Hermit Wizard
Chapter 74

Heart Fish (8)

I swallowed saliva in tension.

In fact, what I wanted to know the most was how to prevent the resurrection of the Truth-Seeker, but I was reluctant to ask such a question to the Truth-Seeker, so I turned it around.

=Well, it’s a pity.=

It continued.

=There is a mixture of questions that ‘I’ don’t have an answer to and questions that shouldn’t be answered ‘to you.’=

I had an ominous feeling.

=What happens to the dead Truth-Seeker? You don’t deserve to know it yet. First, you have to cross the wall. And when you take another step and get ready for the final choice, you will naturally know.=

“……”

I couldn’t speak right away when I interpreted its will because I was angry at the answer without realizing it.

=Hoo, are you mad at me now?=

Second, it was because I was bewildered by the words of the Truth-Seeker who read the afterimage of my inner feelings, which I don’t know- were my feelings or thoughts.

[Cross the wall? Get ready for the final choice?]

Lastly, it was because I didn’t know what to ask back.

And one more thing…

[Wait. Cross the wall? That’s what White Deer’s guys always talk about…]

Parvache’s telepathy was mixed with confusion.

Yes, it’s a very familiar expression.

From the moment they first met me, the White Deer people said they had crossed the wall. They were fighting the Dragon, who was the Truth-Seeker of our world and isolated from humankind.

Could this be just a coincidence?

Until now, whenever I asked them what they meant, they hadn’t given me any further explanation that it was the words the god they worshiped was calling them for. Would it be?

“So, what does it mean to cross the wall and get ready for the final choice?”

=Hmm.=

Instead of responding to my question or refusing to answer, the Truth-Seeker took a moment.

=It’s a little vague. Wait for a moment. I need to ask for some advice. =

What?

As I was panicking, I felt something strange coming and going from the top of Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker’s far-high body.

No, I need to correct it. Could I express it simply with the word power? Something like an afterimage of existence that was neither Mana nor power.

After focusing on the feeling for a while, I quickly realized what it was like.

It was very similar to what I felt whenever I opened the Channel on my chest and when I crossed the Channel into this world.

The energy similar to the Channel’s presence gathered and, in a few seconds, more. The Truth-Seeker of Silver Forest looked at me.

=As expected. I wasn’t the only one who thought you were unique.=

“……”

=Actually, there is nothing special when looking only at your physical body or Mana. Even though you had excellent talent, you have not yet crossed the wall, and discussing qualifications is pointless. By that standard alone, you are just an ordinary mortal. But! =

The Truth-Seeker spread a pleasant feeling around me.

=Nevertheless, more than half of the Truth-Seekers who have just answered my question told me. =

It hadn’t even been a few seconds. Was it saying it had already asked many Truth-Seekers, questions and even heard answers?

-Gulp…

=The situation of the dimension you belong to… Traces of Truth-Seekers left on your chest. The peculiarity you show by contacting me this time. The usefulness was demonstrated by your success in disposing of Heart Fish, although with my help. And above all, your soul. =

I felt that the Truth-Seeker’s gaze pouring over my body became more intense. The tension seemed to be stiffening my blood.

=These anomalies were enough for all of us to feel great interest. So, the conclusion is this. Strictly speaking, you fall short of the standard. Nevertheless, in the future, you will be considered a different entity than any mortal. =

I just asked a question. Why was the introduction so long, ominous, and heavy? It was even more confusing because I couldn’t understand the meaning.

But at that time, the Truth-Seeker threw an unexpected word.

=And I decided to remember ‘you.’=

…What?

=What is your name?=

My heart pounded. I didn’t know why, but I suddenly had this feeling. I think that would lead to an outcome that was never good.

“…Name?”

=Yes. Now, instead of remembering ‘an interesting human with a Channel on his chest,’ I decided to remember ‘you.’ What is your name?=

I couldn’t refuse to answer the Truth-Seeker’s question.

“…I am Yoon Min-joon.”

