전생검신 81권 10화

Brahma!!

I had definitely heard that name before, so I racked my brain to remember.

[My brother Shiva, flee and take refuge with Brahma!]

[This guy cannot be defeated. Form an alliance through the Three Laws…!]

It was just when Vishnu realized he was outnumbered while battling the Evil God in the outer universe and advised his brother Shiva to escape! Vishnu recommended Shiva go to Brahma, but Shiva ignored him, and ultimately, they all ended up fighting and were killed by the Evil God.

Also, I recently heard about Brahma from Subori.

[Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma are referred to as the Three Great Gods of Tianzhu. They were initially deities of order who were protecting the primordial civilization, Kalpa, but ended up waging war against the dozens and hundreds of [Old Rulers]. Each of them is a powerful god, tough enough to not fall behind in one-on-one fights, but outnumbered, they ultimately faced defeat.]

[Brahma, who can be considered the leader among the Three Great Gods, attempted to reverse the results of the war using the sorcery of temporal manipulation. That is the great reverse action… Brahmastra.]

[As you guessed, what you are doing now is casting a great spell that turns the [Great Cycle] back to before the war. If we could go back to before the war, we’d have been able to poke at the opponent’s weaknesses and win without a doubt.]

[Indeed, that’s impossible. However, Brahma, who hated losing more than death itself, began gathering countless offerings necessary for casting the Brahmastra that would break the great taboo of the Great Universe. The auxiliary sorcery created to gather those offerings is none other than the Demon Sorcery Pillar.]

Brahma was the one who created this powerful sorcery known as the Demon Sorcery Pillar.

And his purpose for creating the Demon Sorcery Pillar was precisely to use the reverse action sorcery, Brahmastra.

As soon as I realized that, I glared at Brahma with sharp eyes.

“Great Being Brahma. I understand you tried to change the past using Brahmastra, but does that mean the outcome has brought you here to this [Throne]?”

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t rashly disclose my information, always wary of the opponent. But this time was different. There was no doubt the opponent possessed a lot of information in this mysterious location, and according to Sagong Lin, Brahma was the destined connection I would encounter here. So, sharing some information seemed necessary.

“Hmm!”

“Did you come here using the Demon Sorcery Pillar?”

Upon hearing my question, Brahma looked slightly surprised. Then he chuckled and replied.

“You are indeed an unusual being. It seems you know quite a bit, so I won’t deny it.”

“I’m not quite following….”

“Haha, Baek Woong. What is it that you don’t understand?”

I pointed a finger at Brahma.

“I come from an age thousands of years after you vanished. In my era, your existence has become almost impossible to trace, and only your brothers Vishnu and Shiva would know of your exploits, and they both crawled into the Emperor’s Divine Temple and fell into subservience.”

“……”

“In conclusion, it seems that your failure to change the [Great Cycle] has led Vishnu and Shiva to resign themselves to the fate of defeat. Therefore, your presence here now seems redundant.”

“Hmm….”

Brahma appeared to ponder something. Then, a strange smile crept onto his face as he spoke.

“That’s exactly what I expected.”

“You expected? What do you mean?”

“So you’re saying that since I’ve failed to change the [Great Cycle], it’s established I must fail here too. From the perspective of time, that makes sense. But that’s not a definite conclusion yet.”

“…Not definite?”

“Baek Woong. What do you think this place is?”

I looked around at Brahma’s question. There were many ancient ruins scattered throughout this cave. However, as I noticed earlier, these ruins didn’t seem to belong to humanity, and I couldn’t even guess their origins. Based on the knowledge of sorcery I had, I simply couldn’t judge, so I had no choice but to respond uncertainly.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a place like this before.”

“This is precisely what is known as the Inheritance Site.”

“Inheritance Site?”

Brahma touched one of the ancient-style pillars nearby with his hand.

“Those ruins you see here, even I, Brahma, who possesses the eyes to see Heaven and Earth, cannot trace their origins. I have seen countless civilizations in the universe over eons, possessing vast sorcery knowledge, yet I have never heard of this. What do you think is the reason behind it?”

