전생검신 80권 2화

Eternal torment, huh?!

At that remark, Shim Su-ryeok, along with the other companions, flinched. They felt instinctively that the words of the Divine Maiden were likely not just metaphors, but the harsh truth. While they might not have realized it during their exploits in the Martial Arts World, becoming disciples under Ho-wol and frequently battling the malevolent entities lurking in the shadows had somewhat revealed the truth of the world to them. If it was referred to as ‘eternal torment’, it had to be the unvarnished truth.

At that moment, Huang Ha Shenlong cast a glance at Shim Su-ryeok for some unexplainable reason.

“… So, what are you going to do?”

“…”

“Huff…”

Shim Su-ryeok already knew the innermost thoughts of Huang Ha Shenlong, who had been his rival for decades, without him even having to say a word.

I don’t want to do this!

But I also don’t want to lose to this guy right in front of me!

If I mention giving up first, then I’ll feel compelled to follow suit and pretend to give in too!

‘Damn it…’

Shim Su-ryeok, in fact, shared the same sentiment. Had Huang Ha Shenlong not brought it up first, he might have declared it himself.

‘I don’t want to lose!!’

But for some inexplicable reason, fueled by rebellious spirit, Shim Su-ryeok shouted defiantly.

“Are you scared?! I’m not scared at all!”

In that instant, he realized too late what he had said.

He immediately regretted letting those words slip out. But the water had been spilled, and Huang Ha Shenlong’s expression morphed into a grimace.

“What, what did you say!! I’m completely indifferent to such eternal torment!!”

“Oh, really! Let’s see about that!”

“I know I’ll lose!”

Flinch.

As the two started heating up, the nearby Gang Yu-chan and Heavenly Demon Lady Im So-young also flinched. The truth was, they were equally frightened by what ‘eternal torment’ entailed. Observing the four of them, the Divine Maiden spoke in a calm tone.

“If you don’t want to, there’s no need to do it.”

“Huh?”

“Simply unleashing the strength of the Divine Dragon is enough. The request to share the strength of the Divine Dragon is a hardship strategy to prevent the power from being unleashed upon this world.”

“Oh! So there’s that method…”

The Divine Maiden’s following words weighed heavily upon the hearts of the four.

“However, if the Divine Dragon is unleashed, it will descend as a new Evil God, and it will be an overwhelmingly powerful being. An unforeseen calamity will arise in the world, leading to its destruction at least ten times over, but that is a burden the celestial rulers would have to resolve. Even with that, I have no objections.”

“Gulp.”

“Do you have something you wish to protect in the human world? Think about that and make your decision.”

“…”

“…”

They had no choice but to entertain different thoughts. Should they shoulder the burden of the Divine Dragon to protect the human world and endure eternal torment? Were they really such heroic figures? Truthfully, none of the four had even considered such an extreme sacrifice. They were just martial artists who sought strength.

But after a moment, Shim Su-ryeok stepped forward and spoke fiercely.

“I have no interest in a human world like that! I don’t care if people I’ve never met die! But no matter what, it’s also true that not receiving the strength of the Divine Dragon means my master will suffer even more!”

“True.”

Shim Su-ryeok clenched his fist tightly.

“I won’t sacrifice myself under the pretense of saving the human world. But as a martial artist, I will uphold my loyalty to my master who has shown me another realm!”

At that moment, the hearts of the four synchronized.

Loyalty!!

Nothing could move the hearts of martial artists more than that. As determination swirled about their faces, the Divine Maiden chuckled softly and said.

“Ho-wol, you have good students.”

*

A little while later, the Divine Maiden drew a large circle with a diameter of three spans. After creating the massive circle, she instructed the four.

“Position yourselves in the four cardinal directions and take the lotus posture.”

As they sat in the east, west, south, and north as instructed, the Divine Maiden approached Ho-wol and stretched out her hand toward the grotesque growth of ink smoke on his body.

Ssssssss

Instantly, the ink smoke shrank significantly to the size of a fist. Having temporarily alleviated Ho-wol’s condition, the Divine Maiden placed his unconscious body in the center of the large circle, looking down at him with a moment of pity before stating.

“Now, we will begin.”

“What should we do?”

“When the smoke starts to emerge, breathe it in and absorb it into your body.”

“Got it.”

The delicate fingers of the Divine Maiden rested atop Ho-wol’s crown.

“O power of the Divine Dragon, reveal your essence.”

Crack! Crack!

