전생검신 87권 06화

In the dark space, Shiva continued speaking.

“Vishnu fought against a mysterious entity and ended up sealing himself. Do you know who he was fighting?”

So it was because of that incident.

I thought it was just as I suspected.

‘Vishnu, akin to a brother, being sealed until the end is pretty much the same thing. Even the Destruction God Shiva, despite being one of the Three Great Gods of Tianzhu, has to move his hefty behind himself.’

Of course, I knew why Vishnu ended up that way. After negotiating to collaborate with me, he decided to give me the Celestial Reincarnation Jade and went to the ruins of Kapila Fortress, where he unfortunately ran into a monster named Ananda and ended up having to flee from the technique called Great Six Heaven World.

However, it was foolish of me to just spill the beans at Shiva’s request. I gave him a sharp look and said.

[If you and Vishnu are like brothers, why don’t you know about that sinister entity? Didn’t the Three Great Gods keep tabs on each other’s actions?]

“No matter how much of a brother he is, I can’t keep track of every single avatar’s movements. And even if I could, it would be like spying, so I didn’t. Besides, I thought there was no being on Earth that could deal that much damage to Vishnu.”

After saying that, Shiva’s voice surged with anger and passion.

“Speak quickly……!! Otherwise, I will destroy you and your base!!”

[…….]

He’s resorting to threats……

I felt neither flustered nor surprised. Strangely enough, even though I could feel Shiva’s fury aimed directly at me, I remained surprisingly calm and wasn’t overwhelmed by his energy. It was as if I instinctively understood how to absorb his divine power despite being severely drained.

‘…… Yeah. It’s probably from facing even more formidable beings before.’

Having encountered so many great beings, I must have figured out some tricks on how to handle their oppressive presence.

I thought about it for a moment and then spoke.

[Shiva, I know who that sinister entity is and where you can meet him, but I can’t tell you.]

“Why? Are you allied with him?”

[I’m not. It’s obvious that if you went to meet him as you are now, you would end up dead.]

“……!!”

I calmly continued.

[I can’t just let you perish like this. I want to protect you.]

“……”

For a brief moment, Shiva looked taken aback by my words. It wasn’t just him; the goddess Parvati beside him seemed astonished as well. After all, saying I would protect the embodiment of destruction, Shiva, one of the Three Great Gods of Tianzhu, was completely unexpected for them.

Shiva eventually burst into laughter as if he found it absurd.

“Ha…… Hahaha!! Protecting me? You? Are you serious?”

[Yes, I’m serious.]

“Ha, that’s hilarious. I could squash you like a bug with just a finger.”

As he said that, Shiva slowly extended one of his hands and pointed at me with his index finger.

And the moment he made that gesture, I felt a pressure as if hundreds of times Earth’s gravity were acting on my body.

Kugugugugu!!

That was definitely pure divine power being used for pressure! A manifestation of pure [power], its force was simple yet formidable. I felt my steel body creak under the unyielding pressure that I couldn’t shake off without striking back with equal force. And while I was struggling, Shiva said,

“You tricked me last time into thinking you were Jeon Wook and made a non-aggression pact, right? Do you think I lag behind Jeon Wook? Not at all! None of the Three Great Gods are inferior to any of the Three Sovereigns……!!”

[…….]

Why is he bringing up the Three Sovereigns when I didn’t even mention them…….

I felt a chuckle building up inside as I tilted my creaking head up to stare at Shiva.

[Didn’t Vishnu mention why I’m trying to protect you?]

“I’ve never heard that before.”

[Oh? What about Parvati…….]

When I looked at Parvati, she shook her head.

“Lord Krishna didn’t say anything. He even cast a barrier to block external view while talking to you.”

[…….]

I was surprised because I thought Shiva would know, but it seemed that Krishna hadn’t shared information about Trimurti with Parvati.

Even though we had only talked at a distance, Krishna must have kept the discussion with Ananda and Mangnyang under wraps after that conversation ended.

