전생검신 Volume 94, Chapter 15

I pondered over Jeogang’s words.

‘What do I possess?’

When I tried to cover my eyes with divine power earlier, it activated without any hitch, meaning my divine power is not currently sealed. So, naturally, I thought I could also use techniques based on that divine power.

Determined to test it, I unfolded the Trimurti.

Pa-at!

With that, a small sphere resembling a tiny eye appeared before me, filled with divine power. Upon seeing it, Jeogang remarked.

[Did you create a Spirit Body…?]

‘Yeah. I tried using Trimurti, what do you think? It’s smaller than those huge ones, but still.’

[……]

Jeogang, who had been silently observing the Spirit Body I created, spoke up.

[Remarkable… It resembles my divine creation so perfectly… There are slight differences, but yes, it’s definitely a Spirit Body.]

‘Oh…? Really? I honestly had no clue about its precise principles or structure when I made it.’

I couldn’t help but feel surprised by Jeogang’s comment. Just based on the appearance and name, I had whipped something up, and it turned out to be nearly identical to the original made with Trimurti! Jeogang then replied.

[Considering I’m a master of creation in the universe, and your craftsmanship is considerable, this outcome is only natural… Great creative ability doesn’t require much understanding.]

‘……! How did you know it’s a creation tool?’

[I have the ability to know the history of any power in the universe. That’s one of my abilities.]

‘Hmm!’

I couldn’t help but be amazed. Jeogang spoke with such indifference, but to have such a power was anything but ordinary. I had encountered many mighty beings, but none with abilities like Jeogang. He simply wasn’t one to boast about his strength.

Suddenly, a question popped into my mind, and I asked Jeogang.

‘Jeogang. You seem like a higher divine presence, but why are you here? Managing the existence of the Abyss until the end of the universe sounds pretty dull… Why would you do something so unexciting?’

[Unexciting, you say… You truly are a peculiar one. Fun is not a necessary component of a divine being’s existence.]

‘What? So it’s okay to be boring?’

[Indeed… It’s nice to have, but not crucial… Rather, the greater pain comes when my existence doesn’t align with my purpose.]

I tilted my head in confusion.

‘No, it’s not about that… I mean, is that your own will? You can’t possibly be trapped here against your will, right?’

[That’s an interesting perspective… Is free will really that important?]

‘…… What?’

I felt flabbergasted by Jeogang’s counter-question. Could it be that free will was being questioned? Isn’t it a given that everyone values their own free will?

I, incredulous, responded.

‘If free will isn’t important, then what is? What’s the point of living just to do what others tell you?’

[‘Point’… That too is an emotion of living beings, a blend of joy and sorrow. However, it may also be meaningless… Divine judgment isn’t based on such criteria.]

‘What… without free will, doesn’t that make you a slave?’

[The conversation seems to be going off track… So do you truly have free will?]

‘……?! Of course I do!’

What kind of question was this? Who doesn’t have free will?

Yet, shortly after, my disbelief morphed into shock.

[No… That’s not the case. Neither you nor I possess free will. Thus, it’s not really an issue of great importance in the realm of existence.]

‘What?! You mean we lack free will? Are you out of your mind?! If I didn’t have free will, why would I even come to this place?’

I had struggled to achieve a satisfactory life in my past life, and now I was told I lacked free will! If I didn’t have free will, how would I have ended up on this path at all?

Jeogang answered calmly.

[I think you’ve misunderstood… Even if you think your thoughts and will possess freedom… that’s an illusion… the fact that life has infinite crossroads doesn’t equate to having freedom.]

‘What do you mean?’

[No matter how slim the odds or grand the coincidences… everything is encompassed within the cycle of cause and effect… As long as there exists the probability of existence, it’s neither void nor unreachable… it is, from the start, marked for an ending.]

‘……?’

[For instance, it goes like this…]

Hwa-at!

Suddenly, light poured from Jeogang’s body, and as it settled, I noticed countless dots rising along my entire being, with threads extending from those dots, writhing like tentacles.

‘Whoa! What is this?’

Startled, Jeogang remarked, intrigued.

[Oh… So it is… not a single thread connects you to any other entity… Is it truly that you have no ties to this world…? Truly, the claim that an outer being sent you is not a lie… you are the most unique existence I’ve encountered since the dawn of creation.]

‘What are you talking about?’

[Look at the Spirit Bodies.]

At his words, I glanced at the Spirit Bodies floating around. They too were full of dots, and numerous threads extending from those dots fluttered toward the void, resembling wriggling insects. The threads seemed interminably long, appearing to be infinite.

Jeogang continued.

[This is the power of cause and effect visually interpreted through my abilities.]

‘……!’

