전생검신 88권 02화

…….

Is this a dream?

It felt strange. Even though I recognized it as a dream, the unique floating sensation of dreams wouldn’t go away. Maybe that’s why my mind wasn’t working, and I felt like I was passively stuck in this space. I think I vaguely remember hearing what this phenomenon is called from the futuristic knowledge I got from Cheon Woo-jin.

Lucid Dream.

A dream in which you see it as a dream.

As I lingered in this dream, without any sense of time, I caught a glimpse of a landscape.

Swoosh…

‘What’s that…’

It’s a Bodhi tree. I remembered seeing that tree quite often in my past lives, also known as the Dragon Flower Tree. I not only went on countless adventures to find the seeds of the Dragon Flower Tree but also saw it within the world of the Reverse Root Water Mirror. Not to mention, I feel like I’ve seen the Bodhi tree in many scenes from my life.

And as I looked down from under the Bodhi tree, I saw someone standing there. The shadow of that figure seemed familiar.

‘Master Dharma…?’

Going by my instincts, it definitely looked like him. I knew it because we once fought in the Heavenly Secret. But the moment I thought that shadow was Master Dharma, that figure suddenly shifted and turned into someone else.

Swoosh.

The one that appeared this time was an entirely different person.

A Demon Sorcerer clad in pitch black.

That being stood under the Bodhi tree, seemingly watching me. I couldn’t feel any friendliness or hostility in that gaze; it felt like pure, unfeeling neutrality.

What I knew for sure was that this being felt entirely different. It gave off the impression that it was something I could never meet through normal means. Then the black-clad Demon Sorcerer spoke.

“Have you ever considered why there are multiple Outer Gods…?”

…?

Multiple Outer Gods…? What’s so unusual about that?

As I puzzled over this, the Demon Sorcerer continued.

“Several beings that are beyond the [Cycle] imply that the Omnipotent doesn’t consider themselves all-powerful. Yet still, the Outer Gods are not singular and serve the Omnipotent.”

…..

“That’s akin to the proclamation of the Great [Father] being the most disrespectful reason in the entirety of creation… In truth, those known as Outer Gods are keenly aware of their limits… Yet, they cling to the hope of transcending those limits through the Omniscient.”

As the black-clad Demon Sorcerer spoke mysterious words, he suddenly reached out toward me.

For a moment, his gaze seemed to glow with a cold light.

“The birth of Chi You is near.”

*

Flash!

“Ugh!”

I was jolted awake, feeling a sudden headache. I found myself lying on a bed, and soon I heard a familiar voice.

“Awake now, Baek Woong?”

“……Lee Hwan-woong?”

Sitting in the chair next to me, Lee Hwan-woong closed a small booklet as he spoke.

“You fainted in the arena and were carried to the hospital of the Lemuria Empire. You’ve been out for exactly 34 hours and 20 minutes.”

“Did I really faint for over a day?”

Lee Hwan-woong shrugged.

“Well, it’s not uncommon for an exhausted martial artist. But still, it’s pretty impressive that someone with your divine power and extraordinary strength fainted. You could throw yourself into the sun and just enjoy the warmth while saying it feels nice!”

“……”

“Was it because of that last ultimate technique you used?”

Smart guy.

I nodded slightly, and Lee Hwan-woong spoke with a tone of admiration.

“Indeed… It feels like I’ve witnessed the Beyond Heaven. Honestly, I could analyze and observe until the point you and Ajidahaka used the Absolute Realm technique, but Ajidahaka’s finishing move was untraceable. And that technique you used against Ajidahaka too…”

“Really?”

“That’s the realm of the Divine Skill, isn’t it?”

“Right. It’s Divine Skill.”

I answered vaguely, then suddenly remembered something and said.

“You couldn’t analyze it? Then Mephisto, your AI heart, couldn’t interpret it either…? Does that mean the Divine Skill isn’t blockable even by Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

At my question, Lee Hwan-woong smirked.

“Yeah. Heavenly Unrestrained Technique operates on the premise that no errors can occur, so not being able to interpret it makes it effectively useless at that moment.”

“Hmm!!”

“However, with AI computing power, who knows if it could interpret the essence of the Divine Realm directly…?”

As he stammered through his words, Lee Hwan-woong suddenly switched topics.

“So? Have you officially become a master of the Divine Skill now? Are you now the Divine Realm’s White Seat?”

“……”

I found it hard to answer Lee Hwan-woong’s question and mumbled for a moment. After sorting my thoughts, I spoke.

“The name of the last technique I used is called Heavenly Escape Thunder God Sword Name… I can definitely activate the principles of the Divine Realm with that technique…but I still don’t think I belong to the Divine Realm’s White Seat.”

“Hmm? Why not?”

“I’ve come to know the common traits of the Divine Realm’s White Seats. It’s not just about using the skills of the Divine Realm.”

I clenched my fist tightly and continued.

“The Martial God has to reveal themselves before me! Or at least I need to feel their presence!”

It became clear through my conversation with Ajidahaka.

‘He definitely met the Martial God!!’

