전생검신 96권 05화

I felt a searing blue flame igniting inside me right after I heard those words.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

It was truly a clear flame, bubbling up as if it were alive, emanating from deep within my spirit!

The visual effect filling my upper body made me feel like I was being consumed by flames, and I could tell that the fire was resonating with my Upper Dantian.

Kiiing!

With a sound akin to a divine bell, I sensed the Thunder Soul and the blue flame colliding and merging together.

Can the Thunder Soul actually merge with another power?!

Before I could even process this shocking revelation, the next phenomenon unfolded.

Crash!

The sound of thunder morphed into a deafening roar, rendering my very existence momentarily still. An unimaginable wave radiated from my body, suddenly expanding my realm of perception. The speed of this expansion was beyond the speed of light, penetrating a section of the universe in the blink of an eye, filling my awareness with an immense area.

Being pulled into this perception—

I realized I was observing the world from an elevated vantage point. Naturally, as my gaze rose higher, so did the area I was able to perceive. Unlike the existing universe where millions of stars twinkled in the dark, this expanding realm felt like valleys flowing between clouds and nebulae.

Suddenly, I detected a strong sense of déjà vu from this extraordinary phenomenon.

Once in the vast cosmic realm depicted by Master Mangnyang in a dream…

And once during my encounter with Al Karda…

The reincarnation chessboard…

I mumbled almost in a trance. It made sense now. I instantly understood why the Outer God Al Karda used the motif of “Go” to handle various great universes and parallel worlds. Even this incomprehensibly vast world, when seen from a higher perspective, boiled down to merely a flat plane, where all mundane beings were simply pieces on a Go board.

Shiver.

A wave of spiritual thrill like goosebumps coursed through me.

If I continued to contemplate such a higher dimension, would my mental strength hold up?

This felt different from losing mental strength due to fear or awe; it was closer to the phenomenon of myself forgetting what it meant to have human sight as I ascended to a divine being. Though my act of observing was simple, it seemed to be transforming my very existence.

‘No… If I feel this for too long…!’

I would ultimately ‘change’!

With that instinctive sense of danger, I tried to block my sight, but soon I heard the voice of Demiurge Sophia in my ear.

[No need to worry. What you dread will not occur.]

‘What do you mean…?’

[The fact that you have come this far as the Demiurge with ‘that power’ means… you have already earned sufficient qualification… Elevation won’t be a problem.]

‘….’

[Don’t you still realize…? Coming here is proof of power.]

It was a peculiar statement.

Yet somehow, it felt oddly familiar.

[Trust yourself… Focus on the waves of the Three Thousand Great Worlds that reach you.]

I felt an unusual comfort envelop me as I listened to Demiurge Sophia, as if I had a warmth akin to that of family despite never having met this being before.

‘… Right.’

And suddenly, I understood why.

It must be that sense of kinship as a Demiurge.

Tsutsu.

Sophia was right. My confusion subsided, and I gradually adjusted to the high-dimensional perspective. To put it precisely, if I had existed solely as a human, I would have definitely gone insane, but the Thunder Soul accompanying me allowed me to endure this heightened state. As I acclimated, I began to feel what this immense wave was trying to convey to me.

Sphere.

Countless bubble-like spheres floated beyond the world. Each one shimmered faintly, their waves lapping against me. I realized that their direction was unpredictable, branching out like tree limbs toward various spheres, and soon after, I finally understood what Sophia meant by feeling.

I unintentionally spoke.

‘Are we connected…? To the World Trees of other worlds?’

[Correct.]

‘…!’

[As long as you possess the Thunder Soul, you can connect with the World Trees.]

I couldn’t help but be further astonished by Sophia’s response.

Contacting the World Tree in another world!

To connect with the World Tree existing outside the Great Cycle implied that…

‘Does that mean I’ve also become [a World Tree]…?!’

[You grasp it well.]

‘N-No way. I’m just a living being, not a World Tree. Does becoming a proxy for the World Tree mean I’m being merged into their connection…?!’

