전생검신 Volume 95 Chapter 8

Boom!!

The fierce punch from the Thunder God Fist pierced near the core of the Old Ruler Ranimolthus, causing tentacles to burst out, and alongside the Thunder Light, even the debris of the tentacles burned away. It seemed that Ranimolthus found this strike quite painful, as it let out a scream.

[Craaa! This bastard!]

Wooong

At that moment, I noticed a powerful magical energy surging from Ranimolthus’ entire body, causing a significant distortion in the flow of time and space, and I felt a surge of tension.

‘… The divine power has manifested! That means…!!’

Is it moving the Small Cycle?

And I wasn’t wrong. The moment I felt Ranimolthus’ divine power reach its peak, the body that had been pummeled to pieces by the Thunder Soul restored itself in the blink of an eye without a single wound!

Shwoosh

A recovery act that rewinds time to the past! It’s a basic method of using divine power and also the most effective strategy to convey the overwhelming difference between mortals and divine beings. No matter how much damage I dealt, if he could just rewind time and heal, it felt like there was no hope whatsoever. I knew this ability well since I had used it a lot during my training.

‘Ugh. Should I really fight this seriously?’

Of course, I possessed divine power myself, so I wasn’t weak enough to lose spirit over such a technique. Yet, I was still struggling to adapt to the sudden situation of being engaged in a life-or-death battle with the Old Ruler.

Grrrr…

‘Oh, this bastard again!’

I was startled again when the Thunder Soul within me began growling and emitting strong violence. For some reason, it seemed like it was going wild on its own. And since I still couldn’t properly control this Thunder Soul, I ended up just watching it have another outbreak along with its roar.

Koooh!!

The Thunder Soul swelled in one arm, emitting a brilliant Thunder Light that illuminated the cosmic space for a moment. Then, it suddenly reached out and seemed to grab onto Ranimolthus’ tentacles with fierce strength.

Flash!!

Crack!

‘…!!’

At that moment, something unbelievable happened. Just as I felt the distortion of time and space, Ranimolthus’ restored body started to reverse back to its previous state, didn’t it? Once again splattered in blood, Ranimolthus seemed quite bewildered as it screamed.

[Gah… You dare reverse the cycle again… Do you not realize that if this thread becomes tangled, we both will suffer greater wounds!]

What…?

Before I could even think about the meaning of those words, the Thunder Soul let out a loud screech.

Kraaa!!

Clang!

The unstoppable offensive of the Thunder God Fist poured out hundreds of strikes in an instance, and along with the sound of thunder, Ranimolthus was pounded mercilessly. At the same time, I could sense the Thunder Soul gradually drawing upon my own divine power.

Ugh… This bastard, is Ranimolthus loading my divine power into his punches to make it difficult for him to recover with the Small Cycle?

I was astonished that the Thunder Soul was fighting independently without my command and even seemed to have a systematic strategy of its own. How on earth could a mass of Thunder Soul move autonomously like this?

But it seemed Ranimolthus was no pushover either, as he wasn’t just taking it lying down.

[Good! Let’s have a real fight!]

A dark light flared up in Ranimolthus’ enormous eye, and for a moment, the entire universe felt like it was being painted green.

Gurrrrrk! Gurrrrrk!

A horrific and dreadful green that made my mind feel hazy! It felt as though I was sinking in a swamp, with all the stars around me melting into that green. Ranimolthus, who filled an unimaginable range with his own magical power, began to cast his spell along with divine words.

[Shadows from the door, the mouth of the focus, melodies that cross the universe! I command in the name of God to summon a curse that even immortals would fear!]

……!!

Normally, I wouldn’t have understood what Ranimolthus was up to, but having learned about magic to some extent now, I could feel the urgency in his words. Because according to the knowledge from the Necronomicon, casting a spell in such a way was said to be the exclusive domain of the divine. Moreover, it was far more powerful than merely wielding divine power.

And it goes without saying that if a strong Old Ruler like Ranimolthus was set to cast a divine-level spell, even I stood a high chance of dying if I were hit properly.

