Chapter 35: Selection

The message itself felt powerful.

[The Tathagata recommends that you choose the path of virtue]

[Mara forces you to choose the path of light!]

The moment I read the message that popped up in front of my eyes, I felt the world distort.

My stomach felt like it was turning upside down as the world turned upside down, and I retched.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The world that had turned upside down was a dark sky with flashes of light and lightning striking incessantly, and on the ground, there were lakes full of lotus flowers and beautiful Bodhi trees.

After panting for a long time, I finally felt my stomach calm down a little.

“Whew… What are you guys, brats?”

[I am the ruler of the sixth heaven of the world of desire]

[Speaking as one who achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree]

Every time they spoke in turn, lightning struck and the lotus flowers that had been at their peaks bloomed profusely.

My stomach turned again at the sight that seemed to be the creation of the world.

“f*ck… Enough, you little shits.”

Only then, as the two of them seemed to be lessening their strength and gradually becoming quieter, did I take another breath and continue speaking.

“Ah, this is crazy. What the hell is the realm of desire? Did I misspell ‘yukgae’?”

“Are you the ruler of Yukgaejang? That name is really destructive.”

[The ruler of the sixth heaven of the realm of desire distorts his face]

[The one who achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree smiles benevolently]

“Why are you smiling, Barley Tea?”

[The ruler of the sixth heaven of the realm of desire laughs brightly]

[The one who achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree explains that the Bodhi tree is a mulberry tree]

“f*ck, whether it’s mulberry or Yukgaejang, what business do you have with me?”

[The King of the Heaven of Tahwajajae]

[Says not to suppress desires]

[The one who entered nirvana under the Sala tree]

[Wisdom]

[Compassion]

[He urges to have two virtues]

“Wow… You changed your nickname really quickly.”

“Don’t suppress desires, and have wisdom and compassion?”

[The one who entered nirvana under the Sala tree]

[May you have five eyes]

[The King of Ta-hwa-ja-jae-cheon]

[Demands that he dominate the three desires of the world of desire]

“What are the five eyes and what are the three desires?”

[The one who entered nirvana under the Sara tree]

[Looking at the tree]

[Looking at the forest]

[Looking at how the forest came to be]

[Looking at the life and death of nature]

[Says that he sees everything]

[The King of Ta-hwa-ja-jae-cheon]

[Even devours himself]

[Craving the unattainable in dreams]

[Says that he struggles for pleasure]

Looking at the two chattering absentmindedly, he became lost in thought.

“Hmm… Eating, dreaming, pleasure?”

“So just eat really well, sleep well, and poop well?”

[Mara applauds in admiration, saying that he is a talented person]

[Tathagata says that if you fall too deep into desire, you will experience suffering]

“Excuse me. I don’t know if I am a tree or a forest, and I am not that good of a person. I think I came to the wrong person.”

“Maybe it is because I have been playing with my kids lately, but I do not like pretending to be good with virtue or anything, and if I have to choose, I think that guy would be a good choice.”

As I pointed to Mara’s message with my finger and spoke, there was an immediate response.

[Mara is delighted that he has found an excellent successor]

[Tathagata seriously advises him that at the end of desire, only pain and wounds remain]

I was dumbfounded by his words.

“What’s wrong with desire? If there were no desires, we would have been primitive people until now. It is because of desires that mankind has developed to this point.”

[Mara wants to immediately pass on the Demon King’s throne to an excellent successor]

[Mara tells Tathagata that if he wants to live by eating grass, he should go into the mountains alone]

“What the hell does that little brat Maratangtangmyeon know?”

[He consoles Tathagata that if he becomes tainted by such evil, he will fall into a pit of no return]

[Mara laughs at Tathagata, saying that he is a demon and that he cannot tell the difference between evil and demons]

[Tathagata gathers his strength and prepares to release his kidney]

[Mara snickers and gathers his strength]

When the two of them suddenly started fighting, my head became dizzy.

“f*ck, where have I seen this before? Why are you two fighting and making a fuss when I leave the abbot alone?”

