“AARGH!”
The man grabbed his own head in pain and anguish, then looked at Shen with eyes that shone with pain, sadness, guilt and sorrows.
“T-this is…my sin… It’s all the sufferings and anguish I made others feel while I was living on this planet… Guach!”
The man then hugged his head again while his face twisted from the sufferings.
“I was a king from the Vestria continent around 900 years ago, of a little kingdom…I got blinded by power and riches, ending up bringing only sufferings to the innocents. AGH!…This is the price I have to pay for 800 years because of what I’ve done…that’s how the law of the universe is working.” → Fallen King
“Law? I bet you’re just hurting yourself to get rid of the karma a bit faster, right? Here, let me get rid of the darkness for you-” → Shen
“DON’T! Please, don’t. This is something I need to do… I have to… atone for what I’ve done… Just please, let me do this much…” → Fallen King
“You will atone for it in the next lives anyway. Are you really sure about this?” → Shen
“I do… I need first to understand the pain I caused so I won’t do it again… Simply going like this, I won’t be able to understand their pains when I’ll sin again… I wish… to imprint this suffering into my essence… So I won’t make the same mistakes again.” → Fallen King
The man said with tears falling down his cheeks while reliving all the tragedies he caused again and again in this one life as a king. Shen looked at him with stern eyes, then sighed with a frown while saying in a serious voice.
“…I understand… Thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to remember this. And… may you have more mercy with yourself in the future.” → Shen
Shen then left the poor king and wandered some more, looking left and right with a shocked face.
“These planets… Why are these things here as well?” → Shen
Shen observed how the Galaxy from this world was ridiculously similar to the one in his world. He gazed in the distance and saw the same similarities.
“Mars, Jupiter, Venus… I can swear they look exactly the same with the ones from the encyclopedias I read when I was little… B-but why? This “Earth” is much bigger than the one I know of… Is this actually…the same planet, but from another “world”? Uh, help? How does this work?” → Shen
Shen’s head spun from all the new information he got. He was sure that this might unlock a huge mystery from his list of questions, but he still lacked information.
“I need more information… Maybe if I wander some more I might get what I need.” → Shen
He then continued flying through space, when he saw another man in the distance. This one was simply levitating as if he were dead in space. His eyes were black while his face was twisted by despair and agony.
“W-what is with him?! Is this another sin? O-oy! Are you okay?!” → Shen
Shen got closer and shook him for a while, but no response came back. His dark eyes had the same terrified expression.
[Leave him. He took his own life. Going against the Laws makes for a grave sin.]
A strong and imposing voice boomed from around as if space itself just spoken. Shen then looked upwards and saw someone looking just like him but enveloped in white and golden light, looking like the king of the world. His dimensions were also much bigger, appearing to be as big as two mountains stacked one over the other.
[The price of taking your own life and stepping over the laws of the universe is to relive the worst moments in that one life which made you commit suicide. Right now, he’s reliving the same scenes over and over again for the number of years he lived.]
“I see… And you? Are you my “Superior Spirit”?” → Shen
Every being on Earth has a superior spirit over them, also called the “Personal Star”. This spirit will help the respective person only if they’re asked and if they see them worthy of their help. They’ll never help someone who’s only thinking about himself or unjust and neither a naïve person which is blinded by the justice, not thinking too much before taking action. The “Superior Spirits” is part of the soul which has the remaining memories and wisdom from all the past lives. They can give the best answer to the most difficult questions, but having a connection with the “Personal Star” is incredibly hard and it doesn’t matter about the control over mana, chi or any other form of energy. It’s just how much of a “Master of self” you are. The more you can control yourself, the stronger the connection can become, making possible forming such connections only to few people, and those must also be accepted by the respective Superior Spirit or else nothing would work.
[Yes. Any more questions?]
The spirit asked with a neutral look and plain voice. Shen looked surprised at the Spirit. It seems he accepted him. He then looked with a serious face at him and asked.
“First of all… What is this world?” → Shen
[Be it if I answer or not, the answer will be forgotten.]
“W-what?! Why?” → Shen
[You’re still not prepared to know. The mindset is still young.]
“Huh? So if my mindset isn’t…uhm… set...I won’t be able to understand? How does that work?” → Shen
[It’s the same with a conversation between an adult and a child. While the child will see everything through a more positive and bright light, the adult will try to interpret every subject from a more realistic and materialistic point of view. If the adult tries to explain his materialistic and realistic views to the child, the young one won’t be able to understand and still keep his or her own ideas. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, is just about how you perceive the information. And you right now, are not seeing things clearly enough to understand the information.]
