Ranker Who Lives Twice

It was a long time before Yeon-woo came out of the abyss.

『Are you here?』

"Son, where did you learn to speak so rudely…"

The Monkey King's exuviae gently raised his right fist and smiled. 『Do you want to die?』

"Be careful with your words…"

Bang! With a smile, the Monkey King's exuviae swung his fist. A shockwave passed by Yeon-woo's temple and smacked on the wall of darkness in the distance. Soon, Yeon-woo heard the sound of something breaking.『Huh? What did you say?』

"Nothing. I was wrong." Yeon-woo quickly bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

『Alright. Be careful. You're on the cusp of blooming. It would be a waste to die now, right?』 The Monkey King's exuviae did not seem bothered or particularly angered by Yeon-woo's attitude. However, it seemed like he was ready to give Yeon-woo a beating at any time.

Yeon-woo had almost blurted out, "You have an aunt, too." However, it seemed like the Monkey King's exuviae would really pound his head in if he continued talking. Although it was his own Illusory World, Yeon-woo had no plans on fighting with the Monkey King's exuviae. This exuviae had managed to craft his own Ruyi Bang and turned the Crawling Chaos into his vassal. Nothing good would come from infuriating him.

『Enough with the jokes.』 The Monkey King's exuviae narrowed his eyes as he lowered his fist. 『First off, how did you do it?』 He wanted to know how Yeon-woo managed to survive in the abyss.

Regardless of how much Yeon-woo's power and abilities had grown from the revelations, the abyss was not a place that could be overcome with just those things. The abyss was a vast and dense emptiness that even gods and demons were reluctant to approach. It could swallow any existence and reduce it to nothingness.

Even the Monkey King's exuviae was wary of the abyss, and he was careful not to look at it too closely. If turned his eyes to it for too long, he would be sucked into its vacuum without even realizing what had happened. However, Yeon-woo not only approached the abyss easily but also stayed inside for a considerable amount of time as if nothing was wrong.

The Monkey King's exuviae felt he had no choice but to ask Yeon-woo.

"I think it's probably thanks to this." Yeon-woo lifted the manacles he was wearing.

『Is that…an artifact that the Black King left behind?』

"Yes."

『Hmm. It's an object that has sealed the Black King's darkness. Perhaps that's the reason why you were able to retain your ego?』

"I don't know the details, however…" Yeon-woo recalled the moment he'd entered the abyss. He entered a place that looked like a river or a gap within a valley, as the Monkey King's exuviae had described. Yeon-woo remembered his consciousness fading as if his self were being dismantled. However, at that moment, he felt the Cast of the Black King tremble, which allowed him to maintain his consciousness and reason. 'It helped me hold onto my existence.'

Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the lifeless black manacles. 'Furthermore…it was connected to somewhere.' The Cast of the Black King had held onto Yeon-woo's presence firmly as it pulled him in a certain direction. Yeon-woo had to find out exactly what it was connected to.

『We still have plenty of time, so let's take our time preparing. If there is anything I can help you with, I will help.』

"Thank you." Yeon-woo nodded heavily.

***

Yeon-woo started practicing in earnest to re-enter the abyss. 'It's important to be able to breathe in the abyss for a long time. I also need to find out where the Cast of the Black King is trying to lead me.'

Void: it was a name that the Black King had bestowed. It existed within the unconscious, and it was so dark that Yeon-woo could not even see an inch in front of him when he was inside. It was as if a dangerous monster lived inside.

『Hmm? You're saying something is there?』

"Yes."

『That's interesting.』

After hearing the details of the abyss from Yeon-woo, the Monkey King's exuviae stroked his chin with his hand.

"I think that the sleeping Black King's true body is at the end of the abyss."

『That might be true. Or not. But you want to find that out for yourself?』

"Yes. Even if the Black King is not physically present, there must be something there that has something to do with him. It also seems like the easiest way to learn about the nature of the abyss."

『Other than that? Did you feel anything else? Like the soul of another person or the beginning of spiritual power? Things that you cannot feel in the material world.』

Yeon-woo shook his head. "No. I couldn't feel anything like that. It felt like my ability to recognize, reason, and sense had all stopped."

