전생검신 94권 16화

What? What are you even saying?

I was totally blank, not understanding what the Necronomicon was babbling on about at all.

Then, with a puff, the Necronomicon summoned a tiny staff that fit its size and pointed it at me.

“You stupid fool. This is your only chance to hear an explanation from me unless you break the seal, so you’d better listen. Did you get that?”

‘What the heck!’

This tricolor cat is so full of itself!

I was feeling a bit irritated, but the Necronomicon just kept talking without a care.

“First, tell me what kind of place this is.”

‘Isn’t this the deepest abyss of the universe?’

The Necronomicon snickered as if mocking me.

“Just saying that doesn’t explain the essence of this place. First off, you don’t even know why this place exists, do you?”

‘Do you mean you know why this void exists?’

“Absolutely.”

After saying that, the Necronomicon glanced at the spirit body with its cat eyes and continued.

“This void is a junk data of the universe.”

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

“To put it simply, it’s a massive pile of useless data. It’s where all the worthless remnants are collected, things that have no use in the laws governing this universe.”

‘……!’

T-trash data?

Here?

I was taken aback by the unexpected comment and looked at Di Jiang, but he, having heard every word, remained silent. With his lack of response, I looked back at the Necronomicon and said,

‘……Why does the Outer God bother collecting trash then?’

“Hehehe. That’s a rather important question. It’s also a truth that plays tricks on those who believe the universe is flawless.”

The Necronomicon gazed at me with amusement, continuing to speak.

“There are several reasons for the existence of junk data. For efficient operation, to prevent outside interference, and other reasons… but the biggest one is simple: it allows for easy refactoring during emergencies.”

‘Refactoring? What the heck is that?’

The Necronomicon snickered darkly, looking into the void, as if mocking something.

“The term may sound complex, but the principle is simple. It’s about readjusting the laws of cause and effect internally without changing external results. It’s vital data for those nasty Outer Gods.”

‘W-What do you mean……?’

“Hmph… You don’t have to pretend you don’t understand. I can drop a few hints and not get immediately punished by the Outer Gods.”

‘But I really don’t understand…’

“…….”

Then the Necronomicon looked at me incredulously.

“What the…? I got that feeling from the Void Record, but why are you such a blockhead? You got the chance to meet me, Necronomicon, through Al Karda, so you should at least be a savior of the universe, yet I never expected you to be this stupid!”

‘…….’

“I’ve explained everything I needed to!”

Ugh… another insult about being dumb…

But you know, it wasn’t really about feeling wronged—it just made me want to bury my face in my hands.

‘P-people can be clueless sometimes…’

As I awkwardly turned my gaze to the distance, the Necronomicon continued.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the important thing is that junk data is necessary for the Outer Gods to ‘officially’ tweak the cause and effect without touching the universe.”

‘Isn’t that cheating? You said that Outer Gods can’t interfere with this world because of the lack of cause and effect.’

“……Considering you’ve managed to understand even that while grasping nothing important is pretty impressive. I just don’t know how to deal with you.”

‘…….’

“Do you really believe that Outer Gods can’t interfere with the world? That’s not true…”

‘Huh?’

What does that mean?

Feeling the weight of a serious conversation, I widened my eyes and stared at the Necronomicon, which said softly,

“It’s a very cunning and indirect method of interference. What’s used for that trick is precisely this junk data and void. More accurately, it manipulates situations where junk data is essential. It can assume the role of the universe’s regulator…”

‘W-What kind of trick is that?’

For a moment, the Necronomicon flinched.

“Well… looks like the librarian is watching. Even for someone like me, it seems risky to go any further, so I’ll just leave it at that.”

‘Hey! You can’t just stop mid-sentence like that!’

When I expressed my frustration at the Necronomicon’s evasive attitude, it chuckled softly.

“If you’re feeling wronged, unseal my knowledge. You can’t even break the first-level seal yet, so I can’t tell you the universe’s secrets.”

‘Keh… so you’re saying I need to train my magic?’

“Why not? It’s not like you can’t do it. Any decent demon sorcerer would give up everything in their life for a scrap of the knowledge you have crammed in your head, yet here you are, flailing around in a treasure vault.”

‘…….’

This little cat has quite the harsh tongue…

I cautiously asked the Necronomicon,

‘So… if I train my magic, would I find a way out of this void?’

