전생검신 91권 04화

I was half asleep when the opponent spoke, yet my memories started to resurface.

‘Al Karda…?’

I felt like I’d heard that name somewhere… but where?

Ah… that time…

‘…Outer God!!’

The librarian of the Void Record!!

The true god worshipped by the Prophet race!

As soon as the memory hit me, a wave of overwhelming dread suddenly surged, jolting me awake. It made sense considering if the Outer God was really in front of me, that would spell an absolute crisis.

As I froze in place, the figure who identified himself as Al Karda, resembling a prophet, began speaking.

“Don’t say a word.”

…Huh?

Don’t say a word?

As I sat there dazed, Al Karda’s appearance began to change slowly. He transformed into a human man with dark blue hair in an instant, his outfit resembling that of a martial artist from the Central Plains. It was quite odd for someone who looked like a colorful-eyed person to be wearing attire from the Central Plains, yet somehow it made him seem strangely real.

Now in human form, Al Karda took a sip of coffee and said,

“Anyway, the conversation we’re going to have is already set.”

“…Huh?”

“Even if I said don’t speak, you’re still talking.”

“…Ugh!!”

Thinking I must have offended the Outer God, I flinched in shock.

Did I really just make a fool of myself?!

But oddly enough, the Outer God seemed unfazed, savoring the aroma of the coffee.

“I figured this would happen. Even if I say not to speak, it’s already recorded.”

“…”

“I could have changed this fate with my power, but I didn’t. It’s a very trivial flow.”

Al Karda’s way of speaking was quite peculiar.

As if the conversation we were about to have was preordained!

‘Ugh… if he doesn’t care, why should I?’

It doesn’t matter whether I break the taboo once or twice!

With my eyes closed, I quietly addressed Al Karda, who was sipping coffee.

“I’m not sure what you mean. You’re saying how our conversation will go is already fixed, and you know that?”

“Correct. That’s exactly what I mean. The conversation we’re going to have is predetermined.”

Feeling an urge to throw a wrench into his statements, I blurted out something random.

“What I’ve always regretted about you, Mangnyang, is that you always try to throw in Goryeo ginseng when making samgyetang!”

How about that!

I expressed my regret over Mangnyang’s chicken preferences!

Surely, at this moment, the Outer God wouldn’t have expected me to say something like that!

…….

…….

An awkward silence lingered. Al Karda ignored me and kept sipping his coffee, leaving me scratching my head in embarrassment.

“…”

Come to think of it, what’s the point of acting like this?

Just as I was feeling embarrassed for making a fool of myself, Al Karda spoke.

“I told you not to say that because I was worried you’d make foolish comments.”

“Uh… I see…”

Why is he so persuasive…

Just when I thought I was feeling like a student receiving a scolding from a teacher and was trying to suppress the awkwardness, Al Karda suddenly said,

“Are you awake now?”

“Ah…!!”

Now that I thought about it, the overwhelming sense of dread that had been crashing down on me had significantly faded. I might not have fully shaken off my drowsiness, but I felt clear-headed enough to think rationally. As I marveled at this, Al Karda continued.

“I’ve released the seal within you, and now the chaotic energy has manifested. Finally, you should be able to enjoy the fun of dialogue.”

“Wha—what do you mean?”

“Uncertainty.”

Al Karda replied and took another sip of coffee.

“Unless you possess that quality, you’re less than a bug, unworthy of conversation. However, now that I can somewhat predict you, we might be able to chat.”

What does that mean?

What is he trying to say right now?

I found Al Karda’s words so cryptic I couldn’t make heads or tails of them, but one thing was clear.

He would indeed engage in conversation with me.

Determined not to make a fool of myself again, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Why exactly did you reveal your appearance to me?”

Doubting whether the opponent was truly the Outer God was meaningless. There’s no way someone would impersonate an Outer God in a place like this, and even if they did, I couldn’t stand against such an impossible existence. Despite not feeling even the slightest hint of divine power from them, it was impossible to gauge how great this being truly was.

