전생검신 95권 17화

The Observer stared at me for a while after my words.

An utterly emotionless gaze.

In that thick atmosphere of silence, an even greater tension blossomed. Suddenly, I felt a tightness in my chest.

‘Cough… gasp… huuff…’

Wait… am I cursed?

I thought that for a moment, but quickly realized it wasn’t the case.

The other party was just amplifying their presence!

Despite being invisible, the overwhelming aura made me feel as if the waves of the Thunder Soul that had been protecting me were crushed, and I began to feel a prickling pain like flames igniting all over my body. This mild fever, slowly burning through me, wasn’t lethal but was nonetheless enough to scream [death].

As that sensation lingered, I was acutely reminded of just how terrifyingly powerful the Outer God was, leading me into a sudden spiral of regret.

What have I done?

How could I possibly stand up against such a monster…?

I couldn’t overcome this anymore with the potential of my Thunder Soul I had right now.

Though the energy of my Thunder Soul was immense, sustaining it through the cycle of reincarnation, it was painfully inadequate for confronting an existence like the Outer God.

Just when I was shivering and feeling despair for a moment, the Observer finally spoke.

[As you think, there definitely exists a hierarchical relationship among the Outer Gods. In some cases, it’s absolute, impossible to overturn.]

“……!”

I flinched in surprise as the Observer casually affirmed my thoughts. It was a touchy subject, and I felt I had risked my life for it, yet it was shared with such ease?

The Observer continued speaking.

[But do you truly believe you are qualified enough to compare those relationships…?]

“But…!”

[You wish to say you have that qualification… Reborn Person.]

At that moment, I sensed a slight coldness in the Observer’s gaze.

[Then pass this trivial test.]

Swoosh

I felt a sound like pages of a book flipping near my ear.

And as that sound grew louder, I abruptly realized I was forgetting my memories.

…?

I don’t know… why was I here?

…

What was I doing face-to-face with the Outer God Observer?

…

What is this lightning power spinning in my core…?

…

I feel like I was playing Go with Al Karda… why am I here…?

…

I teamed up with Zhuge Sa… to face Fuxi, right…?

“Uhh… uh…?”

What’s going on? I can’t remember anything…

“I was trying to confront Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, so why am I here…?”

What the heck is this place, and why am I here?

No… that’s not the main issue; I feel like I’m forgetting everything…

As I was caught up in confusion, the Observer’s voice came through once more.

[You are merely flipping back pages.]

“Huh…?”

[If you can’t overcome even this, then it wouldn’t matter if your journey ends here… ]

“What do you mean…?”

The Observer replied to my bewildered expression.

[Did you think I was unable to act just because Al Karda was judging you? If it’s merely limitless cycles… you can just start over again… ]

“……?”

[You’re in your 28th iteration now. Safe travels… this Reborn Person was quite amusing as well.]

Swoosh

I could still hear the sound of pages flipping back. I was numbly listening to that sound, but I didn’t even feel like I had the will to resist. I knew I was in a precarious situation, but the very reason to move wasn’t bearing fruit within me.

Without a cause, there is no effect.

Though my movements were instinctively restrained, my thoughts couldn’t go beyond breaking free from that blockade. And when I realized that, a feeling of despair surged as if I was submerged in a viscous sea of darkness.

What… what is happening…?

Is this really how it ends?

So meaningless…?

Without understanding anything?

Right at that moment.

Smack!

Suddenly, in my head, a page flipping got stuck with an unknown dark paper, preventing any further pages from turning. Curious about what that paper was, it seemed to be a bookmark.

Oh!

After the bookmark lodged itself in my mental realm, an unknown being revealed itself before me.

A person with dark blue hair resembling the colorful-eyed person, yet with a traditional look from the Central Plains. This peculiar young man stood between me and the Observer, murmuring softly.

“Didn’t you promise to endure all processes for the sake of a great plan?”

His calm voice hid inhumane coldness, making it clear he wasn’t blocking me out of kindness.

The Observer then looked down at the young man and spoke.

[Using the black bookmark shows true intent. To block me with one of the few treasures bestowed upon you by the Void Record… Al Karda.]

“I can’t help but use this if I want to block you.”

