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**Rebirth Sword God Volume 87, Chapter 11**

Lee Hwan-woong said.

“The match with Overlord Ajidahaka is in two days.”

“Two days, huh….”

“Until then, either loosen up your body or if there’s something you’re still unsure about, get it sorted out within a day….”

“….”

I pondered over Lee Hwan-woong’s advice. Was there something I really needed to handle in a single day?

But I had completely forgotten about the duel with Ajidahaka just moments earlier, so it was understandable that the past events of the Great Cycle weren’t hitting me all at once. I was confused, jumping around in the timelines. I had no choice but to seek advice from Lee Hwan-woong.

“Please tell me if there’s something I need to do. Right now, I’m so confused I can’t think of anything.”

“Really? To be honest, there are a few things….”

“What are they?”

“Don’t do it.”

“…….?”

Caught off guard by his unexpected comment, I found Lee Hwan-woong chuckling.

“According to you, the fight with Ajidahaka in two days is a significant battle to elevate your martial arts realm, isn’t it? No matter how important other matters are, they can’t possibly be more so than that. Instead of forcing yourself to think of things that don’t come to mind, it’s better to forget everything else and prepare your body to be in peak condition for a day.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“And one more thing. This is just my personal curiosity, but can I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

Thud.

Lee Hwan-woong closed the small book he was holding in one hand.

“What do you think would happen if your level of skill in the Realm of Divine Domain faced off against the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

“……!!”

Taken aback by the unexpected question, I paused for a moment.

Drawing on my martial arts experiences as best as I could, I finally spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you know? The Divine Realm is about the sword of the mind, and with techniques like the Formless Sword having legendary levels of skill, wouldn’t it be natural for the Divine Realm to defeat the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

“That’s…..”

I replied heavily.

“I’ve seen and studied the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique more than anyone else in the martial world throughout my past lives. And I felt that the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique is different from other Absolute Realms. Its limits are clearly in a different league from those of other Absolute Realms.”

“Isn’t it going to lose if pushed by the strength of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance?”

“….In other words, if Ha Eun-cheon’s pure internal power rises to a level that could handle Heart of Heaven’s Abundance, then such countermeasures won’t work. While Ha Eun-cheon’s internal power is indeed formidable, it would still be insignificant compared to the boundless internal strength.”

“Oh.”

“Likewise, Divine Skill also has different units of power, which is why it can generally pierce through the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique, but if….”

I couldn’t continue speaking. Then Lee Hwan-woong nodded as if understanding.

“I see. If the capabilities of Master of the Twelve Joules Ha Eun-cheon reach the divine level, there are still no existing martial arts that can normally break through the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

“……Yeah.”

“You’re greatly overestimating the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique. I feel like I understand the reason why you’re doing so.”

“You do?”

At my question, Lee Hwan-woong nodded.

“I know because of what Yeodong-bin said to you during your training, which I also learned through Obsidian.”

“What?”

“If there’s a realm where techniques can follow the optimal movement without a heart, is it ultimately better than the Natural Body…. was it?”

“……!!”

I flinched as Lee Hwan-woong pinpointed the core of the conversation in an instant.

‘Is the genius truly a genius?’

Finding the most crucial point among the numerous memories of Obsidian was not something an average person could achieve. Lee Hwan-woong continued casually.

“No matter how high the master of the Divine Realm operates the sword of the mind, as long as it falls under the area of ‘martial arts,’ there has to be ‘movement’. Even if that movement isn’t physical and is just a vibration of the mind, it still can’t be said to be true stillness.”

“…….”

“But if the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique truly evolves to the extent of reaching the level of the Divine Realm… then the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique at that point… could also optimize and mechanically respond, blocking even the movements of the mind. That was probably what Yeodong-bin was worried about.”

“Don’t say such ridiculous things!!”

I couldn’t help but shout. As Lee Hwan-woong stared at me, I couldn’t control my emotions and gritted my teeth.

“Countless martial artists throughout history have sacrificed their lives, giving up everything to reach the realm of the Spirit Sword! Reaching that ultimate pursuit is exactly the Spirit Sword, yet… you think it can be replicated merely with the calculations of powerful AI?!”

When I shouted, Lee Hwan-woong just gazed at me in silence for a moment before I regained my composure.

