전생검신 93권 15화

Al Karda responded to me, “The Sword God, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

He fell silent for a moment before saying, “What is a Sword God?”

I flinched at Al Karda’s question; it was honestly the last question I wanted to hear.

But now that I had said it, I had to own up to it, so I took a deep breath and replied earnestly, “It’s the ultimate realm in martial arts. I’ve decided to call it the Sword God.”

“……”

“Being a high-ranked librarian of the Void Record, you must know what I’m talking about, right?”

The one possessing [Knowledge of All] is the Void Record.

As a top librarian and an Outer God, there’s no way he could admit to not knowing. In fact, Al Karda’s face reflected not curiosity or doubt, but rather a blank stare, like he was trying to decipher something utterly incomprehensible.

After a moment, Al Karda said, “Whether intentional or not, that’s a sly question.”

I was taken aback by the unexpected comment.

“Sly… what do you mean?”

“Didn’t you ask me this question to gain confidence about a level you aren’t even sure exists? If it does exist, it would bolster your resolve to refine your martial arts.”

“Uh…”

Is that so?

I hadn’t thought that far…

As I fumbled through my thoughts, Al Karda calmly continued, “I cannot provide an answer to your question. It’s not within my capacity to say whether that realm exists or not.”

“……?”

“The one who can provide that answer… is someone else.”

What?

Are you saying Al Karda can’t even say whether the Sword God is known or unknown?

“If you know, you know; if you don’t, you don’t,” right?

What does that even mean?

As I puzzled over the hidden implications in Al Karda’s words, he followed up calmly, “You perhaps don’t know what the Sword God concept represents either. It’s certainly not like any existing God (神), yet you are refusing to reject the idea of becoming a Great Being for the sake of pursuing an intangible illusion.”

“……”

I felt pricked again by that piercing insight.

But I did my best to muster up a response. “I’m not sure, but… I can tell you what I imagined the Sword God’s realm to be.”

“Oh? Go ahead.”

“……It’s the limit for those who wield mysterious powers, where one becomes a [Great Being] mastering the forces of chaos. So it stands to reason that someone who reaches the pinnacle of martial arts would become something different, right?”

“…….”

“There may or may not be such a thing, but since I can’t claim to know everything about martial arts yet, I want to train to reach that level as long as my rebirth allows it.”

That’s my personal definition of the Sword God.

Since I’m using the sword as my primary weapon, it’s likely that the culmination of my training will manifest as a Sword God. If my main weapon was a spear, I’d probably be calling myself a Spear God, and if it was a bow, I’d be an Archer God. Regardless, I felt that something extraordinary would appear once I reached the apex of all martial arts.

“Ugh… this really sounds ridiculous…”

I had a rough theory in mind, but honestly, it might be dismissed as just hot air, as Al Karda pointed out. Truth be told, I don’t even know what could come after the Absolute Realm and Divine Skill since I haven’t experienced it yet. It’s entirely possible that when I reach that level, there might be nothing there, so my claims might very well be nonsense as of now.

I braced myself for the thought that Al Karda would consider me foolish.

But much to my surprise, after some contemplation, Al Karda brought up a different topic.

“…Is this choice based on your [intuition]?”

Why do I feel like this question is of great importance? I couldn’t quite pinpoint why that feeling was there. It seemed this question could determine the path ahead for me, which was strangely unsettling. I was confused, unable to decipher the source of this feeling.

However, after a moment, I shrugged off the uncertainty and replied, “No. At least, this doesn’t seem to follow my instinct.”

That’s the problem.

If I was following my gut, I wouldn’t have spent so long worrying or contemplating about walking the path of the Sword God. But strangely, my ‘instinct’ didn’t seem to react much to my desire to tread this path. Until now, during significant decisions, my instincts would guide me almost obligingly, but now it felt the opposite.

My response earned me a strange look from Al Karda.

“If your instincts aren’t supporting you, could it mean you’re headed down the wrong path?”

“……That’s true.”