‘Ugh… I can’t just charge in and win this fight! Just listen to me, you jerk!’

As I yelled out loudly, I hastily concentrated all my thoughts and recited the command for the Thunder God Sword Dance to the Thunder Soul using the Dance Technique. As a result, the Thunder Soul, which had been wildly rampaging, hesitated once again, and I took that opportunity to gain control over it and formed the hand seals while shouting.

‘Trimurti!’

Wooong

Fortunately, the Trimurti seemed to activate even in this situation, and I quickly found myself facing a space embedded with red gemstones within my inner world. Since the opponent was also a god, there was no time to waste, so I hurriedly infused my power into the Trimurti.

The Sun of Amaterasu, the power of the Wheel King, and the power of commerce!

Gooh

Then I sensed that the power of Amaterasu worked as Yang, the power of the Wheel King acted as Yin, forming a Tai Chi shape that spun in a cycle. This was exactly how I wanted the combination to be. I infused my thoughts as I combined the power of commerce.

I’d ‘consume’ my Yin-Yang divine power to buy the rights to evade the opponent’s spell!

Since that was a spell that couldn’t possibly be blocked by simply setting up a defensive barrier with divine power, I needed to enhance my defensive capability by ‘offering’ divine power through Trimurti.

Zzzzing

In the next moment, green mist rushed from every direction, and a storm that seemed like it could shred my whole body swept in. Even though the Thunder Soul had strong Thunder Soul armor wrapped around it, I could feel that this spell would tear through my entire body without mercy.

Crash! Crack!

Damn… Is this spell one that could literally tear even stars apart?

If I hadn’t prepared, even this colossal body would have been killed in one hit!

I gritted my teeth and wrapped the Tai Chi formed from Trimurti around my entire being. With this, the right I acquired from the power of commerce was bestowed upon me, and at the same time, the opponent’s divine power naturally twisted and flew away, avoiding the Thunder Soul.

Tzzzzzz

As I endured Ranimolthus’ spell, he seemed surprised and said.

[The power of the Creator!! Are you a descendant of the Creator God?]

For some reason, it looked like he instantly recognized this divine power as something related to creation. Realizing I needed to avoid battle, I hurriedly spoke.

‘Yes! Right now my body isn’t moving as I want it to, so let’s stop the fight! What good is this fight? There must be some misunderstanding.’

[Hmm… Is that so…]

Ranimolthus hesitated, thinking my condition was odd. He seemed to realize that this was the only chance to stop fighting.

Phew… Finally, we can have a conversation…!!

I let out a sigh of relief and began to speak.

‘What’s going on is that my body isn’t obeying me, and the Thunder Soul is moving on its own!!’

Kuwakow!!

Suddenly, against my will, the mouth of the Thunder Soul opened wide, and it fired a beam, impacting Ranimolthus’ body.

[Kaaah!! You bastard!!]

‘Ah, no, that’s not it!!!’

Flash

This time, the light from the Thunder Soul’s two hands began to rise, and it seemed to be using the Thunder Spirit Seal? As the Thunder Spirit flew and pierced right through Ranimolthus’ essence, Ranimolthus screamed and disassembled.

[Were you trying to catch me off guard…!! This crafty brat… No more mistakes will be made!]

‘…’

With ten mouths, I couldn’t even retort, so I had no choice but to remain silent. Simultaneously, I could only recognize this fact.

I can’t control this Thunder Soul!

If this continues, all I can do is watch the Thunder Soul rampage with wide-open eyes!

With whatever fate, I need to find a way to gain control over this Thunder Soul immediately.

Instead, the win or loss of this fight can be considered a secondary issue.

How can I prevent this Thunder Soul from rampaging on its own and bring it under my command?

The very fact that the Thunder Soul can act independently suggests it has a will of its own, which implies it possesses a soul…

‘… Ah!’

Suddenly, I realized what I had been missing. With a glimmer of hope, I immediately cast a technique.

Soul Exchange Technique!

Pause

The moment I invoked the Soul Exchange Technique on my body, the Thunder Soul that had been rampaging suddenly stopped. That was because I had pulled my essence in by using my spirit like a thread on which beads are strung. Although it might seem like a trifling technique compared to divine-level spells, its effectiveness was astonishing.

