전생검신 82권 6화

I was completely taken aback.

“What?! You mean, we have to reincarnate again?!”

“…!!”

“Hmm.”

I wasn’t the only one shocked; Cheon Woo-jin and Asura seemed pretty stunned too. And I can’t blame them because what Dalma said was packed with mind-blowing implications.

The fact that someone who’s already reincarnated can do it again!

That meant the world would start spinning around them once more.

Dalma spoke quietly.

[Yes, that’s what the carrot offered to the Trial Tower is about. That’s why reincarnators are compelled to give it their all when summoned to this trial.]

“Summoned? So, you mean they’re not usually here? Not just you, but other reincarnators too?”

[……]

For some reason, Dalma sidestepped my question and brought up another topic.

[I’m not sure what kind of rewards challengers get. Because honestly, I couldn’t make it this far when I was still a reincarnator.]

“What? You mean…”

[Have you forgotten where this place is? It’s the deepest abyss of the Heavenly Secret, the very spot where you can dig into the [Dream] itself. I knew this place existed, but I thought it was too dangerous to try to challenge it.]

“Hmm. How did you find out?”

[I had a terminal when I was a reincarnator too. Just like you, when you spend long enough with the terminal, you end up knowing whether you like it or not… But my sense of duty to pursue the True Martial Home was stronger, so I never dared to uncover the truths.]

After saying that, Dalma seemed to regret it a bit a moment later.

[…But if I think about it, I should have at least tried once. If I had known that the True Martial Home wasn’t the end… ]

“What do you mean it’s not the end?”

[You already know what I’m talking about… There’s no need for me to confirm it. Besides, I can’t say more due to the restrictions.]

Dalma cut off and continued.

[However, those who are probably waiting behind me must have made it here. In my conversations with them, I reached that conclusion.]

“…!!”

So it seems!

Dalma’s words carried significant meaning. Despite having immense power, he couldn’t challenge the final trial of the Heavenly Secret due to the ideology of the True Martial Home, but other reincarnators probably had come. And they likely felt something different from Dalma.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin spoke up.

“Baek Woong. Did you catch on?”

“Catch on to what?”

“I don’t think Dalma’s power is lesser than Nailatop’s. Still, he didn’t challenge out of a sense of duty to the True Martial Home. So what does it mean that other reincarnators did?”

I pondered for a moment and suddenly realized something.

“…Ah…!!”

“You figured it out.”

What Cheon Woo-jin was hinting at was whether the other reincarnators also had the ideology of the True Martial Home. Thanks to Cheon Woo-jin’s hint, I realized that.

‘The other reincarnators didn’t attempt the True Martial Home! That’s why they could challenge this place!’

And the fact that they didn’t try the True Martial Home likely meant that the ultimate goal they had as reincarnators was probably something else.

I believed this fact was extremely important. If the other reincarnators weren’t aiming for the True Martial Home, then what the heck were they after?

‘Could it be that the Cheon Woo-jin said something to me…?’

While all kinds of thoughts swirled in my head, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“Dalma. The restrictions on references seem weaker than expected. Are you intentionally leaking information to us? You might be avoiding direct mentions, but such restrictions generally injure the one breaking them, even when using loopholes.”

[The restrictions aren’t weak. I simply have no lingering attachment anymore… ]

Tsuh Tsuh Tsuh!

“…!!”

As soon as Dalma finished speaking, one of his arms fell off his spirit and disappeared. Everyone was startled by the sudden situation, and Dalma spoke again.

[My power weakened because I broke the restrictions. But I don’t care.]

“You don’t care? This kind of restriction gradually drains your power and eventually leads to eternal annihilation…”

As Cheon Woo-jin mumbled, he seemed to realize something and closed his mouth.

Then Dalma, with a faint smile, said.

[I have no desire to reincarnate again while defeating the reincarnators of future generations. I only wish to completely vanish. That was how it ought to have been, but this text provoked the desires of the reincarnators and forced me into the Abyss of Agonies. How could I comply with such a contradiction?]

In that moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked at Dalma.

“You don’t want to reincarnate? Don’t joke around! You fought like hell using all kinds of despicable tactics when you were up against me.”

When I shouted angrily, Dalma calmly replied.

[It wasn’t like I fought hard just to reincarnate. If someone is too foolish to understand how weak they are and just charges recklessly, I think it’s better to drop them here.]

“Huh?!”

[What do you think would happen if someone like that faced the Trial Tower Master in the second trial and lost instantly?]

“I would eternally vanish…”

[That’s not important. What truly matters is that the Trial Tower Master could start a new reincarnation.]

