전생검신 92 01화

Nyarlathotep has been sealed by all past reincarnators?!

I couldn’t help but be shocked by this unexpected statement. I knew that Nyarlathotep was an archenemy of the reincarnators, but I never imagined that they would seal him.

‘…But how strong was he before getting sealed?’

I couldn’t even imagine.

While I was feeling a chill from Nyarlathotep’s power, Howol continued speaking.

“Baek Woong. Originally, I intended to send Seong Jin to inform Ayuta about the situation.”

“What… Ah!”

In an instant, I thought I understood Howol’s sudden statement.

‘Of course… That’s strange!’

In the original history, Howol was supposed to send the priest Seong Jin to hold back the Eight Parts of the Divine and protect Dharma’s True Martial Home. However, if both Dharma and Howol were aiming for Nyarlathotep’s seal instead of the True Martial Home, then that action was clearly odd. It was obvious to anyone that sending Seong Jin against Nyarlathotep would be an exercise in futility and an unnecessary sacrifice.

After thinking for a moment, I deduced Howol’s intentions and said to him.

“…You wanted to check whether Dharma had properly sealed Nyarlathotep, even if it meant sacrificing Seong Jin.”

“Indeed. Ayuta can share Seong Jin’s vision, allowing us to safely monitor the progress from a distance. It was the way to minimize risks.”

“What the hell…! Why are you so nonchalant? You’re saying you used your disciple as a disposable pawn!”

I exploded with anger at Howol’s calm demeanor. If what he said was true, then Seong Jin witnessed Nyarlathotep without knowing any details of the plan and was essentially playing a role where his death wouldn’t matter! It was anyone’s guess what would happen to Seong Jin when confronted by an otherworldly being with absolute power.

‘Seong Jin may not be a good guy, but still… This is too much!’

But Howol merely glanced at the unconscious Seong Jin and replied without batting an eye.

“He also agreed to bear all risks as Dharma’s disciple. We could not afford to be picky with our means against Nyarlathotep.”

“Are you saying the sacrifice was for the greater good?”

“If you put it that way, I have no rebuttal. I thought the chances of Nyarlathotep paying attention to Seong Jin were nearly nonexistent and assumed he wouldn’t just die from merely observing.”

“…

Seeing Howol unshaken even at the topic of Seong Jin’s sacrifice made me speechless.

‘This guy… He’s the same type as the future Master of the White Lotus Sect, Dokgo Uncheon.’

A paradoxical being who could justify his actions under the guise of saving humanity while still retaining some humanity!

While I was at a loss for words, Howol continued.

“However, now that you’ve appeared, there’s no longer any need for that. You are effectively the ‘result’ of all our actions, so is it even relevant to check whether Nyarlathotep has been sealed?”

“…Is that really a good approach?”

“Logically speaking, yes. From now on, it’s your time.”

“My time?”

Howol nodded and spoke.

“You still haven’t explained to me why you came to this timeframe after circling the ‘Gyeolle’ (Cycle). You might not even need to explain it to me. But regardless of your intentions, everything you do from now on is your choice.”

“……”

“What do you want to do? Speak. I will pledge my life to help you from now on.”

I could understand Howol’s words.

‘Howol… He hasn’t heard a word from me, yet he vaguely grasped the purpose of the [Reincarnation].’

He must felt it was a waste of time for me to even explain the situation to him, so he encouraged me to do what I wanted! I was briefly startled by Howol’s astonishing intuition and deductive skills, but soon fell into deep thought.

‘…Right now, I can choose between two options…’

The first is to listen to Howol discuss the Sun and Moon Spirit and the Sun and Moon Divine Art in detail, trying to gain those teachings if possible.

The second is to venture into the highly dangerous Heart of the Mind and face Nyarlathotep directly.

‘The situation is quite urgent. Probably no time to do both.’

Logically, the first choice would be correct. It carried no risk and could yield immense benefits, as the Sun and Moon Spirit and Divine Art were extraordinary in their own right. Even if I didn’t manage to inherit the techniques, every hint from Howol would tremendously shorten my journey in the reincarnation.

However, the second option was still a viable choice. This left me in a dilemma.

‘What is going on…?’

The second option presented a high risk with unclear benefits, and I would be confronting Nyarlathotep, an extremely dangerous threat. There was a possibility of being wiped out by him at any moment. No sane person would choose such a risky path.

Yet… Yet…

Despite everything, my intuition insisted that the ‘second’ choice would bring even greater rewards.

The choice to confront Nyarlathotep’s true form inside the Heart of the Mind!

‘Insanity!’

It was almost unprecedented for my intuition to betray reason to such an extent, leaving me flabbergasted.

‘…Time is short… I have to choose!’

After grappling with my thoughts for a while, I finally spoke to Howol.

“Howol. Can you quickly transfer the Sun and Moon Spirit and Divine Art to me? Within a day.”

“That’s impossible. The Sun and Moon Spirit is a somewhat abstract concept I’ve created, and the Sun and Moon Divine Art completely overturns the conventional martial principles. I never imagined that someone other than me could master them, so they likely weren’t passed down to future generations.”