Simultaneously, Ho-wol’s body seemed to twitch convulsively, and it looked as if thick ink smoke began to seep from him. The ink smoke was faint enough to see through, not menacing at all.

Sssss…

‘It begins now.’

As Shim Su-ryeok, seated in the four cardinal directions, inhaled the ink smoke, his eyes widened in shock.

“Cough!!”

What kind of nonsense power is this!!

Kuwawa kakawa

The energy meridians trembled, and his dantian felt like it was going to burst!

Shim Su-ryeok felt an immense force swirling throughout his entire being, like a flood rushing into a tiny room. Just a single inhalation—not only did he feel this unparalleled raw power far exceeding his internal power, but it felt as if his body was on the verge of exploding. He felt lightheaded.

“Cough…”

“Ugh…”

It wasn’t only Shim Su-ryeok who felt that way; the other three disciples were all suffering as well. Just breathing in a tiny bit more felt like it might kill them. In a flash, the Divine Maiden was startled.

“To think the true power… the Divine Dragon’s power emerged ever so slightly, and yet it’s tough for even the masters of the Absolute Realm to handle!!”

At her words, Shim Su-ryeok felt like he might lose his mind. If that statement were true, then the ink smoke they had absorbed was literally an infinitesimal fraction, and how could such a thing be possible?!

‘Is this the power of the cosmic beings that my master always talked about?!’

Shim Su-ryeok had no choice but to regret it too late. Sure, he had boldly taken on the challenge of a martial artist’s craze, but this was on a whole different level. The strength that Ho-wol had been dealing with appeared monstrous enough for him to think that. The original owner of this power would likely have the capability to annihilate a million people in one breath.

“D-Divine Maiden, this isn’t going to work…”

“There’s no choice. I tried to stabilize it in the middle of the ritual…”

The Divine Maiden bit her lip tightly and took a meditative position. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.

“O great cycle, I beseech the power of the Sun and Moon Kings.”

Amitabha

Wooooo—

Shim Su-ryeok saw the halo that had appeared behind the Divine Maiden’s head rise again. At the same time, he could perceive the enormous Buddha figure overlapping her. The Buddha was the very foundation of the Divine Maiden’s power to reverse the [Small Cycle].

And the moment the invisible and formless hand of the Buddha placed itself on his crown, Shim Su-ryeok felt all lustful desires and emotions subside, and his dantian expanded in an instant, as if a microcosm was developing within him. The tremendous energy that had just been rampaging within him vanished into the void, making him feel undeniably relieved, just as the other three disciples did.

‘Now… this is manageable…’

Shim Su-ryeok and the other three entered a unified state as they began to gently breathe in the ink smoke. They realized that they were being aided by the mysterious power of the Buddha and that they needed to absorb the ink smoke as much as possible. As they absorbed quite a bit of ink smoke, a hint of color returned to Ho-wol’s face, which had previously been drained due to the strain from the ink smoke.

However, the Divine Maiden, leading the ritual, was starting to look increasingly pale. She began to breathe heavily.

“Haa… Haa…”

At that moment…

“Doing it that way won’t resolve anything.”

An unfamiliar yet now-familiar voice echoed through the hall.

‘Damn!! That voice…’

Shim Su-ryeok suddenly felt his concentration waver and wanted to turn around, but he couldn’t. No matter how much the Buddha’s blessing aided them, the power of the ink smoke was not to be trifled with—any slight lapse in focus would result in him blowing up.

The Divine Maiden, with her hand still on Ho-wol’s head at the center of the circle, shot back at the voice.

“Ha Eun-cheon, you should have been dead, pierced through the heart by my brother’s hand. How are you still alive?”

Indeed!!

The leader of the clan and the one who played a part in Ho-wol reaching this state was now present at this very spot!

‘Damn it… I need to take that guy out!’

Shim Su-ryeok’s insides churned with rage, urging him to jump at Ha Eun-cheon who was behind him, but they were in the middle of the Dharma ritual and he couldn’t make a move. So he had no choice but to listen as Ha Eun-cheon’s clear voice answered.

“I have multiple lives. Essentially, I’m immortal. Well, don’t the Grand Sorcerers of this world often pull this sort of trick?”

“No. The power of immortality you wield is not sorcery. It’s employing the science that will develop in the future through the powers of the divine.”

“You’re quick to catch on. Exactly right.”

“How did you manage to get in here?”

Ha Eun-cheon walked a few steps like he was on a stroll and slowly responded.