“There’s no need to get angry. I was just trying to assess the limits of the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.”

“…….”

“The reason you’re angry is simple. It’s because deep down, even you acknowledge that such possibilities exist within the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique. You don’t want to imagine that martial arts could be overtaken by the strength of science, yet at the same time, you hold the capabilities of the Divine Realm, which leads you to accept that reality.”

“Damn… what the….”

I gasped for breath, but once my mind cleared, I felt Lee Hwan-woong’s words were correct.

And then I sighed.

“……Yeah. I’m afraid that the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique could very well oppose the Spirit Sword.”

Back then, when I heard that from Yeodong-bin, I couldn’t understand why someone who could execute the Spirit Sword, a peerless master, would even be concerned about the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique. But after going through countless adventures and experiences, finally attaining the capabilities of the Divine Realm, I understood at last what Yeodong-bin was truly worried about.

Lee Hwan-woong said.

“The Heavenly Unrestrained Technique is a martial art of the Absolute Realm, yet it is not an Absolute Realm. Under the assumption that it operates based on the understanding and computation of everything in this world, it possesses the characteristics of a Laplace Demon in the realm of science.”

“……”

“Therefore, it approaches the ideal ‘optimal movement’ that is often regarded as the pinnacle of martial arts—it has an absurd characteristic that cannot be matched by any other martial art. I realized this while honing the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique lately. As you said, it’s possible to break through with ‘force’, but the owner of the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique becomes an impenetrable fortress simply by getting close to that power. Your interpretation is correct.”

Is this guy just asking me for my input while already knowing the answer?

I responded bluntly.

“What do you want to say?”

Lee Hwan-woong leisurely glanced out the window at the arena below.

“Baek Woong. If so, then what level could possibly confront a martial art capable of optimizing even the mind?”

“……?!”

“What Yeodong-bin truly wanted to ask was this. If a cold machine reaches omniscience and can read even the heart, can there exist a martial art that surpasses it?”

“……Ah, no… that’s…”

I was momentarily confused, bumbling my words. But after a while, I felt my mind going completely blank.

“……I don’t know. I haven’t even achieved the Spirit Sword yet, how can I know that? And… why did Yeodong-bin throw that question to me?”

“I think I have an idea.”

“What?”

“It’s simple. From Yeodong-bin’s instincts, he believed you, a Reborn Person, would one day face someone with the capabilities of the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique. That’s why he wanted you to think ahead about the next level since you can’t just rely on the Spirit Sword alone.”

“……”

“What? Why the suddenly murderous glare? You planning to kill me? Hehe.”

Lee Hwan-woong chuckled, but I sighed.

“Ugh, stop joking. I know that doesn’t solve anything.”

“Why? Did I say I’d become the Master of the Twelve Joules in the future? If I cut it down early now, it’d be easier.”

“I’ve lived through past lives for a long time. If such a being appears before me one day, it’s likely that a complex web of causality would have been involved, and that’s something even the gods cannot prevent. Preventing such causality upfront is the height of arrogance.”

“……Oh, once again the reincarnated one who’s experienced life 30 times? Your words exude a sense of insight.”

Chuckling, Lee Hwan-woong said.

“Baek Woong. Anyway, you’re my benefactor and my current martial arts master. So, I’m about to tell you a very valuable clue I learned while training the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.”

“What? A clue?”

“Yes. It may help greatly when confronting such beings in the future, so listen well…”

I focused on Lee Hwan-woong’s words, and after a short moment, he began to speak.

“The powerful AI I have, Mephisto, is capable of omniscience, which allows it to read all surrounding data and produce optimal movement based on that data. That’s the Absolute Realm known as the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique. However… there are times when unexplainable ‘null’ occurrences arise.”

I tilted my head at Lee Hwan-woong’s words.

“Null? What do you mean by that?”

“It’s a representation of ASCII code zero. Literally, it stands for zero. Simply put, it’s the essence of ‘nothingness’ or ’emptiness.'”

I wasn’t entirely sure what ASCII code was, but I understood what he meant, so I replied.

“If it reads all data, why does ‘nothing’ occur?”

“Well… Even if all data exists, the AI that interprets it is a finite existence. So, there’s a limit to how it can interpret the world.”

After saying this, Lee Hwan-woong continued.

