1318——————==

Soul of the Evil God

A mask?!

The moment I heard those words, my past flashed before me, and I panicked.

“You, you’re like the Divine Thief…”

“Hmm? So it’s true, being a Reborn Person makes a difference. I guess you’ve encountered a mask like mine before.”

“…”

Nailatop said casually, without any sense of caution.

“After all, there’s only one Reborn Person but countless masks.”

“…?!”

What the heck does that mean?

Without thinking, I asked, “Hey! Do you know something?”

“Well, even if I do, I don’t feel like sharing.”

“What?”

“You just punched me in the solar plexus, killing me, right? Would you want to spill your secrets to someone who just did that?”

“…”

Ugh… I’ve got nothing to say…

I smacked my lips in frustration while Nailatop smirked.

“Well, good thing. We have about 25 minutes and 23 seconds before the space collapses. Shall we share some stories?”

Snap!

With a quick finger snap from Nailatop, we were instantly transported to some kind of reception room. He sat in a vintage chair in a lavish Western-style reception room and picked up a cup of tea that had magically appeared on the table.

After a sip, he gestured for me to sit down.

“Let’s have a chat while seated.”

“…”

This method looked like sorcery or magic; could it be science instead?

As I took a seat across from him, Nailatop remarked, “You seem to have plenty of experience chatting with questionable beings, given your lack of needless wariness.”

“Well, I’ve been through a lot of bizarre situations.”

“Hmm. Coming here was a good choice after all.”

“What exactly do you want to talk about?”

Nailatop took another sip and replied, “First, tell me what led you to summon me here.”

“Why should I?”

“If you tell me, I’ll answer one of your curiosities as well. Seems like a pretty good deal, right?”

“…Fine.”

From experience, these types are nearly impossible to kill. If I can get through this easily by sharing information, then that works in my favor. I focused my mind and pulled out an obsidian piece from my wooden armor, breathing my memories from the Life Sea into it before handing it to Nailatop.

“I’ve put my memories in here. You’ll understand why I summoned you if you look.”

“Really?”

However, Nailatop didn’t take it. Instead, he sipped his tea, making my outstretched hand feel awkward. I panicked and said, “T-this is an obsidian used for transmitting memories. Just take it.”

“No thanks.”

“What?! What do you mean…?”

Nailatop shook his head.

“I’m familiar with the memory transmission techniques of the ‘Great Race.’ You’re using obsidian probably because you can’t find the proper metal on Earth, right? I guess you traded with that race to acquire those techniques during your rebirth, huh?”

He knows about obsidian’s techniques?!

I stood stunned. “If you know it, then why not take it? There’s no easier way to show memories…”

“That’s exactly why I’m not taking it.”

“Why?”

He took another sip of tea.

“Using that technique leaves a transmission record. It’s already tough enough dealing with the observer; I don’t want to attract their attention with that.”

Huh?!

What’s that supposed to mean?!

‘Transmission record?!’

I gasped, “What, what?! What does that mean…?”

“Hmm. You didn’t know?”

“Tell me what you mean!!”

“No way.”

“……”

“…I want to say that, but…”

Nailatop smiled mischievously as he continued, “Let’s do a one-on-one exchange where you answer my question and I’ll answer yours. How about that?”

“Sure.”

“The principle of information exchange is established then. How about I give you the first piece of information as a courtesy?”

He continued, “The transmission technique of the obsidian you’re using is specifically for sending memories. So, do you understand the detailed principle behind how that memory is transmitted?”

“Uh? Well…”

I stammered, and then, as best I could, I explained. “When I breathe my memory into the obsidian, it gets stored, and when I use the technique, I can show that stored memory to someone else.”

“Didn’t the one who passed the technique to you explain more than that?”

“I heard it can present memories in both first-person and third-person perspectives…”

“Hmmm?”

Nailatop looked somewhat surprised.

“Ah, I see you’ve extracted more information from the ‘Great Race’ than I expected. I didn’t even know about that.”

“Is that impressive?”

“…The ability to show from a third-person perspective indicates how great the ‘Great Race’ truly is. But let’s get back to the main topic.”

