전생검신 80권 10화

I had two horns sticking out like a bull’s. I touched my horns again, grimacing in disbelief.

“Damn! Now I’m sprouting horns!?”

I thought I’d gotten numb to losing my limbs and dying, but throwing in horns was just too much!

It might not seem like a big deal, but for some reason, it felt like I was drifting further away from being human, which bummed me out a bit. As I was fiddling with my bull-like horns, Shim Su-ryeok chimed in.

“Well, at least Fuxi has horns on his face, so that’s a relief.”

“What do you mean?”

“If it were your original face, to be honest, that’d be a bit…”

“…”

“Just kidding! So, what now? Are we going to figure out what the deal with those horns is?”

I pondered Shim Su-ryeok’s question and finally said, “Forget it. Let’s head back to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School for now.”

“Huh? Unexpected. Don’t you think we should deal with whatever curse this might be?”

“From my experience, wandering around trying to get rid of stuff like this usually makes things worse and solves nothing. It tends to work out better if I just do my thing quietly and let things happen naturally.”

“Really? I was hoping you’d want to test something…”

“What do you want to test?”

Shim Su-ryeok replied, “How about trying to infuse your divine power into those horns?”

“Huh? Why suddenly my divine power…?”

“Didn’t Chi You used to crush the God of All? If those horns were given to you by such a being, wouldn’t you be curious how they react to your divine power?”

“Hmmm…”

That made sense. It was definitely worth a shot.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

I nodded, focusing my divine power to pour it into the horns. I might not be able to use all my latent power, but I gathered as much as I could.

Kuuuu!

A sound like a heartbeat echoed for a moment. When nothing happened afterward, Shim Su-ryeok tilted his head.

“Um… is that it?”

“…That’s it.”

“So nothing happened.”

“…”

It’s strange for nothing to happen. If I concentrated all my divine power, it should have been strong enough to alter laws, but with all of it focused into a single horn, there was no change whatsoever?

‘Could the power have been absorbed by the horns?’

Or was my divine power nullified?

Whatever it was, those horns definitely seemed special. I gently stroked my horns and said, “This isn’t working. I feel like I’m going to die any moment now.”

“What?”

Shim Su-ryeok stared at me in disbelief at my sudden outburst, then seemed to understand what I meant.

“That might be a good thing. I’ll wait for you at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”

“Go ahead.”

Pa-at!

As Shim Su-ryeok vanished, I summoned a needle with my divine power and quickly blocked my pain sensation for a brief time. In that moment of not feeling pain, I struck down with the Heaven’s Client and died.

Puh-huh!

*

“I suspect you came here on purpose to die.”

I heard Mephistopheles’ voice. I glanced at him and saw him elegantly sipping tea as he spoke.

“Since you blocked your pain and died, your gaze seems clearer than usual. You typically have a dull look after experiencing the severe pain right after death.”

I replied curtly, “I’m not here for small talk. If you know why I’m here, just tell me.”

“You must be here to inquire about the horns given to you by Chi You’s spirit. Am I correct? The reason you didn’t just commit suicide at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School is likely that it takes a little time to come back to life anyway, and you want to save even a bit of time.”

“Yep, you’ve got it. But do you actually know what those horns are?”

“You’re getting awfully hasty.”

Clink!

After placing his teacup down, Mephistopheles intertwined his gloved fingers.

“Before that, could I ask why you wanted to release Chi You’s spirit from its seal? It was quite a spontaneous act.”

“I was curious what would happen if his spirit resurrected in a world where there’s nothing for him to revive correctly. Besides, being able to communicate with Chi You’s soul would be beneficial for me.”

Mephistopheles gave a smirk.

“…Let’s hope your intentions turn out well, but there are limits to this training world.”

“Limits?”

“Yup. There are limits.”

Mephistopheles extended his gloved hand forward and placed it on the table.

Chiiing!

Suddenly, the table transformed as if it were a precision scientific touchscreen, and a round hologram of the Earth appeared above it in an instant. Mephistopheles tapped on it lightly with his index finger as he spoke.

“The Cheon Woo-jin used the authority of the terminal and the World Tree’s core to implement ‘most’ of the worlds into this training space. However, it is not ‘perfect.’ This is because there aren’t enough resources to implement everything flawlessly.”

“Resources?”

“To put it simply, it means there’s a shortage of materials. While most physical mediums are met, complicated entities with intertwined causes and effects require weight. And they attach the highest weight to the very seal of Chi You that you’re tinkering with.”

“……That’s too complicated. Can you simplify it?”

“Here’s how it goes.”

Swoosh!

An apple was summoned into one of Mephistopheles’ hands. He looked at the apple and said, “Creating such a simple object is no problem at all. Even if this apple were made of legendary minerals or extraterrestrial ore, or a wormhole connecting black holes, it wouldn’t matter. It’s all interpreted one-dimensionally by the physical engine, hence these objects require very little in terms of resources. Even if the spacetime spans billions of light years, all the stars and cosmic events within that range can be simply generated. However…”

Zwa-ach!

