전생검신 97권 01화

I was confused, but I thought I’d better sort out the current situation in my head first.

‘Right. No matter how you slice it, they won’t decide the outcome of their fight in a single moment. Even if it looks like Fuxi is losing, he hasn’t used any lethal moves yet…’

I remembered what I saw when Fuxi was fighting seriously against the Emperor in the Land and Earth Diagram. His combined technique with Nüwa was like his final resort, and it hadn’t appeared yet.

So, instead of blindly jumping into the fray, I felt it was smarter to think it through and figure out what I needed to do.

‘What kind of situation was I in again? I’ve played so many reincarnation acts that I’m a bit mixed up…’

I tried to revive my memories. After a while, I roughly sorted out the situation in my mind.

‘…Yeah. In the beginning, I was caught up in the gods’ battlefield… I used the hundreds of [Old Rulers] to tilt the situation in my favor… then I faced Tsukuyomi at the Golden Moon and won… After that, I was summoned to Pangu’s Throne and faced Fuxi!’

And Fuxi had me cornered. I was at a loss because I couldn’t reincarnate due to Pangu’s interference, so I resolved to gamble and put on Tsukuyomi’s mask.

‘Once I wore Tsukuyomi’s mask, my consciousness was suddenly pushed out, and I involuntarily did the reincarnation act with Al Karda…’

Then, the reincarnation ended and I returned to reality.

Hmm.

Now things are starting to connect a bit.

As the chaos in my mind began to settle, I felt some mental knots loosen. Once I understood the situation to some extent, I glanced at [myself], Baek Woong, who was fighting far off.

‘Tsukuyomi… That guy took my body since I failed to wear his [mask]. Dammit.’

In the end, borrowing Tsukuyomi’s mask to face Fuxi wielding Pangu’s axe turned out to be a total flop. The mask just took control of my body—was there any bigger failure than that?

But seeing Tsukuyomi, who had gained my physical form, unleash tremendous power against both Fuxi and Nüwa left me speechless.

‘What on earth is that power?’

It was my first time witnessing such techniques!

Not divine power, not magic, not divine arts, but truly an unprecedented and bizarre ability. I observed the battle closely and, after a while, I picked up on something.

[Hmm… It pierces through everything.]

That’s right. For some reason, Tsukuyomi’s ability seemed to penetrate almost all of Fuxi’s techniques. There were instances where Fuxi’s defensive strategies blocked some attacks, but seven out of ten attacks went right through, hitting Fuxi’s core—it was almost as if Fuxi couldn’t defend at all.

But thinking about it, it was an extremely strange matter.

Fuxi is the primordial source and creator who bestowed arts upon humans!

He’s practically the essence of magic, and his mastery over divine powers is nearly unmatched in the cosmos; I knew very well that even other deities had been toyed with by his arts. Seeing Tsukuyomi’s power penetrate Fuxi’s arts made my jaw drop.

What the hell kind of power is that?

‘It’s not divine power. I don’t feel any of that distinctive aura…’

I needed to analyze what kind of force Tsukuyomi was using before charging in.

Without any preparation, if I rushed in, I was toast.

[…….]

I watched Tsukuyomi’s techniques carefully.

And soon, I felt something familiar click in my mind.

‘Huh? What is it… feels like I’ve seen this somewhere… No… wait… it’s not that I’ve seen it…’

I know that technique…?

I felt I had already known it through knowledge and experience.

Somehow, I had a sense of how that nameless technique was manifested. I hadn’t learned it anywhere, and it was truly my first time seeing it, yet it felt so familiar. I wondered if it was the intuition of a reincarnator, but it felt different.

Like I was revisiting an old library and finding an ancient book to read.

…

This knowledge seemed like it had been obtained not long ago… but the specific memories were hazy.

‘Is there something I need to trigger to resurrect that knowledge…?’

I didn’t know what that strange familiarity was, but for some reason, I realized it was the way to tackle Tsukuyomi. My intuition seemed to tell me, ‘If you don’t grasp this, you can never defeat Tsukuyomi.’

‘Hmm. I’ve analyzed the situation up to this point… but now comes the real problem.’