Phew… At least I’ve put out the immediate fire…

I realized that as I cast the Soul Exchange Technique, the Thunder Soul would indeed behave calmly, allowing me to let out a relieved sigh. And I was able to grasp an important realization.

The fact that the Soul Exchange Technique is effective…

That indicates…

‘… The Thunder Soul has a separate soul.’

Thunder Soul!

Because it exists as an entity with independent life energy, the Soul Exchange Technique works on it.

Kudududuk…!!

‘Oh no. This won’t last long…’

I knew that casting the Soul Exchange Technique felt akin to a human wrapping strings around ten fingers to manipulate a puppet. On the surface, it looks composed, but the mental focus of the caster is entirely on controlling the puppet, making it extremely difficult to use other techniques or martial arts while casting the Soul Exchange Technique.

And just as the Thunder Soul, half-controlled by the Soul Exchange Technique, was about to outbreak again, I felt the strings of the Soul Exchange Technique tremble, and it hit me that it would be nonsensical to fight the Old Ruler Ranimolthus while in this state.

Kugugugu!!

[Prepare yourselves…]

Ranimolthus seems to be preparing to cast an even larger spell than before, gathering an immense amount of divine power. Realizing that it assuredly was a formidable opponent, I awkwardly smiled and said.

‘I’d rather not prepare, so let’s meet again… Hahaha.’

[You think I’ll let you go?]

Chiiiiing!!

I noticed a translucent glass-like shield enveloping the vast cosmic space. It must be a barrier or spell to prevent the enemy from escaping. Ranimolthus has taken several hits from me and still looks uninjured; he’s definitely a powerful Old Ruler, and I could easily bet that even facing him with my full power won’t yield a sure victory.

‘Damn it! I might not mind a fight… but there’s no way I’ll let you prevent my escape!’

As I shouted that and charged toward the barrier, I could hear Ranimolthus’ laughter from behind.

[This is an ultimate cosmic seal spell that I can use only once in ten million years! Do you think you can break through it despite your divine status?]

Kuwong!

‘Ugh.’

I grimaced, feeling the body of the Thunder Soul bounce back severely. Ranimolthus’ words weren’t bluster; it felt like my planet-sized body, filled with Thunder Soul, bumped against a solid iron wall. Just as when Jeon Wook and The One Who Turns the Stars fought, I had heard that even a powerful Old Ruler like him would possess many spells that could not be ignored by other rulers, and I was vividly feeling that right now.

Damn… What kind of bad luck is it to meet such a high-tier divine being in this unknown corner of the universe! Despite being hit countless times by the Thunder Soul, it looked like I had been pretty lucky to have not received fatal damage!

Goooorrrr!!

Even amidst all this, Ranimolthus was steadily preparing a divine-level spell, and ominous symbols and patterns were popping up around his body by the hundreds. A cosmic demon unleashing spells in earnest could drive any mortal insane merely by the visual effects alone, and the divine power infused in that spell seemed several times more potent than what he had just used against me.

Ugh, what to do?

Should I use the Technique of All Things to steal the durability of this barrier? Or should I try to steal that spell itself?

… No, I doubt those methods would easily work against such a high-ranking divine figure. Most importantly, with my focus being expended due to the Soul Exchange Technique, I likely couldn’t perform the Technique of All Things properly like usual! If just a slight miscalculation occurs, I’ll surely die, and right now, I lacked the concentration required for such a gamble.

‘If only I hadn’t been relying on the Soul Exchange Technique…’

In hindsight, it felt like I had been relying on the Technique in order to manage the Thunder Soul, causing all my focus to drain, which prevented me from using other abilities. While I had faced many crises before, they usually offered some level of strategic counterplay, but to have my strategies completely blocked was something entirely new, leaving me at a loss.

Is there really no way to control the Thunder Soul without using the Soul Exchange Technique?

But that would be akin to letting the reins of a wild horse go while trying to ride it with a sword in hand. Once I release the reins, fighting or not, it would just throw me off.

