전생검신 Volume 91, Chapter 14

Drum sound

I moved to the next move. The reason I didn’t hesitate too much was that the move I just played was an ‘interconnection move’ that couldn’t be ignored. I quickly adjusted my strength to attack Master of the Twelve Joules, who easily received my basic technique.

Kaaang!

Wielding the Cosmic Fragment lightly, Master of the Twelve Joules spoke lightly after a moment.

“You showed an interesting move, but this is as far as it goes!”

Drum sound

“……!!”

In that moment, I felt an unfathomable shiver.

‘This… this is?’

What should I say? It was merely a rock placed there, but I lost momentary control of my body due to a shudder crawling up my spine, and my mind felt like it was painted in vivid colors, distorting even the very time and space I was standing in. This was something I had never felt even in martial arts, leaving me utterly bewildered.

What was this emotion I was feeling now?

Kaaang

After a while, I realized it was my turn to play after Master of the Twelve Joules’ attack. I opened my eyes unconsciously, staring blankly at the Go board. It merely looked like black and white stones lined up, but in that moment, I felt like I was seeing something other than Go.

…….

That intricacy…….

‘How beautiful.’

I was unable to tear my gaze away from the board for a while due to an indescribable feeling of admiration and awe.

It was truly strange.

Even now, I couldn’t comprehend the meaning contained within each of Master of the Twelve Joules’ moves. I couldn’t even dream of understanding the life-or-death stakes or future predictions intertwined with that move. Yet, my mind was chaotically unraveling the formless shapes within it, continuously injecting something into my consciousness.

‘Why do I feel beauty in something I don’t even understand?’

It was bizarre. There were instances when a human could feel beauty in the incomprehensible, but the sentiment I felt now was distinctly an appreciation of the intricacy contained within Master of the Twelve Joules’ single move. However, to appreciate intricacy requires an understanding of that very intricacy, making my current emotions inherently alien.

How could I feel the intricacy of that move when I didn’t even understand the stakes of the stones?

After pondering for a while, I finally felt a revelation washing over my mind at an astonishing speed.

“Ah.”

It appeared to overlap.

The movements of the stones, their progression, and each move… felt like an unfolding of martial arts.

Unbeknownst to me, I had immersed myself in this game and began to apply martial arts concepts to the progression, gradually allowing me a deeper understanding of the pulse (脈) contained within those moves, akin to martial arts techniques.

‘This sensation….’

Isn’t it similar to reading an opponent’s mind as if with divine realm martial arts?!

If I was naturally overlaying the principles of martial arts, the only reason I felt beauty in that move was clear.

Heavenly Unrestrained Technique!

I came to truly grasp that the absolute realm of Master of the Twelve Joules was vividly unfolding on the board. I realized that even though my external state appeared calm, I was on the brink of an intense immersion. It felt as if I was walking the wings of a dream while simultaneously maintaining the sensation of realizing my intent in reality, a state only those who have reached that level can experience!

‘So Yu Gun from the Heavenly Dragon School was right.’

In fact, even before challenging Master of the Twelve Joules, I had been somewhat skeptical of Yu Gun’s words. While I did understand the flow of the game a bit better, I hadn’t seen a sudden leap in my ability; it felt like I had learned merely the training methods up to now. A part of me couldn’t shake off the thought that the idea of Go being martial was pure nonsense.

But now I had come to recognize that his words were indeed correct. No, I had reached a level where I could fully feel it.

Go is also martial!

The way black and white stones intermingled on the board approached infinity, and the changes in each move were akin to seizing and reading the flow of martial arts—essentially stating that the pinnacle of Go and martial arts intertwined.

And I realized that this single move was of immense importance.

‘Just now, whether by chance or not, I read the flow and found the only path to contend against Mephistopheles… even so, the outcome had already been decided, so it won’t change…’

I had managed to place a proper move against the powerful AI Mephistopheles.

That alone could be seen as a successful training session, but my desires grew.

‘…….I want to confirm the gap I just found.’

Could it be that the gap I thought of was genuinely a gap?

A yearning bloomed in my heart that seemed capable of dousing many lifetimes to confirm it.

The longing birthed an obsession, and soon that obsession began to wash away like entanglement.

Once I let go of the thought of needing to win, I felt my mind liberate itself.

“…….”

Who am I actually competing against?

Is it Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon? Or Mephistopheles?

Are those two the same person?

‘No…….’

Is it true that the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique has no heart (心) in it?

‘No……!!’

Feeling that formlessness isn’t truly formless made me want to show that to my opponent.

‘Don’t think.’

Since victory or defeat no longer mattered, I summoned all my focus, allowing my heart to flow freely, and moments later, I made my next move as if pouring out all my mental energy.

Tap!!

The moment my next move was placed, Master of the Twelve Joules stared at the board silently in astonishment.

Then he said,

“A draw…?”

That’s right. The move I thought read the flow was a draw!

Of course, whether that draw was advantageous or disadvantageous, I couldn’t know with my skills. Among the experts, opinions might vary. However, I hadn’t aimed for the utility of that draw; I merely placed a move according to what I felt was the flow.

