An Invitation from Kin

Jekyeong's half-closed eyes snapped wide open. Out of the countless celestial bodies, one in particular—neither exceptionally large nor bright—suddenly began to expand without limit, soon transforming into a colossal eye.

The eye stared straight at Jekyeong, and he did not dare turn away. The massive eye literally forced his gaze to lock onto it. The pull was similar to the sensation of the lotus settling into his stomach, but its intensity was incomparably stronger.

Under this violent pull, Jekyeong could not even muster the will to resist. The mysterious gaze completely overwhelmed him.

At that moment, a mighty will descending from the heavens conveyed its meaning.

The will was calm, delivering its message like a mechanical notification.

Because the will did not actively oppress him, Jekyeong was able to think, even as he trembled in sheer bewilderment.

'An invitation? Kin?'

Although the message was shrouded in mystery, one thing was clear: there was undoubtedly no malice. It merely conveyed its intent, yet the pressure radiating from this colossal will was unlike anything Jekyeong had ever felt before. Not once in his life.

His parents? The two humans who had harmed them? The Yao beasts? None of them could compare. The pressure he felt now was just that overwhelming. If an entity this powerful wished him harm, it wouldn't need to go through such tedious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trouble.

'Kin. Did it say "kin"?'

What kind of kin? Since this invitation certainly hadn't come from some snake pit, only one possibility came to mind. The moment that possibility occurred to him, Jekyeong's heart began to pound furiously.

'I accept.'

The instant he made the decision in his mind, before he could even open his mouth to speak—

A celestial paradise filled with countless brilliant lights unfolded before his eyes.

When Jekyeong regained his senses, the world of light had vanished, replaced by a dense, smoke-like substance filling his surroundings.

'No, is it mist rather than smoke? Or perhaps clouds?'

Whatever it was, the thick shroud completely blocked his vision. Jekyeong could neither see nor hear anything.

'Wait. See and hear?'

It was a thought that had naturally occurred to him out of habit. Since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he had always relied primarily on those two senses to perceive his surroundings, he had done so again. But Jekyeong quickly realized that the senses he was using were not sight and hearing. After all, he currently had no physical body.

"An uncommon newcomer."

Just before confusion could take hold of him, someone emerged from the mist. The reason he thought of them as "someone" was because Jekyeong could not identify who they were. He couldn't even tell if the figure was human or beast. The form was like a massive, blurry silhouette. He knew with certainty that it existed right in front of him, yet he could not fathom its true shape.

"Who are you...?"

"You must be confused. You likely have many questions."

Though he didn't know how it was possible, they were communicating. This communication was smoother than any shared spoken language.

"Ask whatever you wish to know. I shall tell you all that I can."

"Who... who are you? Did you invite me here?"

Jekyeong's tone was extremely cautious. Although he had judged that the invitation held no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠malice, he naturally shrank back in the presence of an unfathomable entity.

"I am the Guide. To be precise, the current Guide. And it was not I who invited you."

Jekyeong recalled how the other party had just referred to him as a "newcomer." It seemed this "Guide" was responsible for welcoming newcomers like himself.

"The one who invited me called me 'kin.' What does that mean?"

"Do you not already suspect? It refers to those who have left behind a past life."

"Does that mean... reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation? Dying and being born anew? Well, it is not entirely the same, but close enough. You may understand it as such."

At this moment, Jekyeong's emotions were complex. Along with the joy of realizing he was not alone, he also felt a slight sense of loss.

'I guess I wasn't the protagonist of some novel after all.'

Jekyeong chuckled self-deprecatingly. Had he secretly harbored such expectations even while struggling day by day just to survive? Protagonists only existed in novels, games, and comics. This was reality, and in reality, there was no such thing as a protagonist.

"Do you have no other questions? If I may offer a piece of advice, it is best to ask as much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as possible. Opportunities like this do not come often."

The Guide was friendly toward him. Why? Because they were kin? Or was he simply generous to newcomers because that was his role as a Guide?

"Where is this place?"

"It is a sub-world adjacent to the Changram Realm. It is called Bulmangwon, the Garden of No Forgetfulness."

"The Changram Realm?"

"It refers to the world we currently inhabit."

"If you say 'this world'... does that mean there are other worlds?"

At those words, the Guide laughed. Although Jekyeong could not see the corners of his mouth turn up or hear the sound of laughter, he was undoubtedly laughing with amusement.

"Of course. After all, does the world you lived in during your past life not exist?"

"That..."

Jekyeong was momentarily at a loss for words.

"There are countless worlds in this universe. Some say the Great Thousand Worlds lie at the very peak of the cosmos, but I do not believe it. Who can truly know without having been there themselves? In the end, we are all merely sitting inside our own wells, looking up at a patch of sky no larger than the well's opening."

Jekyeong did not fully comprehend the Guide's words. Yet, even without complete understanding, he had no trouble sensing the vast, unfathomable depth behind them. Though they stood facing each other in this space, what they looked upon and thought of was entirely different. The Guide called him "kin," but Jekyeong did not dare think of himself as such.

"I know nothing of your past life. I do not know what you remember, nor what you think. However, now that you have awakened your Spiritual Awareness and set foot here, you have embarked upon the infinite immortal path. In a manner of speaking, we are kin and fellow Daoists."

"It is a bit much to take in."

