전생검신 Volume 83, Chapter 2

So if balance disappears, does it become the Desert of Isolation?

I looked around at the scenery again after hearing that. And what I saw was an unidentifiable chaos that wriggled like the head of a shapeless snake, with some ominous energy pouring out from all directions. This foreboding sensation felt different from anything else I had felt before.

‘These aren’t real beings…’

I had experienced all kinds of horrifying chaos and monstrosities, but the reason I felt differently about them was that the ominous energy in this Desert of Isolation had a lifeless, mineral-like quality devoid of any sense of purpose.

To be more blunt, it felt like these floating clouds of existence were merely a mass of corpses with the minimum amount of malice left behind. Perhaps that’s why the desperate evil in this dark desert didn’t feel overwhelming; it was rather the ‘death’ itself that felt even more pressing.

I pondered for a moment and then spoke to the Wheel King.

“Are you saying that if [balance] disappears, this world will turn into the Desert of Isolation and perish before [revelation] comes?”

“That’s correct.”

“…It’s hard to believe, but if we treat the Wheel King’s words as fact, can you explain what it means for [balance] to disappear?”

The Wheel King replied calmly to my question.

“Baek Woong, do you think this world is filled with chaos?”

“Of course! The powerful Evil Gods that twist the universe wield the Power of Chaos; above all other sub-attributes, chaos is paramount.”

As I answered confidently, the Wheel King shook his head slowly.

“On the surface, that’s true. However, if there were only pure chaos, no being could form at all. Even Gods can’t truly be called pure chaos.”

“Huh?”

What does that mean?

As I became momentarily confused, the Wheel King continued.

“The opposite of chaos is [order]. Though the power of order may appear weak on the surface, it provides structure to chaos and creates the fundamental elements of existence. In the early universe, the energy of order was even stronger than chaos, and that was why Pangu could truly be called a true God of discretion at that time.”

Pangu!

I flinched at the mention of the creator god Pangu, and the Wheel King glanced at me before continuing.

“However, the malice of chaos invaded Pangu, sealing him as a wedge of order… And after that, the Gods of Chaos entered their heyday. The ones known as Ancient Gods emerged to guard against the rampaging Chaos Gods. What do you think differentiates them?”

“Um… They primarily use the powers of order?”

“Not at all. In fact, some Ancient Gods use the energy of chaos better than the Chaos Gods themselves. A prime example is Fuxi, isn’t it?”

“…”

Right…?

What’s the difference?

I realized that the Wheel King’s current explanation hit on something I had always been curious about but never fully understood. I then asked,

“Do you know the essential difference between the Ancient Gods and the [Old Rulers]?”

“Indeed. Their true difference lies in the density of the [order] that forms their souls and bones. [Old Rulers] have bodies closer to chaos, while Ancient Gods possess bodies inscribed with the laws and principles of the universe. This bodily difference creates the variance in their natures.”

“Hmm… So that means…”

“They are actually almost the same being. To put it in human terms, they are like cousins or relatives… or rather, very similar blood relations with slightly different characteristics. It’s only the blend of chaos and order that changes a tad.”

So that’s how it is…

Now that I clearly understood the difference between the [Old Rulers] and the Ancient Gods, I nodded, and the Wheel King continued.

“In the current universe, chaos can be seen as a 6 and order a 4. While this state is somewhat skewed, it still maintains a decent balance. However, what do you think would happen if one side won overwhelmingly, creating a balance like 9 to 1?”

“…”

As soon as I heard that, something clicked in my mind, and I exclaimed.

“That would cause the Desert of Isolation to emerge!”

“Exactly. What you see standing here in such a miserable state will begin to appear all over the universe. Once the Desert of Isolation is formed, it can never be eliminated.”

The Wheel King suddenly stretched out his hand toward me and said,

“Would you like to taste a bit of the Desert of Isolation?”

What?

Thud!!

