전생검신 Volume 85, Chapter 8

I started moving with Zhuge Sa. His voice felt like it was glued to my soul, whispering in my head.

“The headquarters of the Genius Sect is Nanjing, let’s go there.”

I tilted my head at his words.

[Nanjing? Where’s that?]

“Well, they changed the name to Nanjing, meaning ‘Southern Capital’, after the Genius Sect became prosperous, so it’s understandable you wouldn’t know. I’m talking about Ying Tian Fu.”

[Ah, Ying Tian Fu!]

At that moment, I finally figured out where he meant.

Ying Tian Fu!

It was a city located quite a distance southeast of the capital, Luoyang. In the past, it was also called Jinling, a traditional capital from the Six Dynasties, and I remembered passing through the bustling Ying Tian Fu several times while traversing the continent. Curious, I asked,

[So, Ying Tian Fu was a big city, but is it really deserving of the title ‘Nanjing’, meaning the southern capital?]

“Well, the current Nanjing is definitely capable of it. In terms of size, it’s about five times the land area of Luoyang that you’ve seen.”

[……?! What? It’s that big?]

I was taken aback by Zhuge Sa’s declaration.

Five times the size of Luoyang!!

Having been overwhelmed by Luoyang’s grandeur and expanse when I first arrived from the countryside, I couldn’t accept such a size easily. With that scale, it would be like combining twenty large cities!

Traveling from one end of the city to the other would take days—where in the world could a city that vast exist?!

Seeing my astonishment, Zhuge Sa added,

“The area around Luoyang can’t surpass the scope of the Battle Ground inherently. However, when they reconstructed Ying Tian Fu, all the reincarnated comrades and geniuses from the Central Plains gathered there for three years to remodel it. Hence, today’s Nanjing can indeed be called the largest city in the Central Plains.”

[Hmm……!! That’s impressive. But why build it that large if there are so many monsters outside the city?]

“That’s exactly why it was built that way, you fool. At the time, Nanjing was on the frontline of a great flood, so they needed to block the flood as much as possible to minimize damage to the rest of the continent, hence the massive walls were constructed to redirect the water’s force.”

[Um…….]

“In any case, most of the people from south of the Yangtze have mostly moved inside Nanjing. Because of that, despite its vast area, it has a surprisingly low population density.”

[So that’s how it is.]

Nodding thoughtfully, I suddenly remembered something and asked,

[…… Zhuge Sa. By the way, wasn’t Xiao Yi Castle also being expanded? What happened to Xiao Yi Village?]

“You’ll find out when you get to Nanjing. Xiao Yi Castle is also there.”

[Huh? What…….]

My confusion only deepened at his enigmatic words, prompting Zhuge Sa to say,

“Now is not the time to worry about such trivial things. How long do you plan to ride on one leg by channeling mana instead of using your feet?”

[Um!]

“You have a vast amount of energy, but it’s dangerous to travel this way.”

He was right. I was currently flying, relying solely on my head and one arm while my mechanical body lacked its legs, spewing out mana in a bizarre manner. If the mana I called forth from the World Tree ran out, I could crash at any moment.

But I was managing, so I replied to Zhuge Sa,

[I don’t think I’ll run out of mana. The recovery rate is faster than the consumption.]

“That might be true for now. But if we were to engage in battle, that mana would deplete much faster.”

[Ah.]

“Since you don’t know what enemies you might encounter, you need to conserve your mana efficiently. Find your legs as soon as possible.”

[Legs…….]

I felt a bit frustrated. Even if I were to look for legs, I was currently in a deserted, dark desert—how could I possibly find steel legs in a place like this? And even if I found them, how would I attach them? Feeling concerned, I asked Zhuge Sa,

“Is there a chance I could find legs in a nearby village?”

“It might be possible if there’s an alchemist. But as far as I know, all of those folks have entered Luoyang and are treated as precious talents, so you won’t find any here.”

[So what am I supposed to do…… I can’t use divine power, so I can’t even create legs.]

As I grumbled, Zhuge Sa said,

“Just let me temporarily take over your body.”

[You?]

“If I can directly manipulate the mana, I can easily create legs.”

[Hmm…… Alright.]

A moment later, Zhuge Sa and I switched ownership of the body. Once Zhuge Sa got his hands on the steel body, he reached towards the ground and began chanting.

