전생검신 84권 12화

I felt a heavy shock hit my brain at Lee Hwan-woong’s words.

‘…… Is this…… just a coincidence?’

Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.

That was none other than my arch-nemesis Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon’s secret technique and a technique from the Absolute Realm. The technique I just witnessed from Lee Hwan-woong was almost identical, so it was impossible not to think of the Master of the Twelve Joules upon seeing it.

So, does that mean Lee Hwan-woong is actually Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon?!

Does that even make sense?

At that moment, I recalled the first time I met Lee Hwan-woong. He had been near a fallen ship when I entered the destruction of the Aokigahara Life Sea with my companions, wearing something called an Ethereal Mask. When I asked about his past, he said this:

[I woke up to find myself unexpectedly at the top of a giant tree. I was circling the sky for a test flight of the Advanced Ship, and when I came to my senses, I thought… is this really crossing into another world?]

[While I was moving the Advanced Ship down, I briefly saw a strange room halfway down and decided to go in and explore it.]

[I found these treasures in that room. But… Cosmic Fragment? It had the Chinese characters engraved, so I thought maybe, and it turned out to be real.]

[I don’t know! Damn it. If you had a world-building concept book in your head since middle school suddenly materialize in reality, what would you think?]

[Anyway, after getting these treasures, I was attacked by three flying Sorcerers and ended up hurriedly escaping to the coordinates set on the Advanced Ship. That’s all.]

After that, I wandered with Lee Hwan-woong while the King of the Life Sea began something called an “auction,” and I ended up in a duel with Celestial Beings of the Eight Parts of the Divine while separated from my other companions, then was flung away into outer space because Nailatop intervened.

“…….”

Thinking back, I realized that since joining Lee Hwan-woong, I hadn’t really discussed anything with the existing strategist Mangnyang. Therefore, I hadn’t been suspicious of Lee Hwan-woong at all until now.

Although he had the Cosmic Fragment, how could a rookie like him be mistaken for the Master of the Twelve Joules?

Plus, his name isn’t Ha Eun-cheon, but Lee Hwan-woong, so there’s a complete difference!

Another reason I hadn’t suspected him was because I didn’t know the original face of the Master of the Twelve Joules at all.

The Master of the Twelve Joules had thoroughly concealed his original face with a mask, and the only distinguishing features were that canine mask and the Cosmic Fragment. Unless you know the original appearance of the opponent, there’s not much to compare against even if you suspect.

However, the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique was conclusive evidence that Lee Hwan-woong was indeed Ha Eun-cheon.

Even if one’s appearance can change through other techniques, the techniques like the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique are a unique reflection of one’s life. Although others might imitate the technique, they couldn’t replicate its essential quality. It’s like how even if the peerless technique used by Jang Sam-bong looks the same as mine, those facing it would feel they’re entirely different.

‘The move Lee Hwan-woong just made felt too much like the martial arts of the Master of the Twelve Joules I experienced.’

Could a direct disciple be this similar?

The unique breath and energy of a martial artist were so alike that it was impossible to see them as different people.

Even the logic behind executing absolute defense was identical to that of the martial arts the Master of the Twelve Joules displayed.

But… if that’s the case, how do Lee Hwan-woong and Ha Eun-cheon exist in the same time frame?

‘Even if Lee Hwan-woong were the Ha Eun-cheon from outer space, is that even allowed?’

In that moment, another thought flickered through my mind.

‘…… By the way, when Lee Hwan-woong obtained the Cosmic Fragment, the Three Masters followed him… so what was the Master of the Twelve Joules doing at that time?’

Originally, the Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon would always carry something like the Cosmic Fragment as a secret weapon. It’s only natural for a warrior to keep their weapon close at all times. But for some reason, the Cosmic Fragment wasn’t in Ha Eun-cheon’s possession but stored somewhere else, making it easy for Lee Hwan-woong to grab it.

Wait… it’s been too long, and my memory is hazy… what was Ha Eun-cheon doing then?

“……Ah!!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a moment….”

Why am I only considering this now?

[Hehehe… Please send the Master of the Twelve Joules as far into the future as possible.]

