전생검신 Volume 95 Chapter 10

I was totally taken aback by Niratsa Dag’s words.

‘Ah, no…!’

After a moment of being speechless, I finally composed myself to say,

‘If I lose in the reincarnation game, I’ll end up being preserved as a record in Al Karda’s library! That would mean my entire reincarnation journey is completely over…’

Indeed, the reason I couldn’t just follow Niratsa Dag’s seemingly straightforward advice was that if I lost, all my past lives would cease to exist – akin to total death!

How could I readily choose such an option!

[So?]

‘What do you mean, “so?” I’m stalling and holding my ground, trying not to lose by any means.’

[Why are you holding on?]

‘W-who asks that… If I don’t hold on, it’s annihilation for eons. How am I supposed to not hold on?!’

Upon my incredulous reply, Niratsa Dag gazed at me for a moment before suddenly showing what looked like a smirk.

[You naive fool. You really have no idea, do you?]

‘Huh?’

Crack!

‘…! Ugh!’

In that moment, I felt an inexplicable pressure enveloping my entire body, making it hard for me to breathe. I realized that my entire being was caught by some mysterious dragon claw, an occurrence that seemed to happen without my awareness. I struggled to break free, but it felt like a mountain was pressed upon me, leaving me utterly immobile.

Such a massive difference in power!

Only then did I comprehend that Niratsa Dag had merely grabbed me with his main hand, yet that was enough to completely subdue me. As I sensed the true pressure of his power, I realized that this being was on an entirely different tier compared to me. The only ones comparable might be Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, with his full divine powers unleashed, or perhaps Fuxi.

Niratsa Dag, still holding me in the dragon claw, spoke quietly.

[Did the Library’s keeper not anticipate such pathetic struggles from you? Do you still think your free will exists on that board?]

‘Ugh…’

[Now, let go of your right arm.]

As the dragon claw shifted direction, I suddenly felt my right arm freed. Curious, I looked at Niratsa Dag, and he spoke with an indifferent tone.

[You’ve been completely subdued, and now it seems your arm is free. Can you attack me and take me down?]

‘…No.’

[That’s what I thought.]

Hooong.

The dragon claw disappeared, and I regained my freedom.

[Now, I’ve let you go entirely. Can you take me down now?]

‘No.’

[Why not? You’ve been freed from restraint, so you should be able to use your powers without restraint.]

‘Does it make sense… I’m barely even a match for you right now!’

Maybe if he cut me some slack, but if we fought seriously, I’d be totally obliterated long before we even exchanged blows. Given the sheer force he displayed, I couldn’t even begin to imagine the insane power an ancient god like him could unleash if he fully committed to using magic. And the fact that we were in Niratsa Dag’s dimension made it overwhelmingly advantageous for him.

When I spoke my thoughts openly, Niratsa Dag chuckled softly at me.

[You see… whether I overpower you with skill or not, the gap between us remains unchanged. Likewise, the gap between Outer God and you has always been the same from the start. Why do you cling to such useless hope that you can change the situation using your own strength?]

‘……!’

[Trying to change the unchangeable is not hope; it’s merely foolishness.]

I finally grasped what Niratsa Dag was trying to say, and my face grew stiff.

The implication was simple.

From the beginning, my plan to avoid losing by using strategies was all part of Al Karda’s calculations, and it meant he had been watching me struggle without revealing he was onto me.

But since I had a hunch about that, I defended myself against Niratsa Dag.

‘If I don’t harbor hope, what am I supposed to do? Isn’t there another way? I’m just doing the best I can given the circumstances…!’

[…….]

‘You can say whatever you want since it doesn’t affect you! I’m the one sinking into oblivion if I lose!’

When I shouted my grievance, Niratsa Dag stared at me intently.

I realized I might have angered him in my moment of frustration, but he showed no signs of emotional disturbance and replied slowly.

[If you were truly in a fight where everything was on the line, you wouldn’t be behaving like this.]

‘What do you mean?’