… Wait. Didn’t the Thunder Soul just use the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage freely earlier?

How could it utilize the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage that I learned without being taught?

The reason why it could use the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage without learning it.

I mulled over that, and suddenly, a thought struck me.

‘… The Thunder God Sword Dance…!! That’s all I have left!’

Wooong

I lifted the restrictions of the Soul Exchange Technique and, as before, used the Dance Technique to instill the command for the Thunder God Sword Dance into the Thunder Soul. I had confirmed that this technique causes the Thunder Soul to momentarily freeze due to that command.

‘Trimurti!’

Sephiroth’s power, Jeon Wook’s power, and then Thunder Soul!

Chichiching

Not stopping there, I drew upon my divine power to create a gigantic Thunder Sword suitable for the Thunder Soul’s massive size through Trimurti. In physical terms, it was a colossal sword that surpassed several thousand Li in size!

To ensure the Thunder Sword would not easily break, I infused it with binding life-force from Sephiroth’s power, wielded darkness attributes from Jeon Wook’s power, and finally, blended in the thunder energy of the Thunder Soul itself, forming a Thunder Sword that appeared to possess both lightning and darkness attributes.

I grasped the Thunder Sword, overflowing with divine light from my eyes, and focused hard.

The intent of the Thunder God Sword Dance does not waver.

In reality, I would make this Thunder Soul move and unleash the Thunder God Sword Dance!

Whip!

I rapidly unfolded the basics of the Thunder God Sword Dance in my mind.

The base level of the Demon Path’s No-Name Stage is about minimal movement, or rather, it’s a state where even no movement pulls forth divine power like a ritual. Until now, I had been using that state to send forth my thoughts, allowing me to halt the Thunder Soul, but simply invoking the Dance Technique wasn’t enough to fully control the powerful Thunder Soul.

Thus, the answer became simple. I would continually execute the No-Name Stage while launching the Thunder God Sword Dance! In that case, during the performance of the Thunder God Sword Dance, the Thunder Soul would undoubtedly have no choice but to cooperate and not rebel against me!

Of course, merely executing the Thunder God Sword Dance alone wouldn’t improve the situation. In fact, being unable to act outside of the Dance could make me quite vulnerable.

Yet still, I decided to focus solely on the Thunder God Sword Dance, pouring all my mental energy into the performance.

‘The Dance of Witches is the Dance of Martial Arts…!!’

The final advice from the Necronomicon during my training!

‘The Dance of Witches is the Dance of Martial Arts… what it means…’

Whether it’s the dance of sorcery or the dance of martial arts, it’s essentially the same thing.

The Thunder God Sword Dance, as a method of invoking sorcery, is ultimately at its core the same level as the perfected Thunder God Swordplay.

While I couldn’t grasp every detail clearly, the conclusion seemed simple enough.

‘If I give my all to perform the Thunder God Sword Dance, I will obtain good results!!’

I didn’t know what kind of power would erupt when the Thunder Soul executed the Thunder God Sword Dance with full strength, but at this moment, that faint possibility was all I had to cling to!

And as I danced the Thunder God Sword Dance, I felt all my divine power being sucked toward the tip of the blade.

Woo woo

A subtle wave began to resonate, and the sound of my sword echoed through the universe…

As that transformation was occurring, Ranimolthus began to chant a spell and launched an attack.

[Destruction of the faded constellation! Seed of rotten chaos! The continuous light of the galaxy. It shall become the spirit that lingers in the universe, born of the great boundary.]

Gurrrrrrr…!!

Even while focusing on the Thunder God Sword Dance, I could feel my heart drop upon seeing the sheer visual effect of Ranimolthus’ tremendous spell. The earlier green spell had already seemed vast enough to compress the universe, but this one had to look dozens of times wider!

Additionally, a terrifying wail echoed, as if summoning evil spirits from the entire universe, conveying a dreadful sense of calamity that was no laughing matter. At that level, it wouldn’t just wipe out a star; it could potentially obliterate dozens of stars in one go!

… Should I gamble everything on the Technique of All Things now?