[Very well. I shall send you as far as your magical power allows.]

[He will appear in the human world three days later.]

Did I… call upon the Wind Spirit Vayu among the Four Great Spirit Deities to send the Master of the Twelve Joules three days into the future?!

If that’s the case, since the Master of the Twelve Joules was missing, it makes sense that the Three Masters would have kept the Cosmic Fragment in their possession.

Thinking back on the situation gives me chills.

[The Master of the Twelve Joules… could be two right now!]

Yes. When I told Saint Germain, who had gone with me to investigate the Master of the Twelve Joules’ ark, about how I had sent the Master of the Twelve Joules away with Vayu, Saint Germain had said it worriedly!

At the same time, I recalled what Mangnyang had explained about that situation.

[Using the Sacred Altar Tree, which is the World Tree, as a “root” to draw power from another parallel world and bring the Master of the Twelve Joules over. As long as the World Tree exists, the Master of the Twelve Joules would be immortal. Because every time the Master of the Twelve Joules dies, the World Tree can summon another from the parallel world… So the moment you sent the current Master of the Twelve Joules to the “future,” the World Tree recognized that the Master of the Twelve Joules had perished and immediately might have summoned the parallel world’s Master of the Twelve Joules.]

[If two Masters of the Twelve Joules are battling it out in the same world, that would be fantastic.]

That’s why I had deliberately used Miyamoto Musashi as a double agent. After that day, the Eight Parts of the Divine were deceived by Mangnyang and went to the Aokigahara Life Sea, while I went to the life sea with my companions.

‘And it was there I met Lee Hwan-woong…’

Thinking about it, it’s quite a coincidence. Based on the timeline, the Master of the Twelve Joules should’ve reappeared at the Sacred Altar Tree after more than three days due to Vayu’s ability. Yet, the Master of the Twelve Joules never showed, and suddenly, Lee Hwan-woong flew in from another world and absurdly stole the Cosmic Fragment. At the time, I thought it was bizarre, but if Lee Hwan-woong is indeed the same person as Ha Eun-cheon, then everything changes.

‘If Vayu’s ability is too special to bring the original Ha Eun-cheon from the World Tree due to the inability, then…’

Could it be that the World Tree had to bring Lee Hwan-woong, who is the same individual as Ha Eun-cheon, from outer space?!

In that light, the current situation made sense.

Saint Germain and Mangnyang’s speculations were both correct and incorrect. While it’s indeed true that the Master of the Twelve Joules who fell victim to Vayu’s ability became two, the World Tree couldn’t summon the same Master, so it brought in another one from outer space! At that moment, I felt a sinking feeling in my chest.

‘H-How far has the butterfly effect spread just from casually sending the Master of the Twelve Joules on a wild goose chase with Vayu?!’

If my thoughts are correct, then as a result of that event, Nailatop, who is Lee Hwan-woong’s master, intruded into the life sea, and he was even an absolute powerhouse beyond the reach of the King of the Life Sea. At that moment, Nailatop, who had developed a curiosity about me, a reborn person, conspired to draw me into the outer world. And in trying to escape from Nailatop’s clutches, I had no choice but to rely on the power of the Heavenly Secret itself, and the Cheon Woo-jin broke the taboo to take me back to the past of the Great Cycle.

If I hadn’t done that wild thing with Vayu, I could have simply drawn in the Eight Parts of the Divine into the Aokigahara Life Sea and banished them all to outer space, and that would’ve been that!

‘Should I say something?’

I pondered whether to tell Lee Hwan-woong, who was right in front of me, about this truth.

It was a very difficult problem. If I consider Lee Hwan-woong to be my strategist, then of course I must trust him completely and share this truth and consult with him. But if I think of him as the Master of the Twelve Joules, then he is one of my greatest arch-nemeses, and I absolutely must not reveal anything. What kind of insane person would tell the enemy right in front of them that they are suspected?

“What’s up?”

“…….”

Lee Hwan-woong tilted his head, but I was unable to settle my thoughts for a while. I had no one to consult anymore. There was no Mangnyang, no Zhuge Sect, and not even Asura. Even Cheon Woo-jin was sealed away. In this situation where I couldn’t trust anyone, could I really trust Lee Hwan-woong?

