전생검신 Volume 82 Chapter 13

I was puzzled by Daegwi’s words.

“Not treated as a Demon Path?”

[That’s correct.]

“Isn’t the term ‘Qian Shen’ (money god) an elite rank among merchants? Are you saying there can’t be many Demon Paths to reach that level?”

[Yes. The wealth you gather now gives you the right to trade with the world itself. Unlike the Demon Path, it’s a higher-grade wealth that allows direct transactions. By utilizing that right, you can efficiently achieve the conditions to level up and become a Qian Shen.]

“The world…?”

What does it mean to trade with the world?

The more I heard, the less I understood. As I tilted my head in confusion, Heuk Woong next to me quietly spoke.

[Master. I don’t think this is the time to ask him leisurely for explanations. It seems that the entities beyond are starting to move.]

“Uh…!!”

Gugugugu

The dozen or so [Old Rulers] beyond the horizon seemed surprised as I absorbed all the coins using Daegwi, but they gradually began moving their heavy bodies. It seemed like they were approaching with a menacing aura, emitting magical power from the horizon.

Crack! Crack!!

Suddenly, I felt a pressure from beyond the wall that sent tingling sensations through my skin. If so many Evil Gods exert their strength at once, it’s no joke. I frowned as I countered the pressure with my divine power.

“Krishna. It seems they’re all coming at once. Has this ever happened before?”

“No, at least not since Brahma created the [Wall]. They seem to see you as a threat and are trying a containment strategy.”

“Hm. If they all charge at once, will the wall break?”

“As I said, the wall is designed to kill the first one to charge in. No matter how much of an [Old Ruler] they are, they can’t get through unscathed. Personally, I think they’re just blustering… but I’m not sure.”

“……”

Can I just back off like this?

Just then, I felt a grotesque [Old Ruler] that looked like a cruel human with a wolf’s head speaking to me telepathically.

[Who are you…….]

I could sense the overwhelming magical power behind its words and grimaced.

‘This guy’s merciless… If it weren’t for my divine power, Daegwi would go mad just hearing a word from this guy.’

This kind of magic is beyond earthly standards, impossible to measure.

Truly a cosmic level of Evil Qi!

That [Old Ruler]’s strength certainly didn’t fall short compared to mine. It wouldn’t be strange for it to single-handedly destroy a whole world. With a figure of that caliber, it could very well be among the higher echelons of universe-wide entities, so I calmly responded.

“I am Baek Woong. And you are?”

[I am #$&@%.]

“……”

I get the name means something, but how on earth can a human pronounce that?!

I scratched my head in annoyance and replied.

“Please give me a name that a human can understand.”

[……? Fine. The name I commonly use is Tiamat.]

“Tiamat… Okay, Tiamat, do you have something to say to me?”

[What being are you, and why do you side with them? Are you also aiming for the throne’s revelation?]

Tiamat’s words were incredibly direct. It didn’t even hide the fact that the conflict with the three great gods was a struggle for the throne’s revelation. I immediately responded firmly.

“Not interested!! I put my name on it; I don’t chase after revelations! I’m not even fighting for it.”

[……!! You swear an oath!]

Surprised, Tiamat fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

[Then for what reason are you here on this tiny planet? Could it be that you are blood-bound or comrades with them?]

“It’s not anything so grand; I have a heart debt to Brahma and temporarily joined to repay it.”

I replied while pointing at the others.

“Let me make it clear: it’d be wise not to invade while I’m around!! If I fight for real, I’ll call all my friends, so don’t touch me unnecessarily!”

[…….]

At that statement, not just Tiamat, but other nearby Evil Gods looked visibly shocked. Of course, my claim about friends was a lie, but they seemed to assume that the “friends” I mentioned were on the same level as me. After a brief silence, Tiamat asked.

[When are you leaving?]

“In 5000 years!”

Five thousand years must be infuriating, right? Come at me, I’ll smack you around!

If I beat you down a bit, it won’t be easy for you to invade this world!

As I nonchalantly declared this unrealistically long time, secretly looking forward to a good brawl, Tiamat replied.

[Good… Until then, we will respect you and refrain from invading.]

“Uh?”