As he waved his hand, Nailatop asked, “Do you know what a USB is?”

“I do. It’s a medium for storing information, like the obsidian technique. I’ve lived in the future a bit. You can store data in USB and plug it into another computer to transfer it.”

When I shared what I learned from Professor Sima Ling, Nailatop chuckled.

“Think of the obsidian technique as pretending to be USB, but it’s actually more like cloud storage. Catching on?”

“……?”

Cloud storage?

What on earth is that?

Seeing my confusion, Nailatop explained, “To put it simply, the data you input into the obsidian is stored there but also sent to a ‘huge memory space’ somewhere. That memory space is extremely confidential, to the point that even the ‘Great Race’ themselves can’t view it carelessly, but all memories since time immemorial are stored there.”

“……?!”

“They can’t access it easily, but it’s still a concern. Anyway, a transmission record exists, and they can find out when and how often transmissions were made.”

“What…!!”

I shouted in shock, “Every time I transmitted memories through obsidian, the ‘Great Race’ saw everything?!”

Nailatop shook his head.

“Hmm. No, it seems you misunderstood something. To be precise, while the space acts as cloud storage, it also functions as a black box. You can’t view it during regular moments; it’s only accessible during emergencies. There’s a separate manager for it.”

“……?”

“All the ‘Great Race’ can view are simple logs of when, how, and how many times you executed the transmission technique, but they can’t see the actual contents of the memory. Got it?”

“Not really…”

“Mind explaining further? Anyway, you won’t be harmed by it, but having those transmission records is bothersome for me.”

“Why’s it a bother?”

“I’m traversing the most dangerous path of heresy in this world. I don’t want to get tangled with those guys unnecessarily. After all, they possess the ability to thwart me.”

“……”

He’s truly an enigmatic figure. I tilted my head and decided to memorize everything I had just heard. After all, I could always have a companion explain it later.

I said, “If it doesn’t harm me, then I don’t care… So you want me to explain what happened without using obsidian?”

“Exactly.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you.”

I briefly recounted everything that had happened since entering the Life Sea. As Nailatop calmly listened, he finally spoke.

“So, you’re saying that at the request of my disciple, Lieutenant Lee Hwan, you summoned me at the auction?”

“Yeah. From what Lee Hwan-woong said, it should have been fine because you’re just a scientist.”

“Shouldn’t it? It’s literally science itself.”

“……”

“Hmm. You don’t seem as morally bankrupt as I thought. This is quite amusing.”

What’s so funny? Nailatop commented with a grin.

“Honestly, I was starting to think you might be an incarnation of a god, given how your asymmetrical appearance is something a god might create.”

“Ah….”

“That’s not your original form, is it?”

Are you talking about the form of Fuxi?

I was puzzled for a moment but eventually replied, “Yeah.”

“Did you change your appearance for amusement?”

“Amusement?”

“You could live and die repeatedly, so why not have fun changing your appearance? I can understand being in a playful mood as well.”

“……”

You mean you see life as a game?

‘A game? Come on… My goal is True Martial Home, not this ridiculous game!!’

I felt a bit irritated and snapped back, “Enough with the nonsense; just explain what you mean by ‘mask.’ Are you really Nailatop’s mask?!”

“Hmmm… You’re getting to the point.”

Before he finished speaking, another cup of tea appeared on the table as Nailatop sipped it. As he savored the aroma, he said, “Before I answer, you, the Reborn Person Baek Woong, what do you think a ‘mask’ is? How much do you know about it?”

“A mask….”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then replied, “I’ve seen beings that are human while also being masks in the outer universe. That being was absorbed because Nailatop came looking for them during the True Martial Home.”

“Oh! Interesting tale.”

“They referred to themselves as ‘divine refuse’ and as non-human. But they also had free will and, more importantly, were part of the Martial God Council and possessed Divine Skills.”

“……”

“And I’ve seen another mask, who was a high-ranking official of the Celestial Realm yet sometimes felt exactly like Nailatop himself. However, there were moments when they awakened their own will…”

Thinking of the Primordial Void Ruler, I struggled to digest it.