“… Is it because I’m still too young? Is it because I’m only 19 years old?” → Shen
He smiled mockingly at the ridiculous reason he found.
[No. It’s because you are not in your carnal body. After going back, your memory will be extremely fuzzy and the most complicated information will be forgotten, just like in a dream. Everything you wish to know about this world will have to be discovered while inside the flesh.]
The spirit explained with a plain face while Shen found himself a little bit dumbfounded and embarrassed.
“Ah, oh… Yeah, it sounds pretty logical then.” → Shen
Shen scratched his head a little bit embarrassed then sighed in disappointment. He understood that he won’t gain any kind of information about this world, be it about the World Tree, the planets or about the dark miasma from the earth. Then he asked something else while looking at the young man who was levitating like a dead person through space.
“My karma… How big is it now?” → Shen
After using [Destiny Bending] on the entire world, he ought to have a gigantic amount of karma by now, a fact that made him despair but he had no other option.
[How foolish. You were aware of the consequences and still chose to do it.]
The superior spirit said while looking at Shen like at an idiot. At this sudden insult, Shen couldn’t rebuke at all. He knew he was an idiot for doing so but he had no regrets.
“Through how many lives I’ll have to go so I can repay this ‘debt’?” → Shen
Using such a skill will fill the caster’s soul with ‘sin’ that can also be viewed as debt, doing a good thing or suffer to get rid of it, just like getting rid of debt.
[One. This one.]
“Eh?” → Shen
Shen looked dumbfounded at the humongous spirit. He couldn’t believe what he just heard.
[Look here. This is the debt that king has to repay for his sins.]
Suddenly, a huge mountain made of filth appeared beside them.
“What the?! What is this?” → Shen
Shen asked while waving his hand and pinching his nose. The smell was awful.
[This is that king’s sin from right before dying. Right now is just a fifth of what it was but is still a lot.]
“Okay, okay. But why does it smell so bad? And it also looks disgusting.” → Shen
[Every action of mortals brings different kinds of essences inside the soul. If the respective action is a creative one, helpful for other souls or can bring some kind of benefits which aren’t used for wrong, the clean and positive essences will fill the soul. If the actions only bring sufferings for the soul and/or for the others, such filthy essences will enter one’s soul without even knowing, realizing only after death.]
“…So the reason why I have no sin or ‘filth’ on me, is because I used that skill with the thoughts of helping the entire Sario even if that means I actually killed myself?” → Shen
[Killing yourself because of a weak mind and sacrificing yourself for the goods of others are two different things. And yes, you said correctly. If you tried to use that ability for yourself as a higher spirit, this would have been the ‘reward’.]
Suddenly, the space bent and shock. Right beside Sario, another planet appeared but this one was black and brown, looking like a planet made from filth and excrement.
“Aw! EW! Oh my God! The smell- Mmppfff!” → Shen
Even though he was a spirit, Shen felt like vomiting. The smell coming from that planet was unbearable, almost making him pass out. The Superior spirit then made the planet disappear, the same way he did with the mountain.
“So that would’ve been my debt to pay… How many lives would that take?” → Shen
[The skill you used changed the destiny of billions of souls on Sario. Be them humanoid beings, beasts, plants or even minerals. The number of lives needed would have been almost in the same numbers.]
Shen palled. If he had a body right now, he would’ve sweated bullets and his knees would’ve given up on him. The spirit just told him that he would’ve needed to live other billions of lives of Hell only so he could atone for a few seconds of sin. Such a ridiculous number of years would’ve been enough to grow as a spirit from Red to Blue Soul Rank together with the three steps of it.
“A-anyway…” → Shen
Shen understood most of it and wanted to change the subject, trying to get rid of the fear he felt after just dodging a projectile-like of a bullet. He looked at the superior spirit with shining eyes and asked.
“Tell me, when will I get the knowledge you possess?” → Shen
[You will do so when I’ll absorb you and become one again.]
“Then why don’t we do that now?” → Shen
[Because you’re still bound to your body.]
“What?!” → Shen
Shen then looked down and saw from his spiritual body, a long cordon going down toward the planet in the direction of the ridiculously huge tree.
“This is-!” → Shen
He focused some more on the cordon and felt his body being repaired and healed by external forces, bringing his vitality back.