‘Perhaps he thought it wise not to mention it to someone who isn’t his brother. It’s understandable if it’s Vishnu…….’

From their reactions, it seemed the events Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, went through had not reached Shiva at all.

‘I have no choice but to verify this again.’

I chuckled to myself and a moment later condensed the tiny sliver of divine power I had left to manifest a technique.

Divine Technique

Trimurti

Chichiching

With a red gemstone at the center, three attributes of divine power were arranged in the mental space. Since my divine power was much stronger than before, I wasn’t just going through the motions; I could genuinely perform Trimurti at that moment.

‘So then…… is it possible to consider the ‘magic power’ swirling around my body as an attribute?’

Deciding to take on a new challenge, I summoned the magic power of the Dragon King and dropped it into one of the three spaces that the red gemstone divided. Instantly, I felt the Dragon King’s essence filling the mental space with a ringing sound.

‘It worked!’

Trimurti was not just innate divine power; it was a versatile technique that could merge different kinds of [power]!

As I marveled at this realization, I quickly filled up all three spaces.

The Dragon King’s magic power, my own Qi, and the new divine power gained through faith!

Kakung!!

In the next moment, it felt like an armored form was enveloping my entire body, akin to the Black Dragon, simultaneously rebounding the pressure exerted by Shiva’s divine power.

‘Oh, so this combination has this effect? It feels like I’m summoning armor.’

Once I released the pressure and returned to my original stance, Shiva looked utterly astonished and let out a shout.

“Oh, no!!”

His astonishment wasn’t due to the formidable power of the merged Trimurti. I knew why he was startled, which made me smile slyly.

[As you can see, this is a technique only Brahma can wield throughout the entire universe, Trimurti. Isn’t that right?]

“……How can you use that?!”

[It’s obvious. Brahma left me his legacy, granting me knowledge of Trimurti.]

“……!!”

[Moreover, I made a promise to Brahma.]

I brought my hands together again and executed Trimurti.

Gooooh!!

This time, following Brahma’s teachings, I manifested the powers of Vishnu and Shiva. Although I didn’t possess the souls they had partially received from Brahma, I could somehow feel them naturally summoning. Though minuscule compared to the originals, the powers of [Preservation] and [Destruction] were certainly summoned into the two spaces of Trimurti, and I followed it up by infusing my own unique divine power.

Ka-kang! Kang!

I felt my steel body suddenly transforming. Before I knew it, my form had morphed into a two-sided four likeness, draped in the dark energy of the Dragon King. Normally, when inserting the divine powers of the Three Great Gods one after the other, it would transform into three-sided six forms, but due to using only two, it became two-sided four.

[I swear on my name to save you and Brahma from the cycle of destruction.]

“…….”

[Is more proof necessary?]

Shiva trembled for a while before finally speaking in disbelief.

“Baek Woong…… what on earth are you?”

[…….]

“I can’t even begin to guess your identity, even after living for eons…… just who are you……?”

[Shiva, will you swear on your name to become my blood ally and fully cooperate without betrayal? If you can swear that, I can reveal my identity to you.]

“……I swear!! Tell me!”

[Good.]

Swish

I released the two-sided four status of Trimurti as I spoke.

[I am the Reborn Person, Baek Woong. I have reincarnated thirty times!]

“……!! You’re a Reborn Person?!”

[That’s right. I happened to meet Brahma.]

“……”

Both Shiva and Parvati looked significantly astonished.

After a moment of contemplation, Shiva finally spoke.

“That being I’ve only heard tales of is actually real…… truly astonishing.”

[It’s not just something to be surprised about. As I mentioned earlier, it’s true that I promised to protect Brahma and you. Therefore, I can’t let you walk into the abyss created by the being who sealed Vishnu.]

“Who inflicted such grave harm upon my brother Vishnu?”

