전생검신 Volume 94, Chapter 10

I had sort of figured out Abaddon’s identity earlier.

‘That’s the terminal of the Seer. That kind of expression is only used by terminals that were under the Heavenly Secret’s control.’

The Heavenly Secret had three terminals that I had encountered.

Hang-a, Cheon Woo-jin, and Mephistopheles. Technically, since Mephistopheles was the assistant terminal, you could say there were just two, but that wasn’t really the point.

What mattered was that a terminal plays the role of a secretary for a Reborn Person. When Heavenly Secret first granted rights upon sending Hang-a down, it wasn’t without reason. Of course, since Hang-a herself harbored ulterior motives, I couldn’t gain much through her, but the second terminal, Cheon Woo-jin, provided me significant benefits.

‘If it weren’t for Cheon Woo-jin, I wouldn’t have been able to train in the Training World or gather information on the Great Bear Empire.’

A terminal shares a considerable amount of secrets of the Reborn Person while using the powers of the Seer to assist them. It also serves as a bridge connecting the Reborn Person and the Heavenly Secret. Having only understood what a terminal truly was through years of reincarnation, I realized just how terrifying that terminal’s power could be.

A terminal can use a portion of Heavenly Secret’s powers. If that power is used properly, it could easily betray me, and I had painfully felt that through my interactions with Hang-a.

This was a power that could perhaps manipulate even the Great Cycle, and indeed, Cheon Woo-jin had once sent me back to the past of the Great Cycle, so it was not a power to be underestimated. While it didn’t directly move the Great Cycle, summoning the power of the Heavenly Secret that could make it possible indicated that the terminal itself might be a being superior to most divine statuses.

And that was why Mephistopheles, even at the risk of Cheon Woo-jin’s disappearance, greedily sought the position of the terminal!

‘Now, it’s certain.’

The Master is definitely a Reborn Person!

I recalled the above information and glared at Abaddon.

“If you’re a terminal, you should wield considerable power under the Reborn Person. Yet, you’re being greedy. By the looks of it, you never had loyalty to the Master from the start, did you?”

Abaddon chuckled as if I had said something amusing.

[ Hahaha… Loyalty? What virtue does a Reborn Person have to possess such a thing?]

I narrowed my eyes at Abaddon’s blatant laughter.

“What does that mean? Are you suggesting Reborn Persons have no virtue?”

[ That’s right.]

“Why do you think that?”

[ Before answering, let me ask you… What round are you on?]

An unexpectedly straightforward and piercing question.

It was a question that could be seen as asking for potentially the most significant piece of information, but I didn’t particularly lie and responded to Abaddon’s inquiry.

“I’m on my 30th round.”

After all, this place wasn’t my dimensional realm or world. Everything was different to such an extent that this place clearly had a different setting for the Great Cycle. There was no reason for me to deceive Abaddon, whom I wouldn’t see again, and if I wasn’t honest, it would be challenging to obtain the information I needed.

At my reply, Abaddon gasped in surprise.

[ What…?! You possess that level of divine power, yet you’re only on your 30th round?]

“… Why should I bother showboating for you?”

[ I can’t believe it…]

After a moment of marveling, Abaddon continued speaking.

[ The Master was already on his 26,823rd round when he recruited me as a terminal… And he had also achieved the Seventh Tribulation at that time… Your divine power seems to be similar to that of the Master from back then, so how can you not be surprised…?]

“……?!”

[ At that time, he had forgotten his own name due to too many reincarnations…]

What?! The master, who is my current self and a Reborn Person, has reincarnated over 26 thousand times?!

I gasped in shock and said to Abaddon.

“Is that even possible? No… How do you know that count of reincarnations?!”

[ A terminal can automatically know the reincarnation count of the Reborn Person they’re assigned to… Didn’t you know?]

“……”

Hmm… Thinking about it, counting 30 rounds is manageable, so there wouldn’t really be a need for a terminal to have the ability to track the count.

Realizing I’d unexpectedly gained vital information, I reminded myself that wasn’t what mattered and asked again.

“And the Seventh Tribulation? This place is the Eighth Tribulation!”

[ After the Master accepted me as a terminal, he repeated around 1,382 rounds before reaching the Eighth Tribulation…]

“……”

[ You sure are interesting with that expression of yours… This level of reincarnation repetition should be entirely normal for a Reborn Person.]

