전생검신 95권 14화

I was able to understand what I had gained and what I had lost.

‘If one considers becoming a god, then I lost a heck of a lot of power. But…’

In exchange, I obtained the Thunder Soul.

If I thought I already had the Thunder Soul, it might be a tremendous loss. However, when I truly reflected on whether I was the master of the Thunder Soul, it dawned on me that it was a completely different meaning.

‘So, I’ve finally become the true master of the Thunder Soul.’

Thinking back to the time when I awakened the Thunder Soul and was gradually expanding, I realized that the Thunder Soul had never, even for a moment, obeyed me. In its early awakening state, it was groggy and gradually gained consciousness and power, continuously resisting me, eventually trying to kill me in the situation I just experienced. By paying a hefty price, I managed to suppress it in the space of the Trimurti, and as a result, the Thunder Soul became completely mine and obedient.

Even if I’m dumb, I can see that.

Using the power of the Thunder Soul on a surface level and truly being the master of it is a world of difference.

That fact was vividly felt through the power of waves that I was absorbing right now.

Wooaah…!

Instead of gradually diminishing, the resonance only grew stronger. My cognitive realm was now home to tens of thousands of stars, and from each star, waves were being absorbed as if they were leaking from a solid object. I silently observed how long this power would continue to be absorbed, and even after what felt like days in my perception, there was no sign of the absorption slowing down.

‘Hmm…!’

Just what level of power had accumulated?

The Thunder Soul spinning in my heart continuously repeated the compression of accumulated power, but the absorption of power just wouldn’t stop!

To make it even crazier, even after continuously absorbing and compressing power, I couldn’t even guess how much power I had absorbed! One thing was sure: I was already far beyond what humanity could handle in terms of power units, yet even that colossal power felt ridiculously insufficient to fill the potential of the Thunder Soul.

Is that why? Even though my divine power had fallen significantly compared to before, I felt like my ability to perceive my surroundings and my mobility had actually grown stronger. It felt like this vast universe had shrunk down to a neighborhood hill, and I thought I could easily traverse enormous spaces if I just set my mind to it.

When I felt that sensation, it suddenly clicked for me what the difference between this power and divine power was.

‘… This power of waves doesn’t activate just by thought. If it were divine power, I would have felt a ‘change in reality’ with just a little focus… But the power accumulated from waves doesn’t move easily.’

Could this be considered a downside compared to divine power? But I thought it might be too definitive to label it as a downside since maybe I didn’t fully understand this power of waves yet.

Yet if it doesn’t move by thought, that leaves me in a position where I can’t use this power.

There must be a fundamental method to controlling this power.

‘Could it be that I have to move these waves?’

To confirm this theory that had just come to me, I started moving the energy of the waves I had gathered.

‘Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique!’

Kuung!

At that moment, the vast power that had been hidden within the Thunder Soul released its compression, moving according to the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. Once it began moving, the tremendous force spread throughout my entire body as if I were not just a spirit but possessing a solid form, and after a moment, when I attempted to form it into the shape of a Thunder Spear experimentally, it started reacting.

And again, I noticed that while the power of waves responded, it didn’t move just with a simple thought, so I figured I might as well activate an intent.

Chiriririring!

‘… I see!’

The power of waves.

This power responds not to simple will but to intent!

Since responding to intent meant I had to employ it every time I used the waves, I realized the drawbacks of this power.

‘The power of the Thunder Soul is infinite… But intent consumes mental strength. In other words, the limit of mental strength is practically the limit of power!’

This was a bothersome characteristic compared to the powerful efficiency and convenience associated with divine power. Of course, for an expert like me, activating intent isn’t an issue, but given that intent is high-level training, it inevitably consumes a fair amount of mental strength, making it quite far from the notion of perpetual power activation.

To put it metaphorically, a powerful strongman might not struggle to move a giant sack of rice, but it still requires substantial effort, unlike divine power, which could be activated with merely a breath.

But acknowledging these drawbacks solidifies that the power of the Thunder Soul indeed possesses a clear identity, which left me feeling oddly pleased, leading me to smile slightly.

‘So it is martial arts.’

The power has evolved to a cosmic level, yet the Thunder Soul still fundamentally originated from the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. And being martial arts means that depending on how I harness this power, I could potentially break the limits of divine power.

