전생검신 89권 10화

What’s this racket?

I couldn’t help but scowl at the sudden suggestion. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard such an unexpected proposal, and every time, it often meant there was some ulterior motive lurking around. Not feeling great about it, I responded curtly.

“I don’t get what you’re suddenly trying to say. Asking me to swear on [name] out of the blue? What’s the deal?”

[The very fact that you can speak in this Sephira means you are a divine being in the outside world. It’s common for divine beings to pledge their names in contracts.]

“Cut the nonsense. Just tell me what your intentions are clearly.”

When I glared at Gabriel, he met my stare with an empty look. He wasn’t human-like at all but more like a monster, and I thought his emotions were unreadable. However, it hit me that perhaps he was just a being devoid of any emotions from the get-go.

After a moment, Gabriel replied.

[After Saitan left the angelic realm, a new angel king, Metatron, was appointed. But if Saitan were to be resurrected, Metatron’s authority would naturally be threatened, causing a great disturbance.]

“So it’s a power struggle, huh? Sorry, but I’m not interested in that nonsense. I’m only here to fulfill my contract with Saitan.”

[What contract?]

“Why should I tell you? Regardless of what I do with Saitan, you have no right to interfere.”

[…….]

Seeing my strong rejection, Gabriel fell silent. Then he said,

[You hold another name besides Shaitan…….]

“What?”

[What reason do you have for also bearing the name Adam Kadmon?]

“……!!”

I flinched and looked at my forearm. The name [Adam Kadmon] etched there began to glow and vibrate as if it were alive. I couldn’t help but be startled.

‘Adam Kadmon……!! I didn’t realize that guy was also involved!’

Adam Kadmon!

Suddenly, memories about Adam Kadmon flooded back.

[I am Adam Kadmon…… I was summoned to this world from the first Kabbalah to seek Aion…….]

[Upon reaching Aion, one can create a perfect world…… their own world…… Oh…… it turns out I didn’t even have to become the Demiurge to get there…… What a shallow thought led me to this predicament…….]

A giant, way bigger than the mountains within the hidden realm I reached when I employed the Golden Lamp technique! That Adam Kadmon had planted a [seed] in me which allowed for instantaneous travel, and strangely, his essence had been absorbed and transformed into [name].

Since then, while training using [name], I recalled his command to offer the fame of dawn as a sacrifice. But I’d hardly thought much of it since it was a name I stumbled upon almost accidentally. Who would’ve thought Gabriel would know about Adam Kadmon?

As I contemplated the name Adam Kadmon, I replied,

“I don’t know much about that guy. But he claimed he was summoned to our world from the first Kabbalah in search of Aion. Then I found him stuck in the hidden realm…”

[…… the hidden realm, you say…… is that so……]

“What do you know about Adam Kadmon?”

[He is the first human created when the seven rulers combined their powers.]

“……?!”

Human?!

That guy is human?!

He looked like a colossal monster, as far as I could tell!

I was flabbergasted at Gabriel’s words and replied, “Adam Kadmon is human? Where would you find such a gigantic human? He was as colossal as a mountain range.”

[It might be different in your world…… but in ours, humans are creations born from the angels of Kabbalah…… Adam Kadmon was a human completed by the powers of the mightiest archangels…… he was a candidate to become the Demiurge. But after learning Adam Kadmon wasn’t worthy of the title of God King Demiurge, he was banished from the Sephira to become the king of humanity.]

“……!!”

[After Adam Kadmon ruled over humanity, he suddenly went missing, and I wondered what happened—only to find out he had been summoned by a ritual from the otherworld…… he sought to ascend back to heaven because of his greed for Aion……]

Gabriel’s words unraveled the true identity and past of Adam Kadmon.

“So the first human created by the archangels and the king of humanity is none other than Adam Kadmon?”

If that were the case, it made sense why Adam Kadmon possessed immense divine power. His existence was birthed from the combined divine powers of the seven archangels known as the rulers. Now that I knew Adam Kadmon’s identity, I felt the tension within me ease slightly.

Yet questions still lingered, so I asked Gabriel, “What’s this [Aion] that Adam Kadmon sought? And what’s this God King [Demiurge]?”

I had heard bits and pieces about the Demiurge, but I couldn’t say I truly understood their identity. The same went for Aion. It was undoubtedly a concept shared only among entities derived from this Kabbalah, making it clear that Gabriel, the archangel before me, must be privy to those secrets.