“You’re truly impressive, Divine Maiden. You can manipulate the [Small Cycle] and even create this other dimension… you’re practically on the level of a god, aren’t you? And to think you could hide this other dimension made it really tough to find.”

“……”

“How could you have gained such power?”

“While you didn’t answer my question. How did you get in?”

“Well, it’s thanks to this guy.”

Whirr

A sound akin to machinery whirring floated in the air. Shim Su-ryeok could hear Ha Eun-cheon’s voice ringing in his ears, one word at a time.

“The Lemuria Codex, an artifact from the Emperor of Lemuria. It possesses the ability to track anyone no matter what dimension they escape to. Even if they jump to the Underworld, it can still find them, pretty impressive right? So I just pinpointed the coordinates and showed up.”

“… Lemuria. An artifact from an advanced civilization. How did you come to possess such a thing?”

“When aliens invaded, humanity fought relying on this codex. I brought it along when I came to this world, so I tried to find the Lemurian continent here, but it just so happened I ended up right next to the place where the evil god is… sigh.”

For some reason, Ha Eun-cheon exhaled a heavy sigh.

“Anyway, are you going to continue the ritual? I won’t stop you if you all want to die together.”

“……”

“You’re wise, so you must understand what I’m getting at, right?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm, it’s always annoying dealing with someone who’s pretending not to understand what they actually got.”

Ha Eun-cheon continued slowly.

“I’ve planted a heart—Chi You’s heart—into Ho-wol, sacrificing one of my lives for the prototype of humanity’s ultimate weapon (Unitary Equation). Humanity’s ultimate weapon embodies the perfect ultimate chaos, so any being with pure chaos will surely meet their demise, regardless of their power. Actually, I was saving it for someone else later and had been charging it, but Ho-wol was so powerful that I ended up using it prematurely.”

“……”

“But Ho-wol didn’t flinch at all instead. In fact, I was the one who got countered and ended up dying. To top it off, I used up all the power I had amassed over thousands of years—so it could take me a millennium to recover from that, damn it.”

As Ha Eun-cheon grumbled with genuine anger, the Divine Maiden replied in an increasingly grave tone.

“So what’s the crux of the matter? Your words are becoming more and more incomprehensible.”

“You already figured it out, didn’t you? Even after getting hit by humanity’s ultimate weapon, Ho-wol only lost control of his power without sustaining any actual damage. What that means…”

Ha Eun-cheon walked up to Shim Su-ryeok and paused beside him. Shim Su-ryeok felt an urge to lash out and attack him immediately, but he knew doing so would only cause chaos and guarantee Ho-wol’s demise, so he restrained himself. Ha Eun-cheon pointed his finger at Ho-wol, who was still leaking ink smoke.

“The true essence of this Divine Dragon isn’t pure chaos. Rather, the connection that binds this Divine Dragon to Ho-wol was chaos. That’s why humanity’s ultimate weapon didn’t have any effect. Understanding that made it quite clear what was going on.”

“……!!”

Ha Eun-cheon seemed to smirk.

“Say… where in the world did you obtain such knowledge? Did Dharma pass it down to you?”

“Are you planning to attack us now that you’re onto it?”

“……”

Ha Eun-cheon crouched in front of Ho-wol, staring intently at him. Curiously, he appeared unaffected by the ink smoke at all.

He seemed to be mulling over something and then spoke.

“No. I could win, but you’d just manipulate the [Small Cycle] again, causing too much hassle. Aren’t you scared to do such recklessness, not even fearing the gods’ gaze? But then again, a disciple of Dharma wouldn’t care about that.”

Muttering something under his breath, Ha Eun-cheon got to the main point.

“Instead, I came here to offer my assistance to help resolve the situation, so let’s discuss it.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“The power of the Divine Dragon you’re wielding has crossed your limits. It might seem controlled by some marvelous technique, but that’s what you had planned to use in the midst of the ritual? Undoubtedly, you aren’t able to fully absorb the Divine Dragon’s power, and in the process, not just you, but all four of you will meet your demise.”

Ha Eun-cheon gestured dramatically, pointing at himself.

“It’s also my problem. If this goes off, the Divine Dragon will undoubtedly transform into an Evil God and manifest in the world, something I can’t handle. Even the gods couldn’t intervene once the [Small Cycle] is set in motion. Because the resurrected Divine Dragon would be far stronger than most [Old Rulers]. You know this, don’t you?”

“……”

The Divine Maiden seemed to nod silently in agreement. The shared reality between the two was the conclusion that if this situation wasn’t resolved, the world would perish.

