전생검신 Volume 84 Chapter 8

The Rainbow Snake seemed a bit curious about what I said and replied, “Dividends? What’s that?”

“Well… you might think it’s hard to believe that I would definitely meet the Void Record in [the Revelation], right? Just in case, if you collaborate with our company, you’ll receive a share of the essence of divine power at regular intervals.”

“Oh… so you’re saying you’ll share divine power? How?”

I nodded to the avatar of the Rainbow Snake and subtly raised my hand.

‘I made this shortly before coming!’

In my hand was a golden coin acquired with [the Power of Commerce].

“I’ll distribute these coins to the investors!”

The eyes of the Rainbow Snake narrowed slightly. It seemed to be examining my golden coin closely when it finally spoke.

“That’s… an object made from power. Are you saying you’ll infuse it with divine power?”

“I won’t infuse it directly. But I’ll transfer divine power to the investors at regular intervals using this coin as the medium.”

“…….”

“Even if the goals I mentioned aren’t achieved, you’ll still get dividends until then, so investors won’t be at a loss!”

The Rainbow Snake seemed to ponder my persuasion deeply.

“Hmm… how much divine power can you share?”

“Five percent of the investment!”

“And what’s the frequency of the dividends?”

“……Five thousand years!!”

I couldn’t help but flinch as I spoke. In a typical situation, a timeline as ridiculous as five thousand years wouldn’t be tolerated.

‘Ugh… Lee Hwan-woong… is this really okay?’

I set the five thousand years because Lee Hwan-woong suggested it! I doubted whether such a crazy proposal would be accepted, but since I decided to trust Lee Hwan-woong, I had no choice but to say it.

Moments later, the Rainbow Snake nodded.

“Alright then. If it’s just five thousand years.”

“That’s good… very good.”

I felt slightly dazed by the Rainbow Snake’s reaction. Lee Hwan-woong’s claim about the different perception of time in gods suddenly made sense.

“Then one last thing — prove two things.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, the basis that you can guarantee an superior status in [the Revelation]… and second, I want to see the infusion of divine power via the golden coin.”

“…….”

“Also, all current agreements must be made under your name.”

I expected this. I spoke confidently.

“I am close to the Phoenix, the apostle of the Void Record! And I swear by my name that my power is also guaranteed by the Void Record.”

“Hmm…!! Really?”

“Of course. I even know how to recognize the boundaries!”

Since I took the request, it’s not really a lie!

Although I learned it from Cheon Woo-jin, I didn’t mention the subject, so it doesn’t really matter!

“Oh.”

The Rainbow Snake seemed impressed, and finally, I demonstrated how to send divine power through the coin. After that, the Rainbow Snake finally spoke.

“Okay. I’ll invest in you.”

“Thank you!”

The Rainbow Snake seemed to be smiling gently.

“I thought I’d remain bored until the end of time, but unexpectedly, something interesting has come up.”

“What kind of investment do you have in mind?”

“Hmm. Let me see…”

The Rainbow Snake appeared to be in thought for a moment before pulling something from its hand.

“It’s not usually something I give to others, but I’ll invest this.”

Sitting in the Rainbow Snake’s hand was a small frog statue, about the size of a palm. I was dumbfounded upon seeing it.

“W-What is this? It looks alive…”

Ribbit!

Indeed, the stone frog statue croaked as if it were alive despite being made of stone, puffing its cheeks and moving slightly. Seeing this bizarre figure, I couldn’t help but be astonished.

“This is something I would only grant to my best apostles. If you possess this stone frog, you will be able to travel through [the Dream Time].”

“[The Dream Time]?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, the Rainbow Snake continued its explanation.

“That place is part of [the Boundary]. Since my origin also stems from there, if you wander through [the Dream Time], you may enter the true essence of [the Dream]. You might also meet the Greatest Being.”

“……?”

“If you use it in an urgent situation, you’ll understand what I mean. I think that’s a sufficiently great investment.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what it all meant, but it clearly looked like an extraordinary artifact. I tucked the stone frog inside my wooden armor and replied.

“Alright. And one more thing… this time, I want to know some information.”

“What do you want to know?”

“I heard that Nüwa created an artifact known as [the Life-Creating String]. I also heard that besides Nüwa, there’s another being who can possess this string. Do you know who that is?”

I had been curious in a past life, but the Rainbow Snake never revealed it!

I had an instinct that this information was crucial, so I decided to learn it from the Rainbow Snake this time.

‘It must definitely be related to Pangu!’

Pangu is likely to be the most significant figure in this life. Gathering any clues leading to Pangu is the right thing to do.

