전생검신 94권14화

I couldn’t help but be surprised by the suggestion from Al Karda.

‘You mean I can choose where I want to go?’

Considering I’ve been dragged into the trials of the Outer God almost against my will, it’s quite a bold offer. The difference between having a choice and not is massive.

I cautiously spoke to Al Karda.

“You’re not planning to make the trials harder just because I can choose, are you?”

This was, as of now, the most concerning situation.

Then Al Karda smoothly replied.

“I wouldn’t stoop to something so petty. It’s literally a choice as a reward.”

“……”

So then… there really is a chance to choose now.

The Outer God didn’t seem like the type to go back on his word.

‘So, what time and space should I choose?’

At that moment, I felt a slight headache coming on. Because once I understood this proposal was real, I realized there were countless options available.

Since starting this reincarnation, I’ve been to all sorts of time and spaces, but I certainly haven’t reflected on every moment of regret in my life. To be honest, there were even moments I didn’t want to revisit. Thinking like that, making a strategic choice this time could mean a significant gain for me.

“……”

Uh… Now that I have to choose, I’m at a loss for what to do…

I was stuck in my thoughts, feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had no idea what criteria to use to determine what gains I should seek.

As I remained silent for a while, doing nothing, Al Karda suddenly spoke up.

“Is it hard to choose?”

“……Yes.”

“I thought so.”

Al Karda fixated his gaze on me and continued.

“Regardless of which moment you choose or what outcome you achieve, you’ll always return to this reincarnation.”

“……!”

“Isn’t that right?”

When Al Karda hit the nail on the head, I flinched and responded heavily.

“……You know quite well.”

Indeed.

It struck me earlier when I was about to defeat Cheon Woo-jin that it was satisfying in the moment, but just for that moment. Ultimately, as Al Karda said, that event wouldn’t be reflected in the vast cycle of reality, simply a paragraph in the past! So, does it really even matter if I feel regret from some disappointing moments in life? Changing that regret would be meaningless, wouldn’t it?

Then Al Karda slowly spoke.

“The choice is always yours… Sometimes, just experiencing things can change so much…”

“Are you giving me a hint?”

“Well…”

“……”

I pondered continuously. But unlike my previous vague and abstract worries, this felt different. With infinite possibilities opened up, I could actually see choices more clearly now since the Outer God had provided another piece of advice.

‘Just experiencing things…?’

After pondering for a while, a thought crossed my mind.

‘What I’m lacking the most right now is power…’

I have gathered a lot of power up until now, but if I think about it, I still fall short against the true powerhouses that rule the universe. However, merely gathering divine energy won’t help me surpass them. Even at this level, no one among my companions can guide me to become stronger than the Three Sovereigns.

So I should reference those who have reached the pinnacle of power itself…

But then again, I can’t turn to beings like the Outer God. They’re not even on the same playing field.

If there’s a being outside the Outer God realm that possesses the strongest power…

And if I could also obtain the information that has eluded me until now, that would be the icing on the cake.

As I was thinking about this, I suddenly blurted out.

“Takrok.”

Outer God Al Karda stared directly into my eyes. I continued without getting flustered.

“Please allow me to possess Chi You from the Takrok Era.”

This choice feels instinctively like the right one.

“……Oh.”

Al Karda’s eyes seemed to light up a bit. Was my answer unexpected to him?

A moment later, Al Karda leaned forward with his fingers interlaced and asked.

“You’re asking to possess Chi You, a being from the past of the Great Cycle, rather than one from your own reincarnation?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think that’s permissible?”

That question felt like a test, so I responded confidently.

“After all, you suddenly possessed Yeodong-bin, and you’ve also allowed me to possess a ‘master’ existing in a totally different cycle. So I think it wouldn’t be an issue to possess Chi You from the Takrok Era.”

“……”

That’s right. Normally, I would have hesitated at such a question, thinking it violated the rules, but now it’s different. Whether it’s Yeodong-bin’s trial or the master’s, we’ve already crossed that implicit restriction that was limited to ‘me’! Given that a precedent exists, it should be completely normal to possess Chi You from the Takrok Era.

