전생검신 83권 16화

I couldn’t help but feel tense at the sight of the five Oje in front of me.

“Damn it! What if they just blow me away like this right now!!”

I’ve had my share of awkward moments in life, but this felt really dangerous. What if the Oje in front of me suddenly changed their minds and rushed at me? Sure, as an avatar, they couldn’t use their full power instantly, but I knew they were ready to unleash it anytime if they decided to.

And then it happened.

Shwaaaak…!!

With a sound like air hissing out, one of the Oje standing before me vanished without a trace.

It was Yao Shun.

“……?”

[……?]

[…… What the hell?]

[Hmm?]

I wasn’t the only one; most people in the hall gasped in disbelief. Shortly after, the golden-crowned figure that seemed to be the Emperor’s avatar, wearing a mask, spoke softly.

[It has vanished.]

At those words, Jeogok looked quite startled and turned to the Emperor.

[How is this possible? Do you know what’s going on…?]

[Hmm.]

The Emperor’s avatar pondered something while staring at the spot where Yao Shun had just been. Then, seemingly amused, he said,

[This actually saves me some trouble. So that’s why the foresight was unreadable.]

[What do you mean?]

[Don’t worry about it.]

Then, the Emperor exuded a majestic aura and declared,

[Do not delve any deeper into this matter.]

Kugung

That single statement carried the weight of divine power, pressing down with a substantial force. I could see even the avatars of the Three Sovereigns swaying slightly under the Emperor’s energy.

Crack

“Ugh!”

I felt pain radiating through my bones under the Emperor’s aura. Indeed, as expected of an Emperor, he possessed an overwhelming power that I simply couldn’t contest against right now. If I hadn’t accumulated this much divine energy, a single command would probably have obliterated me dozens of times over.

In that moment, I let out a sigh filled more with despair than pain.

“The gap in power is still dozens of times more… No, it might be even more… This is the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen in his prime!”

Could it be that just by being an avatar, he could unleash enough magical power to tear apart a typical [Old Ruler] with his bare hands?!

Though not as strong as whatever form he would achieve in the future, he still felt stronger than what I sensed back at the Land and Earth Diagram!

“… But what’s with this discomfort…”

Yet at the same time, I sensed something off.

Why was the Emperor not discussing Yao Shun’s disappearance any further? He surely had an idea that I was the cause—so why not acknowledge it?

After a moment of silence in the hall, the Emperor withdrew his energy, and the pressure gradually eased. As it did, he stared at me intently and spoke.

[Explain your reason for coming here.]

I shot him a wary look, then, after calming my emotions, finally spoke.

“Your Majesty! Why are you attempting to ascend?”

Suuuuu

In response to my question, the Emperor seemed calm, but the three around him reacted strongly. Jeon Wook, Jeogok, and Shao Hao had subtly moved into positions around me, and I could sense a new, explicit hostility emanating from them. It was an obvious reaction to the mere mention of ascent.

The Emperor appeared surprised and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

[I expected this question, but you really asked it. You’re not deterred by such a display of power?]

“I’m aware that you don’t particularly like to rely solely on strength.”

[That may be so.]

“……”

The Emperor replied with a leisurely air, but there was something frightening about that calm. I felt nothing akin to the surprise or confusion the other divine figures had displayed while dealing with me. Instead, it felt like he was interacting with an old friend, which made me uncomfortable.

He lowered his head, as if deep in thought. Then, slowly lifting the mask, he said,

[So this is what your face looks like.]

Clack

“……?!”

I barely held back a scream as the Emperor removed his mask.

That’s my face!!

“W-What’s the meaning of this…?!”

While I was in a panic, the Emperor effortlessly obliterated his mask and spoke aloud in a human voice.

“I don’t know everything just yet, but I know quite a bit. I know who you are and where you’re from. I calculated the Law of Cause and Effect and inferred your true appearance.”

“……!!”

Is it really possible just with Cause and Effect calculation?!

“However, I don’t know what you desire. Your question itself carries a characteristic close to a singularity in the Law of Cause and Effect, making it difficult for me to simply go against destiny. That’s likely why the Wheel King sent you to me.”