The apple suddenly transformed into one of the Seven Luminaries, the Moon Sovereign. With the three divine artifacts floating in the air, Mephistopheles said, “Implementing such a Moon Sovereign consumes far more resources than manifesting billions of stars. That’s due to the weight of causality.”

“So what exactly does that causality weight mean?”

“It means that countless divine beings, immortals, and mortals were involved in creating the ‘story’ to make this Moon Sovereign. Even if there are stars billions of times larger than Earth, if they’re located in the far-off reaches of the universe, there would be no story there; whereas this Moon Sovereign is rife with causality, including the Three Sovereigns.”

“……!!”

“You seem to have caught on. The existence of a thing hinges on how much story and causality there is behind it, not its size. And Chi You’s seal is an existence infused with an immense amount of causality.”

“Hmm…”

I roughly understood. I grasped Mephistopheles’ words, but still found it hard to accept.

“If that’s the case, then is the reason the Sacred Altar Tree hasn’t been manifested because making the World Tree consumes too many resources?”

“Precisely.”

“That’s absurd. Chi You was an incredibly powerful being, yet his seal can be manifested and the World Tree can’t? Are you saying the World Tree is stronger than Chi You?”

“Think about it carefully. The original ‘offering’ that allowed this world to manifest was the core of the World Tree itself. If a World Tree existed in a world created using the core of the World Tree as a medium, it would cause a conflict of simultaneity.”

“…….”

“The Cheon Woo-jin might have thought there was no need to create the Sacred Altar Tree, tolerating such a bug. The original purpose of this world’s creation was to give you training time. Furthermore, regardless of how powerful Chi You was, the seal itself doesn’t consume significant resources.”

“…….”

“If the World Tree is created using the core of the World Tree, it can create another core of the World Tree. However, the expenditure of causality and the laws of the world wouldn’t permit such a twist, so it simply gave it up. No matter how much of a terminal the Heavenly Secret may be, it’s an area beyond reach.”

Really…?

I was dumbfounded and abruptly realized something.

“Wait a minute. Simultaneity? Are you saying the core of the World Tree I obtained from the outer universe is identical to the core of the Sacred Altar Tree that should now exist?”

“Didn’t you know? The Sacred Altar Tree used by the Master of the Twelve Joules is precisely that World Tree. The World Tree is an [egg] that exists infinitely across many worlds, so even after crossing universes, simultaneity has to be maintained.”

“……”

“Anyhow, most of it apart from the Sacred Altar Tree was implemented just like the original world. The same goes for Chi You’s seal… but due to a lack of resources, Chi You’s seal doesn’t contain substance. It’s an embarrassing story.”

“Wait, what? There’s no substance?”

Mephistopheles nodded.

“The seal is perfectly implemented, but what exists within it is indeterminacy, or primal chaos. We have no means to manifest Chi You’s essence, so whether it will be realized or not is left to the will of the [Father].”

“……?!”

What, what does that mean?

Why is the [Father] being mentioned?

As things got complicated and I became flustered, Mephistopheles said, “You don’t need to think too hard about indeterminacy. You’re aware of quantum mechanics, which deals with the probability of whether unobserved things will exist as 0 or 1, right?”

“I know a little. I learned it from Professor Sima Ling…”

“Neither the Cheon Woo-jin nor I have a way to manifest Chi You’s essence. Chi You’s essence exists far beyond our capabilities. That’s why the resurrection of Chi You is passed beyond observation to another realm. You could say it utilizes quantum mechanics’ indeterminacy.”

“Passed beyond?”

“To a realm even the gods cannot comprehend. When passing into the primal chaos, where not even physics or spacetime can exist, from that point on, the laws of the universe no longer apply. It becomes dependent on the will of the Great Cycle, whether it will [exist] at the moment of first observation or end in [nothingness].”

“……”

“You’ve got a completely bewildered expression. Just think of it as Chi You’s resurrection being entirely reliant on the will of the Great Universe.”

Listening to Mephistopheles, I finally grasped the last summary and said,

“So it’s up to the will of the gods whether Chi You’s seal breaks and he awakens or not, right? It’s a 50-50 chance!”

“That sounds about right.”

“Then that means there’s a chance I can meet Chi You’s soul!”

Yay!

If I can talk to Chi You, this arduous journey will get a whole lot easier!

Feeling elated, I noticed Mephistopheles looking quite intrigued.

“You’re thinking way too positively. There’s no guarantee that Chi You’s spirit will willingly converse with you.”

“Uh… that’s true, but if I don’t face these things, nothing will ever happen. If I talk it out, we might just work something out!”

