전생검신 91권 01화

I felt a sense of dread at Fuxi’s words.

‘You can’t use the Power of Chaos? Then I can’t use my mask and it means I can’t use my divine abilities at all?’

In a moment of hope, I activated the Trimurti once again. I needed to confirm this before anything else.

Kiiing!!

‘…It works?’

The three-sided space and the red jewel that appear when activating the Trimurti manifested in my mental world. I realized that I could use the technique of Trimurti just fine. Immediately, I summoned the Four Great Spirit Deities.

“Agni!”

Woong

Just like before, the fiery spirit Agni took the shape of a gun in my hand. Fuxi, who was watching me try some things, seemed to smile a bit.

[ You noticed. The powers of gods not related to chaos can still be used.]

“…!!”

That’s right. The Four Great Spirit Deities call upon the powers of the ancient deities and the source of the universe, so naturally, I could use them in this space where chaos is restricted. The Trimurti is the technique of Brahma, who is also a creator god, therefore not classified under chaos.

‘If I can use the Four Great Spirit Deities and Trimurti, I might still stand a chance…’

Of course, just being able to fight doesn’t mean I could win.

Yet, still puzzled, I asked Fuxi, “Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu also wield chaotic attributes. How come I can still use the Trimurti?”

[ Heh. Are you seeking wisdom from me, a being beyond life and death?]

“……”

[ Very well. Since it’s urgent for you and not for me, I’ll take my time explaining.]

Fuxi calmly shared his insight.

[ The technique you’re using is the Trimurti, which is Brahma’s name technique. Brahma is a creator god, so he’s in a class of his own, which means you can use his technique here on Pangu’s Throne.]

“……Does being a creator god hold some special significance?”

[ They are special beings that embody balance. The powers of creation are far more profound than you realize.]

“Hmm.”

[ However, if a god of chaos enters here, they would be annihilated instantly, so you shouldn’t expect to summon your companions.]

As Fuxi commented, he looked at me with an oddly expectant gaze.

[ So, what strategy will you employ this time? Go ahead and try anything.]

Kreek… He’s totally underestimating me!

Fuxi’s calm demeanor could only come from a belief that he had no chance of losing. Even though he’s the great Fuxi, his arrogance made me want to show him a harsh lesson, so I aimed Agni’s muzzle toward him and fired.

Taang!!

‘It’s not as powerful as Vajra, but Agni can definitely tear through the divine!’

And the Four Great Spirit Deities!

It’s basically the strongest offensive tool I can use right now, and it’s relatively easy to wield, so there’s no reason not to make Agni my first move. But just as Agni’s projectile was fired, an unexpected event occurred.

Whoosh.

“…?!”

[ Huh. That stings… ]

I couldn’t close my jaw at what just happened.

“Th-this…”

Agni hit Fuxi dead-on, but it barely scratched his dragon scales and just lodged lightly in, it was clear he treated it like a mere bug bite.

Has there ever been such an encounter in history?

I’ve seen adversaries nullify or dodge Agni before, but to take a direct hit and dismiss it so easily?

Up until now, Agni, which showed the second most power after Vajra, had always had certain results, so seeing Fuxi take it so casually was hard to believe. Normally, gods or demon kings would cry in pain when hit by Agni’s bullets, and yet this one felt completely pathetic!

As I mentally reeled from the shock, Fuxi spoke.

[ Baek Woong. My current strength has surpassed my prime and reached the peak. Even compared to the Four Great Spirit Deities you summoned, my tier is higher.]

“…!!”

[ Moreover, this place is Pangu’s Throne. My strength here is practically infinite, so using divine abilities will not constitute any threat to me.]

So it was simply a matter of tiering that led to my dismissal?

He didn’t even use any defensive techniques!

‘What a monster!!’

I realized that Fuxi now stood as an absolute powerhouse on par with evil gods or peak emperors. The only difference was that he responded well to conversation and didn’t attack me—regardless, it was clear I was an absolute being unmatchable with my current strength.

“Uugh…!!”

I ground my teeth, resolved to spare no means. My anxiety was rising.

Technique of All Things!

‘If I can’t deal with Fuxi directly, I’ll steal that egg on the throne!’

If I get that, I wouldn’t have to face Fuxi head-on to win!

It was a clever ploy on my part, but at that moment, the cold voice of Nüwa echoed in my head.

[ Little thief, do you think I am doing nothing?]

Wham!!

“Grahhh!!”

In that instant, with a flash of black light, I felt one of my arms fly away while casting the Technique of All Things. As I staggered back, Nüwa’s transformed arm menaced me.

[ Fuxi spared you once because he didn’t want to kill you. Fool!]

