전생검신 Volume 97 Chapter 18

After I got my hands on the mysterious Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique secret scroll, I thought to myself.

‘Should I go back to the Shadowless Gate and show this to Mangnyang?’

For some reason, I wasn’t feeling it. Sure, there had been a lot of actions, but it hadn’t even been a whole day since I left the Shadowless Gate, and if I visited too often, I thought Mangnyang might get tired of it. Since it was rare free time, I considered where to go.

‘Ah! Right.’

Other places sounded good, but I had to stop by there at least once, right?

As soon as I had that thought, I immediately used the Golden Lamp technique and headed toward the Barren Lands.

Paat!

Upon arriving at the entrance of Juuban’s temple in the Barren Lands, I saw Baek Woong standing there as if he already knew I would come. I furrowed my brows at the beautiful woman, Tao King Baek Woong.

“Simon Magus. Did you know I would come?”

“Detecting something like the power of a lamp isn’t too hard. Compared to its convenience, the magical wavelength is a crude thing.”

The reply came from Baek Woong, or rather the Demon King Simon Magus, wearing a peculiar smile.

“Have you gathered enough of the Law of Cause and Effect?”

“…..”

I stared blankly at Simon and then spoke.

“More than that, I want to check on Zhuge Sa’s current state.”

“If you want to….”

Swish!

As soon as the words ended, a pure white soul orb floated up from Simon’s palm. I gazed at it thoughtfully before approaching and reaching out my hand, finally managing to sense the soul thoroughly through the Soul Exchange Technique.

Spark!

‘Evil Qi!’

Like black lightning leaping forth, a strong evil energy surged from the soul, triggering a rejection response in me. In that moment, as the evil energy burst forth, I could briefly feel Zhuge Sa’s memories and emotions, those fragments pouring into me.

“Mmm…!”

This is definitely Zhuge Sa’s soul!

As I murmured aloud, Simon chuckled at my reaction.

“No matter what, I can’t forge the soul of a powerful demon sorcerer. The malicious evil energy that’s given to a soul with memories like yours is all the more impossible.”

I frowned.

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying you can rest assured I won’t take Zhuge Sa’s soul away.”

“If you tell me to trust Simon Magus, all the sorcerers will laugh.”

“Ku ku ku.”

Simon laughed, but there was a strange tension between us.

I glared at him and said.

“If I truly grow as the World Tree, I can save Zhuge Sa, right?”

I had recently made a deal with Simon. If I grew as the World Tree and gained the ability to transfer the property of [Nullifying Divine Powers] to others, I would use that to save Zhuge Sa’s soul, which had been contaminated by the memories.

Then Simon replied.

“Of course. Have you gathered enough of the Law of Cause and Effect? That’s the most important thing.”

“I don’t know. I’ve granted wishes here and there, but it’s hard to pinpoint how much has accumulated.”

“Hmm, very well… Let’s measure it.”

“Uh?”

What’s he talking about?

While I was puzzled, Simon Magus summoned a coiled staff from the air, grasping it in his hand.

“O Echo of Great Beings, I, the Demon King [Black Goat], petition for the true measurement of great origins! Through the overlapped worlds, show me that light……”

Immense magical power erupted from Simon’s entire being, and a strange light flashed before me.

“[Measuring the Law of Cause and Effect]!”

Ziiing!

A moment later, a massive crystal sphere was summoned in the air, slowly moving above my head. For a brief moment, an eye appeared within the crystal, rolling around while gazing down at me, and then it emitted a strange sound.

[We have measured 2 Dharma and a Karma range of 10.35……]

Swoosh!

With that declaration, the crystal sphere vanished.

I was left utterly dumbfounded, unable to grasp the meaning of it all.

“Huh?! What’s this?!”

“You’ve gathered quite a bit in a short amount of time. I suppose being a 31st reincarnated person allows you to know where to collect the Law of Cause and Effect?”

It seemed like Simon Magus was genuinely impressed.

“And a Karma range of over 10… so you really are a reincarnated person!”