“Hmm. Normally, one would fear that Chi You’s spirit could obliterate everything…”

Mephistopheles chuckled softly.

“But as someone who maintains this training world instead of the Cheon Woo-jin, I can’t join in on your adventure. Because of the massive risks involved, I’m planning to reset the world.”

“……!!”

Reset?!

I gasped and shouted at Mephistopheles, “You punk!! Who do you think you are? I want to meet Chi You; who are you to decide that?”

“It seems you still haven’t grasped the attributes of Chi You’s spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Chi You’s spirit possesses possession abilities. What do you think would happen if it possessed you?”

“…….”

“Would you have the confidence to keep your wits about you against a god capable of destroying Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?”

Uh… that’s…

I froze like a deer in headlights as Mephistopheles said, “The original purpose of this world was merely to grant you 300 years of training time. That alone. The worst case scenario would be you getting dominated by Chi You’s spirit. Thankfully, the seal is still functioning for now, but it won’t last long if left unattended.”

“……There’s no guarantee he would possess me, though?”

“A being that is so obsessed with life that it invoked an automatic resurrection right onto its bloodline to be reborn in the era of destruction; do you really think it would leave a capable host like you alone?”

“Hmm….”

Every word hit home, and I couldn’t retort.

I might have been too hasty. The seal of Chi You could truly be a dangerous object, and perhaps I had been too at ease with this training world.

“But…”

As Mephistopheles tapped the table, all the holograms disappeared. With dignity, he placed his gloved hand on his lap and said, “As for the meaning of that ‘horn,’ I don’t know either. So I have no choice but to respect your decision.”

“……”

“If that horn is truly Chi You’s pure favor, then intervening in your fate would cause a backlash.”

“So you mean to say you’re looking out for yourself?”

“Interpret it as you wish.”

Mephistopheles smirked and said, “My base policy is to reset the world. But if you wish, I could keep the seal in its unstable state as it is. What will you do?”

Reset or sit idle while awaiting the seal’s destruction.

At that moment, I was engulfed by a sense of déjà vu.

‘…Feels familiar…’

The latter seems right.

I might sound idiotic, but it’s true.

Is this the intuition of a reincarnated being?

I was confused, but the rational choice and my gut instinct, the decision was already made.

I spoke with conviction, “Just leave it! Don’t reset it!!”

I always trust my instincts!!

“Oh… is that so.”

“By the way, you really don’t know the identity of those horns?”

He shrugged.

“How could I know? From the moment it was passed over to pure indeterminacy, whatever happens when you unseal Chi You remains a mystery. I trust you must have said that acknowledging everything.”

“…….”

Damn… I’m getting a bit anxious now…

Mephistopheles grinned and waved his hand.

“Then do your best…”

*

Pa-at!

I came back to life. After a moment of daze, I made my way to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

Upon arriving, I found Shim Su-ryeok waiting for me.

“So, what did that Mephisto guy say?”

I shared with him what I had talked about with Mephistopheles.

Shim Su-ryeok frowned. “I can’t wrap my head around your choice. Why didn’t you go for the reset? The only good thing about Chi You’s seal breaking would be the chance to talk to his soul, but is that really worth it?”

“……”

“Mephistopheles made a good point. If a being like Chi You changes its mind and tries to possess you, it’s clear you wouldn’t be able to handle it…”

Hearing him worry about me, I shook my head. “I believe in my instincts. Everything will work out somehow.”

“Phew. I hope that’s the case… but it looks like you seriously took a detour during your training.”

“You’re right about that. Anyway, I think it’s time to get back to practicing spear techniques…”

Clang!

As I lifted the spear in the training ground, Shim Su-ryeok said, “Hey, I have a suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve wanted to say this for a long time; in fact, it’s why I suggested your little outing.”

“……?”

“I’ve watched you train occasionally, and honestly, it pained me to see you hitting a wall. It seems like you’re slowly realizing the inadequacies of your spear techniques and trying to fix them, but it’s evident you can’t get past a certain limit due to your talent. Haven’t you noticed you’re hitting a wall?”

I couldn’t help but nod at Shim Su-ryeok’s words.

“……True.”

While I had been making slight progress over four years, I could clearly see the limit now. That wall was perfectly described; I felt like I was moving like a sluggish worm, and I had no clue how to advance my spear techniques any further. Just trudging along, hoping things would magically improve, was a sentiment I couldn’t express. Shim Su-ryeok had picked up on my predicament accurately.

Shim Su-ryeok continued, “You have three advanced training methods available to you right now. I want to propose one.”

“What is it?”

From Shim Su-ryeok’s words, I knew the moment of choice had arrived.

“Awaken the master of spear techniques from the wooden armor. That’s the first option.”

“…….”

It was obvious what it meant.

He meant to awaken Lee Kwang from his petrified state.

“`

 

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