Ep478 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The Five Elemental Divine Orbs. The reputation of these small orbs, said to be imbued with divine power, was far from just an empty name. Within them resided a power so immense, it could indeed be described as divine. So, should the possessor of the Five Elemental Divine Orbs be rightfully hailed as the greatest in the world? On this question, Baek Woo-jin could answer resolutely. No. ‘There's no denying it's an incredibly alluring power.’ If granted the strength of the Five Elemental Divine Orbs, even an ordinary farmer could gain the power to tear apart masters. It's obvious what would happen if a skilled martial artist began wielding such power. This is consistent even now. Jin Mi-yeon's level was merely on the edge of Huajing. Yet, she engaged in a fierce match with Myeong-hyeon. No matter how aged his body was, the only reason a direct confrontation was possible was due to the energy bestowed by the Fire Elemental Orb. However, it ends there. While she could draw out a close match with Myeong-hyeon, victory was never assured. Despite the orb's divine power, why does it seem lacking? ‘The problem lies with the person.’ No matter how overwhelming the power, there are limits to human flesh that receives it. The fragile human body cannot fully embrace the power of the Five Elemental Divine Orbs. Jin Mi-yeon was no exception. She paradoxically drew out the energy of the Fire Elemental Orb at the cost of her life. Facing impending death again, she aimed a magnificent fiery sphere at the entire Mount Kunlun, yet it didn’t seem particularly impressive. The power itself is indeed immense. However, Jin Mi-yeon's skill in wielding it left much to be desired. It was just a mass of power lumped together, devoid of the mystique of formality or delicate manipulation. ‘In a word, it's unstable.’ The rift created by considerable power paired with an inferior method of usage was clear to Baek Woo-jin, who had survived countless crises. He could also see how to break it down. "Hoo." With a soft sigh, a vision spread from beneath his feet. A barren ground, an obliquely erected tombstone, and a desolate wind that stole vitality. The resting place of those who had lost their lives. Swords guarding that place emerged from beneath the ground. Countless swords floated in the air, converging to form one colossal blade. Following Baek Woo-jin's fingertips, the sword slowly rotated in the air, aiming at the descending fiery sphere. "Baek Woo-jin…!" Jin Mi-yeon coldly spat his name with disdain. It was always him. Whenever her loyalty to the Heavenly Demon was about to flourish and bear fruit, he appeared and ruined everything. The project she labored on for over a decade, her life, her laboratory, even her own child—with all destroyed by his hands. ‘But this time will be different…!’ The Fire Elemental Orb, given to her by the Heavenly Demon himself, who understood her thirst for power, pulsated within her heart. With that energy surging, she believed she would never lose. "Fine, I'll grant you your wish." She commanded the fiery sphere, morphing its direction from Mount Kunlun towards the massive sword created by Baek Woo-jin's will. Her aim: to violently shatter it head-on, plunge him into despair, and then turn Mount Kunlun to ashes. What expression would Baek Woo-jin wear as he burned to death within that inferno? "Haaat!" The previously sluggishly descending fiery sphere accelerated. Upon confirming this, Baek Woo-jin swiftly finalized his preparations. There was only one way to dismantle the gigantic mass of power descending in front of him. ‘Sever the gap born from immature handling.’ Thus, one strike would suffice. By slicing the gap visible in the fiery sphere with a single swing of his sword, victory would be his. If not, defeat. Isn't it simple? "This is what I like." Though countless lives, including his own, hung in the balance in that simple proposition, it did not burden Baek Woo-jin. ‘It's always been that way.’ The true hardship of the title "warrior" wasn't in vanquishing the mighty adversary, the Demon King, nor in enduring the arduous journey one naturally had to traverse to reach there. Those parts were bearable. In fact, they were so grueling that they felt like death incarnate, but something even more challenging existed, making them seem lesser by comparison. So, what was the hardest part? ‘People's expectations.’ Everyone placed their hopes on him. They believed he would defeat the Demon King and bring peace to the world. Even as they lost their lives to the clutches of demons, they placed their faith in him. Though they might perish, they trusted that their families would enjoy peace in a world he saved. To Baek Woo-jin, their expectations were a matter of life and death. His failure meant the deaths of them all. Not hundreds, not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions of lives rested on his shoulders for ten years. Even amidst more grueling and hopeless circumstances than now, he never betrayed that trust. That arduous experience had now become the source of the confidence he exuded. "Inhale...!" A spirit so tough and unyielding that no amount of hammering upon an anvil could alter it guided the enormous sword. It