사신지혼(四神之魂)

Right before my eyes stood Fuxi, exactly as I had seen him on the Land and Earth Diagram. A beautiful young man with hair flowing to his waist! His beauty was so striking that it was impossible to confuse him with anyone else.

I shook myself back to reality and replied to Fuxi.

“Long time no see, huh? You still remember our encounter at the Land and Earth Diagram?”

As I hesitated to ask, Fuxi chuckled and answered.

“Don’t rush the conversation. It’s a long story, so just sit down for now.”

Thump!

As he finished speaking, I realized that both Fuxi and I were now sitting in antique chairs, facing each other.

Wooosh…

The surroundings had transformed into a picturesque hexagonal pavilion, nestled amidst the clouds on towering peaks, enveloped in an elegant atmosphere.

‘Reality manipulation…’

This was something divine beings often did. Moreover, this was Fuxi’s domain, and he was essentially a god here. Having experienced such things often, I wasn’t shocked; instead, I stared at Fuxi intently. When he snapped his fingers, a warm teacup appeared in my hands.

“You must have had quite the ordeal outside. Aren’t you thirsty?”

“…Not particularly.”

The aroma was pleasant, but I didn’t have the energy to focus on the taste right now. I set the teacup down on the table and asked again.

“I’ll ask one more time. Do you remember me from the Land and Earth Diagram?”

“Of course. It’s a significant matter for you, after all.”

Fuxi savored a sip of his warm tea before replying.

“I do. No… It might be more accurate to say that I’ve ‘recently’ come to remember.”

“Hmm!”

As expected!!

The phrase “long time no see” wasn’t just thrown around without reason!

As I was internally astonished, Fuxi continued speaking.

“Originally, you and I were strangers until the Great Cycle began. Naturally, I was unaware of the existence of a person named Baek Woong until recently. But at some point, as the Cycle shifted, another memory seeped into me.”

“Really? What do you mean…?”

“Let me simplify it for you. The achievements you made in the Land and Earth Diagram were reflected in reality.”

“…!!”

So that’s how it is…!!

Nüwa, back when I visited Queen Mother of the West, hinted at something similar.

[…You who move the Cycle… The chaos you can’t even fathom.]

[You have interfered with the ‘dream’ of the universe… causing a transformation in her will….]

[Originally, Nüwa would not have stopped her actions against the Queen Mother; you would have perished or suffered greatly… but Nüwa chose not to. This is the minor yet significant cause-and-effect transformation you created. It is the result of chaos even the emperor could not decipher.]

At that time, I hadn’t fully grasped what those words meant, but after some consideration, it became clear that the events that transpired in the Land and Earth Diagram had a profound impact on Nüwa. And now, Fuxi’s words confirmed it completely.

Feeling tense, I said to Fuxi.

“So that means, entering the Land and Earth Diagram allows one to alter actual history….!!”

“……”

“Isn’t that, in a way, manipulating the Great Cycle?!”

Fuxi gazed at me intently and replied.

“Hmmm… Well, that could be one way to put it, but it’s more of a difference in perspective.”

“Eh?”

“From my point of view, what occurred within the Land and Earth Diagram was undeniably artificial. If the past of the Great Cycle had truly been manipulated, then the subject of that change would be blissfully unaware of such alterations, right? If history were to be overturned, it should be a paradox that the subject doesn’t realize the change has happened.”

“Hmm…”

“However, I am aware that it was transformed by your will, Baek Woong. The same goes for Nüwa. History has changed, yet it hasn’t really changed.”

“……?”

Huh? What is that supposed to mean?

As confusion clouded my mind, Fuxi continued.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“It is strange…”

“Ultimately, the Land and Earth Diagram was a ‘dream’ from start to finish. It isn’t a space that can be interpreted in terms of past, present, and future. In essence… it was merely a ‘dream’ that intervened in reality without history deviating from its course.”

“Wha… what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”

“You, being a mortal, may have become too accustomed to the concept of time to fully grasp it. What I’m saying is that the ‘boundaries’ have blurred.”

Fuxi suddenly held a long blue pipe adorned with a dragon head and leaned against the wide railing. As mist brushed against his ancient robe, I briefly felt someone standing on the pavilion, but when I turned around, there was no one there.

Puff!

He elegantly took a puff from the pipe.