Of course. This overwhelming power from the Thunder Soul pales in comparison to the vast array of martial arts in the world of mortals! Even those martial arts can bear fangs at gods when they reach the realms of absolute and divine levels through extreme honing, so just how much potential would the Thunder Soul yield? Furthermore, this power of the Thunder Soul was still only in its early awakening stage, not having truly taken the form of martial arts yet, which only adds to its allure.

I quietly muttered.

‘… I can do it.’

If all goes well, I might even become strong enough to defeat Fuxi, who has returned as the strongest foe in this world.

Of course, for that to happen, I must draw out the Thunder Soul’s potential to the maximum.

What that means is – I must change how I fight from now on.

Because the Thunder Soul uses intent, there’s a limit on the number of times I can activate it. And given that premise, it means I must resolve matters against powerful gods within a set timeframe. If it devolves into a drawn-out battle like a thousand-day struggle, it’s guaranteed defeat.

But as long as that’s the case, it wouldn’t be much different from before. Instead, considering this limitation, I felt a sense of clarity in how to utilize the Thunder Soul.

‘I must use its potent power from the very start of the fight to overwhelm the gods!’

Initiative!

While I had previously relied on divine power to make spontaneous decisions and fought creatively, that method will not work from now on if I need to bring down a formidable enemy in a limited time. Instead, I must seize the initiative from the outset and push the opponent aggressively from the get-go.

And to seize that initiative, I must maximize the powerful ability of the Thunder Soul. I pondered that fact deeply and my eyes gleamed.

‘I must firmly grasp the qualities unique to the Thunder Soul. It can’t end just like this.’

The wave energy that had once cleaved through entire stars!

Now that I recognize the existence of waves, I can perceive this aspect clearly!

Shushushush!

At that moment, I sensed a dozen hazy spirit bodies materializing near me. They were clearly the souls of the planets, and sure enough, the one glowing orange among them spoke.

[I am [One].]

[I am [Two].]

[I am [Three].]

…

The orderly self-introductions confirmed that I had no room for doubts about the bizarre situation. I glanced at my forearm, and indeed, I could see the names engraved from [One] to [Ten]. I had now made a contract with ten new alien planets.

Is it just my imagination? It felt like the waves I possessed had grown significantly stronger.

Listening to the self-introductions of the planets, I asked.

‘I have a question—do you know of a planet called Earth?’

Since we were technically from the same planet, I asked out of curiosity!

But as expected, the response was negative.

[We don’t know that.]

‘Well… So, Earth is this planet…’

I explained the characteristics of the Solar System and Earth, and after a while, [One] responded.

[Ask those among the noble races with whom we coexist.]

‘…?’

I wondered if I had misheard. I was taken aback and asked again.

‘What? You’re telling me you, the souls of planets, can communicate with the mortal races living upon them?’

[Only one presence can communicate with us.]

‘…!’

[Wait a moment.]

After conveying that intent, [One] raised its arms and took a pose as if it were trying to communicate with something. After a long wait, [One] finally spoke.

[You will receive a summoning. Accept it and speak directly.]

Wooaah!

No sooner had I received this than I felt a wave surge toward me. This wave had a rather peculiar flow, suggesting I was now able to directly perceive and sense that cosmic wave, something the mortals couldn’t normally do.

As I reached out to touch that wave, I soon felt myself being pulled somewhere.

Shush!

And then I realized I was floating in an unknown place.

Is this an altar?

Looking underneath the altar, I saw bizarre-looking aliens from a race entirely unfamiliar to me.

What can I say? Their lower body was planted into the ground like a plant, while their whole body was covered in a tough exoskeleton reminiscent of a crab. Additionally, they had tentacles sprouting from their faces with a single large eye in the center.

Moreover, they wore finely made clothes, indicating they were a sorcerer of some sort with ritualistic significance.

The alien bowed its head towards me, who had been summoned upon the altar, and said.

[Great Being! According to the will of the great star, this humble demon offers its will! A call after a glorious 1.5 million years…! How moving!]

‘…’

This guy’s speaking some alien language, but I understand everything…

Wait, does that mean this alien thinks I’m a god? I couldn’t help but chuckle as I said.

‘Buddy, I’m no god. I’ve lost a lot of divine power.’

[Oh… Are you testing this humble being? That also seems to be a fate… To we insignificant ones, you are simply a great being…!]

‘…’

[Whatever you desire, just command it! Even if it means the destruction of my kind, I shall follow!]

I felt genuinely bewildered.

‘Wait a sec… Am I really coming off as godlike? I feel weak enough to be quite pitiful.’

[Oh… please, don’t test me any further… To have the will of the stars command you is truly a world-changing event… Such a being cannot be anything less than a god!]

