Chapter 428:
The additional forces of the Great Army were so vast that even the enormous Old Town couldn’t contain them, so the assembly site naturally shifted to the wilderness outside the Old Town.
“It’s a frightening level of power.”
Kwon Jia said this, looking at the allied forces’ camps filling the plains.
Yuhyun nodded, agreeing with her words.
The camps varied in size and type. Their diversity, unstandardized, clearly showed just how many forces were mixed here.
An unimaginably vast army had gathered to oppose Logos, who intended to erase this world. Not only the Great Army but other Sacred Armies were joining in, and even the monarchs who hadn’t previously allied with the League were coming one by one.
Even now, the power of the allied forces was growing in real-time.
“This is the greatest power that’s ever gathered. If war breaks out, even if we face the Great Army, we could crush them in one blow. But that doesn’t mean we can look at this optimistically.”
“Right. Logos’ forces won’t be easy to deal with.”
Logos’ Genesis Foundation boasted an impregnable fortress filled with endless numbers of Elohim and, led by the powerful Twelve Overseers, barred even Divine Spirits from entering.If that were all, they wouldn’t be this tense.
The important thing was that the enemy’s forces weren’t limited to just that.
“Olympus and Asgard are on their side, too, right?”
“If it were just those two, it would be one thing, but Rigveda, Anunnaki, Hermopolis, and Avesta have joined as well.”
“A complete disaster.”
Olympus, the root of Roman mythology.
Asgard, the root of Norse mythology.
Rigveda, the root of Indian mythology.
Anunnaki, the root of Mesopotamian mythology.
Hermopolis, the root of Egyptian mythology.
Avesta, the root of Persian mythology.
A staggering six Great Armies had sided with Logos.
The common thread among them was that most of the deities leading these Great Armies were usurpers.
There was no need to guess their motives. Having enjoyed authority as usurpers in the previous world, they desired the same in the next.
‘It’s laughable that Logos allowed that.’
Logos and the Great Armies – a deal may have transpired between them.
Though this could be seen as the worst situation, they’d also gained something from it.
And if Logos needed the support of six Great Armies, it proved that even he, as a god, couldn’t wield his power arbitrarily and absolutely.
Even as a creator, he didn’t have the power to restart the universe with a snap of his fingers, which was a relief for the allied forces.
‘Is it because so many adversaries have gathered this time? Logos seems desperate, making deals with the Great Armies over who will be the next usurper.’
Perhaps, on the condition that if they helped Logos wipe out the allied forces, they’d become the central figures of the next universe. Though it couldn’t be confirmed, it was highly likely.
The Great Armies siding with Logos didn’t want to oppose him but chose to face the allied forces, who seemed easier to deal with to protect their current positions.
For Logos, it was a win-win if both sides fought and weakened each other.
If the current usurpers took the lead in the next universe, it wouldn’t be favorable for Logos either. He likely planned to reduce their numbers.
‘And beyond that issue… are the kings of the other stories.’
Lotfiout, the chairman of Celestial Corporation.
Damcheon, the head of the Troupe of Tragic Fate.
Catharsis, the pope of Exodus.
These were the primordial artificial beings born of Logos.
To prepare for the impending harvest season, they had severed all connections with anything related to the Archives and halted the flow of the hybrid realm’s narratives.
It was a form of information blockade, intended to streamline the harvesting process.
However, they hadn’t foreseen one thing: that Yuhyun was the only Teller who held an Archive and had achieved independence.
‘But, did they really not anticipate that?’
Maybe Damcheon and Catharsis didn’t know, but could Lotfiout have truly overlooked this?
‘Did he think I was dead, so he didn’t bother retrieving the Archive? Or did he have another intention?’
But what was done was done. Now that even Satan’s attempts at concealing information had failed, there was no guarantee that the kings of the stories wouldn’t move again.
Yuhyun had encountered Lotfiout’s true form long ago, though he knew little about Damcheon and Catharsis.
Since Celestial Corporation was Lotfiout’s true form, his immense presence and overwhelming narrative equaled that of a first-generation Divine Spirit.
‘It’s complicated in so many ways.’
There was too much to consider. Especially with Satan’s death and the passing of his entire story to Yuhyun, he had to be mindful of making it his own.
Satan’s techniques, his powers, and the tales he had built over the ages.
The will, memories, and faint traces of past memories that intermingled within them.
Ordinarily, the identity of Kang Yuhyun would have vanished, swept away by the powerful story of Satan, but Yuhyun remained entirely intact.
Satan’s story had become his own. Instead of clashing or devouring each other, they coexisted.