‘…… Alright… let’s go with my instinct.’

After a moment, I gathered my thoughts and spoke.

“Lee Hwan-woong. You might be Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon.”

“…….”

I slowly shared what I had just thought with Lee Hwan-woong, who wore a somewhat surprised expression.

‘This is it.’

No matter how much I suspected him as an enemy, I acknowledged Lee Hwan-woong as a temporary strategist and accepted him as a companion. If that’s the case, I should trust him completely, without any desire to hide anything. In fact, I had a feeling that trying to hide things poorly might result in an even bigger disaster.

After listening to me for a while, Lee Hwan-woong nodded slightly and then said.

“……Hmm, so you just realized that now?”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Hwan-woong sat back in his chair and seemed to smirk.

“I thought you were completely aware from the start and we were working together in mutual agreement…”

I was shocked by those words.

“W-What?! You had a hunch all along?!”

“When I was panicking, I had no clue at all. But after coming to the Training World and after you talked about deeper matters, I immediately caught on. There was a chance that I could be the Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon.”

“……!!”

Lee Hwan-woong, spinning a round keychain like a smartphone, spoke.

“And of course, I thought you already knew that. I thought you were subtly indicating things to me while still accepting the mutually beneficial relationship… but it seems that’s all just my misunderstanding.”

“Damn it…!!”

Well, there’s no way this sharp guy right in front of me wouldn’t know something I could figure out!

I was irritated and fuming, causing Lee Hwan-woong to show a peculiar expression.

“Well, anyway, you guessed it correctly, so I’ll give you credit for that. But how will you explain this then?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon has the family name Ha, while I have the family name Lee. What’s the reason behind such a huge discrepancy in our names?”

“…….”

Uh… I hadn’t thought about that…

I paused for a moment, then replied.

“Well, I heard Ha Eun-cheon has lived for thousands of years, so he probably changed his name throughout that long time…”

“That could be the most reasonable explanation. However, I have a hunch about something.”

“What? What do you think it could be?”

Upon my question, Lee Hwan-woong gazed into the distance for a moment before speaking.

“I mentioned when we first met, right? That I was close to the Ha clan.”

“……Oh, I think I remember that.”

I recalled that when I asked who Ha Eun-cheon was, Lee Hwan-woong had hesitated about whether he knew someone from the Ha clan. He continued while fiddling with the keychain.

“The Ha clan is the clan of the three masters and has been the leaders of the Heavenly Gate for generations. The Heavenly Gate, which I’m sure you know, is a sect with thousands of years of history based on Dangun’s belief. And that Ha clan is actually my maternal family.”

“……Maternal family?”

“What that implies is…”

“My mother’s name is Ha Seorin, and she was the previous leader of the Heavenly Gate. She died in battle against aliens.”

“……!!”

R-Right! I remember hearing that from the Voice of the Outer World!

As I recalled that fact and expressed my shocked expression, Lee Hwan-woong said.

“If I were indeed the same person as that Ha Eun-cheon, I would’ve discarded the family name Lee and adopted Ha as my new name. That reasoning makes sense to me.”

“……What? Why would you want to follow your maternal family’s name over your original surname?”

“I hated my father a lot.”

“…….”

“Specifically, I hated my father for not being able to save my mother and dying. That Lee family… valuing the honor of the Lee royal family over that of my mother, they could have chosen to save her but gave up instead. Hah… what even is the Daehan Empire or Joseon?”

Lee Hwan-woong chuckled cynically with a strange smile.

“Anyway, to be frank, I actually created this Cosmic Fragment setting when I was in middle school. So I have been somewhat aware of it.”

“What do you mean setting?”

“When I was young, I imagined becoming a powerful martial artist and wanted to roam the martial world. Back then, I scribbled in my notebook about wanting to have a powerful divine weapon of my own.”

Whoosh, whoosh.

Lee Hwan-woong mumbled as he swung the Cosmic Fragment around, making a sound like the wind.