After pondering my question, the Rainbow Snake replied.

“I’ll tell you, but I’ll need you to increase my dividends. Do you agree?”

“……Huh?!”

“Why are you so shocked? In an investment relationship, replacing the information fee with an increase in your dividends shouldn’t be strange. Rather, it’s a more logical approach.”

Is this a proposal I should accept?

As I hesitated, Lee Hwan-woong, who was beside me, chimed in.

“Oh great Rainbow Snake! How about increasing it to six percent?”

The Rainbow Snake shook its head.

“Minimum nine percent.”

Lee Hwan-woong shouted in anger.

“That’s too greedy! How about six percent and five li?”

“…….”

The Rainbow Snake made a somewhat displeased expression.

“Baek Woong, how dare you try to bargain with God. You bring such an impudent human along.”

I hastily excused myself to the Rainbow Snake.

“Forgive my rudeness. However, if the dividends are set too high, it wouldn’t be fair to the other investors.”

“Hmm… Does that mean you plan to set five percent for the others?”

“That’s my thought.”

“Fine. Then let’s compromise at seven percent.”

“Understood.”

Although I added two percent more, considering the importance of the information, it wouldn’t be too much of a loss.

Just as I thought I had negotiated well, the Rainbow Snake spoke up.

“There are only two beings in the entire universe who can possess that artifact. One is Nüwa, and the other is Fuxi.”

“……?!”

“Of course. It’s only natural. Those siblings have kept that string as proof of their connection since the time they were birthed during the divine seating, so there can be no one else.”

“Umm… if that’s true then…”

I swallowed my words.

‘Could it be… the owner of that Life-Creating String that Pangu offered after the egg ceremony is…’

Fuxi?!

If that’s the case, then did Pangu hold onto Fuxi’s string and then give it to me?

‘…There must be some significance to this.’

As I immersed myself in thought, the Rainbow Snake continued.

“I’ll share more since I’ve increased the dividends. In fact, that string is nearly the umbilical cord of the twin deities.”

“Umbilical cord…?”

“They possess that artifact as proof of sibling ties, but at the same time, its cause-and-effect is linked to their parent, Pangu. Therefore, using that artifact may allow them to connect with Pangu even outside of the divine seating.”

“……”

“That should provide enough information, right?”

“Um… yes?”

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. What does it mean that the umbilical cord of the twin deities is connected to Pangu?

While I was in a daze, Lee Hwan-woong next to me spoke up.

“The information is indeed sufficient. It’s best to leave now.”

“Got it.”

I nodded and turned to the Rainbow Snake.

“Thank you for the investment!”

“Feel free to drop by if you’re bored.”

Boom!

We left the domain of the Rainbow Snake. After stepping outside, I asked Lee Hwan-woong.

“What does it mean that the string is connected to Pangu?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know your memories, so I can’t say for sure. You were banned from transmitting memories to your companions with obsidian in this life, right? I heard a detailed explanation, but that still doesn’t compare to the vivid experiences you’ve gathered over hundreds of lives.”

“……”

“To analyze that information you just received, we might need a future companion who has received memories through obsidian from you. Or consult with the Wheel King.”

“But the Wheel King is…”

“It might be awkward since he could become your enemy. That’s for you to decide.”

“Umm.”

I felt it might be too risky to consult the Wheel King right now. First, once I return to the Underworld, it would be almost the same as taking away the Wheel King’s power; I needed to decide whether to side with him this time. There was still work to be done.

“Let’s go to the next investor. Who should we visit?”

“That would obviously be Chulu.”

Chulu!

That being was the Old Ruler, who stuck around in the Underworld to feed on countless souls, filling the void left when the Wheel King disappeared in the future. Without a doubt, it was an extremely malicious entity, so I frowned.

“I don’t like that thing…”

“That Chulu was born from the darkness of the universe, and it’s said to have flowed into this world following Pangu, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then we need to find out how that Chulu flowed into this world following Fuxi. We’ll also manage the investment at the same time…”

“Umm…!! I see!”

“The problem is where Chulu is now. Let’s ask Fuxi about that.”

I went to find Fuxi and inquired about Chulu’s whereabouts. Fuxi then smiled enigmatically.

“Have you been doing something interesting, Baek Woong?”

“Ugh… I’m just setting up a corporation and gathering investors.”

“A corporation?… I see, that’s clever of you.”

Seeming amused, Fuxi glanced at Lee Hwan-woong and remarked, “You want to build your own third force by gathering investors, human.”

Lee Hwan-woong flinched at Fuxi’s gaze and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended your greatness.”

“It’s fine. Regardless, your actions are bound to exist within the flow of causality.”