Then Al Karda replied,

“I was curious about what choice you would make.”

“A choice, you say?”

“There’s nothing that has changed yet. But if I keep watching, that guy will surely get up to mischief again.”

“…?”

What on earth is he talking about? What is he trying to say to me?

Perhaps because he’s the Outer God, every line he spoke felt like a riddle that I couldn’t decipher.

I wanted to argue, but experience told me that trying to debate with someone like him would lead to nothing, so I quickly gave up and said,

“Since you’ve confirmed that, it’s all good. Now please let me go outside.”

“Not happening.”

“…Not happening? You plan to keep me locked up here?”

As I uneasily responded, Al Karda suddenly stood up.

“Well…”

He began walking away with the coffee cup in hand, and after a while of walking in silence, Al Karda spoke calmly.

“I want to see if there’s a cause that leads to the Martial God.”

“Eh?”

“I’ve decided what to record on our indicators.”

After speaking in riddles, Al Karda reached out his hand, and at that moment, the table I was sitting at was completely replaced by something.

Boom!

I was shocked to see the changed table.

“What is this?!”

While I was astounded, Al Karda came and sat opposite me. Then, he started fiddling with a container filled with stones.

Clink!

That familiar sound.

“Choose even or odd. If you’re right, you claim black.”

Having said this, Al Karda placed a handful of stones on the table, and I knew what it meant, so I stared at his closed fist. Then I quietly said,

“It’s odd.”

Clink!

With that, black stones spilled out onto the table, and I quickly counted the stones on it.

‘7 pieces.’

I got it right…

Then Al Karda quietly handed me his container full of black stones, while I traded him the container of white stones that was on my side.

Clink clink!

I was intrigued by the sound of Al Karda fiddling with the stones. So I cautiously spoke up.

“Um… may I ask one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why… are we playing Go?”

That’s right.

No matter how I looked at it, there were lines drawn in a grid, and this game with black and white stones clearly could only be Go!

I never expected that the Outer God would suggest playing Go here, and uttering my bewilderment, Al Karda replied in an emotionless voice.

“Don’t you know how to play Go?”

“Oh, no. I can play it moderately…”

It’s not like I didn’t know. I had played with Han Jin-seong from the Fire Spirit Techniques before, and honestly, I knew just enough to engage in casual play. But I would never claim to be good at it, and in fact, I hadn’t had a chance to play much during my past lives. After quickly responding to Al Karda, he started fiddling with the stones again.

Clink…

“This game of Go is called Rebirth Go.”

“Rebirth Go, you say?”

“Yes. If you can avoid losing by resignation in this Rebirth Go against me, I’ll let you go just like that. I’ll completely forgive the disrespect that invaded the [Record].”

Losing by resignation.

It’s a Go rule that signifies such a severe defeat, where there’s nothing left to calculate, and one can only throw down their stones in overwhelmingly hopeless defeat.

As I recalled that fact, I asked back.

“What happens if I lose by resignation?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Al Karda replied.

“Considering you’re wearing Tsukuyomi’s mask, what do you think is the reason you’re here?”

“Eh? That’s…”

“Because Tsukuyomi’s [Record] is also left here. Everything about the journey of previous Reborns is recorded, and you were summoned into the [Record] due to the cause and effect of that record.”

“…!!”

Wha—what!!

I could hardly believe my ears. Are you telling me the records of all previous Reborns are here?!

While I was shocked, Al Karda continued.

“If you lose by resignation to me, I’ll no longer spare you, and I plan to preserve you directly as a record in this library.”

“…?!”

“Your journey as a Reborn will end, so your fate of annihilation caused by Pangu will not be much different.”

T-this is a nightmare…!!

Is my fate sealed by this Outer God?!

I stood there, agape in disbelief.

Then, out of nowhere, I got angry and shouted,

“W-Wait! What kind of law is this? I didn’t come here by choice and you’re saying you’ll obliterate me? Isn’t that a bit too much?!”