A being that sometimes has will and sometimes doesn’t.

As I spoke, my own confusion mounted, and I fixed my gaze on Nailatop, asking earnestly, “What on earth is a mask? Are you guys avatars of the Coming Chaos? I’ve heard that when a mask awakens, it becomes an avatar like Nailatop’s lower avatars…”

“Hey, you’ve got some misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?”

Nailatop gulped down his tea and said, “Nailatop is a different being from the Coming Chaos. Make sure to understand that premise.”

“……!!”

“The Nailatop you encountered is not the same being as the Outer God of the Coming Chaos. Do you understand?”

“Wh-what do you mean?! That guy is that guy, right?!”

“Different.”

Clunk!

Nailatop put down his teacup while quietly saying, “The reason a mask doesn’t depend on Nailatop even after awakening its own existence is exactly that. I’m also one of the rebellious masks.”

“……?”

“Hmm. How should I explain this…?”

He appeared to ponder for a moment, twirling his hair around his fingers. Then he spoke.

“Reborn Person. It seems you’ve faced Nailatop a few times. Did that Nailatop possess the power of an Outer God?”

“Um…”

I thought carefully about the powers Nailatop displayed in the past. From when he devoured the Divine Thief to his appearance at the end of the 28th round. Remembering that overwhelming power, I took my time and finally said, “I’m not sure if it’s Outer God level, but he seemed way stronger than the Three Sovereigns because I saw the Coming Chaos wipe them all out in an instant.”

“Oh? You’re getting confused again. The Coming Chaos and Nailatop are different entities.”

“Ah.”

“…You seem a bit foolish for a Reborn Person. Think again. Did Nailatop have the power of an Outer God?”

“Uhh… That…”

I contemplated for a long time and then spoke.

“He was really strong, but I’m not sure if it was Outer God strength…”

It felt somehow lacking for being labeled as an Outer God. When I admitted that, Nailatop said with satisfaction, “Exactly. You may be foolish, but you have good situational awareness.”

“……”

“Basically, that means Nailatop is merely a part of the Coming Chaos. He’s undeniably a powerful being, but he isn’t quite at Outer God level. So when Nailatop truly breaks free from all seals and ascends, what kind of being he becomes is anyone’s guess, just as it is the nature of the Coming Chaos itself.”

I felt a wave of confusion wash over me as I attempted to piece this together.

“So you’re saying that all the masks scattered across the universe possess free will and do not recognize Nailatop as their master because he is not the true embodiment of the Coming Chaos?”

“That’s a part of it. However, face to face, many succumb due to his immense power…”

As Nailatop continued, he explained, “For a mask to elevate into an avatar merely means they contacted Nailatop, surrendered to him, and borrowed the strength of the Coming Chaos’s true essence. Ultimately, we don’t elevate ourselves; we’re just used as tools.”

“……”

“I assert that all masks have free will. However, many choose to submit to Nailatop’s will.”

“Does that mean you’re not a servant of Nailatop?”

“Not currently.”

“Currently?”

“If I don’t find the answer I seek, I might end up choosing that path myself someday…”

There was a hint of gloom in Nailatop’s expression, and he spoke again.

“Moreover, every mask is born with one unparalleled talent. Race, gender, starting point—all random, but that’s the one commonality.”

“Unparalleled talent? Does that include thieving skills too?”

“Of course. Every talent exists. I guess one of the masks you’ve encountered had the talent for thievery.”

“……”

The Divine Thief.

As I recalled his existence, something suddenly struck me.

‘Those masks I recognized were Jin Cheon-hwi, the Divine Thief, and the Primordial Void Ruler…’

Jin Cheon-hwi’s talent goes without saying. Even the genius Zhuge Yulong felt a bit of inferiority compared to him, a talent unlike any other in the world! I had heard he possessed incredible abilities in nearly everything.

The Divine Thief’s abilities were unmatched in thievery and hearing. The two were likely nearly identical in skill.

As for the Primordial Void Ruler’s talents, I was unsure, but being among the three sovereigns of the Celestial Realm undoubtedly meant he possessed phenomenal talent.