“Then why do you insist on this path as a Sword God? Your goal seems like a mere wisp, and your instinct isn’t helping you. It must feel like navigating a maze shrouded in fog.”

“……”

“What will you do if, after a lifetime of struggle, you reach a dead end?”

Al Karda’s words struck home. While I had a strong determination to pursue being a Sword God, the reason I found it hard to have confidence beyond that was exactly that. Weirdly enough, while I poured all my effort into martial arts, my instinct barely kicked in, and when it came to solidifying my will as a Sword God, it felt almost completely unresponsive. That’s why I often questioned if I was truly meant to be on this path.

“Hmmm….”

I pondered deeply. Then, I clenched my fists and shouted resolutely.

“Whatever happens, happens!”

“……?”

Al Karda stared at me as if I were insane. I had expected that kind of reaction, so my face flushed a bit, but I spoke out anyway.

“Now that I’ve become a reborn person, how can I not do what I want? Even those living shorter lives than mine pursue their desires, so why should I have to give up what I want just because I’m focused on efficiency?”

I spoke with even more conviction, as if defying my fate.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s nothing at the end of this path. I don’t even need certainty. I just want to continue mastering martial arts because I enjoy it!”

Exactly.

This might be the heartfelt reason I yearned to become a Sword God.

I got into martial arts because I loved it, but the world has just grown wider and more complex since then. I even dipped my toes into divine power due to my lack of strength, but honestly, I wasn’t keen on this mystical power. What I’ve always longed for from the start was martial arts, and now, I didn’t want to admit that what I loved, martial arts, was being outdone by all these bizarre and complicated evil powers.

At my words, Al Karda contemplated for a moment before saying, “…You could also summarize it as doing it for the fun of it.”

“Uh… maybe so.”

“Fun… you do know that might be the essence of the universe, right…?”

“If it’s fun, then all the better.”

“Is that so?”

Al Karda said coldly, “Finding the essence might be interesting, too.”

And that’s when Al Karda’s words came to an abrupt end.

Swaaa…

“Uh… huh…?”

Suddenly, my entire body stiffened, and I felt a terrifying madness wash over me.

I was in a bleak and endless library filled with gray and ash tones. In that insanity, I spotted my own specter, which seemed to be holding something in both palms.

Before I knew it, I had become one with that specter and was kneeling, my gaze fixed on the ‘something’ seated before me.

The Gray Demon.

What can I even call this bizarre entity? It defied description. I could not tell whether it was animal, plant, horde, or something alive; it was a horrific and terrifying entity – I had seen the essence of the [Old Ruler] many times, but instinctively, I realized that the being before me was a concrete representation of ‘evil’ itself.

I can’t breathe. In a world entirely shrouded in gray, that Gray Demon held a book in one hand, staring into a void that I could not discern. I knew that the void it was gazing at was behind me, yet I dared not even think of looking back.

What’s going on…?

What am I experiencing right now?

It’s maddening.

I feel like I’m not myself.

Just like back when I saw the Great Intelligence of All, I could hardly think.

It was as if a hideous sound, mixed with distorted screams, incessantly tickled my ear, accompanied by a nauseating sensation of bugs crawling inside my brain. I felt the words themselves seeping into my skin from within that hallucinatory mix of mental and physical pain, realizing there was an overwhelming [will] that completely crushed my mental strength.

Even the screams felt disrespectful.

Some primal emotion beyond fear began to consume my mind along with pain. My sanity felt so terrifyingly intact that I wished I were outright insane. Why was I still in my right mind…?

In that moment, I realized that what I was holding in my palms were eyeballs.

Are these my eyeballs?

Then how am I able to see?

As that question struck me, I glanced down at the blood pool fluttering beneath me.

Nothing is reflected in that blood pool.

The Gray Demon closes the book.

And slowly lowering that hand filled with dread and reverence, it places it above my head –

A sudden halt!

But the hand stops just short of completing its descent, and I suddenly found myself back in reality.

“…Huff… huff…”

I was breathless. Every inch of me felt drenched in sweat, and my eyes clouded with horror.

