전생검신 Volume 82, Chapter 10

An ancient city called Kalpa, huh?

In that moment, a story I had heard in the past flashed through my mind.

[Humanity had existed long before that. From what I know, civilization began at least 45,000 years ago. Before Atlantis and Lemuria, Kalpa, Babylon, and Memphis were the root civilizations… We repeated cycles of competition and cooperation with the old civilizations. However, events like the [Old Ruler] and the Great Flood wiped out history several times. After the [Old Rulers] exterminated us, they altered the human breed to suit their tastes, making it even harder to know… ]

[Ancient God Vishnu created what was known as the god-made civilization called Kalpa, the Asura said. Civilizations grew with divine assistance and waged great wars against each other, and during those wars, Vishnu’s avatar also participated.]

[That’s right. Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma are referred to as the Three Great Gods of Tianzhu. Originally, they were the divine guardians of order, protecting the ultra-ancient civilization of Kalpa, but they ended up in a war with countless [Old Rulers]. Each of them was a powerful deity and could stand against anyone one-on-one, but they were outnumbered and eventually faced defeat.]

I organized my thoughts and spoke to Subori.

“Are you talking about the ultra-ancient civilization that existed before Atlantis… Kalpa, the city of divine-made civilization created by the Three Great Gods?”

“That’s right.”

“…What’s the basis for this assumption? This just looks like a city filled with white palaces to me. How can you say this is Kalpa?”

Subori calmly stroked a nearby pillar and replied, “How old do you think I am? I’ve existed since well before the establishment of the Heavenly Realm. I was already over 4,000 years old when Chi You established the Yin dynasty. Being part of the wise lineage, I naturally possess profound knowledge about the prehistoric Kalpa.”

“……”

What? So you’re saying you’re at least over 7,000 years old?

Surprised by Subori’s outrageous age, my eyes widened slightly, and Subori continued.

“According to my inherited knowledge, the city that is entirely fortified with the Celestial Reincarnation Jade is none other than Kalpa. This is undoubtedly the ancient divine city of Kalpa.”

“Celestial Reincarnation Jade?”

“Look over there.”

Following Subori’s indication, I looked up and spotted a giant pillar floating high above, so high that I’d have to tilt my head back to see it. Atop that pillar was a mysterious gem radiating a dazzling array of colors. Given how clearly it was visible even from this street, it was undoubtedly much larger than a person.

“That is the Celestial Reincarnation Jade. I’ve already used my detection skills to scan this area, and this city has as many as 10 of these Celestial Reincarnation Jades.”

“What is the Celestial Reincarnation Jade used for?”

“It’s a legendary divine treasure that allows direct communication between gods and humans. Crafted by the creator god Brahma, it’s sadly not passed down to the later generations I lived in… But according to inheritance, that is undoubtedly the Celestial Reincarnation Jade.”

“Hmm… So it means gods and humans can communicate directly? What does that even mean?”

“I don’t really know either. I’m just repeating what the inheritance says… But that Celestial Reincarnation Jade must hold immense significance in the foundation of Kalpa.”

“……”

Seeing how sure Subori was, it seemed like this place really was Kalpa.

But even knowing that, my feelings became complicated, and I spoke bluntly.

“…If this is indeed Kalpa, then why are we here? I certainly intended to create a [Gate] leading to the place where I died at the hands of Indra, near the Bat Cave.”

“Well… I think the most likely explanation is that like the mistake you made in flattening the world, a similar error occurred. The Trimurti is a sorcery that makes creation easy by effectively using your divine power, but even a small discrepancy can lead to vastly different outcomes, right?”

“……”

“Perhaps ending up here was not merely a coincidence… ”

“Damn it. Whatever the causal relationship, that’s not my concern now. I certainly didn’t end up in a time even earlier than the era I was in at Takrok, did I?”

“Right now, we don’t know anything.”

Finishing that reply, Subori clasped his hands together and said, “So let’s start gathering information. The gods are fighting fiercely up in the sky, so we need to figure out what’s happening.”

Boom!

A moment later, two fluffy clouds appeared in front of me. I instantly recognized what they were.

“Cloud of Transformation!”

“The Cloud of Transformation allows you to easily avoid traps created through sorcery. Let’s ride this and gather information.”

I climbed onto the Cloud of Transformation and said, “Got it. So where should we go first? The battlefield over there?”

At that, Subori responded with a mischievous smile, “How about asking your friend, whom you haven’t seen in a long time?”

“Huh?”

Whoosh…!!

In that moment, something like black lightning suddenly crashed down between Subori and me with a thunderous sound. And along with that thunder, a massive black panther monster, several times the size of a human, emerged.

[Growaaaah!!]

