전생검신 83권 19화

As soon as I heard the girl’s words, my eyebrows twitched.

“What? Pangu is coming back to life?”

The giant of [Order] and the Outer God, Pangu! This is the being that created Fuxi and Nüwa, and I thought he was sealed away. Hearing that he was resurrecting was something I’d never heard before, so I couldn’t help but be shocked. The girl nodded at my disbelief.

“I don’t know the process, but given Yuso’s abilities, it must be true.”

“…….”

I fell silent, thinking hard.

“Pangu coming back to life? Why on earth?”

No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason for that Outer God to resurrect. Up until now, there hadn’t been a single clue or motive for it. Yet, I couldn’t flat out deny such a ridiculous claim, knowing the future could change unpredictably. After all, Yuso’s foresight was genuine.

I replied calmly.

“So you’re saying Pangu is going to come back to life because of my actions. But why were you and Yuso trying to stop that?”

“They said Pangu’s resurrection means destruction itself. From what I saw, the moment he comes back, the universe gets cleaned up.”

“……Cleaned?”

“Ugh… it’s hard to explain, but everything gets clean. I saw that scene using Yuso’s power.”

The flustered girl continued.

“And then something that was sealed with Pangu gets released. I didn’t know what it was, but Yuso said that’s true despair.”

“…….”

“You really don’t believe me, do you…?”

The girl looked dejected, but I sighed heavily.

“Ugh… Would you believe it? If what you’re saying is true, then Yuso must have known everything since I first arrived in Takrok Village and was hiding the truth, deceiving me.”

“Well, that does seem likely.”

“You also went along with Yuso to seal the Emperor. It wouldn’t be surprising if you were also trying to deceive and control me now.”

Of course it was natural for me not to fully believe what the girl was saying. She flinched and then spoke.

“That’s not true. Unlike me, Yuso…”

“What about Yuso?”

“…He doesn’t want to live a normal human life and die. And right now, I don’t even know where he is.”

“……?”

What does that even mean?

I looked at the girl blankly and asked.

“Are you saying Yuso assigned you the task of breaking the Emperor’s seal and then cut off contact?”

Yuso looked extremely aggrieved.

“That’s right. He said the Emperor is not an easy target, so I kept waiting for Yuso to reach out. But no word came, and then you showed up first.”

“……Do you really not know where Yuso is?”

“Yes! I swear on my name!”

Seeing the girl’s slightly flushed face as she spoke fervently, I couldn’t help but drop my doubt. If she swore on her name, I had to believe her.

“Then if Yuso’s goal isn’t to just live a normal human life and die, what is it?”

“Yuso said he wants to become a God.”

“A God? Earlier, you said your Chaos talent is so strong that you can’t become an immortal.”

“That’s true. But Yuso has his own method for that.”

“He didn’t share it with you?”

“I don’t really desire immortality that much!”

“……”

I was stupefied by the girl’s determined words.

“…You two are the same soul, right? Can you really have such a big difference in future ambitions?”

“It was like that before we were born, but after birth, our thoughts diverged, so it’s not that strange. I would rather give up power and live mingled in the cycle of rebirth.”

“That’s true, but…”

I trailed off, pondering.

‘If what she says is true, then Yuso is probably using me in a plan to become a God somehow.’

It was reasonable to think he used the girl in this process and didn’t tell her everything.

Having roughly understood the situation, I said to the girl.

“Alright. All of this is fine, but what are you planning to do now? Are you going to keep letting the Emperor and Nüwa clash here?”

“…Yuso said that if this situation happens, I should act as I please. He didn’t tell me about the future beyond this point.”

The girl took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Please take me with you! I will help as much as I can with my abilities, so please don’t let me go back to that primordial chaos again!”

“Um…!! You want to follow me?”

“Yes!”

I thought about it deeply.

‘Could this also be a trap set by Yuso?’

The girl herself seemed innocent, but someone skilled in scheming could manipulate others without them even realizing it. Yuso, who could see into the future, could be considered one of the world’s greatest strategists, and I worried that taking the girl too hastily might lead me right into Yuso’s trap.

But eventually, I firmly grasped the girl’s hand and said.

“Alright! If you want to be my companion, you’re welcome.”

