NOVEL NEXT Chapter 838
Chapter 15: The Call of the Void
“Wait, you’re telling me not to pass the Obsidian to my companions?!”
For a moment, I thought I misheard Zhuge Sa.
‘Why…?’
The powers of the Obsidian were extraordinary. It not only transferred memories but could also relay a certain level of martial achievements to others. Plus, since it could transmit the very connections that bind people, it naturally expanded my circle of companions and my range of influence.
So, passing memories through the Obsidian had become second nature to me, and now I was being told to give that up?
I shot a doubtful look at Zhuge Sa, who quickly glanced inward.
“Let’s talk inside. This might take a little while.”
I followed him inside, where he served tea and took a seat across from me, ready to explain.
“Simply put… if you were to go to Hyun and transmit memories as you did before, how much of your memories would you pack into the Obsidian?”
“Well, I’d pack in everything I could.”
Zhuge Sa narrowed his eyes sharply at that.
“Then try it now.”
“What?”
“Do it. See what happens to the Obsidian.”
“……?”
Feeling skeptical, I used the technique to teleport to Dongyoung. After gathering around 50 geun of Obsidian, I took a piece and used its magic to store my memories in it.
Once I returned to Zhuge Sa in a flash, he instructed me.
“Place the Obsidian on the table.”
“It’s on.”
“Use the Fire Eye Golden Spirit technique and observe the Obsidian closely.”
Swoosh—
Following his command, I focused on the Obsidian with the technique. Soon, instead of its physical form, I began to see Spirit Energy materializing like vapor, and its color was a deep, dark hue.
‘Hmm….’
When I shared my findings with Zhuge Sa, he nodded and replied.
“That dark energy is magical power and sinister qi.”
“Sinister qi?”
“The denser your memories become regarding the dark secrets of the world, the darker it gets. In other words, that density is directly linked to madness.”
“…….”
“You know too much… to put it lightly. The information gleaned from your 26th life is lethal. How concentrated do you think the sinister qi in that Obsidian is?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, let’s put it to the test.”
“How?”
Thud—
Just then, a thud echoed from outside. Zhuge Sa smirked at that sound.
“About that guy.”
“…….”
Together, we stepped outside. And sure enough, it was Jo Hee-tae, the one I’d seen earlier, sprawled out at the entrance of Jangryeong Valley. He was flailing helplessly, eyes wide open but seemingly unable to see, and his arms and legs didn’t seem to respond to him.
Zhuge Sa pulled out a bell-like object from his sleeve and shook it lightly. Moments later, Jo Hee-tae seemed to regain his composure.
“…Huff… Huff….”
“I calmed his convulsions induced by the curse using the Insect Subduing Bell, Jo Hee-tae.”
“Z-Zhuge Sa! Please… please save me!”
Thud! Thud!
With a face soaked in tears, Jo Hee-tae banged his head against the stone floor, crying out. It was as if he instinctively knew he could never escape Zhuge Sa’s grip in this lifetime, his face full of despair.
Zhuge Sa then spoke.
“Why is the peak martial artist of the Hengshan Sect showing such weakness? You, who became an oath brother with Jo Jin-ung, the Master of the Hengshan Sect, taking on his surname, swore you would never betray the sect. You barged into Jangryeong Valley, killing my followers with such bravado?”
“…….”
“Well, your companions of righteousness have all become fodder for my formation techniques.”
Jo Hee-tae flinched but soon spoke, his voice trembling.
“Please… please, remove my curse…”
“Honestly, I don’t care about someone like you at all. I’d initially thought about using you and those like you for some entertainment with the Nine Great Sects before killing you off, but frankly, I find that no longer interesting. Should I instead let you suffer as you peel your own skin off while you die?”
“Uuugh… please….”
“I hadn’t been the least bit concerned about you, but you were the first to remove the heretic planted within the Nine Great Sects. Ultimately, you were just eliminating threats to maintain your status within the sect. What a garbage human you are.”
Zhuge Sa cursed under his breath, suddenly grabbing the Obsidian I made earlier.
“If you accept this, I will lift the Soul Exchange Technique and the curse binding you.”
“Y-You’re serious?”
“I swear on the honour of the heretic sect leader; I am not lying. Whether you come out okay is up to you.”
