Past Life Returner

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[LV: 641 (24.29%)]

After enjoying a satisfying meal, I noticed the sun beginning to rise. The campsite was slowly being tidied up, and members of the exploration team who had not joined my side were being relocated, while those who chose to follow me wore somber expressions.

The majority of those who resisted and were forcibly taken away were priests, known for their unwavering faith. Their fate depended on the occupying group, whether they would be traded as slaves or executed.

Seong-Il got up as he saw me, then approached me. It appeared that the side where he was had been settled as well. Since the translator application struggled to interpret the Dragorin language into Korean, Ipo was the one who explained everything to Seong-Il.

Seong-Il glanced at the mana stones rolling in the tent, then grinned.

“I cannot fully repay your kindness, but I will ensure you are well-fed. You must hasten everything upon your return. Take care of yourself. I will bring much more next time I visit you.”

Seong-Il climbed down the mountain accompanied by the President of Finance’s grandson. Leaders from other groups also said bye and started leaving. However, the extreme tension lingered.

Those affiliated with the Atreus Empire were concerned about their families and their future due to defecting. Some felt guilty for abandoning their faith, while others felt unease due to the newcomers joining the camp.

Consequently, everyone whispered nonstop whenever they had a chance, and it was the same when they extracted stones.

The sun was already up, casting its warm glow over the campsite. The laborers were diligently engaged in preparing breakfast. Their exhausted faces, appearing as though they had aged significantly in just one night, conveyed their wish to never experience such a night again.

Ipo said as he showed the list, “There are a total of 613 people.”

A number of new priests joined our group, along with many individuals skilled in deciphering ancient texts who possessed a vast knowledge of the region’s history, despite not being priests themselves.

Regrettably, they often faced harsh treatment from the Awakened groups. The governing methods of each group varied across occupied territories, but the mistreatment of priests remained consistent.

Their faces still bore bruises. They limped and were depressed, cautiously looking at their surroundings. Their disheveled appearance served as a stark lesson for the existing exploration teams.

Nonetheless, it was not solely due to their state that no one tried to go against me. The exploration teams had seen my position here with their own eyes. They would have fled if they wanted to, but they would have never imagined fighting me.

The camp had 614 people, including me. Despite being the only ‘Demon King,’ that was the reason why no one even tried to challenge me, whether their defection was sincere or not. Having a huge change in the team would be unnecessary and bothersome in the future.

I said after calling Ipo over, “It would be better to build the headquarters here instead of moving again. What do you think?”

“Thank you for asking. I had the same thought, sir.”

I added, “There are many injured people, and they are a burden right now. Tell the priests they are allowed to use their powers.”

Ipo’s face was swollen, causing one of his eyes to appear half-closed.

“The entire exploration team will deeply appreciate your benevolence, sir. And…”

“What is it?” I asked.

“It is about exploration. You mentioned the possibility of a significant ancient artifact hidden in this area…but I was wondering if you had acquired this information through a reliable source or if someone had shared it with you. Your answer would greatly assist us,” Ipo explained.

With the ancient documents and the personnel for their study secured, there was no need for further delays.

“Very well,” I responded.

There was a reason why the Barien Empire had maintained a cooperative relationship with the expedition team for generations. Ipo was taken aback for two reasons. Firstly, several large sheets of paper materialized in my empty hand. Secondly, they turned out to be a treasure map, considered the most exceptional among all the records of Saint Cassian. They were documents detailing the events of the War of New Devil, one of the items collected by the association.

***

As always, there was no actual map drawn on the paper. However, the three pages were bound together in a sequential order. The pages described how they lured Entegasto to the grand altar that had not been discovered or stored in a secret place.

These three pages were recorded after that event. They demonstrated the events leading up to the encounter between Entegasto and Jayden in the grand temple from Cassian’s perspective. It was a remarkable coincidence.

Anyway, the Great Black and White were supposed to have confronted Entegasto alongside Jayden according to the record. Nonetheless, I had personally confirmed that only Jayden’s and Entegasto’s traces remained on the altar.

At that point, Ipo was flipping through the second page.

「Black gave an excuse.

“The Demon King of the Dead appeared with the skulls of Silver and Blue. I believed we needed to strategize our next move since our plan had been exposed, but the Great Red refused.”

However, who considers that as an excuse? Since when did Black and White act independently? At that moment, I felt frustrated that I couldn’t proceed directly to the grand altar.

After hearing Black’s excuse, I asked.

“Then, where is White?”

Then, Black answered with a face full of guilt, “White is dead.”」

The first page provided sufficient information to make an educated guess about the whereabouts of the grand altar. Consistently, the third page detailed the perplexing demise of the Great White, as narrated through Black’s excuses.