[If you are connected to another entity, then the threads of cause and effect would manifest similarly….]

‘I, I see how that works.’

I began to think Jeogang was more formidable than I had initially assessed. The ability to visually perceive cause and effect is no small feat! While I wasn’t sure how this would aid in battle, the mere capacity to manipulate cause and effect indicated he must be a being of considerable rank.

Jeogang pressed on.

[What do you think will happen to these countless threads of cause and effect if the universe experiences destruction after [Revelation]?]

‘Naturally, they would perish. There’s no way they could survive the universe’s demise.’

[No… not quite. They simply change form and continue to exist. Even if beings perish, connections endure, and thus they cannot vanish.]

‘……?!’

Wh, what did you just say?

As I processed this unexpected information, Jeogang observed me calmly.

[Those who descend from the Divine Throne all have an indirect understanding of this fact… the true reason why deities are unbound by existence… the reality of existence in this world is of insurmountable insignificance to the Absolute Being and… what lingers after the curtain falls isn’t divine power, but solely cause and effect.]

‘……’

[Then… even if the universe crumbles, what remains in this cycle of cause and effect… do you think you can move the threads of cause and effect with your own will?]

‘You’re saying that’s not the case?’

[Regrettably, I don’t have the capacity to prove this directly to you… I merely understand it from primordial times…]

‘……’

[Accepting it is your choice…].

Jeogang’s words were so complex and philosophical that I couldn’t grasp them intuitively. However, one thing was for sure: Jeogang possessed a level of intelligence that stood among the greatest in the outer world.

I shook my head in denial.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. If everything is decided, then you’re essentially saying I should just give up everything right now, and do you think that’s possible? I’m going to fight and live until I achieve what I want!’

[That too is your choice… After all, karma is also infinite… It’s all a matter of perspective…].

With that, Jeogang continued.

[However, you… perhaps you might be different…].

‘What? After your grand speech, you say that now…?’

[Do you see that all the threads are severed? You are completely detached from this world…].

As he spoke, I saw my threads of cause and effect flow like tentacles, twisting and waving around. Indeed, unlike other Spirit Bodies, I was not connected to anything, rendering this bizarre form. I furrowed my brow and said.

‘It looks kind of weird, so make it go away.’

[Alright.]

Swish!

As Jeogang’s powers faded, the writhing threads disappeared. Jeogang remarked,

[I’ve never seen an entity so completely severed from all causes in this world… which means… the moment you connect to the outside, an unprecedented upheaval could occur… and within you lies the potential to create chaos throughout the entire universe.]

‘Is that a good thing?’

[Well… I cannot judge that… it’s just…].

For the first time, Jeogang spoke with a voice filled with intense curiosity.

[The moment you step outside… unimaginable events await this universe!]

‘…… If you put it that way, could you perhaps help me get out?’

[That’s for you to handle…].

‘Tch.’

I had chatted a lot with Jeogang, but it felt like I hadn’t gained any practical assistance for my escape…

But I still managed to get a lead in my own way.

‘Okay, I can use my divine power and the Trimurti too. So then…’.

[How about I try creating a passage to escape the Abyss?]

‘Trimurti!’

Pa-at!

Moments later, a door suddenly appeared right before me, conjured to grant me the ability to break free from the Abyss.

Feeling a bit nervous, I opened the door and stepped inside.

‘Here I go!’

Creak!

As soon as my foot crossed the threshold, I was unexpectedly flung into darkness and emptiness.

‘Gah… Ugh…’

Immediately, an overwhelming wave of sleepiness and void crashed over me!

I struggled in the darkness for what felt like an eternity, but caught sight of a faint light once again. Following it, I walked toward the glow and encountered Jeogang again.

‘……’

So, I ended up back here, huh…

[As expected… Even if you create an exit with divine power, the boundaries of the Abyss will obstruct you.]

‘Damn it! Why didn’t you say that sooner?!’

[Whether I mentioned it or not, you would have attempted it anyhow…].

‘Ugh.’

He wasn’t wrong, so I could only scowl.

This was getting tricky… If my divine power and Trimurti were akin to my full strength, and they didn’t work, what on earth could I use next?

‘… I got it! Summon the Four Great Spirit Deities!’

But the Four Great Spirit Deities did not come forth, nor could I contact them in my spiritual world.

It seemed the Four Great Spirit Deities didn’t exist here, after all.

‘… Infinite Slash!’

Swish!

Using the sword created with divine power, I attempted an Infinite Slash, but nothing happened in this realm of darkness.

‘Dark Night Slash!’

‘Thunder God Sword Name!’

Swoosh!

I tried every martial art technique I had, but they all came to no avail. It was as if I were simply dancing with my sword in the void.

‘T-this is ridiculous.’