“You don’t realize that it’s a privilege at this moment.”

“Privilege?”

“If it were any other Reborn, I wouldn’t even grant this opportunity and would have preserved them immediately. Thanks to that necklace and the power… because you fulfilled several conditions, I’m treating this more like probation.”

“…”

“If you don’t want to, then speak up.”

C-come on…!! Could anyone refuse after this kind of intimidation!

I’m left with no choice but to challenge my fate here!

In an instant, I felt a surge of defiance rise within me. I steadied my resolve and shot back at Al Karda.

“Fine! But I want to add more conditions for when I win!”

“Conditions?”

“Yes. When I leave here, please let me escape Pangu and transition into my next life!”

“Very well. Anything else?”

“Um….”

Unexpectedly, Al Karda answered without any hesitation, leaving me feeling rather deflated. I thought he’d hesitate over this clash of Outer Gods, yet he spoke as if it were no big deal.

After a moment of collecting myself, I continued speaking.

“And, please show some leniency! It’s not like I’ve had time to practice Go, and suddenly asking me to play is too unexpected!”

“I understand. I won’t be harsh.”

“Really?”

“Once we start, you’ll realize your concerns are meaningless. This Rebirth Go will be different from the Go you know.”

“…?”

What’s different about Go? Should I expect swords to fly out from the floor?

I felt a mix of confusion, but then grasped a stone decisively as I made my first move.

“Alright, here I go!”

Thump!

I placed my black stone right at the center, the heavenly origin of the Go board.

‘Not that well-versed in Go, but placing it here usually surprises even masters!’

They’d probably be impressed by my grand move!

Clink…

Thump!

Al Karda, who had been watching my heavenly origin move, calmly placed his own stone at the upper-right corner. That corner coincided with the intersection of the fourth line and was among the most popular early-game positions.

‘Could this turn into a normal game?’

As I thought that, I aimed to drop my stone at the lower-left corner on his opposite side.

But that moment.

Vroooom!!

“…?!”

What the—?

Why am I suddenly in a completely different place just as we were playing Go?!

And in this altered time and space, I found myself significantly end up taken aback.

“The one punished more harshly than the vilest of villains is a traitor. Since you’ve betrayed the Reborn, prepare for the consequences.”

In front of me stood the Outer God, Zhuge Hyun.

And somehow, I had the blade of Hwayo resting against his neck.

…?!

N-no way… is this place…?

As I was in shock, an unusual choice presented itself before me.

[Change history / Do not change]

…!!

Before I knew it, I had unwittingly chosen the latter. The moment I decided that in my heart, I found myself making my move.

Thump!!

“…”

Even after placing my stone, I couldn’t pull my finger away and felt sweat beading all over my body. The space that only moments ago held Zhuge Hyun had transformed, just like a lie, back into the venue where I was having a Go match with Al Karda.

With my finger still pressing down on the stone, Al Karda, sitting across from me, spoke.

“Your first choice shows a tendency for order. Didn’t you just change history?”

As soon as I heard those words, I stared at Al Karda.

“What do you mean? What I saw just now… no way….”

“It was no illusion. You just momentarily traversed actual recorded history.”

“…?!”

“This is the Rebirth Go.”

Al Karda didn’t look at me but kept his gaze fixed on the Go board. Then he continued in a cold voice.

“Each time you place a stone in Go, you’ll randomly revert to a moment in the past and gain the right to change history. Conversely, when I place a stone…”

Crrrk…

After fiddling with the Go stones for a moment, Al Karda smoothly placed his stone.

Thump.

“I’ll turn your previous choice into reality.”

Whew!!

Suddenly, I felt a sickening sensation as if my whole body was flipping upside down. It felt bizarre, as if I were replaying all my thirty past lives in an instant.

‘Ugh…!!’

This is exhausting!!

Feeling dizzy, I gripped the armrest of the chair next to me, as Al Karda continued.

