전생검신 82권 18화

As soon as I gave the order to charge, the clones stared at each other for a moment. Noticing they weren’t moving, I felt a weird vibe and asked, “Why aren’t you guys moving?”

Then, one of them, who seemed to be the representative, stepped forward with a really grumpy face and said, “Hey, boss. Charging is great and all, but what’s this ‘Navel of the Sun God’ thing?”

“Uh…?”

“You gotta know what it is to go find it, right?”

I was taken aback for a second at this very reasonable objection.

That’s true.

Now that I thought about it, Dongfang Sak hadn’t even told me what the Navel of the Sun God was before leaving!

I was about to urgently tell Fuxi, “Master Fuxi, summon Dongfang Sak again…”

“And one more thing.”

Suddenly, a clone cut me off and jumped in. When I snapped around, it wore that same annoying expression.

“What if one of us finds the Navel of the Sun God among hundreds of pyramids? How do we let others know?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Just bring it back!”

“Sure, we managed to sneak in and find it, but what if it’s tough to bring it out? I hear that place is like the body of an Ancient God, and communication techniques won’t work there, plus teleportation is out too.”

“…”

“Looks like you didn’t think that through.”

As the clone teased, I got annoyed and scratched my head. “Damn it. Hold on, I’m thinking.”

By the way, why is this clone so sharp? It’s pointing out stuff I hadn’t thought of at all. Is someone else controlling it besides me?

While I pondered these useless thoughts, Fuxi spoke up next to me.

“Communication won’t work. If I had to answer, we should reduce the denominator using the process of elimination. Also, instead of asking Dongfang Sak directly, it’d be better to calmly gather information about the Navel of the Sun God.”

“Why can’t I just ask him directly?”

“The reason for engaging Dongfang Sak in a conversation and placing a bet was likely to genuinely get him to follow you, right? You set up a treasure hunt but asking about every single clue would make him not want to admit it.”

“Hmmm.”

That made sense. I pondered over those words.

‘The Navel of the Sun God…’

What exactly is the Sun God? As I thought about that term, it suddenly hit me that there’s a massive city beneath the pyramids.

It was crudely built, but the walls of enormous stones were standing tall, with watchtowers everywhere and the insides were complete with giant living facilities and waterways. At least tens of thousands must be living in that city.

‘The presence of the pyramid is so overwhelming that I didn’t notice it, but this city is way too big to not be ancient.’

It looked to be the size of an ordinary city in the Ming Dynasty, if not Luoyang. Of course, since it’s thousands of years ago, even having a city that size back then was impressive, and looking at the aura of it, it seemed like a lot of humans were living there. Looking at the city made me change my mind and give orders to the clones.

“Everyone, head to that city. Gather as much information as you can about the ‘Navel of the Sun God’ from the people.”

Humans likely know about the Navel of the Sun God.

“Understood.”

Tydaht!

The clones dashed towards the city. I smirked and said, “Well, maybe I was a bit hasty. Let’s gather information step by step and head back.”

Then, Heuk Woong voiced his concern.

“Master, but you do seem hasty even now.”

“What’s that about?”

“Those clones resemble your personality. If hundreds of such clones march into the city to gather info, I doubt they’ll do it quietly…”

“…”

“Maybe sending just one or two would’ve been the better option?”

No way…

I thought Heuk Woong’s worries were unfounded. I really didn’t want to believe my clones would behave so recklessly.

And about half a moment later…

Kuwakuwakwakwang…!!

Suddenly, massive explosions erupted all over the city, and bizarre ancient statues rose like giant gods, preparing for battle. It wasn’t just one or two statues; dozens of them stood up, towering like five-story buildings and began to fight.

Flash!!

Boom!

Then, the statue gods, along with peculiar beings that looked like hybrids of animals and humans, appeared and began casting dazzling spells to fight. Upon seeing the scene, Fuxi mumbled in awe.

“Those are the Spirit Beasts from Osiris’s Divine Temple. Rare beings I heard mainly reside in the realm of concepts, but seeing them in person is a first for me.”

As the nearby area turned into a chaotic battleground, I could only stare blankly at the city.

“…”

“Those must be the reinforcements from the Ancient Gods to help against your clones. Each one’s power is probably that of a Celestial Immortal.”

“Oh no, damn it!! I ordered you to gather information, not to go fight like maniacs!! Are those really my clones?!”

It didn’t make sense.

Why are the clones acting like that?!

While I was flustered, Heuk Woong gazed at me with a look that said, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Hmm… I thought you were just acting as you usually do…”

“Huh?! When did I ever act like that?!”