[You whine too much… You know you have something far better than that bookmark.]

“….”

Al Karda? Who’s that?

As I was puzzled, the young man called Al Karda spoke.

“For ‘us’, eternal years and cycles mean nothing. Yet the [Great One] holds a fate that can snatch the title of the King of Kings someday. The infinite is not true infinity.”

[…….]

“I’ve already won. Do not give chances to those who serve the Omnipotent.”

[Al Karda….]

The Observer trailed off for a moment before continuing.

[The plan has already derailed… It was never in the schedule for the [Thunder] to give him a ‘seed’… Are you purposely trying to ignore that variable…?]

“…….”

[Let’s end this round… I’m watching a predetermined conclusion, but that conclusion has a minuscule chance of changing… ]

“That can’t happen. If you were to end it now, the Emperor would overturn the board in another way.”

[You’re stubborn… That stubbornness must be broken.]

Boom

It seemed the Observer’s presence had grown larger. The instant his fierce gaze locked onto this Al Karda person, Al Karda’s entire being burst into flames!

Whoosh!

I flinched in shock, seeing Al Karda turn to ash—there wasn’t even a bone left! It was great having that mysterious being protecting me, but dying out of nowhere like that!

Yet just then, a cold voice resonated within the hall.

“It’s just a fleeting battle.”

Crash!

With a sound of something bursting, the eyeball of the Outer God Observer vanished with the shock of a giant book shutting. Al Karda, who had appeared in the hall, was perfectly fine, shrinking the book that had just burst his eyeball back into his hands as he spoke.

“We have already transcended the law of cause and effect. It’s certain a conclusion will arise from fighting for eternity, yet since we are outside of causality, we will be reborn from non-existence… you know that well.”

Oh

In response to that statement, the Observer’s eyeball reappeared in the hall. It blinked at Al Karda, replying.

[Al Karda… It won’t change anything if you stop here. Repeatedly generating results through endless cycles would suffice… ]

“That implies full knowledge cannot overcome omnipotence…”

[…….]

“Please yield… for the time when we all truly overcome the nightmare of the Omnipotent…”

[… Perhaps, but there’s something I can’t yield.]

“Speak.”

Swish

Suddenly, the Observer’s gaze shifted towards me. I flinched and froze, and the Observer spoke to me.

[Reborn Person… abandon the [Seed of Transcendence].]

“Huh? What’s that?”

[You don’t need to know… If you abandon what already exists within you… I will restore your lost memories… ]

“……?”

[Blocking all variables that could threaten the Great One… This is something I can never yield… ]

Lost memories?

Have I lost my memories?

It feels like I might have… But anyway, to understand this situation, I need to regain those memories?

‘I was preparing to fight Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen; what is this?’

Both the Great Bear Empire and humanity are in a crisis, so why on earth am I pulled into a place like this! It’s tough enough to fight Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen!

Muttering complaints, I spoke to the Observer.

“Just restoring my memories isn’t enough.”

[What did you say…?]

“I’m afraid I might face a situation like this again, so I want a promise that next time, you won’t attack me again!”

The instinct of a Reborn Person was telling me.

If I don’t get some kind of written agreement from the Outer God here, I could again end up in this situation of suddenly losing my memories! It felt essential to obtain a promise not merely to regain my memories.

Then the Observer spoke.

[I cannot make such a promise… If you create variables again, I would have to abandon this round. I can’t eliminate the means to control a Reborn Person.]

I frowned.

“Where’s the logic in that? Even if you’re an Outer God, that’s too unreasonable, don’t you think?”

[If you refuse to accept, then… you won’t regain your memories… You shall lose all the memories you’ve accumulated during this time… ]

“How the heck much have I progressed?”

[…… A lot… to an unimaginable degree for you at your 28th iteration… ]

“…….”

How much could that possibly mean?

While I was bewildered, I replied.

“Your words make it sound like I’ve captured the Three Sovereigns or something.”

[I did capture them once… ]

“What?!”

Really?!

[That doesn’t matter… what matters is whether you accept my proposal… Aside from that, there are no other choices… ]

“……!”

What in the world is going on? Did I really grow strong enough to capture the Three Sovereigns? And did I lose those memories out of the blue?