It was the most crucial question for me.

Getting out of this void is a prerequisite for even dreaming of obtaining Chi You’s body!

The Necronomicon nodded in response to my question.

“Of course. This level of void can be escaped just by breaking the second-level seal of my knowledge.”

‘……! For real?!’

“Yep. There’s a spell for escaping the void at the second level. But you first have to completely break the first-level seal.”

‘If that’s the case, I’ll train hard in magic!’

If training magic is the way to escape, why not dive in headfirst?

The Necronomicon tapped my hand with its staff and continued,

“Now, enough chit-chat; let’s talk about why I’m really here. Begin by forming a hand seal.”

Interestingly, it seemed able to interfere with me, the spirit body, quite freely.

‘Hand seal?’

“Don’t you know hand seals? They’re the activation elements of magic. Use any one you want.”

‘In that case…’

Faba-BAT!

At that, I displayed one of the hand seals I knew.

The Necronomicon responded, unimpressed.

“This is the hand seal for the Soul Exchange Technique. It helps enhance the ability to separate souls.”

‘……!’

I was taken aback.

‘How do you know about this hand seal, which was developed by Zhuge Sa’s creation techniques?!’

Right! This was a hand seal I received along with the Soul Exchange Technique when I was first taught by Zhuge Sa together with Mangnyang!

Later on, I learned that it wasn’t something I learned from Simon Magus, but a hand seal developed after Zhuge Sa reached mastery in the Soul Exchange Technique, optimizing the training method.

So, knowing this hand seal should only be possible for Zhuge Sa or those who learned from him in the Soul Exchange Technique. How does this Demon Sorcerer Necronomicon know about it?!

The Necronomicon retorted,

“Focusing on the individuality of the practitioner means nothing before me. If something ‘exists,’ I can understand its essence—any form of magic, technique, or phenomenon, and even its beginning, end, and dissolution method.”

‘What…!’

“Being stunned at such a basic skill makes your journey even longer. What I can do is not simply analyze like this.”

Feeling offended, the Necronomicon looked at my hand seal and thoughtfully stroked its chin.

“I see… I understand your problem now.”

‘What’s my problem?’

In a serious tone, the Necronomicon spoke.

“You possess a talent that’s too outstanding for performing magic. Therefore, it’s vital for you to focus on strengthening your fundamentals.”

‘……?!’

I momentarily froze at those words and eventually, in disbelief, asked,

‘W-What? Am I outstanding? I have talent in magic?’

“Rather than talent, it’s innate quality.”

‘What’s the difference?’

“Talent refers to the qualities needed to reach a level, while innate quality is one’s nature that makes it so they don’t even need to reach that level. In other words, you’ve already achieved ‘something’ usually obtained after reaching a certain realm—there’s no need for effort or talent.”

‘……?’

What does that even mean…?

Feeling absurd at hearing such a concept for the first time, I tilted my head, but the Necronomicon sighed and explained.

“To put it simply, it’s like this: you might know a mere fraction of the magic theories, hand seals, applications, or complexities, yet you possess a unique trait that a great sorcerer, after spending a lifetime training in magic, might barely gain. This is a quality barely possessed even by Demon Kings or Spirits.”

‘……!’

“Have you really never trained in magic? It’s certain from reading your inner history—how can this be happening…?”

The Necronomicon was genuinely perplexed, tilting its head.

But I found it hard to accept and exclaimed,

‘You mean I have such qualities? Tell me what they are!’

I thought I had heard something about a talent for summoning, but to have the Necronomicon praise me with the term “innate quality”? The Necronomicon stared at me thoughtfully and then said,

“Beloved by countless demons. A tongue that persuades thousands. Footsteps that attract myriad evils.”

‘…….’

“Broadly speaking, there are three main qualities, and there seem to be others, but I don’t know them all yet. However, how could you possess all this quality alone? While those with innate qualities are around, it’s rare for even a demon deity to have more than one of these…”

‘What the…’

I ran out of words. Shenglong had told me that I had been favored by demons, but who knew I had two more innate qualities on top of that? Am I truly that talented in magic?

But I still couldn’t accept that, so I said to the Necronomicon,

“But I’ve hardly mastered any other magic besides summoning! I didn’t progress fast like a genius! You must be misunderstanding something!”

