Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Choice
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The message itself carried an immense power in its very letters.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The Tathagata recommends choosing the Immortal Peach] [Mara demands you choose the Dark Path!] The moment I read the massive message popping up before my eyes, the world felt like it was warping.
The sensation of everything turning upside down made my stomach churn, and I dry-heaved involuntarily.
"Urk... bleh..."
The twisted world showed a pitch-black sky flashing endlessly with lightning, while the ground below spread out with a beautiful lake full of lotuses and a majestic Bodhi tree.
After heaving for breath for a good while, my gut finally started to settle.
"Hoo... What the fuck are you assholes?"
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [The Ruler of the Desire Realm's Sixth Heaven speaks] [The one who attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree speaks] Lightning crashed down each time they took turns speaking, and the lotus buds burst into full bloom.
The spectacle felt like the creation of heaven and earth all over again, churning my stomach once more.
"Fuck... cut it out, you bastards."
Only then did they seem to dial back their power, the chaos gradually calming. I caught my breath and continued.
"Ah, this is fucking dizzying. What's the Desire Realm? You mean Yukgaejang, right?"
"You're the ruler of Yukgaejang? What a goddamn apocalyptic name."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [The Ruler of the Desire Realm's Sixth Heaven grimaces] [The one who attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree smiles compassionately]
"Why's the Bodhi dude smiling?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The Ruler of the Desire Realm's Sixth Heaven grins widely] [The one who attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree informs you that the Bodhi Tree is a mulberry tree] "Fuck, mulberry or Yukgaejang, whatever—what business do you have with me?"
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 [The King of the Heaven of Freely Transforming Others]
[says not to hold back your desires]
[The one who entered Nirvana beneath the Sal Tree]
[Wisdom]
[Compassion]
[encourages you to possess these twin virtues]
"Ooh... nicknames changed fast as hell."
"Don't hold back desires, but have wisdom and compassion?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The one who entered Nirvana beneath the Sal Tree] [hopes the Five Eyes will dwell in your sight] [The King of the Heaven of Freely Transforming Others] [demands you dominate the Desire Realm's Three Desires] "What's the Five Eyes? And the Three Desires?"
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [The one who entered Nirvana beneath the Sal Tree] [Seeing the tree] [Seeing the forest] [Seeing how the forest came to be] [Seeing the life and death of nature] [Seeing all things, it says] 💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [The King of the Heaven of Freely Transforming Others] [Devouring even oneself] [Craving the unattainable in dreams] [Writhing in pleasure, it says] Watching the two blabber on nonstop, I sank into thought.
"Hmm... eat, dream, pleasure?"
"So basically, eat well, sleep well, and shit well?"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Mara applauds in admiration, calling you a true talent] [The Tathagata warns that deep indulgence in desire breeds torment] "Sorry, but I don't get the tree or forest bit, and I'm not that good a person anyway? Looks like you grabbed the wrong guy."
"Maybe 'cause I've been hanging with my kids lately, but all this virtue talk and playing nice rubs me wrong. If I gotta pick, that other dude seems better."
I pointed at Mara's message as I spoke, and the response came instantly.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Mara rejoices at finding an outstanding successor] [The Tathagata earnestly advises that the end of desire leaves only pain and wounds] His words left me dumbfounded.
"What the hell's wrong with desire? Without it, we'd still be cavemen. Desire is what got humanity this far."
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara wants to hand over the Demon King's throne to this outstanding successor right now] [Mara tells the Tathagata to go eat grass alone in the mountains if he wants to live like that] "Fuck, Mara ramen bastard knows what's up."
[The Tathagata warns that sinking into such evil leads to an inescapable abyss] 💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara mocks the Tathagata, saying he calls himself Mara yet can't distinguish evil from demon] [The Tathagata gathers power, preparing to unleash divine punishment] 💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara smirks and gathers power] Suddenly, the two started brawling, making my head spin.
"Fuck, this feels familiar. Why fight like idiots instead of the abbot?"
The sky went silent for a moment at my words. I lit up a cigarette while gazing up.
"Hoo—so what do I get if I choose?"
The moment I finished speaking, the sky went berserk again, hurling lightning.
