Chương 628: Royal Authority (4)

Time flows swiftly.

Before I know it, I reach my 700th reincarnation.

Now, I have fallen from the Integration stage to a level of cultivation around the innate Four-Axis stage.

But even in that state, I endlessly recite the Flawless Mantra while standing on my hands, cultivating the Flawless Mantra.

Yet unlike before, my handstand is one that resists the mantra trying to control me, and defies the laws of the world, so to some extent, I am able to live a somewhat normal life and form connections.

And, with each of those connections, my comrades always come find me and stay by my side.

They become my family every time.

In each and every life, I live with my comrades, and at the end of each life, I always offer myself as a sacrifice to strengthen the Immortal Crown I bestowed upon them.

At the same time, I seek the answer to the question posed by Black Dragon.

The answer that will refute the power of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.

I continue to ponder what it means to be King.

How many more reincarnations pass like that?

It is now the 750th cycle.

"... Yeon-ah."

Before I know it, my cultivation has now dropped to the innate Heavenly Being stage.

I look at Kim Yeon, who walks with me in this life as well, and ask.

"These days, everyone doesn't seem to be entering the White Magnolia Realm."

"Mmm..."

"Hmm..."

I read Kim Yeon's Triple Divinity.

The Triple Divinity merges and takes a form through intent, and I read that form of intent to understand her thoughts.

Perhaps because it is a restriction personally placed by the Liberation Supreme Deity Bong Myeong, it is not easily readable even in this way, but recently, I've been able to perceive it faintly.

"... I see. Black Dragon and Oh Hye-seo... the two joined hands and are turning the entire Twin Holding Heavenly Domain into a complete mess, aren't they?"

"...."

"Well, it's nothing too worrying. My cultivation of the Flawless Mantra seems to be approaching a bottleneck anyway. It's almost finished now, and once it's done, let's enter the stomach of the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity and hide there."

"...."

At those words, Kim Yeon looks at me for a moment, then puffs up her cheeks and stretches mine out.

"Ugk, what? You're saying we shouldn't go inside the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity's belly? That we should fight back?"

"Mm!"

"Hmmm... But rather than that, I'd prefer you all to stay safe."

"Mm-mm!"

"Ahaha... Thank you. But like I said, once I finish my Great Net Immortal advancement, let's go inside the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity. Because..."

With a dark expression, I recall the Radiance Eight Immortals.

The power of the Radiance Eight Immortals that overwhelmed both the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Liberation Supreme Deity.

No matter how many times I think about it, it is a terrifying authority.

"... I want to be with all of you for a long, long time."

"...."

Truly, it's been a long time since I've lived this long with my comrades.

I've even lost track of how many years it's been.

"... I wonder if Young-hoon Hyung-nim is doing well."

"... Mmm..."

"Probably, you say? Huu... It doesn't seem like he's completely gone... I wish I could see him. Young-hoon Hyung-nim..."

I sometimes chat idly with Kim Yeon while sighing.

Sometimes, I spar with Oh Hyun-seok and Jeon Myeong-hoon using only the power of the Heavenly Being stage.

Sometimes, I retain my memories.

Other times, without bothering to retrieve them, I simply live immersed in the role I was given at birth.

Thus, the cycles pass quickly.

Before I know it, even the 777th cycle, which Obsidian was said to have reached, passes by swiftly.

800th cycle.

My cultivation falls to the Nascent Soul stage.

850th cycle.

I am born at the Core Formation stage.

900th cycle.

I am born at the Qi Building stage.

950th cycle.

I am born at the Qi Refining stage.

And from that point on, the expressions of my comrades begin to gradually darken.

Kurururung!

I look up at my Immortal Crown that covers the White Magnolia Realm with a hardened face.

In every single life, I offered my fortune and myself as a sacrificial offering, giving birth to Immortal Art, and with that power, I created the Immortal Crown that strengthens my comrades.

Yet, despite all that, the attraction force of my comrades surrounding the White Magnolia Realm has been pierced, and the True Immortals beyond the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain are exerting their influence.

'Black Dragon... Oh Hye-seo...'

I frown as I recall the two of them.

'The number of Heaven and Earth Upper Immortals and Great Net Immortals they're summoning is gradually increasing. On top of that, this aura...'

Shiver!

I flinch at the powerful force I feel beyond.

There are at least two more beings at the level of an Immortal Lord.

One is a massive black tiger that feels oddly familiar.

The black tiger circles around the White Magnolia Realm and slams its front paws down across various parts of the realm.

The other is a familiar face.

Kuuuuung!

White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus!

A massive half-human, half-horse beast, its entire body covered in dense muscle, is pounding at the side of the White Magnolia Realm.

Two Immortal Lords have answered Black Dragon's call.

'Damn it...'