At my words, the sky became quiet for a moment, then he took out a cigarette and lit it.

“Whoa—So what if I choose?”

As soon as I finished speaking, the sky started to go crazy again and send down lightning.

[The Demon King of the Six Heavens of the Realm of Desire, the Heaven of Other Fire and Mercy]

[Mara Papyasuga]

[He says that as he reaches the end of his strength]

[by breaking]

[and destroying]

[he will gain the power to destroy].

As Mara finished speaking, this time the forests on the ground began to emit a pleasant scent of grass.

[He who achieved enlightenment through asceticism and advanced to nirvana]

[Siddhartha Gautama]

[He says that the enlightenment he gained through asceticism]

[will allow him to see all things]

[understand the functions and birth and death]

[and be able to see everything].

“I don’t understand what the hell you’re talking about.”

I washed my face dry in frustration because I couldn’t understand what the two were saying.

“Huh… Can’t I eat both? You’re saying they’re both good.”

[Siddhartha Gautama freaks out, saying that he can never mix with the energy of the underworld]

[Mara Papiyas mutters, asking if he’s not confident]

[Siddhartha Gautama prepares the Tathagata Body]

“Stop fighting and give me both of them.”

As soon as I finished speaking, light gathered before my eyes and two fruits the size of my thumbnails floated into the air.

I looked at the two fruits alternately and asked a question.

“Wasn’t Mara a demon or something? Why do these fruits emit such a bright light?”

[Mara Papiyas says that he is not evil but a demon, and that he is also called the Demon King, but he is also a Heavenly King.]

[Siddhartha Gautama says that it is true, but he is a very dangerous one with great power.]

“I am the worst kind of kid, so whatever happens, it doesn’t matter.”

He stretched out both hands, grabbed the two fruits floating in the air, and put them in his mouth.

[Tiring!]

[A good energy swirls through the heavens]

[A devilish energy swirls through the heavens]

Suddenly, a system sound erupted and an excruciating pain came.

“Ugh.”

A final scream burst out at the pain that was overwhelming him, but he could not continue because the pain was too severe.

The ground seemed close because his knees had fallen in pain.

Even in the midst of all this, messages continued to come up.

[Tiring!]

[The good energy swirls]

[The balance of the heavenly way collapses]

[The evil energy swirls]

[The balance of the heavenly way collapses]

[The foundation of the heavenly way shakes]

[The foundation of the heavenly way shakes]

[The foundation of the heavenly way shakes]

[The foundation of the heavenly way shakes]

[Tiring!]

[The stars of heaven twinkle]

[Illuminate the dark night of heaven]

[The sun of heaven sends down warmth]

[Dispels the dark clouds of heaven]

[Peach blossoms bloom in heaven]

[Breathing in the fragrance of heaven]

[Fruits ripen in heaven]

[Sweetness melts in heaven]

[The source of heaven takes deeper roots]

[Breathing in energy to heaven]

[Tiring!]

[The source of heaven corrects the misaligned harmony]

[Good energy and magic are in harmony with heaven]

[A harmonious nature has been formed in heaven]

[You are the heavenly peach itself]

[Tiring!]

[Siddhartha Gautama makes mudra]

[The sky opens its eyes]

[The fleshly eye transforms into the heavenly eye]

[In the left eye]

[The heavenly eye is established]

[You can see the forest]

[Mara Papiyas pushes greed]

[Greed opens its eyes]

[The fleshy eye is transformed into the devil’s eye]

[The devil’s eye is established in the right eye]

[Greed is directed]

[Mara Papiyas and Siddhartha Gautama reach out to you]

[Tiring!]

[Good and evil energy are established in the body]

[The body’s waste products are eliminated]

[The body begins to transform]

[The body is slowly changing into a divine body]

The letters that had been going up madly before my eyes along with the pain stopped for a moment, and as air entered my body that had stopped breathing because it was difficult to breathe, I gradually came to my senses.

“What did you do to me?”

I felt like a habit, I was back, and I was back.