Or should I just give up and run for it…?

Fear overwhelmed me as my mind swirled with thoughts, but I steeled my resolve to redirect my focus back to the Thunder God Sword Dance.

‘No!! Whether I live or die… I’m all-in on this!’

If I can’t control the Thunder Soul, there will come a day when something similar will occur again!

I’d rather die trying to find a way to control it than just die without learning anything!

With the mentality of a reborn person, my path became clear. It was a mindset shaped by experiencing life, realizing that wasting time feels far more terrifying than death itself.

Then, in that climactic moment when the gigantic evil spirits launched their spell, it happened.

Boom!

‘… Exorcised!’

The enemy’s spell that collided with the path of the Thunder God Sword Dance burst apart like a firecracker, dissipating into smoke before my eyes. It was a typical exorcism, as the evil spirits summoned by the Old Ruler returned to the void. Simultaneously, I recognized how to execute the Thunder God Sword Dance and unveiled the peak of the martial arts I had mastered.

Sword Barrier!

Thud thud thud!

A gentle sound filled the air, and the dance of my sword formed a protective shield around me, deflecting the enemy’s spells flawlessly. Although I had rarely deployed the Sword Barrier through the Thunder God Sword Dance, it felt like it was precisely the tactic suited for this situation. With the mighty body of the Thunder Soul surging with thunderous energy, I could sense the brilliance of the sword light intensify.

Kwah!!

The very universe was consumed by Ranimolthus’ spell, and the dreamlike night of terror stormed through the cosmos. Like a torrential downpour, waves of evil spirits flew at me from all directions, but I rallied my focus and maintained the Thunder God Sword Dance steadfastly despite it all. This was a fight that had long surpassed the realms of a mere mortal, and I truly felt I was battling at the level of a god.

Ranimolthus spat out a furious declaration.

[Do you think you can win by simply defending…!! You shall die trapped therein!]

‘……!!’

That statement was accurate. While I managed to defend myself with the Thunder God Sword Dance, there was no telling how far this spell could go. If the might of the Thunder God Sword Dance could not withstand the incantation’s length, I would certainly perish within that nightmare. Given that this was a spell capable of shredding even spirits, my Thunder Soul would not only be crushed but my spirit entity would undoubtedly suffer a fatal injury.

Ugh… I can still hold out, but… what if I really end up losing while just playing defense?

Anxious thoughts brewed in my mind. Thanks to drawing on divine power substantially through the Thunder God Sword Dance, defense wasn’t an issue, but was a counterattack really possible? However, since the Thunder God Sword Dance carried a designated flow, suddenly interrupting that flow to unleash an offensive technique risked severing my defense altogether. And while there were counter-attack techniques within the Thunder God Sword Dance, slicing through the incessant waves of incoming attacks to strike at the enemy residing across that vast realm was no simple feat.

… No, there’s no need to feel anxious just yet.

I may not fully grasp the depths of this No-Name Stage’s true power, but this certainly isn’t the end!

Above all, believing in the Thunder God Sword Dance means believing in the history of martial arts I’ve trained through. Thus, it was a matter of personal pride. As I resolved to maintain my defense until the power of the Thunder God Sword Dance accumulated further, I started to empty my mind.

I dance.

What does it mean to dance…

As I entered the state of emptiness, the words the Necronomicon once told me resurfaced in my mind.

[Imagine two people dancing.]

[You attempt to dance left, while the being dancing with you moves right. You may be going to the left or right, but simultaneously, you are not. Because…]

[The one dancing with you is yourself. Though there are two movements, there exists only one being. Can you thus analyze each action separately?]

An explanation I once found complicated but couldn’t comprehend back then suddenly made sense. Now, I felt I was approaching the essence of martial arts through that imagery.

While movements may be two, existence is one.

Could this imply that I had attained the Two Intent Heart Resolution of the Wudang Sect I had learned in the past? A technique that divides a single mind into two?

No… No way.

The Two Intent merely emerges from the application of Upper Dantian to control Qi. The Two Intent Heart Resolution, as well as the high-level insights from the Soul Exchange Technique, are merely techniques.