No matter how many traps Yuso might lay, I figured he wouldn’t surpass my Rebirth Ability. There was no reason to completely disregard the benefits of having a powerful ability user like her as a companion. Plus, leaving the girl here would only continue to stoke the flames of war, so it seemed better for me to take her along.

The girl looked overjoyed at my words and wiped away a tear.

“I’ll do my best.”

I became worried again and asked.

“But… the Emperor implied that I should hand over my position, but right now, Nüwa is the one who has you; isn’t it her permission I need to leave here, not the Emperor’s?”

If the Emperor blocks me, that’s terrifying, but if Nüwa blocks me, that’s no small matter either. Though my divine power reached a high level, if Nüwa, one of the three sovereigns, gave her all, there was no way I could win.

But the girl appeared confident, as if to assure me not to worry.

“I’ll take care of it. So shall we go?”

“Huh? W-What?”

Are you really confident?

Though I answered without thinking, honestly, I couldn’t come up with any idea of how to escape from an angry Nüwa unscathed. So while I didn’t fully trust the girl, her inexplicable confidence somehow inspired a sense of faith in me.

The girl then elegantly pointed her index finger forward and said.

“Yap!”

Tsutsu!

In an instant, a riot of color burst forth from the subspace where we were, and suddenly we were transformed right in front of Nüwa’s throne.

“……!!”

W-What the?!

I glanced at the girl.

“What did you just do?”

She replied nonchalantly.

“I made the [crack] in the subspace [infinite]. Now that the crack is infinite, the subspace will automatically collapse.”

“Uh?! You can use your abilities like that?!”

“Yes. I released the Emperor’s seal in a similar manner. In that case, I made the [contradiction] infinite instead of a crack.”

“……”

I began to understand how the girl’s abilities worked.

‘If I just make the minute weaknesses in everything infinite, whether they’re cracks or contradictions…’

At the same time, I realized how terrifying the girl’s powers were.

‘…In that case… no barrier or seal can stop her!!’

A transcendent ability that is unassailable by anything that isn’t a perfect existence without cracks or contradictions!

Depending on how you use it, it can yield tremendous results!

As I was flabbergasted, a figure of Nüwa appeared above her throne.

Paat

The breathtaking beauty that was Nüwa frowned and said.

“Girl. I’ve never treated you poorly, so why are you trying to go out into the world, lured by a mere human?”

I was a bit flummoxed by Nüwa’s tone.

‘…Huh? Is Nüwa talking so gently to a mere mortal?!’

Given the future Nüwa I could imagine, that was an absurdity that shocked me, but then something truly shocking unfolded.

The girl hesitated slightly before speaking.

“I’m sorry, sister.”

“……?!”

O-Older sister?!

Nüwa, who eats immortals, tears apart giant races, and even makes the Three Sovereigns cautious, is being called ‘sister’?!

C-Could it be that the girl was referring to Nüwa as “sister” back then?!

“Child. A mere apology is not enough for this. Huu…”

Even more astonishing was that Nüwa herself seemed to accept that title. With a sympathetic sigh, she glared at me with disapproving eyes.

“Is this boy using his three-inch tongue to seduce you?”

“Um?! I’m not trying to seduce her… er, hmm.”

As I stuttered due to the unexpected situation, the girl jumped in.

“Lord Baek Woong made a promise with the Emperor about my future. So if I leave, there’s no reason for you to fight against the Emperor’s faction.”

At that, Nüwa looked slightly miffed.

“Is that true? What’s so special about this boy for the Emperor to make such a promise?”

“Lord Baek Woong is the one who will save this world.”

“Fufufu… Hahaha…”

Nüwa let out her carefree laugh and then stared at me with serpentine eyes.

“I don’t trust you! The girl’s existence will disrupt the balance of heaven and earth, so there’s no way I can hand her over to a nobody like you… Now, prove your power!!”

Kukugugu…!!

Nüwa’s form began to transform into that of the Queen Mother of the West. I knew that once she completed her transformation, it would be as if I were receiving endless power from Nüwa’s true being, so I felt a tremendous tension as I considered whether I could win against her at this moment.