[From what I hear, you’ve been training in magic in the Void, but somehow distracted by your mission. Saving Chi You seems to have taken precedence, hasn’t it?]

‘What’s wrong with that?’

[It’s wrong. You could have spent thousands of years training without interruptions, so why come out? Why engage in busywork with a half-hearted mission?]

Niratsa Dag’s following words jolted me into silence.

[What would your plan be if you faced a formidable opponent that could only be conquered by mastering all five Great Magic Techniques of the Necronomicon? Like me, Niratsa Dag, for instance.]

Crackle!

‘Kraaaah!’

As the dragon claw tightened around me with even more vigor than before, I screamed. The lightning flowing through my body, like blood, surged violently, seemingly shattering my mortal shell. The pain I felt was a stark difference depending on whether my opponent was genuinely applying pressure or not.

Shivering.

I was gradually losing my mind, and the agony of my body being ripped apart made it impossible to move. Niratsa Dag, still holding me, laughed once more.

[What’s up with that? You seem quite proficient in both swords and magic. Why not make a single attempt to fight back, you arrogant brat?]

‘Ugh… Uwaaaaah!’

I felt like I would lose my grip on sanity, so I squeezed every last drop of my mental strength and used the No-name Stage to amplify my divine power throughout my body in an instant. Just as the pressure of the dragon claw lifted momentarily, I transformed my entire right arm into pure light of the Thunder Soul.

Chiji jiji!

Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique!

Forming the Thunder God Sword!

In that very moment when all my focus converged onto the Sword Path, I unleashed my most powerful ultimate technique without a hint of hesitation, targeting Niratsa Dag.

Thunder God Sword Name!

The Thunder God Sword Name, which could even fell the corporeal body of the Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns – without it, I’d be nothing against Niratsa Dag! Pouring every last ounce of my essence into the attack, I smiled triumphantly when my sword strike pierced through the dimension, aiming for Niratsa Dag’s eyes.

‘It’s done…!’

Furuburbubuk!

‘…?!’

In the next moment, thousands of dragon types swooped in from all corners of this dimension to intercept my sword strike. Since they were blocking with their bodies, I was completely blindsided by the abrupt turn of events. However, I had no skill to circumvent those dragons and solely focus on attacking Niratsa Dag, so I was left with no choice but to continue my Thunder God Sword Name attack.

Pukak!

Countless dragons shattered like glass against the Thunder God Sword, but as the assault went on, I noticed the power dwindling. At some point, Niratsa Dag intervened with the dimension and easily caught the Thunder God Sword Name.

Crack!

The powerful dragon claw seized the blade of the Thunder God Sword and shattered it!

As I felt the devastation of that moment, my mind faded. Could my Thunder God Sword Name really be so easily undone like this?!

[If it hits properly, even I would be in danger. But, of course, that risk is nonexistent for me.]

Pek!

‘Kraah!’

Once again, the rushing dragon energy pierced through my abdomen, causing me to scream. It felt like my entire body was being impaled! This meant that every ability of Niratsa Dag could inflict damage not only on the physical level but through every essence of my being too.

As I was toyed with, held by his dragon claw as though I were a mere plaything, Niratsa Dag casually remarked,

[Do you think it’s cowardly to sacrifice my subordinates to block your attack?]

‘… Guh…’

[I’m sure you know that it’s not cowardice, right? The Life and Death Decision isn’t about cowardice. Similarly, regardless of how malicious a strategy you might have used, I would have deemed it your way of fighting and accepted it.]

Niratsa Dag mumbled in contemplation.

[In the brutal world of Life and Death Decision, if you truly face defeat, annihilation is absolute. It’s essential to be prepared with the power to win under any circumstance. Who in their right mind foolishly believes the opponent will hold back? Why didn’t you train harder?]

‘W-well…’

I was lost for words for a moment.

Shwhump.

Before I knew it, the wound from being pierced by the dragon claw had vanished, and I was back in a non-combat state. It seemed like Niratsa Dag had deliberately allowed me to recover, wanting to hear my earnest reply. Meeting Niratsa Dag’s piercing gaze once more, I replied.