“……”

As expected, I had a feeling it would be impossible. The Sun and Moon Divine Art was also considered a peerless divine technique or demon art, making it something that couldn’t just be taught in a mere half-moment.

‘If only I could give up on Nyarlathotep and comfortably spend years learning the Sun and Moon Divine Art… But…’

No matter how I interpreted the Reincarnation, would Al Karda allow me that luxury?

Looking at all the ‘choices’ Al Karda had forced on me until now, I felt he wouldn’t allow it. Even though he seemed somewhat favorable for an outer god, he kept throwing me into situations where I couldn’t spend too much time on my choices. What an outer god wanted to see was not me gaining a natural advantage.

‘What the outer god desires… is to observe whether I am able to take hold of the clear benefits of the reincarnation. Receiving the Sun and Moon Divine Art wouldn’t require me to make a ‘choice’ at all.’

This is because I had already confirmed that any knowledge acquired would not disappear even with the ongoing reincarnation. Knowledge about Go was related to reincarnation, making it feel as though Al Karda was facilitating it. But would the same apply to something as clear-cut as the Sun and Moon Divine Art?

Perhaps my current anxiety was excessive, but there was one factor fueling my unease.

‘…I still haven’t faced the spear that says I won’t change history.’

This indicated that Al Karda did not think I was even at a point where I could gain ‘benefits’ yet.

Which meant…

“……”

After thinking for a while, I spoke.

“Howol. Then even a brief explanation of the Sun and Moon Divine Art and the Sun and Moon Spirit would suffice.”

“…Baek Woong. You’re not seriously considering heading into that Heart of the Mind after hearing my explanation, right?”

Howol instantly discerned my intent. I flinched and sighed.

“I feel like I have to do just that for things to progress.”

“That’s a nonsensical decision, but you sound just like your master. Is this a peculiar choice that reincarnators often find themselves in?”

“…That might be the case.”

“Alright then. I’ll tell you as much as I can.”

After organizing his thoughts briefly, Howol began to speak.

“As you know, I bear the Curse of the Divine Dragon. This curse was bestowed upon me by Master Dharma when I felt the limitations of human strength and was disheartened. According to my master, this curse theoretically holds the potential to confront all [Old Rulers] except for otherworldly beings.”

“Hmm…!”

“However, the Curse of the Divine Dragon is so powerful that, no matter what I do, I am destined to be devoured. I know this all too well and accept it.”

“To counter that fate, is the Sun and Moon Divine Art what you created?”

“That’s correct. The Sun and Moon Divine Art is what I crafted to overcome my curse, utilizing the support of my master to research over a thousand peerless divine techniques from the martial world. This means that the prerequisite for practicing the Sun and Moon Divine Art is to possess the Curse of the Divine Dragon. Those who don’t will perish instantaneously if they try to learn it.”

“……!”

I was shocked by Howol’s explanation.

‘You must have the Curse of the Divine Dragon to practice it…!’

Then it made sense why Howol’s Sun and Moon Divine Art hadn’t been passed down. It would undoubtedly have led to plenty of unnecessary sacrifices if left to future generations.

Straining to remember his words, I continued.

“Does that mean that learning the Sun and Moon Divine Art would be pointless for me?”

“Well… Originally, that would be the case, but you’re a reincarnator. Unlike mere mortals who live but once, reincarnators can devise all kinds of outlandish solutions. So don’t jump to conclusions.”

“Hm.”

“I’ll provide you with the core principles of the Sun and Moon Divine Art now.”

Woosh!

Suddenly, Howol unleashed a powerful aura from his entire being. I noticed that this energy took on two distinct natures and let out a silent gasp.

“Yin and Yang!”

“That’s a concept developed by the school of Yin and Yang. In fact, the idea was used differently in the divine era, and the principles varied. Furthermore, it became mixed with Daoism, resulting in significant distortion of its essential meaning. Therefore, you should understand this principle more as the ‘Sun and Moon Rising’.”

“…?”

Sun and Moon Rising?

What was that?

As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar concept, Howol demonstrated the two distinct energies gathering in his arms and continued speaking.

“Now, observe. The power governing my original spirit comes from the Curse of the Divine Dragon. Normally, I shouldn’t touch the curse, but by awakening the principles of Sun and Moon Rising, I can suppress the power of the Dragon using dual rays. Pay close attention to the [flow] of this power.”

“……”

“Not with your eyes… but with the [flow].”

I realized he was referring to perceiving the [flow] of divine realm. As I attempted to observe him not with my sight but by feeling the essence through the [flow], I soon recognized a peculiar equilibrium of power forming inside Howol’s body.

‘As Howol said…’

The Curse of the Divine Dragon writhing within Howol was truly immense. Ordinary martial artists would have their eyes burned out from merely trying to see it, and its potential felt cosmic in scale. Any power that might surpass even planetary levels seemed as though it was utterly useless against such a cosmic threat.

Yet, this impossible feat was being accomplished by the energies enveloping Howol’s arms. I could feel that the two forces were maintaining a perfect balance like the fulcrum of a lever, suppressing the Curse of the Divine Dragon.