“Normal?”

[ For a mortal to grasp cosmic power isn’t an easy feat… I don’t know many Reborn Persons, but the Master’s growth pace is quite exceptional… You seem to be an extremely alien being… ]

Having said that, Abaddon continued.

[ Regardless… being on the 30th round means you might not even perceive what a Reborn Person is… At least in my view, Reborn Persons have no such virtue!]

I frowned at Abaddon’s words. His assertion was akin to outright denying all the hard work and suffering I had endured through my reincarnations. Even now, I was still striving, so it wasn’t easy to accept his statement.

“Isn’t that too definitive? What do you, a terminal, know about a Reborn Person?”

[ ……]

“It’s true that my rounds are short, but unlike that Master fellow, I have a goal that wouldn’t change even after tens of thousands of reincarnations.”

[ Is that so… I can’t claim to know everything about the cosmos.]

Abaddon then lit up with his eyes.

[ However, I have also observed the Master for quite a long time as a Reborn Person… I can only judge based on the Reborn Persons I’ve seen. Isn’t that right?]

“That’s fair…”

[ And from the countless memories I’ve seen… It became clear he can’t possibly hold any grasp of reality in this world…]

“Grasp of reality?”

[ He could have become absolute good or absolute evil… ]

Abaddon stated almost as if he were offering a concession.

[ Do you want to see the memories I’ve preserved? Although they’re only the memories after he became a terminal.]

Zzizzzzz

As I spoke, a magic circle appeared in the air, and a book was summoned in front of me. As I hesitated, realizing the book looked very much like a traditional grimoire, I slowly began to flip through its pages.

“If you’re showing it, I’m all for it.”

Right now, I needed any clue I could get to uncover the Master’s identity, so I wouldn’t refuse if he was showing me directly.

Bam!!

With a flash of light, countless memories quickly flickered through my mind.

Rather than feeling like I was being injected with memories, it felt more like being shown an overall context.

One day, the Master thought.

After the sun exploded, could I recreate the solar system if I created the same Earth?

So he went ahead and blew it up. It needed to be destroyed first to be remade.

Since the sun exploded, naturally, all existences in the solar system, including the Earth, were annihilated. However, the Master used the power of the calamity to remain unscathed.

For a long time, he repeatedly molded the sun and recreated planets with the ability of creation.

However, he ultimately gave up since things weren’t going well and simply died to start the next reincarnation.

One day, the Master thought.

Would it be possible to gain a large following by making demons his servile race instead of humans?

So he proceeded to kill all the humans. They had to be entirely gone to leave only demons behind.

After annihilating humanity, the Master used his powers to leave only the demon race to serve him.

Yet the devotion from the demons turned out to be less helpful than he expected.

So after killing all the demons as well, he again died to begin his next reincarnation.

One day, the Master thought.

If he became the god of humanity and transformed into the kindest being, could he embody the properties of a benevolent deity?

So he pretended to be a god, fighting valiantly against all evil deeds.

After thousands of years of effort, he eventually realized it was meaningless and stopped to begin his next reincarnation.

One day, the Master thought.

How strong would it be to gather all races in the galaxy and create a chimera?

So he went ahead and killed all the races…

…….

While I continued to feel a summary of those memories, I noticed my complexion gradually turning pale.

‘What the…’

A feeling of essential disgust began to rise up, like I wanted to vomit. After sustaining through hundreds of reincarnations, I finally let out a groan.

“Ugh!!”

T-This guy…

Does he not have any morals or conscience?!

Unable to contain myself, I shouted.

“What the hell is this!! What monstrosity is he!!”

I vividly felt that the ‘Master’s’ mental state was already that of a creature beyond humanity. Unimaginably evil deeds were performed without the slightest emotion, while at the same time living as the most virtuous being for thousands of years. It was indeed questionable whether it could even be considered the same species, and this was the result of one being’s reincarnations?!

Then Abaddon slowly replied with an understanding demeanor.

[ He was neither good nor evil. He was simply a Reborn Person.]

“What do you mean he’s just a Reborn Person?”