I witnessed Nüwa’s changed arm cut off my limb in a heartbeat. Having seen that arm before, a chill ran down my spine.

“…The arm of the Queen Mother… Tian Li Wu Can?!”

[ You claim to be a reborn soul, yet you know so little.]

“……”

I quickly attempted to heal my arm with divine ability. But while I could have regenerated it easily before, it didn’t heal at all and instead, pain shot through me like a burning flame.

“Grr… ugh!!”

D-damn it!!

My bad feeling was right!

While Fuxi laughed at my suffering, he said,

[ Tian Li Wu Can has the auxiliary effect of blocking divine powers and rendering recovery impossible. Its capabilities in divine battles are absolute, which is why all gods feared the Queen Mother.]

“…!!”

[ Even gods of higher status than she have to tread carefully. If injured by her, they might endure lifelong disabilities.]

I felt a sharp realization of how foolish I had been to underestimate the Three Sovereigns before me. While they didn’t directly oppress me like emperors or evil gods, each of them was an overwhelmingly powerful deity of the universe compared to me.

‘Crap! If I get hit again by Tian Li Wu Can… If I hit her directly, it’s instant death!’

Of course, death here wouldn’t mean the end of everything, as the outside god Pangu was preventing my reincarnation. But the more time I spent dead, the less time I had to stop Pangu’s resurrection, ultimately meaning an unavoidable defeat.

However, I sensed something strange and asked Fuxi,

“…Fuxi. Wouldn’t it be easier for you to just kill me? Why spare me like this?”

[ Well, there are reasons. Who asks such a thing from the enemy, heh heh.]

“……”

[ If you’re really curious, I’ll share. It appears you have a law of cause and effect bound to you that activates upon your demise.]

“What?”

[ I don’t know if it was intentional on your part, but I’m not a fool walking into obvious traps.]

“Don’t underestimate me!”

I was startled by Fuxi’s structured scheming evident in his demeanor.

‘…Even if I don’t die right away… I still can’t do anything… My options continue to diminish.’

I could act on instinct and try anything. That was my freedom.

But with each failed attempt, I would find myself even more ensnared, eventually standing there aimlessly staring into space. Every move would flow exactly as Fuxi intended, and I’d feel utterly manipulated by his schemes.

‘Ah… no. If I face Fuxi like all my previous opponents, I’ll lose! If I act on instinct against Fuxi, he’ll have me wrapped around his finger so easily!’

It was at that moment of clarity I realized my predicament. Randomly throwing punches would surely lead me into Fuxi’s trap. Despite the glaring overwhelming difference in power, Fuxi could push me into a corner and tire me out, winning without even needing to directly overpower me. Facing someone like Fuxi with casual tricks would only end up benefiting him.

How could I flip this situation and win against Fuxi?

How could I stop Pangu’s resurrection?!

Just then.

[ Baek Woong. Can you hear me?]

I was elated to hear a voice in my head. I channeled my will into a thought.

[ …Zhuge Sa!!]

It seemed Zhuge Sa had awakened from subspace. Likely, when Golden Moon died, the sleep technique that bound him was also released. However, Zhuge Sa spoke with an oddly dark voice.

[ First and foremost, you need to understand… that the situation is an insurmountable predicament. You must have felt it, but Fuxi has already laid out a board that cannot be lost.]

[……]

[ In your current state, I’m at a loss as well. I need more information, so ask Fuxi some questions.]

[ What should I ask?]

I breathed deeply for a moment to forget the pain of my severed arm before speaking to Fuxi.

“Fuxi, the last time I checked, you were engaged in a bloodbath with Tezcatlipoca. How could you disregard that battle and come to Pangu’s Throne?”

[ The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens completed her task.]

“Gucheon Hyeonnyo? What do you mean?”

[ You efficiently disrupted Gucheon Hyeonnyo’s summoning of the Three Sovereigns, but one must prepare for failure when crafting plans. The technique involved allowing Gucheon Hyeonnyo herself to be an offering if her summoning failed, and we used that Queen Mother as an offering once again.]

“…?!”

[ The moment you left the battlefield to catch Tsukuyomi, we turned the Queen Mother into an offering. After that, we made our way here to Pangu’s Throne ahead of schedule.]

I was flabbergasted by Fuxi’s words.

“B-but Pangu’s Throne is a place that shouldn’t be easily accessed even by you, the Three Sovereigns and the rightful heir of Pangu. How could you do that by sacrificing just the Queen Mother… Even if she’s the strongest avatar…”

[ You’re right. If that had been possible, we would have come here long ago to flip the balance of the universe. Generally, such methods of reaching the divine thrones are impossible, but Tsukuyomi made it possible.]