Gabriel gazed at me intently before saying, [If you agree to the oath not to resurrect Saitan, I’ll reveal that secret.]

“…….”

[If you agree, I will share everything I know about Aion and the Demiurge.]

Ugh, damn it! This guy isn’t easy to deal with at all!

The way he was trying to gain anything for himself made me hesitate. I frowned.

“Are you that afraid of Saitan resurrecting? You really seem to be on board with the current angel king, Metatron.”

[I am making a proposal. You must choose.]

“Hmmm…….”

[By revealing the secrets of Aion and the Demiurge, I will also elevate you directly to the 5th sphere. No one has ever granted such a privilege to a Kabbalah practitioner since ancient times…… think it over well.]

I felt tempted by Gabriel’s words. It was apparent that reaching the 5th sphere required a massive amount of life force, and having an archangel at the location reveal secrets about Aion and the Demiurge sounded like a fantastic deal. By comparison, resurrecting Saitan seemed to carry few benefits, and I couldn’t be sure whether it would work out well for me.

…… Is my intuition as a reincarnated person not working right now……?

Unexpectedly, I sensed my gut feeling didn’t kick in about the pressing issue at hand. This unfamiliar sensation made me hesitate for a moment, but soon, I was able to grasp its meaning.

‘So that’s it…….’

It’s not a matter that really requires a choice to be made.

Maybe that’s why my instincts aren’t firing off?

As that realization settled in, I felt more at ease. Then I opened my mouth.

“I refuse. That’s my answer.”

[Is that so…… it can’t be helped.]

Gabriel appeared disappointed, but I wasn’t hesitant.

‘Whether I reach the 5th sphere of Sephira or not, my current powers won’t change drastically. In that case, I’d rather take my time training and avoid rushing into things that could hinder my chances!’

Experiencing the differences between the lower and upper spheres of Sephira directly felt like a much better course of action!

Gabriel spoke after a moment.

[Very well. If that is the case, the conversation ends here. As a test tube of the Sephira, shall you challenge the second sphere?]

“I accept the challenge.”

[Let the trial begin.]

Kuuuuu

The instant Gabriel finished speaking, summoning circles appeared from all directions, manifesting four angels. They looked like humans with wings tacked on, resembling the angels depicted in human civilization. However, their pupils were entirely white, and their hair was pure white, making them appear less like living beings.

Thud!

Simultaneously, a massive hourglass dropped before Gabriel.

Stealing a glance at the angels, Gabriel said,

[They are the angelic beings of the 6th sphere. If you can endure until all the sand in this hourglass runs out from their attacks, you shall have passed the trial of the Sephira.]

“Hmmm, okay?”

[Although you may already know, you cannot use your divine powers in this trial. Now show me your strength!]

Just as the grains of the hourglass were about to fall for the very first time –

I swung my sword, channeling a literal thunder light.

Infinite Slash.

In the next moment, with a blinding flash, the four angelic beings that had surrounded me were instantly split into upper and lower halves. Where they had been sliced, there remained a curve of lightning. A moment later, the angels trembled and turned into smoke, vanishing.

Swoosh!

[……!!]

Clank!

As I sheathed my sword, Gabriel’s massive eye rolled around and fixed its gaze on me. Gabriel spoke,

[Your swordplay is truly astonishing.]

“Why, do I have to pass through this trial using magic instead of swordplay?”

[No…… there is no such regulation. I am merely surprised because no one in our world possesses swordplay as powerful as yours.]

I shrugged off my shoulders with a smirk.

“Is it because it’s the second-to-last Sephira? The trial was quite bland…… Anyway, I passed, right?”

[Indeed. You have passed the trial of the Sephira ‘Yesod.’]

Wooong!

At the moment Gabriel finished speaking, two orbs of light appeared before me. Strangely, one radiated pure white light, while the other emitted deep black light.

“What on earth is this?”

[The journey from the first sphere, Malkuth, is common to all practitioners, but the path to the final 10th sphere, Keter, can differ from one practitioner to another. Those two orbs of light determine the path you’ll take next.]

“……?”

[To put it simply, ascending from Malkuth to Yesod is the same for everyone. However, now you must choose one path between [Strength] and [Wisdom].]

“Strength? Wisdom?”

I looked back and forth between the pure white and deep black orbs. And thinking it over, I asked, “So one of these represents strength and the other wisdom, is that right?”