Having thought I’d mostly analyzed the situation, I realized a more fundamental issue remained.

This place is Pangu’s Throne.

A battlefield where Tsukuyomi, Fuxi, and Nüwa are fighting desperately.

What should I do here?

‘Should I join in their battle? I suppose that could work, but I’m not really sure why I need to…’

True. Their deadly struggle is not a fight I need to partake in.

Once I cooled my head, I could see that fact clearly. It was a battle on a cosmic scale, so epic it felt like it would enlighten anyone just by watching. Yet, there was no reason for me to jump in and join their life-or-death struggle.

Upon reflection, I realized I was kidnapped and dragged here amid the gods’ battle. Fuxi’s reason for snatching me away was simple.

To use Pangu’s Throne to seal my reincarnation ability and, in the meantime, lure and threaten me into surrendering it!

Given that, there was no reason for me to side with Fuxi. In fact, it was outright hilarious that Tsukuyomi had taken over my body and was rampaging without any regard. Fuxi was facing an unexpectedly strong adversary that he had never anticipated.

On the flip side, was there any reason for me to side with Tsukuyomi?

… Naturally not. He not only took my body but was also the root cause of this madness in my 30th life. The mastermind behind the schemes that took advantage of my future sight since my days in the Takrok Era.

So both those two battling up there are my enemies!

If they both end up killing each other, it would be the best outcome!

‘Alright! In the end, all I need to do is… commit suicide!’

Let’s just die and leap into the next life!

… But wait, how does a spirit commit suicide?

As I returned to that fundamental question, a headache started to brew. After mulling it over, I made a realization.

‘The problem was that Pangu was blocking my reincarnation from Pangu’s Throne… but Pangu had made a contract with me, and just recently suggested I die and move on to the next reincarnation.’

Then, the issue of Pangu blocking my reincarnation was already resolved.

If I die here, I should be able to transition to the next life.

I just need to find a way to actually die.

‘…A method of dying, huh… that reminds me… the Wheel King once said that.’

I recalled a story I had learned from the Wheel King when he passed down the separation technique.

[Baek Woong, if you wish to comprehend death, first, you must understand the opposite, [Life].]

[Listen closely, Baek Woong. All things in the cosmos are interlinked by cause and effect; life and death can only be understood through the law of cause and effect. In this perspective, death is the state where no more causes can arise.]

[However, I’ve mentioned that the underworld does not symbolize perfect death. As you have seen, it is but a temporary refuge for the soul, a place for sorting out karma. Therefore, slipping between this realm and the underworld does not define the [death] of a reincarnator.]

[Thus, to kill you, one must push you into a state where you cease to generate causes, that is, instilling the awareness of [abandoning life]. Regardless of the form, it must overwhelm you with a feeling of dying and make you willingly relinquish it.]

[But to come across a perfect severance of cause and effect, if you encounter that, no matter how much you inherit my powers, you will be destined to vanish and die.]

…

Thinking back, wasn’t that perfectly aligned with my current situation?

I could calmly meditate, retracing the Wheel King’s lessons, and I reached a realization.

‘Got it. As a spirit, I have two ways to die!’

The first is to perceive an [overwhelming death]. If I suffered an attack that evokes the thought of [death] within my own perception—splintered to bits—I’d be acknowledged as [dead], allowing me to transition to the next life.

The second is to be subjected to severance (絶緣) powers. This would enable me to cut away without relying on perception. However, it could very well end my reincarnation itself, and only two figures here could definitively use this severance—Hat Warrior and the Wheel King.

The severance method is dangerous, and finding someone here to cast it on me is out of the question. Therefore, the only option left is to recognize [overwhelming death].

But having experienced long stretches as a spirit in the last reincarnation act, I knew how troublesome and exhausting that could be.

‘Spirits can’t feel pain. Even if my body gets shattered, I can’t even comprehend that it’s painful… It’s nearly impossible to inflict any pain on a spirit that’s already dead. Recognizing death is impossible.’

That’s why having a living body seems much more advantageous for a reincarnator. If you fall into a vague state between life and death, it becomes exceedingly tricky to reincarnate.