“You know, there’s only one way to resolve this. We have to send the power of the Divine Dragon to a completely different world, one that can’t be affected by the usual dimensions.”

“Is that so?”

“Looks like you’ve caught on. I figured you’d know if you were a disciple of Dharma.”

“Do you really think I’d agree to such a method? Besides, it’s a place that can’t be reached by normal means.”

“That’s why I said I’d help you.”

Ha Eun-cheon turned toward the Divine Maiden and continued.

“The Lemuria Codex was around until the brink of humanity’s extinction. So, I witnessed the moment the [Gate] opened on Earth. Before escaping to a terraformed place, I successfully saved the coordinates of the gate…”

“……”

“As far as I know, we can definitely go. I can’t guarantee survival, though. How about it?”

The Divine Maiden fell silent, maintaining her quiet for a while before finally speaking up.

“There’s a condition.”

“What condition?”

The Divine Maiden replied.

“Provide me with the weapon that crosses the multiverse that you’re hiding. Otherwise, I won’t comply.”

At those words, Ha Eun-cheon was taken aback.

“What?! I don’t have anything like that…”

“I know you do. You utilized that power, and I also know it’s resting in your base under the name of the Reincarnation Cannon.”

“……”

Ha Eun-cheon feigned dismissal.

“That [eye]… so it’s in the domain of the gods. Did you read my mind with that?”

“Indeed. It’s too late to defend your thoughts using the codex now.”

“Damn it. What are you planning to do with the Reincarnation Cannon? Do you know how it operates?”

“I do. As a disciple of Dharma, how could I not know? Maybe it’s possible that I understand its usage better than you.”

“……”

As Ha Eun-cheon was momentarily left speechless, the Divine Maiden spoke, unyielding, in an unwavering tone.

“You intend to remove us as nuisances in the name of public good. But if in your eyes, there’s barely a glimmer of hope in this world since the master has vanished… I am prepared to accept the world’s demise.”

At her words, Ha Eun-cheon seemed to let slip a hint of his true emotions as he growled.

“… Fine. It seems you’re no easy opponent. Do as you wish.”

Swish

Ha Eun-cheon disappeared for a moment, then returned carrying what he referred to as the Reincarnation Cannon, aiming it at them. Shim Su-ryeok felt a deep unease knowing the enemy’s weapon was pointed directly at them, but the Divine Maiden reassured Ho-wol’s disciples.

“Don’t worry.”

“Divine Maiden, can you truly trust that bastard…?”

“I don’t believe him. The plan has drifted significantly from what I initially thought.”

The Divine Maiden gently stroked Shim Su-ryeok’s cheek.

“But perhaps… this crisis… may well have opened a path for you to meet Maitreya.”

Flash –

Finally, the Reincarnation Cannon fired.

*

“… That’s where my memories end.”

“……”

Listening to Shim Su-ryeok’s past made me feel dazed. This was because, in the latter half of his tale, many familiar terms surfaced. So I rushed to ask Shim Su-ryeok a question.

“Si, Shim Su-ryeok. Do you know what terms like humanity’s ultimate weapon, Lemuria, and Reincarnation Cannon mean?”

“No? I’m just remembering the conversation word-for-word. The Divine Maiden seemed to know what they were, but I don’t. Do you know?”

“…… Yes, I do.”

Humanity’s ultimate weapon was the secret weapon that Ha Eun-cheon had implanted in Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen at the climactic ending of the 28th round. I had never imagined that it was related to Ho-wol’s disappearance, popped up out of nowhere in Shim Su-ryeok’s recollections! Furthermore, it made me gasp that Ho-wol had appeared fine even after facing humanity’s ultimate weapon!

I’d also heard about Lemuria.

‘Sagong Lin received the Atlantis Pangaea ring. When she received that ring, the spirit of Oreycalcos, the ruler of Atlantis, shared with her stories about the Lemurian continent…’

Once a thriving advanced civilization alongside Kalpa and Memphis, but it was destroyed overnight due to the [Old Ruler]! I had also heard that the Twelve Joules were seeking remnants of that Lemurian civilization!

‘Hmmm. But the Lemuria Codex? That’s the first time I’m hearing that one, huh?’

Lastly, the Reincarnation Cannon was impossible to forget; after all, it was the device that had sent the Twelve Joules across the multiverse, and it was also the reason I had suddenly met Dr. Faust at the brink of the universe’s end and witnessed the [Throne].