I snapped at him, demanding an explanation.

“Hey! Explain what just happened!”

Don’t keep muttering things only you understand!

Simon turned his gaze towards me and said.

“Didn’t I just say? I’m measuring your Law of Cause and Effect.”

“Uh?”

I was momentarily flummoxed by Simon Magus’ answer, but then realized something and exclaimed.

“Is it really possible to measure the Law of Cause and Effect?!”

“Didn’t I say ‘yes’ a few times already…?”

“No way! It’s not even energy like magical power or Qi! How can that be measured?!”

Could it really be possible to measure the Law of Cause and Effect?

The Law of Cause and Effect isn’t even energy like magical power or Qi!

I blurted out in shock, and Simon Magus chuckled softly.

“How magnificent do you think this universe has been through epochs of time and sorcery research? Countless sorcerers have studied the apex of all powers, the Law of Cause and Effect, and they’ve died seeking it. Naturally, spells to measure the Law of Cause and Effect have been developed too.”

“……!”

“Of course, this is an [Outer God’s spell] for the time being. The principle itself is simple, but without seeking the power of the Outer God [Black Goat], it cannot be activated by any means.”

“Hmm…!”

I couldn’t help but be shocked to learn that the measurement of the Law of Cause and Effect was also an Outer God’s spell. Well, it looks simple on the outside compared to other Outer God spells, but it handles a concept that’s extremely important, so it made sense it would be complicated.

I came to understand the situation and posed a question to Simon.

“Got it. But what about the two Dharmas and the Karma range of 10.35? What does that mean?”

“Don’t you feel something widening inside you whenever the Law of Cause and Effect accumulates?”

“That’s true.”

It felt like a model made of countless lines and dots was filling up each time I granted a wish. I nodded because it felt just like that, and Simon continued.

“During measurement, the area’s units are called Dharma.”

“Dharma…”

“One Dharma is the equivalent of everything one sorcerer accumulates over 10,000 years of living. You’ve already gathered 2 Dharmas.”

I was utterly shocked by that statement.

“What?! So I’ve accumulated 20,000 years’ worth of Law of Cause and Effect?!”

“There’s no need to be so surprised. It’s an overwhelming unit for mortals, but in terms of the current amount, it’s a common level among immortals.”

“Hmm.”

“And the Karma range refers to how much the total area of Dharma can expand.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean by Karma range.”

When I asked, Simon Magus gave a concise explanation.

“To simplify, your current Dharma is 2. But if the Karma range is 10.35, it means you multiply 2 by 10.35. What do you get?”

“20.7.”

“Correct. This means if you fulfill all the requests of [wishes] you’ve received at this point, you would expect to have 20.7 Dharmas.”

“……!”

Those words gave me quite a shock.

“20.7 Dharmas means 207,000 years’ worth?!”

“Right. But in practice, it would likely be more. The reason being if you accumulate that much karma, a compounding increase in Dharma would certainly occur due to the cascading effects.”

“Hmm.”

“Even the most powerful beings usually can’t exceed a Karma range of 2 at most, yet yours exceeds 10… That’s why the Demiurge is so remarkable.”

While Simon Magus murmured in admiration, he asserted.

“Two Dharmas are insufficient to resurrect Zhuge Sa. You must gather at least 10.”

“What…!”

I felt my mood plummet and glared at Simon Magus.

“Gathering 10 Dharmas means I have to accumulate 100,000 years’ worth of Law of Cause and Effect?!”

“That would indeed be the case.”

“Are you planning to siphon off the Law of Cause and Effect for yourself while I’m at it?!”

“I won’t deny that any leftover scraps flowing my way would be welcome. But I can assure you, restoring Zhuge Sa is an incredibly difficult endeavor of demon ritual that I stake my reputation on. You will absolutely fail without massive amounts of Law of Cause and Effect.”

“……”

This guy… it all seems fishy from every angle…

But with Zhuge Sa’s revival at stake, I couldn’t just dismiss his demands. I glared at Simon and warned.