“That would be every single time… Anyway, now’s not the time to nitpick. The incident has already occurred; we need to sort it out.”

Kugugugu…

Above the city, a massive dimensional summoning circle formed, and I could see a giant monster with ‘wings’ being summoned. It was obvious that it’d be a creature even more powerful than those summoned so far, so if such a High-Level Existence were summoned, there would be no remedy for it.

Subori taught me the clone technique, which I thought was easy to use, but it’s turning out to be trickier than expected?!

“Ugh…”

I groaned and pressed my temples.

“… It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to bluntly tell the Ancient Gods about my situation!!”

At that, Heuk Woong seriously advised, “Master, you must know it’s not a good situation. It might be wiser to play dumb and slip away now.”

“I know. But I can’t!”

Somehow, I had a hunch that avoiding this situation and just fleeing would only make things worse!

Pa-at!

I immediately flew to the battlefield above the city. As I clasped my hands together, I created a Terrible Sound using my Trimurti that echoed out across heaven and earth.

[Stop fighting!!]

Dooom!

Since I infused that sound created with Trimurti with significant divine power, the chaotic sounds of battle came to an abrupt halt, and those fighting looked toward me in confusion.

I nervously stretched one hand out and recalled my clones in an instant.

Clone Discharge!

Swoosh!

As one side of the fight suddenly vanished, the Spirit Beasts of Osiris and the stone gods calmed down, perhaps having lost their opponents. Then, a Spirit Beast nearby flew towards me and spoke in a divine tongue.

[Evil invader! Who are you? Why have you sent your clones to attack and now wish to cease hostilities?]

There was a lot of hostility in the voice of the other party, so I thought any words I said would fall on deaf ears. The question was clearly not out of genuine curiosity but rather with the intent to find a reason to execute me. Still, even in this dire situation, I had to say something, so I cleared my throat and spoke.

“Uh-hum… it’s a misunderstanding. I regret causing harm due to misusing my clone technique, but it wasn’t intentional.”

[Are you asking me to believe that? Tell me why you sent your clones to scout out the city of the human race that resides within our realm.]

“I’m Baek Woong. I’m looking for the [Navel of the Sun God], and just thought I could ask the humans if they know about it.”

[……!!]

Hmm…

The Spirit Beast flinched at my words and spoke.

[What is your connection to Tezcatlipoca?]

“……?”

Tezcatlipoca?

I was taken aback by such a sudden mention and began to rummage through my memory, thinking I had heard that name before.

‘Tezcatlipoca…? Ah!’

Suddenly, I recalled what that name referred to.

It was undoubtedly the serpent-like evil god I encountered in the outer universe of Dalma!

I had once held my ground against that evil god with the Peerless Technique, fought fiercely, and ultimately defeated him with an unexpected blow. Indeed, I had snatched away his soul using the Technique of All Things and the power of the divine!

‘Guess that was so long ago I forgot for a bit…’

Thinking back, Tezcatlipoca was a demon god that wielded the powers of the sun, so I could see why the other party would mention Tezcatlipoca too. Surely, that being was also considered a Sun God.

‘So does the [Navel of the Sun God] refer to Tezcatlipoca’s navel?’

No, but does that mean Tezcatlipoca undoubtedly existed in our world back in the day as well as in the outer universe of Dalma?

As I quickly pieced together the details from the other party’s question, I calmly responded.

“I fought Tezcatlipoca before. I heard there’s something called his [navel], and out of curiosity, I’ve been searching for it.”

[…….]

Hmm, hmm, hmm…

The Spirit Beast seemed to hold up a crooked staff towards the sky and fell silent. As I observed that strange silence, Heuk Woong spoke to me telepathically.

[Master, that staff is likely a precious artifact like the Sun God’s treasure. The author uses it to report to the Ancient Gods sleeping in the pyramids.]

‘That sounds about right.’

[Didn’t you reveal too much so easily? You might give the Ancient Gods a heads up by spilling all this info.]

‘Well, for some reason, they don’t strike me as malicious…’

As I was mentally chatting with Heuk Woong, the Spirit Beast broke its silence and spoke to me.

[Our god wishes to meet you. Will you follow?]

“Hm…”

That was unexpected.

I pondered for a moment but then nodded.

“Understood.”

In that case, I might as well check out the faces of these ancient gods asleep in the pyramids!

Zing!

[Follow me.]

