Ep477 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The Five Elements Divine Bead. Its reputation as a small orb imbued with the power of the gods was anything but an empty boast. Within it resided a force deserving of the divine name. But does that mean that whoever possesses the power of the Five Elements Divine Bead is rightfully called the strongest in the world? To this question, Baek Woo-jin could answer resolutely. No, they should not. "It is indeed an enticing power." Once it grants its power, even an ordinary farmer could tear a master to shreds. It's obvious what would happen if a martial arts expert started wielding such power. And the present circumstance is no exception. Jin Mi-yeon's level was, at best, near the end of the Fire Realm. Yet she contended evenly against Myung Hyun. The reason she could face him directly, despite his aging body, was solely due to the energy bestowed by the Fire Element Divine Bead. But that was it. Though she could draw out an even fight with Myung Hyun, victory was by no means assured. The Five Elements Divine Bead holds godly power, yet why does it amount to so little? "The problem lies with the person." No matter how immense the power, there is a limit to what the frail human body can accept. Humanity's weak physique cannot fully embrace the power of the Five Elements Divine Bead. Jin Mi-yeon was no exception. She staked her life as collateral to draw upon the energy of the Fire Element Divine Bead. And though she could unleash a breathtaking inferno upon all of Kunlun Mountain, it didn’t seem quite as impressive. The power itself was formidable, to be sure. Yet Jin Mi-yeon’s skill in wielding it was far too lacking. It was merely an indiscriminate mass of force. There was not even a hint of sophistication or delicate execution. "In short, it's unstable." The disparity between tremendous power and subpar control. It was visible to Baek Woo-jin, who had navigated countless crises. And so too was the method to dismantle it. "Fuu." With a light sigh, the imagery unfolded at his feet. Parched earthen ground, slanting gravestones, a desolate wind that sapped vitality. The resting place of things devoid of life. Swords that guard this place rose from beneath the ground. Countless swords floating in the air. They coalesced into a single, gigantic sword. Following the tip of Baek Woo-jin’s fingers, the sword turned slowly in the air toward the descending inferno. "Baek Woo-jin…!" Jin Mi-yeon uttered his name with a bitter smile. It was always him. Whenever her dedication to the Celestial Demon seemed to ripen to fruition, he would appear and ruin everything. The plan with the Tang clan that had been years in the making, her life, the research facility, even her own child. All had crumbled under his hands. "But this time will be different...!" The Fire Element Divine Bead, personally bestowed by the Celestial Demon to fulfill her desire for power. As long as its energy roiled in her heart, she would never suffer defeat. "Fine, have it your way." She manipulated the movement of the fireball. Its target shifted from Kunlun Mountain to the giant sword forged by Baek Woo-jin's imagery. It would collide head-on, shattering it mercilessly to deliver despair, and then reduce Kunlun Mountain to ashes. One could only imagine the expression on a burning Baek Woo-jin’s face. "Haa!" The slowly descending fireball picked up speed. Upon confirming this, Baek Woo-jin finished his preparations swiftly. There was only one method to eliminate the massive force descending before him. "Sever the gap born from immature manipulation." Thus, one strike would suffice. If he slashed through the vulnerability exposed in the fireball in a single stroke, victory would be his. If he failed to do so decisively, defeat would be certain. Is it not simple? "This is exactly how I like it." Though the lives of many, including his own, hung on this seemingly simple task, it pressed no burden upon Baek Woo-jin. "He’s always carried that weight." The true hardship of being a hero did not lie in defeating formidable foes like the Demon King, nor in enduring the grueling journey to reach that pinnacle. Those challenges were bearable. In truth, they were excruciatingly difficult, but something else made them seem trivial by comparison. And what was the hardest thing of all? "The expectations of the people." Everyone pinned their hopes on him. They believed he would vanquish the Demon King and bring peace to the world. Even while perishing at the hands of demon claws, they held faith in him. Though they might perish, their families would bask in the peace he would bring to the world. Their expectations were his very lifeline. For his failure meant their collective demise. He didn’t bear hundreds, nor thousands, but millions of lives upon his shoulders, fighting for ten long years. Even amidst situations far more dire and hopeless than the present, he never betrayed those expectations. Those grueling experiences were now the very foundation of his displayed confidence. "Inhale…!" A steadfast and indomitable spirit, unyielding to the fiercest hammering on the anvil, guided the enormous sword. He didn’t even need to physically hold it. The sword drawn from his imagery