“The radiant silver shards cutting through the starry night would be the ultimate divine artifact inherited from the power of the Han River’s god, unbeatable by any weapon in the world. That’s what I had secretly written in my notebook during class.”

“…….”

I was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized.

“S-So… the Cosmic Fragment was originally the dream weapon you had envisioned?”

“Yeah. And the Moonlight Night Armor too… If I had crossed into another world and been given thousands of years, I would try to make those dreams a reality.”

“……!!”

“Of course, it has been significantly rearranged from what I wrote in my notebook, and compromises have been made.”

“Compromise? Does that mean it was originally stronger than that?”

“Yep. Originally, I set it so that if the Cosmic Fragment were to hit something, it would destroy half the Earth.”

“…….”

“As I grew older, it seems I gradually began to compromise with reality.”

Oh man, that must be a setting that should have been adjusted!

When I looked at Lee Hwan-woong in disbelief, he smiled.

“Such things are trivial. The important part is, so what will we do from here?”

“Hmm.”

“If you ask me about the secrets of the Master of the Twelve Joules, I would say I know almost nothing. Even if I am the same individual as the Master of the Twelve Joules, that guy must have created his own world over thousands of years after crossing into another world. Any plans or thoughts he has, you can’t know by asking me.”

“True, but…”

Lee Hwan-woong crossed his arms.

“However, I am a remnant of the Master of the Twelve Joules’ childhood and dark history. Therefore, I can tell you methods to effectively collapse his mind during your battle with him.”

“……!!”

Really? There are such methods?!

“Is that true?”

“Well, I can’t guarantee it’ll fully work, but there are a few things you could try for testing.”

“Tell me.”

“…….”

Lee Hwan-woong seemed to hesitate for a moment before cautiously opening his mouth.

“……You might want to tell So-hyun that singing an anime song while confessing wasn’t the best idea.”

“Anime song?”

He flinched at my mention and reddened slightly, then suddenly shouted with a vein popping on his neck.

“Th-There’s such a thing! If it were the Master of the Twelve Joules, it would absolutely work!”

“……?”

What is an anime song? I pondered for a moment and said.

“Hmm… like a command or a terrifying spell, I suppose?”

“Y-Yeah, something like that.”

“What else?”

“Um… hmm…”

Lee Hwan-woong pondered for a long time and let out a sigh.

“……Never mind, just that will suffice. Knowing that alone will definitely panic the Master of the Twelve Joules for a few seconds.”

“Hmmm. Thanks.”

It seems I’ve grasped a weakness of the Master of the Twelve Joules.

I regarded it as a significant gain and said to Lee Hwan-woong.

“However, if I end up defeating Master of the Twelve Joules, you’d be killing your own self. Are you sure this is alright?”

“It doesn’t matter since I’m technically not the same person. Even though the World Tree brought me in under the assumption that our souls are the same, I am not Ha Eun-cheon, nor is Ha Eun-cheon me. Whether you kill him or not is of no concern to me.”

“Really….”

“What matters to me right now is this moment. First and foremost, I want to do my best as your companion and strategist.”

Lee Hwan-woong replied that way, then added.

“And one more thing. If the abilities of the Master of the Twelve Joules turn out to be the same as mine, then there’s another thing you should be cautious about.”

“What is it?”

With that, Lee Hwan-woong slowly reached his hand toward me. His eyes shimmered with a blue glow as he spoke.

“You know, the Mephisto I possess is incomplete and in its initial form. It may perform well enough to store data from the old world but lacks the power to face divine beings. But do you know what the biggest feature of a powerful AI is?”

“What?”

“It learns and grows.”

Kugugugu…!!

In that moment, I felt Lee Hwan-woong’s energy multiplying dozens of times over. This was something no ordinary Qi technique could achieve, and only something like the Great Destruction could come close to comparison.

I looked at Lee Hwan-woong in shock, and he composed his energy momentarily and said.

“A powerful AI has the ability to supercharge its output instantly at the cost of its processing power. The processing power diminishes permanently, but the level of amplification is relative to the consumed processing power.”

“So that means….”