[Ananda. One of the ten major disciples of Gautama Buddha.]

At my answer, Shiva shouted as if he couldn’t believe it.

“What?! Unbelievable. That mere mortal disciple of Buddha….”

[……?]

What’s up with Shiva? Why does he look down on Gautama Buddha like that?

I was bewildered and said to Shiva.

[Shiva, Gautama Buddha has attained enlightenment and reached out to the [Great Cycle]. Why are you belittling him?]

“Does that even make sense? He’s just some insignificant being from the world of Sava. Are you telling me that a mere human mortal, not even a god like us, could reach the [Great Cycle]?”

[…….]

“That’s all just the empty words of those pitiful creatures.”

From Shiva’s definitive attitude, I realized how the deities viewed Gautama Buddha.

Just a lowly human, who merely practiced mental discipline!

But the Gautama Buddha I knew was a radically different being, making me feel cognitive dissonance.

‘…… Subori didn’t share the exact details, but he acknowledged that Gautama Buddha had reached the [Great Cycle]. Ananda did too. Why don’t the divine beings know about the significant event of someone reaching the [Great Cycle] right now?’

Something feels off. As I pondered, a possibility struck me.

‘Could it be…… that the Gautama Buddha from before and the one who attained enlightenment are entirely different beings on a different dimension?’

Is that even possible?

Not merely promoting from a mortal to a divine being, but directly surpassing the stage of divinity to ascend alongside or beyond the [Outer Gods]? And that fact could remain completely unacknowledged here in the heavens and the world!

Does it mean Gautama Buddha is someone who reached a path even emperors and evil gods couldn’t tread?!

And I realized another fact.

‘Subori…… has been hiding something from me……!!’

The aspect he left unclear was how the mortal Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and how the existence of the [Great Cycle] relates to the mortal Gautama. Subori has always been vague about that.

Something is amiss.

It’s undoubtedly tied to how Subori made contact with the [Great Cycle] itself.

While I was lost in thought, Shiva said,

“But if someone like you says it, I have no reason not to believe it. Tell me more about this matter.”

[Of course.]

I began explaining how Vishnu and Ananda fought, followed by where Brahma is now and how he’s intertwined with me. After recounting the whole ordeal, quite some time passed, and Shiva turned his head, looking deeply troubled. Then Parvati, who stood beside him, spoke.

“Lord Shiva, strong entities in Nanjing Castle are gradually breaking through my barrier. We should be careful not to linger here too long.”

It likely was Parvati’s divine ability that summoned darkness to capture me in Nanjing Castle. Given her capacity to isolate my companions and the celestial beings at once, it’s enough to prove she’s indeed a goddess.

“Is that so, my companion Parvati……”

The calmness ebbed from Shiva as he turned to me.

“Very well. I will heed your warning and avoid confronting that being known as Ananda. I have no clue about the nature or power of the technique called Great Six Heaven World. It seems too dangerous. But I do have one question.”

[What is it?]

“Then does that mean you can defeat Ananda? From what I can see, that seems impossible with your current strength.”

[…….]

That I could defeat Ananda was indeed true. When I fought Ananda, he had been pulling his punches, but in an all-out match, I would likely crumble within three seconds against someone able to wipe out even Vishnu.

I boldly replied.

[Once I reclaim the full power I left behind in the past of the [Great Cycle], it should be possible. Just so you know.]

“Is that so……”

Shiva’s expression shifted to one of profound contemplation. Then he spoke.

“Baek Woong, do you intend to go after Yamata no Orochi and Susanoo in the future?”

Being a lofty, great deity, he seemed to be in on most significant happenings of the world. Without hesitation, I answered Shiva’s question.

[That seems likely. They are closely tied to Tsukuyomi and the root of the great calamities existing on Earth, so defeating them is the only way to bring things back to normal, isn’t it?]

“……That’s not the case.”

[Huh?]

After a moment’s hesitation, Shiva replied.