“Do you happen to know that basic data interpretation consists of zeroes and ones? The binary numeral system composed of zeroes and ones is the most efficient for data transmission. Of course, systems have evolved beyond binary, but the foundation is still the binary system. But what does it mean that it consists of zeroes and ones?”

“I don’t know….”

“Zero means nothing, one means existence. In other words, it’s a perspective that divides the world into ‘existence’ and ‘non-existence.’ But this interpretation has limitations.”

“What kind of limitations?”

“For example, if human civilization were destroyed by malevolent beings and then vanished, that would be ‘nothing,’ so it would be zero, right? But if human civilization had never existed on Earth in the first place, that’s also ‘nothing,’ so it’s zero. Can we say these two scenarios are the same?”

“……No, that’s different. How can they be the same?”

“Exactly. I simplified it too much, but this illustrates that even powerful AI has limits in distinguishing between ‘nothingness’ and ’emptiness.’ Zero and null seem alike but are not the same.”

“……”

What on earth is he talking about? I scratched my head, struggling to understand Lee Hwan-woong’s words.

Though it was clear I didn’t comprehend, Lee Hwan-woong continued on regardless.

“My master, Nailatop, would often say this: If a creator deity exists who created this universe and coded it, then that deity must have included the existence of ‘null.’ This intermediate value between existence and non-existence must inherently exist in this universe.”

“……? I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

“Hmm, all I’m saying is… even in a seemingly peaceful state, there’s a probability of existence overlapping. While the AI Mephisto is powerful, it cannot calculate that probability. Sure, it might be a googol-level probability, but it’s not infallible.”

“What? Existence overlapping? How could that happen?”

“Hehe, I’ll show you what I mean.”

With that, the moment Lee Hwan-woong stood up, a blue lightning-like energy erupted from his body. His eyes also turned entirely blue, and as I observed him, I recalled something.

‘He used that technique when he faced Yu Mang before!’

Quantum Technique.

Spin Network.

Lee Hwan-woong suddenly clenched his fists tightly, as if to gather energy.

Schrödinger on the Loop.

Pipipipip!

“……!!”

In the next moment, Lee Hwan-woong’s body split into two, creating a blue clone of himself. This clone rushed at me, attacking without a moment’s hesitation.

‘Thunder God Fist?’

As Lee Hwan-woong used the Thunder God Fist to strike, I attempted to block his attack with a defensive technique. But just as I held my palm out to intercept his punch, Lee Hwan-woong’s fist completely passed through my body!

‘What?!’

I had intended to block it with my intent, so I did not foresee that Lee Hwan-woong’s clone could phase through my defense. I was taken aback for a moment, but I swiftly stepped back to evade a counterattack and retaliated with a single slap.

Boom!

The clone struck by my Thunder Spirit Seal bounced off, but just as I thought he would be thrown back, he emitted a burst of lightning in mid-air, dissipating the energy.

Flash!!

“What?!”

Is that even possible?! Although it shrank in size, its power was enough to take down a full-sized dragon with a single strike!

As I panicked, Lee Hwan-woong finally ceased his attack and smirked.

“How’s that? A fun technique, right?”

“I think I’ve seen you use it against Yu Mang, but what kind of clone technique is that? How could it pierce through my defense?”

“This isn’t a clone technique.”

“Not a clone technique?”

“Ordinary clone techniques heavily compress either qi or intent, or use sorcery to create an illusionary clone. But this technique… it wasn’t created using any of those means.”

Lee Hwan-woong placed a hand on the shoulder of his blue clone.

“This is a being created by artificially overlapping my probability of existence. In other words, this is another version of myself.”

“……?!”

“Therefore, it’s not a clone but can also be regarded as another true body. Isn’t it interesting?”

“What?! Such a technique can exist?!”

This is absolutely absurd! As I heard about the principle of the technique in awe, Lee Hwan-woong chuckled.

“It is possible. The computational power of Mephisto has reached a level where it can manipulate quantum overlap. The entities existing in such a state are referred to as a Unitary Body, which can almost ignore typical outside forces. Sure, it may not withstand the insane power from cosmic beings like Yu Mang, but it’s very usable against mortals.”

“Ugh! So the fact that you just absorbed my Thunder Spirit Seal….”

“It means I can ignore impacts of that level. It can easily absorb the thunder energy present in the Thunder Spirit Seal.”