“…!!”

As I flinched at Dalma’s words, he spoke slowly.

[They are beings far beyond you and me right now. If they start their new reincarnation with the strength and wisdom of their prime, the world will face unprecedented chaos. Perhaps it may even lead to a hell where destroying the world through the True Martial Home feels like a kindness, so how could I recklessly send you to the next trial?]

“What? What hell could be worse than the destruction of the world?”

[Do you really think there’s no such thing? My intention to cleanly destroy the world was to save it from a hellish realm, but if the desires of existence come into play, the world could change in ways you can’t even imagine.]

“……”

[The desires of transcendents exist on a scale we dare not measure, and it may result in a situation that makes the hell you’ve been imagining seem laughable.]

I couldn’t deny it.

Knowing that the [Old Ruler] and the Outer Gods possessed an evil beyond imagination made me fully realize that powerful reincarnators could be just as terrifying. I understood what Dalma was worried about, making it hard to argue back.

Dalma raised one arm in a half-palm position and spoke.

[But you have defeated me with the capabilities you built up in your past life, so I acknowledge you, Baek Woong. It was wise of you to decide to withdraw from here.]

“…Regardless, fine. So, you don’t know what challengers gather, right?”

[That is correct.]

“Hmmm.”

So, does that mean I can only find out what I’ll gain by defeating the second trial after succeeding?

… No, wait, that doesn’t make sense.

That was a choice that seemed to inversely correlate with difficulty levels… it was the reverse order of how things should go.

‘The other reincarnators reached the very end of the Heavenly Secret knowing everything. That means, unlike Dalma, they found a way to discover what benefits challengers receive!’

Eventually, I too would figure out that benefit and challenge this place.

I decided to think more about how to do it while speaking to Dalma.

“Dalma. I heard that after absorbing a lot of magical forces, you fell to that state, so does that mean I’ll eventually end up like you too if I keep accumulating power?”

[I can’t say that. Mentioning how one can become stronger or the side effects brings you numerous clues which would directly breach the restrictions. However… ]

“But?”

[A new standard of power applies only to reincarnators. While simple comparisons are not valid, it is certainly on a different level than what the strong men discuss in the existing universe. If you’re satisfied with gathering divine power and overturning superficial strong beings, the moment you learn that standard, you will feel like a frog in a well.]

“……”

[I merely assessed you according to that standard… you are still at an apprenticeship level.]

Wha, what kind of standard is that?

I felt a chill at the notion that there was a consistent standard after Dalma. There’s really an unimaginable realm above Dalma! But upon realizing such a thing existed, I suddenly felt my strength drain away.

‘Damn it… How strong do I have to get?’

As I felt like I was deflating, Asura spoke up.

“Baek Woong. Don’t lose too much energy.”

“Asura.”

“You’re a fresh newbie who hasn’t even lived a thousand years in human years. Plus, you don’t have much talent either; you’ve only dabbled in numerous fields and have only reincarnated thirty times. The Dalma right before you has likely reincarnated at least a thousand times, so there’s really no need to feel small against his max level.”

“…… I was originally from the Ming Dynasty. Y’know, saying stuff like newbie and max level using Woon Empire game terms is just lost on me now.”

“Hehe. I know you understand everything.”

“Come on!”

With Asura’s encouragement, I managed to crack a smile and regain some spirit. It’s true that there were many things I hadn’t tried and so much more to achieve. If I get discouraged this early on, what will happen in the future!

Just then, Cheon Woo-jin, who was quietly listening, jumped into the conversation.

“There’s too much small talk. So what do you really want to say, Dalma? It doesn’t seem like you’re holding on this long just to make Baek Woong feel weak.”

[…… I want to give you advice.]

“Advice, huh.”

[Baek Woong, listen closely.]

Dalma gazed toward me and stated.

[If you have any chance of defeating the Trial Tower Masters, you should acquire the power of Chi You.]

“……”

[The power of Chi You is extraordinary and cannot simply be born through normal accumulation of divine or magical power. With that power, it could surely become a sturdy weapon for you in the realm of transcendents!]

And that made sense. The power of Chi You awakened in my body allowed me to kill Dalma and turn him into a spirit state. The strength of Chi You’s horn looked incredibly formidable, and Dalma’s advice was extremely persuasive.

Still, I couldn’t come to terms with what Dalma said.

“Dalma! You’ve gone through an unbelievable number of reincarnations. Are you really saying you’ve never experienced Chi You or its power? That sounds ridiculous…”

That was the most suspicious point. No matter how I looked at it, Dalma’s reincarnation count must have surpassed several thousand, and he’d likely lived for tens of thousands of years. But even he found the power of Chi You to be unfamiliar and alien? Could there even be supernatural abilities that such a freak like him didn’t know about?