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any way of knowing what feelings arise upon meeting the Martial God, nor would I speak with such conviction about my awe of them. It follows that all the White Seats must have experienced meeting the Martial God.

“Hmmm… So it is like that? Then Baek Woong, you haven’t met the Martial God yet.”

“……Yeah.”

“But then it gets weird.”

“What do you mean?”

“Master of the White Lotus Sect and Jin So-cheong have both met the Martial God. Yet they don’t belong to the Divine Realm’s White Seats.”

“…….”

Uh… That… that’s true?

While I was stammering, Lee Hwan-woong stroked his chin and said.

“There seem to be three conditions. First, meet the Martial God. Second, be able to use the Divine Skill. Third, I don’t know well.”

I frowned.

“……What’s the third? It’s not a joke.”

Lee Hwan-woong chuckled.

“It’s no joke. If merely satisfying the first and second conditions was all there is, all you would need to do is push Master of the White Lotus Sect and Jin So-cheong to reach the realm of the Divine Skill to easily gain a companion among the White Seats, right? Yet even after you’ve reincarnated 30 times and raised them, they still haven’t claimed a seat. Their martial arts abilities may be on par or even surpass that of the White Seats, but they haven’t secured a seat.”

“……!!”

“The same goes for Master of the Twelve Joules.”

Amidst his musings, Lee Hwan-woong stated firmly.

“So, even though I can’t say for sure, I believe there’s a fourth condition. I’m leaving it blank because I can’t know for sure, but it likely has something to do with another trait shared among the White Seats.”

At that statement, I found myself mumbling absentmindedly.

“I think I get it.”

“Hmm? You think you understand? What is it?”

“That is….”

I hesitated to say what that ‘condition’ was, and then gave up.

“……No. I still don’t know.”

“Ha ha, come on, what is it?”

“…….”

Lee Hwan-woong laughed while I couldn’t help but wear a complex expression.

‘One who doesn’t consider martial arts as a means but as a purpose… and has the heart to love it and can dedicate everything for the art…’

Could it be what I’m thinking?

But to say it is the [heart] makes it an extremely vague and subjective standard. Isn’t it just the kind of talk that sounds like I’m chasing after clouds? So I had to continue training to prove whether my thoughts were correct. Only then could I meet the Martial God.

And there was another reason I couldn’t tell Lee Hwan-woong. If this condition is true, it would render ‘that person’s’ true intentions extraordinarily unclear. In fact, I couldn’t very well accept it either.

I shook off my tangled thoughts and stepped off the bed.

“Is Ajidahaka receiving treatment too?”

“No. He recovered even faster and was discharged in less than 12 hours. His kind must have incredible strength and regeneration ability.”

As Lee Hwan-woong responded, he continued.

“In fact, I’m here to convey a message from Ajidahaka. He asked me to come to this coordinate once you wake up.”

With that, Lee Hwan-woong produced a stone etched with a glowing magic circle. As I stared blankly at it, he said.

“If you recite the command, you can teleport to the location inscribed on the stone. I know the command.”

“…….”

It’s a similar item to the one used in the Golden Lamp, but it’s nothing odd. After all, it would be weirder if a famous figure like the Cosmic Sword Saint didn’t have such a demon artifact.

“Go ahead.”

I nodded and quietly placed my hand on the stone. After Lee Hwan-woong recited the command, my body was suddenly transported.

Swoosh!!

I arrived on a cliff overlooking Manjangan Cliff. Beyond the cliff lay a vast ocean, sparkling under the sunlight.

As I absorbed the nostalgic yet beautiful scenery, I heard Ajidahaka’s voice.

[Baek Woong, have you come?]

Ajidahaka was emerging from a nearby hut. As I gazed at him, he said.

[This is my home planet. It is the Azdaha planet, located 30 million light-years from your star.]

“Azdaha…”

[As you can see, the gravitational and natural environments are similar to your Earth. One difference is that it has three moons.]

I glanced up at the sky again at those words. Just as he said, I could faintly see two outlines of moons. The remaining one must not be visible at this time.

After a moment, I suddenly asked.

“Sword Saint Ajidahaka, I have a question.”

[What is it?]

“……Why did you lie about not being a White Seat? You even passed down the title through generations.”

That’s right. Ajidahaka claimed he wasn’t a Divine Realm’s White Seat when we first met as overlords in the arena. Yet the way he appeared afterward was undoubtedly that of a member of the Divine Realm’s White Seat, so I couldn’t help but ask.

At my words, Ajidahaka seemed to chuckle lightly.

[In such an obvious situation with countless onlookers… I wouldn’t blurt out the secret of the Divine Realm’s White Seats to someone I was meeting for the first time, would I? It was a necessary lie.]

“Damn… So you were deceiving me after all.”

[However, I think differently now. I believe I can tell you that I am a White Seat.]

As Ajidahaka spoke, he sat down on a nearby tree stump.

[I should mention in advance that I’m not calling you here to share all the secrets of the White Seats. That information still remains confidential.]

I was taken aback.

“What? Even though it’s been proven that I can use the Divine Skill, you still can’t share it? Saying such things now…”

[Apologies, but I can’t help this. It’s the burden of the Martial God.]