Then, the Truth-Seeker wriggled his tentacles as if it were ridiculous.

=No, not that name. What is your real name? Your world’s Truth-Seeker left a Channel on your body. Didn’t he give you a name? =

“What do you mean?”

=That’s ridiculous. If the Dragon had planted the seeds with such care, he would have tried to find you again someday. For him, it means that you were no longer one of the ordinary mortals, and he should have given you a name. Hey, spirit! =

I turned my eyes behind my back without realizing it. And the Truth-Seeker’s gaze also followed me into the backpack.

Thus, the spirit, who received the gaze of its own disciple and the gaze of an another-dimensional Truth-Seeker at the same time, moved the body of an innate toy and completely slipped out of the backpack.

Then it climbed over my shoulder and faced the Truth-Seeker.

=Do you belong with him? Since you’re a family and a mental body, you must have looked into the heart of this guy. What is this human’s name? =

[…Still, my words won’t reach the Truth-Seeker. Min-joon, tell him what I’m saying.]

“… Yeah.”

[As I confirmed as I became his family, Yoon Min-joon has not yet received a real name.]

When Parvache said that, the Truth-Seeker twisted one tentacle intricately. When it comes to people, it feels like it’s clicking its tongue.

=What the hell was the Dragon thinking? He planted a Seed in your body, but he was not interested in the human himself? It can’t be… Hmm…=

The Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker said to me after thinking about it for a while.

=As long as you have no real name, you are like dust to me. Even though you’re interesting and listening well, dust is still dust. Hmm, I can’t help it. I will give you a name. =

Suddenly I didn’t know how or where things were going.

=What is the meaning that can best imply you? Let’s see. Then, a little deeper than before…=

And, there was a wave that was bigger than any pressure I had ever felt in front of it before.

=Look at your deep bottom. =

The whole body hardened as if being dragged into this forest. The Truth-Seeker’s gaze, looking at a point close to the root of my mind, dug in.

I couldn’t move and stood still. Even though it was a short time, my whole body felt disorganized, and everything seemed to lose speed.

=What is it? There is something on the bottom of your heart? ‘Absolute trust?’=

A word from a Truth-Seeker who seemed puzzled. As soon as the words fell, Parvache vomited a strange thought. When compared to the human voice, the reaction seemed to be swallowing instead of trying to speak.

Before I could even react, the sharpness of a knife stuck in my head hit me. A short flash that seemed to be split again even at the moment.

=It indeed affected you, but this is not the real you. =

With those words, something broke through my deep bottom.

-Bump!

I heard the sound of cracking and tearing as if thick and previously sealed things were being removed. A cool breeze blew deep in my heart.

=Well, almost…=

However, the gaze looking at me didn’t stop there. The gaze went deeper and deeper.

=Yeah. I see it more clearly. Your soul. =

The Truth-Seeker must’ve been looking at my soul from the moment I first met it.

Until now, it wasn’t just because of its presence that it was difficult to withstand when I received its gaze. It must’ve been the fear of seeing through my existence’s roots, a great power outside of my own perception.

And its gaze was now closer than ever. The overwhelming power of unknown depth swept my mind and body.

Eventually, the Truth-Seeker’s wriggling feelings reached my mind.

=Looking closer, it’s even more spectacular. Even though you’re a wizard, your spirit is too high-level. It’s extremely uncommon. At this point, you should have crossed the wall earlier. But you didn’t. =

The gaze of the Truth-Seeker who was looking deeply into my soul was finally distant again. My whole body was drenched with sweat, and I breathed faintly. It stretched its tentacles towards me and continued its words.

=Even though it is high enough, the soul has not yet evolved to the next level. No, it wasn’t that you couldn’t do it. Are you avoiding it on purpose? Your soul doesn’t want to be revealed. Why do you hide your existence? =

After making such mysterious remarks, the Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker said to me.

=I found the true name that suits you. =

The Truth-Seeker’s will, as if sentenced, echoed.