[You must also leave afterwards……]

Sssss

Moments later, Tiamat and the other [Old Rulers] started to disperse like mist. To be precise, they concealed their true forms beyond the dimensional boundary and seemed to move away. I was taken by surprise; I had never expected them to withdraw all at once.

I bewilderedly asked Krishna.

“W-what? I told them to wait five thousand years, so why are they retreating right now?”

In response, Krishna looked at me as if I were strange and said.

“What are you saying? From the gods’ perspective, five thousand years is but a moment. We exist to live for billions of years at a minimum.”

“……!!”

“Considering that there are still thousands of years until the revelation occurs, they probably thought five thousand years is a reasonable wait. Why bother to risk harm by fighting a powerful god like you? Nevertheless, if you had made it too long, they wouldn’t have been able to bear it. So five thousand years was probably just right.”

Krishna explained it matter-of-factly, and I was left in a daze.

Five thousand years is short?!

What kind of time sense do these gods have…….

Heuk Woong spoke beside me.

[Master. You might need to get used to the gods’ perspective more. Everyone you’ll encounter in this era will be a god.]

“Hmm… Is that so?”

[Anyhow, Krishna. Where has the God of Destruction Shiva gone? I thought he was fighting alongside you, yet I don’t see him here on the battlefield.]

In response to Heuk Woong’s question, Krishna sighed and said.

“The battlefield isn’t just here. There are other places where rifts in dimensions have appeared, and Shiva is currently engaged in a fierce battle there.”

[Is that so…?]

“There’s no need to rush to help him. Unlike this main front, it doesn’t seem that formidable foes have launched an attack, so it will likely resolve itself soon.”

With that, Krishna turned around.

“Follow me. I’ll guide you to the Chamber of Offerings.”

Swoosh

Heuk Woong and I followed Krishna. After a while, we soared through the sky and arrived at the bright white city of Kalpa, where Krishna landed firmly in the floating palace.

“This is our palace. The Chamber of Offerings is at the very back of it.”

“Gods don’t need physical forms or sleep, so why go through the trouble of constructing a palace like this?”

“Of course, my true self doesn’t reside here but rather a manifestation like me in human form. Additionally, such places were essential for executing Brahma’s Sorcery. Of course, that’s not the only reason…”

“Is there another reason?”

“……”

Krishna fell silent for a moment and then asked me.

“Before I tell you that reason, let me first ask: do you think you can destroy the Celestial Reincarnation Jade that you casually created?”

“Uh?”

“Your barrier breach was incredibly effective. The three Celestial Reincarnation Jades you made have temporarily nullified the barrier of Kalpa. While I could destroy your creation myself, it would be far easier if the creator did it directly…”

I nodded.

“Let’s do that.”

Paaaat –

Moments later, as I concentrated my mind to disintegrate the Celestial Reincarnation Jade, Krishna let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew… A sigh of relief.”

“Now guide me to the Chamber of Offerings. I want to see Brahma’s condition.”

“This way.”

Step step

I followed Krishna and asked him.

“Is Brahma currently inside the Chamber of Offerings? What’s his condition?”

“Probably as you’d expect.”

Krishna replied casually. Moments later, he stood before a room with the deepest ivory door and slowly opened it.

“This is the Chamber of Offerings.”

Creeeak…..

As the Chamber opened, I gasped in shock.

“……!!”

A vast cosmos!

Inside was not a small room but a gigantic universe unfolding. And in that universe were four enormous pillars adorned with souls that emitted intense waves, writhing in pain as they merged into the pillars. The pillars were embedded within a transparent circle of air in the void, constantly vibrating, emanating strength towards the center.

Gogogogogo!!!

Seeing this, Heuk Woong crossed his arms, saying.

[That’s the Demon Sorcery Pillar.]

“That’s right.”

[I understand what happened to Brahma.]

Heuk Woong continued.

[In the center of the Demon Sorcery Pillar, that void. The void connects to the Inheritance Site within the throne through a medium. The Demon Sorcery Pillar utilizes the taboo sorcery, Brahmastra, to link Brahma with this world while he’s in the Inheritance Site.]

“Correct.”

Krishna observed the formless void swirling at the center of the Demon Sorcery Pillar and said.

“We can say Brahma is present here yet not present. Because he is perceived as existing in both this world and the Inheritance Site. Only this way can Brahma maintain the earlier [Wall] even while essentially absent, hence the choice of this method.”