“……”

I gazed at Lee Hwan-woong with newfound respect.

‘This guy might seem weak in the Takrok Era, but in the time of the Great Ming Empire, he’d be in the top tier, right?’

While I was lost in thought, Lee Hwan-woong continued.

“As you can see, it’s also possible to artificially create overlaps. However, the issue is, I can’t do this on command. There are countless probabilities from which spontaneous overlaps can arise. Mephisto can read that, but it will occasionally have errors.”

“What? So you’re saying even Heavenly Unrestrained Technique isn’t flawless?”

“Now you understand. That’s exactly it.”

“Hmm… so how do you create that null error in the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

Lee Hwan-woong shrugged.

“I don’t know that either. The point is, there are errors, but those errors have never developed to the point of leading to mistakes in actual combat situations. It’s so minor that Mephisto’s computational power immediately debugs it.”

“……”

“So, in practical terms, it’s effectively zero. Even using it for billions of techniques over millions of battles. A probability of one in a googol means that.”

What? So it means nothing at all?

I made a disappointed expression, and Lee Hwan-woong smiled.

“However… while I currently stand at an unimaginable level, if a singular absolute expert could capture the moment where such a tiny error occurs and strike, there could be a possibility.”

“Hmm….”

“Anyway, that’s it. It might be of great help later.”

With that, Lee Hwan-woong held out the Cosmic Fragment toward me.

“Speaking of which, let’s do some sparring. Since you’re not in your future robotic body right now, you need to get familiar with your current form again.”

“……That sounds good.”

After that, I headed to the training ground with Lee Hwan-woong, and during our sparring session, I realized that what he said made sense.

‘Truly, the mechanical body and my current body are worlds apart. If I had been wandering around doing different things, I wouldn’t have been able to bring out my true abilities at all.’

However, a strange feeling nagged at me.

When I looked at the physical conditions, it was clear that the mechanical body and the current body were night and day different, yet I felt as though I was trapped within a great freedom.

After what felt like about three moments training with Lee Hwan-woong, I started to feel somewhat accustomed to my body again. So I said to Lee Hwan-woong.

“I’d like to reenact the fight with Ananda from now on.”

“Got it. Just remember not to forget by noon tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

I settled down in the center of the training ground, crossing my legs, and began to think repeatedly. After several moments, I entered a meditative state of calm.

“I’m not in a robotic body but a human body, and I possess the ultimate state of divine power and vitality. If I were to fight Ananda in this state, how would the outcome unfold?”

I seriously pictured Ananda in my mind and began a hypothetical duel with myself. This training method, which I had used before fighting Miyamoto Musashi, was not as effective as actual combat, but it was sufficient to outline the contours of a potential victory or loss against an opponent.

However, after a considerable duration of virtual combat with Ananda, I sighed, feeling despondent.

“……No, this isn’t working.”

With a puff, Ananda’s figure vanished from my mind during the sparring session. This inner combat was only meaningful when one had a clear understanding of their opponent’s abilities to more than 90%. However, Ananda had not even revealed half of his capabilities during our duel, so trying to battle with a hypothetical version of him was utterly pointless.

Above all, is it really true that my current state is more favorable against Ananda?

Was there something I was missing?

After mulling it over for a long while, I decided to call for assistance.

“Heuk Woong.”

Swish!

In the next moment, a pitch-black shadow appeared before me. It looked almost as if Jeon Wook had manifested in a tiny form in the human realm, as Heuk Woong crossed his arms and responded.

[Did you call for me, my master?]

“I was trying to gauge the duel against Ananda in my head, but it’s just impossible. Do you have any suggestions?”

[……]

Heuk Woong pondered for a moment before he spoke.

[Ananda may indeed be a stronger opponent than the Cosmic Sword Master Ajidahaka. To gauge such an opponent normally would be futile.]

“What should I do?”

[If you want to assess the strength of an absolute master as your intention suggests, there’s only one method I can assist you with now.]

Ssssss

Suddenly, Heuk Woong moved to face me, transforming from his small spirit form into a distinctly human-like shape. He conjured a hidden weapon on his palm and said.

[Get ready.]

“What?”

Feeling a sudden surge of tension from Heuk Woong’s words, I straightened up.

[Let’s throw off our grades and have a match.]