Now that divine power and martial techniques had failed, all I had left were magic and techniques, which were practically inferior to divine power, so I couldn’t be sure they would break through whatever Trimurti couldn’t. Still, I took a chance and shouted.

‘Sephiroth’s powers, come forth!’

Woom!

Breaching the third realm of Sephiroth, the power appeared unexpectedly well. I discharged the varying properties of Sephiroth differing through Trimurti toward the darkness.

Rumble!

‘Oh!’

Against my expectations, it seemed to elicit the best response so far. The heavy sound resonated as if the very space was shaking tremendously. However, it ended there, and it didn’t seem strong enough to shatter this dimension’s barriers.

Observing my attempts, Jeogang said.

[You possess all sorts of powers… even harnessing the World Tree’s strength, so that should prove more effective.]

‘Is that something I can use here?’

[Not particularly… it’s ultimately futile…].

‘Futile? Why do you make such a definitive statement?’

[The Abyss was sealed directly by an outer deity… if you understood that, then most of your actions would indeed be rendered futile…].

‘……’

I couldn’t argue, so I just clicked my tongue.

That’s right.

The Abyss is a space sealed by an outer deity!

Which meant I must have the potential to break through an outer deity’s seal with the abilities I possessed, yet it became evident that my divine powers had already reached a bottleneck since the moment Trimurti was blocked.

Feeling frustrated, I muttered.

‘It feels like I’ve used everything I have, but there’s really no answer? Damn it… is it true I have to just sit here and wait for someone to summon me?’

That’s preposterous. According to Jeogang, I had zero connections to this world, so my chances of being summoned were incredibly slim compared to other abyssal entities. I could end up wasting thousands of years in this place, only to witness the universe’s demise before possibly being thrown back onto the reincarnation cycle.

Hell no! That must not happen!

Being stranded and failing trials after trials is unacceptable!

‘Aaaargh, damn it!’

As I lost my cool, Jeogang said to me.

[Why not calm down a bit… did you really use everything at your disposal?]

‘What?’

[Take a look at every trivial thing… You might have overlooked something…].

‘Hmm…’

I felt a bit steadied by Jeogang’s words. Then, I thought more rationally.

‘Divine power, mystical tools, Sephiroth, Four Great Spirit Deities, martial arts… it seems I’ve tried all the most powerful abilities I have. So what’s left is magic and techniques.’

Using divine power rendered magic or techniques unnecessary, so I hadn’t considered them so far, but perhaps they held answers here.

‘But there’s no way I possess a magic powerful enough to surpass an outer deity’s seal…’

If I had such magic, I would have used it to conquer the world ages ago. The magic of Sephiroth was merely the force of the World Tree and practically akin to divine power, so in reality, I knew squat about magic. The powerful grimoire known as Heavenly Secret was effectively unavailable right now given my state of soul!

‘Grimoire? Hmm… if it’s not magic but a grimoire… maybe…?’

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my mind regarding the term ‘grimoire.’

After pondering for a while, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

‘… Could it be?’

A moment later, I carefully shouted.

‘Come forth… Necronomicon!’

Paaaaaaat…!

The next moment, something incredible happened.

With vibrant colors of light, a grimoire shimmered into existence like an apparition in the void, and suddenly it morphed into the form of a Tricolor Cat, appearing in midair!

Standing on two legs, the Tricolor Cat gently landed and chuckled lightly.

“Seriously, to summon me in a place like this… you must really be out of your mind.”

The Tricolor Cat was oddly dressed in a sorcerer’s attire, just like a person.

‘Necronomicon!’

I shouted excitedly with a hint of emotion.

Right!

The grimoire Necronomicon that I’d obtained from the library of the Void Record!

I could never have guessed I’d be able to summon it!

Overwhelmed with joy, I attempted to embrace the Necronomicon, but it was just a phantasm, causing me to pass right through it.

‘Huh?!’

The Tricolor Cat laughed at me.

“I told you before, don’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve merely obtained the right to read; you’re not my master yet.”

There was no sense of closeness in its tone; instead, it was laced with disdain, making me feel that it still didn’t recognize me. Simultaneously, I sensed a thick pride emanating from it.

‘What? Then how come you were summoned here?’

“Initially, when you obtained a reading right, I’m supposed to show up once to explain the training methods. From then on, you must learn the techniques yourself and figure out how to summon me.”

‘……’

So, it was only for a beginner’s explanation that it temporarily showed up…

As I was taken aback, the Tricolor Cat, Necronomicon, surveyed the surroundings and remarked with a mocking tone.

“To deliberately crawl into the universe’s leftover data… you truly have peculiar tastes. Do you want to refactor this universe from start to finish or something?”