“The ‘dream’ within the Land and Earth Diagram, this ancient ‘dream’, and reality… All of them lack layers or tiers. You entered by accident through the obscured ‘boundaries’, and as those boundaries blurred, the cause-and-effect intertwined. Neither the [past] nor the [future] exists there. Thus, both Nüwa and I distinctly recognized your involvement. This phenomenon is possible precisely because the dream’s seal is controlled by Master Mangnyang.”

“……?”

“Perhaps the one most wronged by this is the emperor. After putting so much effort into his plan, the blurring of the ‘dream’s boundaries’ caused his trump cards to be squandered… His ability to read cause-and-effect became irrelevant.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Hmmm.. Did I make it too complicated? After all, I thought your comrades were clever, so there was no need for me to simplify the explanations for you.”

I was dumbfounded by Fuxi’s bluntness.

“Um, no, please make it a bit clearer…”

“Explaining it simpler would be hard. Wouldn’t it be better to elevate your intelligence instead?”

“……”

Ugh… I had no comeback…

Then Fuxi burst into laughter.

“Well, even if you think you changed the past, that’s not entirely incorrect. In any case, it’s true that you unveiled the emperor’s hidden moves and even sealed them!”

Something clicked in my head, and I managed to regain my composure, forcing a smile.

“…Haha. You certainly don’t seem like the same person I met before.”

Back then, he was erratic and unpredictable, but now he felt different—he seemed to be more freely stating what he wanted to say.

“Well, it has been a good five thousand years since then. During that time, I was sealed away and naturally transformed into a different persona.”

“For a true god, five thousand years is just a moment, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, but being trapped in that seal was no simple matter, even for one who has lived aeons.”

He took another puff and continued.

“I was forcibly awakened by the Outer God’s ‘mask.’”

I flinched at those words.

“A ‘mask’? Please elaborate on that.”

“……”

Fuxi gazed at me intently before speaking.

“Baek Woong, do you believe you possess another personality?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I hesitated, but when I saw the seriousness in Fuxi’s face, I did my best to respond.

“Well… I don’t think so.”

I had never considered myself to have multiple personalities, nor had I shown signs of such.

“Neither do I.”

“You don’t? Aren’t avatars supposed to have different personalities?”

“That’s more akin to playacting. It’s like pretending that an imperfect being called ‘me’ has such personas. No matter how bizarre an avatar might seem, in the end, the essence remains unchanged, and it can’t deviate much from the nature of the main body. Avatars may appear as independent entities, but when they are merged with the main body, they are treated as just a fleeting dream.”

“Hmm…”

So, does that mean the pure nature of the Fire Dragon Incarnate is also significantly influenced by the character of the Shenglong? While I was pondering Fuxi’s words, he continued.

“However, awakening a ‘mask’ is on a different level entirely. It literally forces the creation of another personality. This even applies to gods.”

“Are you saying I’ll have a double personality?”

“If you break it down using human terms, then yes. But if it only ends there, you’d be lucky…”

For the first time, a slightly irritated expression appeared on Fuxi’s face as he gazed into the mist.

“A mask can multiply, and it doesn’t stop until it consumes the main body and establishes itself as the real one.”

“……”

“It takes parts of my power, making it difficult to deal with.”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard and asked incredulously.

“What?”

“That’s the side effect of the ‘mask’ being awakened.”

I hesitated before tentatively suggesting to Fuxi.

“So, if what you’re saying is true, then when you were ambushed by the Hong Gyun Do-in in the past, you were actually fighting against the Hong Gyun Do-in’s ‘mask’, right?”

“Correct.”

Fuxi sighed.

“No matter how powerful an avatar may become, if it isn’t the main body, both Nüwa and I can overwhelm it together. Even if it’s an Outer God… No, because it’s an Outer God, it’s even weaker against the constraints of cause-and-effect. It wasn’t a challenging opponent.”

“Hmm.”

“Nonetheless, I was forcibly sealed because the Hong Gyun Do-in awakened my ‘mask’, creating a version of me in reality.”

“……!!”

“I couldn’t overcome that ‘mask’ on my own. It was… literally another version of myself.”

[Mask]!

I felt disoriented by the unexpected revelations about the ancient truth.

‘I thought the Hong Gyun Do-in, awakened as an avatar, was formidable, but is the ‘mask’ the more significant issue here?’

The strategists had considered that possibility, but the less likely option seemed to have materialized. I cautiously asked Fuxi.

“If you couldn’t defeat it alone, does that mean Nüwa was helping you at the time?”

“Indeed. It was a fortunate stroke of luck.”

Fuxi said with a hint of melancholy as he lightly tapped his pipe against the railing.