[ When one dies and is reborn, everything resets, rendering most creatures unable to comprehend… Using that feature, he tried everything… Would he need a conscience when everything resets… ]

“……”

[ I was also a demon god who ruled one aspect of the universe, but… I cannot even oppose the madness of a Reborn Person.]

I could tell that Abaddon wasn’t exaggerating. The life just flitted through my mind of the Master was ghastly beyond expression. The acts he continually repeated were unimaginable for a normal human, solidifying Abaddon’s claim that he was a being devoid of the concept of good and evil.

‘Damn it…’

I couldn’t help but feel annoyed as I summarized the Master’s life in a fleeting moment. It was partially because, at one point, I had considered the same possibilities in my own mind.

If everything resets… how fun would it be to do as I please, disregarding moral values!

But having a rough idea of the extent to which my mind would become damaged while living like that, I hesitated to cross that ‘line’. After all, I restricted my actions within a realm that my companions could accept. The Master’s life was a vivid illustration of what would happen if I crossed that ‘line’ as a Reborn Person, and I was forced to feel a strong sense of discomfort.

The reason for my discomfort was that I could directly feel that unpleasant feeling of drifting without a purpose, having lost all ties to companions.

‘ That is… that’s something I cannot bear!!’

The instinct of the Reborn Person suddenly erupted in intense hatred.

I knew the reason why.

I understood just how ferociously miserable that existence would be.

Abaddon continued speaking.

[ However, if that Reborn Person, the Master, were to vanish… wouldn’t that mean I could also have a chance to reincarnate…? Wouldn’t it be worth a shot…? ]

“……”

[ Loyalty or whatever, if I have that opportunity, I won’t let it slip away… ]

I started sensing a desire in Abaddon’s voice.

‘ Well, of course.’

What would the Demon God have to lose to speak about good and evil?

So, is the Reborn Person just a bad guy and saying don’t blame him for it?

As I suppressed a chuckle in my heart, Abaddon slowly extended his massive demonic hand towards me, signaling a handshake.

[ Inquiry’s Reborn Person… let’s make a deal… We could mutually benefit each other. Even though we’ve just met, there’s no need to fight, right?]

“Hmm… Are you serious?”

I was catching on that Abaddon genuinely wanted to make a deal with me. My years of experience had given me a sixth sense about whether they were trying to negotiate or play me.

‘ I can’t fully trust him yet… but…’

It didn’t sit well for me to confront a mysterious enemy while both of us were sealed in powers. Even if I had my Wheel abilities and Divine Skills, he was a demon god capable of manipulating entire dimensions, and I couldn’t predict what variables might arise. It’s not that I couldn’t handle it, but there would be a more definite way to ensure success in this mission by teaming up with this guy.

‘ As he said, this isn’t a combat for ideals or negotiations. So, whatever’s fine.’

Using his Divine Powers to challenge me, Abaddon going through the motions hadn’t thrown me off his trail either.

Of course, I was lucky to have made it this far without a scratch, but had I been injured during the process of ascending the Tower of the Eighth Tribulation, Abaddon could change his tune and attack me. I could easily guess his motivations, but harboring grudges over every small plot would only lead to a lack of gains in this world.

‘ It’s a reasonable negotiation.’

In a sense, using the techniques of my Wheel to ascend the top unharmed had created space for this negotiation.

I thought it over and finally said.

“What sort of deal do you want?”

[ I can provide any information you desire… In exchange, I want you to summon the Seer and hand it over to me… Then, that Seer will likely become mine, and I will become a Reborn Person.]

“Hmm…”

I trailed off, pondering.

“That’s strange. Are you really saying that the Reborn Person’s essence can be passed on merely by handing over the Seer? None of my terminals have ever mentioned anything like that.”

I felt like I had heard something about conditions for stripping reincarnation abilities before…

Though, if his assertions were true, it didn’t seem that straightforward.

Abaddon chuckled.

[ Hahaha… I don’t know if that’s possible. But there won’t be any harm in trying, right?]

“That’s fair.”

If it succeeds, he’d become a Reborn Person, which made it a bet worth taking from his perspective. However, I couldn’t shake a gut feeling indicating that something bad might come from this.

‘ It’s not my business, but is this really okay?’

There’s something that feels utterly absurd coming from this…

Should I try to dissuade it even now?

‘ Eh, whatever. It’s not my problem.’