I was thrown off by what Sophia was doing.

Could it possibly mean that being a proxy for the World Tree turned me into a type of World Tree, integrating me into their connections?!

Moreover, what in the world does such an action signify?!

Then Sophia spoke.

[Do you know why the entity known as the World Tree possesses power immense enough to even inspire reverence from the Old Ruler? Because if you trace back the origins, the World Tree also has a background that rivals that of the Outer Gods.]

‘…!’

[And… in a way, the Demiurge and the World Tree are similar entities. The only difference is the Demiurge must reach the Throne while the World Tree must grow to its fullest potential, yet their endpoints are similar. Thus, the Demiurge’s acquisition of the power of the World Tree signifies immense potential for growth.]

After saying that, Sophia muttered with a hint of bitterness.

[Tetragrammaton made a mistake from over-focusing on that potential… But I expect better from you.]

I asked Sophia.

‘Tetragrammaton? What is your connection with that being?’

[I cannot speak of that. Only when the Deus Tetragrammaton wishes to.]

I was dumbfounded.

‘What? You concoct a grand tale to arouse my curiosity, and then, without permission, you tell me nothing?’

[There is a reason I was sealed… You will discover it yourself.]

‘Huh?’

In that moment, I locked eyes with Sophia. And though it was brief, I could sense from her gaze what she wished to convey.

Demiurge Sophia was somehow bound by a [gold seal].

As such, she wasn’t allowed to share all the information with me.

The way she ominously alluded to it suggested that Sophia expected me to unravel that gold seal, throwing me some breadcrumbs.

My long experience as a reincarnated individual allowed me to pick up on that and slowly nod.

‘… Alright, I’ll see what I can do. Anyway, what does it mean that I’ve become a World Tree and entered this connection?’

[Seeing is believing. Focus on the connection and try to feel the flow of the waves.]

‘Got it.’

I decided to follow Sophia’s instructions. Perhaps I had grown quite accustomed to the immense wave pressing down on me, as I harnessed my intent to swim against the stream of waves flowing into me. As I did so, I suddenly realized something.

Spiderweb!

Like a tight spiderweb, there were so many World Trees intertwining that it looked almost circular! I had become one among those countless World Trees, and my perspective had risen far higher than before. Though it should have felt odd that the world felt more compact as my vantage point elevated into higher dimensions, the world remained densely packed and full, truly astonishing me.

A quantity beyond count!

Simply put, it was an unimaginably vast world!

That endpoint I saw at the boundary of the Great Cycle was merely a beginning.

And in the flow of the World Trees extending beyond that boundary, I began to hear something.

[… Please give me an order.]

[I wish to earn lots of money.]

[I hope to have an attractive partner.]

[Please grant me a long life.]

[For eternal life…]

[I desire absolute power.]

[Resurrect my precious person, please.]

[I want to return to the past…!]

[I wish to destroy that bitter enemy tribe. For that, I’d give anything…!]

[Please give me weapons to eliminate the wicked evildoers of this world!]

[Please save our country, which is on the brink of destruction…!]

[I want to become a god.]

[Never mind… let this world perish!]

…!

What… what is this?!

I was thrown into a state of panic as I heard an overwhelming wave of desires echoing through me. Countless wishes travelled through this spiderweb-like connection to the World Trees, so immensely vast that counting them felt utterly meaningless! Feeling as if my sanity might snap, I stood frozen until Sophia remarked.

[Do you hear it?]

‘What… what the heck is this? Who’s making such wishes?’

[Beings scattered across the Three Thousand Great Worlds… These are the wishes of those who have braved countless trials and chance to arrive before the World Tree.]

‘…!’

[In every world, the World Tree is the entity that grants people’s wishes. The voices you hear belong to exceptional figures in their respective worlds, heroes, if you will. Even these carefully filtered wishes are just one among countless others for the World Trees.]

‘What are you trying to say?’

When I retorted, Sophia extended a hand toward me.

[Does it not seem similar? To the [Throne].]