It seems like I’ve made some incredible progress!

So without those memories, am I facing huge losses?

I couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. And suddenly, I spotted the young man with dark blue hair standing a bit away.

‘Al Karda… was it? Is that guy an Outer God too?’

The only thing capable of fighting an Outer God is another Outer God.

As I pondered that, I was again wrapped in confusion.

‘Why is a stranger Outer God fighting the other Outer God to protect me? I don’t get it at all…’

But instinctively, I felt that this Al Karda person was the key to unraveling this situation.

After realizing that, I spoke to Al Karda.

“Hey, Al Karda! Promise me too!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Once I regain my memories, you won’t touch them again or attack me! If you can promise that, I’ll accept the Observer’s proposal without a second thought.”

To my surprise, Al Karda replied.

“I cannot promise that.”

“No, why not?!”

“The true reincarnation play hasn’t ended yet.”

“……?”

What the heck does that even mean? What’s a reincarnation play?

I was now utterly lost. What kind of nonsense was that Outer God saying?

Yet one thing was clear: I was being coerced into some unfair contract with two Outer Gods.

I didn’t understand why they were pressuring me like this, but they didn’t seem to have any intention of yielding.

What on earth is this [Seed of Transcendence] that causes such a fuss?

‘…….’

Simultaneously, I felt it.

The [Seed of Transcendence] is extremely important to me, and whether I give it up or not could change the course of my future!

I looked straight at the Observer and said.

“From your request to give up the [Seed of Transcendence] in exchange for my memories, it seems that if I don’t agree on my own will, you can’t take it by force.”

[…….]

“No matter how much progress I’ve made, I’d rather give up my memories. No matter how many more iterations I’ve had, living on will eventually let me achieve that level of success.”

[You have reached the realm of the Divine Domain, defeated the Three Sovereigns alone, passed the [Great Cycle], commanded hundreds of deities with a single word, and gained the magic of the Necronomicon that had been sleeping deep within the Void Record. If you wish to do that again, I won’t stop you… ]

“…… Ugh.”

I couldn’t help but flinch at the Observer’s words. And I felt a jolt of surprise.

‘Since they’re an Outer God, they wouldn’t lie… Did I really grow that powerful?! Did I roughly reach around my 200th iteration?’

That’s an unbelievable achievement!

… But seriously, how could I go through that grind all over again!

It would be immensely frustrating for me—of all people—to try to regain my own achievements from square one.

But I felt I couldn’t back down here and gritted my teeth.

“Still… I can’t give up! If you could delete my memories like that, what’s the point of lamenting the memories lost!”

[…….]

“Just reset me back to my first iteration, like last time! Erase this existence like it never happened! You can!”

I can’t give up!

If I surrender here, I’m just a plaything!

As I screamed that, the Observer seemed flustered, blinking rapidly. It seemed that if I didn’t back down, he genuinely couldn’t interfere with the [Seed of Transcendence]!

‘Alright. If I steer the negotiations well…’

But shortly after, it seemed the Observer made a decision as he darkened his eyes and said.

[If you truly want that… I will grant it! And… I will take the [Seed of Transcendence] with me!]

I dropped my jaw in astonishment at the unexpected turn of events.

“Wha?!”

[Everything is for the sake of the Great Omnipotent…!]

Boom!

The Observer’s presence surged greatly. I felt my mind becoming dazed from that overwhelming aura, and soon after, a vision of a book appeared in my head, flipping inside out. Al Karda, who was beside the Observer, shook his head disapprovingly.

“There’s nothing I can do… If you’re that stubborn, I will no longer block you.”

Swish swish swish

My time rolls back at an incredible speed. I felt all thought, reason, and emotion numb as if I were thrown into the void.

What am I?

Why am I here…?

…

Oh, I see.

Now… it’s over.

All stories are coming to an end.

And just as everything was beginning to fade, a strange voice echoed in the hall.

[What are you doing?]

As an infinite killing intent exploded forth, I saw the Observer’s eyes shake for the first time in fear.

[This… this cannot be…!]

Suddenly, an even greater roar filled the hall, brimming with rage.

[You insolent fool!]

Crack crack crack

A bizarre gigantic object manifested in the hall.

It was a massive brain.