“Got it! Hurry, give it to me!!”
Jo Hee-tae looked frantic. He seemed to think that no matter how ominous the Obsidian was, it couldn’t be scarier than the Soul Exchange Technique and isolation. Zhuge Sa glanced at me, and I understood that look meant to do the memory transfer.
As the Obsidian rested on Jo Hee-tae’s palm, I executed the memory transmission technique.
Boom!
Receiving all the memories, Jo Hee-tae stumbled, looking at me with disbelief.
“Reborn person?! How is this possible…?! To think there are humans who reincarnate dozens of times…!”
“Yeah, this guy is a reborn person. Any other observations?”
“W-Wait a moment…”
Jo Hee-tae stammered, desperately trying to sort through his thoughts. After a moment, he muttered blankly.
“Reborn person… Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors… Otherworldly Race… Tentacle… Future… Eight Parts of the Divine… Afterlife… Dark Heaven Village… Destruction… Evil God… End of the World… Jo… the end….”
“…….”
“Wha, what is this….”
Suddenly, Jo Hee-tae seized me by the collar tightly, his trembling hands crying out like he was about to vomit blood.
“Who, who are you! What are you?! How can you have that… that calm expression after seeing this… this?!!!”
“……?!”
“Stop it… stop… stop looking inside my head… Urrghhh….”
With a long scream, Jo Hee-tae suddenly collapsed backward, as if his spirit had snapped. He flailed like a caught shrimp, clearly unhinged, while he rolled on the ground, frantically clawing at his own face. He kept murmuring the same words as he rolled.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop….”
“Hey, are you alright?”
I rushed over to Jo Hee-tae, trying to stabilize him with my internal energy. But even though his physical condition calmed down, Jo Hee-tae’s eyes were rolled back, and he still twitched like a mental patient, spouting nonsense.
“Aahhh… Uuuuh… eat me!! Tear my head apart!! Aahhh!!! Eyes are watching me!!!”
After a moment, he dropped his arms limply and stopped moving altogether.
No longer struggling, as silence filled the air, I held onto Jo Hee-tae’s pulse, trying to revive him, but it seemed like his spirit had already flickered out. I could forcefully prolong his life with herbal medicine and surgery, but he had already lapsed into a vegetative state.
“…….”
“Do you understand now?”
“What just happened…?”
I looked down in shock at Jo Hee-tae’s lifeless body as Zhuge Sa spoke again.
“The Obsidian you packed with all your memories acts like a deadly weapon. Memories of the Throne, truths of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Afterlife, the destruction of the future—all these carry weights that an average human cannot bear. Let alone those memories that have manifested vividly through your senses—it will obliterate the human mind.”
“……!!”
“Is it because the memories of the Throne are too advanced? If luck runs out, you might even share the gaze of the [Old Ruler] through your memories. The Ruler transcends time and space, and just recognizing their existence could link you to it… The memory of destruction must have an immense aptitude for mental destruction.”
Grinding my teeth at Zhuge Sa’s words, I yelled.
“But even at the beginning of my 25th life… no, even up to my 26th life’s early stages, nothing like this happened! Mangnyang and my other companions did fine!”
“Exactly?”
“It’s because of the memories of the Throne. If I just edit out that memory before passing it on, there shouldn’t be a problem accepting my other companions!”
Pleading my case, Zhuge Sa nodded.
“I see. Then let’s do it your way this time.”
“What?”
“Create an Obsidian that eliminates memories from the end of the 26th life. Let’s experiment to see if different results arise.”
“Jo Hee-tae is dead. There’s no one left to experiment on…”
Suddenly, before I finished speaking, someone staggered out from deep inside Jangryeong Valley. He looked like a complete lost soul, a man in his fifties who seemed to be a martial artist.
Zhuge Sa glanced at him and said.
“Just to let you know, don’t feel any guilt. That guy is Ouyang Huang, the Peak Master of the Heretical Sect, who mercilessly killed hundreds in Yangju and raped innocent women. No need to feel guilty.”
“That can’t be true? …Why did you catch him? To punish a bad guy…?”
“Not at all. I only captured him to use as a test subject for human experimentation, ensuring he had no sect backing.”
“Oh, I see. But how did you manage to capture a Peak Master?”