“You know that too, huh.”

“Therefore, I’ll gladly accept your question.”

With that, the Emperor clasped his hands behind his back and continued.

“I seek to break free from the cycle and become a Greater Being. Is there any other answer to that?”

“…….”

“You seem disappointed by such an obvious answer.”

“Y-Yeah, but could you change that face? It’s quite unsettling.”

Why do both the Wheel King and the Emperor keep transforming into my true face?!

I’m not even that handsome!

As I struggled with my inner sentiment, the Emperor casually placed a hand on his face before returning to his original maskless appearance. Then he remarked,

[Be more honest. I know your question isn’t sincere.]

“Be honest…?”

[I recognize that you’re hiding some animosity towards me. You really want to kill me, don’t you?]

“…….”

[However, if you came here carrying some greater purpose, then do your best to extract information from me. Otherwise, I won’t even regard you as an opponent.]

… Damn it… this bastard!!

He’s treating me so casually, even after realizing everything?!

I could feel my hidden hostility bubbling up, and I was seething inside. To be honest, I wanted to snap the neck of Gong Sun Xuanwen right here and now, but given the situation, I had no choice but to swallow that impulse. Not to mention, he was blatantly asking me to be bold while knowing full well how I felt, which only added fuel to my anger.

“Alright. You want it that way; then let’s do it.”

I resolved not to dance around my words anymore. After taking a deep breath, I got straight to the point.

“Emperor! I’m debating on which one of you to kill—you, Fuxi, or the Wheel King! If you don’t want to die, explain to me why you must control this world!!”

[…….]

[…….]

[…….]

A silence fell over the hall.

Jeogok and Shao Hao’s avatars looked at me as if I was insane, while Jeon Wook’s avatar seemed to find it amusing, chuckling softly. The Emperor’s avatar wore a mask, so no emotions were visible, but it appeared that my question had surprised him, as he took on a serious posture.

After a moment, the Emperor’s avatar burst into laughter.

[Hahaha… I see! I wondered why the Wheel King would let such a bird into his cage, but it seems it’s because you’re a foul bird.]

As soon as that sentence ended, I felt a blade pressed against my neck.

Chiririing

A radiant blade, shining with brilliance, was pointed at my neck, and the wielder appeared to be Shao Hao. It looked like he had created a blade infused with his destructive power and wanted to erase me on the spot. Moreover, Jeogok and Jeon Wook were subtly raising their divine energy, meaning a fierce battle was imminent. If a fight broke out, I had no chance of winning.

“Ugh… damn…”

I clenched my teeth. Should I have just kept my head down and crawled away? But at that moment, something inside me insisted that being forthright was the right approach, and I just followed that instinct. After all, if the risk of dying was inevitable, I wanted to say my piece until the end.

Shao Hao spoke, clearly displeased.

[You’ve got guts. You’re strong, but do you really think you can mess around here?]

“…….”

[Your Majesty! Please allow me to behead this fool. It won’t take long.]

In response to Shao Hao’s plea, the Emperor simply replied.

[Put the sword away.]

[…….]

[And from now on, do not interfere unless you have my permission.]

Sssss!

At that, the hostility radiating from Shao Hao and the others dissipated, and the blade infused with his power vanished. I could feel cold sweat running down my back, and the tension in the air lessened. Once the other rulers relaxed their hostility, the Emperor spoke.

[This is quite delightful. Now I understand why I couldn’t calculate your question through the Law of Cause and Effect. Fuxi represents order, I embody chaos, and the Wheel King signifies balance. Depending on whom you decide to eliminate, the fate of this world will change.]

The Emperor’s ability to grasp the situation immediately was nothing short of astonishing. I stared at him warily and said,

“I don’t think it’s right for you to control the world. A selfish person like you deserves to be brought down!”

[You’re very confident. If so, what is the reason for coming to me with questions?]

“Even so, it would be wrong to decide without at least hearing what you have to say.”

[Rightness… hmm…]

With that, the Emperor crossed his arms and said,

[You’re quite the arrogant being. You seem to think you can judge the world based on your standards of right and wrong.]