“Since you didn’t make a choice to alter history, now you’re just feeling the fatigue in your mind.”

As I realized what Al Karda’s words meant, I muttered,

“If I change history, it means I’ll also change the me who is sitting here?”

“Yes. The altered future will apply starting from the point you met Zhuge Hyun.”

“…”

I can’t believe it. This essentially means I could disregard the [Great Cycle] and change the past of all Reborns at will?!

Such a feat is unimaginable for the level of the Old Ruler, transcending all common sense. It seemed impossible that this could occur from a simple game of Go.

‘What I just experienced wasn’t an illusion but reality…!!’

Yet strangely, I couldn’t shake the feeling.

‘This is… the Outer God Al Karda…’

Can just a game of Go toy with the entire history of Reborns… the librarian of the Void Record!

I trembled at the sheer dread of it but simultaneously felt a strange urge to ask him,

“W-why in the world would you go through such strange lengths? If you want to kill me, why not do it directly instead of playing a game of Go where I could alter history?”

“I’m curious.”

Al Karda replied, still focusing on the Go board rather than me.

“Did you come this far without any regrets about every moment of your life?”

“…!!”

“By the way, whether you change history or not doesn’t particularly relate to the outcome of this Go match. I just want to know what kind of Reborn you are.”

“…”

I listened to Al Karda and spat out,

“You’re trying to deceive me. If my history changes, then I, as I am, would become a completely different person… how can I possibly still call myself me?!”

“That’s a statement you shouldn’t be making.”

“What do you mean?”

At his followed statement, I flinched.

“Then can the characters from the original history, who changed because of you, still be considered themselves?”

“…”

“This is merely a process of experiencing the butterfly effect you created through your past lives.”

Damn it…!!

I couldn’t think of anything to counter that. But knowing that the Outer God in front of me didn’t care much about winning or losing our Go match gave me a strange feeling.

‘Changing the past doesn’t impact the game outcome… if that’s the case… by making the right choices here… I could fix my past mistakes while achieving victory?’

Past…

‘Mistakes…’

Clink…

Clink…

Silence and stillness enveloped the Go-playing space. It was my turn, but I couldn’t settle my thoughts, merely toying with the stones.

Before I knew it, turbulence stirred in my heart.

‘…The event of having bested Zhuge Hyun was unfortunate, but it wasn’t that significant for me. Zhuge Hyun was the one to betray first. However…’

There indeed was one significant event that would bring me remorse if it arose during the game…?

“…”

After pondering for a while, seeking some kind of information, I turned to Al Karda.

“By any chance… am I the first Reborn to play Rebirth Go?”

“No.”

“Then…”

“If you win this match, I’ll tell you.”

He clearly didn’t intend to reveal everything so kindly.

A moment later, I steeled my heart and slowly picked up a stone.

“Understood.”

Even I have no idea what my heart truly feels.

But one thing is certain.

‘The rules of this Go are not as they appear.’

He said victory or defeat didn’t matter, but I don’t believe that.

If it genuinely had no bearing, there would be no reason for these bizarre occurrences to happen.

‘The Outer God can indeed lie for his own benefits…’

Somehow, actions that altered the past would certainly influence the ongoing game.

‘Be careful…’

Thump.

As I made my move to the past, I clenched my teeth.

“Everyone here will end up as corpses.”

The Wind Spirit Sect’s Dharma Guardian, Yongbi-cheon, exuded murderous intent.

Kugugugu

That wind bullet, larger than several sheets of paper.

The Great Monk Seo San and Yu Jeong behind me.

And….

Miho (The Beautiful Fox).

‘I know what’s about to happen next.’

To stop Yongbi-cheon, who looked certain to strike, Miho jumped in.

And… she died.

As I recalled the pain I felt at that time, a message appeared in front of my eyes.

[Change history / Do not change]

Only then did I grasp it.

“…”

This is undoubtedly a trial set by the Outer God.