In the next moment, I unexpectedly found myself plunging into the quicksand of the Desert of Isolation. It seemed like the Wheel King had used some power, and I had been caught off guard! Realizing that I had at least sunk several layers down into the sandy abyss, I scowled.

‘Darn it…!’

It didn’t seem like the Wheel King had manipulated time and space; why had I not noticed his sudden attack? Given that I was confident I could counter any ambush with my powers, I was quite baffled. Even if someone used the Thunder Spirit technique to strike my brain, I could have responded. So why couldn’t I react to the Wheel King’s assault?

‘There’s some riddle here…’

Thinking that way, I quickly tried to use my powers to soar back up.

….

Huh? Why can’t I?

I was shocked to find that my powers didn’t activate at all. It was a power I had used almost omnipotently, and now, with it suddenly gone, I felt flustered. Realizing that not only could I not activate it, but I also felt no trace of my power left in my body, I sensed a crisis.

‘Ugh! Well then, I’ve got no choice!’

Thunder God Lineage (雷神流) Strong Qi!

Soul Removal Technique!

Boom!!

With that, I enveloped my entire body in overwhelming internal power and unleashed the Soul Removal Technique with full force to escape the quicksand. An explosion echoed as massive clumps of sand burst apart, filling the air, and I lightly landed on top of the sand. I glared at the Wheel King, who stood before me, and shouted,

“What kind of trick is this?!”

“Calm down. If I had meant to kill you, it wouldn’t have ended so simply.”

“…”

“A hundred hearsay is not as good as one sight. Once you get caught in the Desert of Isolation, you cannot use your powers. That’s the innate property of the Desert of Isolation.”

Reluctantly, I nodded my head at the Wheel King’s words.

“…I see.”

“The Desert of Isolation expands exponentially the more imbalance grows. As you can see, it’s a realm that nullifies and annihilates all powers. No God can withstand the curse of the Desert of Isolation and escape. Once the Desert of Isolation gains momentum, it will engulf the entire universe in less than a thousand years.”

“…!!”

A thousand years may seem like a long time by human standards, but for beings like Gods who can live for billions of years, it’s hardly a blink.

“The bigger problem is that as this desert expands and strengthens, something begins to emerge from beneath its surface, giving birth to calamities. In the end, even Gods will have to fight against that ‘calamity’.”

“…Are you saying something was sealed within this desert?”

“Sealed… that expression might not be correct. It’s more like a relentless grudge that carries malice and is reborn through the cycle of reincarnation.”

“…?”

“It might be that’s precisely the reason the Desert of Isolation was born in the first place…”

This was getting mysterious. When I tilted my head in confusion, the Wheel King continued.

“The reason the Desert of Isolation never appeared in your memory is that the Emperor annihilated the forces of the Three Sovereigns indirectly, rather than killing them as Gods. For instance, he used methods like sealing, confinement, inducement, and acceptance to compel the Ancient Gods into submission. It’s likely that the Emperor foresaw the existence of the Desert of Isolation through his ability to see the law of causality and chose to take the royal road to prevent it.”

“…What are you saying? I don’t quite understand; can you explain it?”

“For example, imagine if the Emperor defeated the Three Sovereigns and instead of sealing them, poured out their malice to effectively make it impossible for them to resurrect, essentially causing their deaths. It’s an incredibly difficult feat, but for someone like Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, it might well be feasible. Then what would happen?”

“I’m not sure.”

“The Ancient Gods were the pillars of order and support for the world, so with the simultaneous disappearance of the Three Sovereigns, the weight of the world would tilt toward the chaotic side. The more it tilts, the exponentially higher the probability of the Desert of Isolation appearing.”

“…!!”

As I finally grasped the Wheel King’s words, my eyes widened, and he spoke.

“Do you now understand why a war among the Gods doesn’t end as dramatically as human wars? Because if either side were to claim victory without maintaining minimal balance, everyone would descend into ruin.”