=I, ‘Song of Chaos,’ as a person who has completed two evolutions and is qualified to prepare for the final choice, will give you a real name. From now on, I will call you ‘Reclusive Soul’. Until you finish your next evolution and give yourself a name for yourself, this will be your name. =

The moment it spoke, I felt like something was being carved into the deep bottom within me.

So, my real name was decided.

***

After giving me a name, the Truth-Seeker said.

=You got a name, but it’s still not enough to get an answer about the Truth-Seeker’s death. The thing that you haven’t crossed the wall hasn’t changed yet. But I can tell you a story about the birth of a Truth-Seeker. As it relates to the answer to the last question you asked. =

The last question I asked…

-Swoosh

It shed a ray of Mana. The flow, which started calmly, hovered around us and became a huge flutter that could no longer be observed.

=To cross a wall is the first to cross the limit of a species. This is more than just the evolution of genes and bodies. It refers to beings whose souls have continued to rise and finally broke the frame and evolved to the next level. Look at this. =

The underground cavity where Parvache, Truth-Seeker, and I were located suddenly disappeared. No, precisely, the darkness and shadows were instantly covered with

“Oh… uh…!”

The Earth was moving farther down there. But this time, it wasn’t flying. The Truth-Seeker was now showing me a scene using all the surroundings.

The projected scene gradually increased in altitude and became a distant sky. Under my feet, I could see two huge continents that covered most of the stars. Then, a point began to expand as if zooming in. I knew that the land was a different continent than where we were earlier.

=Now, this is a record from long ago. The unit of time has lost its meaning at your level of consciousness. =

-Khaaaaash!

The jungle. There was another world that was different from the ecosystem I had seen in that world. However, looking at the color of the light and the moon’s shape, I could see that the stage that that fantasy illuminates was the Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker dimension.

-Kraaaahhh!

The beasts, all covered with white fur, ran before my eyes.

They seemed to be hunting. It was an animal that resembled the Earth’s tiger. The Truth-Seeker said, looking at it with me.

=That’s a species called ‘Crasset.’ The ones that flourished long before Dell became civilized in this world. =

At the forefront, the largest one roared, revealing its fangs. Unlike other individuals, I felt that there was a mystery in its eyes.

What the Crassets were chasing were giant reptiles that could be several dozen times their size. The lead Crasset points at the horns raised in the forehead. I wondered if white light was gathering around it, and dozens of flashes came out. It hit the giant reptile’s neck right in front of it!

-Pweing!

Sharp sound waves were spreading through the atmosphere. The rays scratched off the neck, and it fell off. The enormous body lost its power and tilted away.

-Khooog!

A short earthquake passed over the Earth.

Crassets who were following it in a group gathered. They surrounded the reptile’s corpse and began to bite. However, the leader looked at its people’s meals, which had stopped breathing, and then turned its head as if he had lost interest.

=We moved back a little bit too far.=

Time passed with the Truth-Seeker’s words. Similar scenes were repeated. The Crasset, which appears to be the head of the group, was getting bigger and bigger. The power of the light emitted from the horns also became stronger as the hunting continued.

=What that leader of Crasset uses is actually a kind of magic. =

“What? But at first glance, there seems to be no civilization enough to organize the theory of magic.”

There was no indication of a civilized race from the Crassets. They were beasts.

=Magic is not possible only when civilization develops, and theory is established. Even you humans, aren’t there any uneducated wizards that unconsciously show their abilities? =

I nodded.

=Civilized races can use various means to control magic. It is much easier to learn magic from an advanced being, and you can develop it yourself. They make complex spells and formulas and even make sacrifices to gain strength. It develops and spreads magic within the framework of learning, and as a result, many wizards are raised. =

“That’s right.”

=But very rarely, individuals realize how to gather Mana by themselves without such a civilized means and can use magic freely whenever they intend. It is very rare, but it does happen. =

When I listened to the Truth-Seeker, I was confused.

