Chapter 127: Together With Yu Il-Shin

Being betrayed by Lin Xiaoming and the Three Martial Association left a deep scar in Kang Woo. After losing most of his comrades, he could barely escape himself. Even then, he was killed by the assassins of the Three Martial Association, also known as Black Demons.

Ding!

[Kang Woo’s Fate Restoration is successful.]

[You have 4 Fate Restoration chances left.]

For the third time, Kang Woo was back in his workshop, determined not to fail this time round.

The Three Martial Association had betrayed him at the last moment. The Guardian of Fire and Blacksmith warned him about the otherworldly gods that backed them before his regression began.

These gods taught Qigong-type Hunters the original martial arts. In truth, they were egocentric trash who only cared about their well-being and interests. Their purpose was to gather as many offerings as possible so they could leave this world before doomsday arrived.

During his second regression, they targeted Apostle Gustav and sacrificed Kang Woo’s comrades.

Damn it! Now I have to deal with gods from other worlds too?!

Despite being in despair, Kang Woo had no other choice. To defeat the Three Martial Association, he purposefully targeted Lin Xiaoming. Knowing she’d always harbored animosity toward the organization, he did everything within his means to bribe her. He even offered the handsome S-rank Hunter Shin Yoo, a celebrity who was extremely popular even in China.

Kang Woo almost died a few times because Lin Xiaoming was such a wild card. But eventually, he managed to use her to slowly destroy the organization from within.

-Lowly cretins, you dare to challenge the gods? The sheer arrogance!

-Hehe. Know your place, insects!

-Keeheehee! The prey are coming to me on their own!

Finally, they came face to face with the pinnacles of the Three Martial Association: Sword Martial, Dagger Martial, and Fist Martial. True enough, they were abysmal beings. Kang Woo's side ultimately won, though it came at the cost of Lin Xiaoming and most of her comrades.

“Haa...! Haa...!”

Kang Woo had lost both his arms in the process. As a master craftsman, he’d basically lost everything, but he’d endure it if it meant saving the world.

Kang Woo trampled on the three Martials’ masks.

Crack!

“This time for sure!”

Although the sacrifice was too great, Kang Woo honestly believed he’d completely prevented the destruction of the world. Yet, his despair was far from over.

-Krrr! It’s mother’s enemy! Brace yourself!

Gustav’s legacy, his children, all hundred of them came for Kang Woo. Each of them had the power of an S-rank Hunter, and their leader Alpha, was at least an SS-rank.

“...Hahaha.” Kang Woo was in utter disbelief.

Crunch! Crunch!

Missing both arms, the helpless Kang Woo was eaten alive by the enraged crocodiles.

[Kang Woo’s Fate Restoration is successful.]

[You have 3 Fate Restoration chances left.]

On the fourth regression...

I can’t take on all of them, so instead...!

Taking on Johan, Gustav, the Three Martial Association, and Gustav’s children was simply too much to ask. So, he decided to pit them against each other and be the final one standing.

In order to achieve that, Kang Woo befriended his mortal enemy, Johan, and even joined the Three Martial Association. He managed to turn them against each other as planned. When he thought he’d succeeded, the unthinkable happened.

Rip! Riiip!

The world split open.

A second SSS-rank gate appeared, with the first being the Despair Dragon incident.

-Ahaha! Bow before your new emperor and god! I’m the sovereign of all worlds!

An otherworldly god, claiming to be The Emperor, descended upon the world with his army of insects.

“Aaaargh!”

“Hyiii! Save me!”

A tsunami of red bugs engulfed the world. Kang Woo looked down in dismay, dropping the cigarette in hand.

-Goddess, could this be the guardian of this world?

-Ohoho, seems like it, Buttor.

-Keekee, give me your blood!

A few bugs outside the window were staring at him. A spider, moth, mosquito, fly, and even a praying mantis.

“Fuck! Seriously?!” He spontaneously spat out a cuss.

The bugs claiming to be the Ten Swords killed Kang Woo.

[Kang Woo’s Fate Restoration is successful.]

[You have 2 Fate Restoration chances left.]

On the fifth regression...

“Fight me, you damn bastards!”

As soon as he woke up in his workshop, Kang Woo was naturalized as a citizen of the US.

And after a year and three months...

Rip! Riiip!

An SSS-rank gate opened in the empty Seoul.

--Ahaha! Bow before your new emperor and god! ...Huh?

Swooosh!

A giant, elongated mass of iron flew toward The Emperor and his army, spewing ferocious flames on one end. Moreover, there wasn’t just one of them.

More than a hundred of those missiles filled the sky, raining down on the army.

-Outrageous! Do you think this will stop me, a new god?!

The self-proclaimed “Emperor” snorted, unleashing his power on the missiles. A blast of heat that could even melt diamonds engulfed them in an instant, but...

-W-what?

The emperor was taken aback.

They weren’t just any ordinary missiles—they were Ragnaroks, a super-strategic weapon created by the US. They were humanity’s last weapon, deployed in case nuclear strikes against the gates and the monsters that emerged failed.

Ruuumble— Bang!

They exploded in unison, engulfing everything in its radius. True to their name, it was as if the world had ended.

It can’t be helped.

As he watched Seoul being decimated into a giant crater from the White House, Kang Woo bit his lips so hard that it almost bled. Although the citizens in the area had been evacuated, his heart ached regardless. The realization that his hometown had been wiped off the face of earth hit him.

But no matter how much love he had for his hometown, he couldn’t trade it for the safety of humanity. This was something he had to live with.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

In spite of that, Kang Woo’s nightmare still didn’t end. The indiscriminate bombing awakened something that had been slumbering for a long time. The Despair Dragon, the God of Destroyer’s third apostle, who had brought upon despair onto the world in the past.