As long as I gather the Master’s information and break this mission, that was all that mattered. There’s no reason to worry about a demon god like him. Shaking my head, I told Abaddon.

“Fine. What I want is the true name of the Master. If you provide me with enough information for me to figure it out, then I’ll summon this ‘Master’s’ Seer and hand it over to you.”

Having made up my mind to evade combat, I spoke without hesitation.

[ … But prior to that… do you possess the ability to summon the Seer? Without that ability, this discussion is meaningless.]

I briefly rummaged through my pockets but found nothing. I sulked and complained.

“Damn. Nothing. I normally carry the Heavenly Secret in my pockets or the Void Space, but where does that Master keep his stuff?”

[ Heavenly Secret…? You refer to the Seer in that way…?]

“What did the Master call it?”

[ The Master referred to that reincarnation-enabled Seer as the ‘Book of Revelation.’]

“Hmm.”

Book of Revelation? That sounded somewhat familiar…

I tilted my head, but I recalled that the Outer God Observer had mentioned that the Heavenly Secret is referred to differently in each world, so it didn’t seem like a significant issue. I nodded in agreement.

“Alright. Anyway, where did he stash that Book of Revelation?”

[ I don’t know… The Master didn’t trust me; he kept it in a location only he knew.]

I couldn’t help but complain about the absurdity of it all.

“That’s just bragging! Is that why you had me summon that book?!”

[ ……]

“Wait a minute. Wasn’t summoning possible…?”

I searched my memory for what I knew about the Heavenly Secret.

‘ Hmm… Let’s see… Was summoning the Heavenly Secret… possible…? Or not…?’

Now that I think about it, hadn’t I lost the Heavenly Secret several times?

After losing it, didn’t Jin So-cheong once travel to the far reaches of the universe just to retrieve the Heavenly Secret?

“……”

Is there even a way to find out the location of the Seer right now?

Hell… Didn’t it seem like hardly a day’s time was left for this mission, and I might have to scour the universe to find the Heavenly Secret?

As that thought hit me, my head spun. Just when I was about to try something, suddenly everything came crashing down!

This is a far tougher mission than expected!

‘ Ah! Don’t give up! It feels like I’m almost there, and if I quit over this little roadblock… what would all the hardships I went through mean?!’

Why had I gone through all the trouble of fighting Jeon Wook and slashing the Dragon of the Apocalypse with nothing but skin and bones?

The game with the Outer God isn’t over yet!

I scolded myself, mentally forced to regain my composure.

‘ Ah, maybe!’

After wracking my brain, I suddenly had a thought and addressed Abaddon.

“Abaddon! How is this [Tower] built within the Abyss Dimension? You didn’t join the Master until he achieved the Seventh Tribulation, did you?”

Abaddon paused briefly before responding to my question.

[ He moved the Tower, which existed within his mental world, into my dimension…]

“Could it be… that he created a Training World?”

When I asked, Abaddon looked puzzled.

[ ……? What’s a Training World?]

“It’s created as a world similar to reality as the Seer’s terminal for Reborn Persons to train in…”

After explaining the concept of the Training World created by Cheon Woo-jin, Abaddon calmly listened and then spoke.

[ No… That’s not it. I merely opened my dimension; I did not create a new world using the powers of the Seer. I didn’t even know that sort of thing was possible.]

“Oh, really…”

So this isn’t the Training World…

“Then it’s not impossible to find a way into the Seer, right?”

[ You’re not thinking… what I think you are…?]

Upon noticing something, Abaddon spoke, and I grinned wide.

“As the current master of the Book of Revelation, I command you, as the terminal, create a Training World within the Seer to move this Tower inside the Book of Revelation!”

[ ……!!]

“Make sure both you and I get transported into the Training World.”

At my words, Abaddon appeared stunned, then sinisterly smiled back.

[ Right… Even if I’m not aware of the exact physical location of the Seer… But by commanding it as a Reborn Person to create a Training World within the Seer, I can automatically move inside the Seer!]

I nodded, affirming that Abaddon was on the right track.

“Exactly. Once we step inside the Seer, anything can happen, right?”

The exact position of the Seer didn’t really matter.