So it wasn’t just me who didn’t know about these ruins? Brahma didn’t either? I found that surprising and tilted my head.

“Hmm… Because it’s in the far reaches of the universe?”

“Ha ha, that’s not it. It’s because this civilization did not exist in our universe from the very beginning.”

“…What do you mean? A civilization that doesn’t exist can’t really exist, can it? That’s contradictory!”

“It’s not a contradiction. The Inheritance Site is the intersection that inherits the [Great Cycle].”

“Intersection…?”

What’s he rambling about?

Feeling a bit confused, Brahma’s eyes lit up.

“Oh my! I thought you were quite wise, but you were just full of knowledge. Given the information you’ve provided, I expected you to understand that much already.”

“Geez. Stop dancing around your words. If what you’re saying is true, it means we don’t have that much time.”

“Well, to put it directly, these ruins existed in the previous [Great Cycle] and aren’t present in the current one. Yet, the Inheritance Site encompasses the previous cycle, allowing us to see these ruins.”

“……!!”

I widened my eyes at Brahma’s words. Then I thought it was absurd and said.

“Wait a sec! What do you mean the [Great Cycle] can be segregated like that? How could it possibly work?”

“It’s quite possible. After all, the cycle in which you and I live has already turned countless times, is turning now, and will continue to turn. But, in the wheel of cause and effect, once a circumference is formed, can those standing upon the wheel truly distinguish between the present, past, and future? They can see before and behind, but grasping why is exceedingly difficult.”

“…….”

“We cannot observe the past of the [Great Cycle]. At least as long as we exist within it. However, the undeniable fact that the wheel turned in the past can’t be erased, and this Inheritance Site is proof of that.”

As Brahma murmured this, he continued.

“This place is, so to speak, the only location where the [Great Cycle] touches at the starting point. It’s a spot where circles perfectly overlap, allowing observation of infinite cycles. Simultaneously, one can see and even contact the previously unobservable cycle…”

I thought Brahma’s words were complex, but I could grasp some of the meaning. I felt a curious question arise and asked.

“Are you saying the inside of the [Throne] is such an Inheritance Site? How the heck did you find that out?”

“I don’t think I need to tell you that…”

“Ugh….”

As I hesitated, Brahma chuckled.

“Just kidding. It’s true that information about this place is generally unknown to outsiders. No god would be able to pass through the trials of the [Throne], and anyone who arrives here will ultimately fulfill their desires, so there’s no reason to relay information outside. There can’t be any literature or records left. However, there is one critical blind spot.”

“Blind spot?”

“If someone like me, born with divine aspects from the very beginning, doesn’t need to come here to sense this place’s existence.”

“……? No, I don’t quite grasp that… it’s not that I’m not smart, but could you explain that?”

Scratching my head, Brahma nodded and settled on a nearby rock.

“Take a seat for a moment.”

As we sat on the rocks facing each other, Brahma continued speaking.

“My brothers and I were born each with different divine natures. I embody creation, Vishnu embodies preservation, and Shiva embodies destruction. The truth is, we originally were one existence with a singular divine seat, but for some reason, we split into three when we descended as gods.”

“I didn’t know that. Then when gods wage war, can’t the three merge to become stronger?”

“No, we didn’t feel the need to merge. After all, the abilities needed for battle weren’t vastly different, and there was no reason to return to share a divine seat… Each of the three utilized their unique divine natures; merging might even weaken us.”

“Hmm….”

“Anyway, making use of our distinct traits means that when we materialize the power of the divine, we become experts above anyone else in this universe. Nobody uses the preservation powers better than Vishnu, and nobody uses the powers of destruction better than Shiva. But me, Brahma, although I’ve never shared it with my brothers, discovered one secret while wielding the power of [Creation].”

“A secret?”

Brahma aligned his index fingers together.

“What is creation? It is making something from nothing. However, is there truly such a thing as absolute nothingness in this world? There isn’t. The border between existence and non-existence evidently exists, and in truth, the power of creation I wield is merely the act of bringing non-existence into the realm of existence.”

“…….”