Fuxi dismissed it lightly before continuing.

“It seems you want to ask something. Speak your mind.”

“Great Fuxi, I heard that Chulu is a being born from the darkness of the universe. What does ‘darkness’ refer to? And do you know how that existence claims to have followed Fuxi into this world?”

“You seek to acquire valuable information without investing, huh?”

“……”

“That’s alright. Since I decided to fully cooperate with you, I’ll share the information.”

After mumbling that, Fuxi began to speak.

“The darkness refers to the deepest part of the universe. You can reach it by following the boundary of dimensions down to the bottommost layer. Chulu is a ruler born from there and even fought me a long time ago.”

I gasped at that.

“You fought against Chulu?”

“Indeed. Out of curiosity, I briefly passed through the darkness, only for the [Darkness] there to mimic me and take the form of a dragon.”

Fuxi chuckled, looking out the window.

“It seems that being still likes the form of the dragon it saw when it followed me.”

“……”

I didn’t even need to see the outcome. Either Fuxi played with it for a while and then left, or Fuxi decisively defeated it; it had to be one of the two. Hearing that, Lee Hwan-woong said, “So does that mean Chulu refers to itself as a dragon but is actually not one?”

“Correct. It’s merely pure [Darkness]. It’s an entirely separate existence, not even a physical entity. A mortal facing it it would be impossible, due to its formless nature. Moreover, it continuously siphons magical power from the darkness of the universe, making it an incredibly troublesome opponent.”

Continuing that thought, Fuxi added, “I’ll tell you where Chulu resides, but it’s best to be cautious if you plan to negotiate. It’s an opportunist and cruel; you could end up in trouble if you’re not careful.”

“Thank you. This information is truly invaluable.”

After thanking Fuxi, we soon decided to head straight to Chulu.

Boom!

The place we arrived at was an area engulfed in a deep, pitch-black darkness. I was somewhat familiar since Chulu had called me here before, but Lee Hwan-woong shivered as soon as he reached this place.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Ugh… cough…!”

It seemed Lee Hwan-woong was barely managing the pressure using his will and Mephisto’s calculations, but he looked in pretty dire straits. Panting heavily, he spoke.

“… The Rainbow Snake and Fuxi considered my vulnerability, but here, it feels like I’ve summoned the core of the universe’s darkness itself… I can’t hold on here…”

“Do you want to spend a bit in the wooden armor?”

“… Please do that. I’m sorry for not being able to help…”

After casting a protective spell on Lee Hwan-woong, I put him inside the wooden armor. Not long after, the form of Chulu emerged before me.

[A powerful being in human form… Who are you?]

Chulu appeared perplexing, like a dark dragon writhing.

“I am Chulu. I’ve come to offer you an investment.”

[Investment…?]

Just like before with the Rainbow Snake, I explained the investment details to Chulu in detail.

After accepting the golden coin, Chulu seemed to think for a while before speaking.

[Something feels off… ]

“What’s off? Is it so suspicious that I promised you a prominent position in [the Revelation]?”

Chulu suddenly thrust the coin forward.

[… No… this coin itself is suspicious… ]

“Why’s the coin suspicious?”

[If I follow your words, you will visit many rulers and seek investments… You will negotiate and gather investments, and this coin is the medium through which you send divine power to the investors…]

Chulu’s following words made me jolt.

[… So what if you leave this coin behind and escape with all the investments we made…?]

“……?!”

[You believe that there’s no safety measure in place to reclaim the investment we made…?]

Oh no, what the hell is this guy talking about!

Did he think I would leave the process that sloppy?!

I panicked and shouted in protest.

“Do you think I’d risk the backlash of causality for that?! I swore on my name!”

[… That’s hard to say… ]

“Damn, if you don’t want to invest, then don’t! I’m sure there are others lined up eager to invest!”

Just as I tried to storm off in a huff, Chulu suddenly grabbed my arm.

[No… that’s not the case… you misunderstood my words… ]

Surging shadows slithered out like tentacles, attempting to envelop my body. For a moment, I was surrounded, but I gathered my strength and broke free.

Boom!!

Thanks to my divine power, it was like child’s play. I turned with furious eyes to see Chulu smirking ominously.

“So what do you want to say then?”

At that moment, Chulu bore a grin that sent chills down my spine.

[Instead of the investor’s dividend… I want shares in your corporation… ]

“Huh?”

[Why pretend to be clueless? I just want to lend a hand as well… But it seems a little clumsy right now… If I join you both and help gather investors… ]

“……”

Why does this thing want shares?

I tilted my head, lost in its intent, but Chulu just continued to squirm and elaborate.

