전생검신 93권 04화

I found myself sitting across from Al Karda once again, pondering.

‘…It’s a relief to have received the Necronomicon as a reward. But…’

I struggled to concentrate due to an uncomfortable sensation bubbling up from the murky thoughts in my mind, and Al Karda, sitting opposite me, seemed to sense my distress.

“You rescued Seo Mun-hye, but are you disappointed that all your companions perished in the end?”

“…!”

I realized Al Karda could read my thoughts.

‘Sigh…’

It wasn’t surprising since even the subordinate librarian, Kronos, could read my mind; how could the advanced librarian and Outer God, Al Karda, not do the same? Yet knowing that didn’t make it any less unpleasant. It meant I’d likely be dragged along in negotiations.

I quickly masked my discomfort and spoke up.

“I witnessed my companions dying in front of me while fulfilling the tasks you assigned. No matter how the world crumbles and your power could undo it… How can you possibly take that lightly?”

The loss felt a little less painful because it happened so quickly, but defeat was still defeat. The frustration stirred within me as I resented being put through such hell by Al Karda’s decree.

“Indeed. That’s also part of humanity.”

Al Karda replied emotionlessly as he leaned back in his chair, continuing.

“Are you saying you bear the scars of your heart every time you reincarnate while avoiding failed ‘cycles’? Will your humanity diminish one day?”

“…”

“I have seen many reincarnators, but none have maintained their humanity like you despite such diverse experiences. Yet that’s only after thirty reincarnations… Who knows if you’ll preserve this mindset by the hundredth or thousandth cycle?”

I glared at Al Karda, gritting my teeth at his words.

“Are you wishing for my humanity to vanish?”

“If I merely desired that, there are clearer, more direct methods. But that’s not my intention in the slightest.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Al Karda’s next words were absurd.

“You’re currently playing a grand game with me, yet I am not playing this grand game with you.”

“…?”

Huh? What on earth does that even mean?

Among the vague nonsense spoken before, this was the most bewildering contradiction. I raised my brow, bewildered.

“What do you mean? Are you mocking me?”

“The meaning of my words is for you to ponder. I cannot get deeply involved.”

Al Karda responded, casually picking up his pipe like he was changing the subject and took a puff.

Hoo—

An uncertain silence enveloped the room for a moment.

Then, seemingly collecting his thoughts, Al Karda closed his eyes for a second before exclaiming.

“The end of the reincarnation drama is fast approaching. Focus on every move.”

Bang!

Al Karda made his move decisively. I flinched at the sight.

‘An unexpected move!’

As I had been pondering various possibilities, it hit me like a heavy blow to the back of my head. With ten potential routes in mind, Al Karda had placed a move that didn’t overlap with any of them. I was struck by despair, unable to grasp the meaning behind this move.

‘Not understanding the move means… It’s a clear skill gap.’

I felt the crushing reality of having effectively lost in Go. The defeat had been apparent, but now it was confirmed. To put it bluntly, it was as if I had missed Al Karda’s hidden moves, and without knowing how and where he might strike, flailing my limbs would only lead to severe damage.

If defeat was certain, what should I do now?

‘How to lose’ had become important now?

“…”

As I fell silent, the faces of Zhuge Sa, Seo Mun-hye, and Master of the White Lotus flashed in my mind one after another. Each of their vibrant appearances got etched into my heart. What I had witnessed felt unmistakably real because it was real. If I lost at Go like this, what would happen to them?

‘No… It’s not about what would happen… How did I get myself into this mess?’

Wasn’t it impossible to beat an Outer God at Go in the first place?

What if the Outer God played better than the Master of the Twelve Joules?

Was there truly no way to avoid this impossible bet?

…No.

Even looking back, the flow that brought me here felt overwhelmingly one-sided and could only be described as fate.

I had never possessed a choice.

A sequence of events resembling a one-way street – all I could do was try my best within it.

Thinking this, I felt my heart settle down.

‘Right. Since there are no options… Let’s proceed as I have been.’

Whether it’d be doom or success, I would give my all until the end.

For someone like me, who always pressed on through chaos without having much, trying my best in each moment felt like a way to defy fate.

And the moment I cleared my mind, I suddenly felt the ‘flow’.

“…!”

Bang!

I couldn’t even tell whether this move was good or bad. I just placed it, letting it ride the flow. Yet, for some reason, it felt like the most harmonious placement so far, aligning with the flow in a way that filled my heart with unexplainable pride.

Seeing my move, Al Karda’s eyebrows twitched.

“I hear an echo!”

What does that even mean?