I thought carefully before asking Nailatop, “So does that mean you have scientific talent?”

“Indeed. And when I realized my connection to the ‘mask,’ I placed restrictions on myself. I can’t use any power aside from ‘science.’”

“Why’s that?”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Wouldn’t it be more powerful if you learned sorcery or magic along with science? Since Nailatop was the only mask that applied self-restrictions, my confusion grew as he grinned.

“Because it allowed my talent to evolve sufficiently to pursue the path of reincarnation.”

“Hmm? The path of reincarnation?”

“Don’t know?”

“Um. Sounds familiar…”

Then it happened.

Beep – Beep

An uncomfortable warning sound resonated, and the interior of the battleship was flooded with a glaring red glow. Nailatop, witnessing the warning and the crimson light, leisurely remarked, “Hmm. Talking has made it almost time for the space to collapse, it seems.”

“What?! If the space collapses, we’re dead, right?!”

“Just sitting still would lead to that.”

“Quick, do something!!”

As I urged him, Nailatop said, “Well, in that case, I’ll let you see for yourself.”

“What?”

“Gaia. Redirect the course back to the original position.”

Upon Nailatop’s command, a nearby round machine responded with mechanical sounds.

[The battleship is jumping to outer space… 10 seconds until transition.]

Kwooooon!!

With a colossal roar, darkness enveloped us. I remained seated for a while, and after some time, I could hear Nailatop’s voice next to me.

“Window open.”

Swish—

Moments later, the surrounding darkness lifted, revealing the scenery as if viewing outside a spherical barrier from within a spaceship. What emerged wasn’t the vastness of space but rather a perfectly white space.

No, it wasn’t just white.

It was nothingness and chaos!

Having felt this perfect void once before, I opened my eyes wide.

“Th-this place…!!”

“It seems you’ve been here before.”

Nailatop grinned.

“This is the path of reincarnation. The world of infinite calamity.”

Swoosh—

As the battleship advanced through the chaotic white space, there were ripples, like a droplet of water falling into liquid, and I saw the tip of the ship disappear. Soon, the entire vessel was consumed, and before long, we found ourselves left in a space of profound darkness.

Thud—

A loud operational sound echoed from the battleship, and Nailatop sighed, “That was close. I almost got caught by the observer.”

“The observer…!!”

Realization hit me, and I shouted loudly.

“Hey!! I’ve been there before! I was supposed to get permission from the observer to go to another outer realm, right?”

“Oh! You know about that. Have you talked to the observer?”

“Yeah! It was about the west of reincarnation and such…”

Upon hearing my words, Nailatop appeared somewhat surprised.

“Hmmm…? It seems being a Reborn Person is more remarkable than I thought. You spoke face-to-face with that terrifying Outer God you normally can’t even dare confront.”

“Wait, fleeing?”

“Ha ha. It’s an unfortunate description, but yes.”

Nailatop grinned.

“I’m Nailatop, the wandering scientist traveling through the outer realms! But since I haven’t received permission from the Outer God, getting caught would spell trouble.”

“……”

“Just now, I almost got spotted, but I managed to evade it by shifting probabilities through my super-quantum temporal shield.”

Hearing that, I felt utterly flabbergasted.

“Why on earth are you traversing such dangerous outer realms, facing an Outer God?”

“The answer you just gave holds the key.”

“What?”

“The west of reincarnation.”

Nailatop leisurely reclined in his vintage Western chair and continued, “To cross into the outer realms, one must inevitably pass through this path of reincarnation. And this boundless world of calamities, the path of reincarnation, actually rotates. And while rotating, the cardinal directions—north, south, east, west—are distinctly delineated. Additionally, not only the observer but also other Outer Gods swim through this space.”

“……!!”

“Now, since there are cardinal directions, doesn’t it make you wonder about one thing?”

“What’s that?”

“The existence of cardinal directions implies there’s a center.”

I could hear the determination in Nailatop’s voice as he murmured passionately.

“Right in the center… lies the secret of the entire universe. As a scientist, I feel it’s my duty to uncover that.”