Moreover, the recent situation seems to be getting even worse.

Oh Hyun-seok has recently left for the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain for a while.

He said he had something to confirm related to Azure Tiger Saint, but there's still no sign of when he'll return.

On top of that, due to the great war unfolding in Radiance Hall, countless people are dying. As a result, Kang Min-hee seems to be incredibly busy due to her position as Judge and will likely be unable to easily help us.

In short, the White Magnolia Realm is now being defended almost solely by Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Yeon.

Kurururung!

I narrow my eyes as I see the prophecies of my comrades, which blanket the White Magnolia Realm, tremble.

'Just hold on a little longer.'

The more I cultivate the Flawless Mantra, the more proficient I become in the power of Triple Divinity, and through that, I am gradually getting a sense of my Great Net Immortal advancement ritual.

Thus, as I continue cultivating the Flawless Mantra, I cultivate Triple Divinity, understand life, and contemplate royal authority.

951st cycle.

My cultivation falls to the 13th star of the Qi Refining stage.

952nd cycle.

12th star of Qi Refining.

953rd cycle.

11th star of Qi Refining.

954th cycle...

...

...

970th cycle.

At last, I am born with no cultivation at all, just as an ordinary mortal.

Living a mortal life, I never forget my heart, and experience the short life of a human.

However, as the cycles continue to pass...

Finally, the 990th life.

I am no longer born as a human.

I am born as a dog.

As a dog, I am raised in a human household, I guard that house, and live a truly short life before I die.

There isn't even a moment to ponder anything.

The 991st cycle.

I become a horse.

As a horse pulling a cart, I spend my whole life hauling loads and serving humans until I die.

The 992nd cycle.

I am reincarnated as a female badger.

Living an ordinary life as a badger, I meet a male badger, give birth, raise my cubs, and repeat this cycle—serving my young until I die.

The 993rd cycle, the 994th cycle, and the 995th cycle.

The 996th cycle, the 997th cycle, and the 998th cycle as well.

In each life, I behave according to the body I am reincarnated into, and I do my best to survive within the limits of each existence.

And before I know it, I reach the 999th cycle.

'What is a king?'

Holding on to that question, I open my eyes in a new life.

In the 999th cycle, I am born as a deer.

Is it because in my previous lives I constantly died, offering up my life and the fortune I had accumulated for the sake of my comrades?

Gradually, my talents diminished, and the racial stats I was born with, or the characteristics inherent to the race became increasingly trivial and inferior.

And this 999th life, in which I am born as a deer, is precisely one of those.

Puk, puk!

I am bumped and knocked aside by the shoulders of other deer.

I am notably smaller than the others, and though I am a male, my antlers do not grow, perhaps due to some defect.

I am completely cast aside in the society of deer.

No doe or stag among the herd becomes close to me, and no one approaches me.

So rather than trying to befriend the other deer, I focus solely on chewing over the question I have carried for so long.

'What is a king? Why must a king not plunder others...?'

As I peacefully graze and dwell on such things— Step, step...

Grrrrrr...

My body trembles with instinctive fear.

The countless deer, excluding myself, also tremble in terror.

That's right.

The king of this forest.

A tiger has arrived.

That tiger is one with pitch-black hair, a Black Tiger.

The Black Tiger looks around at our frozen bodies with serene dignity, then opens its mouth.

Grrrr...

Though it is the language of tigers, we deer can understand it.

Whether it's because it is a high-ranked tiger, or because its growl is halfway into the language of the Demon Race, I don't know.

[From now on, I am the king of this forest.] We lower our heads toward the king of the forest.

Grrrr...

[I could eat you all right now, but I will not. I will eat only one deer a month. Instead, decide among yourselves which deer will be offered to me.] Half-transformed into the Demon Race, the tiger smacks its lips, and leaves after conveying its will.

Watching this, the deer gather for a meeting.

How should we choose which deer will be eaten by the king of the forest?

The method is simple.

A lottery.

We draw lots to decide which deer will be offered to the Black Tiger, and once a month, we offer a companion as sacrifice when the Black Tiger comes.

Watching this, I ponder over the question of why the Black Tiger, called the king of the forest, is considered a king.

Then, one day— Grrrrrrr...

The Black Tiger arrives, and as usual, during the lottery in front of the Black Tiger, a female deer is chosen.

[So it's you today. Come forward.] But unlike before, when those chosen would enter the tiger's jaws without complaint for the safety of the herd...

This time, the doe begins to weep.

"O King of the Forest, please do not eat me. There is a child in my belly. Even if not for me, this child is far too pitiful."

The doe cries and pleads in the language of deer, and the Black Tiger lets out a snort.

[A promise is sacred. And yet you dare ask to break the promise and spare your life?]

"O King, I beg you for mercy..."