"Most who came here for the first time were just like you. I was no different. But you will adapt soon enough. Simply setting foot in this place means you have grasped a great fortune, but in your case, it is especially so."

Puzzled by the Guide's subtle implication, Jekyeong asked, "Why is that?"

"Because you do not belong to the Human Race."

"Ah..."

Jekyeong was about to ask how the Guide knew, but quickly swallowed his words, realizing it was a foolish question. Even if this entity wasn't the one who had invited him, the mere fact that he held a position in Bulmangwon was enough to guess how formidable he must be. Thus, even if Jekyeong's current state was a bizarre, bodiless form of soul or consciousness, it would mean nothing before the Guide.

"You were human in your past life, correct?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. Those like you are rare."

"You mean those who were human but reborn as beasts?"

"Indeed. And a case like yours is rarer still. Though I have seen a few whose souls and physical vessels were mismatched, I have never seen anyone as stable as you. It is highly impressive."

"Is that so..."

He had received praise, but he didn't feel particularly pleased. It was likely because none of this felt real yet. From being invited to Bulmangwon to the conversation he was currently having with the Guide, everything left him in a daze.

"But why is it a stroke of luck that I am not of the Human Race? And are there many other races in this world besides humans?"

"A good question. Seeing as you ask such a thing, it seems the region you reside in is not a conflict zone."

The Guide seemed somewhat pleased.

"Indeed. Countless races are scattered across this Changram Realm. Foremost among them is the Human Race. Next is the Beast Race. There are also a few minority races, but the Human Race and the Beast Race are currently vying for hegemony over the Changram Realm."

Did conflict exist in every world? Compared to his previous world, the struggles in the Changram Realm seemed far more intense. To think it was a conflict between entire races.

"What is the Beast Race? Does it refer to monsters?"

"In part. In truth, the term 'Beast Race' is not entirely precise. It is a broad categorization that lumps together all sorts of entities—monsters, Demon Beasts, and demons. For your information, you are also classified under the Beast Race."

"Then what about you...?"

"I am of the Human Race."

It was as he had suspected, yet his heart still grew heavy. When Jekyeong paused his stream of questions, the Guide spoke with a "smile."

"I can guess what you are worried about. But there is no need to take it so seriously. While it is true that the Human Race and the Beast Race are in opposition, that conflict is not absolute. On a racial scale, they clash without yielding, but on an individual or small-group level, they interact frequently. There are even quite a few instances of them falling in love."

"Ah..."

Was that last part a joke? It had to be, right? Love that transcended species. In any case, even ignoring the final jest, his words were quite comforting. The Guide's words implied that they could interact regardless of their race, and that he was willing to do so.

"That is why I said you are fortunate. Exchange with other races can be of great help to both sides, provided it does not compromise mutual trust."

"Even if you say so, I cannot grasp any of it."

Jekyeong shook his head with a bitter smile. Of course, since he had no body, he could neither smile nor shake his head, but his feelings were clearly expressed in some form. The Guide could undoubtedly perceive these expressions.

"It is fine not to know for now. You have only just awakened your Spiritual Awareness. For now, focus solely on surviving and growing stronger. Hmm. Looking at your form, are you a serpent? I would like to offer some advice, but the cultivation of a Demon Beast relies heavily on their Bloodline, and their characteristics vary wildly depending on their growth environment, so there is little I can say."

"Bloodline? What is a Bloodline?"

"It is power, and a kind of talent. To use the Human Race as an example, if the parents are outstanding, the children are often outstanding as well, are they not? However, for the Beast Race, this inheritance of talent is far more potent than for humans. The more powerful the ancestors and parents, the stronger the Bloodline passed down to the next generation."

In other words, they were a race defined by their "spoons"? If the best spoon a human could be born with was copper, did that mean a beast's spoon could go beyond gold to diamond and even higher? Just hearing it made his stomach churn. Jekyeong figured his own "spoon" wasn't made of dirt, but it certainly wasn't anything grand like what the Guide was describing. If his Bloodline were truly that magnificent, he wouldn't have trembled in terror upon seeing those two Yao birds.

He didn't harbor any vain expectations. If there were no expectations, there would be no disappointment. Rather than clinging to hollow hopes, Jekyeong chose to focus on reality. Being invited to Bulmangwon and having the chance to ask questions to the Guide were both incredible, unexpected opportunities. Jekyeong wanted to make the absolute most of this chance.

However, to do so, he had to be somewhat honest, which meant taking a risk. He still hadn't forgotten how his parents had been dragged away by those two humans. Although this Guide seemed far too grand to care about someone like his current self, who could say for sure? What if the Guide suddenly decided to brew some snake soup? What if he suddenly changed his attitude and tried to harm him right now?

Yet, on the other hand, Jekyeong knew such worries were utterly pointless. Would speaking up bring danger, while staying silent keep him safe? Hardly. The moment he accepted the invitation to Bulmangwon, his safety was no longer in his own hands. Since he was already riding the tiger's back, rather than closing his eyes and burying his face, wasn't it better to keep his wits about him and salvage whatever he could?

"As you said, I am a serpent."

Jekyeong opened up to some extent about his circumstances. He shared everything from losing his parents shortly after hatching from his egg, to the shock of encountering the two Yao birds, and finally, swallowing the lotus and receiving the invitation to Bulmangwon.