The panther monster, about the size of a palm, had bat wings and a face resembling that of a black panther, but its body was human-like. Brandishing a great sword in one hand, it immediately aimed at Subori and swung the sword with tremendous force and destructive power, making it hard for even an Absolute Realm expert to withstand it.

Boom!!

Crackle!!

With a tremendous sound, the palace where we were collapsed. Subori and I were already riding the Cloud of Transformation, so we quickly flew into the sky to avoid it, but the black panther monster also seemed able to fly, slowly flapping its bat wings, growling menacingly.

[Are you spies for the enemy? How did you breach Kalpa’s barrier!?]

“……”

Subori shook his head in apparent frustration and said, “Hmm… looks like we’ve got a nuisance on our hands. Baek Woong, I’ll gather information in my own way, so you do as you wish.”

Whoosh!

As soon as Subori finished speaking, he vanished in the blink of an eye along with the Cloud of Transformation. The black panther monster seemed somewhat flustered by Subori’s sudden disappearance.

[What! Just what sorcery…?]

The black panther monster seemed to realize that Subori’s sorcery was at a mysterious level. But rather than being surprised, I stared at the panther’s face and thought hard about something.

‘Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen that guy somewhere…’

Where did I see him…?

After pondering for a while, I suddenly recalled and shouted, “Ah!! Is he one of the minions of the destruction god Shiva that invaded the Heavenly Realm!!”

This was the same black panther monster I encountered immediately upon arriving in the Heavenly Realm, right after defeating Hang-a in my 28th life! While I hadn’t exchanged proper greetings with him, my memory was jogged by the fact that he had swung a sword at me back then. He had referred to Shiva as [My Lord], so it was almost certain he was one of Shiva’s subordinates.

At that point, the black panther monster looked angrier than before and growled.

[How dare you speak so arrogantly, knowing that I serve Lord Shiva, the Demon King Rakshasa!! I will behead this insignificant human and make him my dinner tonight!!]

Roarrr…!!

With that, a powerful demonic aura surged from Rakshasa, the black panther, engulfing him. As his magic power grew, the air around him felt like it was tearing apart, distorting the laws of physics. Based on my experience, a force like that definitely indicated he was at least on the level of a Great Immortal.

‘It makes sense he could be the vanguard invading the Heavenly Realm. Very fitting for a Demon King.’

I watched as Rakshasa gathered strength, then spoke to Heuk Woong beside me, “Should we just run away?”

Heuk Woong crossed his arms and glanced back at me, saying, [Are you too lazy to fight?]

“Precisely. I’m nervous thinking I might accidentally provoke the forces of Tianzhu by unnecessarily stepping on his toes.”

[You seem different from the last time I saw you. You seem more wise and prudent.]

I smiled slyly. “Hehe, thanks for the compliment.”

Just then, Demon King Rakshasa erupted with rage, unleashing a black sword qi from his great sword.

[You dare confront me!!]

Boom!!

[……!!]

However, that attack was effortlessly blocked by Heuk Woong’s outstretched palm. Heuk Woong casually stopped Rakshasa’s strike and said quietly, [My master is speaking. Don’t act rashly.]

Then, Heuk Woong released the Thunder Spirit Seal silently, without any sound, which instantly pushed Rakshasa back.

Thud!

[Ugh…!!]

Feeling the considerable difference in power, Rakshasa staggered, having realized that his furious attack had been easily deflected by Heuk Woong. Then he suddenly let out a massive roar into the air.

Roarrr!!

Was he trying to boost his combat power again? But at Heuk Woong’s words, I snapped back to reality.

[Master! It seems he is calling for comrades. If we stay still, the Demon Kings under the Three Great Gods will come rushing in.]

“Huh? That’s a bit… troublesome!”

Things were about to get way too complicated!

Having reincarnated hundreds of times, I knew just how messy events could spiral out of control, making me grimace in distaste. I promptly told Heuk Woong, “Damn it. I can’t just recklessly fight the Tianzhu forces since I made a promise. Let’s get out of here.”

Subori’s safety wasn’t a concern. To capture him, the essence of the Three Sovereigns would have to come directly.

And considering how clever he was, if things got dicey, he could easily escape from Kalpa.

[Shall we return directly to Takrok Village?]

“…No. Still, I should find out what’s happening outside amidst this ruckus of commotion. It’s not every day you get to see gods fighting.”

[Then we should break through the barrier first.]

Whoosh…

Saying that, Heuk Woong summoned a swirling ball of dark energy pulsating with power in his hand. Filling that ball with energy, Heuk Woong promptly extended his palm forward.

Starry Convergence (星羅回天)

Dark Spear Dance (暗槍亂舞)

Swish…!!

Boom!