Ipo then turned to the third page. He indeed was talented at deciphering ancient texts.

“T… This…this is…”

He raised his head with an astonished gaze and locked his intense stare with mine. It seemed as though his thoughts were solely consumed by the revelations he had gleaned from the record.

Then, he hastily lowered his head, but his voice did not immediately find its way out. He fixed his gaze on the ground without blinking.

Saint Cassian, Jayden, the ancient dragons, and Holy Knights… Among them all, the account of two ancient dragons betraying Red out of fear of the Demon King was definitely a shocking truth to behold.

Despite the brevity of the three pages, there was another underlying implication. The fact that a hierarchy existed among the dragons was astonishing. Although this alone did not ascertain whether Jayden or Cassian held a higher position, it was evident that the remaining dragons were subordinates.

The Barien Empire had hidden such truth. Not just them, but the Old One’s Orders, other strong nations, and Holy Knight families must have ruled their people while concealing negative truths for generations.

But why did Cassian leave such records?

Ipo’s quiet voice broke into my thoughts.

“...There exists a formidable nation known as the Exile Empire.”

He continued to whisper, “It encompasses an imperial domain delineated by the Pateria Strait. Beyond that strait lies a land where numerous cities are united. Each city’s ruler is referred to as a Mayer, and Mayer Vivatus is one of them. Near his domain…”

I interrupted, “The Temple of the Primordial Deities.”

“Yes, sir. That is right.”

Ipo continued, being immersed in legendary stories, “That place may hold greater value than the Great White’s tomb. The legend of the Temple of the Primordial Deities is renowned even amongst us, sir.”

I recognized that his story would become lengthy, so I passed by him. That site had already been excavated, and Caso had told me this before.

However, it appeared that Ipo had become engrossed in the legend, momentarily forgetting the warning he had received from Seong-Il. Well…but it was understandable. It was the very aspiration he had harbored throughout his entire life. An explorer’s dream now laid vividly before his eyes.

He asked further, “Is this expedition…of personal interest to your emperor?”

My various titles such as ‘The Demon King Who Heralds the Night’ and ‘Fifth Demon King’ had now changed into ‘the Emperor.’

“Yes.”

I returned to the tent as numerous areas of Mana still remained to be explored in order to unlock the ultimate restrictions on my Power.

***

Ipo’s enthusiasm grew, undoubtedly believing that if the water had already been spilled, he would rather gain my trust and even capture the attention of the ‘Emperor.’ He had always possessed ambition. Once he had made up his mind, he acted as a true member of the Demon Corps.

From the very first day of resuming the expedition, he began to wield his whip. By the fifth day, he had even crafted a new frame for it. The whip was then replaced with a thicker one.

Snap!

As the skin was torn, the cries of the priests grew louder. The frequency and intensity of their beatings and whippings escalated, but they deserved it. Some had feigned reading the ancient documents, while others even attempted to escape.

What was certain was that the progress of the expedition had accelerated under Ipo’s unrelenting whipping. There was no doubt that the tomb of the Great White lay somewhere nearby. Ipo had even presented me with clear evidence, perhaps realizing that his own life could be at risk if he failed to produce results.

If it were Yeon-Hee, then she would have quickly discerned Ipo’s true intentions, but they were of little significance to me.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The whipping didn’t sound like it would cease soon. As I rose to my feet, Ipo halted his whipping and spat on the ground. Not only him, but everyone in the camp reacted to my movement. It was at that moment that a presence, not the one in the camp, rushed into the camp. It could be Seong-Il or someone else who had equivalent power to him.

As I heightened my Sense, I confirmed that it was the big guy, Seong-Il.

- Seong-Il: Problem! There is… a problem!

His voice carried an immense urgency. I struggled to recall a single instance when he had raised such a commotion over even something significant. Above all, he didn’t end with just a fuss. His voice was filled with a sobbing sound.

I threw myself toward the direction he was coming from, and my heart sank. I kept convincing myself that it couldn’t happen, but I shivered with an ominous hunch.

- Seon-Hu: It is not about Mary, is it?

- Seong-Il: I am so sorry…

What? What is it?

It was an answer that I never wanted to hear even in a dream. For a moment, my vision went pitch black, and I couldn’t even remember what I had said.

- Seon-Hu: What did you say? What the hell is going on with Yeon-Hee??>!!!

I was shouting like that at the end. Then, Seong-Il came into my sight. The process of his figure becoming clear was as slow as the film development. Eventually, when his face came into my view, he was at a loss with surprised tears in his eyes.

He hugged me for a long time, and his voice sounded like a stretched video tape being played back.

“What should we do? Mary noona…she is…dying… I don’t know how she is doing right now…”