[I have quite a few close friends… There are many [Old Rulers] who inhabit the darkness of the universe; they’re considerably more than those who do not… And a significant number of them have descended to this earth… Bringing me into the mix wouldn’t be disadvantageous for you, I believe… ]

“… Hmm… So you mean you’d promote our company to your friends?”

[Exactly… how about this…?]

Chulu’s smile turned sinister.

[While recruiting… I could create hierarchies within your company… The more recruits you gather, the higher their rank will be… Doing that would naturally raise my rank… And it would surely attract investors to your cause like bees to honey… ]

Hierarchies…?!

This was an utterly unexpected proposal, leaving me flustered since Lee Hwan-woong hadn’t mentioned anything about such a scenario.

‘Should I ask Lee Hwan-woong about this right now…?’

I reached for the wooden armor in my pocket, but at that moment, I was abruptly struck by a tremendous surge of power enveloping my body.

‘Ugh.’

Chulu was on high alert, its aura reflected an aggressive readiness to attack if I made any suspicious moves. Oftentimes, there was no doubt that in a confrontation, I wouldn’t be able to protect Lee Hwan-woong if Chulu targeted him.

‘Good thing I put Lee Hwan-woong in the wooden armor.’

Since I couldn’t consult him anymore, I had to make a judgment call on Chulu’s proposal myself.

After contemplating for a moment, I finally spoke.

“Explain it in a bit more detail.”

[Simply put… if I act as your top-tier member and recommend several individuals… Those I recommend, in turn, will also recommend others to become mid-tier members… and they can again recommend more for lower-tier members… This way, the numbers would increase rapidly, making it easier for you to achieve your goal, wouldn’t it?]

“Oh.”

[But for this, I want a stake in your company as a top-tier member… It’s a simple request… ]

“……”

It was a tempting offer, but I sensed a trap lurking beneath. Still, it felt as though that trap was not directed at me, so after a long moment of hesitation, an idea struck me, prompting a question.

“Wait, I have one thing to ask.”

[What is it…? ]

“Please tell me what ‘the being at the center of this planet’ refers to.”

This was something mentioned by Chulu previously, and my excellent memory allowed me to recall the mention of it from before. If I was going to accept Chulu’s suspicious offer, understanding this information felt essential.

[You cannot retrieve what that being has consumed, but… at least I’ve returned what I’ve consumed… ]

[It wasn’t only I who had the right to consume souls… There was that being who significantly contributed to weakening the Wheel King by consuming souls as well… ]

After the Wheel King disappeared, two gods in the Underworld were eating the souls of mortals. One was the Chulu standing in front of me, and the other was the “being at the center of the planet!” This existence had never appeared in the open before, and while I had never thought to investigate it before, upon reviewing things, I recalled that particular being had also been mentioned for significantly contributing to weakening the Wheel King.

‘Considering the current situation, where I might cooperate with the Wheel King, it’s crucial to find out who that being is!’

Chulu probably knew who it was.

With a glimmer of interest, Chulu twitched its emerald body and spoke, “Are you interested in that being…?”

“What do you mean?”

[The Emperor’s faction and the Ancient Gods have both sought information about that being. They never revealed what they found out, though… ]

“……!!”

[Indeed… had I not stumbled upon some coincidental intertwined fates, I might never have met that being… Hehe. ]

I frowned, saying, “You act like you know some incredible information. That won’t make me give you more shares.”

[Ah… Of course, I have no intention of being greedy… but unless you accept my proposal, I can’t disclose it… ]

“……”

Damn, this is so annoying… Fuxi’s words about Chulu being a troublesome opponent weren’t wrong.

‘If it’s this aggressive with a being at a comparable level, then it surely must be profoundly malicious towards weaker beings.’

Had I come here without sufficient power, I might have been attacked on the spot. I thought to myself that cultivating my strength wasn’t a mistake, and I nodded.

“I accept your proposal. I’ll give you three percent of the shares I possess. Be satisfied with that.”

After all, if it meant rapidly recruiting members, then there was nothing to lose for me.

[Three percent… well… that’s acceptable. Then I’ll tell you… ]

Chulu’s eyes glimmered with joy.

[That being at the core of this planet is… a being who has been confined to the [Palace] and was forcibly brought here… ]

“Palace?”

[I don’t know its true name… just that it’s an ancient being… Unlike the formidable beings that have already made a name in this world, it’s well hidden, shrouded in secrecy… ]

“What is the Palace?”

[I also don’t know that… But when I encountered it for the first time, I offered it tributes… That’s the information it provided me… ]

“……So that being has a reason to keep itself concealed?”

