LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 59
It was said that the candle burns its body to illuminate the world.
So then, what is it that the burning candle radiates?
Is the light it produces merely a simplified version of burning and melting?
If it can fill the world with light, then what is that light?
“ॐ-”
As Jinseong jumped into the fire, the flames roared fiercely as if welcoming the sacrifice. The unreal clarity of the fire had now become so vivid it seemed to leap off the paper, ingraining its image into the world, so much so that even if I closed my eyes in unwillingness, it would forcibly appear in my mind.
When seeing a ghost, one understands not with their eyes but with their soul, so regardless of distance or environment, that image comes to mind with clarity.
The sacred fire could also be perceived with the soul, so even with closed eyes or turned back, wherever the light shone, its figure naturally lodged itself in my brain. This was indeed the light that the candle, burning its body, emitted, a manifestation of wisdom that brightly illuminated the world.
Yes.
Light.
There was light upon the altar.
There was light in the shrine.
And at the center of that light stood Jinseong.
“ॐ….”
Surrounded by flames, Jinseong sat in a comfortable posture, endlessly chanting the mantra.
Without inhaling, only exhaling.
As if he were vibrating the very sound of the universe being born, he continued endlessly, unfalteringly.
ॐ————-.
After a considerable time of chanting, Jinseong breathlessly exhaled, inhaling air to the point his chest seemed ready to burst.
However, he was in flames.
The oxygen he craved was nonexistent; only heat remained.
As Jinseong inhaled, the air flowed, and the flames of wisdom surged into his lungs. A brilliantly vivid hue flowed into him just as smoke would, filling his mouth and flowing into his chest towards the prayer.
Naturally, inhaling flames brought with it unbearable pain.
Jinseong felt the flames trying to scorch his mouth and lungs. Energy was bursting forth with the will to reduce him to ash, meticulously burning his flesh and exploding cells.
Was it perhaps called the worst pain a human could endure, the anguish of incineration?
Jinseong’s entire body felt the agony of being burnt by flames, the torment of his skin melting away while alive, the internal fire seeking to roast him from the inside, and the mental suffering from the pain echoed within his brain.
Jinseong was tormented by the ceaseless agony as the price for stepping into the flames with a living body.
The horror of that pain was so extreme it prompted his brain to secrete all available narcotics in a desperate attempt to forget, and his nerves twitched, yearning to leap beyond the flames. Yet, with sheer will, Jinseong remained comfortably locked within the fire, spine straight, eyes closed.
Hoo—hup.
Suffering through such horrific pain while inhaling, Jinseong ceased to breathe.
And just like before, he exhaled; the breath was as crimson as blood.
“Hूँ-”
Once again, the mantra emerged.
As the mantra flowed, the vibrations that once coursed through Jinseong’s body moved upward. The vibrations that had stimulated every part of him flowed as though water, air, traveling through his veins and skin, heading upward until they reached his crown.
Once at the crown, the vibration savagely shook Jinseong’s head, resembling a scarecrow trembling in an earthquake.
“Hूँ———”
Then, stimulated by the vibrations, his brain began releasing even more narcotics than before.
If the previous secretion had been the brain’s desperate judgment to alleviate pain, this time it was using all its functions purely to produce more narcotics.
Jinseong’s brain, unable even to judge for itself, began releasing endorphins and enkephalins, influenced solely by the vibrations, as if squeezing juice from a fruit.
In that moment when the balance of pain and narcotics aligned,
There came a feeling of emptiness that washed over him, as if devoid of pain, distractions, or even happiness.
Jinseong realized that the moment he had longed for had finally arrived.
‘Samadhi.’
A world that felt as if all five senses had been dulled.
In a realm filled only with tranquility, Jinseong finally opened his previously closed eyes.
And there, waiting as if it had been anticipating him, the flames approached and seeped into his gaze.
Jinseong’s eyes flickered with alternating red and blue light as they absorbed the flames, the pupils constantly contracting and expanding.
But instead of burning his eyes, the flames sought to possess him, wishing for him to behold the world through their light.
Jinseong willingly allowed it, as the flames took hold of his gaze, viewing the world through fire.
And with that flame.
With the agony of his flesh burning.
In the vibrating sound that contained consciousness, he spoke with his will:
Only purity shall maintain its form.
Only the wise shall illuminate the world.
Purity and wisdom are sacred, while defilement shall not leave even ash behind and will vanish.
The flames gazed upon the world through his vision.
All that Jinseong could see was a world filled entirely with tranquility.
Tranquility.
Without the external conditions shaking his ego.
Only a quiet and static world.
The flames considered that his vision was not defiled.
Thus, they moved inward along his optic nerve, heading towards the brain.
The flames gazed upon the world through his thoughts.
Jinseong’s brain, having calmly settled, remained unmoved by the external condition of pain; it was firmly stationed in place.
The mind, elevated immensely due to samadhi, appeared pure in the eyes of the flames.
The flames deemed that his spirit was not defiled.
And so, they decided.
The body is pure.
The mind is pure.
The soul is pure.
He possessed enough value to survive the sacred flames.
Instead of burning Jinseong, the sacred fire ignited! Just as Jinseong desired to shine with light using his body as a candle, he lit up with flames, using his body made of firewood. The flames birthed flames, blooming with the holiness he contained.
Thus, the flames that had tirelessly scorched Jinseong, inflicting pain, began to change their properties, healing his body. His melted skin turned into fresh, pristine flesh, and the internal organs, which had been baking in heat, transformed anew. All the accumulated toxins, chemicals, and fats burned away, leaving only what was beneficial. The parasites within his body almost succumbed to the flames but fell into a deep slumber, retained due to Jinseong’s will.
Jinseong’s mind experienced a similar transformation.
Attaining the tranquil state of samadhi, Jinseong’s consciousness deepened into a state devoid of smoke as the flames passed, expanding his mind in a single breath. It was like the expansive landscape after a huge forest fire, offering a taste of boundless mental freedom with no obstacles in sight.
And within his soul, an unquenchable ember found a home.
The sacred flame penetrated the twisted and distorted parts, leaving embers, while a portion of Jinseong’s soul transformed into charred remnants clinging to the flicker of ash.
—
Jinseong’s actions were enough to leave everyone in shock.
The shamaness thought the altar would be set ablaze, sacrificing itself, yet here he was, pouring oil over himself, walking right into the flames?
Only a madman could act in such a way.
In sheer horror, Rise squeezed her eyes shut, while the mercenaries, seasoned veterans of battles, gaped in disbelief at the mad spectacle unfolding in front of them.
Even the warriors moaning in pain from extinguishing the flames turned wide-eyed, their expressions as if ready to pop out.
But Jinseong, having entered the fire, remained unscathed for a long time.
Floating in his seated position.
Transforming as if reborn.
‘Transformation?!’
That sight bore resemblance to the form of someone skilled in martial arts.