[That’s correct. If you choose [Strength], you will move toward the Sephira of Hod; if you choose [Wisdom], you will proceed to the Sephira of Netzach.]

“…….”

[This represents a reward and a blessing, as well as a choice of path.]

So the system was about picking between rewards of strength and wisdom!

‘Got it. The practitioners would choose between strength and wisdom to develop their power up to the 10th sphere.’

I found it quite an intriguing training method and remarked.

“What’s the difference between strength and wisdom?”

[[If you choose [Strength], you will acquire the very essence of the World Tree Sephiroth’s spirituality. In contrast, choosing [Wisdom] will grant you the magical knowledge of the three thousand worlds slumbering in Sephiroth.]

“Hmmm……!!”

[By the way, most practitioners choose [Wisdom]. This is no surprise; for demon sorcerers, there’s nothing more important than magical knowledge.]

I thought I grasped something.

‘Ah, that makes sense. That’s why Hermes or Simon Magus, who gained high Sephira, could effortlessly cast powerful magic from realms they had never even encountered before during their lifetime.’

Those guys likely chose the path of [Wisdom] to repeatedly enhance their magic.

And based on Hermes’ case, having gone the [Wisdom] route until the 5th sphere would grant him powers almost equivalent to that of a high-level demon.

“Then I’m starting to get curious about strength. Choosing [Strength] to receive the spirituality of Sephiroth means I’m going to gain the power of Sephiroth, right?”

[No. Spirituality is a distinct concept separate from magic. You could say you’re acquiring a fragment of the soul possessed by Sephiroth.]

“A fragment of the soul? Is that divine power?”

[Not quite.]

“……?”

So what on earth is spirituality?

Puzzled, I looked at Gabriel.

[[I cannot explain the essence of [Strength]. However, to put it simply, if one chooses [Strength], they will gain some reinforcement of magic along with a fragment of mysterious power. On the other hand, one who chooses [Wisdom] will gain vast magical knowledge.]

“…….”

[What will you choose?]

Strength or wisdom.

I found myself deep in thought at this unexpected decision. After a moment, I opened my mouth.

“I choose [Strength].”

[Hoho…… it’s the first time someone has chosen strength from the very beginning.]

“Hmm? Why’s that?”

[Unlike [Wisdom], which allows one to gain transcendental magic and grow stronger, [Strength] requires gathering significant fragments of power to be meaningful……. By the way, the next trial will feature an enforcer far stronger than the 6th sphere.]

“…….”

Wait… WHAT?! That makes it sound like I’m really going to be at a disadvantage!

But for some reason, I felt that choosing [Strength] was the right decision, even if it felt uncomfortable. I shook my head and declared, “Whatever! Let it be! I’m going to choose [Strength] for all the remaining Sephira!”

[…… Are you really not going to regret it? Think carefully that you cannot use divine powers here. Without a strong magic, there will be opponents you absolutely cannot defeat.]

“Persistent, aren’t you?! Can’t I just get strong enough without using divine powers?”

[Is that so…… choosing a path no one else has taken…… perhaps you……]

As Gabriel mumbled something, he flapped his wings.

[I now bestow upon you the [Strength] of Sephiroth!]

Boom! –

As I came to my senses, I found myself back in reality. I checked my body to see what had changed.

“Huh?!”

Grrrrr!

I noticed that the Tendril of Sets in my body had become much thicker and more abundant. I realized that this was undoubtedly the result of receiving the blessing of [Strength] from the 2nd sphere.

And at the same time, I discerned why the Reborn individual had grafted Sets onto my body.

“It was to maximize the blessing of [Strength].”

For an ordinary human, the blessing of [Strength] might act subtlety, but Sets being the stem and root of the World Tree must have grown considerably upon receiving [Strength]! This meant I could significantly enhance the speed and magnitude at which I cultivated life force utilizing Sets.

‘Indeed, my magic did enhance a bit, just a tad… now I understand why Gabriel warned me.’

If a human demon sorcerer chose the path of [Strength], they would quickly be slain by the onslaught of upper-tier angels that would appear in the next trial. It seemed like a design that coerced one into choosing [Wisdom]. Yet, oddly enough, I felt a sense of challenge rising within me.

‘I’m quite curious.’

What truly happens when I gather a lot of fragments of [Strength] and climb to the higher spheres?

“`

 

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