This Despair Dragon was different from all the enemies Kang Woo had faced. He was both an apostle and an alter ego of the God of Destroyer. Yet the Ragnarok, the weapon originally invented to slay him, proved to be ineffective.

-Kyaaaa!

Kang Woo was eventually burned to death in the White House by the dragon’s random breath of fire.

[Kang Woo’s Fate Restoration is successful.]

[You have 1 Fate Restoration chance left.]

On his sixth regression, Kang Woo grew further dispirited after failing time and time again. In any of his past regressions, his death had been anything but peaceful. Whenever he thought he’d prevailed against destruction, fate would slap him with even greater hardships and sacrifice the people around him.

But since this was his final chance, he couldn’t afford to stop.

I have to do everything that I can now.

Kang Woo changed his mind. Humanity was like an ant before an elephant compared to the Despair Dragon. And for such insignificant beings to slay the dragon, they’d need to transcend both good and evil.

Kang Woo succeeded in capturing Johan, who seemed accepting of reformation. He also captured Gustav alive, and offered it as a sacrifice to bargain with the gods of the Three Martial Association. He naturalized in the United States, where he used his Hunter Shop to gain the trust of the leaders. After that, he used Sung Mi-Na’s mind control ability to turn them into his puppets. He recruited every S-rank Hunter and above worldwide, even forcing those who refused to stay.

This marked the emergence of an unprecedented, unstoppable power in human history. Wielding such a power, Kang Woo tried to use it to stand against the incoming destruction, but...

“Cough...!”

Kang Woo coughed up blood, staring in disbelief at the blade that pierced his chest. The ones who killed him weren’t the underlings of the God of Destroyer, but the Hunters whom he had trusted the most, his closest allies: SSS-rank Hunter Royce, and SS-rank Hunter Jack White.

On his last breath, a black and white-haired beauty looked down at him with a frigid gaze.

“You... have gone too far.”

“Even if it were for a good cause, sacrificing people to evil gods is unacceptable. Is that your definition of justice?”

“I-I...”

Amidst his fading consciousness, Kang Woo desperately opened his mouth, trying to come up with an excuse. The entire time, his comrades stared at him with disgust and contempt.

Thus, Kang Woo’s sixth regression ended in failure.

[Kang Woo’s Fate Restoration is successful.]

[You have 0 Fate Restoration chance left.]

Kang Woo was now on his seventh regression. He had no chance left. He’d also given up on saving the world. As the Guardian of Fire and Blacksmith said, no matter how hard he tried, an insignificant mortal like him was bound to fail.

Hence, Kang Woo decided to give up everything and just enjoy the rest of this last life. Kang Woo looked at the youth before him with a faltering gaze. In his six previous regressions, which spanned over fifteen years, Yu Il-Shin never once appeared.

Who on earth is this man?

Although he had turned his back on the world, he hadn't turned a blind eye to everything.

This youth appeared like a comet, stopping both Johan and Gustav. According to rumors, he might’ve been involved in the recent disappearance of the Three Martial Association. None of this had ever happened in Kang Woo’s past regressions.

“Regressor Kang Woo, serve me.”

“Keke. If you serve me, I’ll grant you a single wish.”

Yu Il-Shin’s attitude might’ve changed, but Kang Woo could still sense the absolute majesty and power from him. Undoubtedly, this was the same man who’d saved him and killed the crocodile monster earlier. His aura was awfully similar to the Guardian of Fire and Blacksmith.

Kang Woo asked warily, “Are you... a god by any chance?”

Yu Il-Shin, who’d been listening to his story for some time, didn’t respond. Then, Yu Il-Shin lowered his head, covering his face, and remained silent.

“I wish to prevent the destruction of this world! Won’t you grant my wish?!”

Despite knowing how foolish it was, Kang Woo couldn’t help himself. He pleaded with Yu Il-Shin, who was like a lifeline dangling into hell.

Yu Il-Shin still didn’t reply.

Plop!

Kang Woo dropped to his knees before Yu Il-Shin, bowing, “Please! I’ll give my life to you!”

Hot tears streamed down Kang Woo’s face, soaking Yu Il-Shin’s feet.

-Kyaa! Kyaa!

Just then, cute, tiny angels appeared from nowhere. They hugged Kang Woo tightly, as if comforting him. Kang Woo stared in amazement at the angels, who seemed like a miracle.

Yu Il-Shin lowered the hand that covered his face. Seeing Kang Woo’s past lives firsthand, he understood Kang Woo’s desperation more than anyone else in the world. Although no one would ever know this, Kang Woo was the true hero of mankind.

“I’m not sure if I can prevent destruction...” Yu Il-Shin looked up, overflowing with tears, and continued, “let’s work hard together, Mr. Kang Woo.”

Tzzz!

A dazzling white light shot out from behind Yu Il-Shin like a halo.

“Aah...” Kang Woo grabbed Yu Il-Shin’s hand with his own trembling hands.

Ding!

[Kang Woo has become your temporary apostle.]

[You will gain Kang Woo’s faith if you can save the world by stopping the impending doom.]

[As the apostle of Guardian of Fire and Blacksmith, the causality that Kang Woo has accumulated across his past regressions is equivalent to 10 S-rank beings. But since he’s a temporary apostle, the value is halved.]

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[Quest: Mid-tier Benevolent God Promotion (In Progress)]

Normal followers: 210,219,666/10,000,000,000

Followers of S-rank or higher intelligent beings with potential for transcendence: 43(↑5)/100

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***

I pondered after noting down all the factors of destruction through Kang Woo’s memories. I’d taken care of Johan, Gustav, and the evil gods behind the Three Martial Association. Then, the next in line would be the children of Gustav, which caused the failure of Kang Woo’s third regression.