue energy spread from Seong Jihan's body.
It soon flowed towards Ashoka.
Then...
Swoosh...
Ashoka's body slowly began absorbing the blue energy surrounding him.
But Jiang Shang shook his head watching this.
"He absorbs your energy but it just disappears inside his body. At this rate, it'll be like pouring water into a bottomless pit."
"Hmm... Let try a bit more."
"Do it in moderation. If it doesn't work, we'll just burn an arm."
"..."
Why did this person like burning people so much?
Seong Jihan sighed quietly and continued sending blue energy to Ashoka.
After a few minutes passed like this...
"Doesn't seem like it'll work. Shall we burn him?"
"Excuse , but haven't you been told you're impatient?"
"It's not impatience, it's quick judgnt."
As Jiang Shang was urging Seong Jihan again, saying this won't work...
"Hmm...?"
Flash!
Blue light began to flow in Ashoka's eyes, which had been standing still.
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