전생검신 92권 05화

I never thought I’d see a Phoenix in a place like this, so of course, I was caught off guard. Before I knew it, I blurted out my thoughts.

“Uh… why are you here?”

The Phoenix stared at me for a moment before saying.

[That question seems more suited for me to ask you. Why are you in the Library of the Void?]

“Uh… because of Al Karda…”

[Hmm…]

The Phoenix closed its eyes for a moment, as if thinking of something. Then it spoke as if it understood.

[I see. You’re experiencing Rebirth.]

“…! You know about Rebirth?!”

Just like that, we jumped right into the topic of Rebirth?!

Did it figure it out just from its insight?!

I was taken aback and asked, and the Phoenix replied.

[I have the authority to access the Library of the Void as an Apostle. I merely requested information about you from Al Karda.]

“…Ah!”

Thinking back, the Phoenix was indeed an Apostle of the Library of the Void!

‘If it’s the Apostle of the Library of the Void… it’s not strange at all for it to exist in this library!’

From the Phoenix’s perspective, my being here was the more unusual thing. It wasn’t odd for an Apostle like the Phoenix to be in the library, but it was absurd for a mortal like me to step inside. Still, I was puzzled and said,

“But you lived in the [Boundary] of the universe. How can you exist here in the library?”

[What’s here is my main body.]

“…!”

[The one sent to the Boundary is a body I created to interfere with the world. Of course, I can synchronize it to wherever I want at any time.]

Is that how it works!

Stunned by the unexpected revelation, I stayed frozen as the Phoenix continued.

[Even so, this dimension I’m currently in, where I reside in the library, is hard to access without my permission. Still, the fact that you made it this far indicates that you must have used significant divine favor.]

“…….”

[You used the Pattern of the Ancient Gods.]

The Phoenix’s gaze was directed at the three patterns swirling around my body. I understood from its words why I could reach the place where the Phoenix resides without much hindrance. Perhaps the mysterious power embedded in the Pattern of the Ancient Gods guided me here.

But just moments later, the three patterns disappeared, and I gasped.

“Ah!”

Had their effect run out?

Feeling dismayed, I looked at the patterns, and the Phoenix said,

[Your connection with me through the Law of Cause and Effect brought you here. If there’s something you want to say, feel free to do so.]

“Um….”

Now that the Phoenix said that, I hesitated over what I should say. It really was an unexpected meeting, and I didn’t know how to kick off the conversation.

‘Maybe I should get straight to the point to make some progress.’

I finally opened my mouth after some thought.

“Uh… about the request you mentioned… I haven’t killed any of the Emperor, Wheel King, or Fuxi yet.”

That’s right.

I had secretly received a confidential request from the Phoenix a while back, during my entry into the Boundary of the Great Cycle. The request was forbidden to be disclosed to others, and despite promising myself I’d get to it, I kept procrastinating and eventually never did. The three individuals mentioned were all top-tier divine entities in the universe, making it almost impossible for me to accomplish with my current abilities.

The Phoenix replied as if it expected that.

[I already knew.]

“You knew? How?”

[If you accomplish the request, I’ll know first.]

“…….”

[Is it that your abilities are still lacking? If you want to give up, feel free to do so right now.]

Although the Phoenix spoke calmly without a hint of mockery, I felt a surge of frustration. It genuinely seemed to consider my abilities weak.

I clenched my teeth and said,

“What do you mean give up? It’s just that there’s been so much going on, I simply haven’t had a decent opportunity!”

[An opportunity, huh? If I give you that opportunity right now, do you have the will to take it?]

“Uh?”

The Phoenix’s next words made me flinch.

[I’m asking if you’d take the opportunity if it were presented to you during Rebirth.]

“……!”

That… that is…!

While the Phoenix’s words took me by surprise, they were also quite plausible, making me hesitate.

‘Why didn’t I think of that?’