‘The Throne…’

[Of course, since the World Trees do not possess powers on the level of a Throne, there are limitations to the wishes they can grant. While they can fulfill the desires of mortals, wishes capable of significantly changing the world are usually out of reach. However… what might happen if the Demiurge wields the powers of the World Tree and reaches the Throne?]

‘….’

[You carry that potential. This is the new possibility I offer you in exchange for Thousand Sacrifices.]

Sophia seemed oddly pleased as she smiled softly.

[Consider it an honor. This is a great system devised by numerous Demiurges who deliberated together… Ordinary Demiurges wouldn’t even get to glimpse it before their reincarnation ends.]

The thought of a Demiurge acquiring the powers of the World Tree and reaching the Throne…?

I didn’t quite grasp the meaning at first, but with a hunch that it meant something significant, I pondered before replying to Sophia.

‘… so I kind of get that it’s a good thing… but what’s the catch? All these wishes coming my way are just annoying! What am I supposed to do?’

[Isn’t it simple? Grant the [wishes].]

‘…? Me? Grant wishes?’

[Yes. Now that you’re treated as a [World Tree], you are more than qualified to do so.]

‘….’

Say whaaat…?

So entering the connection with the World Trees means I’ve become one too?

I panicked over this unexpected outcome.

‘Wait, how can I grant wishes? Right now, I’ve lost practically all my divine powers except for the Thunder Soul!’

[Of course, currently you are no more than a budding sprout of a World Tree. Therefore, you still need to grow as a World Tree.]

‘Grow as a World Tree?’

[What you’re hearing now is the connection of a fully realized World Tree to the Three Thousand Great Worlds. If you return to your original cycle, then instead of the Great Worlds, you’ll only hear the wishes from your specific universe. Gradually granting those desires will allow you to grow.]

‘Don’t I need divine power to grant those wishes?’

Sophia gazed at me incredulously and muttered.

[… Hmm… You must be quite dim-witted. Did you come this far without knowing what the essence of a World Tree is?]

‘…?’

[World Trees inherently possess the ability to exclude divine power. Therefore, as a World Tree, you do not require divine power. In fact, having too much divine power would complicate things.]

‘Huh?!’

Oh right! The World Tree had the ability to suppress divine power! So, does that mean I, now a World Tree, don’t need divine power either?

Finally grasping Sophia’s words, I still found it hard to believe and asked.

‘Wait! How do I grant wishes without divine power? Doing so without those mighty abilities would surely be a tall order!’

Sophia nonchalantly retorted.

[Your naiveté is evident from that statement. Isn’t divine power not all there is in the world? You simply need to utilize every single capability available to you as a Demiurge to grant those wishes somehow. Some things might seem impossible, but as long as you follow through with whatever you can do, you’ll gradually enhance your strength as a World Tree and eventually become capable of much greater deeds.]

‘Ah….’

[If you misuse divine power, there’s also the risk of improperly fulfilling someone’s wish. There are many situations in the world where brute force won’t suffice.]

I see.

So it’s about using my powers or enlisting the help of others to grant the wishes of those who appealed to a World Tree?

Finally, I understood Sophia’s point and responded.

‘So then, what’s the gain from growing by granting others’ wishes?’

[How much do you think a World Tree can grow?]

‘…?’

An abrupt curveball. I struggled to comprehend her intent and tilted my head.

‘Um… I’m not sure. How much can it grow?’

[Unlimited.]

‘…?!’

Sophia glanced back at the massive luminous tree behind her.

[The World Tree of Tetragrammaton still grows even after its era has ended, thriving in the infinite expanse of time and space—indeed, it’s quite possibly the largest World Tree to exist. Even though its ascent has concluded, it can no longer directly intervene in the world….]

‘Hmm!’

[In other words, there are no inherent limits to the growth of a World Tree; it completely depends on what you make of it.]

‘….’

[The detailed abilities of a World Tree will reveal themselves to you as you grow. Do you now understand my words?]

I nodded slowly in response to Sophia’s words.

‘I get it.’

Becoming a World Tree means an infinite potential for growth.