“If you pull any funny business, I won’t let it pass.”

Simon seemed to find it exasperating and chuckled.

“Whew… Trusting a reincarnated person is indeed a difficult task.”

“You have to earn the trust first! You were practically my sworn enemy in my previous life!”

“Hmm. So what about this?”

“What is it?”

“Hod.”

As Simon softly intoned the name of the Sephira, he extended a finger toward me.

Kiiing!

“Huh?!”

In that moment, a sharp sound echoed, and I could feel a strange power infusing my body. I was bewildered, unable to comprehend the nature of this eerie energy, when Simon said.

“I’ve temporarily bestowed you with the spell of [Measuring the Law of Cause and Effect].”

“You’ve given me an Outer God’s spell?”

“Correct. Until it comes back to me, you’ll be able to use your eyes to measure the amount of Law of Cause and Effect and see how it moves.”

“……!”

“This will likely be helpful when negotiating with gods or exchanging offerings.”

It can do that too?!

Curious, I started to inspect my body, moving around.

Simon, noticing my excitement, added.

“The amount of Law of Cause and Effect you possess right now is highly variable. There’s been no precedent for a human becoming a World Tree… so you likely have a high chance of directly manipulating the Law of Cause and Effect unlike ordinary humans. In some cases, proactively using your Dharmas may also be beneficial.”

“Using Dharma? How?”

“Think carefully about your identity as the World Tree…”

As Simon spoke, his form started to blur and, ultimately, he vanished.

He seemed to declare he wouldn’t be continuing the conversation anymore.

‘Hmm.’

Could it be that the Law of Cause and Effect has units and that I could actually see it now…?

I left the temple of Juuban, intrigued by the realization.

Just having a clear goal is quite an accomplishment in itself.

“I’ll gather 10 Dharmas!”

To do that, I’ll need to fulfill many wishes from now on!

Determined, I contemplated where to head next.

“I want to go somewhere I haven’t been yet…”

It seemed like I had been to almost all the worthwhile places in the Central Plains, and I didn’t want to casually approach the Twelve Joules or the White Lotus Sect’s influence. I wanted to avoid complications. That said, it was also decided that I wouldn’t recklessly go hunting for the Seven Luminaries either.

‘Let’s see… It wasn’t a place I had to go regularly, but there was one place worth visiting… where was it?’

There was something suspicious I had passed by, but I was too busy to dwell on it…

In that moment, a location suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Should I check that out?”

Paat!

I quickly used the Golden Lamp technique to move again. I appeared at the coastline of a strange new continent.

Murmurs

Looking down from the hill, I saw hundreds or even thousands of people setting up camps and fortifications. I knew who they were.

‘Blue eyes and golden hair. These westerners must be adventurers who left Portbell in Spain and traveled all the way to this continent.’

Adventurers!

They were the exploration parties summoned by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and sent to the New World sporadically. After the existence of the New World leaked to the western kingdoms, the monarchs of each nation began fiercely competing to claim new territories.

Indeed, this place was the New World!

I found myself at the coastline of a vast continent where the Great Bear Empire would be established and the United States would rise!

‘I mentioned wanting to write a novel about the Celestial Sage one time, and in my search for information on the simultaneous lithography machine, I ended up here…’

But I had barely set foot on this New World since then. I had been too busy with tasks from the Eastern and Western kingdoms. If I had to come to the New World, then I would have come, but it hadn’t really seemed necessary.

‘Hmm. But those guys are still alive?’

The last time I saw the adventurers, they were annihilated by the Old Rulers and were merely corpses in the ruins. The spirit of the adventurer Richard Ho, who knew about the lithography machine’s information, had been conjured only moments ago with the Heavenly Secret technique.

Feeling curious, I headed down to find anyone and came upon a random soldier to incapacitate with the Soul Exchange Technique to learn who the commander of this camp was. The soldier, dazed from my Soul Exchange, managed to mumble.

“The commander of this expedition… is Christopher Columbus… sir.”