Yikes!

I was shocked by those words.

“The burden of the Martial God? What do you mean?”

[Those who gain a seat share their infinite combat experience and receive support from the Martial God but, in return, are bound by restrictions. You are not allowed to reveal anything regarding the seats to the outside. Most keep it as a strict secret, and even if a divine being were to torture or extract memories with divine power, the Martial God protects us.]

“……!!”

[Even if someone attempts to forcefully extract information from us, wishing upon the Martial God can prevent any information from leaking out.]

T-That’s how it works!

I could now understand the previously puzzling attitudes of the Divine Realm’s White Seats. Yet, there was still something that puzzled me further.

“But you seem to have said quite a bit just now, don’t you? And while you may not be all-knowing, other Divine Realm’s White Seats have sneakily given me a hint or two… Isn’t that keeping it a strict secret?”

[Of course, the secrecy burden is a matter of individual autonomy. No matter how omnipotent one may be, they can’t control our mouths. It ultimately falls to our will, and if one were to disclose information, they would personally incur the damages.]

“Incur damages? What kind of damages? It’s not like we would lose lifespan or something…?”

Ajidahaka shook his head disapprovingly.

[Law of Cause and Effect!]

“……!!”

[The Divine Skill cannot be discussed without mentioning the Law of Cause and Effect. The Divine Skill is fundamentally unfoldable only by utilizing the balance between one’s own cause-and-effect and that of the Primordial Void, while if the Martial God’s support of cause-and-effect diminishes, the number of times one can use the Divine Skill reduces as well.]

As Ajidahaka continued.

[You already know, don’t you? For mortals who aren’t Outer Gods, there’s a limit to the amount of cause-and-effect they can have, and naturally, there’s a limit to how many times they can unfold the Divine Skill throughout their lives… Having that limit reduced would be painful, so everyone keeps quiet out of their own accord. The Law of Cause and Effect is fundamentally different from Qi, making it very hard to cultivate through training.]

“……”

[For those of us who gamble our lives on martial arts, it’s a painful restriction.]

I found myself at a loss for words. I never imagined there were underlying facts to the Divine Realm’s secret-keeping.

In that moment, I caught a flash of realization and spoke to Ajidahaka.

“Ah, Ajidahaka. It seems you’ve disclosed quite a lot… So doesn’t that mean you’re facing a significant loss? Aren’t you now unable to use the Divine Skill in the future?”

That’s right. According to Ajidahaka’s earlier statements, mentioning the secrecy burden itself was an enormous leak! Considering the profound level of that secret, it meant that Ajidahaka had incurred a considerable loss in terms of cause-and-effect.

In response to my statement, Ajidahaka said softly.

[I don’t particularly care.]

“Eh?”

[Thinking of the cosmic end time, I’ll likely be the last in the Argeldolyu line, and if I continue to live like this, it will almost certainly lead to the end. Originally, I was gathering the cause-and-effect that would allow me to use the Divine Skill to fight against the end brought forth by the Old Ruler.]

Having said that, Ajidahaka drew his sword and planted it into the ground.

Thud!

[However, I felt the need to pay my respects to your Great Will.]

“……”

[Who would have thought you’d mention the Sword God…?]

Ajidahaka muttered as if in awe.

[Even if I can’t use the Divine Skill much during the time of the end… and even if that leaves a deep regret throughout my life… I still feel compelled to acknowledge your resolve. Of course, should I take care of my own matters, I can’t disclose more…]

I could feel Ajidahaka’s intense gaze staring at me.

[That will to become the Sword God, fulfill it till the end!! That is the reason I’ve shared a portion of my revelations with you today.]

I could tell that just by revealing a part of the secret, Ajidahaka had made a significant sacrifice.

And once again, I felt the weight of the words I had just spoken.

Sword God!

Aiming to be the pinnacle of all swordsmen in the three thousand worlds is no small matter.

Simply uttering ‘Sword God’ was now a goal that exceeded just reaching the realm of the Divine Realm’s White Seat.

I fell silent, then drew Ajidahaka’s sword.

Flash!

It was a well-polished sword shimmering with sword light. I held it, lost in my thoughts for a moment before speaking.

“I will definitely become the Sword God.”

I still don’t fully grasp what level being a Sword God entails.

But one thing I could say for certain was this.

The moment I become the Sword God, I will surely surpass even the Martial God.

“You can count on it!!”

With a swift motion, I turned the sword and extended the handle to Ajidahaka.

[Ha ha, I like the spirit.]

Chuckling, Ajidahaka accepted the sword back and began to walk slowly toward the cliff of Manjangan. Then he said.

[Now I’m curious. How did you come up with your final technique… the Lightning’s Sword Name?]

“Well, it’s…”

I recounted the moment I realized the Heavenly Escape Thunder God Sword Name to Ajidahaka.

After hearing my story, Ajidahaka took a moment before speaking.

[Baek Woong… if what you say is true…]

The continuation of Ajidahaka’s words left me with a sense of bewilderment.

[It seems that deep within you, there is still another immortal sword remaining.]