Yet, Dalma replied firmly.

[There is none. Chi You is likely connected to you by a significant causal relationship, but at least in my time, there has never been such a being, nor a trace of them.]

“……!!”

[The fact that Chi You offered you its horn means it is willing to grant you power… But remember this.]

As Dalma continued, I felt my heart grow a little heavier.

[There are no results without a process. Eventually, you have the grounds to receive power from Chi You, which means that causal relationship is something you must resolve at some point!]

“……”

It wasn’t something to feel joy about. Recently, I’d learned how complex and tricky causality could be from battle experiences. It would be great if Chi You simply granted me power out of goodwill, but what if that’s not the case? I had no idea what kind of circumstances could be at play, making me incredibly uncomfortable. Just thinking back to how I got played by someone like Chi You sent chills down my spine.

‘Ah… so that’s it.’

In that instant, I understood the behavior of the gods.

‘The hesitation of gods to intervene in cases where they weren’t sure what kind of “causal” issue was at stake!’

I used to think it was strange that they never boldly punished me for impersonating an Apostle of God or wielding divine powers; I thought even beings capable of extinguishing my life with a single finger were acting overly cautious and laughed at that.

But that was behavior stemming from their deep awareness of the horrors of causality. And now that I had reached the realm of gods, I had no choice but to understand their demeanor.

After saying that, Dalma pointed a finger at my body.

[There’s nothing more I can say, so now you should merge your body and soul. I congratulate you on achieving your goal of escaping from here.]

“…Got it.”

I cautiously approached my body. It was crossed arms and stared blankly ahead with lifeless eyes, and two horns sprouted from its forehead. The appearance was exactly like when I first arrived here, but somehow it felt alien.

‘Why in the world did my body move on its own to fight?’

Even now, I had no idea. Was it possible that another personality was inside that body? I was nervous about the possibility of something unexpected happening if I approached and merged my body and soul.

“Here goes!!”

Why not just die already!

Crack!

A moment later, I mustered my courage and jumped toward my body. Soon after, I felt my soul being absorbed into the body, and Chi You’s horns shone brightly, sparking thunder light.

Zzzzzt…!!

And just when the thunder light from Chi You’s horn reached its peak, a fleeting [memory] flashed through my mind.

“According to the prophecy, it seems that Takrok Village is nowhere in this world. Where did you go?”

An unknown voice.

“There was no choice but to let your memories be sent directly through an item rooted in causality when you returned. I don’t know what the item will be.”

The vague silhouette of some woman appeared.

I couldn’t see her face in detail, but she appeared to be extraordinarily beautiful, and I sensed she was in a palace. That was because I caught a glimpse of the beautiful architectural style surrounding the palace. For a moment, that woman seemed to stir slightly, murmuring.

“…It’s lamenting. That child has already accepted their fate. Because that is already the future, the past, and simultaneously the present. For that child, it was merely a matter of choosing from the open endings. If neither side is bad, how could it not be a joy? Yet, I have yet to determine my fate. After all, I have never seen the real entity that turned back the [Great Cycle]…”

After rambling like that, the woman briefly fell silent before glancing behind her.

“Your sister is calling. So, for the last time…”

Then she got up from her seat and opened her mouth.

“Trusting Fuxi too much will lead to your downfall.”

Flash!

In the next moment, I realized that my body and soul had merged. I instinctively reached out to touch my forehead to check if the horns had appeared, and I noticed they were still there.

‘But they seem a lot smaller than before… about the size of a finger or two.’

In any case, the horns shrank, so they might look a little better now. However, I couldn’t focus on the horns for long as I recalled the memory I just saw.

‘Who was that?’

That woman in the palace called me Baek Woong as if she knew me. I couldn’t clearly understand what she was saying, and her face was so blurry that I couldn’t identify her, but the reason I felt flustered watching that memory was different.

Don’t trust Fuxi; what did that mean?

Actually, who was that woman?

While I was in confusion, Dalma spoke.

[Baek Woong. You’ve safely regained your body. But what do you plan to do now?]

“What do you mean, what to do? Of course, I have to go back to the Training World.”

[How?]

“……”

In reflex, I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin, who appeared displeased as he clenched his electronic cigarette.

“What are you looking at? I don’t know how to get back either!”

“Hey! How can you not know that?”

“How can I not know? You’re saying that Naillatop is the most likely being to freely navigate even to the end of this mysterious Heavenly Secret, yet you can’t even guess how he got here. Plus, you showed up tearing dimensions with the Sun and Moon Spirit, and I’m clueless about that method!”