‘Damn it… I have no idea how this will turn out! I’ve gotten stronger, but could I actually defeat one of the most powerful avatars who is essentially one of the Three Sovereigns?’

Just as I decided that focusing on escaping with the girl was better than trying to defeat her, the girl lightly tapped her fingers together.

“Yap!”

Thwack!

In the next moment, the enormous body of Nüwa shrank rapidly.

‘Huh? No… she’s… moving further away?’

Upon close inspection, I realized it wasn’t just Nüwa; everything around us was changing as well, and I clearly saw the distance between her and me stretching dramatically. Meanwhile, the space where the girl and I stood remained entirely unchanged, making it feel like we had stepped into a warped dimension.

In this bizarre situation, I looked at the girl.

“What just happened?”

“I made the [distance] [infinite].”

“……”

You can do that?!

“If it’s a strong deity, they can condense the power of chaos to nullify my powers, so quickly, let’s escape through this gap.”

“Got it.”

I immediately grabbed the girl’s hand and used my divine power to try and escape this palace.

Tutong! Tong!!

“What the hell? Why are there so many barriers?!”

There were so many invisible dimensional barriers that I kept failing to teleport and kept crashing into walls. Each time, I got hurt but stood up and broke through the barriers with sheer force, repeating this process dozens of times until I finally escaped Nüwa’s palace and stepped outside.

However, as soon as I arrived outside, I was met by an unexpected presence.

[I do not accept this.]

“Jeogok.”

Standing on the descending staircase, blocking my path, was none other than the Avatar of Jeogok. Wearing the ceremonial garb, Jeogok muttered while scattering white light.

[You must know the reason why Yu Shun perished. You shall not leave until you explain it to me.]

“……Damn it!! Go ask the Emperor directly!!”

[Be quiet.]

At that, Jeogok raised his arms and unleashed his power.

Hamhak (咸黑) summon!

Chwa chwa chak!

As if to encircle the girl and me, nine bizarre demons were summoned, each bearing a grotesque form that could hardly be considered human. The demons began to bind me with strange sounds as soon as they appeared around us.

Kiiiiii

Buuuuuaaaah!

‘This… this isn’t just sound… this is pure power!’

With that kind of power, it’s definitely a technique unique to the Three Sovereigns!

The twisted chaos energy that the nine demons stirred up attacked me from all angles. This was on a whole different level compared to the sound attacks you would find in the human realm and could probably be wiped out instantly even by a Great Immortal. As I poured out my divine power to withstand it, Jeogok stretched his arm forward, and a mass of tentacles tried to grab me with tremendous force.

Chuwahh!

“Damn it!!”

Boom!

I thrust my fist forward and instantly crushed Jeogok’s attack, but Jeogok seemed startled as the tentacles exploded at the power of my punch.

[You’re this strong…? I can’t believe it.]

“Do you think you can catch me with just an avatar and not the main body?!”

I shouted confidently, trying to finish off Jeogok.

“Come here, Agni!!”

Whoosh!

As Agni’s flaming spear ignited in my hand, I charged it with power and shot it at Jeogok.

Tang!!

Boom…!!

The trajectory of the flaming spear pierced both Jeogok’s avatar’s heart and shoulder in one go, forcing him to stagger and drop to his knees.

[Ughh… A weapon imbued with divine power…!]

In agonized groans, the avatar of Jeogok spoke.

[Fine… I admit I underestimated you… Now I shall engage with my main body, regardless of the toll it takes on the Law of Cause and Effect!!]

“……!!”

Damn it!! If the main body shows up, I won’t be able to escape before Nüwa hunts me down!

Tsuaaa!

[I will not let you get away!!]

“Damn it!”

Though I was trembling with anxiety, the avatar of Jeogok maintained the nine demons while breaking down, and from the disassembled form, a powerful force of magic began to summon a giant presence. I wanted to teleport immediately, but Jeogok had laid many powerful barriers in this area, so I couldn’t break through in such a short time.

‘In the end, I have to defeat Jeogok’s main body…!!’

I didn’t realize it would be this hard to take the girl with me!

Just as I was steeling myself and clenching my teeth, the girl stepped forward as if she saw an opportunity and pointed her finger at Jeogok.

“Yap!!”

Thwooong…!!

