전생검신 88권 16화

Contract?

The moment I heard those words, I looked at Shim Su-ryeok with suspicion in my eyes.

“Don’t tell me you approached me with that intention from the very beginning?”

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. If I really intended to deceive you, would I bother telling you any of this? Isn’t it normal to keep up the charade until the end?”

“Uh… well, that’s true.”

“Sigh. You’ve gained a lot of experience, but sometimes you only think about what’s right in front of you and lack a long-term perspective.”

For some reason, Shim Su-ryeok let out a sigh before continuing.

“Do you remember what I said about the past events?”

I took a moment to recall and responded.

“When Howol fought against Ha Eun-cheon and was on the verge of death because the Azure Dragon’s power went wild, Princess Ayuta, the Divine Maiden, used the [Small Cycle] to save you, her disciple. Then the disciples tried to share the power of the Azure Dragon, but Ha Eun-cheon suddenly intervened and fired the Reincarnation Cannon at you…”

“Right. You remember well.”

“You originally said you have no recollection after being hit by the Reincarnation Cannon. But do you remember now?”

“…”

Shim Su-ryeok, who had been silent, trembled.

“When I think about it, that was insane. Back then, Ha Eun-cheon shot the Reincarnation Cannon at a living human, right? It was easy to predict that it would turn out worse than death.”

“What the hell happened?”

“After being hit by the Reincarnation Cannon, I was thrown into a hellish space filled with void. How can I even describe it? It was a space where I could feel only the emptiness… I lost track of time there, slowly losing my sanity until I eventually went completely insane. After that, suddenly, the power of the Azure Dragon that was inside me exploded, and I just went wild in that nothingness.”

“……!!”

“Of course, there’s no meaning in going wild in a space of nothingness. While I was in the form of the Azure Dragon, drifting around for an immeasurable amount of time, [someone] approached me.”

With an even gloomier gaze, Shim Su-ryeok continued calmly.

“That person… asked me to make a [Contract]. The terms were quite simple: in exchange for sending me out of this mad void, they wanted to connect the law of cause and effect between us.”

I raised an eyebrow at Shim Su-ryeok’s words.

“Connect the law of cause and effect? What does that mean?”

“Who knows…? But I suffered for so long in that space that I didn’t have time to think. So I agreed to the contract connecting the law of cause and effect, and when I came to my senses, I found myself resurrected by your divine power.”

What that meant was clear.

Shim Su-ryeok wasn’t accidentally resurrected. Someone made the contract to connect the law of cause and effect, leading him inevitably to appear before me.

“……Who was that person? What did they look like?”

“I don’t remember. I only vaguely recall that they existed beyond the mist… and they didn’t reveal their identity… And… they were wearing something like… something that covered them up. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

“…….”

“The reason you lost your memory when you summoned me is simple. I’d been mentally destroyed in there for what felt like hundreds or thousands of years. The memories of that void were so painful that I couldn’t recall them until now.”

“But after receiving the power residing in Chi You’s heart, you regained your memories, right? Why is that?”

At my question, Shim Su-ryeok slowly approached Chi You’s heart, seemingly stroking the glass barrier. Despite the shockwave from earlier, the barrier remained unscathed, probably protected by Shim Su-ryeok’s power.

“For some reason… the void’s power I feel from Chi You’s heart is very similar to that space I was trapped in.”

“……!!”

“I was able to recall those painful memories because of that similarity. In other words, it means that the void’s power is so strong that it could overturn my mental world…”

“Hmm…”

Are the powers of Chi You’s heart and the space where Shim Su-ryeok was trapped resonating with a similar vibe?

‘Something… tells me this fact is important…’

I felt intuitively as a reincarnator that this could be a crucial clue later. But for now, knowing it didn’t give me anything to connect it to, so I shook my head and said to Shim Su-ryeok.

“Anyway, you’re saying you made a contract with that mysterious existence to connect the law of cause and effect. But that means… you might be unaware that you could be an enemy’s interloper?”

“That’s true.”

“Why are you telling me this? Now that I’ve heard this, I might not be able to trust you anymore.”

Shim Su-ryeok chuckled.

“Ha ha. Regardless of trust, you resurrected me from the void. How could I hide anything from someone like you out of fear of my own annihilation? On the contrary, I wanted to provide you with information in any way I could to repay you.”

“…….”

“And… if [that existence] really wanted to deceive me, I wouldn’t even have been able to recall anything.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I felt it beyond that mist. That being is far too incredible… I had the instinct that it was a being I could never normally even see. Which means they didn’t imbue me with great significance but rather just tossed me like a long-term piece on the board…”

“…….”

“It’s probably not just a simple plan using me as an interloper. They’re not so trivial.”

I felt a bit puzzled. Who on earth proposed the contract to Shim Su-ryeok and sent him to the void?

Why did that being request a connection of cause and effect with Shim Su-ryeok?

‘Hmm… First, I don’t even understand the concept of connecting cause and effect. I need to find someone well-versed in the thought processes of divine beings to consult…’

While I was deep in thought, Shim Su-ryeok spoke.