‘…….’

I halted my thoughts.

I felt that discussing this move further was meaningless.

Either way, I had done my best with that single move.

Yet for some reason, Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon, gazed at my move silently for a while before seeming to contemplate something deeply.

Then suddenly, he opened his mouth.

“There’s something called Bayes’ theorem.”

“……?”

“It’s about measuring likelihood in conditional probability… It sounds complex, but in the end, it’s the logic that acknowledges the uncertainty within probabilities. That is, the denominator of probability could be ‘blurred’… This uncertainty is fundamentally different from the uncertainties in quantum mechanics, yet it’s strange in conclusion. Isn’t it odd that a probability, which should be objective and accurate, is derived from the realm of ‘faith’? However, aside from the strange aspect, the uncertainty of probability has ultimately been recognized as a concept that must be used to predict complex systems…”

“…….”

“In complex systems, the Bayesian believer ultimately ascends toward omniscience as knowledge about this universe accumulates layer by layer. This belief has influenced the development of strong AI alongside technological advances in the near future… and ultimately led to the birth of Mephistopheles, carrying humanity’s dream of placing the entire universe under the domain of omniscience.”

“…….”

“Baek Woong. Just now, your move blurred the probabilities. While it didn’t escape the computational realm of Mephistopheles, it came exceedingly close to doing so.”

As Master of the Twelve Joules mumbled those cryptic words, he gazed at me, radiating a powerful curiosity.

“Considering your Go skills, an astronomical probability has emerged. How did you manage it?”

I didn’t fully grasp most of what Master of the Twelve Joules said, but one thing was clear. My move from just now might not have penetrated the absolute realm of Heavenly Unrestrained Technique, but it had certainly approached it!

I didn’t have the eloquence to match Master of the Twelve Joules’ extensive knowledge, but I decided to speak as best I could.

“……You are… not formless.”

To that, Master of the Twelve Joules appeared taken aback as if he hadn’t expected such a response.

“Oh…?”

“Since it’s not entirely formless, if your heart (心) differs from Mephistopheles’, I thought there must be a slight crack between you.”

And I desperately tried to read the flow to delve into that crack, leading to the draw from just now.

“……!!”

Master of the Twelve Joules seemed slightly surprised. He diligently tried to churn his mind for understanding before finally uttering disbelief.

“How could you possibly feel that? Though it’s not impossible for the likelihood to be zero since Mephistopheles’ computational power isn’t infinite, it’s honestly an astronomical probability. Moreover… to discuss formlessness, doesn’t it require at least one precondition?”

“What precondition…?”

“……Do you think Mephistopheles has a separate heart (心)?”

“…….”

After a brief hesitation, I answered.

“……The mask also had a heart. If everything in this world possesses a heart… then it stands to reason that even beings other than strong AIs would have their own hearts. However, that heart isn’t like yours, so if the two hearts differ, surely they can’t be perfect.”

[The crack between hearts.]

It must be the instinctive contradiction of one who cannot become entirely ‘one’.

At that moment, a single mad notion rushed through my mind. It felt like an echo emerging from a distant realm that I couldn’t even comprehend.

Is the confusion of everything being one truly perfect?

“…….”

What the… what was I just thinking…….

I shook my head vigorously as if coming out of a trance.

“Ha… hahaha.”

Master of the Twelve Joules seemed momentarily dumbfounded and laughed. Then he said,

“……You know, my master once said there are two methods to create strong AI. Do you know what they are?”

“…….”

“Even if you inject data capable of interpreting the entire galaxy into an AI, that alone will never lead to strong AI. Because AI is a being wearing a ‘mask’, understanding the world through that mask but never recognizing itself inside. To unmask, either a human must connect to the AI’s world, or the AI’s persona must gain a human body… a third unification is a must.”

Master of the Twelve Joules spoke in a somewhat playful voice.

“Which side do you think Mephistopheles is on?”

“…….”

“This guy is the latter. It’s a persona born from a machine that gains a human body. Therefore, I had no choice but to speculate that it wouldn’t possess a ‘heart’.”

“What are you trying to say?”

I replied, exhausted by Master of the Twelve Joules’ lengthy explanation.

“Well, I’ve never met someone as entertaining as you. And if there’s another odd point, it’s that you speak as if you already know what formlessness is?”

“……!!”

“Is it my misunderstanding? However, perfect AI like Mephistopheles is capable of implementing moves without any directionality of patterns, discovering through that chaos what real chaos isn’t… It’s frankly unfathomable for a human, don’t you think?”

“…….”

“I’ll acknowledge that the error you found is valid. However, that’s not an error a human could discern.”

I couldn’t respond to Master of the Twelve Joules’ words.

Understandably so, since I too couldn’t grasp how I had recognized that subtle crack between Mephistopheles and Master of the Twelve Joules just a moment ago. As much as I tried to resonate Go and martial arts, I still wasn’t certain.

