I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 126

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 126.  

The remnants were on the verge of death.  

If left alone, they would die. But Seol-yeong had no intention of leaving them be.  

“Aaaaagh!”  

Cory, Kendra, and the others—  

A pure white energy-like substance was escaping from all of their bodies. There was no need to explain what it was.  

Their souls.  

‘A spirit that manipulates souls.’  

Seol-yeong was forcibly extracting the souls from the dying remnants.  

How would it feel to have one’s soul ripped out? I couldn’t even begin to imagine how excruciating it must be.  

“Huff!”  

The remnants’ bodies soon went limp.  

Seol-yeong carved an unknown mark into the forcibly extracted souls and sent them upward.  

The souls disappeared as if being dragged somewhere.  

“…….”  

Though it was all just part of the setting.  

In Heroes Road, the spirit world exists, and within it are those who oversee reincarnation.  

They decide what form a soul will reincarnate into based on what the person did in their lifetime.  

That mark, as far as I know, is a brand that has an extremely negative effect on reincarnation.  

‘I suppose this is the best revenge it can manage.’  

Yoo Baek-jun smirked bitterly.  

“Do you feel better now?”  

—…….  

Seol-yeong gave no answer.  

It simply followed the traces of the vanished souls.  

Yoo Baek-jun lifted it up with one hand.  

“Let’s go back.”  

—Uung.  

Seol-yeong glanced at Yoo Baek-jun’s face before burrowing into his embrace.  

“We’ll go see your parent someday.”  

Yoo Baek-jun stroked Seol-yeong’s head, and it soon fell asleep.  

It had overexerted itself.  

‘I don’t know if this was the right thing to do.’  

That was the thought that crossed his mind as he watched her sleep.  

It was something that had to be done eventually.  

Only by properly closing the past could Seol-yeong move forward.  

“Young master.”  

“Hm, Park Chan-kyung.”  

How much time had passed?  

Park Chan-kyung one of the swordsmen cleaning up the area,  approached and began his report.  

“The disposal of the bodies is complete. What should we do with the Treasure Hunters’ hideout?”  

“Dispose of it. Burn it or tear it down.”  

“Understood.”  

The remnants from earlier were the last.  

There would be no one left to visit the Treasure Hunters’ hideout now.  

Yoo Baek-jun stared intently at Park Chan-kyung.  

“Is something the matter?”  

“I heard you want to follow me.”  

“That is my goal, and I am striving toward it.”  

“It’ll be dangerous.”  

It’s by no means an easy task.  

The situation within the family is chaotic, and Yoo Tae-rang could bare his fangs at any moment.  

People like Han Seong-ah, Yoon Song-ha, and Min Yi-jae possess such overwhelming personal combat prowess that they could fend off Yoo Tae-rang’s attacks, but…  

‘These guys… their talent is certainly exceptional. But can they hold out until then?’  

These two were different.  

That’s why he was worried. Was he dragging innocent disciples of nature into danger?  

“I’ve already steeled myself.”  

“If that’s the case, then I have nothing more to say…”  

His resolve was firm.  

Yoo Baek-jun let out a small sigh.  

“Be wary of Yoo Tae-rang. And those under him, too. You never know when they might try to harm you.”  

“Yes.”  

“They might even try to recruit you to their side. But as for that…”  

Yoo Baek-jun glanced at Park Chan-kyung in front of him and Cheon Min-ju, who was tidying up inside.  

“I trust you.”  

“I won’t let you down.”  

Park Chan-kyung nodded with unwavering determination. 

He was utterly reliable.  

“W-whoa! I’m falling!”  

Crash!  

Cheon Min-ju was hopelessly unsteady, but Yoo Baek-jun and Park Chan-kyung sighed in unison.  

* * *  

For a while, Yoo Baek-jun attended gatherings hosted by Vincent, flaunting his wealth.  

‘Look at me! I’m rich and gullible!’

That was the image he projected— So they’d want to squeeze more money out of him, and in doing so, bring him along to higher-rank meetings.

With that hope, he poured money under the guise of donations, and it didn’t take long for him to see results.  

“The meeting location… has changed?”  

—Yes, that’s correct. I’ll send you a map via text, so from now on, please come there.  

“Understood.”  

Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes gleamed.  

Until now, the meetings had always been held in similar locations, but this time, the venue had completely changed.  

He had been invited to a high-level gathering.  

“Damn, how much money did I spend?”  

Yoo Baek-jun suppressed his anger.  

Though money was something he had in abundance, spending it like this didn’t sit well with him.  

Was it anger, though?  

“Tsk… I’ll get it all back.”  

He had recovered expensive treasures from the remnants of the Treasure Hunters he dealt with yesterday.  

That had improved his mood slightly, but the losses were still far too great.  

He planned to recoup all the losses after wiping out the Cult of Resurrection.  

—Growl, nyaaang!  

Beside Yoo Baek-jun, who was lost in thought, Seol-yeong purred and rolled around.  

Tumbling here and there without a care.  

‘Has it already recovered?’  

Seol-yeong had been gloomy for a day but returned to its usual self the next day.  

—Seol-yeong, are you okay?  

—Mew?  

The fairy, who had been worried about it all day, was baffled by how quickly its mood had shifted.  

Whether it had genuinely recovered or was just pretending, he couldn’t tell.  

But at least outwardly, it seemed fine.  

‘If it has recovered, that’s all that matters.’  

Once this Cult of Resurrection event was over, he planned to visit the spirit world. Meeting Seol-ho would surely help it tremendously.  

“I heard you called for me…”  

“Gasp!”  

—Myaaang?!  

Min Yi-jae suddenly popped out of the wall. Yoo Baek-jun suppressed his pounding heart and It wasn’t out of excitement.  