was a sword, yet it was also Baek Woo-jin himself. He took a stance. Timed perfectly with the descent of the fireball, he swung the tightly drawn sword. The target: just beside the center of the fireball. The point where the energy swirling within was most intricately tangled. [White Lightning Severing Heaven.] A sublime strike formed from the marriage of the Swordsmanship of the Seo-Baek family and Baek Woo-jin’s own style unfolded. The speed, akin to a flash of light, defied the proportions of an enormous sword. Kwah-jajak! Kwah-jijik! The flash of speed collided with the air, unleashing an unimaginable resonant roar as it met the fireball. Bwoooooom—! A surge of flames erupted from a mere collision. A tense and unwavering contest of raw power unraveled. "You wretched…!" "……!" The sword, pushing against the crushing weight of the descending fireball, began to yield. But this did not necessarily signal Baek Woo-jin’s defeat. Rumble…! With a thunderous roar, a segment of the blade, which seemed hopelessly pressed, pierced into the fireball. The power struggle itself was never of importance. What truly mattered was whether or not he could slice through the tangled flow inside the fireball. "No, it can’t…!" Jin Mi-yeon, witnessing this, paled and summoned every ounce of her strength to drive the fireball further. Just a bit more. "If I can just make it a bit further…!" The sword's hilt, pushed to its limits, was nearly in contact with Kunlun Mountain. If she could force the sword down to touch Kunlun before it sliced through the fireball, victory would surely be hers regardless of what followed. "Aaaaah!" The end. This time, truly believing it to be the end, she drew on the Fire Element Divine Bead's power once more. Just then— Crack! A sound unlike any prior resonance emerged from her chest. The red glow slowly diminished. "Ah…?" The once fiercely beating heart began to falter. Strength ebbed from her limbs. "Aah…." It finally dawned on her. There was no life force left to draw upon. "No, it can’t be…!" With a small, pained cry escaping her, the enormous sword plunged relentlessly into the now faltering fireball. It slashed through the entwined blaze and severed the complex knots at their core. Drained of power, the fireball was pushed skyward by the sword. And at long last, it reached its end. Booom! Flames burst with a massive explosion, momentarily turning the night into day, and then slowly waned. Jin Mi-yeon, watching in dismay, sank to the ground. Thud! It was over. Her life, her revenge. All ended incomplete, withered like a tightly shut bud. Baek Woo-jin approached, facing the remnants of her life. "Baek… Woo-jin…!" The name she forced out with difficulty. "If it weren’t for you…! Just you…!" It was frustrating and unfair. Why did heaven continually spawn those who obstruct the path of the Celestial Demon School? Are they and the Celestial Demon School truly forsaken by the heavens? Yet it didn’t matter. Even though she might die without achieving anything, all was not lost. "Our Sect Leader will… kill you and even sever heaven itself…." The one who is our god will cut through all oppression and bondage in this world and even tear down the fate of the heavens. When that day arrives, the world's subjugation to the Celestial Demon School will be undeniable. Then, in his benevolence, our god will remember her, inscribing her name in eternal praise. As she drifted into a sweet illusion nearing her end— "That will never happen." Baek Woo-jin's resolute voice shattered her fantasy, dragging her back to reality. She scowled deeply, as if roused unpleasantly from sleep, and he continued speaking. "The Demon School will never claim even an inch of the Central Plains." "You…!" "And you call the Celestial Demon a god?" Baek Woo-jin laughed coldly. "What nonsense." He knew her. "She was also human. One of the most compassionate and warmest people I've ever known." "You...?" A deep curiosity clouded Jin Mi-yeon's face. The suspicion she had barely quelled began to stir again at his mention of the Celestial Demon, as if he knew her from the past. "Could it be, you and the Sect Leader...?" Even if she were to die, she needed to know this one thing. What exactly was the relationship between him and the Celestial Demon? But Baek Woo-jin merely smirked, shrugging his shoulders as if he wouldn’t grant even that revelation. "Who knows." He didn’t want to grant the villain, leaving behind numerous sins, any sense of relief. He wished for her to lament her life in regret and lingering attachment. "Find that out for yourself in the afterlife, defeated one." "Grr...! I will curse you, curse you in the... afterlife..." Finally, as the last remnants of her life flickered out like dying embers, she couldn't complete her final words, passing away with her eyes still open, on the charred slope. Author’s Note: I apologize for not posting yesterday. Since last evening, my concentration has been so poor that completing even one chapter was challenging. It feels like half my mind has drifted elsewhere... I will work to fill any lacking parts as much as possible, and prepare thoroughly. I’ll see you in the next chapter. Thank you, as always, for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)