As if anticipating my answer, Al Karda held back his reaction. After a moment, he spoke.

“It’s not impossible… But why do you want to possess Chi You?”

“Must I tell you?”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“No… After all, you’ll probably read my mind with the powers of the Outer God, so I’ll just tell you.”

I brightened my eyes.

“While I was guided to the past of the [Great Cycle] through the help of a Reborn Person, I could only grasp the surface of who Chi You is… If it continues like this, I probably won’t get another chance to accurately know what kind of being Chi You really is.”

“So you wish to possess Chi You, then?”

“Yes.”

I’ll find out exactly what kind of guy Chi You is, and discover the source of his formidable strength that even the Emperor was overwhelmed by!

And why he was sealed too…!

After my answer, Al Karda seemed to smirk slightly.

“And you likely think that by possessing Chi You, you’ll gain strength sufficient to easily conquer my trials with less effort.”

“……”

Tch… He really is reading my mind…

As I smacked my lips, Al Karda spoke.

“Very well. Reborn Person Baek Woong… I respect your choice. This trial will indeed be decided as your possession of Chi You from the Takrok Era.”

“Sounds good.”

“However, remember one thing.”

“What is it?”

An ominous presence seeped from Al Karda’s gaze.

“Possession also comes with conditions…”

“……?”

What does that mean? Is it difficult to possess Chi You?

Woooooosh –

With a strange light, a swirling flow of spiritual energy seemed to fill the hall. In that breeze, my clothes and hair were thrown about, but strangely, Al Karda and the goban remained unscathed. As my vision gradually faded to white, Al Karda’s last words echoed.

“Time that does not flow has brought an end to the Waste Rock.”

*

“……”

Where am I…?

‘It’s dark…’

When I snapped back to reality, I realized I was in an endlessly dark place. I had gone through darkness before, but this time felt like an emptiness that seemed to drain all my five senses. Feeling both the void and a confusion about whether I even existed in this space made it hard to grasp my thoughts.

It doesn’t feel real. It’s like a daydream.

As I struggled to move my body, I noticed a faint light that seemed to lead me somewhere.

Ugh…

I can’t make a sound…

I wasn’t even sure if I had a body in this darkness. Naturally, I couldn’t see what my body looked like, so I had no clue what was happening. But I felt that if I followed that light, something might finally start.

How long did I walk? Suddenly, I noticed a translucent spear appearing before me.

‘Finally, is the task coming out…?’

I stared at the spear. Then I slowly began to check its contents.

[Obtain Chi You’s body]

…?

What?

I was puzzled by what was certainly a ‘trial’ set by Al Karda.

‘Are you saying I haven’t already possessed Chi You’s body?’

Then what condition am I in right now?

I was bewildered, and at that moment, I felt my vision brightening, almost blinding me, forcing me to cover my eyes with my arm.

Paaaah

Light Star!

In every direction, a vast darkness like the abyss existed, filled with an incredible number of shining stars. With my experiences, I instantly understood what was happening.

‘Is this… the Universe?!’

I’d been to the universe a few times before, but being cast into such a vast darkness from the start was disorienting. And the odd thing was that typically, when I was in the universe, the light from the stars didn’t feel that strong, but now, for some reason, it seemed so bright it was almost blinding.

‘Why are the stars so bright…?’

Thinking that, I instinctively activated my divine energy to shield my eyes from the light. But the very moment I triggered my divine energy—

Firm!

‘……!’

Suddenly, the ‘stars’ nearby all opened their [eyes] toward me!

Seeing countless pupils focusing on me made my knees tremble, and I could instinctively tell this place was not just normal space.

‘Those aren’t stars… They’re divine beings!’

I quickly realized the reason the stars were watching me was due to my divine energy activation. And beings that could react so sensitively to divine energy must possess divine abilities themselves. While I pondered whether I would have to confront those stars, I began to hear a rumbling [will] resonating around me.

[You who have entered the Abyss of the Forgotten Universe… Who are you…?]