Realizing the flow left me no choice but to be astonished.

“How is this even possible? The Curse of the Divine Dragon possesses a power thousands of times stronger, how could it be restrained just like this…!”

“You also understand when you reach the divine realm that strength becomes nothing but a unit at higher dimensions. And if used skillfully, one can disregard that unit entirely. The existence of chaos only possesses skills that martial arts can never replicate.”

“……!”

“However, this Sun and Moon Divine Art is imperfect. While the foundation allows me to control the power of the Divine Dragon, the sheer gap in strength can occasionally cause it to lose control. Moreover, if the Divine Dragon is absent, the Sun and Moon Divine Art is perfectly capable of harming a human. Hence, I could never dare to pass it down to anyone else.”

“…Then what is the Sun and Moon Spirit? It’s not something you just brought up randomly.”

Howol nodded at my question and replied.

“The Sun and Moon Spirit is the key that fully realizes the potential of the Sun and Moon Divine Art.”

“How does it achieve that?”

“The Sun and Moon Spirit is a [vessel]. Before explaining this, do you understand what it means to create a [vessel] using the Soul of the Four Gods?”

“Of course. The Soul of the Four Gods was a martial art to create a vessel capable of coping with the divine power of the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“You understand well. The Sun and Moon Spirit is a more advanced stage based on the theory of the Soul of the Four Gods.”

Howol slowly continued.

“The Soul of the Four Gods inherently has limitations. No matter how much you train that [vessel] to make it high-level and sturdy, there are still limits to what a human can create. While that limitation might still grant enough strength to fight against many advanced divine beings, our goal in the White Lotus Sect is the true True Martial Home, which requires us to face beings like Nyarlathotep, who far exceed the concept of a mere advanced divine being.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth.

‘Howol sensed the limitations when he created the Soul of the Four Gods.’

Had Howol survived for centuries more, he might have achieved my level in the training world already. Otherwise, there’s no way he could have had such a precise understanding of my Soul of the Four Gods level and its limitations.

“Then the Soul of the Four Gods must also be conceived in a stage that transcends the Soul of the Four Gods. Thus, when I sensed the level that could be achieved through ultimate training of the Soul of the Four Gods, I arbitrarily called it the Sun and Moon Spirit.”

“I understand the theory, but… What is the true identity of the Sun and Moon Spirit? I’ve only encountered it once in hundreds of years of training the Soul of the Four Gods.”

“How interesting, you’ve actually come across it? So my theory was correct.”

Seeing Howol looking pleased, I couldn’t help but feel exasperated.

“Don’t just gloat, tell me what it is! What I stumbled into was pure luck; I can’t reproduce that on my own!”

“The power at the creation of the universe.”

“…What?”

“It was something I discovered while researching True Martial Home with my master. Although the birth of the universe was a fleeting moment, it generated countless laws of cause and effect, which are the fundamental principles of everything, all at once. Among those, there are numerous powers and laws that were confined without being released into the universe.”

Howol’s eyes sparkled.

“The Sun and Moon Spirit… is using the power of the vessel I trained through the Sun and Moon Divine Art and the Soul of the Four Gods to reach back to the realm of creation and liberate the powers that had been sealed away, using them directly as the [vessel]. This represents a level of unfathomable power fundamentally different from the vessels humans can create, allowing me to fuse with the Curse of the Divine Dragon… This is the essence of the Sun and Moon Spirit and the completion of the Sun and Moon Divine Art!”

“……!”

I was speechless.

‘Good grief!’

Even after honing my Soul of the Four Gods for hundreds of years, I never even entertained the thought of such a concept! How high must Howol’s level be to foster such creativity?

‘If… If that’s possible, then attaining a transcendent power is within reach.’

Even the current mastery of the Soul of the Four Gods, derived from the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, is a power that any human could eventually grasp over a long time. Just that could give me the strength to confront a god, but if I could acquire a [vessel] directly from the realm of creation… the level of power I could attain would be incalculable!

‘So that’s how I was able to face Nailatop with the Sun and Moon Spirit…!’

Just as I was beginning to grasp the reality of the Sun and Moon Spirit, Howol said.

“Now I wish to share the essence of the Sun and Moon Divine Art with you, but I feel time is running short…”

Duk-dung!

Duk-dung!

Suddenly, the sound of my heart pounding echoed throughout the world. I flinched at the massive thump, which I easily recognized as erupting from the Heart of the Mind.

When an uncomfortable feeling began to settle in, Howol spoke.

“This is bad. Nyarlathotep seems to be attempting to kill the master for real.”

“……!”

“Are you really going to go in there? You could be killed before you could even act in just a second.”

Howol was visibly concerned. As he stated, entering that Heart of the Mind was an expression of sheer madness.

However, I clenched my fist firmly.

“I… will go!”

I certainly didn’t have a guaranteed way of surviving after facing Nyarlathotep. I couldn’t predict what whims he might have.

But… still, I have some means to negotiate with him!

Pa-at!

In the next moment, I leaped into the Heart of the Mind.