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“How could this happen?”

I had used the reincarnation ability book from another world, and somehow the tower got transferred to the training world of Heavenly Secret?!

I couldn’t believe it, so I rushed down to Azure Dragon Martial Arts School to check the current state.

Then, I leaped high into the sky, and as I did, I couldn’t help but mutter.

“Training world… no doubt about it…”

When I flew close to the stratosphere, there was no doubt left.

The world was flat.

‘The training world regenerated by absorbing Mephistopheles with my divine power… Since it was my first time, I awkwardly created a flat world.’

But since there was no real reason to restructure the training world, I just left it flat and went outside. Honestly, who cares if the world is flat or round as long as I can train?

And since this flat world was a characteristic of the world I created, it was obvious. This was indeed the training world.

“What’s going on here?”

Wait a minute…

Does that mean…?

“…am I inside Heavenly Secret?”

I suddenly found myself back inside Heavenly Secret while playing Go! What a twist!

Completely caught off guard, I decided to stay calm.

‘Hmm… wait a sec… let me think about what I need to do first…’

I checked my body status.

Buzz!

I realized that I could still unleash my divine power and muttered.

“The seal of divine power through the Seven Halls of Divine Qi has been lifted. That means… [terminal] Abaddon has undoubtedly been eliminated.”

It was only natural that the seals would lift after the caster’s demise. Realizing this only complicated my feelings.

What in the world was that intangible existence that killed Abaddon?

Is there really a will of Heavenly Secret that exists separately?

But the real issue lay elsewhere. I went back down to Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and checked my face in the mirror.

“…but my face is still that of the ‘Master’.”

If I entered Heavenly Secret, my face should have returned to my real one, right?

Yet strangely, my face still looked like a vibrantly youthful 20-something ‘Master’.

A certain thought crossed my mind.

“What happens if I go out like this?”

Am I going to return to the time and space where the ‘Master’ existed?

Or will I revert to my current state of 30 retries?

There was no way to know without trying. But I realized, regardless of what happens, there was a prerequisite I had to resolve before attempting.

“Hmm… without the [terminal], I can’t leave Heavenly Secret.”

Normally, the [terminal] facilitated entry and exit within Heavenly Secret, so I could just ask a guy like the Cheon Woo Jin to help. But now, the Cheon Woo Jin had gone missing, and I had absorbed Mephistopheles, leaving the terminal vacant. Even ‘Master’s terminal, Abaddon, had vanished, creating a situation with no terminal.

‘But last time, I remember using the power of Trimurti to create a [Door to the Outside World] to escape…’

I recalled an escape method from experience instead of relying on the terminal and immediately cast the power.

Trimurti

[Door to the Outside World]!

Buzz!

As the door formed with the power, I hurriedly opened it and stepped outside.

“…”

But stepping out, it was the same space. There was no magical effect linking to subspace, it just looked like a regular door placed in the space. In other words, this door I conjured with Trimurti had no escaping capabilities from Heavenly Secret, unlike before.

“What the heck? Why?”

I wondered if I did something wrong and tried casting Trimurti again to create multiple doors. However, what I created was just ordinary door panels, and I couldn’t escape from Heavenly Secret.

‘…Now that I think about it, last time Su Borri said that Heavenly Secret’s will indirectly allowed my escape.’

If that’s the case…

Does that mean that Heavenly Secret isn’t allowing me to leave now?

“Ugh.”

…Does this mean that there’s no way out of this training world and that I have no more clues to find the ‘Master’ name?

“Uuuuut!”

Frustrated, I scratched my head.

With less than a day left, I can’t believe I’d get trapped in the training world like this!

In disbelief at my unexpected situation, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Back when I began this trial, I had never anticipated finding myself in such a predicament.

“Damn it! I need to find a way to escape…”

I gritted my teeth and rolled up my sleeves. I figured that first, I had to escape this place before I could do anything, even if it meant bad food or a showdown.

But in that moment, I hesitated.

Would just moving around randomly solve anything?

“…”

If I went outside, would there really be clues about the ‘Master’?

Considering the ‘Master’s’ countless reincarnations, he’s such a mysterious person that I doubt there are any clues out there!

At that moment, I realized I was thinking incorrectly.