“These thoughts…” → Shen
After focusing some more, he began hearing familiar voices.
Shen! Please! Come back! Don’t leave me alone!
Master! Please come back! I don’t want you to leave me like grandpa Shu! Please! Master!
I swear on my name, You hear me, Shen?! If you don’t wake up! I’ll destroy the 3 continents with these two hands of mine!
Voices and feelings of anguish, sadness, rage and despair appeared inside his heart.
“UGH!” → Shen
All those negative feelings made his soul shock painfully.
“What is this!? Why can I feel and hear them from so far away?!” → Shen
Shen asked while his face was twisting from the pain. All those feelings shook his soul to the core, making him feel as if being pressed between a rock and a hard place.
[The thoughts can travel from a part of the universe to the other in less than a second. Going for such a little distance is nothing. What you feel are the feelings of the ones who are mourning your death, even though you are not fully dead. You can simply cut your cordon right now then return with me to research more about the universe. Even though your destiny is not over yet, the Laws will not punish you if you wish to end the life from Earth right now.]
“…And how can I return?” → Shen
Shen asked, somewhat hesitating to go back.
I feel like in Heaven! Not being locked down by the flesh, being able to do whatever I wish and feeling so free… AH! Damn responsibilities!
[You can return by simply strengthening the connection with your body then focusing on it. Like this, you will automatically enter the flesh. But, you will stay as a cripple with no cultivation and a weak body. Be sure of what you choose.]
“Is there something else I need to know before returning inside my body?” → Shen
Shen asked while somewhat expectant.
[What do you mean?]
“I mean if there will be another calamity that I’ll have to stop or some kind of disaster I need to be ready of.” → Shen
[Right after you will revive, two demons will try to self-destruct inside the room you are in. The Elf Queen will wish to form an alliance between Alfheim and the kingdom Ryu will create. The Demon King will make contact with you. While returning with your ship, you’ll meet an ally, you’ll know what to do once you heard his story. A final judgment will befall on you but you will get out as the victor with a sacrifice. Conflicts with the hero of Vestria will appear. Whatever happens, do not chase him out and try to get him as an ally. The new kingdom will be under pressure from all directions. The two empires will try to subdue it while the waves will continue. More help will be on their way to the kingdom, do not falter. Accept everyone who wishes to stay under your banner, be it stranger, friend or enemy. As a suggestion, try to get the support of as many neighboring kingdoms as possible, you will know what to do at that time.]
The spirit stopped then looked at Shen with serious eyes for the first time.
[Another thing you need to know. The ones named “players” with you together, shouldn’t have been transported to this world from the very beginning. The only one who should have been summoned was the one named “Hero” by the Vestria empire, and he himself must have been asked inside a dream then again through that message. The players will start uniting the “clans” as the players call them, then civil war will strike all over the two continents and the leader of this all will take your face. All this is the cause of the goddess of love that dragged you all here together with other fallen Gods. Your kingdom will be a target once they make a way from Vestria.]
When the superior spirit finished saying what he had to say, Shen looked with wide-open eyes. Every single piece of information was mind-blowing. He was dazed for a second when the first information rang in his ear again: Right after you’ll leave me now, two demons will try to self-destruct inside the room you are in.
“Wha- oh crap! I need to go fast! Thank you for the info!” → Shen
Shen hastily focused on the cordon and suddenly disappeared, turning into a ray of light which shoot toward the Yggdrasil.
“Why is his body not recovering?!” → Sylvia
Sylvia asked with tears in her eyes. The flesh body was already in top condition but his meridians, chi circulation and mana circulations were still wrecked; even his chakras were cracked and almost completely destroyed. That was the same with being crippled permanently, not being able to cultivate or use mana for magic ever again.
“…It’s because his soul is not inside… We need his soul to be inside so the spiritual healing can have any effect. The elf queen said with anguish in her voice.
“Master!” → Theo
Theo shouted again at Shen, trying to wake him up in desperate sobs.
“Is there a way to talk with his soul?” → Ashura
Ashura asked with cold eyes. He still thought the elves were at fault for Shen’s death so the best he could do right now was to not rashly strike at the Queen from a blind fury.
“N-no…I’m sorry.” → Queen
The queen was the most ashamed to look at them, especially at Ashura who showed his aggression so plainly. While everyone tried to heal or find ways to revive Shen, the Diablo and one-horned demon rushed inside the tunnel while killing every guard in their way.