“Huh… It’s definitely the result of your lack of understanding, distinguishing the difference between talent and innate quality.”

Somehow sounding annoyed, Necronomicon rubbed its small tricolor cat head and continued after a moment.

“You… actually don’t need to train in magic that much. All three of those innate qualities can be acquired through forging your path in the magic realm via practice—not to mention you’ve already achieved these results with no effort.”

‘……?! But if I can’t use magic well, aren’t those qualities worthless…?!’

“The goal of all magic is to summon a higher being or demon to borrow their power. But most higher beings view the lesser ones as bugs and will just wipe them out instead. Therefore, as you ascend the levels of the sorcerer, spells designed for increasing survival rates during summoning become more prevalent.”

The Necronomicon narrowed its eyes.

“Yet you, exceeding mere survival rates, seem to easily gain significant bonds or great outcomes while conversing with the likes of deities or demons. Isn’t it ludicrous that you can successfully communicate with the likes of Outer Gods? You’ve essentially arrived at what magic aims for.”

‘……!’

“Especially being beloved by countless demons is a quality every sorcerer across the thirty-three realms wishes for. Even demon deities would covet such a trait. You seem to be utilizing your innate qualities to their fullest.”

Could it… be true…?

I was dazed but couldn’t brush off the Necronomicon’s high praise. Since it was the exact same guy who had been mocking me for being dumb, it couldn’t feel anything but objective.

…….

Uh… but I’m not feeling that great about all this…

My intentions are already fixed on martial arts; hearing this now about magical talent doesn’t really resonate with me.

In fact, the surfacing of that talent felt so detached that it made me feel empty. Is gaining favor with gods and deities such a big deal?

As I was lost in thought, it suddenly hit me and I spoke up.

‘Wait a second… I understand that innate quality is exceptional and all, but how am I supposed to use magic when I know squat about it! I need something to work with to even try!’

“That’s why I’m saying to train the basics. Try forming a hand seal again.”

‘Like this?’

As I awkwardly formed a hand seal, the Necronomicon nodded and said,

“You know that there are five elemental sources and basics of magic. Hand seals, incantations, commands, offerings, and wishes. You learned that from Zhuge Sa, right?”

I was taken aback by the Necronomicon’s statement.

‘Y-You know Zhuge Sa?!’

“I read the gist of your memories while analyzing your innate quality. So there’s no need to waste time discussing it.”

‘…Right. I know the basic theory of magic.’

“Even if you do, let me go over it again. I’ve summoned here specifically for that purpose.”

Realizing the significance of the moment, I understood.

Zhuge Sa, when you think about it, was more of a master of the Soul Exchange Technique than just an ordinary sorcerer. Thus, receiving direct teachings from this Sorcery Master, the strongest of his kind, was likely far to exceed Zhuge Sa’s teachings. Plus, with Zhuge Sa’s realm of magic also stemming from the Sephiroth, it was slightly different from orthodox sorcery practices.

This was probably the first time I’d ever received that sort of education from someone at such a high caliber.

Recognizing this, I decided to focus.

‘Please explain.’

The Necronomicon tapped my hand with its staff and continued.

“First, the hand seal. This is, in fact, the least useful of the five elemental sources. Do you know why?”

‘……There are spells that can activate without hand seals.’

“That’s right. Hand seals mainly serve as an auxiliary effect to amplify a spell’s power. Therefore, it’s usually the last thing someone learns. So what’s the most important of the five elemental sources?”

I pondered over the question and replied cautiously.

‘Wishes.’

“Why’s that?”

‘There are spells that can activate with just wishes alone without the other four…’

“That’s right. As long as there’s strong will and magical power, it’s often the case that you can pass without the other four. What’s extreme here is essentially what gods wield: divine power. So shouldn’t a sorcerer be able to do it with wishes alone? Then why do they still train the other four sources?”

‘Hmm… What was the reason again…?’

Uh, I feel like Zhuge Sa mentioned it, but I’ve forgotten…

As I puzzled over it, the Necronomicon said,

“Because there exists a certain level of mastery within the magic realm that can’t be achieved through divine power alone. To reach that, all five elemental sources need to be trained to the utmost.”

‘……?’

I found something off about that and, in puzzlement, spoke up.