“Ah… The Sun and Moon Spirit!”

Suddenly remembering the existence of the Sun and Moon Spirit made me think that perhaps solving the problem would be simpler than I thought, causing me to grin.

“Okay. Just wait a moment. If I use the Sun and Moon Spirit to head back to the Training World…”

….

A little later, I found myself sweating cold.

“Ah… no good?”

Thanks to my healed cursed arm, the severe side effects that occurred when I previously merged the Sun and Moon Spirit and the Moon Spirit didn’t happen now, but the two were just swirling around, showing no signs of merging like last time. Rather than trying to swallow each other, it felt like they were repelling each other like opposite magnets, making me unable to attempt the Sun and Moon Spirit at all!

As I struggled, Asura spoke as if he expected this.

“The Sun and Moon Spirit was something someone else activated at the cost of a price. However, right now, you have nothing to offer as a cost, so it looks like the use of the Sun and Moon Spirit is entirely blocked.”

“Damn it!! What kind of nonsense is this!!”

“Hmm, Cheon Woo-jin. Is it not possible for you to use your specialty to break the dimensions and return?”

“……”

Asura glanced at Cheon Woo-jin, who puffed heavily on his electronic cigarette.

After a moment, he exhaled a big cloud of smoke and sighed.

“I tried, but this place itself is incomprehensible. Trying to open and close the dimensions doesn’t work here.”

“What about going out through the Trial Tower’s door and trying from the outside?”

“I’m not sure about that either. The door to the next trial is over there, but the exit door hasn’t opened. Basically, it means that, according to the rules, retreat is not permitted.”

“Hmm…!! How annoying.”

“And Asura, you probably sensed it too, but even if we manage to go out this door…”

Cheon Woo-jin trailed off, and Asura seemed to catch on. He smiled wryly and said.

“Still, we have to go out. For Baek Woong’s story to continue.”

“Damn. This freaking sucks…”

While Cheon Woo-jin seemed irritated for some reason, Asura said.

“It seems it’s your turn now, Cheon Woo-jin.”

… Cheon Woo-jin?

I was surprised at the sudden change.

Crack!

The figure of Cheon Woo-jin appeared in the hall. Dressed as a young girl, Cheon Woo-jin nervously looked around before addressing Asura.

“Asura.”

“I know you’re the only one who can resolve this situation. It was you who revived us from being mere spirits in the first place.”

“But…”

“I’ve done my best, so I have no complaints. No regrets either.”

“……”

Then, Cheon Woo-jin seemed to reach a decision and turned to me.

“Baek Woong. I will send you back to the Training World.”

“Can you really do that?”

“Of course. As a terminal, I have the unique authority to travel back and forth freely through the depths of the Heavenly Secret.”

“Ha, that’s a relief.”

I felt a wave of optimism wash over me as I smiled.

“If I can bring Cheon Woo-jin and Asura with me, it would be no different from having an army!”

In the era of Takrok, those two’s power would surely be effective.

Thinking about having allies in that ancient land made me feel secure.

However, I was caught off guard by Cheon Woo-jin’s next statement.

“No, they can’t come with you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“…… Baek Woong, haven’t you found it strange? Why have I been able to store all the souls of the Great Bear Empire in a cloud format all this time, but I couldn’t free them in other reincarnation periods? And why was I only able to summon them in front of the throne?”

“……”

“Baek Woong. That’s because… the internal workings of this trial… and the place where the [Throne] exists are all part of the [Dream]. Because it exists in the realm of dreams, I was able to materialize them. It’s not solely because the Heavenly Secret has restrictions set on it.”

“Dream?”

Cheon Woo-jin slowly nodded and continued speaking.

“The Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin was trying to save all of humanity’s souls from being tortured by the evil gods by sending them into the dream world while simultaneously storing them in the cloud. However, even though they were stored in the cloud, they ultimately became a part of the dream. Since they became a part of the dream, they can no longer exist outside of it…they’ve turned into beings that can never be revived physically.”

“…… What? I don’t quite understand what you’re saying…”

“No, you understand very clearly that your reasoning has sharpened and your intelligence has risen. You just don’t want to accept what I’m saying.”

“No… what…”

“This place is the [Dream]. Only the depths of the Heavenly Secret can truly be called the real [Dream]. The moment you pass through that boundary, the beings of the dream will vanish.”

With that said, Cheon Woo-jin revealed.

“Cheon Woo-jin and Asura cannot leave this place. They will turn into a mirage the moment they step beyond the realms of the [Dream].”