“It appears you all don’t know…… the conspiracy behind this incident.”

[Conspiracy? Do you know something?]

“I’m not too deeply involved, so I don’t know much. But there’s one thing I’m certain of.”

At Shiva’s subsequent words, my jaw dropped in surprise.

“Defeating Susanoo would actually break the seal on the lunar deity Tsukuyomi. Should that seal break, the world will face catastrophes more terrible than what has happened so far.”

[……?!]

“That’s why Vishnu and I, being aware of this, were planning to secretly intervene against you guys who might attempt to challenge Susanoo in the future. It’s better to allow the already doomed destiny to unfold rather than trying to intervene and incite a plot using Susanoo to back Tsukuyomi.”

What the?!

I had only thought about joining forces to take down Susanoo, so I was totally caught off guard. I was momentarily shocked before saying.

[But leaving Susanoo and the other world unchecked will only escalate the damage, right? What is Tsukuyomi’s intention anyway?]

“Well…… I can’t say for certain. But Tsukuyomi is not an ordinary being and doesn’t exist at this moment in the universe. For such an extraordinary being to appear in this world, there must be some condition. Plus, someone is secretly aiding Tsukuyomi……”

[…….]

“Baek Woong. If you’re truly a Reborn Person, then you no longer need to heed the shallow wisdom of humans. You must already comprehend how profound and deep the wisdom and conspiracies of the gods are…… to confront a Transcendent, you must also observe the circumstances from a Transcendent’s perspective.”

Shiva’s words resonated with enigmatic energy. Reflecting upon my journey of reincarnation, it was indeed something to ponder, and I found myself awed.

‘So even gods are still godlike……’

I had always thought of him as just a destructive entity akin to a rampaging force but seeing Shiva like this was unexpected.

Shiva pointed his index finger at me and chanted a spell.

“Om (ॐ).”

Chi-chijijik!!

Suddenly, strange characters were inscribed upon my body. Staring at the marking that said ॐ, Shiva spoke.

“You have now become my blood ally and companion. However, as a great deity among the heavens, I am constrained by the laws of cause and effect, making it challenging for me to intervene casually in this world. Should you ever need me, you are welcome to directly visit my divine temple.”

[So this means I can reach you in your divine temple, Shiva?]

“Indeed. Plus, without any spell or rite, you should be able to summon my apostles or avatars at will.”

[Oh.]

“Just be aware you’ll need to offer a price to them…… if you can cover that, summon away.”

[…….]

What? So it’s not free? Tsk……

“One last thing, there’s something to be careful about…….”

[What is it?]

Pa-at!!

Moments after Shiva’s final word, both Shiva and Parvati vanished, and the darkness swiftly faded away.

Then, the appearances of my comrades, who had been gathered earlier, were clearly revealed, and it seemed they had all been struggling to break through the barrier. Zhuge Yulong shouted upon seeing me.

“Baek Woong, are you unharmed?!”

[How about you guys?]

“……It was quite a surprise. I didn’t expect to face a being of this caliber and still struggle to break the barrier…… At least one higher god must have expended their causal power to deliberately descend here.”

[…….]

In that instant, I spotted Miho rapidly flying toward me from a distance. Upon landing on the ground, Miho urgently said,

“Baek Woong, are you okay?!”

[Miho.]

“Ugh, I never anticipated an opponent of this level to appear. I’m sorry I couldn’t dissolve the barrier in time…….”

It was evident that everyone had found it tiring to deal with Parvati’s barrier. From this, I could clearly sense how powerful Shiva and Parvati truly were, revealing that they were formidable beings, comparable to the Five Emperors.

‘Then Shiva’s final words are probably true……’

Words from such a grand deity are secrets only the gods know.

It couldn’t possibly result in anything but the truth.

Remembering Shiva’s final words, I clenched my fist tightly.

[Baek Woong. The Queen Mother of the West will soon appear before you with her companions.]