‘No wait, isn’t it that humans can’t gain powerful strength through just wishes or incantations?! Zhuge Sa said that!?!’

It finally struck me what Zhuge Sa had clarified, but what the Necronomicon was saying sounded completely different!

Feeling flustered, the Necronomicon chuckled.

“That’s a statement made merely from the level of mortal sorcerers… I am basing my standard on sorcerers who have reached a level above demon kings. Why would I even mention the limits of power? You should be targeting the realm beyond that of the deities.”

‘…….’

“To the contrary. You should be able to defeat a demon king using wishes or incantations to be able to keep up with my training, Necronomicon.”

‘What the actual….’

I was at a loss for words. Now that I thought about it, the bar for what Necronomicon wanted from me was set absurdly high! Is it truly wishing for one to reach the peak of sorcery?

The Necronomicon continued,

“Anyway, circling back to the point… Normally, regardless of the importance of fundamentals, you need to train them. This is because you need to meld your innate qualities with your magical abilities.”

‘Melding my innate quality with magical abilities?’

“Exactly. As you’ve said, you’re already using your innate qualities quite well, so if you were to train intentionally, wouldn’t it be wise to reap the benefits from your qualities? To do so, you should master the basics to understand magic from its roots first.”

‘Hmm… That sounds familiar, kinda like martial arts.’

I sensed a remarkable similarity in the Necronomicon’s training theory to the martial arts theories I had learned. Just like in martial arts, only by solidly building the foundations could one learn the more advanced techniques, right? And considering that a significant amount of internal energy needs to be dedicated, it really was similar.

Necronomicon responded to my thoughts.

“Is it strange that the theories of martial arts and magic align?”

‘Isn’t magic one of the most sinister forms of sorcery, let alone a pathological art of the Forbidden Law? Who would think its theories resemble those of righteousness…?’

“Kukuku.”

The Necronomicon smirked with its trademark smirk. It seems a cat smiling can look cute, but it also made me feel slightly irritated.

“Why would you think martial arts is upright? That’s what’s funny.”

‘What do you mean?’

“Magic is the most widely recognized transcendent ability since the universe began. It’s a power that was favored by all kinds of ancient rulers and demon kings, including Outer Gods. Meanwhile, martial arts is a skill passed on by a minuscule number of practitioners compared to those studying magic… Just considering the numbers, sorcerers practicing magic undoubtedly outnumber martial artists by several billions. While many races are inherently capable of using magic, hardly any can claim they can wield martial arts, and there are empires for magic but not for martial arts.”

‘…….’

“If a survey was conducted across the entire universe, they’d likely hail magic as the righteous way. Who, then, do you think comprises the minority?”

…Ah, crap.

I’ve got nothing to retort now!

I felt my temper rising — it was obnoxiously true, so much so that it made me bitter. I decided to change the subject.

‘So? Which fundamental must I train within the five sources of magic?’

“Start with the hand seal.”

‘What? Earlier you said the hand seal was the least useful of the five…’

The Necronomicon insisted,

“It’s the least useful but also the field least influenced by innate qualities. Since you have strong qualities, starting with the hand seal will make it easier for you to grasp magic. Wishing or incantations are so manageable to you that it may be tougher for your understanding.”

I scratched my head.

‘Uh… I think I get it, but how do I train the hand seal?’

“Focus on the hand seal you’re forming now.”

‘Got it.’

“The hand seal is an indirect representation of a wish. A wish represents enlightenment, meaning that the seal you’re creating expresses someone’s enlightenment. Can you feel that insight now?”

‘…….’

I stared silently at the hand seal I formed. This is the hand seal crafted to make the Soul Exchange Technique easier, which means it is filled with Zhuge Sa’s enlightenment about the Soul Exchange Technique. But no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t feel that enlightenment at all and racked my brain before finally saying,

‘No… I don’t know at all…’

“You can only form the seal but fail to grasp its mastery, which reflects poorly on your skills! The one who taught you that hand seal, Zhuge Sa, fully understood and adapted the meaning of the separation technique! Unlike you, he is a true master of the Soul Exchange Technique.”

‘Guh!’

“You don’t have to worry; I wasn’t summoned just to scold you. I’ll make it easy to understand how to comprehend the enlightenment encompassed in the hand seal.”

‘Really?!’

Seeing my excitement, the Necronomicon nodded.

