전생검신 98권 01화

I opened the secret passage that the [Black Sun] had just created earlier and stepped inside. There, I found a small library with about twenty bookshelves standing. I pulled out some books and began to read; they were all sorts of different books written in a variety of languages.

‘Not all these books are grimoires. In fact, there are quite a few rare books here.’

Well, it makes sense since grimoires are said to be extremely rare. Overall, I could feel that this library was a scaled-down version of the Shaolin Temple’s sealed library. It was similar in that it has some grimoires and many rare books, but I could tell that the Shaolin Library was at least five times larger than this one.

However, even if the number of books is small, who knows where a precious treasure could be hidden in this library? I muttered to myself that this place also had significant value.

“I did well to threaten the [Black Sun] once. Given his character, that valuable grimoire—the [Black Book of Osiris]—could be sealed away somewhere out of sight in this library.”

For now, I should take all the books from this library and show them to my companions. Thinking that way, I packed the books into my wooden armor and stepped back outside.

A commotion

As I stepped outside the pyramid, I found a bunch of Aztec warriors and humans gathered, staring at me with a mix of fear and curiosity. I looked around at them, and infusing a bit of my power, I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“The [Black Sun] is dead, and there will be no more human sacrifices!”

This only increased the commotion, and some of the higher-ranking individuals among them stepped forward, stammering as they spoke.

“Wh-who are you?”

“Is it true that the Black Sun has returned?”

“Wh-what on earth happened…?”

I shot them a glare, and they seemed to freeze in shock, stumbling backward as if they had soiled themselves. I quickly silenced them and spoke to the one who looked like the leader of the warriors.

“Surely the Black Sun had appointed a king. Who is that person?”

“It’s that gentleman over there.”

Pointing was a middle-aged man trembling behind the recently fainted old men.

I could tell that the man was a puppet of the Black Sun, posing as the emperor of the Aztec Empire. I looked at the Aztec Emperor with skeptical eyes and said, “So, you are the Aztec Emperor?”

“Ugh… W-what’s your identity, O divine being?”

“I am Baek Woong.”

I responded like that and asked the Aztec Emperor, “Do you wish to continue with human sacrifices even now that the Black Sun is dead?”

The Aztec Emperor cautiously replied, “Due to traditions and military power, we have no choice but to continue…”

Then the old men who had just fallen on their backs chimed in.

“We elders think the same!”

“Whoever you are, we cannot stop human sacrifices now!”

“…”

These fools need to be dealt with.

With a light extension of my internal power, I emitted formless qi at him, and the Aztec Emperor turned into a meat patty right then and there. The elders standing next to him also splattered into pieces, creating a blood blizzard.

Upon witnessing the Aztec Emperor being shredded, the Aztec people looked panicked, all struck with terror; I shouted once more.

“I ask again! Will you continue with human sacrifices?”

“N-no!”

“We won’t do it!”

The people gathered there all screamed in fright, responding to my command. Hearing their replies, I floated into the air and declared.

“From now on, I forbid any human sacrifices and sorcery killings. Anyone who defies my word shall be considered trash and shall be exterminated, regardless of where they are!”

“I understand!”

“Then I shall take my leave now…”

Just then, the warrior captain, who had earlier told me who the Aztec Emperor was, urgently grabbed my arm.

“O divine one! Please govern us!”

“What?”

“With both the Black Sun and the Emperor dead, we lack a leader…! If this continues, internal conflict will erupt, spilling much blood.”

“Hmm…”

He’s not wrong. If I just walk away, I would inadvertently become an accessory to yet another massacre among humans fighting over knives.

“Sigh… I hadn’t thought of that.”

I only dealt with the [Black Sun], yet this had become a bigger hassle than expected. After some thought, I spoke.

“Then let you be the acting emperor for the time being to govern this land.”

“…Huh?”

“Just wait, and I will send someone who can help you cast aside human sacrifices and lead you to a better life.”

“Ah, I understand!”

With that said, I casually wrapped things up and went to talk to Mangnyang. After listening to my account, he casually remarked.

“It’s not that difficult. Just take some time off for a few months and go to the northern territories. Give the priest there a divine artifact symbolizing your power and introduce him as the new emperor.”

“…Wouldn’t everyone get confused if the leader of the northern territories suddenly becomes the emperor?”

“You’ve just wiped out 99% of the Aztec power structure—Black Sun, Emperor, and elders. If they get confused now, what will they do? Having a god-like being fill the power vacuum will make it understandable. If not, you can always drop a treasure to help improve their lives directly.”

“Hmm.”

“That’s not critically important, so don’t worry… On the contrary, I’m intrigued by the stories about Tezcatlipoca.”

Mangnyang folded his arms, seeming excited.

“So? Where do you think the ‘real’ shrine and Tezcatlipoca are located?”

I pondered over Mangnyang’s words and replied, “I have no way of knowing for now. But honestly, that might not matter. Because if I can acquire the [Navel of the Sun God] and resurrect Quetzalcoatl, I should be able to do the same for Tezcatlipoca.”