‘Hmm. But surely there must be some way… a method… Aha!’

Suddenly, a brilliant thought struck me.

‘Yes! Just like with Chi You’s reincarnation act… Let’s first create my body and make it solid! Then, if that body dies, I should definitely be able to grasp the concept of death…!’

With that thought, I began concentrating as I recalled the techniques I had used before.

[Haaah…]

The reincarnation act I started to find Chi You’s body.

During that time, as a spirit, I wandered to create a [body].

I just needed to do that again.

Whooooooo

After a short while, the power that permeated the stars began to move under my will. I felt a vast universe loomed beneath the cloudy ground at my feet because I was on Pangu’s Throne, realizing this higher dimension was far beyond that universe.

‘But I still connect with the power of the stars. So it’s time to get serious.’

Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique!

Thunder Spirit!

Kugugugu…

Only after paying a hefty price could I fully subdue the Thunder Spirit! The Thunder Spirit didn’t showcase its independent consciousness after being bound to me, only resonating majestically.

But I could feel it. The latent power within this Thunder Spirit was still astonishing.

Shortly after, it began to spin at my command, and the immense power of countless stars began to draw in. It was as if my entire being transformed into a spinning stellar orb, and I could feel dimensions warping because of my power.

Fizzle! Fizz!

Lightning began to crackle. And as I pierced through the dimensional distortion, the material of the lower dimensions—energies of the countless stars existing throughout the vast universe—started coalescing to form my body.

As the outline of my [body] approached completion, I felt a sensation of my consciousness being pulled into this strange form, a sense of unity with it.

Swoosh!

[Oh!]

Kuwaka!

When I clenched my fist once, a massive fist made of rock slammed down with a heavy sound. I realized that even though this body was in the primitive stone figure form I had created before, it resembled a far more human-like appearance due to my previous experience.

‘Alright, the body’s been made!’

All done!

I grinned as I raised my fist and plunged into the fray.

[Tsukuyomi! Fuxi! Nüwa!]

Tydaht!

As I jumped in, I saw the simultaneous gaze of the three divine beings fixated on me. As soon as I caught their attention, I erupted with laughter and shouted.

[Kahahaha… Bring it on, you damned bastards!]

Thunder Spirit Body!

Thunder Spirit Explosive Fist!

Swaaa!

I charged into the middle of the battlefield and simply slashed down with my fist full of Thunder Spirit energy toward the ground. The moment my fist struck the cloudy ground, I inwardly smiled in triumph.

‘I know you lot are incredibly strong… With that strength, eliminate the suspicious one… kill me!’

I was no longer intimidated by their power.

Since I wasn’t planning on winning, I didn’t need to be scared.

If they would just end me with their overwhelming power… if those two even teamed up, there wouldn’t be a better opportunity to die!

I specifically showed off so many openings by putting my fist down into an empty space!

Kill me!

As that thought crossed my mind, my fist hit the ground.

Kwahhhh!

At that moment, a massive thunder burst erupted and the shockwaves created a horrific scene!

[Kuhhhh……!]

[Ah.]

“Guah!”

It caused Fuxi, Nüwa, and even Tsukuyomi, who stood across the battlefield, to stagger momentarily from the shockwaves. Fuxi remained steady, but Tsukuyomi only managed to wobble, while Nüwa, much weaker by comparison, seemed slightly injured.

[……?]

Huh? What just happened?

I was dumbfounded to realize the incredible power of the body I created. This wasn’t a meticulously crafted body like the last time; suddenly, I displayed immense power against the Three Sovereigns.

Then, the staggering Tsukuyomi regained his composure first and spoke.

“What is this? This is… the power of the World Tree! Who are you?”

[…….]

The power of the World Tree?

Did I just use that?

While I was still perplexed, Fuxi murmured, lifting Pangu’s axe into the air.

[A living World Tree… A being capable of blocking all divine powers is entering the battle? How can such a disastrous entity exist?]

Fuxi, known as the Dragon of Wisdom and the Lord of Dragons, seemed to have grasped the situation right away.

[…….]