Even if the process may be tedious and bothersome, the notion that there are no predetermined limits is an extravagant privilege!

I understood what power Sophia had granted me, but simultaneously found it slightly baffling and asked.

‘Sophia, what exactly is a World Tree that allows for such power? And why does it exist as a wish-granting entity scattered throughout the Three Thousand Great Worlds? How can it also possess the ability to negate the chaotic power held by divine beings….’

[Every question you have will be answered once you reach the [Throne].]

‘The Throne…’

[However… even knowing that truth… the fate of a Demiurge will remain unchanged. Because the Demiurge is inherently meant to fulfill predetermined roles… being the most free individual, admired by all, yet inevitably facing the most miserable conclusion… No matter how skilled or powerful, one cannot escape the designs of those who observe the fate of a Demiurge.]

Sophia’s eyes glimmered.

[Young Demiurge… you can either become a very special being to the omnipotent or face your fate unreleased unless you acquire overwhelming power. Considering that fate, what I have granted you is merely a trivial gift.]

‘Sophia. Does that mean you also had a past life…?’

Chiiing!

As I attempted to say something, a tremendous light began to erupt in the world where Sophia and I existed.

The figures of Sophia and the tree were enveloped by the light, making it difficult to see them, and as I faltered, the last thing I heard from Sophia was:

[Tetragrammaton is always watching over you…]

Blink.

I suddenly found myself back in the sacred place of Thousand Sacrifices where Solomon was.

“Welcome back! But it doesn’t look like much has changed…?” Solomon said, spotting me.

‘….’

I clenched my fist once, pondering.

Just as Solomon remarked, despite meeting Demiurge Sophia, it felt like my power level hadn’t really increased.

Yet, I confidently replied to Solomon.

‘No. I definitely feel like I’ve changed a lot.’

“What do you mean?”

Uwoong.

Just like earlier, I connected with the World Tree linkage. But rather than the dense spiderweb structure connecting with the Three Thousand Great Worlds, I sensed light branches gently radiating from me throughout the world. Through those branches, I felt the power of the Thunder Soul reaching out, and that’s when I finally figured it all out.

The Thunder Soul’s waves had always been the essence used for the sustenance of the World Tree.

So there was no need to refine or dwell on it separately.

There must’ve been a significant reason why Demiurge Sophia granted me such a great offering. After all, there was no greater nourishment for a World Tree than this.

‘Haap!’

As I infused strength and unleashed my spirit call, waves of my Thunder Soul resonated across a vast range of the universe.

Uuwoong!

In the next moment, my Thunder Soul’s waves burst forth to an area far greater than a cosmic cluster. The range of propagation felt thousands of times wider than before, and as that wave began to envelop countless stars, I felt those stars reciprocating by sending waves of my Thunder Soul back to me.

It seemed like at least tens of thousands of star realms were connected to me!

I had merely obtained the lineage of the World Tree, and my power had increased this much?

KuuooOoOoo!

“…!”

Solomon’s expression morphed into one of astonishment at the Thunder Soul emanating from me, and he staggered greatly.

His voice, filled with a mix of awe and trepidation, registered a disbelief at the immense power.

“What… how… can the power of the constellation be this strong…?! Unbelievable… even the representative of the Northern Star…”

Kugagagaga!

“Gah!”

Thud.

A moment later, Solomon collapsed in a faint, his capacity unable to cope with the pressure radiating from me.

With not a second to spare, I felt someone speaking in my head.

[The Evil King has crossed the line. I didn’t expect them to invade our estate.]

Whoosh.

Suddenly, a fiery apparition appeared before me.

‘You are…?’

[As the leader of the Northern Star, I hereby command you, the vile truce-breakers.]

It appeared to be one of the leaders of the Four Great Powers who had manifested before Solomon earlier.

A luminous being exuding divine light.

This existence emanated a power akin to that of the Old Ruler.

[If you do not come to the Twelve Palaces of the Yellow Path immediately, you will face the wrath of all the constellations of the Northern Star.]