[My mercy is that I do not devour your entire herd right now. When you graze, do you talk to the grass and give it a chance before you tear it up?]

"Ah..."

In the end, the doe stands before the tiger's jaws, tears falling.

And I—why do I do it?

I step forward in front of the doe.

I feel the astonishment of countless deer.

"O King of the Forest, I humbly beg of you. Please spare this doe and take me instead."

At my plea, the Black Tiger's pupils narrow into vertical slits as it glares at me.

[Are you telling me to break a sacred promise? That doe was chosen by lot, and the chosen deer is the one to be eaten by me.]

"O great King of the Forest."

I lower my head toward the Black Tiger.

"Indeed, a promise is sacred, but is not the new life in that doe's belly, a life yet untouched by light, sacred as well? Please consider it as giving that new life a chance."

At my words, the Black Tiger rises and glares at me.

[You speak of nonsense. The child in that doe's belly was fated to be eaten by me. And to be born with such a fate means it was a sinner who committed vice in its past life. Are you not defending a sinner?]

"...."

Suddenly wondering how a mere tiger, at most of the Qi Refining stage, knows of such things, I look up at the Black Tiger.

It is at that moment.

"...!"

I forget my memories.

I forget my name.

I am...

Just a deer.

A malformed deer, at that. A stag who has yet to grow antlers.

Why do I stand before such a terrifying predator, speaking such words?

I am filled with deep regret.

But...

Though I regret it, the burning hearts in my chest push me forward.

It's as if they are telling me there is no reason to lower my head.

"O King of the Forest. I am nothing more than a mere deer. I do not understand what it is the King of the Forest speaks of. However, even if this child had sinned in a previous life... if it is granted this life, could it not cleanse that sin? To deny even the slightest chance simply because of past sins... I believe that is too cruel.

"Rather, if the King of the Forest grants this sinner the opportunity to cleanse its sins, grants them a new life—would that not be even more sacred than the promise we have made?"

[...] The Black Tiger stares at me intently.

[... Pitiful deer bearing much in your heart, yet born with nothing. What are you, to speak such words before me, the King of the Forest? Why must I, the King of the Forest, concern myself with your words?]

"I..."

I fall silent for a moment.

When I look into the Black Tiger's eyes, I cannot remember who I used to be.

I am but a mere deer.

However...

"I am the one who makes a king a king."

If the one before me is a king, then I am their subject.

Every king is called such because they have subjects.

And thus, I can stand proudly even before the king.

[Then, deer who makes a king a king, would it be permissible for me to devour you whole instead of that doe?]

"Yes."

[Deer who makes a king a king, for the child in the belly of a doe you do not even know of, why do you so carelessly offer your precious life?]

"That is..."

Once more, I look up at the Black Tiger's eyes.

When I first looked into those eyes, I had feared being nothing but a deer.

But now, it is no longer so.

"... As Your Majesty said, if there is such a thing as a past life... then when I too am reborn someday, and face the danger of being eaten the moment I am born, I would wish for someone to help me."

[You mean to say you offer your life for retribution that may or may not come?]

"It will come."

[Hmm?]

"Just as Your Majesty holds promises sacred and does not devour us all at once, and in return is provided with us every month... I too, for the sake of what I hold sacred, have given my body. And hence, I too shall be repaid."

[...] The Black Tiger stares at me for a moment, then speaks.

[Very well, deer who makes a king a king. I shall grant you mercy. I shall not eat you whole and take your life. Seeing your noble heart, I shall only tear off and eat one of your legs.] With those words, the Black Tiger bites off one of my legs.

For a mere deer like me, it brings unspeakable pain, yet I express my gratitude to the Black Tiger.

"Thank... you."

[Be on your way.] Whether it is a demon ability cast by the King of the Forest, the leg that is torn off heals quickly.

From that day on, I live on as a deer with one less leg.

Daily life continues to repeat.

Then one day, the same event happens again.

Once more, a pregnant doe is selected by lot.

"O King of the Forest, please have mercy. Please spare me..."

The doe sheds tears as she pleads to the King of the Forest.

Seeing this, I drag my three legs and step before the Black Tiger, making the same request as before.

The Black Tiger looks at me and, without many words, ends it by biting off one of my hind legs.

With my front left and rear right legs gone, I become a deer with only two legs.

Several months pass.

A few strong stags and does without fawns are eaten by the Black Tiger.

Then, another certain month arrives.

Once again, a pregnant doe draws the lot.

"O King..."

The doe weeps, and I naturally limp forward with my two legs.

The Black Tiger looks at me and this time bites off my other hind leg.

Now, without both hind legs, I am left with only one front leg.

Fortunately, this forest is abundant. Even with a single leg I am able to drag myself to eat grass, so I manage to survive.

Another year passes.

Now, I have become well-known among the deer.