The “dance” depicted in the Reversal Dance is something intrinsically different from that.

Formless form.

The substance of the No-Name Stage that unfolds under the Thunder God Sword Dance—could it not be something akin to the “dance” in the Dance of Reversal?

An existence that has no form yet embodies presence. That is true existence.

The very fact that this presence occurs with formlessness embodying duality implies—

‘Overlap…!!’

Whip!

The moment that conviction ignited in my mind, the motions of the Thunder God Sword Dance I had been executing suddenly began to blossom into countless manifestations with subtle movements. It felt like another reality was overlaying a single reality, and in that overlapping state, I attained a viewpoint as if observing my existence from a third-person perspective.

The path of the Thunder God Sword Dance may be single, yet it can also be dual.

For such ‘possibilities’ also exist within this reality.

Formless form serves as a means of extracting divine power, allowing these possibilities to manifest in tangible form!

Now, I understand.

Though I may not articulate it clearly… I comprehend the structure of this reality, layered through countless realities!

While I lack the ability to reshape this structure, merely observing it elevates my capacity beyond mere ignorance.

Is this the true sensation of God?

And in that very moment, I felt the flow of the Thunder God Sword Dance genuinely react to my intent as it thrashed about. I noticed there existed a way to lead that very flow toward my desired direction.

Whiiiiiiiiing

Simultaneously, the divine power that had been gathering fervently at the tip of my sword resonated, surging dramatically. I realized that this energy would ultimately converge into a wave, and I muttered internally.

‘A last-ditch effort.’

In the end, there may not have been a safe method to win from the start, huh?

But perhaps that’s how one properly invokes the essence of dance and martial arts.

Here I go!

I resolved not to hold back any longer; I prepared to pull the flow of the Thunder God Sword Dance toward the Old Ruler existing beyond the mystical realm.

There’s no sight.

No sense of space.

However—there is causality.

Thus, this wave will undoubtedly reach the enemy.

Thunder God Sword Dance

Myocean

Formless Wave Sword

Flash!!

In a sublime moment, the motions of the Thunder God Sword Dance I was unfolding halted. Simultaneously, the spells of the Old Ruler rushed in from around, engulfing my body unrelentingly. It was unmistakably a moment of failure in defense, as my form was about to collapse.

‘Ugh…!!’

Crack!

But just as my Thunder Soul was half-dissolved, the spell of destruction suddenly vanished without a trace. Even though I was disoriented by the unexpected pain I felt, I realized this change and couldn’t help but smile.

‘Hehe…’

And in the next moment, as the obscurity of the universe cleared, a scream echoed across the cosmic space.

[Kraaaaaaaaa…!!]

The Thunder Sword that vanished from my hand had cleanly lodged itself into the core of the Old Ruler Ranimolthus. Ranimolthus struggled in agony, thrashing about like a crab, while its flailing tentacles writhed in chaos.

I succeeded.

The wave from the Thunder God Sword Dance, carrying the Thunder Sword, soared across the universe and reached the enemy with a single stroke—a technique I had never even considered!

While it had all seemed impossible, the essence of Thunder Sword’s waves had pierced through the enemy’s spell, executing an astounding counter that turned the tables in one blow.

Zzzzzzz

I could see that the barrier, which had been preventing my escape due to Ranimolthus’ grievous injuries, had also faded. In that moment, I hesitated on whether to finish off Ranimolthus or not, but then shook my head.

‘… I was lucky this time.’

Based on the magical energy and caliber I had just faced, Ranimolthus felt stronger than my own divine status. Just injuring him didn’t ensure I could finish him off. Instead, it seemed wiser to escape while my opponent was caught off guard. Encountering such a being that could rival the Three Sovereigns was undeniably absurd, but I should be satisfied with the battle experience gained from facing a god.

Fortunately, thanks to going all out with the Thunder God Sword Dance, the Thunder Soul was no longer rebellious and was calm. Indeed, it appeared that the Thunder God Sword Dance reinforced my control over the Thunder Soul.

Boom!