“A strange energy surrounds you.”
At that moment, someone approached Yuhyun and Kwon Jia. Kwon Jia seemed startled that she hadn’t sensed his presence before he spoke, and she grew wary, but Yuhyun didn’t.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“You’re suppressing your power right now, but aren’t you from the Pure Land?”
Yuhyun looked at him and read his entire story with his eyes.
He was a first-generation Divine Spirit from the Pure Land, one who desired to eradicate darkness more than anyone.
His name, he who shines upon all.
Another name for him was Mahavairocana Buddha.
As the representative of the Pure Land, he had come alone to find Yuhyun.
“…I have something to check on, so I’ll take my leave.”
Sensing the gravity between the two, Kwon Jia tactfully withdrew. With her gone, Mahavairocana Buddha didn’t bother hiding his true feelings.
“Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“It seems that the Demon King, Mara Papias, has sided with the Foundation.”
“…I see.”
There was little chance it was a lie.
He had wondered where that being had fled, only to learn it had sided with the Foundation. This meant that Mara Papias might also have been a usurper.
“More than that, why have you come to inform me?”
“I didn’t think highly of you.”
“A coincidence. I thought the same.”
It was such a sudden statement from Mahavairocana Buddha, but Yuhyun nodded naturally.
His first encounter with the Pure Land’s Great Army hadn’t left him with pleasant memories.
The same went for Mahavairocana Buddha.
He had once seen Seo Sumin as a potential risk who could become a loyal servant of the Mara in the future, so he had tried to eliminate her. He had even recklessly used Chulaphantaka, Buddha’s disciple, to achieve this.
It had been Yuhyun’s doing that stopped Chulaphantaka. To Mahavairocana Buddha, Yuhyun was the one who had thwarted his grand plan.
“It’s laughable. We, who seek purity and strive to rid the world of afflictions, now find ourselves allying with beings like the Demon King Alliance and Pandemonium, raising a rebellion against the world.”
“…If you’ve had a change of heart, I wouldn’t stop you from moving to the Foundation.”
“Are you mocking me? Even I have some pride.”
Mahavairocana Buddha looked steadily at Yuhyun.
“Seer, that child sacrificed her own life for you.”
“Are you here to hold me accountable?”
“Accountable? Far from it. Every choice ultimately was Seer’s own. I can’t dictate anything about it. Instead, I, too, became interested in the future she was willing to die to witness. And her prediction has come true. This world has repeated itself countless times, and among the Divine Spirits, there were even usurpers. And I realized… perhaps you are the true savior who will finally bring an end to this endlessly repeating world.”
“…Savior. That title feels burdensome.”
“Though you might feel that way, it’s inevitable that many think of you as such. A human, not even a Divine Spirit, who was once only a Teller, is now at the center of this entire crisis.”
Yuhyun couldn’t deny it.
The presence of Yuhyun was a major reason why the Great Armies joined the Alliance to stand against Logos.
“All the stars are watching you.”
The interest of all the Divine Spirits.
In his past life, he was nothing but an extra on stage, someone no one ever bothered to look at.
But now, he had become the central figure standing tall in this world.
“Interest… is it.”
It wasn’t just some empty praise but words from a first-generation Divine Spirit of the Pure Land, genuinely spoken.
Yuhyun understood the weight behind those words.
‘So, this is it.’
I had run and run, and now, I had ended up here.
What unfolded before his eyes was his past self, kneeling in the ruins, shedding tears.
There was once a time when he’d longed to stand in a place like this. After he died and was reborn as a Teller, he’d even set it as his life’s goal.
But since then, he’d gone through countless events and met countless people.
Stories made from the bonds and experiences shared with them.
As he went through it all, he somehow ended up here.
It wasn’t solely because he had done well. So many people had helped him get to this point.
The past wasn’t just a stepping stone for present success.
Every moment.
Every single scene was precious beyond measure.
It felt as if he’d reached this place out of pure luck, perhaps by chance.
“Thank you for thinking highly of me.”
“I still don’t fully trust you. But… that child, Seer, believed in you. So, I plan to believe in you, whom Seer trusted.”
Mahavairocana Buddha said this as he held his hand out to Yuhyun.
“Take this.”
“…This is?”
“It is my story.”
The Story of the Dharmakaya of Purity and Wisdom Mudra.
A story declaring that the realms of Buddha and sentient beings are one, and all beings hold the potential to become a Buddha.
“A first-generation Divine Spirit or a Buddha—none of it truly mattered. In essence, sentient beings and Buddhas were all the same from the start. I realized that by looking at you.”