No, Abaddon was the best clue I had! Given the peculiar traits of a reborn person, it’s reasonable to believe no being would know the secrets of the reincarnated better than a terminal…

This is right.

In my case, while I might share every secret with Mangnyang or Zhuge Sa, I would probably be an exception. Given that the attributes of a reborn person are unique with traits of resetting everything and that trust is generally impossible, there’s no way a typical reincarnator would have companions beyond a terminal! So, thinking about anything more than accessing knowledge through Abaddon seems pointless.

Is this despair?

No… this is a process of elimination.

‘I’ve already chosen the optimal path to obtain information. Chances are, enough raw information has been provided. Instead of collecting information now, it’s certainly time to organize what I’ve gathered!’

I understood this through experience. Even if the trials outside seemed ridiculous, they always contained the hints necessary to overcome the challenge. Considering Yeodong-bin’s trial where accepting the demon mask allowed him to awaken, I realized that Al Karda wasn’t the type to set unimaginably impossible challenges.

Thus, what I must do is deduce the clues that explain that challenge rationally!

‘Let me think again… If I haven’t taken the wrong path so far, I might have clues among the information I have already obtained…’

What was the first clue I received?

At that moment, I remembered the mission window that popped into my mind.

[The deadline for the mission has been reset.

Find out the identity of the possessed character within three days.]

[All abilities and powers have been entirely granted, and methods to find the identity are already in your hands.

The conditions are very fair, so it’s up to your capabilities to achieve success.

No further objections will be accepted.]

[I’ll give you one clue, though: you need to change your perspective.]

……

Changing perspectives…?

Yeah, until now, I was so absorbed in collecting information that I never deeply considered what that hint meant…

What does it mean to change perspectives?

Up until now, as the ‘Master,’ I’ve been gathering information constantly, yet somewhere my perspective has fixed itself, and I could be missing something important!

“What, do I need to observe that distant universe to gather information…”

I muttered reflectively. Since the Master made trades with the Tribe Alliance, it’s fair to say this worldview has reached a cosmic scale… Does that mean I must go to the Tribe Alliance to gather information?

But I shook my head.

No, it can’t be that simple.

Observing from Earth to the aliens won’t yield anything helpful. Given that a mystical being like the Master could even chop up the Old Ruler, there’s no reason why he would confide any secrets to aliens. No matter how great the aliens are, they can’t compare to the gods who traverse the universe.

……

“Damn it! What in the world is the Master thinking?”

I shouted in frustration. No matter how I thought about it, the idea of changing perspectives didn’t resonate with my current situation. Why has this Master lived shrouded in mystery?

“Why can’t he just remember his own name! What’s so hard about it…”

Wait!

As I was griping about it, I suddenly realized something.

“…If forgetting his name wasn’t an accident… but rather intentional?”

I assumed all along that given the Master’s reincarnation experiences, it was only natural that he would eventually forget his name, but… what if that’s not the case?

‘That… makes sense. It’s strange. Employing contracts of the Primordial Void and using methods exclusive to reincarnators to pursue strength while maintaining an air of mystery much beyond an ordinary human reveals a meticulous personality… A person like that wouldn’t forget their name just because they’ve experienced reincarnations!”

That’d be odd.

Many sorcery and magic practices require one’s ‘name’ to be invoked, and when negotiating with higher beings, you often can’t establish communication without revealing your name. Given the Master’s various outlandish experiences, there were likely countless times he may have needed his name, so for him to consciously avoid it seems highly out of character.

Additionally, the way I managed my memory hasn’t been that drastic. It feels bizarre that someone as universal as the Master would struggle with a mere human’s limited memory capacity.

If so, it’s likely that this ‘Master’ intentionally forgot their name.

‘Why?’

What reason could he have for deliberately forgetting and avoiding his own name…?

I sensed a serious reason must be lurking behind this.

‘If I wanted to forget my name… that reason would be…’

At that moment, I unconsciously muttered.

“Because it evokes associated memories…”

Somehow I felt closer to the answer.

I recalled Leviathan’s words from earlier.

[If what the Master said is true, then the brain gets stimulated, triggering recall!]

[The Master often complained about the limitations of the human brain. While he researched extensively, normally, you can’t expand the brain’s memory capacity. However, when the memory reaches saturation, hidden memories can be tucked away into the realm of the unconscious, only to emerge when prompted.]