As I asked, Zhuge Sa chuckled lightly.
“Must you always capture martial artists using martial prowess? Plus, if I employ any means necessary, even the Master of the White Lotus Sect wouldn’t be safe.”
“…Oh, I get it.”
I realized I had asked a foolish question. Though Zhuge Sa’s own martial arts might not be supreme, he was a master of the Soul Exchange Technique and many magical arts. Plus, he was a tactical genius, the best of the best. It was already proven that he could eliminate even legendary Peak Masters. If Zhuge Sa wanted to capture one, it’d be child’s play.
‘Hmm. The memory of the Throne… let’s edit out all the bad memories.’
Following Zhuge Sa’s lead, I focused on removing only the bad memories from my 26th life. After crafting the Obsidian, I presented it to Ouyang Huang, who was in a dazed state. Zhuge Sa lifted the curse and magic binding him momentarily.
As Ouyang Huang regained his senses, he stumbled, casting fearful glances at Zhuge Sa.
“Z-Zhuge Sa! What else do you plan to do with me? Please… this time, don’t do that… treat me like a human!! I’ll lick your feet if I must….”
What on earth had I done?
He was a Peak Master of a Heretical Sect, yet he seemed unable even to consider attacking Zhuge Sa or escaping.
Zhuge Sa smiled and replied to Ouyang Huang.
“I’ll transfer memories through the Obsidian. If you’re fine afterward, I’ll let you go, removing the Soul Exchange Technique and curse binding you.”
“Oooh! Please do it right away.”
I nodded, then initiated the memory transmission.
Boom!
As the memories transmitted, Ouyang Huang appeared briefly confused. He shook his head and looked at me with astonished eyes.
“Reborn person!! Incredible….”
“Ouyang Huang, are you feeling dizzy or tormented?”
“Of course not. Haha… to think of the memories of the Seven Great Techniques and powerful martial arts; this is a stroke of luck.”
Ouyang Huang seemed unbothered, laughing maniacally. Perhaps because I had poured unfiltered memories into him, the essence of the Seven Great Techniques and Peerless Technique also seemed to be inherited. I watched him nervously, but Ouyang Huang only chuckled, speaking without malice.
“Ahahaha, make me one of your reborn companions. I will obey you utterly and work with all my might….”
In that moment, Ouyang Huang’s expression suddenly changed as he began to retch.
“Ugh, uh-ack.”
Cough cough—
It looked as if he were expelling everything he had eaten. I watched in confusion, and after a moment, he uttered something deliriously, his eyes glazed over.
“Ughhh… Hah… no… the meaning of my life… no… I’m living as I desire… I never anticipated salvation… but….”
“…….”
“Is all this… meaningless? If life, happiness, and existence lead only to suffering after death, then what… am I…? Am I a bug…?”
With empty eyes, Ouyang Huang fell to his knees. In an instant, he looked a decade older, as if all his vitality had drained away, and it seemed his mental strength had cracked as well. While his situation wasn’t as dire as Jo Hee-tae’s earlier, it was still evident he had succumbed to despair.
Zhuge Sa addressed Ouyang Huang.
“I will free you from the Soul Exchange Technique and curse.”
“…….”
“You can be a reborn companion or choose to return to Jianghu; it’s up to you.”
Thud—
Once Zhuge Sa released the restrictions, Ouyang Huang slowly rose from his spot. He glanced at me and Zhuge Sa with hollow eyes, suddenly thrusting out a hand, forming a blade with his palm.
“I’d rather die!!”
Pow!
Thud—
Ouyang Huang pierced his temple with the palm strike, dying in an instant. Unlike earlier, there was no hope of reviving him now.
Wait?! Why did he just kill himself?!
Seeing him commit suicide without hesitation left me dumbfounded as Zhuge Sa stated.
“Do you understand now, Baek Woong? He just fled this world.”
“What on earth happened? I removed all the bad memories!”
I stammered, panic setting in, but Zhuge Sa replied bitterly.
“Memories don’t exist independently. According to your recollections, the future technology involves a physical-biological connection through synapses, bound together by the Law of Cause and Effect like sinews. To put it simply, the memories of the Throne and destruction have completely tainted the Law of Chaos associated with them.”
“……!!”