“For heaven’s sake, say something before you appear! There’s a door? Knock first!”  

“This is… faster…”  

“I don’t get how this is faster!”  

“You told me to come secretly…”  

Yoo Baek-jun let out a deep sigh.  

He had indeed asked for secrecy, but did he have to appear like this every time?  

He seated Min Yi-jae across from him.  

“So, why did you call me…?”  

“Listen carefully. I’ll tell you in detail about the foolish things I’ve been doing.”  

After summoning Min Yi-jae, Yoo Baek-jun recounted everything that had happened with Vincent.  

“…It feels like I’m watching someone in a cult waste money.”  

“Glad you noticed.”  

“I’ve heard the story. What do you need me to do…?”  

Vincent Wheeler held secret meetings with his followers.  

There, he brainwashed them, making them offer more for his cause.  

“I’ve gained quite a bit of trust there.”  

“…Should I congratulate you?”  

“Congratulate me for what? It’s a cult. They’re just hyenas eyeing my wallet.”  

“You must have a reason for showing those hyenas bait. Right…?”  

Exactly.  

Yoo Baek-jun leaned back deeply into his chair.  

“Right, I bought their trust with money. To them, I’m just a gullible fool who’s fallen for their religion… someone who follows their words obediently.”  

“So…?”  

“Thanks to that, I can now attend their high-rank meetings. What I wanted was the ‘location’ where those meetings are held. And now I know.”  

Yoo Baek-jun smiled quietly.  

“I’ll go and play the fool. Meanwhile, your job is just one thing.”  

He raised his index finger.  

“Go underground at the meeting location and gather information.”  

“What kind of information should I gather…?”  

“Everything you can.”  

“That’s a tough request…”  

Yoo Baek-jun tilted his head.  

“So, can you do it or not?”  

A provocative remark.  

His intention was obvious, and Min Yi-jae smirked.  

Utterly eerily.  

“Of course. That’s… my specialty.”  

* * *  

The high-rank meeting was held on a deserted island.  

A traditional Korean hanok stood on the remote island, where the gathering took place.  

“Hahaha! It’s been a while.”  

“Mr. Do Gi-pyo! You look healthier every time I see you.”  

“Oh, not at all. Just yesterday, I was at the hospital…”  

Several people chatted noisily as they entered the meeting place.  

They seemed to already know each other well.  

‘There aren’t many people.’  

The previous meetings had been packed, but this one was noticeably smaller.  

Instead, there were far more bodyguards.  

‘They’re on guard.’  

They seemed to be preparing for any unforeseen incidents.  

Yoo Baek-jun glanced around.  

‘And they’ve even set up perception-blocking magic…’  

To the outside world, it would be impossible to tell a meeting was happening here.  

That’s how many precautions they’d taken.  

“Mr. Yoo Baek-jun… confirmed.”  

“Welcome. Please come inside.”  

After showing his invitation to the bodyguards stationed outside, he was allowed in.  

They weren’t ordinary bodyguards.  

Probably hunters.  

“Hmm.”  

There were bodyguards inside as well, along with staff supporting the meeting.  

But these staff members weren’t ordinary either.  

‘These guys… I can sense power from them.’  

A bitter smile flickered across Yoo Baek-jun’s lips.  

Just how much did they have to hide that even the staff here were empowered?  

It was intriguing.  

“Would you like a glass of wine?”  

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”  

Yoo Baek-jun accepted the wine offered by the staff.  

“Drinking wine in a hanok. It’s quite charming, don’t you think?”  

“I agree.”  

The staff member smiled professionally before leaving.  

Yoo Baek-jun sipped the wine.  

A high-quality vintage. Not bad.  

‘I hope this is the last time I have to attend these damn meetings…’  

But that probably wouldn’t be the case.  

“Ah, you’re the famous Yoo Baek-jun…”  

“I heard you met with Yoo Tae-rang before…”  

“They say you played a major role during the Seoul Great Invasion. Could you tell us about it…?”  

“I’m interested in the demon realm’s ores…”  

The gathering itself was nothing special.  

Just mingling with attendees, making connections, and casually drinking.  

Most were prominent business figures or renowned experts in their fields, so the conversations were high-level.  

But still.  

‘I’d have to understand them first.’  

Yoo Baek-jun smiled and deflected whenever someone spoke to him. He had nothing to say anyway.  

He wasn’t here to socialize.  

‘Every time there was a meeting, Vincent would drop hints to me.’  

In their private conversations, he’d test the waters with probing questions.  

About religion, belief in gods, things like that.  

Yoo Baek-jun had responded positively to all of them.  

That’s why he was invited here.  

“Mr. Yoo Baek-jun.”  

Finally, the man himself approached.  

Vincent smiled as he greeted Yoo Baek-jun.  

“I’m glad you attended today’s meeting. You’ve been coming so often lately that I thought you might skip today, but I’m pleased you’re here.”  

“Of course. I’ve grown fond of these meetings. They’re quite comforting.”  

“Is that so?”  

Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly.  

“Yes, the discussions about gods… the one about the god who governs the afterlife was particularly interesting. The God of Death, was it?”  

“Thanatos.”  

A god from another world.  

Yoo Baek-jun knew all about him but pretended otherwise in front of Vincent.  

“A profoundly merciful being. He grants the weak the strength to overcome adversity and gives those who mourn the dead a chance to reunite…”  

Vincent whispered into Yoo Baek-jun’s ear.  

“Mr. Yoo Baek-jun, you’ve told me many times. That you wish to see your deceased mother again.”  

“I did.”  

“If there were a way… what would you do?”  

“…….”  

Vincent’s eyes gleamed strangely.