[That’s a lot of wordplay. In any case, Brahma is currently in the Inheritance Site, and you are waiting for his return.]

“Exactly. So, in truth, only Shiva and I among the three great gods are guarding this Kalpa.”

Having said that, Krishna glanced at me and asked.

“Baek Woong. Would you mind sharing what you’ve experienced in the [Inheritance Site] and what has become of Brahma…?”

“……”

I hesitated at Krishna’s words. Is it fine to share this?

Brahma had at least transferred techniques to me and promised to save me in the future, so we had a minimum level of trust. But Krishna before me was different. His true self Vishnu had previously played a hypocritical game on me, and Shiva also didn’t have a great relationship with me. Just because he’s Brahma’s brother god didn’t mean I could spill everything without hesitation.

I pondered for a while before asking Krishna.

“Before that, let me ask one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Is the reason you selflessly tend to humankind merely because you feel pity?”

For some reason, my intuition told me that this was the question that could determine whether I could trust Krishna.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? Yes, that’s correct.”

I crossed my arms and said.

“This time, I need you to promise on your [name]. Promise you’ll speak the truth and answer my question again.”

“……”

Krishna seemed a bit taken aback and mumbled.

“I don’t think it’s something to swear on a god’s name.”

“Then I have no obligation to tell you about Brahma’s whereabouts either. Since I’ve already made a non-invasion treaty for five thousand years, I’m already done repaying my debt to Brahma. I can leave this way without worry.”

“Hmm…”

As I pressured him, Krishna sighed softly.

And after a long while of deliberation, he finally spoke, seeming resigned.

“……If I swear on my [name], then pity is not the only reason. There are other reasons as well.”

I raised an eyebrow at those words.

“Other reasons? What are they?”

“Must I really say?”

“Damn it. Are you joking with me? There’s not even a toenail’s worth of trust here, and you expect me to reveal a significant secret just because you reserved it for Brahma. If you keep being slippery like this, I’m out of here!”

I shouted angrily, and Krishna sighed again.

“Hah. It’s because of worship.”

“Worship?”

“Yes. In fact, it’s more than just the pity for humankind; it’s a bit of both.”

“Tell me in detail.”

“What happens when mortals worship the immortal gods?”

After momentarily pondering his words, I answered.

“Uh… I suppose it feels good.”

“Exactly. Usually, it ends there. For cosmic beings like us, worship itself doesn’t mean much. Humans are less than ants or bugs, so their service to us usually doesn’t bring significant change. That’s typically the case…”

“Is something different for you?”

“Precisely because this Kalpa exists, it’s different.”

“……?”

“Seeing is believing. Follow me.”

Step step…

Heuk Woong and I followed Krishna out of the Chamber of Offerings to the edge of the floating palace. Standing at a vantage point where the enormous city of Kalpa came into view, Krishna soon used his divine power to create an illusion of himself in the void.

Whoosh –

The illusion of Krishna, resembling him, was enormous. It was so large that dozens could probably see it, reaching every human in the city. After a moment, Krishna began to speak with a voice resonating through the entire city.

[Humans that serve us, today we have won once again. Against the evil entities from beyond, we have protected your survival!!]

Ooooh!!

Ooooh!!

Cheers erupted from various parts of the city. I wondered what was happening, so peering over the edge of the floating palace with heightened senses, I saw countless humans forming waves of crowd, looking skyward, shouting cheers, or kneeling in prayers.

The number was immense; I estimated at least several tens of thousands. Though the vastness of the Kalpa made it less noticeable, it seemed there were innumerable humans dwelling here.

Soon, applause combined with praises resonated from below.

[Long live!!]

[Long live!!]

[Praise the Great God!!]

[Thank you, Lord Vishnu!!]

[Praise Shiva’s bravery!!]

The collective shouts from countless humans were truly spectacular. The resonance of their voices reached even here, significantly above the ground. I marveled at the sight, pondering out loud.

“It must feel good. But what is this…?”

“Look closely.”

“Uh?”

Zap

At that moment, I noticed flashes of light appearing from various parts of the city. I glanced at the light, and as soon as I did, I recognized the source.

“Celestial Reincarnation Jade?”