Normally, I would have retorted, “What kind of nonsense is that?” But having delved deeply into the concept of void (emptiness), I could at least sense the meaning behind his words. When Brahma noticed that I seemed to understand the story, he appeared somewhat satisfied and continued speaking.

“Then, where does that border exist, and what is it? At what point do I draw a non-existent entity into existence? After long research and training, I finally realized that there exists a certain place where the power of creation reaches its maximum potential.”

“That place is….”

“Right here! The only place where the [Great Cycle] overlaps at the point of grounding! Upon realizing its existence and location, I pondered for a long time how I could arrive here, and eventually came to understand that it’s absurd to think of this place as the [Throne], and to think that one could navigate through the trials directly.”

“Why doesn’t that make sense?”

Brahma then stared straight at me and said.

“Because the external gods guard it.”

“Ah….”

“Conversely, the fact that you managed to come through openly is quite impressive….”

Brahma seemed to know something about me. It was evident he just didn’t press the matter further.

Realizing this, I deliberately changed the subject.

“Anyway, you created a back route to come to this Inheritance Site to change the [Great Cycle]. That’s using the Demon Sorcery Pillar to gather offerings and cast Brahmastra.”

“That’s the gist of it. No need for further explanation.”

“Um… But why do you think there’s a Trial Tower? Is there a guarantee that it exists?”

“I heard a [Voice].”

“[Voice]?”

Brahma chuckled softly.

“Even if I prepared offerings and ceremonies, would my abilities alone allow me to come here? Of course, I had to receive permission from some great being maintaining this Inheritance Site. And that being told me that if I wished to change the [Great Cycle] here, I must pass through trials.”

“…….”

I pondered for a moment before speaking.

“So, if you overthrow the Trial Tower, you can change the course of history. That’s what you’re saying.”

“Exactly. You might find the same true for yourself.”

“But still, the question I raised earlier remains unresolved, right? My presence here itself means that you’re destined to fail….”

Brahma waved his hand dismissively.

“No, no. Quite the opposite. The moment I met you, I felt a spark of hope that I could succeed. My fate of failure has already shifted.”

“Eh?”

What on earth is he talking about?

I’m the one coming from a future where Brahma fails, so why would he say such things?

“I divulged all the details to you for that reason. Just as you need trust from me, I need to earn your trust too.”

With a grin, Brahma rose from his seat.

“Shall we go then?”

“Do you know the lay of this land?”

“Look closely at these ruins of ancient civilization. They may seem randomly arranged, but each one bears strange patterns. If you pay attention to the flow of those patterns, they will show the pathway we should take.”

“…….”

“Follow me.”

Thump thump.

I followed after Brahma, captivated, and suddenly felt suspicious.

‘Can he really discern the path through the flow of patterns? Is that even possible?’

Even if he was the creation god Brahma, could he really possess such absurd wisdom?

While I was doubting this, it seemed Brahma read my thoughts and spoke up.

“You don’t seem very familiar with the powers of higher deities. But for someone of my stature, it’s something everyone can do effortlessly.”

“……You really can see the path?”

“Yes. While it’s not complete causality calculation, I can interpret the energy of creation present in all things to predict brief glimpses of the future. You too could probably manage it after living for a few billion years.”

“…….”

Thump thump… thump thump…

How long had we been walking? I was at the point of being utterly dismayed at Brahma’s ease as he consistently chose a path from a minimum of five diverging ways. There were paths I had passed that numbered in dozens, and combining all those probabilities would yield astronomical figures. Yet there was Brahma, unwavering in his choices as if he couldn’t be otherwise.

Suddenly…

Finally, Brahma halted. Before us lay a giant chasm, and in the middle of it stood a building resembling an ancient palace.

“We’ve arrived.”

“That’s….”

“Perhaps this is a palace that once existed in the previous [Great Cycle]. And it will be the place where we pass through the trials.”

“Hmm. So inside there will be the Trial Tower….”

As I readied myself for another fight, Brahma suddenly spoke.

“Before that, I have something to say.”

“What is it?”

What Brahma said next made me gasp in surprise.

“Try learning the powers of Vishnu and Shiva from me right here.”