‘It’s because I have felt the dangers of the Demon Path throughout my past lives… I have a gut feeling that if I plunge too deeply into the Demon Path, I might not be able to return…’

[How arrogant. You think you can weigh which powers are dangerous when you only possess such a fraction…?]

‘….’

[I see, but I do understand. If you possess so much talent for the Demon Path, I wouldn’t trust you either. I’ll let it slide this time.]

… Could it be that the author is categorizing my talents?

While I was secretly amazed by Niratsa Dag’s capabilities, he continued.

[Anyway, my point is simple. You’re pretending to be desperate, but you’re not truly desperate at all.]

‘…! How could you say I’m not desperate?!’

Who’s worked harder than me to survive!

When I panicked, Niratsa Dag responded with indifference.

[To be precise, while you think that losing means total annihilation, in reality, you aren’t truly that desperate. In fact, you claim that losing in the reincarnation game signifies ending it all yet scheme to leverage the situation to gain advantage, don’t you?]

‘….’

[Al Karda’s penalties for losing are merely the pretext to justify your actions.]

‘W-well…’

I wanted to argue, but the words wouldn’t come out. After all, a part of me thought maybe Niratsa Dag was right.

Thinking back, even though Al Karda threatened me, he ensured solid rewards for missions upon success. Those rewards were tempting enough, allowing me to immerse myself rather than merely feeling like I was running from something. Furthermore, completing missions also resulted in a boost to my martial and sorcery achievements, so deep down, I hoped the missions would keep coming.

Niratsa Dag asked,

[Do you understand why Outer God suddenly sprang a reincarnation match onto you?]

‘… No, not at all. I can’t fathom why such a being would play Go with me…’

[Before I heard your story, I had no clue either. But somehow, I think I understand now.]

‘Huh? There’s a reason for playing the reincarnation game?’

[Of course, I don’t want to get involved, so I won’t say more. Even though I’ve concealed my identity for now, it can’t last long, and I want to avoid being recorded in the Library.]

Niratsa Dag seemed to shift his gaze elsewhere.

[Just a hint: examine the room where you’re playing Go closely. You might find a way to navigate your situation.]

‘The room…? There’s nothing special there… Do you mean there’s something more?’

[…….]

After a brief silence, Niratsa Dag said,

[The reason I have no ambitions of becoming an Outer God… is that at one time, I desperately desired to become one myself. No one has gathered influence and stacked power more diligently than me.]

‘Huh? I don’t recall such a thing from your historical records…’

[It was covered up.]

‘…?’

[Having gotten too close to the seat, I ended up learning too much. And at the moment of choosing a path, I forsook ascension. It was not my destined path.]

With that, Niratsa Dag spoke in an exceptionally cynical tone.

[The trick that Outer Gods love to employ is precisely [Boundary]. Layers within layers within layers… There are indeed ways to eliminate Outer Gods, yet mortals can only fight in the manner most advantageous to them because of this Boundary. And for a frame to materialize, evidence of its existence must remain. That’s the restraint left by the omnipotent beings.]

‘W-what are you talking about…?’

[I’ll put it simply… If you discover something unusual in that room… you will instantly realize what you need to do… Because that ‘something unusual’ itself will serve as your evidence.]

Ssssss.

Gradually, I sensed Niratsa Dag’s eyes becoming hazy like fog. I watched his fading form for a moment before finally speaking.

‘Thank you.’

What he had just said seemed like it would turn out to be a crucial clue.

Having heard that advice could drastically impact my past lives.

Upon hearing my words, Niratsa Dag seemed to smirk lightly.

[Don’t come looking for me again… I don’t wish to fight again at the end…]

Pa-at!

In the blink of an eye, I was thrust out of Niratsa Dag’s dimension and into the boundless cosmos.

I floated in space, staring blankly into the void.

Then I muttered,

‘Do you remember…?’

Perhaps… Niratsa Dag is the true meaning of a ‘spectator.’