“Hmm… That’s true.”

“Is there anything I’ve missed along the way?”

I thought I was handling things quite well, but given how complicated the world was, it was possible I had overlooked some critical clue or event. When I asked Mangnyang, who had a clever mind that could grasp such things, he answered without hesitation.

“Just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The question of where the Divine Temple Memphis disappeared to in this era.”

“Ah…!”

“Thinking back, even if the Divine Temple had decided to retreat from the war against the Evil Gods, it’s strange that such a powerful force just vanished suddenly. They must have faced some significant event; it would be good to find out what became of them in this era and, if they are in seclusion, their whereabouts.”

“Indeed.”

I was astonished by Mangnyang’s keen insight. The Divine Temple of Memphis, including Osiris, was a powerful force of ancient gods; I might find their strength necessary in the future. I resolved to gather information about the whereabouts of Memphis when the opportunity arose.

Mangnyang continued, “In any case, it seems that nothing major has been missed or gone awry. That was just an inquiry, so it’s not critically important. Rather, it looks like you’re using the power and wisdom of your rebirth quite well. So act without hesitation.”

“I got it.”

After my conversation with Mangnyang ended, I took out the items I had gathered from the Aztec library and stowed them away in the Yi Seong-gye vessel before heading out again.

Pa-at!

Where I headed next was Juuban’s temple. Upon arriving there, I shouted.

“Simon!”

Swoosh

At my call, Simon Magus emerged from the darkness without a sound.

“You come around often.”

“I need a favor. Tell me how to get into the Lemuria continent.”

“…”

“I can’t get in because of the barrier. Ideally, let me know the entry point as well.”

What I was thinking was to ask Simon Magus, who was the contracted demon king of an outside agency, how to enter Lemuria! Since Simon was a higher-level being than the Black Sun, I thought there was a good chance he’d know such information.

Simon Magus, whose appearance was the cold, beautiful Wall of the Divine, pondered for a moment and then asked, “Why do you think I would know that?”

“Could you possibly not know? I figured you of all people would have some knowledge of it…”

“Hmm. You might not mean it, but your provocations are rather well-crafted.”

With a hint of amusement, Simon Magus replied.

“Of course, I know. But in return for this information, I’d like you to grant me a favor as well.”

“What is it?”

“Bring me an offering to dedicate to my lord, the [Black Goat].”

“…What? An offering? Are you asking me to assist with human sacrifices?”

As I reacted negatively, Simon Magus sighed.

“Sigh. It doesn’t have to be a human sacrifice; just bring me something valuable.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, I can choose from the treasures I have…”

“No, there’s not much you can give me at this stage. Besides, if I ask for something truly valuable, won’t you whine about how precious it is?”

“…”

For some reason, I couldn’t deny that…

“If you happen to find a new and powerful treasure while going to Lemuria, bring that back for me. That should make for a good offering.”

That seemed like a reasonable proposition, so I nodded.

“Got it. I’ll do that.”

“Then take this.”

Swish

Simon Magus handed me a rolled-up piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was made of human skin, which made me grimace.

“What is this?”

“It’s an upper-grade grimoire called [Bollang’s Echo]. In the West, it’s also referred to as a scroll, created by the great sorcerer Bollang in ancient times. Take this, and when you use it to cast [Sinking] in Lemuria, Bollang’s Echo will resound, indicating the location of a nearby Lemurian barrier and visualizing it for you.”

“Oh…!”

“By the way, [Bollang’s Echo] doesn’t have the ability to destroy the barrier, so you’ll have to find a way to break through it yourself. You should be able to easily smash through Lemuria’s barrier.”

There was such a magical tool?

When I was surprised and gazed at Bollang’s Echo, Simon Magus spoke up.

“There’s no need to return it to me after using it. Just keep it for yourself during this life.”

“Isn’t an upper-grade artifact supposed to be precious? Why so generous?”

“That kind of thing is common for me. Actually, your frequent visits here have become inconvenient.”

With that, Simon Magus turned abruptly and disappeared back into the darkness of Juuban’s temple.

“Next time, try to gather more of the Law of Cause and Effect…”

“Got it.”

Grumbling, I activated [Sinking] right away.

Pa-at!

Thwooosh

Rumble……

Just like before, I was bounced back by an invisible barrier, feeling the water of the deep sea around me. Unlike last time, I pulled out the [Bollang’s Echo] given to me by Simon and infused it with magical power.

Tss tss tss

As I did, countless dazzling magical characters on the scroll began to wriggle as if they were living bugs, and soon after, I sensed a massive Lemurian barrier’s location. It felt as if it was delivering only the [information] itself, beyond human perception, making me acutely aware that this was, indeed, a magical tool.

Swish

Utilizing my qi to swiftly navigate through the water, I traveled several hundred li. It seemed the place I was bouncing back to was not near the Lemurian barrier as expected. Upon reaching the area detected by Bollang’s Echo, I could make out a massive semicircle of light visible at the very depths of the sea.