“…… If I were to judge by anything else, it would seem even more nonsensical.”

[Is it reasonable for one who seeks a great cause to disregard public justice?]

“According to public justice, you should die even more. You wouldn’t care if everyone else died as long as you achieved your goals!!”

Swoosh

In that moment, I felt the intensity of hostility from Shao Hao and Jeogok spiking dangerously, and I swallowed nervously. After taking a jab now, I felt that if I pushed too hard, I might soon face their wrath for blasphemy and end up dead. While I was inwardly trembling, the Emperor replied without any worry.

[That’s true. But why is that wrong?]

I was taken aback by his response.

“Why is it wrong?! So you’re saying it’s fine to wipe out others for your own sake?!”

[This world is destined for destruction through [The End]. Ultimately, if everything is to disappear, then what I do in that process doesn’t carry much significance, does it?]

“No way…! You could show some consideration for others and make them happy in that process! You have the power to do so!”

[Why should I?]

“…….”

He’s so shameless!

When I was about to lose my cool and yell, the Emperor stated,

[All happiness and unhappiness perceived by sentient beings, all emotions, are ultimately illusions and dreams. Even existence itself doesn’t imply reality, nor guarantees uniqueness. In this despair, the only thing you can truly grasp is ‘I’ (me), and the perfection of the self can be seen as breaking free from the cycle.]

“…….”

[Let me ask you something. If I become an external embodiment and bring happiness to the entire universe, could you forgive all the evil deeds and karma I’ve committed over billions of years?]

That was an unexpected question.

I clenched my teeth at the inquiry and shouted,

“Crazy talk!! You must pay for what you’ve done!!”

All the comrades I lost because of the Emperor! The 10 billion humanity! When I think of all the lives in the universe, I would still feel unsatisfied even if I ripped the Emperor apart right now. Listening to him prattle on in that context was making my stomach turn.

The Emperor, however, seemed to smile for some reason.

[Exactly. All the things I’ve done should eventually be returned through the Law of Cause and Effect. But if I break free from the cycle, I will have no reason to be returned to that cause.]

“What the hell……!! So that’s your reason for wanting to become external?!”

[Not just me. That’s a fundamental reason. I want to go even further.]

“Go even further?”

I had to suppress my discomfort at the thought that the Emperor was about to spew more nonsense.

However, moments later, the Emperor’s next words left me completely dumbfounded.

[After that, I will become the embodiment of the [Father] and directly participate in the game taking place outside the cycle.]

“……?!”

W-What does that even mean?

I wasn’t the only one; it appeared the other three Sovereigns were equally surprised by this declaration, glancing at the Emperor.

The first to react was Jeon Wook.

[Emperor. What do you mean? What do you know about what lies beyond the end?!]

But the Emperor ignored Jeon Wook’s question, continuing to stare at me as he spoke.

[You must be curious about what I know. After all, it’s likely that you exist to uncover the secrets of the universe.]

“…….”

[Listen carefully. The important thing is not the process, but the result!]

Calmly, the Emperor stated.

[If you want to know the rest of this story… if you want to uncover what you don’t yet understand about the Absolute Beings, there’s only one thing you must do.]

What followed the Emperor’s words was as expected but sent me into an overwhelming state of confusion.

[You must tread the path of chaos and become the Overlord! If you take the head of Fuxi and the Wheel King, I promise to share all my powers and secrets with you. Then I will acknowledge you as another master of the Divine Temple!]

“……!!”

[You will lead the military forces of chaos with me and trample over all existence, ruling the world!]

Damn it!! Isn’t this almost the same proposal I heard from the Wheel King…?!

But the terms offered by the Emperor were undeniably far more generous. I was utterly unprepared for him to make such an audacious offer, leaving me at a complete loss.

[And one more thing… you shall have the girl’s treatment as per your wishes.]

“Wha…?”

[No matter how much you may hate me, I don’t mind. After all, I know you’re just as much a slave to your desires.]

As the Emperor continued speaking, I felt myself sinking into a quagmire.

[I will let you meet the girl right now.]