Abyss? What is that?

I tried to ask, but no sound emerged. Then, I looked down at my body, which had been hidden in the darkness, and I gasped in shock.

‘No way!’

I have no body!

No… it’s not that I don’t have a body, but now the body I possess is merely a transparent spirit.

I’ve turned into just a soul!

‘This is the first time I’ve ever experienced this!’

I never imagined being without a body, so while I was panicking, that [will] spoke again.

[Did you not know how you came here…?]

Woooosh

With that statement, a strange creature with two pairs of wings flew in from the space between the eyes and landed in front of me.

Knowing this creature was the master of the will, a thought popped into my head.

‘Could it read my thoughts?’

[You are emitting your spirit energy externally through your spirit vein, so I simply read that to interpret your will…]

Hmm… it’s not easy to acclimate to being in a bodiless spirit state…

‘By the way, who are you and where is this place? What is this Abyss?’

As I spoke in my mind, the [will] answered.

[This Abyss is a place concealed deep within the universe… a forgotten dimension where laws and entities not accepted in the universe are sealed…]

‘The deep abyss of the universe?’

[I am the ruler of this Abyss… Di Jiang. How did you enter this Abyss… oh soul…?]

I’d never heard of the word Abyss before.

As I thought about being in another new place, I spoke.

‘I’m Baek Woong. Do you know Chi You?’

[Chi You…? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.]

‘Hmmm…’

[Let me ask again… how did you enter here…? This is a place where even gods cannot enter… ]

I was taken aback by that statement.

‘Even gods can’t enter?! Why?’

[Because it is a place sealed by the Outer God… We are beings that cannot be accepted in the current universe… without a special calling, we cannot contact the outside world…]

‘……!’

[So I was surprised earlier… I never expected there would be an existence entwined in the realm that separates the Abyss and the outside… even crossing the barrier on your own…]

After hearing Di Jiang’s words, I finally understood the situation.

‘So that awful feeling of suffocation and darkness before… it was a rock blocking the void between the universe and this abyss! So it’s called a fragment?’

The fragment felt entirely different from the usual dimensional barriers. Even I, who had crossed countless boundary dimensions, felt an unimaginable pressure and emptiness. If this was a barrier created by the Outer God to cut off contact with the outside, then it made sense.

Just as I reached that thought, I suddenly felt uneasy and spoke to Di Jiang.

‘Di Jiang… I’m not trapped here forever, am I?’

[……]

Di Jiang seemed bewildered by my question.

[Did you just hear what I said? Before someone summons you from the outside, it’s impossible for the being within the Abyss to leave… ]

‘…And it’s sealed by the Outer God, so even gods can’t break through?’

[Exactly… ]

‘Ahhh!’

I unintentionally yelled.

What is this?!

I can’t believe I’m stuck as a soul in the abyss of the universe sealed directly by the Outer God from the start!

Di Jiang said.

[I don’t know what kind of being you are, but don’t be too sad or angry… After all, when the great being Void Record returns, we will all be liberated from the Abyss.]

‘You mean I have to wait until the end of the universe to escape?!’

[It won’t take long!]

I was half persuaded by Di Jiang’s words.

‘Not long? How much longer?’

[Just a few thousand years should be sufficient… so it’ll be quick!]

This guy must be joking!

‘This is absurd! Is a few thousand years quick?!’

[……?]

Di Jiang seemed perplexed by my tantrum.

[To me, that’s truly a moment… why are you angry? And speaking of which, it seems you haven’t explained why you’re here yet… ]

‘…… I need to obtain Chi You’s body. I found myself here after I regained my senses. What happened was…’

I briefly shared the circumstances of my reincarnation with Di Jiang.

Listening to my story, Di Jiang spoke slowly.

[From what I hear, the Outer God doesn’t pose impossible problems… In that case, there is a method.]

‘What is it?’

[Very rarely… there are beings who summon from the depths of the universe… If you respond to their calling, you can become their summoned entity and leave.]

