전생검신 86권 9화

The next moment, I realized a young guy’s fast hands had just stolen my stuff.

[……!!]

He’s fast!!

With skills like that, I bet no one in the Central Plains can compare, except for the Divine Thief!

‘With those skills… I could probably snatch something from an expert in the Absolute Realm.’

I could feel it.

This guy was no ordinary thief; he’s definitely in the league of the great thieves.

The young thief who snatched a few emergency silver coins from my pocket was grinning.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kwayoung, the Second Greatest Thief in the World, affiliated with the Subjugation Squad.”

[…….]

“Hahaha, seeing you being helplessly taken down, you can now call me the Greatest Thief.”

This guy’s got some confidence. I guess you need that to work with the elite subjugation squad of humanity.

‘Kwayoung… I remember the Sword Demon mentioned him.’

While heading to Gum Cheon-jae’s castle, I recalled our conversation on the airship.

[He’s probably the best thief in the world, excluding you. He succeeded in stealing right in front of an Asura.]

[He even went to the Demon King’s base and stole the Spirit Core to save an entire city. Now, he’s making waves in the subjugation squad alongside his reincarnated allies.]

[No… he was definitely using some other technique. He hid it well, so not sure what it is, but anyway, he’s really good at stealing. Not as good as you, though.]

The Sword Demon seemed to rate Kwayoung quite highly. He never praises a nobody, so if he said that, Kwayoung must be skilled; I just didn’t expect it to be to this extent. Honestly, Kwayoung snatching the coins was almost undetectable for me.

I chuckled thinking about Kwayoung.

[Pretty impressive. But I think the title of the Greatest Thief should be something to aim for next time.]

“Hmm. You got pickpocketed right in front of me, and you’re saying that? Even if you don’t admit it, everyone saw that I’m better.”

[You took my emergency silver coins. I certainly didn’t feel when you snatched them… ]

Whoosh

[Well, I guess that’s a fair price for your dagger.]

“……!!”

As two daggers suddenly appeared in my hands, Kwayoung was shocked. He quickly checked his waist, and lo and behold, his daggers had vanished without a sound and now rested in my grip. Kwayoung gaped, and I flicked the daggers back to him with my fingertips.

[Here you go.]

Kwayoung grabbed his daggers. He grumbled.

“……You’ve got the skills you claim. But I won’t admit defeat yet. With just this, we’re evenly matched.”

[Oh really? Alright then. But I’d like to give you one piece of advice.]

“What is it?”

Rip

Kwayoung’s pants suddenly dropped. I had somehow ended up holding the fabric that was keeping his pants up while grinning casually.

[Try to wear your pants properly.]

“Ugh!!”

Kwayoung’s face turned bright red as he hurriedly yanked his pants back up.

Ahasverus, watching this unfold, burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. As expected, the skills that transcended humans… looks like it’s truly Baek Woong, the hope of the East.”

[No big deal.]

Kwayoung was certainly fit to be called the best thief in the Central Plains.

If only the Divine Thief and I weren’t around.

“By the way, I heard you were human, so why are you like this now?”

[There’s a reason. But more importantly… ]

I turned to Zhuge Yulong.

[Zhuge Yulong, I have an urgent request for you.]

“……?”

I explained the current situation to Zhuge Yulong. After hearing my explanation, he responded.

“Hmm… Doubling the territory of Nanjing Castle… indeed, that could be handled simply using Tydaht.”

[What method of approach?]

“But first, I think we should file a report to the Subjugation Squad.”

Zhuge Yulong’s expression darkened.

“The three of us were the first to return due to the poor conditions of the Subjugation Squad. We need to urgently convey something as messengers.”

[What’s happened?]

“……”

At Zhuge Yulong’s words, the room froze.

“It’s a message from the Subjugation Squad commander Jin So-cheong. It’s impossible to defeat the entity in the Earth’s inner core, so the entire Subjugation Squad plans to withdraw soon.”

What?!

I exclaimed in disbelief.

[Jin So-cheong can’t defeat it?! That cannot be!]

“……It’s not that Jin So-cheong can’t defeat it. It’s physically impossible to reach that entity at all.”

[What do you mean?]

Zhuge Yulong spoke slowly.

“No matter how hot the Earth’s core might be, we thought that with spontaneous fire techniques and divine blessings, we could progress to where the enemy is. Even with temperatures in the hundreds of thousands, we could endure. However… once we broke through the barrier of the second dimension known as the ‘Rift’, we saw true despair.”

[Despair?]

“The Palace.”

Zhuge Yulong trembled slightly.

“Another universe, which could be described as infinite, is standing in our way. It wasn’t something that could be defined by ‘dimension’ but rather as if an entirely different world had been brought forth and enveloped us.”

[……!!]

“When we prayed to the deities for the identity of that infinite space, they referred to it as the ‘Palace.’ The [Old Ruler] who originally governed that territory has descended alongside it to Earth.”

Another universe?

A palace?

What on Earth is he talking about?

I was puzzled, not fully grasping Zhuge Yulong’s words, but Ahasverus, who stood beside him, spoke up.

“No matter how strong Jin So-cheong is, she can’t strike down an enemy from an entire universe. This expedition is essentially a failure. However, if we rashly retreat, we might be ambushed by the evil entities lying in wait in the palace and wiped out. So we plan to withdraw slowly while splitting up our forces. And we are the first to retreat from the Subjugation Squad.”

[So… this isn’t just metaphorical to say another universe appeared, but there is a real universe showing up?]

“Indeed.”

[Then it’s not some dimensional thing that the deities created, and we can’t tear through or break space?]

“You’ll understand once you see it. The density of that infinite overlapping space is something that cannot be spoken of at the level of dimension. That [Old Ruler] who governs the inner core is indeed another universe.”