“Oh, the mana of Oreycalcos… I, Zhuge Sa, wish for you to gather the iron found in this desert!”

Kugugugu!!

A moment later, a massive chunk of steel, resembling a giant boulder, appeared in the desert about a palm’s distance away. As Zhuge Sa approached the steel lump, he began to exude an odd yet powerful aura unrelated to mana.

Tsutsutsutsu

The grotesque and strong energy seeping from Zhuge Sa’s entire body! At first, I couldn’t recognize what that energy was, but the next moment, as I saw the steel chunk cave in with a sound at the mere glance of Zhuge Sa, I realized.

“This is telekinesis!!”

Thanks to the identity shift to Zhuge Sa, he could now break down the solid steel like it was tofu using telekinesis. For a while, he manipulated the massive chunk of steel, shaping it to his liking, and once it was small enough, he attached it to his body as legs.

Thwoom

[With the power of Sephiroth, I disregard the laws of physics.]

After Zhuge Sa uttered a couple of mystical phrases, the rough steel chunk instantly morphed into a mechanical leg and perfectly attached without a trace left behind. Zhuge Sa chuckled as he easily created the legs.

[Hehehe… What do you think? Pretty simple, right?]

“Well, having legs is nice… but still, Nanjing, no, we still have to traverse a thousand li at least. Should we jump there?”

[No. That’s not necessary, and that’s also part of the reason I borrowed your body for a moment.]

Squeak

Zhuge Sa levitated up and began flying swiftly forward. While flying, he said,

“I have an emergency teleportation magic circle I set up for myself. If we go there, we can reach Nanjing quickly…”

I felt anxious from Zhuge Sa’s trailing words.

“Is something wrong?”

[As you can see, the current situation in this world makes it impossible to manage external areas beyond the walls. There’s a possibility that the magic circle I set up long ago might have deteriorated.]

‘…… ‘

[Let’s just hope for the best.]

Just as we were flying for about a single joss stick’s worth of time, Zhuge Sa found himself entering a gruesome underground tunnel that gaped open like an Abyss, filled with alien tentacles and monster-like creatures that could not possibly be of natural origin. Signs of otherworldly beings were abundantly evident, making me gulp.

“This place looks dangerous…… The world really seems to be doomed.”

[Hehe. This is pretty good for a world where God has set calamity in motion. If you return safely, we can turn everything around.]

As we ventured further inside, Zhuge Sa discovered a cavern where the magic circle was located, and he sighed in irritation.

[This is quite unfortunate.]

Boom

Above the magic circle loomed a massive monster with two heads, its size resembling ten large buildings combined. It possessed the heads of a dragon and a tiger, with its body featuring three pairs of wings and four tiger-like limbs.

It was a frightfully terrifying creature, but there was another headache to deal with. As I sensed the overwhelming mana radiating from that creature, I couldn’t help but exhale.

“Zhuge Sa…… That thing…… isn’t an ordinary monster.”

The power exuding from it was unimaginable, far beyond that of a Great Demon!

Having encountered many strong beings, I recognized it. Even if brought to the Takrok Era, it wouldn’t be dismissed lightly.

Just as I sensed its might and spoke to Zhuge Sa about it, he fell silent for a moment before stepping forward and saying,

[Great Being, from where do you arrive?]

Kugugugu

Hearing Zhuge Sa’s words, the dragon-tiger monster looked down arrogantly for a moment before replying,

“I have been summoned after heeding the call of the Black Moon beyond the Ryugetsu Nebula. Are you the one who created this magic circle?”

Zhuge Sa paused, then replied,

“That would be me. My magic circle is nearby, and that’s how you were summoned here.”

[Indeed.]

The dragon-tiger monster spoke with piercing blue eyes.

“Have you come to serve me, Raunkang, who chases the Blood Star? If so, I shall grant you blessings; if not, you shall meet your end here!”

[…….]

Listening to their conversation made my head spin.

“Wow…… I really have the worst luck!”

The emergency teleportation magic circle Zhuge Sa set up to instantaneously travel to key cities ended up summoning a powerful being from another realm because of the summoning technique of the Black Moon, Tsukuyomi.

And seeing its prideful demeanor declaring its alias, it was clear who this being was.

[Old Ruler]!!