“I returned to my main body and fought that ‘mask’ with all my might, but the more I fought, the more I felt like I was hitting myself. It was equal in every intelligence, power, technique, and ability… Everything matched me. I sent my disciples out to safety, fearing for them against that ‘mask’, but nothing changed. Then Nüwa suggested I return to the original form of Yin and Yang, and I managed to abolish the ‘mask’ at the cost of all my sanctity.”

“……”

“That was a mighty price to pay. I sacrificed all my intellect and had to rely solely on the personality born of my physical body as I drifted within the universe’s sealing dimensions. It was almost better to be destroyed and then resurrected than suffer the severe depletion of my divinity.”

Fuxi suddenly grinned mischievously.

“…It seemed crazy to you, didn’t it?”

“Ah…”

I recalled a time when, during a past life, I used the Heavenly Altar and got summoned into Fuxi’s subspace due to Nüwa; I was promptly obliterated by his breath. Thankfully, my resurrection had been successful, but that experience had led me to regard Fuxi as the Mad Dragon.

I awkwardly remarked.

“I mean, getting obliterated instantly by dragon breath doesn’t exactly seem normal… It was only reasonable to think he was mad.”

“You could describe me as a deranged phantom in your words. But despite that, I maintained the essence of my divinity while waiting for my intellect and powers to recover. Metaphorically, it would be more accurate to say I was a vegetable lying in bed.”

“Vegetable…?”

“I was isolated as a vegetable, with only Nüwa, my twin, caring for me in such a remote situation.”

Fuxi smiled broadly, pointing to himself with the pipe.

“I hope that starting in the next life, you’ll take pity on poor me.”

“……”

It would be hard for someone as massive as Fuxi, with a scale as large as a continent, to feel pity….

While I mumbled to myself, Fuxi spoke up.

“Anyway, remember this well. The avatar awakened by the ‘Coming Chaos’ can forcefully awaken the masks of others. This power is so unique that even high-ranking gods like Nüwa and I cannot resist it. That’s because it’s a specific ability only the Outer God of ‘Coming Chaos’ possesses.”

My face went pale.

“Wait, isn’t that ridiculously overpowered? Creating another version of oneself to fight with? How on earth could you beat that thing?”

If even Fuxi barely overcame it with Nüwa’s assistance, then the potency of that ‘mask’, an alternate self, would be more terrifying than I could imagine. If even an exalted being could get trapped in madness and sealed away like that, then a mortal would almost certainly be devoured by their own ‘mask’.

“It is possible. The thing is, that power comes with its own risks.”

“Risks?”

“The chances are slim, but if someone who has been affected by the mask were to overthrow their own version, they would gain power like never before. The greatest potential lies in self-fulfillment (自己完結) among all cause and effects, and it guarantees immense growth.”

“……!!”

“With that power, one could very well defeat the avatar of ‘Coming Chaos’.”

Fuxi said with a slightly hazy expression.

“However, while I’m saying this, if you end up facing the ‘mask’ created by that power, it’s best not to engage unless you have no choice… For you, who hasn’t grown much, it may be better just to end it yourself.”

While I thought deeply, I said.

“Hmm… So if it’s another version of myself with similar powers, then wouldn’t proper strategies and tactics give me a fighting chance? And if my companions are by my side, we could perform joint attacks…”

“I thought the same thing. But when I faced it, it was entirely different. No matter what I tried, the odds of winning were extremely low.”

“Why is that?”

“Because %&^#&%^&@&$^@. If you merely %^%^*@#^, it might work, but to #&%^% on a first meeting is tough.”

“……?”

Huh? What was that?

I couldn’t grasp Fuxi’s words at all. I focused my mind in an attempt to decipher what he just said by reading his lips, but at that moment, the memory faded, engulfed by an unknowable [darkness].

Prohibition!

I could distinctly sense a will trying to prevent the flow of information from Fuxi.

“No…?!”

Caught off guard by the sudden phenomenon, Fuxi seemed to expect it.

“Since it can’t be disclosed even to Nüwa, I had my suspicions, but it turned out to be true.”

“Are you saying you can’t share how to deal with the ‘mask’?”

“It appears to be a restriction imposed by ‘Coming Chaos’ on its own powers. Once you’ve been affected and fail to overcome it, even if you survive, you can’t disclose how to deal with it to others.”

“……”

“Well, it seems like a reasonable constraint. While it’s tough to execute the strategy, I can’t deny that it’s not impossible for someone facing off against the avatar of an Outer God…”

Damn… What a bummer.