“I may not be an Outer God, but I can also employ tricks with junk data. While it’s not the only method, since we’re in this void, we might as well give it a shot.”

Kie-ing –

The staff the Necronomicon held began to glow brightly. Then the Necronomicon uttered a spell in a low voice.

“Ether Dance!”

Zzzzing…!

At that moment, I suddenly felt like my body was dividing into layers. How do I describe it? It felt like standing in this space while simultaneously having another “me” perfectly overlapping in a different dimension, going on and on. This was completely different from the clone technique I used, leaving no room for confusion between my identity and reflections—rather, it felt like comparing my true self with a reflection in a mirror.

Swoosh

While I was engulfed in confusion, the Necronomicon gently pushed my hand that formed the seal to the right. As I felt a slight force pulling me to the right, an odd sensation of electricity ran through me.

‘Wait, I’m heading right while simultaneously going left?’

What’s up with that? Why do two seemingly the same things happen at once?

While I was starkly confused, I heard the Necronomicon’s voice explain.

“Imagine two people dancing.”

‘……!’

“You’re trying to dance to the left while the one dancing with you is going right. While you set out to go either left or right, you’re simultaneously doing both. Why…?”

Something’s… starting to make sense, while still feeling off…

I understand, but I just can’t grasp it completely.

As I remained puzzled, the explanation continued.

“…You’re dancing with yourself. Though there are two movements, the existence remains one. So, could you break down every single move to comprehend?”

In that very moment.

I felt like a bolt of lightning pierced my mind with clarity.

Yeah… No, it’s not that.

The innumerable existences overlapping with mine aren’t divided.

They are all ‘one.’

Upon that revelation, I instantly sensed all the meanings behind the hand seal I held! I realized the enlightenment unique to Zhuge Sa!

I grasped the intent behind Zhuge Sa’s creation of this hand seal, the efficient way of shifting the mystical formula crafted within it! The whole process morphologically settled in my mind as though mathematical diagrams had been imprinted into me without any discomfort!

As I indulged in this realization, the Necronomicon gazed at me with a peculiar smile and said,

“How’s that? Refreshing, right?”

‘W-What kind of spell was that? Suddenly gaining… enlightenment… just like that!’

The Necronomicon spoke with an air of pride in its tone.

“This is a spell only usable within this void. It employs the rules of forgotten worlds to forcibly read the tensors of junk data.”

‘……?’

“You probably grasped the gist of it with your instincts, but let’s explain again. Enlightenment can come suddenly, but it’s also built from accumulation of many experiences—insights formed through those experiences yield the best optimization. But gaining that enlightenment can be tough not only because of insufficient experience, but also because experiences often remain buried in subconsciousness due to uncontrolled variables in the same situation. Either maximize the amount of insights to lower those chances or rely on sheer luck to bring out submerged triggers into consciousness. However, in this void, all entanglements remain preserved in the form of junk data, permitting me to forcibly activate all the triggers.”

Ugh… I still don’t get any of this…

I couldn’t stand Necronomicon’s long-winded explanation and interjected,

‘What are you talking about? Can you say it in a way I can actually understand!’

The Necronomicon pouted slightly.

“…You can’t use the spell Ether Dance here to force a spark of enlightenment. Got it?”

‘Got it!’

Well, if only you had stated it that simply, we wouldn’t have gone through all this mumbo jumbo!

I huffed but then replied to the Necronomicon.

‘So, while using this… Ether Dance, I should enhance my understanding of the hand seal, right?’

“Exactly.”

‘Which hand seals should I practice on?’

“Whatever comes to mind. To be honest, you’re just a clueless buffoon who hasn’t grasped the meaning of any hand seals you’ve attained thus far, aren’t you? You’ve just stepped into the world of magic.”

‘…….’

“You’ve only now unlocked your first insight.”

Ugh… it’s true, but hearing it straight out made it sting…

Feeling the frustration creep onto my face, the Necronomicon spoke.

“As you dig deeper, you’ll gain more insights into the geometrical principles of magic. Hand seals, indeed, underscore the manifestation of magic! However, that alone won’t break the first seal.”

‘What? Then how do I do that?’

“Through commands.”

The Necronomicon spoke slowly.

“Once you’ve completed training the hand seals, you need to develop your own command. Only then can you truly be deemed a sorcerer.”