With only the Reborn Person giving commands and the terminal following them, if the command was issued, the terminal would likely utilize the Seer’s powers accordingly. Moreover, using the command to transition within the Seer meant entering was possible regardless of the actual location!

‘ Back in my world, the actual location of the Heavenly Secret does matter, so I could never do something like this, but this world isn’t mine, so I don’t care!’

If I messed up, there was a possibility I wouldn’t be able to leave the ‘Book of Revelation’ in this world, but once I was done with the mission, the Outer God could pull me out from within the Book of Revelation!

A moment later, Abaddon widened his arms and shouted in a grand voice.

[ Okay… I, Abaddon, the terminal, shall carry out your command immediately! I shall invoke the powers of the Seer!]

Wooooh!!

A surge of magic poured from every inch of Abaddon’s body. As the surge resonated, the entire Tower began to tremble, and moments later, black light burst forth, engulfing everything in darkness.

Whaaa

“Ugh!!”

I can feel it.

We were heading toward an unknown space, including this Tower and Abaddon!

I did my best to shield my body with the Wheel amidst the chaotic flow of that power.

How long did the stream of black light, flowing like a spill of paint to color the earth, continue?

As this ink-like darkness gradually began to brighten, I realized that about one meal’s time had passed.

Then, as my vision cleared, I could confirm Abaddon’s appearance.

“Good! Have we entered inside the Book of Revelation?”

Unlike before, Abaddon wasn’t displaying his massive demonic form. He now appeared more like a demon with goat-like features and two pairs of bat wings, and it seemed he hadn’t sustained any major injuries.

I spoke to Abaddon.

“Now that we’re inside the Seer, let’s uphold our agreement. Hand over the Master’s information. It’s the Seer’s interior; as a terminal, you should be able to do that more efficiently.”

I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like when a terminal existed outside, they had many limitations. In contrast, once inside the Seer, they could display powers akin to that of a demigod. Thus, I expected Abadon could provide me with much more information.

[ ……]

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

However, Abaddon’s condition seemed strange. He was trembling there as if he were a demon god struck with fear, realizing he had stepped into a place he wasn’t supposed to be.

After a short while, Abaddon couldn’t hide his agitation and spoke.

[ This… This is incomprehensible… Could it be… the internal state of the Seer?! This can’t be…!!]

“What? Is there a problem?”

I glanced around at Abaddon’s words. The surroundings were still dark, but just like when I used the Training World in the past, I could feel we had completely shifted into the interior of the Seer.

‘ It seems like the Tower has transferred over without issue.’

I would have to explore the surroundings to know what was there, but for now, it didn’t seem like there was any apparent conflict.

I thought nothing of it and said to Abaddon.

“What’s so weird about it? Are you trying to avoid giving me information?”

[ Ah… No…!]

“Then what is it? After all, we’ve entered inside the Book…”

Suddenly, Abaddon starting shaking and stammered.

[ Can’t you… feel it? The causal flow of the entire space… is dead… There’s existence where there shouldn’t be any!]

“What? What does that mean?”

[ This kind of place should logically not exist according to the laws of the universe… Impossible! Could the true meaning of reincarnation be… ]

Having seemingly made a realization, Abaddon turned to me in horror and screamed.

[ Then… What are you…?!]

Kshhh

In the next moment, Abaddon let out a terrible sound as he shattered into pieces.

It looked as if something formless had suddenly crushed Abaddon, and since it happened in the blink of an eye, I was a bit slow to catch on to what had occurred.

“No!!”

What’s going on?! Why the sudden change…?!

Swish…

I could only watch in shock as Abaddon’s corpse floated for a moment in a tragic state before vanishing into thin air. And upon seeing that sight, someone from the past came to my mind.

‘Chi You… Nailatop…’

They too had suddenly vanished like they were hushed away after realizing something about the Heavenly Secret. I felt a vague sense of fear, but thanks to the similar experience, I was able to quickly regain my composure.

“Could it be?”

And in that moment, I dashed outside the Tower and quickly looked at the scenery outside.

Thud

“……!!”

I froze right where I stood.

The plaque of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School was visible.

And upon seeing that plaque, I found myself muttering involuntarily.

“The Training World.”

That’s right.

This was the very Training World where I had trained for hundreds of years.

This Tower had been moved inside the Heavenly Secret’s Training World.