“By the way, are you really not considering taking the power from Chi You’s heart? You could gain tremendous power in an instant…”

“I won’t. In fact, I came to realize that as I deepen my martial arts, having too much [power] itself becomes a hindrance to reaching a profound understanding.”

Even the divine power of Shim Su-ryeok was so over-the-top that it hindered my martial arts progress, so if I carelessly accepted Chi You’s power, I’d probably lose sight of my martial arts altogether. I know through experience that gaining power isn’t the only way to grow, so for now, I rejected Chi You’s power.

“Hmm, I see.”

“……Huh?”

Wait a minute…? What I just said, it sounds familiar…

…….

No way… is it like Lee Kwang?

Did I just say something similar to what Lee Kwang would say?

The moment I realized this, a flash of insight crossed my mind. Then, I looked at Shim Su-ryeok and said.

“Shim Su-ryeok. Earlier, after Lee Kwang used the Heavenly Flower technique, you said you couldn’t kill him. Why not?”

“Hmm?”

“Just by power alone, Lee Kwang’s strength doesn’t even match your toenail. It’s strange you couldn’t kill him.”

“Ha ha… Is that what you think? That’s because of my little trick.”

“Trick?”

Shim Su-ryeok spoke with a strange smirk on his face, as if finding it amusing.

“I can’t instantly pull up my power. I need some preparation time and intense concentration. He always targeted that weakness, but I could chase him down relentlessly if I set my mind to it, though I could hardly be bothered to even care now.”

“……!! So that’s how it is.”

“It seems you’ve figured out how the Heavenly Flower technique works.”

“Right. So you could rapidly concentrate immense power and suppress the enemy before they can gather their momentum like you did when you pierced the three points?”

“You’ve caught on, it seems.”

Shim Su-ryeok continued.

“Yes. Before Shim Su-ryeok could amplify his infinite power, I struck first to seal his acupoint and hit his dantian. No matter how strong he is, if you hit him first, he won’t be able to gather power properly.”

“Of course. But normally, if you get hit like that first, you’d die. So why didn’t you kill Shim Su-ryeok?”

“Are you trying to mock me on purpose? Even the energy he naturally envelops himself with is a hundred times sturdier than adamantium. I have no way to break through such mindless defense, so I could only suppress the offense, and escape in that window.”

“And now, you’re diligently training your martial arts as a method to enhance the Heavenly Flower technique enough to break through Shim Su-ryeok’s defenses.”

“…….”

Shim Su-ryeok tightened his mouth at my words. I felt his unique stubbornness from his closed lips and couldn’t help but smile.

‘That determination and tenacity… Lee Kwang hasn’t changed.’

Probably, until he defeats Shim Su-ryeok, he’ll focus solely on perfecting his winning method!

It’s the sheer obsession to strive to defeat Shim Su-ryeok!

It felt like he was a Taoist, shedding everything to concentrate on training, but that was my misunderstanding. Lee Kwang had a personality that couldn’t stand losing, so once he starts researching a way to win, he gives it his all. Wasn’t that already confirmed when he achieved his martial prowess from intense secluded training in the past?

Looking at Lee Kwang, I said.

“Lee Kwang. I need you to teach me the Heavenly Flower technique.”

“Not happening.”

“Why?”

“If you don’t need to learn from me, couldn’t you just learn from Shim Su-ryeok? Why would you want to keep looking at my annoying face?”

“Look at how you’re talking to your master. I suppose taking you on as a disciple during this life may be my greatest mistake….”

“Stop being an idiot and get lost.”

I smiled brightly.

“Don’t act so grumpy. I’m saying I wouldn’t ask for it without learning the technique.”

“You promised me you wouldn’t accept a superior ability, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Then how about we exchange martial arts instead?”

At my words, Lee Kwang’s eyebrows twitched.

“Exchange? What martial arts are you planning to teach me?”

I slyly began the negotiation like a slippery snake.

“You want to break through Shim Su-ryeok’s extreme defenses, so you’ll need extreme offensive power. I have two martial arts that fit that bill: one is the Nirvana of the Absolute, the ultimate technique of the Heavenly King Asura, and the other is the Dark Night Slash, the ultimate technique of the same individual.”

“……!!”

“If you want, I can teach you one of those. In return, you must teach me the realm of the Heavenly Flower technique. How about it?”

“…….”

Lee Kwang seemed to ponder thoughtfully. Then he said.

“Don’t be stingy, just teach me both. Isn’t it the duty of a master to teach everything?”

This guy has some serious greed!

I found myself amused by his eagerness and replied.

“If I teach you everything, can you actually learn them? Both of those are peerless martial arts.”

“What do you take me for?”

Lee Kwang’s eyes sparkled with fervor.

“I am… destined to be the Grand Master of the Thunder God Lineage!! There’s no technique I can’t master!”

“……”

“If you teach me both, I will accept your proposal.”

“Well, that sounds good. Just don’t get halfway through and stop.”

“Agreement established.”

“Ha ha.”

I smiled broadly.

Unexpectedly, I managed to acquire the composite techniques of the Heavenly Spirit that Lee Kwang had been researching in this training world.