“Tsukuyomi?”

[ He has a technique unique to him called the Reincarnation Law. Using the power of that technique, he was able to directly access Pangu’s Throne.]

“Is that really possible?”

[ Tsukuyomi was also a reborn soul, just like you, only he had accumulated far more lifetimes. He interpreted all the methods leading to Pangu’s Throne and knew how to match the waves of cause and effect. It’s far easier to get help from someone who already knows the answers than to figure it out on your own. It’s no different than when you bestowed fortunate encounters upon your allies in your previous lifetimes.]

“……”

What? Tsukuyomi I just faced seemed strong, but he didn’t appear to be an upper deity level…

If his Reincarnation Law was that powerful, then why was the user himself not that strong?

As I pondered, Fuxi continued.

[ Furthermore… Tsukuyomi has been continually absorbing the cause and effect of the world through the Black Moon. He poured that amount of cause and effect into a single offering.]

“Black Moon…? So, it gathered cause and effect?”

Fuxi’s following remarks stunned me.

[ Why do you think Tsukuyomi brought about the Great Flood? It was all to gather cause and effect.]

“…What?!”

[ The same principle applied during the era of water control recorded in human history. The Three Sovereigns were hiding, receiving cause and effect to prevent their strengths from waning, and requested Tsukuyomi’s assistance. Even if they didn’t know it themselves, they had to provide food for their subordinates.]

“Could it be…”

[ While causing the Great Flood, the Black Moon hovering above was absorbing the world’s souls. It digested those souls into cause and effect, which Tsukuyomi then distributed to our Three Sovereigns. This vast operation involved cooperation with the gods of the west.]

“…!!”

[ As a favor for doing well by Tsukuyomi, we had granted him a gift that would allow him to build up divine powers without interfering with Dongyoung’s land. It was a sort of deal.]

As Fuxi spoke, he wore a wry smile.

[ I was so crazy at the time that I lost touch with reality, but it seems Nüwa agreed to a pact with Tsukuyomi to preserve my life. It was done without alerting the immortals of the celestial realm.]

“……”

At that moment, I understood the secret behind the ancient Great Flood.

‘I finally get why the Three Sovereigns did those things…!!’

The truth was clear.

The Three Sovereigns orchestrated tragedies to consume cause and effect through Tsukuyomi!

The scream of King Gon echoed back into my mind. He had fought against the Three Sovereigns, ultimately fell into corruption and was sealed by an emperor.

[ Hee hee… I was the same… I sacrificed everything to protect my nation and people… and it was the Three Sovereigns… ]

[ That’s right… When a representative emerged—a figure considered the executor of evil schemes—the Black Moon rose high in the sky. That would have been a response of nature to that deity’s divine powers.]

And I remembered Susanoo’s words.

[ The Great Flood that the Three Sovereigns conspired with the [Old Ruler] of the west to wipe out humanity. I tried to stop it but was sealed by the Three Sovereigns.]

Understanding all the truths behind the Great Flood, I felt both lightened and utterly flabbergasted. According to his words, Susanoo had been completely oblivious, having been manipulated like a marionette to suffer an ending he never saw coming, all while being involved with his own brethren.

I then shouted at Fuxi.

“…What do you think of humanity?! Are you saying the Three Sovereigns wanted to wipe out all humans and erase civilization just for a snack?!”

[ Hmm. What an intuitive analogy.]

“Damn it…! Do the gods think they can do whatever they want?!”

As I roared, Fuxi regarded me with a somehow sullen expression.

[ Now you’re trying to save humanity after all this is hypocrisy and deception, don’t you think?]

“What… what do you mean?”

[ True, your goal has shifted now, but originally, wasn’t it True Martial Home? Either way, the result would have been the same—humanity’s demise in the end.]

“……”

[ And even if True Martial Home is not the goal, isn’t it a problem anyway? After all, you will just reincarnate into the next life, but what becomes of the humanity that existed in your previous life? Will you just pretend they never existed and start anew? Don’t you find that the greatest treachery? In a way, you are causing far grander deeds than the Great Flood wrought by us, the Three Sovereigns… ]

“Th-that’s…”

I momentarily lost my words and froze as Fuxi leisurely continued.

[ When Tsukuyomi recently contacted us, he revealed his identity as a reborn soul. Did you know how he answered my question then?]

“You asked the same question. What did he say?”

[ He said that even a reborn soul is merely a being manipulated by someone’s intent, and without true power in their grasp, any queries become irrelevant. The truth of this world is naturally the law of the jungle.]

“……”

[ He was one who revered strength. A person who sought to simplify the world even more than you do.]