At that moment, the magical current swirling around Jeogok stopped completely. Moreover, the nine demons unleashing intense darkness around us also seemed to freeze in their tracks.

“Eh?”

I looked at the girl in surprise, and she spoke confidently.

“It’s done. Let’s go!”

“What did you do?”

“I made the [summoning time] [infinite]!”

“……?!”

“Usually, deities don’t offer such gaps, but thanks to Lord Baek Woong, it worked!”

That means, until someone comes to help, Jeogok’s main body’s powers were basically immobilized in regard to the avatar, right?!

‘Jeogok has no choice now but to abandon that avatar! But if that happens, he’ll permanently lose the divine power he invested in it…’

I never expected I could neutralize a God like this, and as I stared wide-eyed, the girl urged me on.

“Quick, let’s go. But where will you take me?”

“For now… Takrok Village!”

Paat!

After all my efforts, I finally found myself back in Takrok Village from Nüwa’s palace. Upon arriving, I squeezed my eyes shut at the scene I hadn’t anticipated.

“What the hell…”

The location where Takrok Village used to be was now in complete ruins, with several mountains erased and massive scars left on the earth where great power had clashed. I recalled what Cheongyang had said when he came to the Underworld.

[It wasn’t a short time. You suddenly met Yu Mang after a year had passed since you vanished, and… you died fighting against an unprecedentedly strong demon that invaded Takrok Village.]

[You should be fine. The Giant Race came to support…].

The ‘unprecedentedly strong demon’ that I fought was the reason for this horrific wasteland in front of me. I knew the villagers of Takrok Village must have survived because of the support from the Giant Race, but it broke my heart to realize that it had come to this because I wasn’t there.

At that moment, while I was staring blankly at the ruins of Takrok Village, I heard someone call out.

“Lord!”

I turned around and shouted.

“Is that the Thief Gang?”

The members of the Thief Gang bowed in front of me and said.

“It’s good to see you safe. I’m glad I patrolled this area.”

I sighed heavily.

“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop the Demon Race’s invasion because of my mistakes.”

“It’s fine. We heard everything from Cheongyang, so don’t worry.”

At that, I cheered up.

“Cheongyang told you about it?”

“Yes. After you resurrected him, he shared everything you’ve been going through with everyone.”

“…Is that so?”

“Let’s go together. This place has been revealed to the Demon Race, so we’ve created a new Takrok Village somewhere else.”

Whoosh!

I headed towards the new Takrok Village along with the Thief Gang. And I soon discovered that everyone from the original Takrok Village I knew was there.

“You’ve returned from the Underworld! What a relief!”

The first one to greet me joyfully was none other than Subori. Not only Subori, but all the others were alive and untouched, so I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

“I truly apologize.”

“It’s alright. More importantly, who is that girl?”

“She’s called the Girl.”

“……!!”

Subori looked stunned. Not just him, but everyone who knew the circumstances gathered around me in shock. I took a moment to explain everything that had happened up to that point.

As I explained for a while, I suddenly felt something was off and spoke up.

“…But I don’t see Cheongyang. Where did he go?”

“Cheongyang followed Yu Mang.”

“Yu Mang?”

Subori nodded and remarked.

“He claimed he has divine abilities; he asked Yu Mang to take him on as a disciple. Perhaps feeling indebted to him for having killed you, Yu Mang accepted him as his disciple.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“It seems he went off to a distant place, so it will be hard to find Yu Mang and Cheongyang for a while.”

Saying that, Subori cautiously added.

“Thanks to your explanation, Lord Baek Woong, I understand the situation well.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“But if that’s the case, using the girl’s powers to resolve things should be simple, right?”

“Hmm?”

Subori then flashed a cunning smile and said.

“You could make your divine power infinite. Then everything would be resolved!”

At those words, everyone’s gaze turned to the girl.

In response to that scrutiny, the girl smiled wryly and said.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”

“Why can’t it be?”

“There are limits to my abilities. Concepts that the one who grants my powers cannot allow cannot be manifested through my abilities.”

The girl spoke clearly with sparkly eyes.

“There is only one being in the entire universe who can hold [Divine Power] infinitely. I cannot manifest abilities in such a way, as it would defile that dignity.”