I saw ten Celestial Reincarnation Jades across the city beginning to shine. Simultaneously glowing, the Celestial Reincarnation Jades gradually intensified their brilliance and suddenly shot beams towards me.

Crackle…!!

The beam hit Krishna squarely.

“Hey!!”

I turned in shock to look at Krishna, but despite being hit by the massive beam, he showed not a shred of pain, nor did he even show physical injuries.

Gugugugu

On the contrary, an immense energy began to swell up from Krishna’s entire form, unmistakably divine power. He began slowly pressing his palms together, starting to control the outpouring divine power. It took considerable time to calm down the clipped force that had surged several times over, and finally, with a bright smile, Krishna released his hands.

“You’ve almost completely healed the injuries you caused Arjuna. In just a few days, my other manifestations that were nearly dead will all recover too.”

“……?!”

What the hell?! How did that happen so quickly?!

As I remained bewildered, Heuk Woong, who had been observing, whispered.

[Hmm… Is that so…?]

“Hey, Heuk Woong. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

[Master. What Krishna said means this.]

I could only watch in astonishment at Heuk Woong’s next words.

[Worship from mere humans might mean nothing to the gods… but… in this city of Kalpa, the Celestial Reincarnation Jade allows worship itself to be transformed into [power], delivering that power directly to the gods. As long as the humans of Kalpa believe in the three great gods, they can endlessly recover strength using that belief.]

“What…?!”

Is such a thing really possible?!

I exclaimed in shock.

“Worshiping the gods directly translates into strength? I’ve never seen anything like that before…!!”

[The role of the Celestial Reincarnation Jade is significant. No, this Kalpa might well have been created from the beginning for that purpose… ]

As Heuk Woong spoke, he subtly glanced at Krishna, asking.

[You are using the faith of those pitiable humans while taking care of them, converting humans themselves into resources, aren’t you?]

“That’s correct.”

Krishna replied nonchalantly.

“It’s hundreds of times better than human sacrifices, isn’t it? By believing in us, humans can find joy, happiness, and stability. We convert their faith into our power, while we protect them from surviving in this harsh world. I think it couldn’t get any better than that…”

“……”

That’s clearly true.

It’s an incredibly pure efficiency compared to human sacrifice!

Not fundamentally going against righteousness, and in a way, it appeared to be the most ideal form of coexistence between gods and humans.

However, just as I began to agree with Krishna, Heuk Woong asserted firmly.

[There’s no way everything could tally so neatly. No matter how great the Celestial Reincarnation Jade is, this efficiency feels suspicious.]

Heuk Woong locked his sharp gaze on Krishna.

[Is it truly possible to gain such divine power solely from faith? Are you hiding something more?]

“Hmm…”

And then, it happened.

“Of course not.”

An ominous character, clad in Tianzhu garments, appeared without warning. As I turned to see who spoke, I called out his name.

“Subori!”

“It seems like things are going quite smoothly. I too gathered some information just now, so may I chime in?”

“What information do you bring?”

“A piece like this.”

Chakachak

Subori suddenly pulled out a bamboo scroll from his sleeve, opened it, and soon the dark letters inscribed began to writhe as if they were alive, eventually etching themselves into reality, conjuring something in that space.

Shushushh…!!

After a brief moment, strange lifeforms began to appear.

Some looked like divine beasts, while various peculiar races were exhibited, totaling more than a dozen. They didn’t seem to have the sinister feel of otherworldly beings but rather seemed to hail from a phantom realm.

‘They’re all passed out.’

It appeared Subori had subjugated them with magic and then used subspace sorcery to stash them in the scroll; they all looked as though they were in a stupor.

As I looked at the lifeforms, I suddenly noticed one and marveled.

‘There’s a three-headed six-armed one too?’

Among them was a race that resembled an Asura, possessing three heads and six arms. With various mythological races revealing themselves, I watched intently while Subori noted.

“Baek Woong, do you recognize what these beings are?”

“Divine beast or spirit races? Or perhaps monsters…?”

Assuming it wasn’t particularly surprising, I vaguely replied, but Subori shook his head.

“No.”

Subori gently petted a small dragon with silver scales, saying with a hint of pity.

“These creatures were once humans. And this little dragon was just a six-year-old child who hadn’t even grown up until a few days ago.”