The moment Al Karda brings up the topic of ‘choice’ is unpredictable in randomness. However, considering I’ve already gone through a lot of choices, there might very well come a moment that leads to the Phoenix’s request. That is, whether I can carry out the task of killing one of the three top-tier divine beings would surely come to be.

And as I delved into these thoughts, I couldn’t help but ponder seriously.

Is it even possible for me to kill one among the Emperor, Fuxi, or Wheel King now?

“…….”

One-on-one confrontation? I wouldn’t stand a chance. With my current skills, the likelihood of me actually winning is nearly zero. I’ve gained many special abilities, but I’ve also felt through countless real battles that clever tricks mean nothing against an absolute powerhouse. In the end, I’d need to rely on sheer luck or target the opponent’s critical weakness, but whether that’s even feasible is doubtful too.

‘This is tough…! No, this is impossible…’

I stammered as I thought for a moment before finally saying to the Phoenix,

“Well, I will do it, but honestly, it seems really hard!”

[You’re quite honest.]

“Darn it….”

I grumbled in frustration, suddenly feeling wronged, and burst out.

“Hey! But this is partly your fault too!”

[My fault? How so?]

I retorted with a voice full of indignation.

“What do you mean releasing a [Invincible] status? You just toss out some abstract ability that only you can understand without explaining anything and expect me to just use it! Plus, it’s not like I’m fighting against any ol’ opponent; I’m up against one of the most powerful beings in the universe without even knowing what your ability is like, and you think I can just challenge that!”

[…….]

“It’s not all on me!”

Hearing my protests, the Phoenix pondered for a moment before responding.

[Are you asking me to explain the power of the feather?]

“Yes! Of course! Don’t treat it like a favor to help me out!”

[It’s not difficult.]

The Phoenix said nonchalantly and glanced in my direction, and I slowly saw a rainbow-colored feather emerging from my forehead.

“Huh!”

Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I was astonished, but since it was a spiritual entity, there was no physical pain or itchiness. Soon, the feather completely detached from my forehead and floated in the air, and the Phoenix spoke.

[Top-tier divine beings like them always possess some form of magic or ability that makes them invincible. Lower beings, let alone breaking through that defense, don’t even get close before they’re obliterated. That’s why I gave you that feather.]

“So what exactly is its power?”

[I already told you, right? It’s the ability to nullify invincibility. It nullifies everything you perceive as ‘invincible.’]

“……?!”

Huh?

I blinked and struggled to digest the Phoenix’s words. Then I asked back.

“So, you mean… disregarding how the powers activate, if I just think of the opponent’s technique as ‘invincible,’ I can nullify it?”

[Exactly. Your perspective in recognizing your opponent is far more important.]

“……!”

[Even if their divine power is higher than yours, you can disregard all those divine disparities.]

What? What? That’s really amazing!

‘It’s not some abstract ability… it’s just a downright cheat power!’

It nullifies everything that’s perceived as ‘invincible’!

That meant one thing. To confirm this, I cautiously asked back.

“So, if I use this feather… I can hit my opponent with a guaranteed critical hit!”

[That’s exactly what I intended for you to do.]

“Wow!”

This is amazing!

According to what the Phoenix said, no matter how formidable the divine beings are using any powerful abilities to protect or evade, I could bypass every defense they have and land a critical hit on them! The reason this ability is broken is that it removes the very notion of ‘invincibility,’ meaning even if they have invulnerable health or defenses, I could still neutralize that.

‘If that’s the case… I could kill the Emperor, Wheel King, or Fuxi! Maybe even the Evil God…!’

If I can deal a solid critical hit to any god, then what I need to prepare is a guaranteed hit!

I need to have one massive blow powerful enough to crush whatever god stands in my way.

‘However, this ability seems oddly similar to divine favor…’

While I was momentarily pondering why it felt familiar, I suddenly realized why I had this feeling.

‘Ah! Could this possibly be…!’

Is this a coincidence?