As the ball exploded, hundreds of dark spears flew out, hitting the invisible barrier in the air. With the Spirit Power contained in those spears, it would have been easy to skewer a bunch of immortals. However, even with Heuk Woong pouring considerable strength into the spear assault, it only slightly pierced the barrier before vanishing.

Swish…

[Hmm.]

As Heuk Woong let out a sound of dismay, Demon King Rakshasa burst out laughing.

[Ha ha ha ha! Do you think Kalpa’s divine barrier is that weak?! It seems strong, but this barrier, blessed directly by the Three Great Gods, cannot be broken!!]

[……]

Heuk Woong crossed his arms, looking frustrated, and said to me, [Master, could you lend me your body? It seems like even with all my strength, it would be close to impossible to break this barrier… If we can’t break the barrier, we can’t teleport out.]

“You managed to come back to me as soon as I appeared.”

[That was due to the causality tied to you… But getting out is a completely different problem. If we don’t break the barrier, it’ll be difficult.]

“Hmm, is that so?”

I could tell that this Kalpa barrier was incredibly powerful. If it was tough for Heuk Woong to break it, then it was certainly designed to withstand assaults from the essence of the [Old Rulers]. It was surprising enough that such an extraordinarily strong barrier existed, considering none of that kind of nonsense existed in the Heavenly Realm during the era I lived in.

‘So this is the Takrok era… the era when the gods ran rampant.’

After thinking it over, I spoke.

“Maybe the one maintaining the barrier is the Celestial Reincarnation Jade Subori mentioned earlier? Those 10 Celestial Reincarnation Jades must be reinforcing Kalpa’s barrier.”

[That’s true. But having 10 means that even if one or two get broken, it won’t automatically collapse… If we can’t break it in one go, things might become even more troublesome. If I were the Three Great Gods, I would have definitely installed that level of safety.]

“That makes sense. Seeing that black panther over there smiling…”

Just then, Rakshasa, who had a triumphant smile, quickly denied it.

[No! Who said I was smiling!?]

“……”

I slowly clasped my hands and said, “Then we can just do the opposite. Instead of breaking it, we can increase the numbers.”

[What?]

Trimurti.

Kugugugu

As I drew upon my divine power with my palms together, I could see the surprise on Rakshasa’s face. Moreover, Heuk Woong also looked shocked.

[No! How can you… ]

[Master! This power is…!]

I opened my eyes slightly and concentrated, casting a single desire into my mind.

To create Celestial Reincarnation Jades!!

Flash!

In the next moment, three Celestial Reincarnation Jades I created floated behind me like a halo. As soon as I created them, I sent all three flying into the sky. My target was the currently visible closest existing Celestial Reincarnation Jade.

I pointed at it with my finger.

“Go!”

Smack!!

As the three Celestial Reincarnation Jades collided with the existing one, the original stone made a ‘clunk’ noise and bounced off its place, replaced by my creation. The remaining two jades pursued the flying original twin, heading straight for it.

Kigigiging…

Moments later, the air in the heavenly realm quivered while the invisible barrier visibly weakened. I smiled at the sight.

“By increasing the count from 10 to 13 and creating confusion in the established system, it should naturally weaken, right? Plus, the replaced Celestial Reincarnation Jade can be manipulated under my command, so if I inject even more power into it…”

Boom!

As I unleashed my divine power like a gust at the Celestial Reincarnation Jade, it began to glow brightly. The barrier started to weaken dramatically until one corner of the sky burst open like a balloon.

“…It’s breaking through!”

[No! How can this happen!?]

“Well then, I’m off. They’ll be busy repairing the barrier now, so don’t follow me.”

Whoosh!

I left the astonished Rakshasa behind, leaping from Kalpa like a bullet on the Cloud of Transformation. Following closely behind me like a shadow was Heuk Woong, who said, [Master! That’s definitely the power of creation… How could you wield such potent powers?]

“Oh, that’s…”

As I tried to explain, I suddenly sensed a powerful force blocking my path from the opposite direction and stopped the Cloud of Transformation.

Swish!!

The being who blocked my advance appeared in the air, speaking in a calm voice.

“Why the hesitation? Please continue speaking.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but shut my mouth upon seeing the shape of the being before me.

An ancient warrior adorned in winged attire.

His face resembled that of a human, yet bore three eyes, and he held a bow in one hand.

Though I had never met him directly, I had seen this figure engraved in memory through the data of my experiences with the Cheon Woo-jin.

Swish…

The figure slowly aimed his bow at me, adapting a combat stance as he spoke.

“I’m intrigued.”

I could see a faint violet rage forming in his eyes.

“How is it that you can wield the power of my brother, Brahma…”

Standing before me was Arjuna, the strongest avatar of Vishnu, symbolizing ‘power’ itself.