Before I could even think of the meaning, Al Karda unhesitatingly responded with a move of his own.

Bang!

I couldn’t grasp the deep meaning behind the three moves we’ve played so far. Each move seemed to ripple with changes equal to the creation and destruction of the universe. Yet, as I watched Al Karda accurately counter my move, I suddenly experienced an optical illusion.

‘Huh…’

I was holding a Go stone.

A stone I hadn’t placed yet – holding it, I wondered, am I ‘me’?

No… I was simply surrendering my body and mind to the ‘flow’.

I needed to become ‘flow’ to keep up with this exchange.

Winning or losing didn’t matter anymore.

I had to merge with martial prowess…

‘It feels like I hear some sort of resonance…?’

Bang!

In that inexplicable state of trance, I, almost hypnotized, placed another move, and Al Karda, unlike before, stared at my move, silent and not retorting immediately. After some time of contemplation, he murmured.

“Have you lost the distinction between self-interest and altruism? Have you become a being that does not even cling to conclusions?”

What on earth is he talking about?

Al Karda smiled wryly before saying,

“Baek Woong. I initially intended to impose another test upon you, but…”

With Al Karda’s succeeding words, I found myself whisked away to an unknown space-time.

“This time, let us pay homage to the madness of the Martial God.”

*

‘Where am I?’

It seems I have suddenly shifted in space and time once again.

I quickly assessed my surroundings.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

“Now that’s settled, let’s head back.”

This voice… is it Mangnyang?

I whipped around, startled, to find Mangnyang, Abe no Seimei, and Asura standing next to me, with Cheongwol on the other side. As I observed their ensemble, I realized this place was also one saturated with Demon Ki, and I vaguely recognized it from my memories.

‘Could it be…’

Just as I was about to speak to Mangnyang, he continued.

“It no longer matters if the Eight Parts of the Divine head to the Outer Universe or get eaten by the King of the Life Sea…”

Crackle!

Crackle!

That moment was when an enormous thunderous force wrapped in blinding light appeared before us: a gigantic spaceship! As we all gazed at it from hundreds of leagues away, a mechanical voice seemed to emanate from the ship.

[The Advanced Ship, initiating probability distortion. Jumping to point of singularity…]

Kugugu…

The spaceship, like it was tilting, dived into the dimensional distortion right in front of us and soon vanished from sight.

“…”

“…”

A silence draped over the scene, and it was Mangnyang who first gathered himself. He announced firmly.

“Let’s pursue it.”

Th… of course…

At this juncture…

As I began to comprehend the situation, a screen suddenly appeared before me.

[Please show another conclusion without chasing the Eight Parts of the Divine into the Outer Universe.]

…!

The moment I laid eyes on the screen, I felt my pupils dilate.

‘Of course!’

Right now… this was the most significant decision I could make in the 30th cycle!

The appearance of the unexpected Advanced Ship and the presence of Lee Hwan-woong forced me to amend my initial plan to cast the Eight Parts of the Divine into the Outer Universe, following them instead!

It was from this very moment that my 30th cycle’s journey began spiraling through numerous upheavals.

And I realized that the screen I had just seen was bizarre.

‘Another conclusion?’

It felt entirely different from the preceding task of rescuing Seo Mun-hye.

It wasn’t an instinctive outcome I had to achieve, but rather a task that seemed to open possibilities for me –

It felt almost like it was offering me a new opportunity.

Could it be that the three moves I had just made somehow influenced Al Karda…?

While I contemplated this, Mangnyang urged me on.

“Baek Woong, what’s taking you so long? We must identify the nature of that unpredictable variable before it’s too late. Only then will it benefit your next reincarnation.”

I pressed my temples, responding.

“…Mangnyang. I already know the identity of those things.”

“What… What do you mean?”

“Indeed. That ship is the Advanced Ship crafted with the future technologies of the Twelve Joules era, and riding aboard it is Lee Hwan-woong summoned from the Outer Universe due to Vayu… another version of him from a different world.”

“…!”

Mangnyang seemed so shocked that his eyes widened, and Abe no Seimei looked similarly bewildered. Asura stood there looking confused, unable to grasp the significance, and Cheongwol appeared no different. Mangnyang then remarked.

“The Twelve Joules… Hmm… I see! But how do you, Baek Woong, know this?”

“…Hmm…”

I pondered seriously about how to respond. Yet realizing there was no avoiding it, I decided to be straightforward with Mangnyang.

“I’m Baek Woong from the latter part of the 30th cycle. Currently, I’m amidst the trials set by the Outer God, as I’m undergoing the reincarnation drama, so I know everything I’ve already experienced.”