‘That’s the Lemurian continent submerged in the ocean…’

Thanks to Bollang’s Echo visualizing the barrier, I could identify the location of the Lemurian continent without being misled by my senses. With that, I focused my thunder soul and unleashed the Thunder God Fist lightly.

Boom!

Not intending to destroy the continent, I used only a bit of strength, yet the thunderous noise from the massive barrier shattering could be clearly seen. I swam inside through the broken barrier, and as I entered, the surrounding seawater suddenly vanished, and fresh air refreshed my lungs.

Thud

Having landed from above, I took a grateful breath.

“Phew! This is… familiar.”

As I stepped onto the Lemurian continent, memories began to flood back. The architecture of the city I saw from afar matched what I had seen before. However, the closer I got to the city, the more I could see that everything was in ruins.

Walking through the devastated city of Lemuria, I thought, ‘This isn’t the capital of Lemuria that I know. Then it’s better to use [Sinking] again and head to a location I remember.’

Now that I had entered the barrier, I could use [Sinking] again.

Pa-at!

I arrived at the capital of the Lemuria Empire where I had been before. Looking around, I saw the remains lying in even worse shape than the previous city.

“There were at least some building traces back there, but here, everything is completely destroyed…”

If I hadn’t been aware of moving to the location from my memories, I might not have recognized this place as the capital of Lemuria. As I continued to think, I finally discovered a massive arena that still retained a lot of its structure.

“Ah! This is…”

Demigorgos Reden!

The largest arena of the Lemuria Empire!

I had fought in this arena before, and nostalgic memories washed over me. Upon stepping inside Demigorgos Reden, it became apparent that many souls were wandering around.

‘Hmm?’

I attempted to directly feel the souls using the Soul Exchange Technique. Shortly thereafter, I noticed many souls of warriors that existed in this Demigorgos Reden. I called upon one of the souls to speak to it.

“Hey. Why is it that only souls are gathered here, while elsewhere they are not?”

Then the soul, one that had been a warrior in the arena during its lifetime, responded.

[When the Evil God appeared, everyone here was annihilated by the spell of Lurue’s Demon in one blow.]

“…….”

[We cannot move, nailed here for an eternity. What happened to the outside world after tens of thousands of years, we have no idea.]

Could it be that I can see the souls so vividly just by achieving the Soul Exchange Technique without even using the Heavenly Secret Technique?

I faintly remembered the face of that soul who was responding to me.

“Hmm… You wouldn’t happen to be one of the top-ten warriors in Demigorgos Reden, would you?”

[Huh? How do you know?]

That’s easy; I fought against you when you and the others from right down to the second to all the way to tenth came out to challenge me!

Seeing that all the guys I used to know were now dead really puts a damper on my mood…

I was speechless for a moment before asking him, “I want to go to the royal palace of Lemuria. Which way should I go?”

[Go straight in that direction.]

I walked in the direction he indicated. After some distance, I found a huge ruins still displaying the shape of a palace, and I decided to activate Bollang’s Echo once more.

Vroom

‘As expected, despite the passage of numerous years, there is still a protective barrier around this palace.’

Upon discovering the visualization barrier thanks to the magical tool, I used my power to break through it and entered. Once inside, I realized that the interior of the palace had remained relatively well-preserved and was not nearly as destroyed.

The deeper I walked into the palace, the more familiar I felt. Finally reaching the innermost chamber, I found a single grimoire floating in the Emperor’s room.

‘Lemuria Codex?’

That was the first thought that struck me upon seeing it.

According to Lee Hwan-woong, the remnant of future humankind discovered this during their hunt for the ruins of the Lemuria Empire, a powerful grimoire and the emperor’s seal for accessing the Lemurian royal palace!

However, I quickly realized it was something else.

‘…No, wait. I’ve seen the Lemuria Codex before, and it didn’t look like a typical grimoire at all.’

The Lemuria Codex in possession of Lee Hwan-woong had a strange mechanical form that seemed space-warped. Having seen the actual Lemuria Codex before, I came to understand that what was in front of me was a different entity altogether.

If it isn’t the Lemuria Codex, then what on earth is this?

I approached the grimoire in confusion and grabbed it tightly.

Just then, a voice echoed in my head.

[Who are you? How did you enter the imperial chamber without the emperor’s seal?]

And I recognized that voice.

Such a unique voice had been unforgettable.

How could that voice that once belonged to the rock demon now sound the same?

As I stood there in a daze, I responded to the voice.

“Emperor Lemuria I. Why have you become a grimoire?”

The moment I said that, the grimoire I held seemed to panic greatly.

[No! How do you know me?]

“…….”

Well, it’s because your voice is identical…

‘What exactly happened over these thousands of years?’

There’s no doubt.

The Emperor of the Lemuria Empire I encountered during the Takrok era has now transformed into a grimoire.