“That’s different from common sense that I know. What an untrained wizard can use is unconscious magic that is not controlled. So, regardless of the intentions, all they could do is make a fire, fly in the air and that sort of mundane things.”

If you’re really lucky, you could summon a harmless mental body with an open Channel on your chest.

=As I said, this is a very rare case. Overwhelming talent is pioneering an unprecedented path. That Crasset is the case. That individual developed magic in the realm of instinct, not learning. It opened all the magic circuits by itself and continued to raise the magic level, and the spirit of the soul rose. Thanks to the enormous strength, it has lived dozens of times the average Crasset life. The result of such a long life…=

The scene changed, and the Crasset sat on the cliff. It was quietly facing the wind and looking down. I knew that the mystery in those eyes had risen to a completely different level than before. It’s like…

Yeah. A sense of mystery that I felt in the eyes of Yusu and Garam, who returned to their original body. And the high spirituality that I felt from the high-level summoners that I called out on the Channel was contained in those eyes.

=That’s how mortals cross the wall. =

Now the Crasset has traveled across the continent with a force that couldn’t compare to earlier. The Truth-Seeker continued the explanation.

=Whether it’s a civilized race or a ferocious beast, in theory, any species could break the wall. It’s the first evolution of the soul. The evolution of the soul affects the body as well, and the meaning of life is lost to those who cross the wall. In the case of that Crasset, it has already lived much longer than the average life span of the species, but from the point of crossing the wall, the distinction between short-lived and long-lived species is meaningless. But more important than that…=

I kept looking at the Crasset over the wall. Instead of wandering around the continent, it suddenly looked for something as if it had an intuition that the time had come.

Then it found a female Crasset. Unlike itself, it was an ordinary beast who couldn’t cross the wall. The Crasset, who had crossed the wall, abandoned the female immediately after mating.

After wandering the continent alone for a while, the Crasset gave birth to several cubs. And I noticed the peculiarities of all the babies which were born.

=The most important thing is that the offspring will also be born beyond the wall. At the moment of birth, the soul has already evolved. No matter what kind of existence they were in the past life. =

Does it mean that it evolves under the influence of a body inhabited by a soul that receives new life through reincarnation?

“It doesn’t make sense!”

It’s a story that I don’t really understand with my common sense.

=But the evolution of the soul does not end with this. =

The scene passed quickly.

The crowd of Crassets who crossed the wall didn’t increase very much for a very long time after that. Most of them bred by sharing their relationship with ordinary Crassets and then giving birth to offspring that crossed the wall. The offspring born grew very slowly and didn’t reproduce well after reaching adulthood by their standards.

=Let’s move the time zone a little more. =

Mountains and rivers moved. That long time passed again. Nevertheless, the crowd of Crasset that crossed the wall were still hundreds.

How many years have passed? Another unusual Crasset was seen in our sight. Considering the relationship with the ancestors of the race, it was an individual equivalent to its great-grandchild.

As it grew, its strength became stronger than the first Crasset who crossed the wall. It was a growth rate that ignored the gaps of a distant time. That’s why I could guess that the soul was also getting higher.

And one day, the moment finally came.

-Woooong

“Channel?”

A huge Channel was opened over the head of that Crasset, the great-grandson who transcended the first generation. But when I saw it, I felt a sense of incongruity. Looking at the shape and waveform, it was definitely a Channel, but…

[Ah, that’s… It can’t be!]

Parvache’s consciousness shook with confusion.

Every Channel I’d seen so far had been in the form of a blue light source. However, that huge Channel that I could see now was a pitch-black light – like a far abyss.

“Where is that Channel connected to?”

The Truth-Seeker responded with a soft smile.

=A-Verdag.=

The Crasset flew into the air and entered the dark Channel.

=In there, the second evolution of the soul proceeds. And you qualify as a person who gets ready for the final choice. =

“That means…”

The Truth-Seeker of Silver Forest confirmed my guess as a fact.

=Yes, being reborn as a Truth-Seeker. =