“Columbus? First time hearing that. Why did you come to this New World?”

“To explore the New World… to develop territory… and to acquire treasures…”

“I see. Where’s Columbus?”

I learned from the soldier about Columbus’s whereabouts and headed towards the tent. I soon found Columbus deeply engrossed in studying a map. Seeing him, I spoke up.

“Hey there!”

“Chaos! Guards!”

Columbus startled and called for the guards, and it wasn’t long before a horde of them, armed with steel, came rushing to attack me. I looked at them and yelled.

“Roar!”

Boom!

“AAAH!”

At the same time, hundreds of soldiers and knights fell unconscious from a single Lion’s Roar and were disarmed. Columbus gaped at the scene, his mind racing, trembling as he tried to flee, but I easily caught him and said.

“Hey. I’m not going to kill you, so let’s talk.”

“W-Who are you?!”

I conjured a spirit from the same country as Columbus using the Heavenly Secret technique and spoke in his native tongue.

“I’m Baek Woong, and if you stay like this, you’re all going to die. What kind of guts do you have to come to such a dangerous place without a sorcerer?”

“……?”

“There are plenty of [Old Rulers] wandering around here. The fact that you haven’t been killed yet is just luck, so it’d be best to turn back now.”

I explained about the [Old Rulers] and their power that I had seen before. This New World was a bizarre place where wild [Old Rulers] roamed freely. Columbus’s face went pale as he said.

“Are you saying those monsters I saw beyond the mist were real and not an illusion…?!”

“……”

It seems this guy had witnessed the [Old Rulers] and their followers but chose to ignore the reality… Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t lost his mind, even as an ordinary human?

“Uh… Uh. But I can’t trust what you’re saying.”

“Why?”

“We’ve moved from the first island area we arrived at to this big continent. And this continent already had powerful barbarian cities! They’ve created considerable civilization, so if those monsters exist, it doesn’t make sense that they would be able to build a civilization!”

“Hmm…?”

A barbarian city? What’s that?

I asked, puzzled.

“Surely that doesn’t add up. Have you spoken with those people?”

“I just happened to cross paths with them last time, and I planned to visit again. So we were prepping our exploration party to march towards where they are.”

“…Could you point me roughly in their direction?”

“Just head straight over that hill. There’s a well-maintained path, so it won’t be hard to spot.”

“Alright.”

Tydat

I headed in the direction Columbus indicated. Just as he said, I discovered a road and proceeded, only for dense Illusion Fog to gather, making it impossible to see anything up close. Of course, as a martial artist who had transcended the stage of Heart Sense, I remained unaffected by the fog, sensing objects around me, and while navigating, I noticed the fog slowly transforming into a red hue.

‘This fog must have been conjured by powerful magic. It wouldn’t be weird if dimensional distortion occurred and led to an Otherworldly Realm.’

I hadn’t noticed anything like this last time I was here; I wondered why?

I pondered that when suddenly, I realized something was amiss.

‘Columbus had led me into a trap on purpose, didn’t he?!’

Previously, I had navigated according to Richard Ho’s spirit’s directions, using a compass and a map without prejudice, so I hadn’t encountered this red mist. But now, the situation was evident: Columbus had directed me toward a presumed trap to eliminate me, a nuisance to him.

I quickly returned to the camp, grabbed Columbus by the collar, and began pummeling him.

Smack! Smack! Crack!

“AAAH! Please… spare me…”

Smack! Smack!

“Are you insane? Don’t you care about your life? If you don’t, then just die!”

There was no reason to let him live!

Especially since he had aimed for my life!

Thud!

Columbus’s teeth dropped from my fist. After a few blows, his face became unrecognizable, and it seemed he fainted from the beating. I searched him and retrieved a compass and map.

‘Ah! This is the body of the commander I saw before! I found a compass and a map on that corpse too.’

Using that past experience, I ensured I was headed in the correct direction this time. Instead of taking the path, I opted to bushwhack through the underbrush, but at least this time, I was doing so without encountering the red mist.