“What are you trying to say?”

Fuxi narrowed his eyes at me.

[ Like Tsukuyomi, I, too, chose to think in simpler terms about the world. If I’m to become an absolute god, I’ll spare no means to get there… ]

It was a declaration of his unwavering intent not to give in.

‘Ugh, damn it.’

Though we had exchanged words at great lengths, I wondered if any dialogue at all was truly useful in this situation.

As I felt anxious, the voice of Zhuge Sa echoed again.

[ Baek Woong. Well done. You’ve gained enough information from Fuxi.]

I felt a surge of joy upon hearing Zhuge Sa’s voice.

‘Of course, Zhuge Sa would have some answers!’

I quickly asked Zhuge Sa.

[ Zhuge Sa! Is there a way to overcome this situation now?!]

[……]

After a brief silence, Zhuge Sa unexpectedly spoke out.

[ Normally, Fuxi wouldn’t be able to put you in such a pinch through conventional means. It was thanks to the all-seeing Tsukuyomi providing extraordinary support, especially with the use of the Reincarnation Law for entering Pangu’s Throne, that it became decisive. Thus, the solution follows suit.]

[ The same as what?]

[ The lopsided game due to Tsukuyomi’s powers can be flipped back by using Tsukuyomi.]

I grasped what Zhuge Sa was implying and said.

[ Could it be… ]

[ Yes. You need to wear Tsukuyomi’s mask you’ve been holding.]

[ ……!!]

The mask of Tsukuyomi!

I was holding the mask I had captured earlier, the essence containing his soul. Zhuge Sa’s words suggested that if I wore Tsukuyomi’s mask, I could potentially turn this situation around.

However, I hesitated due to what I heard from Fuxi earlier.

[ But… all the powers of chaos are nullified in this Pangu’s Throne. The use of the mask’s techniques I was about to employ was destroyed, and won’t the mask of Tsukuyomi get destroyed the moment I put it on?]

[ Baek Woong. How are you still alive and breathing within Pangu’s Throne?]

[ Huh?]

[ Think carefully. Earlier Fuxi stated that if the god of chaos entered this throne, he would be annihilated. Yet you’re alive and well. That means, as a reborn soul, you are classified as neither a god of chaos nor a god of order.]

[ ……?]

[ Additionally, the mask summoned by the Trimurti may have shattered, but the Tsukuyomi mask you hold is still intact. That means the mask of Tsukuyomi is also not identified as a chaotic ability or divine status.]

[ N-no way…!]

I was greatly startled by Zhuge Sa’s following words.

[ That’s right. Reborn souls are neither chaotic gods nor orderly gods. Likewise, Tsukuyomi is classified as a ‘reborn soul’, which allows him to wield his power here and remain unscathed. So, the mask containing Tsukuyomi’s soul is… the only mask in the universe that can be used in Pangu’s Throne!]

[ ……!!]

[ Strictly speaking, it’s not just the mask itself, but a reborn soul in the form of a mask!]

Oh, I see!!

In an instant, I marveled at how cleverly Zhuge Sa formed this strategy. In a seemingly hopeless situation, he had deduced so much just from a few exchanges!

I tried not to give away my connection to Zhuge Sa and started thinking.

[ Alright! I just have to wear Tsukuyomi’s mask right now, right?]

[ Exactly. By wearing the mask and utilizing Tsukuyomi’s unique technique, the Reincarnation Law, you might create an opportunity for a reversal. Given your current capabilities, you would never bring down Fuxi standing before you with your mere techniques, but Tsukuyomi’s unique techniques as a past life possess unexpected possibilities.]

[ Understood. Then… ]

[ Wait.]

[ What is it?]

[ There are two problems.]

[ Problems?]

As I questioned, I realized I had to be prepared for the most critical juncture of my life.

[ First… even if you wear the mask and use the Reincarnation Law, there may not be any solutions. That’s why I hesitated to suggest plans to you from the outset. Relying entirely on luck is a miserable affair.]

I gritted my teeth.

[ …Crrk. Since I have no options, I can accept that. What’s the second problem?]

[ That’s the real challenge… ]

From Zhuge Sa’s next words, I recognized the gravity of my situation.

[ Second. The mask containing Tsukuyomi’s soul encapsulates the spirit of a powerful reincarnator that has accumulated far more karma… and you’ve felt it before when you wore the mask of Nan Gu Xianong.]

[ ……!!]

At that moment, I remembered I was not just able to use Nan Gu Xianong’s abilities.

I had literally become Nan Gu Xianong to the point that I forgot my own self—

[ Right… If I’m not careful, I’ll lose my own self and become the reincarnator Tsukuyomi.]