As I stood there in shock, the Phoenix spoke.

[So, would you like to receive another feather?]

“What?”

As I turned to look at the Phoenix, it spoke softly.

[I’ve already given you a feather that nullifies invincibility. However, it seems like you’ve not used it yet, as if there hasn’t been an opportunity for you. Moreover, it looks like you also lack the ability to use it.]

“…….”

[The next feather I’m giving you will ensure you can capture them more reliably.]

Chiriking!

A vividly bright red feather emerged prominently from the Phoenix’s wings. I could feel the power radiating from that feather in various waves, so I swallowed hard.

‘I can feel it.’

That feather felt intuitively much more powerful than the one I had received before. It clearly seemed easier to use. Additionally, just as the Phoenix promised, it would likely show great power against top-tier divine beings.

However, I hesitated to grab that red feather without reservation and cautiously said to the Phoenix,

“Uhh… is it okay for you to give me such divine powers? Is the Law of Cause and Effect okay with this?”

[Of course, normally, it wouldn’t be allowed. I’ve never granted another Spirit Beast such generous gifts.]

“So then why…”

Suddenly, a glint of malice flashed in the Phoenix’s eyes.

[Because you’re the kind of human who will push things off for a thousand years or more if they seem too annoying.]

“……!”

[You seem like the type who wouldn’t do anything without presenting sufficient conditions, even at the cost of my energy.]

“Ugh… no….”

What the heck! Did that bird just make a harsh comment on me?!

But I couldn’t think of a rebuttal, so I just stammered. Honestly, it stung a bit, as I realized I had been merely drifting through each day without much thought, almost exactly how the Phoenix described it. The Phoenix didn’t press me further and casually continued its words, sounding annoyed.

[The ability of the red feather is to randomly summon anything from the Library of the Void. It can be used only once.]

“What? From the Library of the Void?!”

[Correct.]

“That’s really amazing!”

As I was about to marvel, something clicked in my mind, and I suddenly looked disgruntled.

“…But summoning anything at random means there’s a chance it will be something really weak, doesn’t it?”

[It could end up that way.]

“So, it’s not even guaranteed that I can summon what I want, and if it’s random, this is going to be incredibly hard to use!”

I couldn’t help but think there was something off about this ability. Of course, being able to summon anything from the all-knowing library itself is phenomenal, but the randomness factor didn’t sit right with me. If it’s random, there’s a significant chance I could end up with something really weak! Considering the randomness of this ability, it would be nearly impossible to use in battles against beings of supreme status where every moment felt like life or death.

Then the Phoenix said,

[To be precise, you’ll get summoned to this Library of the Void for a moment and then you’ll need to pick one book from countless tomes. Depending on what book it is, the ability of the red feather will vary.]

“Isn’t that more or less the same thing? Many of these books don’t even have titles, and often times no covers! If I just pick something at random, what’s the point in choosing at all?”

[This ability is one originally usable only by the Librarians of the Library of the Void.]

The Phoenix casually refuted my claim and continued.

[Librarians need to organize books, so they know how to use this ability. Let me ask you, how do you obtain the book you want from an infinite library?]

“……?”

[Think for yourself.]

Those words felt like an unknown clue.

[My story ends here. You should return now.]

“Wait a moment!”

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the Phoenix’s body became hazy, and the contours around it started to twist wildly. No, to be exact, it felt like my entire spatial perception was changing. The Phoenix was likely using its power to expel me from the space.

Tzztzztz

‘What… is that…?’

I felt a fleeting moment, as if passing through the blurred outline of the Phoenix, where the black cat was watching me.

Pa-at

“Ugh.”

I felt a little dizzy from the shock of being flung through space. I was still inside the library; however, the Phoenix had vanished without a trace. As it was a voluntary act of expelling me, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to step back in, no matter what I tried, and I sighed.

“Sigh… do I really have to kill one of the three greats?”

I briefly placed my hand on my forehead, trying to induce the notion of plucking a feather.