『That makes sense. You said it almost ripped apart your existence. Does that mean it's not possible to look for your younger brother through your senses? That is very difficult.』 The Monkey King's exuviae scratched the back of his head as he contemplated.

Yeon-woo, who was staring at him, asked a question. "By the way, do you not know anything about the Black King?" Yeon-woo had heard that the Heavenly Demon had been responsible for throwing the Black King into the abyss. As a result, Yeon-woo thought that the Monkey King, who had been one of the Heavenly Demon's faces, might know something.

『Not at all.』 The Monkey King's exuviae smiled bitterly and shook his head. 『I am not my true body but a spirit, which means I possess a limited amount of memory and information. I'm also disconnected from that little child, so there's no way I'd have any information on the Black King.』

After he separated from his original body, he no longer possessed the most important information since his duty was only to protect the palace. Anything unrelated to this task wasn't considered necessary.

The bitter smile of the Monkey King's exuviae made Yeon-woo feel that there was something deeper and complex about his emotions. Although the exuviae acted as though he were the real thing, he seemed painfully conscious of the fact that he wasn't the real Monkey King. How did it feel to know that one was only a copy? It seemed like all his free will was gone.

Yeon-woo could not imagine what the feeling was like. However, any expression of sympathy would only offend the Monkey King exuviae's pride, and Yeon-woo just changed the subject. "Then was the other entity with you also not a true form?"

『With me?』

"You know, the dragon I saw when I first met you."

『Ah, you mean Sung? He's received the powers of a Yinglong, an evolved dragon, so he can wander about the Tower. He may know something. You saw his true body. I think he also keeps in touch with that child from time to time.』

"Then…"

『However, you'll get nothing out of him.』

"Huh? Why?"

『He's like his master. He does whatever he wants, and I also have no idea where he is.』

"Didn't you two live together in the palace?"

『No. When you saw him, he visiting because he was bored.』

Yeon-woo recalled the time when the Monkey King's exuviae had been in danger because of the Devil Army and the Head Bishop. A glowing marble had guided the Monkey King's exuviae to safety. The marble had the energy properties of a dragon god, but it was not a real dragon god. At the time, Yeon-woo had wondered about this, but perhaps it was because the dragon god simply hadn't been present. 'If that dragon god had appeared, the Monkey King's exuviae wouldn't have suffered so much.'

What was the dragon god doing at that time? And why had he not shown himself yet?

『Anyway, all we have now is very fragmented information. You must find out the rest on your own. Even if I want to help, I don't think I can.』 The Monkey King's exuviae looked down at the abyss with an annoyed expression. He was aware that as a spirit body, his existence would disappear if he entered the abyss. Since he had always considered the universe insignificant and tiny, the Monkey King's exuviae could not help feeling irritated by this. 『All I had to work with were the limited resources that my true body left me.』

"If you keep trying, won't you be able to enter and survive?"

『No. It won't work. No matter how much a spirit tries to retain its original self, there is a limit to its existence. No one knows how long spirits can exist, right? There might be a limited lifespan for my spirit body or even a limitation on the abilities and skills I can use over time. It will be hard for you, as well.』

Yeon-woo nodded as he gripped the Cast of the Black King. He realized that if he relied too much on a specific set of skills, he'd end up facing the same limitations that the Monkey King's exuviae did. Above all, Yeon-woo had to figure out a way to deal with the fact that he couldn't perceive anything in the abyss. "So, you're saying that breathing is important."

『Yes.』

"What should I do?"

『There's only one way, right?』 Although his voice was playful, the Monkey King exuviae's golden eyes were serious. 『Consciousness!』

'Of course.' Yeon-woo clucked his tongue as if he expected this answer. "However, it doesn't work in the abyss." Yeon-woo had relied on his Consciousness to maintain his rationality and throw off the Tower system's constraints when he was almost eaten by the Crawling Chaos or when he was trapped in the Demonic Sea. However, Consciousness did not work very well in the abyss.

Whenever he tried to release Consciousness, it would get consumed quickly, and he couldn't tell if he was doing something correctly. There was no response or feedback that he could use as a way to restore his bearings.