So after a while, passing through dense greenery and rugged terrain, I finally caught the presence of the indigenous people. Memories started flooding back to me.

‘I remember now. Following this road, there was a large city deep within the basin.’

Tydat

I didn’t find the city long after that, but I soon came to halt, feeling a vast entity floating high above the city.

This matched my memories—a presence imbued with considerable malice, distinctly higher than an ordinary demon. Judging by the flowing tendrils of translucent energy, it was unquestionably something far stronger than a Demon King.

Furthermore, there must be a true body hidden behind that massive writhing tentacle that piqued my curiosity.

“Hmm…”

Right. Back then, I had turned back before reaching this point. I thought for sure that was an [Old Ruler], so at my prior power level, I hadn’t dared to approach.

‘But now, I feel like I could manage that level at least.’

Let’s go gather some intel in this new place!

I steeled my courage and cautiously walked toward the large city, feeling the gaze of the [Old Ruler] in the sky honing in on me with my martial artist’s senses becoming sharper as I got closer. Just before I reached the city, clear divine words resonated in my ears.

[Could it be that you are the one who has become famous among the ancient gods recently?]

Huh?

I looked up to find the floating [Old Ruler] had spoken to me. They clearly recognized me, surprisingly, without immediately attacking.

‘If that’s the case, should I prioritize dialogue over battle first…?’

Thinking this, I made a respectful gesture and replied.

“I stand before you, great deity. I might not know about the fame, but I will not contradict the aura of the Great Being.”

Then the [Old Ruler] chuckled as if amused.

[Heh… You’re quite the pretentious one, pretending to be polite while exuding no fear at all.]

“……”

[That spirit pleases me. What is your name?]

“I am Baek Woong.”

[Interesting… Baek Woong, I am Balor, the lord of the [Evil Eye]… Would you consider becoming my apostle?]

“……!”

[As much as possible, I can offer all the support of our Forward Divine Race.]

The [Old Ruler] before me seemed to be named Balor. I didn’t know much, but it was evident he was a powerful entity. As I contemplated his offer, I retorted.

“I’m sorry. I have no intention of becoming anyone’s apostle at this time.”

[So you’re too proud. However, considering the rumors that you turned down Zeus’s Keraunos, that’s understandable.]

“……”

Huh? Wait, didn’t he just allude to that event at the Western Divine Temple? Are gods sharing rumors and information too?

As I contemplated this absurdity, Balor continued.

[Even so, you possess a power worthy of your pride. I understand why Zeus made such an offer. But for what reason did you come to this land?]

“I came to see how humans can thrive on a continent where [Old Rulers] roam freely.”

[Ah, I see… To respect your curiosity, I’ll grant you the right to freely utilize the land of the humans under my rule. Additionally, I will bestow you my blessing.]

Creeeek!

In that instant, I felt intangible waves pouring down over me, and I was able to visually perceive the numbers represented by that power.

‘1.5…!’

Is this what the spell of [Measuring the Law of Cause and Effect] does?

So this blessing must imply that the number of Dharma contained within it is 1.5!

I instantaneously checked the accumulated Dharma within me.

‘If I add 1.5 to the 2 I already have, will it make it 3.5?’

However, even though I received the blessing, that addition didn’t occur. It seemed the requirement to activate the blessing was just 1.5, but that amount didn’t directly increase my Dharma count. Seeing that my Dharma count hadn’t changed from 2, I felt a tinge of disappointment.

‘Hmm… So to increase my Dharma count, I need to fulfill someone’s wishes rather than just receiving zillions of blessings.’

At least, I felt like I gained a better understanding of how to accumulate Law of Cause and Effect.

After that wave washed over me, Balor spoke.

“I expended some of my Law of Cause and Effect to grant you the power of the Evil Eye. You will gain the power to destroy what you see.”

Power of the Evil Eye!

The blessings seemed straightforward yet potent. I assumed, being the blessing of a god, it would pierce through most magical defenses like a piece of paper. However, my interest was drawn to another aspect, so I said to Balor.