Fleeing from the Master of the White Lotus Sect, only to encounter a demonic god from another realm—was there ever a worse stroke of luck? After a moment’s thought, Zhuge Sa said,

[Raunkang, the one who chases the Blood Star. I wish to serve you, but as I already serve another deity, I wish to ask one thing.]

[What might that be?]

Zhuge Sa wore an evil smile.

[If I betray the god I currently serve and become your pawn, would you bestow upon me greater blessings? If so, I shall offer my body as a sacrifice.]

Grrooww……

Raunkang let out a strange sound that was neither a laugh nor a cry, then spoke.

[How amusing. Does a mere mortal who would die with a single swipe of my claw dare offer a trade?]

[The deity I serve is also a frightening being, making it all the same whether I live or die. I ask for your understanding.]

[Oh. What is the name of your deity? What kind of powerful being could invoke such fear in you?]

[I go by the name Baek Woong.]

[…….]

Surprisingly, upon hearing my name, Raunkang paused as if caught in deep thought.

Then he said,

“Why does that name sound familiar……? I feel like I’ve heard it before… How can I not know it? If I know it, it must not be a nameless god.”

After considering for a moment, Raunkang spoke again.

[Very well. I will acknowledge the stature of your god and, if you forsake him to join my ranks, I shall bestow upon you special grace. How does that sound?]

[Thank you. I shall serve Raunkang from this point forward.]

Whoosh!

The moment those words were spoken, the sigil of another realm suddenly etched itself onto Zhuge Sa’s mechanical body, emanating a subtle blood light.

After blessing him, Raunkang said,

“I have granted you a blessing; now, state your desire.”

To this, Zhuge Sa replied in surprise.

[Will you truly grant my wishes along with the blessing?]

[That Baek Woong name is oddly bothersome to me. I’ve decided to treat you generously.]

[Thank you. Then please teleport me to Nanjing.]

[That much is easy…… but there’s a condition.]

[What is it?]

For a moment, greed flickered in Raunkang’s eyes.

[It’s been ages since I’ve tasted human flesh. After reaching Nanjing, you are to offer me a hundred fresh humans in sacrifice.]

……!!

He’s demanding a human sacrifice?!

I was taken aback and mentally shouted to Zhuge Sa.

‘Zhuge Sa, no!! This offer should be declined……’

But contrary to my wishes, Zhuge Sa gladly accepted Raunkang’s proposal.

[Of course. Would a hundred suffice?]

[Hmm?]

[I shall offer a thousand sacrifices to prove my loyalty.]

[Oh…… I like that attitude. Now go!]

Boom!

In the next instant, Zhuge Sa and I found ourselves standing in front of a massive city gate. Zhuge Sa examined the gate closely and said,

“We’ve arrived. This is Nanjing.”

‘……!!’

It was a staggering sight that seemed to wrap around the entire earth—an enormous wall stretching all the way to the horizon! I had never seen such a wall even in Luoyang, leaving me astonished. Zhuge Sa’s words were no exaggeration at all!

But my astonishment at Nanjing was short-lived, as I had to confront Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa! You plan to betray me? And sacrificing a thousand humans to a demon God—what’s that about?!”

Zhuge Sa merely smiled eerily.

[Raunkang did not explicitly instruct me to harm you for betrayal. Essentially, the only issue is whether you’ll ‘forgive’ me for the betrayal.]

‘Huh?’

[I’m asking if you’ll forgive me. Hehe.]

‘……’

I had no rebuttal. Considering the nature of my relationship with Zhuge Sa, if he just verbally declared his betrayal, there wouldn’t be much I could do. He was simply offering sacrifices to gain favor, without any genuine faith in me.

Zhuge Sa continued,

[About the thousand sacrifices, I have my reasoning. Given the nature of that deity, the higher the value of the offerings you provide, the greater the rewards in return, so it makes sense to offer as many as possible.]

‘So, it’s basically an evil deed to sacrifice a thousand people!! What good do you think will come from this?!’

[Hehe…… You don’t have to worry. As long as you’re satisfied with a thousand, that’s all that matters. Anyway, it looks like my mana is being depleted after controlling the body for so long. You can take over again for now.]

Clunk!

A moment later, Zhuge Sa returned control of my body.

And as he descended into a deep slumber, he said one last thing.

“The perfect offerings to the gods…… are right here in Nanjing……”