[This is unprecedented; the World Tree acting of its own volition.]

…!

At that moment, I comprehended the situation and couldn’t help but panic.

‘That… makes sense! The success of the reincarnation act has carried over…!’

I wasn’t a human spirit moving the Thunder Spirit to create a body.

I had passed through the trials of Demiurge Sophia and obtained the [World Tree] as a race, making my body using the Thunder Spirit!

With my race and the Thunder Spirit’s potential elevated beyond comparison, creating a body forged from the stars of the Great Universe meant it was likely far stronger than the one I had originally crafted during Chi You’s reincarnation act!

‘Could it be… that the power of the Thunder Spirit I’m now using…’

Does it carry with it not just the power of the Thunder Spirit but the trait of divine power nullification unique to the World Tree?!

If that holds true, it makes sense that those mighty beings were injured by just a single punch from me. The Thunder Spirit itself is powerful, but combined with the divine power nullification trait, it’s only natural that those upper deities, who usually protect their bodies with divine power, would find it painful!

…

Then, that means…

[My thoughts have changed.]

I grinned while tightening my fist.

And I let out a heartfelt declaration.

[No matter where this goes, I’m taking you all down with me.]

I’ll settle the score for all the humiliations I’ve suffered through these 30 reincarnations.

First up, it’s Tsukuyomi!

In the next moment, I charged in with all my might aiming for Tsukuyomi’s head. Tsukuyomi smirked as if he expected me to do it.

“Hmph! That might work as a sneak attack, but do you think it’ll work again?”

Reincarnation Technique!

The Sixth Destruction!

The Future Destruction!

A faint silver light began to ooze from Tsukuyomi’s entire being. The power radiating from it was formidable, and I realized that the bizarre technique he had unleashed earlier while striking Fuxi was indeed this one.

“So what!”

I ignored it and punched!

Puhack!

“Guh…! This bastard!”

A scream escaped Tsukuyomi’s mouth. It seemed he attempted to defend against my strike with some technique just before, but it didn’t work.

Staggering, Tsukuyomi was at a loss.

“The Reincarnation Technique… is not a system based solely on divine power! Could it be that the nullification ability of the World Tree even nullifies the Reincarnation Technique? How ridiculous….”

[Oh yeah! I had no idea, but here we are!]

As I charged in, I didn’t even contemplate how powerful Tsukuyomi’s Reincarnation Technique was. After all, if I got hit, I would just die and reincarnate, so I felt no fear.

Whether I lived or died, I’d benefit either way!

Bam!

I grabbed him by the collar and let loose with a flurry of punches.

[You need to get beaten!]

This was the combat style I used most as a means of venting since my time as a lowly escort!

Grab the collar and pound!

[You!]

Bam!

[You bastard!]

Bam!

[Because of you!]

Bam!

[How much of a pain in the ass!]

Bam!

Bam! Bam! Bam!

[Waaaaaaaaah!]

Kwah!

With one final punch, I struck Tsukuyomi’s face, leaving him a bloodied mess and completely unconscious.

Huff…

[Huff. Huff. Huff…]

As Tsukuyomi fell into a complete blackout, I found myself panting, unable to contain my emotions. Truth be told, this body had no reason to breathe heavily, but it felt as if I was conforming to the sensations of my past as a human.

I grimaced at the sight of Tsukuyomi’s bloodied face.

[Geez… that’s really ugly…]

Though it wasn’t my body, I felt a twinge of guilt for having laid waste to him. While I pondered over turning back feelings I had towards Tsukuyomi as I held onto his collar, I heard Fuxi’s voice from behind.

“Could it be… are you Baek Woong?”

Seriously, how sharp can he get?

In this ridiculous situation, he figured out I truly am Baek Woong again?

I wondered if there was a being in this world smarter than Fuxi.

[What the hell!]

But aside from that astonishment, I chucked Tsukuyomi down on the ground and clenched my fist, readying myself.

Crunch!

I spoke in a furious tone.

[Fuxi, let’s get a few hits in—after that, let’s get along from now on!]

[…….]

Forget Fuxi, I don’t care anymore.

I’m taking you all down!

“`

 

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