“…?”

“…?”

“What are you talking about…?”

My words left my companions collectively perplexed. With such a sudden and absurd statement, it was no wonder they’d struggle to accept it.

But I calmly summarized the events I’d experienced thus far, and while Mangnyang found it hard to grasp, he finally spoke up.

“I believe you, Baek Woong. However, if an individual right next to you suddenly brings forth drastic changes, it wouldn’t only be me; everyone would likely be taken aback at this.”

“Well, that could happen…”

“Alright. For now, let’s assume all that is true. At this juncture, it would indeed be wise not to chase after that Advanced Ship.”

“Agreed.”

“Another conclusion called for by the reincarnation drama… What an intriguing proposition.”

“Mangnyang, what should I do?”

“…”

Mangnyang seemed deep in thought, closing his eyes as he mulled it over. Then he spoke.

“I cannot provide you with advice.”

“Wha…?!”

Mangnyang, refusing to give me advice?!

I was so flabbergasted that I stammered out.

“W-why not? I’m not speaking nonsense! It’s not like I’m trying to mock you…”

“I know. You’re genuinely progressing through the trials of the Outer God. Hence, I cannot offer you guidance.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You briefly recounted previous events post-experience, but I can’t possibly grasp what you went through. It appears you’ve been through quite the series of adventures. Considering the vast breadth of knowledge you’ve directly experienced, it’d be absurd for me to offer you guidance.”

I briefly thought about how I wanted to provide Mangnyang with the obsidian, but it dawned on me that the memory transmission for the obsidian might still be sealed. Despite the constraints of the Takrok Era, the possibility of those constraints still being in play felt high. After all, Al Karda, the Outer God who presides over the Void Record, could maintain those constraints, transcending cycles.

‘Moreover, there’s the risk that the memory transmission related to the obsidian could harm Mangnyang…’

As I fell into silence, Mangnyang continued speaking.

“Proceed while trusting your judgments and thoughts. No one among us is as knowledgeable as you.”

“My thoughts…? Does that mean I can witness the outcome I desire?”

“Is there a specific conclusion you wish to see?”

As I considered Mangnyang’s words, I opened my mouth.

“I want to beat up all the annoying guys. I want to know what the result will be if I do things my way. Will you help me, Mangnyang?”

Mangnyang, who was momentarily lost for words, suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! I’m genuinely looking forward to it! I, Mangnyang, will wholeheartedly support you as my strategist!”

“Thank you.”

The conclusion I desired – it was simply about doing everything I could at this moment.

And, just as Mangnyang had said, transforming this moment into his peak.

With my mind made up, I turned to everyone and stated.

“Follow me, everyone.”

Bang!

I unleashed my divine powers and instantly teleported to a destination. Upon arriving, Mangnyang seemed stunned by the sight of a colossal tree as tall as a mountain range.

“Huh?! The Sacred Altar Tree?! Are you…”

It seemed Mangnyang sensed my intentions. I grinned and said.

“Hang tight for a moment. I’ll fetch a few self-defense weapons.”

I teleported once more to the Lake of Lightning in the Ancient God’s ruins, retrieving Gungnir, Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, and the Demon Sword Mistilteinn. I held Gungnir myself, handed Mjölnir to Mangnyang, and gave Mistilteinn to Asura, leaving me feeling markedly boosted.

Mangnyang, holding Mjölnir, looked astonished but amused, noting.

“Are you saying we shall strike at the Divine City of the Twelve Joules with just the two of us?”

I smirked.

“The Twelve Joules can’t return to this world since I’ve already sent them away with Vayu, right? Without them, it’s like robbing an empty house!”

“…!”

“Plus, I’ve banished the Eight Parts of the Divine to the Outer Universe, so there’s no concern of annoying pests striking back either.”

“That’s true enough.”

Today, I’ll destroy the Twelve Joules!

“Now, catch…!”

I focused my vision and shouted.

“Destruction Beam!”

Kwah-boom!

In the next moment, the massive barrier of divine power shielding the Divine City shattered in response to my eye beam. I winced so badly that it stung my eyes, momentarily blinding me, which prompted me to grumble.

“Ugh… I swear this hurts every time… Is the barrier completely down?”

“Y-yes.”

Mangnyang, bewildered but incredulous, remarked.

“To think you’d shatter the barrier that has been protecting the Eastern lands for thousands of years… What on Earth is your divine power right now?!”

Ah, now I can finally see through the tears…

I wiped my eyes and declared.

“Let’s go!”

From today on, the Divine City and the Sacred Altar Tree are all mine!