[……]

“A search technique allowed us to directly observe tens of thousands of light stars and galaxies. There’s no doubt.”

The universe itself is a territory and a palace?

What kind of nonsense is that?

It seems I’m not the only one shocked; everyone not part of the Subjugation Squad looked equally frozen in disbelief. After a while, Mangnyang let out a deep sigh.

“Ugh… I thought I was used to massive scale adventures, but each time I see what these ‘Rulers’ are capable of, it surpasses my imagination. Who in the world could possess such overwhelming privileges?”

“I don’t know the details. They say he’s an anomalous existence among the Rulers, one who descended from very high up. Also, due to his immense ranking, I’ve heard even Emperors and evil deities do not dare underestimate him.”

“Hmm.”

“Without the support of a powerful deity, we cannot even approach him, let alone defeat him….”

A moment of gloomy silence enveloped us.

But as I listened to their conversation, a faint memory from the past flickered in my mind.

‘Huh?’

For some reason, I recalled having heard about a being similar to him…

Suddenly, memories rushed back to me.

[The entity residing at the center of this planet cannot return what it has consumed… but at least I returned everything I took from it… ]

[I wasn’t the only one entitled to consume souls… that entity also contributed greatly to weakening the Wheel King… and he too was like me, consuming souls… ]

[The being that exists at the center of this planet is… said to have been imprisoned in the [Palace] and forced to come here… ]

[I don’t even know the true name of that entity… just that it’s something very ancient… unlike the mighty deities that have made names for themselves in the world, its name is hidden and it thoroughly conceals its true identity… ]

[That entity seems to have never been interested in things like [Revelation]… it seemed to have come from very high places… which is why even Emperors and ancient gods feel its presence and are wary… ]

[If you wish to meet it… you must approach the core of this planet and enter through the rift that dreams of nightmares.]

[Like me, it also likes to consume souls. It would be good to prepare fresh souls.]

Chulu had definitely shared that intel with me. As soon as I recalled that memory, I realized something.

‘That guy… the one Chulu was talking about is the same one the Subjugation Squad is facing right now…!!’

[The Old Ruler at the center of the Earth]…!!

It’s definitely true!

What kind of turn of events is this? Chulu presumably shared that information several millennia ago when we met during the Takrok Era. Could it be that this entity has been hiding in the Earth’s core all this time?

At the same time, I recalled the advice from Chulu.

‘He enjoys consuming souls, so it would be good to prepare fresh ones… that might be a strategy.’

But is that truly a viable strategy?

Preparing fresh souls in the first place sounds like a human sacrifice!

As I thought about that, I felt uncertain whether to share this realization. I could risk passing on an inaccurate strategy that could lead the entire Subjugation Squad to annihilation.

Was there anything more certain?

I pondered deeply until a thought hit me.

‘…Come to think of it, didn’t Chulu say that entity took action to weaken the Wheel King? It seems to have happened post-Takrok Era, but why would an entity in the Earth’s core attack the Wheel King? Is it simply because it wants to consume souls, and the Wheel King is in the way?’

No, if it’s a being of high rank, it can’t be that simple.

Based on Chulu’s tone, the souls of humans aren’t exactly vital sustenance for them. They could do without them, treating them more like a snack for when they’re bored.

For instance, Chulu had no qualms about spewing out thousands of souls when I casually asked him to. There’s no way he would challenge a top-tier being like the Wheel King just for something as trivial.

Chulu must have merely fed on human souls from the Underworld after the Wheel King was defeated, but it’s different for this entity. It must have had sufficient motivation to challenge the Wheel King. It definitely isn’t that it desperately needs human souls.

What could one gain by weakening the Wheel King?

‘A being imprisoned in the palace… Why would an imprisoned being challenge the Wheel King…?’

Could it be that it has to achieve merits to lift its imprisonment and return…?

As soon as I muttered that, all eyes turned to me. Mangnyang looked bewildered.

“Baek Woong. What are you suddenly saying?”

[Uh… I just had a random thought. Just in case… I want to ask… ]

I posed a question to Mangnyang.

[Is it possible that attacking the Wheel King could be seen as merits by divine beings?]

“…Hmm…”

To my surprise, Mangnyang hesitated to respond to my inquiry. It seems he struggled to analyze the context behind my question.

Instead of Mangnyang, it was Zhuge Yulong who spoke up.

“Consider the position that the Wheel King holds in the universe.”

[The position in the universe?]

“In ancient times, the Wheel King symbolized balance and moderation itself. His disappearance would mean the loss of the power that prevented chaos and order from clashing. Thus, those who benefit from the removal of the Wheel King are likely to be entities that desire intense chaos over peace in the universe. Or they might desperately desire to eliminate the Wheel King…”

[……!!]

No way?!

“However, I’ve heard that you’ve accumulated experiences and knowledge far beyond imagination, so perhaps you can think of something else. I’m too afraid to presume.”

[No… I have a feeling I’m onto something.]

I fell silent for a moment before speaking.

[That entity might share similar objectives to mine.]

“Do you know something? Share it with us.”

[Sorry, but I can’t divulge that. There are constraints.]

“Hmmm…?”

Zhuge Yulong looked at me with a curious expression, and most in the room seemed to feel the same way. Everyone was likely eager to learn what I was hiding.

But I truly didn’t mean to keep it secret; I couldn’t reveal it due to the constraints of the [Contract].

‘This is insane…’

I really think my assumptions might be right. It gives me that feeling.

But who besides me could possibly figure this out? It seems impossible to deduce something so fine and coincidental. What chills me is that the plans concocted by the higher-dimensional entities of the universe can take countless deaths and rebirths for me to barely grasp.

I continued speaking.

[You all should withdraw from the Subjugation Squad. I’ll go and negotiate with that Ruler later on.]