If I knew that, it would be a tremendous help in defeating the ‘Coming Chaos’ ahead!

As I lamented internally, Fuxi said.

“With that, I believe I’ve explained my situation and shared the necessary information…. Now, shall we get back to the main topic, Reborn Person Baek Woong?”

I sensed an ominous feeling creeping in. Gritting my teeth, I replied.

“Please, go ahead.”

“You mentioned that you aim to achieve the ‘True Martial Home.’ You’re absolutely right. In the current situation, that’s the only method to impede the ‘Coming Chaos’. If successful, every spirit of the universe will find salvation, and this world could escape from the madness of the ‘Coming Chaos.’”

Gentle smoke wafted in the air. As Fuxi took a puff from his pipe, he stared blankly at the misty clouds, murmuring.

“However, how do you plan to awaken ‘The One Who Destroys the Gods’, and once you do, how will you persuade them to establish protective barriers? Additionally, how do you intend to gather the necessary Dharma Techniques? And even if you manage to collect them, how will you procure the souls that qualify as offerings?”

“……”

“There’s nothing defined, nor is there anything achievable. I doubt you can accomplish your ultimate goal within a year.”

“Ugh…”

“Rather, it would not be surprising if fulfilling each goal required multiple lifetimes and thousands of years.”

Ugh…!!!

I was at a loss for words, stammering. At that point, I had no other method in mind, so I had merely tried to voice my thoughts. Clenching my fists, I resolved to give it my all as I said to Fuxi.

“Regardless, I’ll do my best. It’s better than doing nothing.”

Thwack!

“Ow.”

At that moment, Fuxi’s pipe hit my head. I was so stunned that I clutched my throbbing skull as he chuckled.

“This strike is because you spouted foolishness, as a teacher should.”

“……”

“Now, the reason I invited you to this sealed dimension was not to hear such a one-dimensional philosophy. Let’s talk about something more realistic.”

“Realistic, you say?”

Fuxi lolled on the railing, brushing aside the hair at his temples. Just that small gesture let his silk-like black hair cascade, showcasing an unreal beauty.

“In fact, the reason I gave your answer a passing grade is that it showed me your willingness to resolve the current crisis. That’s all there is to it. I have no foolish expectations that you’ll obliterate the ‘Coming Chaos’ within a year.”

“……”

“So what shall we do then? If there’s no way to stop him from breaking the seal on the Battle Ground, how should we respond optimally?”

“I… don’t know…”

“That’s the very answer that your comrade Mangnyang and my kin Nüwa have been racking their brains over. And thankfully, we’ve devised a few plans.”

“Plans, you say?”

Fuxi pointed with his pipe toward the mist-laden void and continued speaking.

“If we can’t stop it, then we simply won’t. Instead, we’ll act in a way that piques his interest.”

“……?”

“That’s our best countermeasure for now.”

Interest?

‘The world’s about to collapse, and you mention interest? What does that even mean…’

As I stood there in confusion, a new voice suddenly chimed in.

“It’s a plan inspired by the weakness of ‘Coming Chaos’ that you uncovered.”

I turned to where the voice had come from.

“Mangnyang!”

Before I knew it, Mangnyang had appeared at one corner of the hexagonal pavilion. Unlike before, he wasn’t clad in the garments of an immortal; instead, he wore bizarre clothes dyed in black and yellow, and on his head was a crown unlike any I had ever seen. As I was momentarily taken aback by his unusual attire, Mangnyang slowly spoke.

“That being’s weakness lies in their inability to grasp anything other than ‘fun’. It’s the only weakness discovered by you, the Reborn Person.”

“……?”

“So, the fact that you’re trying to move the Jade Emperor mask to break the seal means that you think it’s the most entertaining thing to do. It reflects the disruptive tendencies of ‘Coming Chaos.’”

“Well, that makes sense. But how is that a weakness…?”

“It’s simple. Just create a more chaotic situation than the one that being is stirring up. Because they crave attention!”

With wild madness blazing in his gaze, Mangnyang shouted.

“If you make it more interesting for them… they’ll have no choice but to cancel their original plans to involve themselves in this new game!”

Hisssss…

A yellow aura slowly began to rise from Mangnyang’s body.

With slightly dulled eyes, he continued speaking.

“The first step is for you, Baek Woong, to become the Supreme Being of the Celestial Realm—The Jade Emperor (玉皇上帝)—and also the ruler of the Underworld—The Wheel King (轉輪聖王), thereby dominating all three realms.”