“So that was it…”

“At present, the probability of the Desert of Isolation appearing in the universe is nonexistent. This is because I have sealed it away, preventing it from surfacing. However, if the balance of the universe were to disappear, the Desert of Isolation would undoubtedly emerge.”

“You sealed it? Where exactly did you hide this Desert of Isolation in the universe?”

Where could you possibly seal such a terrifying domain where no powers would work and Gods improbably face obliteration!

“…”

The Wheel King didn’t answer my question, instead shifting topics.

“Baek Woong, I don’t care whether you are good or evil. The reason I’m helping you is to maintain ‘balance.’”

“…”

“However, to maintain balance, tremendous power is needed. Whether it’s chaos or order, to remain neutral, you’ll need greater power than you imagine. I chose to grant you the Seven Treasures because I believe you can be the one to uphold the balance.”

With the Wheel King’s explanation, I began to piece together the overall context.

He was trying to empower me, a reborn individual, to protect the balance and prevent the destruction of the universe!

His explanation was quite well thought out and justified. But I still had one point I didn’t understand, and I said to him,

“Why not just keep the balance yourself with your overwhelming strength? If you grow weaker, it could actually risk the current balance more, right?”

“You still don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

“I, myself, can no longer maintain the balance. Because you have already disrupted it.”

“…?!”

W-What do you mean?!

I panicked and shouted,

“When did I disrupt the balance?”

“Think back to the series of actions you took while wandering with Fuxi. He used the pretense of teaching you how to wield power to put you to effective use in various situations. As a result, you gained a power that you originally didn’t possess, the ability as a direct descendant of Pangu.”

“……!!”

Are you talking about Pangu’s axe?

The Wheel King’s gaze darkened momentarily.

“To put it more simply, you might not realize it, but the current Fuxi is a being entirely different from the weak Fuxi you knew from the end times. At this stage, I can no longer restrain Fuxi.”

“…I see. I had a vague idea that Fuxi had become stronger. But how does that relate to giving me the Seven Treasures to restore balance? That doesn’t quite make sense.”

“No, it makes perfect sense.”

The Wheel King pointed at me with his index finger.

“Only those who have disrupted the balance can restore it to its original state. This too is a law of the universe.”

“…”

“Baek Woong, do as you will regarding the fate of the human Dongfang Sak.”

Hoo-oo

Gradually, I felt the scenery around me change as both my and the Wheel King’s bodies were pulled back from the Desert of Isolation to reality. In that moment, the Wheel King quickly morphed from my figure into a shadowy form, symbolizing the essence of death itself. I couldn’t describe it, but the overwhelming presence of a true God of Death standing before me left me momentarily speechless until the Wheel King’s voice resonated in my mind.

[Thus, you have heard the will of both me and Fuxi.]

The Wheel King’s immense shadowy gaze looked down at me as he continued speaking.

[Moderation is… the law whereby neither side can solely claim good or evil… If you truly wish to understand the necessity of the Seven Treasures, go hear the final will of one more person.]

“Wheel King…”

[At that time, I shall gladly offer my head as you wish.]

Swish!!

In the next moment, I found myself back in the real world with Heuk Woong and Dongfang Sak.

Dongfang Sak blinked in confusion, seemingly unaware of what had occurred, and yelled at me,

“Hey Baek Woong!! So did you reach a conclusion or what?”

I dazedly came to my senses and nodded.

“…Yeah. You won’t be chased by the Underworld anymore. The Wheel King has entrusted your fate to me.”

“Ha, so now you’re saying I’m going to be your subordinate?”

“…”

But I couldn’t respond to Dongfang Sak’s teasing remark.

Because I realized the meaning behind what the Wheel King had said last.

‘The Wheel King knew.’

The willingness to offer his head.

It must mean the request of the Void Record’s apostle, the Phoenix, to kill one of the three— the Emperor, Fuxi, or the Wheel King.