Everything is connected.

Shim Su-ryeok had undoubtedly met Ha Eun-cheon!

And just as I thought that, Shim Su-ryeok sighed.

“Phew, but I can’t remember anything after the Reincarnation Cannon lit up. I’m certain something happened afterward, but that’s just a blank for me. It felt like there was a final moment separate from that.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying that even after getting swept away with the Divine Dragon’s power to another world, you survived?”

“Exactly. I feel like I wandered around somewhere with my master for a long time… but I can’t quite remember.”

I shook my head at Shim Su-ryeok’s words.

“That’s enough. I feel like I’ve gleaned an immense amount.”

The Twelve Joules had originally accumulated significant strength since ancient times but had lost a substantial chunk of it because of Ho-wol! Even so, they had presumably worked tirelessly for over a thousand years to restore their influence, but I was certain that their expectations fell short. And if the Twelve Joules had truly utilized the Reincarnation Cannon to send Ho-wol and the Four Great Disciples to another world, then another plausible scenario emerged.

‘The Twelve Joules definitely know where Ho-wol went.’

Their conversations progressed with certainty toward ‘where’ they were headed, with that knowledge pre-established. So even if others were clueless, the Divine Maiden and Ha Eun-cheon would unquestionably know Ho-wol’s whereabouts.

As I was deep in thought, Shim Su-ryeok spoke up.

“I had… a multitude of thoughts at the very sight of Chi You’s heart. Memories of the past all came flooding back, and recalling the horrific memory of being annihilated because I couldn’t shatter that, rage swelled within me. I ended up breaking that heart impulsively, and in that instant, the world met its end. I owe you an apology for the training I was doing at the time.”

“Why apologize? Thanks to that, I’ve also acquired a wealth of new information.”

“Haha. I guess being a Reborn Person makes your mind quite expansive.”

“Anyway, it feels like that event is now officially concluded. Shall we gradually reclaim your remaining memories?”

“… I’d like that.”

Watching Shim Su-ryeok exude an air of unease made me tilt my head. His demeanor felt at odds with his usual character.

“What’s wrong? Are you not keen on regaining your memory?”

“No… it’s not that… um… it’s just a feeling…”

He muttered as if he were uncertain.

“I just have this ominous sense that something significant will happen when I regain my memories…”

“……?”

“It’s nothing. It ought to go well.”

“Quit messing around; let’s think about the road ahead first.”

“By the way, what are you planning to do now?”

I gazed at him, imploringly, as if asking what kind of question that was.

“Of course, training!”

“According to you, didn’t you learn a lot about the diamond sutra training, only to have it end in failure? Last I saw, you seemed completely lost on how to proceed with training. Do you now see a path ahead?”

“It wasn’t a failure. I gained insight.”

I walked forward slowly as I said this.

“I’ve come to understand what ‘the power of the heart’ entails, and I believe I’ll need some time to grasp it fully. The direction of my training is already established.”

“Is that so?”

“You seem to have something you want to say…”

Shim Su-ryeok grinned suddenly.

“It’s nothing significant. I just started feeling like you were starting to enjoy your journey at some point.”

“Enjoy?”

“That’s the most essential thing, isn’t it?”

“……”

Enjoying…

That moment made me recall the failure I had experienced not long ago.

[Intent consumes the sword art.]

Even while diligently practicing the transformations of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique in sheer enjoyment of following my heart, I had still encountered a failure. That experience struck me hard and taught me that merely enjoying myself wasn’t the answer.

But now, having realized ‘the power of the heart’, I began to perceive that failure differently.

… Did I truly enjoy myself back then?

To enjoy also embodies one of the desires and manifests itself as the will.

Yet could it be said that true enjoyment also falls under emptiness?

What does it mean to genuinely enjoy?

“……”

Thunk!!

Without realizing it, I shot out toward the training grounds and planted my foot to unleash an earth-shattering blow. The air trembled heavily around me as a majestic aura swept across nature, and I saw leaves raining down.

This was a strike delivered close to nothingness, the First Form of the Tai Chi, executed as I sought to reach the state of non-thought.

Did that contain no emotions or will?

But if that state of non-thought carried no emotions or will, could it be called enjoyment?

Was I misinterpreting something?

And in the next moment, realizing subconsciously why I had performed Tai Chi, I muttered blankly.

“Wu-Wei.”

The domain that Jang Sam-bong had forced me to comprehend.

That moment was now approaching when I would make it my own.