[……]

Chulu paused for a moment before speaking again.

[It seemed that being has never shown interest in things like [the Revelation]… It must have been someone who once was very high up… Therefore, even the Emperor and the Ancient Gods are aware of its presence and remain cautious… ]

“A very high place, huh….”

[If you wish to meet it… you should physically approach the core of this planet and enter through a rift caused by nightmares… ]

“You mentioned giving it tributes; what kind of tribute earned its favor?”

[That being also enjoys consuming souls like I do. Fresh souls would work well. ]

“Oh, I see…”

I felt a twinge of curiosity regarding this new being’s emergence.

‘It might be beneficial to check it out once.’

Understanding why a high-level existence without interest in [the Revelation] would take a hand in weakening the Wheel King seemed imperative.

“Got it. Now let’s do the investment.”

[Investment…?]

“I can’t just receive from you without any investment, even if you’re helping out. It just wouldn’t be fair.”

[……]

Momentarily, Chulu seemed to ponder something then shot out a pulse from its amorphous body.

What emerged was a tiny glass vial glowing with a bright red light.

‘Hmm… not a huge amount…’

I picked up the vial, observing the liquid within it, which looked like blood. Although it didn’t seem to be blood exactly, it wiggled as if it were alive, looking rather disgusting.

[That’s my treasure. I’ll invest that vial.]

“What power does that hold?”

[If you give that liquid to a lower-tier existence, they will instantly be promoted to a Demon King. However, it won’t have any effect on those who already possess strength beyond that of a Demon King.]

“……!!”

[It’s condensed dark magic refined over a long period from the universe, so it would be ideal to strengthen one of your followers especially.]

This, there’s an artifact like this?!

I stared at the vial of blood with astonishment before quickly placing it into the wooden armor.

“Thank you! I hope you’ll perform your duties well.”

[Hehe… Certainly. ]

Boom!

I exited Chulu’s domain. I then freed Lee Hwan-woong from the wooden armor and recounted what just transpired.

Lee Hwan-woong’s expression shifted to surprise.

“Wow, a god suggested multi-level marketing… I suppose an evil god would comprehend the wickedness of the world better.”

“Huh?”

“No, wait. Ultimately, I think you negotiated well. If that being hadn’t proposed it, it would’ve been reasonable to bring in an appropriate deity as a salesperson, but they offered to help, after all. And since you are holding the initial ten shareholders, three percent isn’t enough to threaten the management of your company. Of course, we’ll have to keep an eye on Chulu to prevent any deceit.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

“Depending on Chulu’s abilities, our company’s membership could increase rapidly. Now we just need to find one last person.”

“Who should we visit?”

Lee Hwan-woong appeared as if confused by the question.

“Tezcatlipoca!”

“……!!”

“Naturally, if you refer to him, that being holds the greatest clues and insights into the past of this [Great Cycle]. We cannot neglect to bring him in.”

“…….”

“Let’s free Tezcatlipoca, sealed by the Ancient God, so that he can join us.”

“Umm… but…”

I hesitated and said, “Tezcatlipoca is a powerful evil god that even the divine beings in the Divine Temple of the Spiritual Realm tread lightly around. It seems rather hostile, so it could be risky to fight against him.”

“That’s why I had a thought.”

“What is it?”

“Show me the [Navel of the Sun God].”

Following Lee Hwan-woong’s instructions, I extracted the obsidian known as the [Navel of the Sun God] obtained from Memphis. After examining the obsidian carefully, Lee Hwan-woong suddenly spoke.

“As you said, Master Mangnyang mentioned that one must offer tributes during a solar eclipse at the highest point of [the Navel of the World] for the god to be resurrected, right?”

“Right.”

Upon hearing the subsequent words from Lee Hwan-woong, I gasped in shock.

“You may not know, but I already know where the Navel of the World is.”

“… What?!”

“In my time, it was one of the scientific common knowledge. In fact, you’ve been there as well.”

With the [Navel of the Sun God] in hand, Lee Hwan-woong grinned.

“It’s the Navel of the World, Uluru. That giant red rock known as Ayers Rock located in Australia… You certainly know where it is in the southern continent, don’t you?”

“…….”

I muttered in a daze, “Of course I know… ”

That’s the seal placed by the Fire Spirit!

Since I’d traveled there more than ten times, I couldn’t possibly forget.

Lee Hwan-woong handed me the [Navel of the Sun God] and continued, “It’s surely almost the same as the obsidian you possess. Thus, we could resurrect Tezcatlipoca by going to Uluru during a solar eclipse to offer tributes.”

“`

 

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