Leviathan’s statements turned out to serve a greater purpose than just aiding my understanding of the relationship between cycles and martial arts; they could relate to the current problem.

[Baek Woong, just as I did… you will also need to live as yourself someday… Even so, don’t give up. This power is a gift for you.]

……

Suddenly, as memories surfaced about my name, I recalled the moment when Mangnyang transferred power to me and vanished in the 28th cycle.

‘…Ah…’

Feeling that surge of emotion from that moment all over again, I bit my lip. I had to suppress that sorrowful feeling for a while and let out a sigh.

“Hoo.”

Yes… the mere act of someone calling out my [name] could invoke recollections of my past memories.

“And every emotion tied to those memories.”

So, the reason the Master intentionally forgot his true name and didn’t strive to retrieve it began to make sense.

At some point, he must have endured so much emotional wear that he could no longer bear it.

In the beginning, perhaps he had a sense of idealism he followed throughout his reincarnations, but losing precious people or enduring negative experiences could have gradually eaten away at his humanity. As long as he was called by his name, all those painful memories and emotions would resurface.

So, if he forgot the name altogether, in a fresh reincarnation, he wouldn’t have to relive the memories associated with it.

No matter how sorrowful, embarrassing, or ugly they were.

“……”

This could just be my speculation, but somehow I felt this was correct. As a fellow reborn person, it felt like there was no other answer. I would likely have done the same.

Even with those closely related to him, like Leviathan or Abaddon, he probably just evaded the truth with vague lies, while the true experiences he faced are known solely to him.

‘In that case, searching for the Master’s memories isn’t just some simple task. It’s likely that he buried them so deeply that even he would struggle to uncover them if he tried! If he wants to avoid facing those horrific memories… he had no choice.’

The difficulty had clearly increased, but it felt like the problem had also simplified. After all, realizing that directly excavating the Master’s memories within this tower was impractical, I needed to resolve this mission through indirect means instead.

He buried his past because he despised it, and if that past contained his name, how could I unveil that?

‘Should I use the approach of [changing perspectives] here?’

……

It seemed I was getting close, but it still left me puzzled. What does the term ‘perspective’ really mean…?

I thought long and hard before letting out a sigh and stepping outside.

“Sigh… I might as well loosen up.”

Buzz!

I summoned the wheel into both hands and began practicing the martial arts of the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel and Demon God Flying Wheel. Sometimes, when my head was clouded, moving my body cleared my thoughts, and strangely, I found martial arts practice enjoyable.

Flipping!

As I held the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel in one hand and the Demon God Flying Wheel in the other, I simultaneously executed their basic techniques. But it felt like the different styles were clashing, causing me to frown.

“Oh dang. It’s tough using two basic techniques at once… Ah!”

In that moment, I realized how to solve the problem and immediately operated the essence.

Two Intent Divine Art!

Buzz!

This was one of the techniques from the Wudang Sect, learned indirectly through the Hyun Cheon Divine Art’s two intent technique! With Two Intent Divine Art, I could easily perform two different actions simultaneously, and using the Soul Exchange Technique enabled me to cast it even easier. Now that the Soul Exchange Technique reached the pinnacle, I could utilize the Two Intent Divine Art as effortlessly as wearing a tailored outfit.

Pipipip!

The moment I executed the Two Intent Divine Art, the two techniques harmoniously unfolded without any friction. I was pleased with my unexpected success and suddenly thought.

“Huh? Wait… is the Two Intent Divine Art from our world capable of merging with techniques from other worlds?”

That question felt strange, didn’t it?

Like, doesn’t the Two Intent Divine Art also utilize the Lower Dantian and Vital Energy to cultivate True Qi? Wouldn’t the different methods used by the Blood Heaven Demon King’s Wheel and Demon God Flying Wheel from another world clash? I was puzzled and decided to use Two Intent Divine Art while simultaneously practicing the two martial arts when I noticed something odd.

“…?”

Qi was smoothly flowing where there shouldn’t be any Qi present…?

When I realized that, I found it utterly ridiculous. It was like imagining a high-class carriage speeding through treacherous mountains where there was no road; it normally would mean quashing under pressure where the Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence would have exploded. But despite the absence of any Vital Energy, Qi was only moving flawlessly without any harm as if that was the expected behavior!