“Even if you edit the memories, the sinister qi imbued within the Obsidian will not vanish. It may weaken, but that alone is enough to make an ordinary person choose to end their life in an instant.”
“Then how come you’re unaffected?”
As I turned to Zhuge Sa, he smirked.
“I’ve had no attachments to this world for a long time, feeling this world’s despair for over ten years. So, the despair and darkness you’ve transmitted are nothing new to me. But… anyone else is a different story.”
“…….”
“If Hyun’s mental power is strong, he might endure it. But the seeds of corruption will sprout from within and consume him. And if Hyun falls into corruption, he won’t be the same as before. This applies to Jin So-cheong and the other companions too. The only exception might be Cheon Woo-jin; he would likely feel disgust and want to eliminate you instantly.”
“Hmm.”
“Admit it. At this point, the path to create companions using the Obsidian is blocked.”
“Damn…. What should I do now?”
I felt trapped. Not only was progress stagnant, but it turned out I couldn’t transmit the Obsidian to any companions other than Zhuge Sa! With this, there was no chance of moving forward!
Then Zhuge Sa asked.
“Do you really see a need to increase your companions with the Obsidian right now?”
“What?”
“Now is not the time to have your companions grow alongside you. Instead, you should be pondering ways to prevent the ultimate despair and the very end of the world you witnessed. No matter how gifted your companions are, I think now is not the time for them.”
As he spoke, Zhuge Sa pressed down on my forehead with his finger.
“Baek Woong, I advise you as a strategist. There are two objectives you must achieve in this lifetime.”
“What are they?”
“One is to reach the Absolute Realm. Unless you achieve that, nothing will proceed. The method was already suggested through the ten trials in your past life. In any case, use any means necessary to achieve the Absolute Realm.”
“…Hmm. And the other?”
“Seek out Taihao Fuxi.”
I was taken aback by that statement.
“Taihao Fuxi, the one of the Three Sovereigns? Why should I…?”
Taihao Fuxi!!
He was a legendary figure among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and at the same time the teacher of the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu and the Primordial Celestial Starting Being. He was also the one who had bestowed the system of ‘magic’ to humans, preventing corruption through magic.
“At this moment, Taihao Fuxi is being attacked by a dark entity, stripped of his [Mask], reverting somewhere in cosmic space back into a dragon’s true form, losing his consciousness. You’re aware of this, right?”
“Yeah, I was killed by Fuxi.”
“Curious why you must find Fuxi?”
“Why must I find him?”
As I retorted, Zhuge Sa asked.
“Do you remember your 24th death?”
“…Yeah.”
Having gathered the Seven Luminaries only to meet a tragic fate as the earth burned, I could never forget that botched death.
Seeing my discomfort, Zhuge Sa continued.
“Recall the words of Yan Emperor Shennong.”
“Hmm?”
“The Yan Emperor stated that the end and revelation could neither be halted nor postponed. It might have been feasible while the Three Sovereigns were intact, but without Fuxi, it would be impossible to attempt it at all.”
“Ah….”
I remembered something akin to that. As I dug into my memory, Zhuge Sa spoke again.
“Put simply… if Fuxi exists and all the Sovereigns gather, there will be a method to either halt or postpone the end and revelation.”
“……!!”
“Baek Woong, your mental strength and memories are closely connected to the source of chaos. I think you’re under some influence from the Heavenly Secret. The directionality of your memories toward the end is manipulating a massive chessboard. If so, there is only one way to uproot the sinister qi deeply embedded in your psychic memories.”
Zhuge Sa clenched his fist.
“Finding hope. If you can find Fuxi, return him his mask, and discover methods to delay or stop the end, then maybe hope can nest within your memories, significantly altering the properties of the Obsidian.”
“Is that… really possible?”
“It’s achievable within this life. The assets you have accumulated as a reborn person are substantial, so if you do well, it’s definitely within reach.”
As he spoke, Zhuge Sa’s eyes gleamed.
“I will manage the other companions using the power of the heretics. In times of crisis, I will control them enough so they can be a support for you.”
“Thank you.”
“You must promise me one thing in return.”
“What is it?”
The next words left me speechless.
“Discard all your morals in this life. If you do, I swear on my name that I will make you ten times stronger than before.”