“So, you’re giving me this grand story?”
“Because it’s you.”
This is why he was giving it to him.
Yuhyun silently looked at Mahavairocana Buddha, then accepted the story he offered.
Mahavairocana Buddha nodded with a benevolent smile.
“Thank you.”
“No, it’s me who should thank you.”
“This brings me a bit of relief. Now I have something to boast about to others.”
Mahavairocana Buddha’s face looked refreshed, as though he had shed all burdens.
“I’ll make good use of it.”
“Yes. It might not be much help, but even if it’s just that, please… take care of the world.”
Take care… he was speaking as if he might be going somewhere. It seemed even Mahavairocana Buddha wasn’t certain of his survival in the upcoming war.
Leaving those words, Mahavairocana Buddha vanished with a burst of light, returning to where the other Divine Spirits of the Pure Land awaited.
“I was planning to, even without you saying so.”
Yuhyun murmured this quietly to the spot where he had disappeared.
Since he received it, he thought it was best to use it right away.
Absorbing the story of [Wisdom Mudra], Yuhyun turned his head, gazing in a direction where no one was visible.
“Why don’t you come out now? The guest has left.”
“Haha. So you noticed me.”
The space twisted, and Yoo Young-min, who had been hiding and waiting, revealed himself.
Though they had both been present at the meeting hall, the atmosphere then had prevented them from speaking openly.
“It’s been a while, Young-min.”
“Yes, it’s really been a while, hyung.”
“You’ve changed quite a bit since I last saw you.”
Though he had recently shaved, traces of stubble on Yoo Young-min’s face showed that he, too, had gone through five years.
“Thanks for helping me out last time.”
“Oh, it was nothing… In fact, I should’ve done more, but I couldn’t.”
“It was because of Jin Cheong-woon, right? Or more precisely, because of the Fragments.”
“…Yes.”
Young-min was worried that Yuhyun might feel betrayed because he’d gathered Fragments with Jin Cheong-woon.
Even if it was something he had to do for the world, personal feelings couldn’t be ignored.
“You did well.”
“…What?”
“You did well. You worked hard even without me.”
“Hyung.”
Young-min was at a loss for words, as Yuhyun didn’t scold him but rather showed understanding.
To cry in this situation would be embarrassing, so he suppressed the surge of emotion welling up in his chest.
Though his fundamental personality hadn’t changed, much else about him had.
Rather than chatting now that they’d reunited, wasn’t there something more important?
“Here, take this.”
Young-min held out the Fragments he had gathered to Yuhyun.
The reason he had come to see Yuhyun was to hand over the Fragments and return his greatest partner, Maxwell.
He had hidden earlier because of the other guest, but there was no need to anymore.
“I don’t need it. You’re the one who needs it most. For the sake of the world.”
“…Yes. You did well.”
Yuhyun shook hands with Young-min, retrieving the rest of the Fragments from him.
Black characters rose over Yuhyun’s body, and soon Maxwell’s demon form appeared.
[It has been a long time, Master.]
“Yes, Maxwell. It’s been a while.”
[Please forgive my lack of loyalty in not coming to see you last time.]
“There’s nothing to forgive. I’m not angry at all. Welcome back.”
[Thank you for your broad-minded understanding.]
Maxwell bowed his head and merged back into Yuhyun’s body.
Simultaneously, the Demon of Aporia within Yuhyun awoke in its complete form.
Until now, Aporia’s demon had only been a fragmented understanding of the Fragments, but now that he had mastered Awakening and fully comprehended the Fragments, it was different.
With all the Fragments collected by Jin Cheong-woon and Yoo Young-min combined, the Fragment transformed from scattered pieces into a single form.
It was a single golden page.
The core page of the Codex of the Origin.
“So, this… is the Codex.”
Not just any Codex but the Codex of the present universe.
In each universe, pages like this accumulated, and the book formed from them was the true Codex.
At that moment, Yuhyun’s vision turned completely white.
It was as if his consciousness, rather than his body, was being powerfully drawn somewhere.
When the white field of view brightened without a single impurity mixing in, he arrived.
“This place.”
It was the same pure white space he had seen in his dream before.
Standing before him was the massive white figure, arms spread wide like a cross.
[So, it’s you, the little rat who sneaked in here last time.]
As he recognized Yuhyun right away, Yuhyun recognized him in return.
“Logos.”
The master of the Codex of the Origin.
The one who had erased and restarted this world countless times, the root cause of this crisis.
Finally, Yuhyun was face to face with him.