‘Ugh… that’s not right…’

Compared to the gods of the Three Sovereigns, I’m nothing but small fry, yet here I am being revered? How embarrassing!

Regardless, I decided to resolve the matter since I was summoned anyway.

‘Alright, I need to head to this planet called Earth. However, I have a bit of a problem since Fuxi’s barrier is blocking a straight path. Can you summon me from Earth?’

[What kind of place is this Earth?]

‘So, basically…’

As I explained the Earth and the barrier of the Three Sovereigns, the sorcerer gulped and said.

[Oh… you’re referring to the planet from which divine revelations descend… One indeed goes to an extremely perilous place…!]

‘You know about divine revelations?’

The sorcerer trembled in fear for real.

[This humble sorcerer has known this famous event since a million years ago… It’s unthinkable not to know… Many great gods have already descended, and it’s a terrifying place that no one dares to face…!]

‘…’

So even these alien demon clans are seeing Earth as a cosmic danger zone? What on earth kind of place have I been living in…?

I felt a wave of absurdity wash over me and sighed.

‘Okay, just tell me how to get to Earth. Going straight through is going to get me caught in a barrier.’

[…].

The alien sorcerer thought deeply before saying.

[Our Night Moon Demon Clan has an alliance on Earth, so we can sketch out a summoning circle for the great being there…!]

‘So if we use the summoning circle, I won’t get caught in the barrier?’

[That is likely true, yes.]

‘Great! Do it!’

[…].

The sorcerer seemed hesitant for a moment.

‘What’s wrong?’

I questioned, puzzled, when suddenly the sorcerer prostrated before me and said.

[Great Being… please grant this pitiful race your blessing! If you would grant us many treasures, we beseech your mercy…!]

‘Uh.’

[There are many treasures upon the altar! If you’ll grant blessings equal to those treasures…!]

I glanced at the altar. Upon closer inspection, I found a pile of various grotesque demon artifacts, treasures, and precious metals. Now I understood what the sorcerer was getting at.

‘Ah.’

An offering ceremony.

So even though it was the will of the stars that summoned me, this alien sorcerer wouldn’t conduct the summoning ritual without some form of tribute. It’s clear they prepared this offering ceremony to gain my favor, assuming I was a divine being.

Then accepting this offering ceremony would mean it was a sort of transaction to be ‘summoned to Earth’?

I pondered deeply before reaching out to the altar.

Wooaah!

‘Ooh.’

The moment I extended my hand to touch the offering atop the altar, it vanished without a trace. At the same time, I felt my divine power slightly enhance.

[Are you accepting this?]

Seeing me touch the offering, the sorcerer was overjoyed, but I was too wrapped up in this bizarre experience to think straight.

‘So this is how gods receive offerings.’

I had often wondered why gods appreciated offerings, but it turns out consuming an offering would indeed enhance my powers at that moment. Of course, to me, it felt like a tiny speck compared to my might, so it was hardly worth taking seriously. Yet if the offering were bigger, it could significantly enhance my divine power.

So that’s why gods seemed to enjoy offerings, huh?

Experiencing this first-hand made me start to understand where the ‘rulers’ were coming from.

But with such measly offerings, I could now see why rulers would get upset or bring about calamities. If those insignificant ants presented mere crumbs as offerings, it would be easy to feel like wiping them all out.

…But I definitely wasn’t thinking about massacres. I’m not some evil god, after all.

With that thought in mind, I began to touch the offerings one by one to absorb their power. Even if the strength was negligible, if it could enhance my divine power in any way, it’s only natural I wanted to pick up what I could. After all, my divine power had seen significant cuts compared to its prime days, so I couldn’t afford to be picky.

Wooooooooow!

It was when I had finished absorbing the offerings. Fortunately, there were only treasures and no sacrificial offerings, so at least I didn’t feel too much resistance.

The sorcerer cried out joyously.

[Oh, you’ve taken so much… were you so pleased! Then please grant us your blessing!]

…Oh no.

It was only then that I began to feel flustered.

So I asked.

‘How do I bless you…?’

[…?]

The sorcerer looked momentarily flustered. Then it spoke.

[As a mere mortal, I don’t know how to interpret the great power of a god! If you would bestow us at least treasures, we would eternally hold it in glory.]

‘……’

Treasures?

How could I grant treasures in my spirit form? I have nothing with me.

Thinking hard, an idea suddenly came to me.

‘Hmm… what if I put it on a tab?’

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