Two Thousand Years Ago – Ninth Hell, Domain of Wrath
In the Ninth Hell of the Nine Hells Domain, where the vengeful and wrathful were cast after death, the atmosphere seethed with centuries of hatred. Each of the Nine Hells had its ruler—one hell, one throne. Yet not a single one of them could match the being that now stood at their gates.
"To think the heavens would reject my ascension," the man muttered, voice calm but heavy with contempt. "How sickening."
He stood alone, but his presence overshadowed even the chaos around him. Baek Ri-hyun—once destined to sit above the heavens—now forged a domain beneath even the lowest pits of hell. From his overwhelming power, a Tenth Hell was born, a domain carved through divine rejection and martial might.
"To think you would all unite against me," Ri-hyun continued, facing the nine rulers of the underworld who had joined forces in fear. "Go on, show me the power of the gods' dogs. Let me witness the combined might of Hell's sovereigns."
But fear triumphed over pride. Instead of attacking, the rulers wavered. They turned, not out of loyalty, but survival.
That day, the underworld of the Murim Realm changed forever. The thrones of hell no longer belonged to many—but to one.
Baek Ri-hyun, the Faceless Asura King, became sovereign of the dead.
---
Present Day – Magical Battlefield
"Gyze."
Baek Ri-hyun uttered the incantation in a calm tone, barely audible over the clash of magical winds.
A pillar of light erupted from beneath his feet. The military-grade spell activated instantly, assigning battlefield roles to those bound to him. It was a tactical incantation—Gyze—meant to bolster his allies by dividing them into classes: King, Guardian, Mage, Healer, Summoner, Cavalier, and Shaman.
"I'll be the Guardian!" Misa Illiorogue exclaimed, her voice full of energy and purpose.
"Then I guess I'm the Cavalier!" Lay shouted, already sprinting toward the enemy fortress, sword raised high.
Misa extended both hands. "Iris!"
A lattice of glowing sigils formed before her as she used creation magic to shape a defensive structure. In a matter of moments, a majestic fortress bloomed from light and stone around them.
"Magic still surprises me," Ri-hyun mused, watching the process with quiet amusement.
Elsewhere, another player slipped into the shadows—Anos Voldigoad, vanishing without a word, leaving Sasha and Misha to face Lay on their own.
"Sasha," Misha said, watching the horizon, "Lay has arrived."
"I'll handle him," Sasha replied, already preparing her spells. "Start the activation sequence for Jio Graze."
She vanished in a flash of teleportation.
Lay grinned as Sasha appeared before him. "Be careful, Sasha. I don't hold back against women."
Without waiting, he charged. Their blades met in a fury of light and sparks.
Back at the fortress, Ri-hyun and Misa watched the clash through a hovering magical screen.
"Misa," Ri-hyun said, eyes narrowing. "I'm heading out for a bit."
"What? Where are you going?"
"Trust me. If I don't stop him, we lose this war."
He didn't wait for a response. With the sound of a war drum that never beat, he disappeared from the grand chamber.
Misa clenched her fists, staring at the screen. "Is he talking about… Anos? What am I supposed to do here alone…"
---
On a Hill Near the Battlefield
The wind stirred gently, brushing past two figures facing one another atop a grassy hill far from the fortress.
"It's been two thousand years, Ri-hyun," Anos said, smiling faintly.
"So. Have you achieved it?" Ri-hyun asked. "The peace you sacrificed so much for."
"You've grown far more talkative since your reincarnation," Anos replied. "But to think someone could kill the Martial God…"
"I didn't die," Ri-hyun said. "I was unprepared. Nosgalia's abilities caught me off-guard. I hadn't adapted to the laws of this realm."
"And now?"
"Now," Ri-hyun said, stepping forward, "I believe I can surpass even my prime self."
The air thickened as the two titans stared each other down.
Then, reality shifted.
Anos blinked—and found himself standing in the heart of a battlefield. A war-scarred wasteland, soaked in memory but devoid of consequence.
"No need to worry," Ri-hyun said. "It's just a mental domain. A place where we can release our power without affecting the real world."
Anos grinned. "Then I'll take your offer."
He drew his adamantium sword, surging forward in a blur. Their weapons collided with a thunderclap. Ri-hyun met the blow effortlessly, countering with a sharp upward slash.
"You still use the style I taught you," Ri-hyun said.
"Of course I do."
Anos leaped into the air, conjuring multiple spheres of dark, blazing energy—miniature suns charged with demonic power.
"Jio Graze!"
Ri-hyun responded instantly.
12 Cosmic Sutras: Forge.
His origin qi hardened into a crystalline shell that engulfed him, forming a fortress of energy. The suns collided with explosive force—but the Sutra held.
"I expected more," Ri-hyun said.
Anos extended his arm, summoning a second spell.
"Gia Gleas."
From the sky, a meteor shower descended. Stars screamed as they tore through the atmosphere and battered the Sutra. One by one, the defenses cracked, then shattered.
The ground was consumed by dust and fire.
When the smoke cleared, Ri-hyun was gone.
Suddenly—Boom!
He reappeared above Anos, his face obscured by the Mask of Wrath, one of the 36 Asura Masks. Empowered by fury, he slammed a fist into Anos, sending him crashing to the ground.
Anos stood, armor dented, blood trickling from his lip.
"The battle is over," he said calmly.
Ri-hyun turned his gaze to the magical world beyond the illusion—and his heart sank.
The real battlefield. His castle. Gone. Reduced to rubble by the Jio Graze that Misha had unleashed during their duel.
He exhaled.
"I see. So it's my loss."
Ri-hyun descended, landing beside Anos.
"Looks like I'll be joining your little clique. Take care of me, will you?"
Anos stared at the horizon. "I'll grant that request."
"What? But I lost."
"I'm not so heartless as to ignore a friend's wish," Anos said. "Especially not one I once asked to die for me."
Ri-hyun paused. "Then… apologize."
Silence passed between them. The wind picked up again.
"I'm sorry," Anos said softly. "For asking my friend to march into a war that wasn't his."
Ri-hyun's eyes softened. A small, rare smile tugged at his lips.
---
Moments Later
"What are you two doing up here?" Sasha's voice rang out.
They turned to see the others approaching—Sasha, Misha, Lay, and Misa ascending the hill.
"Ri-hyun-san!" Misa called, waving.
"I guess the two of you talked things out," Lay chuckled.
The group gathered under the fading sunlight, the remains of battle behind them, peace beginning to bloom.
But far, far away…
In the Silver Sea, the endless universe that binds all worlds, a rift split open.
From within the abyss, a voice echoed.
"Martial God… I've finally found you."