My heart raced like I’d just sprinted a marathon, blood vessels in my face bursting as blood began to seep from my six holes.

Al Karda was sitting there without a flicker of emotion.

“Isn’t this interesting?”

“……”

What could possibly be fun… What kind of enjoyment am I supposed to encontrar in this horrific fear…?

Suddenly, I lost track of what Al Karda had shown me. But surely, what I just saw was the true [form] of Outer God Al Karda.

Cough! Cough!

I couldn’t hold back a cough, raising my fist to my mouth as I choked out blood.

Why did Al Karda suddenly reveal his true form?

I felt like there was some deep meaning behind it, but I couldn’t understand what led to this abrupt behavior in our conversation.

“Damn it… feels like my mind’s gonna snap…”

An Outer God isn’t something you can wrap your head around. He’s been pretending to chat like a human, yet he’s definitely not human.

When I remained silent, Al Karda said, “Looks like you still can’t see… and yet you spoke of fun…”

“……”

At that moment, I doubted my own eyes.

Al Karda was smirking. For just a brief moment, but it was clear he was enjoying himself.

“Quite marvelous… that twisted trajectory… is it your own free will?”

I couldn’t tell what Al Karda was thinking, yet he appeared satisfied with our exchange.

“Lost soul. I’m curious what fate awaits you at the end of everything…”

“Um… I still don’t understand this entire conversation.”

“That’s only natural. You’ll only understand when I get to the point.”

Al Karda fixed his intense gaze on me.

“I’ll tell you how to avoid having your divine power devoured by the essence of the Gods.”

“Um… are you serious?!”

“Indeed. You’ve satisfied me.”

“……!”

I was elated. I was about to hear invaluable information that seemed impossible to get anywhere else on earth!

Thinking about the hardships I faced without Al Karda’s mention made me ecstatic.

Though I’d just undergone the absurd experience of witnessing the true form of an Outer God again, it might still be better than enduring the struggles of reincarnation dozens of times.

After a moment, Al Karda spoke.

“No knowledge in your current world can separate divine power from its essence. However, the world possesses a fundamental nature despite its infinite repetition, so if you can find methods stemming from that fundamental void, you could acquire that power without becoming the [Old Ruler]. You already know the way to the fundamental. That’s the first method.”

“……?”

I didn’t really grasp what he said, but I made sure to remember every word from Al Karda. I planned to ask my strategist later.

As I focused on remembering, I inquired, “If that’s the first method, does that mean there’s a second one?”

“Indeed.”

“Please tell me.”

“The second method is to deconstruct the source of your divine power. Of course, this doesn’t mean completely giving up your strength; rather, it involves utilizing a new approach to rebuild it quickly.”

“……?”

I was flustered.

“What… what do you mean? Could you explain it more clearly?”

“Think about why you were able to quickly accumulate divine power. Surely it wasn’t just your own strength, right?”

“……?”

What does he mean?

“The second method can actually be simpler than the first, provided you execute it well. But it’s simpler at the expense of uncertainty and risk. And there’s one last method…”

Al Karda shot me a chilling look and continued, “Ascension.”

“……!”

“In a state where all laws of cause and effect have dissolved, you can fulfill your wishes. Most certainly.”

I thought Al Karda was just messing with me, so I retorted bluntly.

“What’s the point of certainty if by ascending I’d no longer even be human…?”

“No. Depending on your wishes, it could be possible. Usually, those challenging ascension wouldn’t even consider such a choice.”

His words took me by surprise.

“…You’re kidding me?!”

Is that even a possibility?!

“Think for yourself what that implies.”

It seemed Al Karda had no intention of elaborating further, as he sharply closed the topic there.

After explaining all three methods, Al Karda summoned his smoking pipe and let it vanish before returning to the go board.

“Wasn’t like me to say so much. Let’s begin again.”

“……

Al Karda had indeed spoken a great deal this time; perhaps it was the most he’d said so far?