“The Master of the Twelve Joules may have spent thousands or tens of thousands of years enhancing a powerful AI. And if that grown AI were to supercharge itself with the assistance from the World Tree, it might achieve something beyond what I just did.”

“……!!”

“I don’t know how strong that sudden burst of power would be… but looking at his personality… in situations where he must win, he’ll go all out. You may face serious consequences if you get careless at that time.”

“…….”

At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind.

‘Could it be…?’

Is that ‘that’ the Master of the Twelve Joules’ secret move?

I regarded this as invaluable information and nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“What do you think?”

I stood up and said to Lee Hwan-woong.

“Let’s register as gladiators right away. Time is of the essence, so we challenge the Overlord quickly!”

“You’re not going to press me further?”

“You said it yourself, you’re someone else. So I trust you as you are.”

“…….”

“You’re my temporary strategist now.”

And with that, Lee Hwan-woong gazed at me for a moment before smiling broadly.

“I will work as hard as you believe in me.”

Afterward, we requested the assistance of the [Wings] that would guide us to register as gladiators in Demigorgos Reden. The winged magical entity flapped its wings for a moment before saying.

[Registration complete. Both of you are now E-rank gladiators and will start at 0 victory points.]

“I want to gain as many victory points as possible in a single match; what options should I attach?”

The wings answered Lee Hwan-woong’s query.

[If you attach both the options of Super Enchantment and Great Blood War, you can become an A-rank gladiator in a single victory.]

“A-rank? How high do I need to be to challenge the Overlord?”

[The Overlord is at the SSS rank, and the rank you can challenge is SS rank.]

“What? That’s quite insufficient.”

[If you wish, you can attach another option and immediately rise to SS rank.]

“What is it?”

[Hell Battle.]

Afterward, the wings explained each of the three options.

Hearing an explanation of those three options, Lee Hwan-woong made a horrified expression.

“……That’s impossible. No matter how much you’re in the Absolute Realm, you can’t win with these three conditions. How about starting safely at A-rank?”

“…….”

I smirked.

“I think I can do it; I’ll challenge with all three options attached.”

“Damn it… I won’t, no, I can’t.”

“You should at least attach two options.”

“That sounds like suicide…”

Lee Hwan-woong grumbled, but I ignored him and registered with the options at the arena.

After waiting for about half an hour in the stands, the wings flew up from somewhere and said.

[All preparations are complete; please follow me.]

Whoosh!

As we followed the wings down to the arena, it suddenly felt as if the entire arena was expanding infinitely. It was about the size of a hundred squares, but in an instant, it seemed to stretch to over twenty times that of a vast plain!

“Ah, the spell of subspace.”

Lee Hwan-woong murmured beside me. A moment later, my body began to glow faintly. Lee Hwan-woong looked at me, concerned.

“Are you really okay?”

“I think I will be.”

Kugugugu…!

Moments later, numerous gladiators began to appear from the far plains. Many alien gladiators wielding an array of weapons glared at us, exuding sharp killing intent that filled the horizon. Lee Hwan-woong said upon seeing that.

“The Great Blood War is to fight against all 123,000 gladiators below A-rank in Demigorgos Reden at once.”

Snap!!

Suddenly, the light enveloping my body transformed into a sinister enchanted shackle. I felt an overwhelming heaviness in my body as I tried to exert strength with my arms, but it was definitely harder to move than usual.

“All physical abilities are reduced to 10% of usual, while continuously under 20 times the pressure of gravity due to Super Enchantment. You could bear it with effort, but I certainly can’t.”

“…….”

“And finally…”

Kraaaah!!

Suddenly, the alien gladiators far across the plain began to scream. Their entire bodies began to envelop in a crimson energy, and the feeling of their energy turning malevolent intensified. Lee Hwan-woong, witnessing that scene, muttered in astonishment.

“……The Hell Battle means all those gladiators will have their physical abilities amplified five-fold…”

“Ha ha.”

“What are you laughing about? Is there really a way to win this?”

As Lee Hwan-woong became anxious, I grinned.

“Don’t worry.”

I gripped my sword tightly and leaped forward.

“With this, it’s way easier than facing one person in the Absolute Realm!!”