Moments later, the Spirit Beast created a dimensional doorway, and I followed it through. As I stepped out of the dimensional door, I found myself on a mysterious passage covered in a dazzlingly bright multicolored marble. The passage was artistically stunning and lavishly adorned with crystals, gold, and platinum, among the most luxurious I had ever seen.

After walking down the spacious passage for a while, I came upon what could almost be mistaken for another world—a vast plaza filled with grandeur. It was a circular plaza several hundred spans wide with stairs built in numerous places, and mystical discs floated in the void.

Kugugu…

All around the plaza, flames ignited and blazed. Hundreds of Spirit Beasts bowed their heads in reverence, creating a magnificent scenery. As the Spirit Beast gestured for me to approach the center of the plaza, I slowly made my way to the top.

Swoosh…

Upon reaching the center of the plaza, a stunningly handsome figure with brown skin appeared before me. Flanking the handsome figure were several imposing deities with dog heads, each holding scales. I couldn’t help but gasp when I saw him.

‘…Incredible beauty! An artificial beauty so sharp it couldn’t possibly belong to a human…!!’

This feeling was oddly familiar. I had surely felt this before, especially when gazing at Fuxi’s human form. One of the most powerful gods, Fuxi had no interest in human beauty but pursued pure aesthetic form instead, creating human shapes to roam about.

A beauty solely crafted by the divine— that meant the one possessing such appearance must be a god.

The stunning figure gazed at me for a moment, then shifted his attention to Heuk Woong standing beside me.

“Truly a powerful spirit. To have such a being as your subordinate means you, Baek Woong, must be a higher god capable of determining the fate of the universe… Yet I’ve never heard of someone like you before.”

“…”

“Baek Woong, why are you searching for the [Navel of the Sun God]?”

There was respect and a touch of ancient wisdom in his voice. Recognizing this entity as far from ordinary, I bowed and replied.

“I find it difficult to disclose freely. If you could reveal your name, I might share mine as well.”

“…”

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

“I am Osiris.”

Osiris!!

That was indeed the name referring to the deity presiding over the Spiritual Realm’s Divine Temple, wasn’t it?

Feeling Osiris’s formidable divine presence, I understood that he was a being at least on par with the Three Sovereigns if not stronger. As I gauged Osiris’s strength through divine energy, I found myself tense, yet a strange feeling persisted.

‘How come a powerful ancient god like Osiris, waiting here in the pyramids, has never shown himself during my rebirths?’

Putting my question aside, I answered Osiris.

“I had a wager with someone regarding who would find the [Navel of the Sun God] first. So, I’ve been searching to win that bet.”

At that, Osiris’s eyebrows twitched.

“A wager? Do you know what the Navel of the Sun God signifies?”

“I’m not well-informed about that.”

“You wager without knowing… Quite interesting. But is it true that you’ve fought the Sun God?”

“Indeed.”

“Were you not scouting the city of humans with malicious intent?”

“No, that’s not the case.”

“…”

Osiris glanced at the scales held by the dog-headed deity behind him and then spoke.

“It’s surprising that you have never spoken a falsehood. This scale is a divine artifact that even higher gods cannot deceive.”

“……!!”

Does that scale have the ability to discern the truth?

While I was internally shocked, Osiris suddenly smiled and said.

“Having such powerful strength wouldn’t normally make you afraid to oppose us, but it is pleasing to see such sincerity. Feeling your faith, I wish to grant your request.”

Buzz-buzz…

…

At Osiris’s words, the flames that flickered around the vast plaza began to stir, followed by a murmur. Moments later, the flames flickered out one by one, replaced with towering divine beings.

Tsuwaaat!

Tsuwaaat!

Soon enough, the plaza felt cramped due to the countless gods that had appeared; I estimated their number must exceed a hundred. They each displayed bizarre forms, none resembling humans.

‘Those beings…’

Are they ancient gods from the Spiritual Realm who’ve come to Earth seeking revelations?

A colossal being resembling an indescribable creature with four eyes shouted sharply, its eyes glimmering.

[Osiris!! I, Set, oppose this! This author is far too suspicious!!]

“…”

[No matter how much he seems to comply with the scales, he’s still an external being! We cannot predict what calamities this author may bring upon us!]

As the god calling himself Set forcefully voiced his opposition, Osiris fell silent for a moment. Then he spoke.

“Well, the Navel of the Sun God is an item we cannot use anyway. You know what the demon god has done.”

[Hmm.]

“If there’s truly a connection, it’d be better to give it to him.”

[But…!!]

“However, I wish to ask one thing before handover.”

Osiris slowly shifted his gaze to me and stated, “Why do I feel a connection to my mother, Neith, from you?”