As I rapidly began to escape through time and space, Ranimolthus’ curse-filled howl echoed inside my head.

[You… I won’t forget the grudge I hold against you… I will surely have my revenge…!!]

‘……’

As I silently absorbed those words, I couldn’t help but shoot back a reply.

‘Those who have wished for revenge against me have always regretted it, and you will too someday.’

[……?!]

To Ranimolthus, my words must have sounded far-fetched, but I wasn’t just talking nonsense.

I had a personality that would inevitably retaliate against anyone carrying a grudge against me.

It didn’t matter who started it first.

One day, I would sneak up and thrash that Ranimolthus!

Swoosh

How long did I run? I soon realized that the Thunder Soul, bruised and battered from before, had lost much of its energy and no longer flailed about uncontrollably. It seemed that having just consumed a satellite and planet had amplified its vigor, but now that it had suffered injuries from Ranimolthus’ spell, it likely lacked power.

I pondered over what lay ahead.

‘Guh. It feels like I’ve caused disturbances wherever I go…’

I had just been attacked by the prophets’ kind and had also acquired a grudge from an unknown Old Ruler. For some reason, it felt like every action I took was becoming entangled in complications. Yet, I couldn’t just freely go to Earth, blocked by the barrier established by Fuxi and the Three Sovereigns, leaving me feeling like a lost soul in the universe.

While I pondered this, a deep resonant voice reached my ears.

[The clumsy rookie… Where did you come from?]

Wooong!

‘……!!’

In that moment, I recognized that I had been sucked into an unknown realm.

Where is this place?

I didn’t even realize it was happening!

Simultaneously, I felt an unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar essence of power, a sense of déjà vu, as if I had encountered this essence before. I couldn’t place it exactly, but the nature of this power felt strangely reminiscent.

Looking around, I saw it was a space not quite like the universe, yet felt remarkably vast like a massive star. The ground was boiling with a sea of flames, and the sky radiated a brilliant white light. Enormous trees, far beyond imagination, grew and pierced through interstellar orbits. Countless dragons were flying around in this surreal environment.

A dragon’s nest!

Moreover, each of these dragons appeared planet-sized, vastly different from the ‘dragons’ I had in mind from the human world. They were technically dragons only because they had wings and horns; some had three or six eyes while others possessed bizarre physiques or even six limbs. Swarms of these monstrosities were soaring through the skies.

What in the world is this place…?

As I lifted my gaze, I noticed a single massive dragon eye within the white misty sky, staring down at me intently.

Kugoooom

‘Ugh…!!’

Instantly, I felt a suffocating weight from the dragon’s power. The very fact that I was feeling such pressure implied that whatever entity was observing me was immensely powerful in its own right. From that hazy mist, the eye directed its gaze toward me and spoke.

[… An outer god is peering down on this place… What connection do you have with the outer gods?]

……!!

What, what?!

It recognized my association with the outer gods, just by laying eyes on me?!

I realized that the entity before me was something far beyond Ranimolthus, whose spells were insignificant in comparison. The mere act of identifying my connection with the outer gods suggested that this being harbored the potential to transcend the Great Cycle. Throughout my previous life’s experiences, I had met only a handful of beings of such caliber.

‘Who… Who are you?’

I asked in awe, and the enormous dragon eye paused for a moment before responding with a sense of delight.

[Heh… Were you the high-ranking library keeper of the Void Record… It’s unpleasant to be spied upon, so let me seal your senses for a moment.]

Snap!

An odd sound resonated, as if a book was being closed.

… Surely not…?

I had a foreboding sense that the being had performed an unreal feat, but I lacked the courage to confirm it.

Right then, the déjà vu surrounding this power stirred memories of Dracula’s face in my mind.

No… Could it be…?

With a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, I cautiously inquired.

‘… Are you… Niratsa Dag…?’

Upon my utterance, the being blinked.

[Indeed.]

Niratsa Dag!

The Dragon of Original Sin and the Primordial Dragon.

A Dragon Deity of equal caliber to Fuxi, a god of the hyper-ancients, feared even by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen—

Now standing before me.