‘It feels like something triggered him…’

He may act like he holds emotions, but being an Outer God means there’s no real humanity in him. I sensed that when he let that energy from the Abyss slip earlier. What I perceived as ‘emotion’ might be highly calculated or perhaps even a puppet dance, hiding darker intentions within that flamboyant ‘response.’ Yet, the fact that reaction was tangible left me pondering.

What exactly stimulated Outer God Al Karda?

Stuck in my thoughts, I could only come up with two possibilities.

‘My humanity… and martial arts (武).’

…Regardless of whatever it truly was, to Al Karda, these might be trivial subjects that appear to transcend cause and effect. Yet despite that, he seemed obsessively interested in those two aspects.

Why is that?

Why is it so important to the Outer God?

Perhaps this is the actual secret linked to my reincarnation…

‘Hmm…’

Lost in my thoughts, I groaned, unable to move forward in making my next go. The current game situation felt overwhelming as my head was far too muddled to concentrate like before. So I ended up requesting, “Um, can you please wait a moment? I need to calm myself.”

“I haven’t rushed you. If you wish to take your time, then so be it.”

“Thank you.”

Al Karda stepped away to the window, pulling out his pipe to smoke again. As I watched him with a complicated expression, I shifted my gaze back to the go board.

‘…Yeah… It’s really hopeless.’

I had felt this for a while, but as I regained my composure, the board layout became clearer.

I really don’t think I can win this.

No matter how I think about it, it feels like we’re at least 20 moves apart. Plus, since we’re already in the late game, I see no room for reversal. Since it’s a turn-based game, even if a god of go came down, given the current situation, it felt painfully obvious I couldn’t turn it around. No matter how skilled one might be, if the freedom of the stones is greatly restricted in the late game, there’s simply no way to go.

Should I keep playing a game I know I’m losing?

Al Karda had graciously spared me from a heinous task last time, but if I kept this up, I’d definitely be faced with a task almost as grueling as dealing with an Evil God. I wondered if I’d be able to endure that clean-headed.

‘What if I concede now…?’

But conceding means the end. I already knew the best way to minimize damage in this game, so I understood I couldn’t just find solutions.

Then it hit me.

‘Wait… as we’re taking turns?’

The moment that thought crossed my mind, something sparked in my head.

“I’m ready.”

“Is that so.”

As Al Karda walked over to his seat, I cautiously peered up at him and said, “Um… I have something I want to propose.”

“What is it?”

Will he go for it…?

Nervously, I laid out my outlandish idea to Al Karda.

“If I pull off the next move successfully… could I play two moves instead of one when it’s my turn?”

If I could make two moves in one turn, I might have a chance to win!

However, Al Karda looked at me as if I were a bug.

“That’s cheating. Do you not understand what go is?”

Of course, that’s cheating, but…!

I decided to push through with my stubborn resolve.

“You’re an Outer God; you can ignore all rules and causality! Surely, you could overlook the rules of go just this once!”

Al Karda adjusted his glasses.

“I think you misunderstand the power of an Outer God. Sure, an Outer God can overlook all laws and causality, but… it doesn’t mean they have to.”

“……”

“You and I are playing ‘go.’ Thus, I will unconditionally uphold the rules of ‘go’ here on this board.”

Ugh…

‘So it’s not going to work, huh?

Damn… the more I think about continuing to lose this game, the less sure I am that I can endure it until the end…’

The trials of an Outer God can change in difficulty depending on how you look at it.

With someone unpredictable like Al Karda, I could easily end up finding myself in a living hell. Who would’ve thought he’d suddenly show me his true form to induce terror?

‘Wait…?’

Could it be that he strictly adheres to the rules of go?

‘That’s it!’

How did I not think about this sooner?

I can’t win, but maybe… with that, I could!

In the very next moment, I confidently declared my play.

“You’re going to have to keep your word!”

Clack!

My next move was placed down with a distinct sharpness.

And the moment Al Karda saw it – he suddenly froze.

He studied my move carefully and remarked, “A ko, huh.”

“`

 

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