“You’re not an [Old Ruler], but rather an ancient deity.”

Indeed.

The magic radiating from this blessing felt overwhelmingly powerful but was not pure chaos. Instead, it housed a pure order that has endured since the creation of the universe. Hence, in assessing that entity, it seemed to fit more in line with being classified as an ancient god rather than an [Old Ruler].

‘I see, being an ancient god contributed to my acquisition of information about fellow ancient gods so easily?’

At this point, Balor chuckled softly.

[It’s merely a cousin-like relationship; it’s not so different, so why question it?]

“I haven’t promised you anything in return yet for the favor you granted. Is it fine to receive the blessing for free?”

[Hehe… Just consider it a gift; think about becoming my apostle seriously… I trust you have a conscience.]

“……”

Ugh… this feels really burdensome!

But given how things went during this exploration, annoying Balor wouldn’t be a good idea, so I decided to letting it slide. Most likely, even suggesting returning the blessing would irk him.

‘Guess I’ll just steel myself!’

With that thought, I made a gesture of respect.

“I’ll accept it gratefully.”

[Have fun while you’re at it…]

Ssss

And slowly, the figure of the ancient god Balor faded away from the sky. As a god, he could certainly disintegrate himself from the material world. It was likely a consideration to avoid directing attention at himself.

Is there that level of consideration in a god toward a mortal? Seeing how hospitable Balor was toward me, I felt a twinge of awkwardness.

‘Hmm… If it were when I first arrived during my past reincarnation, Balor wouldn’t have reacted that way…’

Now that I have power, could it be?

I thought about this as I entered the city. Soon after entering, a resplendently adorned individual bowed low before me and shouted.

“Oooh! You are the welcomed one by the great deity!”

“Ooooo!”

With that, the people of the entire city dropped to their knees, bowing to me. It was evident that the god commanded them to serve me. I felt even more awkward and lifted the individual back up while saying.

“I’m just curious how your people can survive despite the presence of the god.”

“Oooh… If that’s your inquiry, I can certainly answer.”

The self-proclaimed priest seemed a little overexcited as he continued speaking.

“The great deity has blessed our city. Therefore, the wandering deities do not attack humans. Furthermore, with the divine token in hand while traversing the paths, one is also protected.”

“Hmm!”

So Balor was indeed safeguarding the humans?

‘Not only protecting the city, but also the humans traversing the paths. Moreover, doing so while risking confrontation with the many [Old Rulers]! Is it usual for gods to treat mortals with such kindness…?’

I was experiencing a profound sense of alienation. It’s rather rare to witness a god and humans coexisting in this manner. I cautiously asked.

“Is it true that Balor demands human sacrifices from you?”

“No, our home country, the Aztec, is said to do that, but this city is an independent self-governing realm. It’s been hundreds of years since any human sacrifice has occurred; instead, we offer numerous minerals from this land to the great deity.”

“Minerals? Why would a god accept minerals?”

“We do not fathom the great deity’s will…”

A peculiar god indeed. Why would he accept minerals as offerings instead of the lives of humans?

I speculated that Balor might also have a secret, but decided to learn later, so I asked.

“Earlier, you referred to the Aztec as the mother country, so is there a huge nation called the Aztec?”

“That’s correct. It’s a great empire that worships the Sun God Tezcatlipoca, and the priest known as [Black Sun] essentially governs the land.”

“……!”

At that moment, I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Did you just say… who do you worship?”

“The Aztec Empire worships the Sun God Tezcatlipoca.”

“……”

Tezcatlipoca!

That guy, with whom I share a deep connection, is in the Aztec?!

‘Moreover, the name [Black Sun] sounds vaguely familiar in the context of the history of the Great Bear Empire…’

As I contemplated that, my eyes sharpened.

“Where might this [Black Sun] be?”

“I’ve heard he resides in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.”

I declared without hesitation.

“Tell me the way to that place.”

It seems I need to find out about a very significant presence—Tezcatlipoca.

“`

 

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