Is this even possible?!

Based on all my martial arts knowledge, this should be impossible!

Just to check, I halted casting martial arts and moved according to the Qi flow from before. Sure enough, blood gushed from my eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Gulp! Gulp! Seems like I’m getting possessed.”

Well, my blood vessels and meridians burst, so that makes sense!

If such overwhelming energy tried to propel a body without even a bit of Vital Energy, it’s only logical!

So, could it mean that during the manifestation of martial skills, Qi can flow in places where it otherwise wouldn’t exist?

‘What in the world is the principle behind this?’

Completely baffled, I shook my head. Then, I tried to summon the styles once more.

Flipping!

While spreading the three martial arts once more, I observed the flow of Qi within me. As I attempted to merge the flow of Qi with another martial technique, suddenly…

PUWAAH!

Blood erupted from my eyes, nose, and mouth again. I was hit by possession once more.

I was astounded, my temper flared.

“What the hell! Just because there’s Qi doesn’t mean I can move freely! But as soon as I try to engage it, it acts like there’s no Vital Energy!”

Swish!

I quickly gathered the wheel back into my hands. Practicing martial arts is great, but having gotten hit by possession two times in a row, even I needed to take a break to adjust my body’s condition properly. And just then, as I quickly enacted Greater Circulation to regulate my entire True Qi…

“……!”

Wait… moving something sighted would be a bad idea…?

Looking at something was permissible, but if I tried to contemplate it as a part of reality, it’d push harmful backlash back onto me…

That meant…

‘My observations affect the True Qi itself?!’

It didn’t make logical sense, but I had to accept that theory. For some reason, the Qi acted normal when I wasn’t involved, but once I tried to use those laws, it reverted back to harming me. Upon realizing this quality, I was dumbfounded.

‘Watching affects the Qi itself?! No way… in the countless years of mentorship under exceptional sword heroes and peerless masters, I’ve never heard that kind of martial arts theory!’

Even after a century of training in this world, such a phenomenon never occurred.

I couldn’t understand what it meant.

In deep contemplation, I suddenly had an epiphany.

“A cave?”

I recalled the theory articulated by Mangnyang in the past.

[Baek Woong, from your position, the world outside the cave can only be seen in a limited fashion. You may see more with certain capabilities, but ultimately, the range of vision will be restricted. Is that not right?]

[Thus, the world outside the cave, which you can’t see, technically doesn’t exist, does it?]

[That’s absurd! Of course it exists.]

[But according to idealism, that could be the case.]

[In this world, the only things that exist are the heart (心) and perception (識). Because the heart exists, material existence is possible. Extending that further, one could say that a world not recognized doesn’t exist until it is observed.]

[Without recognition, there is no heart. Without heart and perception, there’s no matter. This could be reasonable according to idealism.]

…….

Recognition!

The idea that what isn’t recognized might not exist echoed in my mind, almost as strange and nonsensical as it sounded.

I initially thought, ‘What nonsense is Mangnyang spouting?’ But now, the bizarre energy of Qi that lingered before my sight seemed to resonate with Mangnyang’s statements.

‘…Because I’m aware that I’m casting martial arts… the Qi adapts to that awareness…! There’s no other explanation!’

But why?

Why would Qi possess such a characteristic?

It only revealed itself when utilizing martial skills from another world rather than just using the martial arts from our world?!

“I can’t make any sense of this…”

From what I observed, Qi moved essentially unrelated to thought. No, in the perspective that it would react to my observation, it diverged from any form of concentrated perception. It dawned on me that the doctrine of previously established martial arts standards didn’t apply here at all.

Perhaps Qi wasn’t merely something I governed? Maybe it was a resource abundantly spread across the universe?

Even if it flowed out of sight, is it reasonable to say I control Qi?

However, if the essence that produces concentration loses its meaning…

What even is Qi?

‘Unless in an all-knowing perspective, it’s impossible to define Qi…’

Just then, while my head was spinning, I recalled something.

[Therefore… ask not… if an all-knowing perspective of ‘memory’ is possible…]

The very words of the Prophet.

As that memory flickered, I unconsciously murmured.

“Third Person.”

 

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