didn't matter that he wasn't physically holding it. The sword drawn from his very perception was the sword and Baek Woo-jin himself. He assumed his stance. In perfect timing with the descending fiery sphere, he swung the tightly pulled sword. The target was just beside the center of the fiery sphere, where the energy flow inside was most intricately tangled. "White Thunder Severing the Heavens." The unparalleled technique, formed from the amalgamation of the Xianbei Baek Family's swordsmanship and Baek Woo-jin's unique style, unfolded. Its speed was as swift as a flash of light, unsuitable for a sword of such magnitude. Kwa-ja-jak! With a tremendous sonic boom, the light-speed strike clashed mid-air with the fiery sphere. KWAAAAAANG-! Flames surged upward from mere collision, creating a fierce and unwavering battle of power. "Eeeek…!" "...!" The massive force of the fiery sphere pressing downward gradually began to push back the sword. Yet, this did not necessarily signify Baek Woo-jin's defeat. Rumble... Amidst the tumultuous noise, a part of the sword blade gradually burrowed into the fiery sphere. The contest of strength was never the true focus. What mattered was whether he could sever the complex, knotted flow within the fiery sphere. "No, it can't be…!" As Jin Mi-yeon watched, horrified, she mustered every ounce of force she had left to press the fiery sphere downward, just a little further. "If I can just get a little more…!" The sword's hilt, pushed to its limits, was already touching Mount Kunlun. She believed that before the fiery sphere could be sliced, if only she could force the sword to strike the mountain, nothing thereafter could secure his victory. "Ahhhhhh!" Convinced this was the true end, she drew upon the Fire Elemental Orb's power once more. And at that very moment. Snap! A sound of entirely different quality resonated from her chest. The fiery glow began to fade. "A…?" The relentless pounding of her heart gradually ceased. Strength slipped away from her limbs. "Aaa…." It was then that she realized. She had no life force left to draw upon. "No, it can't be…!" As she let out a small scream, the massive sword relentlessly pierced into the faltering fiery sphere. It slashed through the tangled flames of power, cutting the complex threads in one decisive stroke. Powerless, the fiery sphere was thrust upward by the sword, rising into the sky. Finally, it met its end. KWA-WAANG! The enormous explosion momentarily lit up the surroundings like midday, before slowly dimming away. Jin Mi-yeon watched in dismay, sinking to the ground. Thud! It was over. Her life, her revenge—all of it ended without truly blossoming, wilting away like a tightly closed bud. Approaching her, Baek Woo-jin stood before her inevitable demise. "Baek... Woo-jin...!" She forced out his name with difficulty. "If it weren't for you… if only you hadn't existed…!" Her resentment and frustration boiled over. Why did the heavens always birth those who obstructed the path of the Heavenly Demon Cult? Were she and the cult truly forsaken by the heavens? But it didn't matter. Though she died unfulfilled, not everything was lost. "The Master will… slay you, and even cut down the heavens…." Our god shall sever all oppression and shackles in this world, rewriting the fate dictated by the heavens. And when that time comes, the world will lay beneath the footsteps of the Heavenly Demon Cult. In his mercy, our god will ensure her name is eternally praised, etched into history. As she dreamily drifted towards death, Baek Woo-jin's steadfast voice shattered her reverie, pulling her back to reality. "That will never happen." His firm tone broke her illusions like waking from a beautiful dream interrupted. He continued speaking to her, face wrinkled as if disturbed from sleep. "The cult won't gain even a single inch of our land in the center." "You…!" "And you call the Heavenly Demon a god?" Baek Woo-jin chuckled coldly. "Ridiculous." He knew her well. "She is also human. The kindest and warmest person I've ever known." "You...?" Confusion washed over Jin Mi-yeon's face. Her suspicion, momentarily quelled, rekindled as he spoke of the Heavenly Demon as if he knew her from long ago. "Could it be...you and the Master...?" Even in death, she wanted to know that one thing. What was the relationship between him and the Heavenly Demon? But Baek Woo-jin, with a sly smile, shrugged as if he wouldn't even grant her that. "Who knows?" He wished not to grant the departing villain any sense of relief. He wanted her to lament her life, filled with regret and yearning. "Find out for yourself in the afterlife, you defeated fool." "Ugh…! In the afterlife, I'll... curse... you..." Finally, the last flicker of life within her extinguished, leaving her unable to finish her sentence. She died on the blackened slope, unable even to close her eyes. --- **Author's Note** I'm sorry for not posting yesterday. My concentration was so poor since last evening that finishing even one chapter was quite difficult. It felt like my mind was half elsewhere, drifting away... I'll do my best to make up for the lack with well-prepared chapters to come. I'll see you in the next one. Thank you as always for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)