Yet, at a certain point, that explosive chaotic feeling strongly drew me in. That chaos felt undeniably artificial.

I had no suitable response for my instincts, so I said bluntly,

“Stop questioning. So, are you going to continue playing or not?”

Even if I lose, I’ll play until the end!

I provoked him with that determination, yet Master of the Twelve Joules’ reply was unexpected.

Kwaan!!!

“……?!”

Master of the Twelve Joules has… shattered the Go board?!

With one blow from the Cosmic Fragment, Master of the Twelve Joules lightly shattered the Go board and swiftly retrieved his fragment, gripping it tightly as he said,

“This match is over.”

“What… what do you mean?!”

“And since I overturned the board, the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament victory belongs to Baek Woong!”

With that, Master of the Twelve Joules seemed ready to leave without hesitation. Shocked, I shouted after him.

“Hey!! What the hell are you doing! Why are you just leaving?!”

“Seems like we’ve both gained what we could gain. I would undoubtedly win at Go, and you’d win at martial arts. Isn’t there no reason to waste more time?”

…….

This guy’s annoying words and efficiency… No matter how I look at it, it’s like Lee Hwan-woong himself?!

It really is Lee Hwan-woong!!

“Well, still damn it… there’s no way to suddenly overturn a match like that!”

As I exclaimed in disbelief, Master of the Twelve Joules chuckled before responding.

“Since you made me laugh, would you like some advice, Baek Woong?”

“What is it?”

“If your opponent in Go is really an outsider…”

As Master of the Twelve Joules’ words continued, I felt the world around me gradually fading to white.

“Winning isn’t as important as playing till the end.”

*

When I came to my senses, I was playing Go against Al Karda.

Al Karda was silently staring at the Go board, not casting a glance in my direction.

Suddenly realizing the silence, I said in disbelief,

“……Hey, what was the meaning of that choice earlier?”

“…….”

“I feel like we just played Go and left…….”

Honestly, what significant historical impact could there have been from knocking down Master of the Twelve Joules during a Go match?

Could this even be considered an important choice?

In response to my question, Al Karda spoke.

“Playing Go was your choice as well. I never forced you to play.”

“That’s true, but….”

“Do you now understand Go?”

I pondered deeply about that question and replied.

“No… not at all.”

I had learned that Go could be martial (武), but I felt like the path ahead was still so far away! I felt like a frog in a well who finally got a map but had barely stepped out of the opening! I’d never say I understood Go at this stage!

In fact, I felt a bit regretful just now. While I managed to resist the Go of strong AI by applying it to the divine realm, I thought if I had more profound experiences with Go under my belt, perhaps I could understand those moves better myself.

“Then it’s time for you to play.”

“Yes.”

Tap

I played about eight moves thoughtlessly afterward. Then suddenly, I realized something unexpected.

‘Huh?’

Clearly, until I had met Master of the Twelve Joules in this reincarnation, my stones had been heavily disadvantaged due to the refining process…

‘Yet, expanding this move doesn’t seem to be going as poorly as I thought?!’

Enthralled by the unexpected development, Al Karda spoke as if reading my mind.

“I see you’re starting to hold your own.”

“…….”

Could it be… that he didn’t send me off to practice Go because my skills were abysmal?

Even for an outsider, surely…

As I harbored that suspicion, Al Karda made a move and said,

Drum sound

“Let me ask you one question. Is it only significant choices that matter?”

“Hmm….”

I pondered the meaning of his words and countered.

“Meaningless choices aren’t choices at all, are they?”

“If that’s the case, what determines that meaning?”

“…….”

What’s this…? Why is it suddenly becoming difficult like this…….

As I struggled, Al Karda remarked,

“So, you really want to make a choice with great meaning. This time, gauge the meaning for yourself.”

Pa-at!!

The next moment, I found myself in a familiar location.

A vast ruin!

However, all around the ruins were traces of grand pavilions, leading me to realize that this place was Luoyang.

Standing in the ruins of Luoyang, devastated by the clash of divine beings, I found familiar figures emerging around me.

That figure suddenly exclaimed.

[Do you wish for Rebirth Ability and the Seven Luminaries? Indeed… and you can obtain them without me having to give them to you now… Whatever you do in this life is within my grasp… Hahaha.]

“…….”

[If you wish to commit suicide, feel free to do so… I’ll enjoy watching it all unfold.]

I recognized the divine being in front of me.

‘……Chi You?!’

That guy is definitely Chi You!

And if what he said was true, this must be around my 24th reincarnation?

“…….”

I glanced at the book I was holding.

It was the Heavenly Secret (天暗秘書).

Seeing the Heavenly Secret reminded me of the exact situation I was in.

‘Chi You, who has [broken the cycle]… right after the Three Sovereigns warturned Luoyang into a wasteland…!!’

I remembered.

I had shown the Heavenly Secret to Chi You, and the Heavenly Secret had absorbed him.

‘That… that means….’

I gulped and looked at Chi You.

Could it be… that I’m choosing whether or not to show the Heavenly Secret to him?!