‘Oh, I think I heard something like that earlier. How can I be summoned outside the Abyss?’

[It’s all about luck… ]

‘……’

[Among the beings here, one is randomly chosen and summoned… Until the moment of summoning, they spend their time in the spirit body, keeping themselves asleep to avoid troublesome external factors… ]

I glanced over at one shining starry eye not far away.

‘You mean that’s the spirit body?’

[Correct… ]

‘So, the eye is not the main body but indicates another creature dwelling within it?’

[That’s about the gist of it.]

‘Why do they choose to sleep in the spirit body? It doesn’t make sense to me.’

[As you can see, this Abyss is filled with limitless darkness, devoid of anything… There’s nothing to do, and it’s boring, so entering the spirit body is a way to block bothersome outside elements and sleep to pass the time… ]

‘……’

True, spending countless billions of years in complete awareness without anything happening would be torturous…

I began to understand the internal structure of the Abyss and suddenly snapped back to reality.

‘Di Jiang! Please! If someone requests a summoning from the outside, please ensure I get summoned!’

I can’t afford to waste any time. To carry out my mission, I need to be summoned to the outside world first!

After my plea, Di Jiang paused for a moment before replying.

[I can’t do that.]

‘Why not?!’

[My role is only to provide spirit bodies to the beings of the abyss and manage this space… I cannot designate who gets summoned or refuse requests. I can only hope that you have good luck.]

‘……!’

Just then.

Boom!

One of the spirit bodies suddenly burst into flames, emitting an immense light before vanishing from that spot. Seeing this, Di Jiang said.

[One has been summoned to the outside.]

‘Oh! Does that mean I could soon get summoned too?’

[Yes… It should be soon.]

‘How long did the one who just got summoned take?’

Di Jiang replied with a hopeful tone.

[It seems to have taken about 5,000 years to be summoned. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to leave too!]

Five thousand years?

‘……’

I felt my head spin from those words. Then, I weakly spoke.

‘Di Jiang… you’re not, by any chance, an ancient existence who’s been around since the birth of the universe, are you…?’

[How did you know? I was there when Pangu created the world.]

‘……’

That’s why Di Jiang’s sense of time was out of whack.

It must be a divine being that has felt the long history of the universe since its beginning. If he’s a contemporary of the great creator Pangu, then that says it all. To someone who has traveled alongside the universe’s history, a few thousand years would indeed be nothing but a fleeting moment.

‘This is bad!’

I instinctively felt the crisis.

At this rate, it seemed I’d be trapped in the Abyss, endlessly waiting for someone to summon me. Of course, that was like expecting fruit to drop from a tree while wasting time indefinitely. If things went wrong, I might be stuck here for a few thousand or even tens of thousands of years!

I can’t afford to waste that time.

How on earth can I break through this ridiculous situation?

As I fidgeted restlessly, Di Jiang gently suggested.

[How about entering the spirit body and sleeping? It’s the best way to pass the time… ]

‘No… I refuse…’

Staying in a spirit body while waiting to summon is certainly not a good option for me.

If I happen to remain asleep and miss the summons, before I know it, I’d see the universe’s destruction, which would mean losing the chance to obtain Chi You’s body. It’s as if I have a time limit implicitly set before the universe falls apart.

What on earth should I do?

‘I don’t get it… I should be able to possess Chi You directly; why am I in this situation?’

Was Al Karda overlooking all these conditions just to mess with me?

But that didn’t seem right because he’s a principled character…

Did I miss something in Al Karda’s words?

In that moment, I recalled one phrase from Al Karda that flashed through my mind.

[Possession also comes with conditions.]

Possession comes with conditions?

Could Chi You’s mental defenses be too strong and could have bounced me off? But even so, this bizarre situation makes no sense… If the Outer God promised to possess me, shouldn’t it be normal for me to be able to possess Chi You, no matter how strong he is?

Am I misunderstanding something?

As I was confused, Di Jiang’s voice cut in.

[I would examine what you currently have, if I were you. The Outer God likely thinks there’s a solution within that.]

“`

 

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