Swoosh

“Here they come.”

Two feathers slowly emerged from my brow and grasped my hands. One was a rainbow-colored feather while the other was red. I would need to use these Phoenix feathers moving forward.

Wait, more importantly, with abilities like these, why can’t the Phoenix take care of it itself? Why does it keep pushing me to do it?

I grumbled, looking around, until I finally spotted the doorway to the main chamber where Al Karda was playing Go.

“…….”

Without saying anything, I took the feathers in my hand and headed for the door. After taking a deep breath, I opened it.

Creeeak- Bang

There stood Al Karda, still at the window smoking his pipe. He didn’t even look at me and said,

“Are you done catching your breath?”

“…I met the Phoenix.”

“Oh, and?”

“Was it your intention for me to meet him?”

Anyone could tell it was no coincidence that I wandered into the library and encountered the lowly librarian, Chronos, then later the Phoenix, followed by the appearance of the chamber door, as if it were all well-timed. Al Karda must have orchestrated the whole thing.

Al Karda took a drag of his pipe and seemed to sigh in thought, then said,

“The lowly librarian, Chronos, has been punished.”

“Huh?”

“He received a bribe from you.”

“…….”

“Of course, it would be offset by your bribe, so he’ll continue to work diligently as a librarian.”

“Are you saying that all the causality of his actions is your intention?”

That certainly seemed quite plausible.

No, it was probably true.

When I shot a glare at Al Karda, he nonchalantly retorted.

“It could be. But wouldn’t it be more appropriate to think otherwise?”

“What do you mean by ‘more appropriate’?”

“If you recognize the absolute nature that Chronos acted due to my will, it’s the equivalent of saying his free will doesn’t exist.”

“……!”

“You committed to respect the sanctity of free will in discussions with Dharma, did you not? I regard this punishment as a way to honor Chronos’s free will.”

I processed what Al Karda was implying and found myself engulfed in confusion.

‘…If the will of Outer God Al Karda moved the causality of the library, then it might be true that the lowly librarian Chronos or the Phoenix acted accordingly. However, Al Karda claims that’s still a choice stemming from their free will, suggesting that it’s a result of their decisions.’

Al Karda shouldn’t punish Chronos in the first place, because all those actions followed the causality that he had set. However, Al Karda was asserting this by denying that fact, claiming it was a gesture of respect for the free will of lower beings.

As I mulled over this chain of logic, I found myself astounded.

“That’s… what kind of nonsense is that! You absolutely possess the ability to dictate Chronos! You made him your puppet!”

“Yes, it’s nonsense.”

At Al Karda’s follow-up, I suddenly felt a breathless realization.

“However, it is precisely that nonsense that we Outer Gods could establish. Despite having the capability to control everything, we can display our omnipotence by not doing so. To exist outside the cycle is exactly that.”

“……!”

“Do you truly possess free will?”

“I… I….”

“Of course, I can certainly say this. At the very least, I, Al Karda, am not manipulating the free will of you, Baek Woong.”

“…….”

I fell silent, pondering Al Karda’s words for a moment before responding.

“…You aren’t just joking around to make your board game more entertaining, right?”

“Well… how would I know?”

Al Karda’s subsequent words made my mind feel incredibly constricted.

“What if it were a lie? Then that would be meaningless.”

“…….”

Damn it…….

I didn’t even want to think about what that implied.

“Just kidding. Rest assured, I am not manipulating your free will.”

The mere jest from an Outer God felt incredibly painful.

As I broke into a cold sweat, Al Karda slowly sat down before the Go board and said,

“Shall we start again?”

“Uh, wait a moment.”

I gathered my courage and held out the red feather I was gripping in my hand toward Al Karda. As he slowly shifted his gaze towards the feather, I spoke.

“Please tell me how to use this red feather.”

“…….”

Al Karda nodded slightly and said,

“If you wish to avoid a no-match loss.”