No deer scorns or disregards me for lacking antlers anymore.

All the young deer grow up hearing my story, and when I pass by dragging my body with one leg, they bow in respect.

Before I know it, I become a deer who, with the most pitiful body, receives the most noble treatment.

And one day.

That day comes again.

"O King."

A pregnant doe once again sheds tears as she pleads to the King.

I, to offer my last remaining leg, drag this pitiful body forward on my single leg and stand before the King of the Forest.

"O King of the Forest, I thank you for the mercy you have shown time and time again. Please... give the child about to be born a chance, and take this old body in full. After all, once my last leg is gone, I will not be able to live on anyway..."

[....] Then, the King of the Forest, the Black Tiger, looks down at me and asks.

[Deer who makes a king a king. Are you not afraid of death? Are you not afraid of having your life taken away? Even if there is another life, the you in the next life is not the you of now. It is not a continuation of you with your memories.]

"... That is certainly true."

I acknowledge those words.

However... I feel no fear.

"But... I am truly not afraid. Because... even if I die today, the child I save today will survive and live to have a life. And... among all the deer, my heart will remain."

[....]

"Even if I die... my heart will never disappear. Perhaps it will be within me in a future life... but it will also dwell within my family, the herd of deer, and continue to be passed on."

Without a single lingering regret, I offer my neck to the Black Tiger.

"I will not disappear. O King, please take me..."

[... Deer who makes a king a king. I ask you one final thing. To you, what is a king?]

"A king..."

I answer with the brightest smile a deer can make.

"A king is one who gives and receives. Your Majesty became the king of the forest because you exchanged a promise with us. And in holding that promise sacred, and because you also honored us as sacred, did you not become our sanctity as well, O King?"

[... In your words, a king, in the end, is one who holds the other as sacred.] For some reason, I feel as though the Black Tiger is smiling.

[Then, O deer who makes a king a king. As you truly hold your fellow deer sacred, and as you yourself are held sacred by them...] The Black Tiger rises and cries out.

[Are you not then the King of Deer!?]

"...."

At those words, I look up at the Black Tiger.

Then I look behind me.

Behind me, countless deer who have heard my story and shown me respect bow their heads at my final moment.

[O King of Deer, born in a pitiful form. I make you this promise. Since you have answered me what a king is, I shall, with you as the last, touch your herd no more.]

"...! Thank... you."

[Yes. O Deer King, sleep in peace...] Waduk, waduduk, wadudududuk!

And so, in the jaws of the Black Tiger, Within the mouth of the King of the Forest, I am slowly chewed to pieces and die in pain.

And as I am chewed by its teeth, I recall something.

Each time it bites down on me, a rush of memories from my life as a deer flashes before my eyes.

The day it chewed my first leg.

The day it chewed my second leg.

The day it chewed my third leg.

And today... as it chews my last leg along with my entire self.

'Ah...'

For some reason, through that stream of memories, I gain an unknown wisdom.

In the flash of the day my first leg was torn, I gain wisdom of a name called Krita (कृत).

In the flash of the day my second leg was torn, I gain wisdom of a name called Treta (त्रेता).

In the flash of the day my third leg was torn, I gain wisdom of a name called Dvapara (द्वापर).

In the final flashback, when my fourth leg and entire life are torn away, I gain wisdom of a name called Kali (कलि).

And when I attain all that wisdom—

'Ah...'

I reclaim [myself].

"Ah...!"

Paaaatt!

Snapping back to my senses, I realize I have finally returned to my main body and look around.

Then, I hurriedly look down to the White Magnolia Realm to find the Black Tiger, who had brought a final close to my life as the Deer King.

I sweep through the entire White Magnolia Realm with my consciousness in search of the King of the Forest.

But...

Strangely, I cannot find the Black Tiger, nor even the forest of deer where I once lived.

As if that entire life as a deer had been nothing more than a fleeting daydream.

"... I see" At last, I understand everything.

Then, the three exalted Immortal Lords knocking from beyond the White Magnolia Realm.

White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.

Black Dragon.

And...

A Black Tiger, seemingly forged from the darkness of the universe.

I look up at the Immortal Beast Supreme Tiger.

Kugugugugu!

"It was you."

I notice the essence of Supreme Tiger.

In Supreme Tiger's eyes, there is none of the dizziness I saw in the 'King of the Forest' I once met.

And yet, I realize that the two beings are fundamentally connected.

That's right.

The 'King of the Forest' I met was...

'The former master... of the Flawless Mantra.'

The god who created the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain, and at the same time, the very one who brought forth the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity.

The lingering thought of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King!

Realizing I had encountered the lingering thought of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, I take a deep breath.

Today, After 999 cycles...

I have, at long last, truly brought the Flawless Mantra to Great Completion.