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven of Freely Transforming Others in the Desire Realm's Wheel of Six Realms] [Mara Papiyas] [promises power that shatters] [breaks] [and annihilates at its peak] As Mara's words ended, a pleasant grassy scent wafted from the earthly forests.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [The one who attained enlightenment through asceticism and advanced to Nirvana] [Siddhartha Gautama] [says enlightenment born of asceticism lets you] [behold all things] [understand function and impermanence] [and see everything] "Fuck, I don't get shit."
Their words didn't click, frustrating me into rubbing my dry face.
"Ha... Can't I just take both? Both sound good."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Siddhartha Gautama panics, saying the energies of the Enlightened Realm and Dark Realm cannot mix] 💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara Papiyas sneers, asking if he's not confident] [Siddhartha Gautama prepares the Tathagata Divine Palm] "Goddamn it, stop fighting and hand both over."
The moment I said that, light coalesced before my eyes, and two thumbnail-sized fruits floated in the air.
I stared at the two fruits alternately, then voiced my doubt.
"Isn't Mara supposed to be a demon or something? Why do these fruits glow so brightly?"
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara Papiyas says he is not evil but a demon, called Demon King yet also Heavenly King] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Siddhartha Gautama agrees but warns he wields vast power and is extremely dangerous] "I'm a total fuckup myself—what's it matter?"
I reached out with both hands, grabbed the two floating fruits, and shoved them into my mouth.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Pure enlightened energy swirls in Heavenly Peach] [Demonic energy swirls in Heavenly Peach] Suddenly, a system chime rang out, followed by excruciating pain.
"Gahk."
A death rattle escaped from the overwhelming agony, but it cut off too sharp to continue.
My knees buckled automatically from the pain, bringing the ground close.
Even amid it all, messages kept flooding in.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! [Pure enlightened energy swirls] [Heavenly Peach's balance crumbles] [Demonic energy swirls] [Heavenly Peach's balance crumbles] [Heavenly Peach's foundation shakes] [Heavenly Peach's foundation shakes] [Heavenly Peach's foundation shakes] ✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Heavenly Peach's starlight twinkles] [Heavenly Peach illuminates the dark night] [Heavenly Peach's sun bestows gentle warmth] [Heavenly Peach clears the dark clouds] [Peach blossoms fully bloom in Heavenly Peach] [Heavenly Peach breathes in fragrance] [Fruits ripen in Heavenly Peach] [Sweetness melts into Heavenly Peach] [Heavenly Peach's origin sinks deeper roots] [Heavenly Peach is infused with energy] ✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Heavenly Peach's origin corrects the discordant harmony] [Pure enlightened energy and demonic energy harmonize with Heavenly Peach] [Harmonious nature forms in Heavenly Peach] [You are Heavenly Peach itself] ✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Siddhartha Gautama forms a mudra] [The heavens open their eyes] [Fleshly eye transforms into Heavenly Eye] [Heavenly Eye dwells in the left eye] [You can behold the forest] 💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara Papiyas thrusts greed into you] [Greed opens its eyes] [Fleshly eye transforms into Demonic Eye] [Demonic Eye dwells in the right eye] [You command greed] 📜 NEW QUEST 📜 [Mara Papiyas and Siddhartha Gautama reach out to you]
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Ding! ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Pure enlightened energy and demonic energy take root in the body] [Body wastes are expelled] [Body begins transformation] [Mortal body slowly becomes divine body] The mad scroll of text before my eyes halted abruptly amid the pain. As air finally entered my suffocating lungs—my body having stopped breathing—my mind slowly cleared.
"Fucking... hell, what did you do to me, you shits."
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 [Mara Papiyas gleefully says see you in hell next time] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Siddhartha Gautama looks upon you with pity] "Papyrus bastard, just curse me out instead."
I shot back at Mara—his words impossible to tell if joke or earnest—and in that instant, the world flipped upside down, returning me to the rooftop patio.
"Hoo—gonna die for real. Cigarette..."
Relief at being back triggered my habit, and I reached for the smokes in my pocket—only for extreme vertigo to hit, sending me crashing to the ground.