However, the corners of the exuviae's mouth curled up as if he knew Yeon-woo would respond in this way. 『That's because your level of Consciousness isn't good enough.』

Yeon-woo was confused by these words.

『I've always wondered about this. How come you haven't developed Illusory Change?』

Yeon-woo cocked his head. "Isn't the first step of Illusory Change building a barrier? Since I already have Domain Declaration, there's no difference…"

『There is a large difference. First off, you use different things to operate them.』

Yeon-woo was puzzled.

『The power to set up your personal territory, or Domain Declaration, and the power used to construct an Illusory Barrier for Illusory Change are completely different. The domain relies on the path of your divinity, but Illusory Barrier is based on your Consciousness. It is the difference between starting from outside or from within.』

Yeon-woo pondered for a moment. 'Have I been going about this the wrong way?' Whenever he declared a domain, he could spread his shadows and temporarily form a holy territory. He could unleash various divine powers and abilities. He could also use his domain to isolate his enemies, and he was like a god within that space.

As a result, Yeon-woo had believed that Domain Declaration was similar to the Illusory Barrier, especially since his domain moved according to his will. However, the Monkey King's exuviae telling him that they originated from different sources of power.

Domain Declaration originated from one's divinity, and as a result, it operated only within the algorithm of nature. On the other hand, one relied on Consciousness to construct an Illusory Barrier, which meant that an Illusory Barrier was based on one's understanding of the essence of things, allowing one to recreate the world according to one's interpretation.

『Now that you have obtained the revelations, you can defeat most gods and demons. The ancient giants have also become your followers, so if they continue to grow and achieve further awakening and transcendence, they may rise to the ranks of the highest gods.』 The Monkey King's exuviae spoke seriously. 『It's up to your ability to turn the illusory into natural law. Usually, transcendent beings do not develop much once they have attained a specific standing, which is why they remain stagnant for a long time. It's much easier to just use divinity to take care of everything. Gods should use their divinity like tools, but instead, they are beholden to their divinity.』

This was why gods and demons ended up with minimal senses of selves and quickly degenerated into simple cogs within the natural laws. As the Monkey King's exuviae spoke, he looked Yeon-woo up and down. 『If you're gaining achievements through martial arts, you need a training method that strengthens your Consciousness and incorporates your divinity and legends into an Illusory World…』

For some reason, Yeon-woo felt as though the words of the Monkey King's exuviae were seducing him. Something popped into Yeon-woo's mind: Sword Thunder. Would it be possible to strengthen it?

『If you can simplify everything into one concept, you can use it to change the world. It might be possible to breathe naturally in the abyss using your will as a tool. You might even be able to see the essence in the depths of the abyss.』

Change the world with a single thought. The Monkey King's exuviae was speaking of something more powerful than an ordinary transcendent's domain.

"Then, what's the best way to develop my understanding of Consciousness?"

The path that the Monkey King had taken while he was still alive was wrapped up in so much mystery and unpredictability that it was difficult for Yeon-woo to guess. He had no idea how far he would have to progress in his martial arts. He could refer to his master, the Martial King, but…since both of them were already at a high level, Yeon-woo did not know where to start.

『Ever since I separated from my main body, I thought that I would die of boredom unless Sung was visiting. So, what do you think I did in the meantime?』

Yeon-woo realized what he meant, and his eyes widened. If the Monkey King's exuviae had been developing his inner self for hundreds of years…Yeon-woo could not even imagine how deep his understanding would be.

『I was there for such a long time, and I grew tired. All I could do was constantly think about my limitations. That's why I promised myself to create something better than what that annoying true body bastard achieved.』

Yeon-woo was silent.

『After coming here, I used to talk with Ismenios from time to time. As the last dragon, she has a lot of knowledge, and I finally managed to organize things that I had only roughly outlined before. I can modify this organization to suit your needs.』

Yeon-woo was stunned.

『So, I'll teach you from now on.』 The Monkey King's exuviae playfully raised one corner of his lips. 『A new and improved Heavenly Bracket, the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder!』