Chapter 316: The Book of the World (I)
Inside a strange forest.
There was no natural light source here, yet the grass and tree trunks glowed with a faint golden radiance, illuminating the surrounding woods in a warm, ethereal glow.
Before long, a crimson meteor streaked across the distant horizon and plummeted toward the ground.
Boom!
A deafening impact shook the forest.
Two figures emerged from the crater.
The moment he landed, Gideon tossed out several holy artifacts, quickly setting up a small defensive formation. He expanded his Holy Light Barrier to a radius of roughly one meter around himself and then produced a century-old holy relic.
Only after completing all those preparations did he begin surveying his surroundings.
Across from him, Mashal shook his head and looked around.
A trace of confusion flashed across his face.
"What is this place...? Did the teleportation go wrong?" he muttered.
Gideon suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"After summoning something like that... did you ever consider how you were going to control it?"
Mashal raised an eyebrow.
"Have you lost your mind? That's the kind of thing you should be worried about."
Gideon sighed.
"You're far too naïve."
"Evil spirits. Demons. Fallen gods…"
"Since ancient times, every story involving such beings has revolved around desire and sacrifice."
Mashal narrowed his eyes.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Gideon looked directly at him.
"No matter how much power you've gained, you're still human."
"But that thing isn't."
"To beings like that, every human is nothing more than a game piece."
"Whatever reason led you down this path, when the day comes that it demands your sacrifice..."
"Do you really think you'll have the right to refuse?"
Mashal's expression remained cold.
"If it's God's will, then I'd gladly offer my life."
"And then what?" Gideon asked calmly.
"Will everything you originally wanted finally be achieved?"
"The anger you've carried all this time... the future you dreamed of..."
"Will any of it truly become reality?"
He spread his hands.
"Or will you merely convince yourself that your death was some glorious final act—when in truth it was nothing more than a pathetic illusion?"
Mashal clenched his fists.
For a brief moment, he fell silent.
Then he sneered.
"You're stalling for time."
"You want to learn God's weakness from me."
"Keep dreaming."
The instant he finished speaking, the dark green slime coating his body surged outward, forming two enormous serpents that lunged at Gideon.
"You think a few clever words are enough to make me betray my faith?"
Mashal barked coldly.
"Whether you're trying to deceive me or secretly prepare another trap, I won't give you the opportunity."
Faced with the incoming attack, Gideon remained completely calm.
Three golden rings appeared around his pupils.
At the same time, the Holy Light Barrier surrounding him expanded several times over.
Hummm—
A soft vibration echoed through the air.
The two serpents abruptly froze in place.
Confusion flickered across Mashal's face.
He attempted to command them again.
But this time, the serpents slowly turned around.
Then they bared their fangs at him.
"What...?!"
Disbelief filled Mashal's eyes.
His own power was no longer obeying him.
"What did you do?!"
Gideon remained silent and simply directed the serpents forward.
The moment he expanded the barrier earlier, he had used Divine Eye Restraint to suppress the fluctuations of the spirit-particle runes surrounding the serpents.
Then something unexpected happened.
Within the range of the Holy Light Barrier, his perception of spirit particles became far sharper, and controlling holy arts felt far more natural.
The combination of those two abilities seemed to grant him partial control over the entire space enclosed by the barrier.
"Could this... be the true way holy arts are meant to be used?" he wondered.
The Church possessed very few records concerning holy arts beyond the Third Theological Tier.
Abilities associated with common stages such as Eyes were documented in detail, but everything beyond that was largely left to individual clergy to explore on their own.
Clearly, Gideon had begun uncovering something important.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Seeing his own attack turned against him, Mashal naturally refused to sit still.
He slammed both palms against the ground.
Massive quantities of dark green slime poured from his sleeves and spread outward like a flood.
Within moments, Gideon was completely surrounded.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
Violent reactions erupted wherever the slime touched the barrier.
The two serpents dissolved back into the sea of slime.
After struggling briefly, they were swallowed whole.
Mashal let out a cold laugh.
"Hmph."
Then Gideon suddenly spoke.
"Crimson. Dark yellow. Gray. Pure white."
Mashal frowned.
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
He remained on high alert, constantly searching for hidden traps.
"Those are the sins inside you."
Gideon slowly raised his hand.
"You've endured pain and betrayal."
"You're filled with hatred."
"And despite everything..."
"You still cling to a fragment of hope."
A flash of shock crossed Mashal's eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You once had a miserable past, didn't you?"
"The hell are you—"
Mashal started shouting.
Yet a strange sensation suddenly surfaced within him.
For the first time, he felt as though the priest standing before him genuinely wanted to understand him.
To understand his suffering.
To feel the pain he had carried for years.
"Tell me about your pain, my friend."
Gideon's voice was calm and gentle.
There was a reassuring warmth within it.
"I... I..."
Mashal's breathing became ragged.
Sweat poured down his forehead.
Thud.
He dropped to his knees.
Both hands pressed against the ground.
"I'm... so tired..."
And then Mashal began recounting his past.
A story of hope gained and hope destroyed.
A poor boy who had once idolized the Church.
A boy who believed the merciful Heavenly Father would save him.
Instead, he witnessed hypocrisy.
Coldness.
Indifference.
And in the end, he lost someone precious.
"Justice. Kindness."
"They've never belonged exclusively to any organization."
"They're part of humanity itself."
Gideon spoke softly.
"You sought a greater power to change that reality."
"But perhaps those beings are the very origin of all sin."
Mashal's consciousness was becoming hazy.
"What... should I do?"
"Take back control of your mind and body."
"Drive them out."
"Stop being anyone's servant."
Mashal lowered his head.
"But... it's too late."
"This isn't merely a descent of consciousness anymore."
"He has obtained a real body."
"No one can stop him."
"In the end... we will all become God's slaves."
Gideon frowned.
Is there truly no other way...?
Earlier, he had secretly used the authority of the Messenger of Sin to manipulate Mashal's emotions, magnifying the hope hidden within his heart and trying to extract information about the angel's weakness.
But—
"You!"
"What did you do to me?!"
Mashal suddenly shouted.
His face was filled with disbelief.
"You actually controlled my thoughts!"
"How do you possess a power like that?!"
Gideon smiled faintly.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
"Traps are merely a way to save time."
Mashal swallowed hard.
He suddenly realized just how much strength this priest had been hiding.
Worse still—
By bringing Gideon here, he had inadvertently rescued him from the angel's attack.
Now Gideon no longer needed to hold anything back.
"Wait..."
Mashal looked up.
The absolute conviction that had filled his eyes earlier was gone.
But the next moment—
His entire body began trembling violently.
His pupils turned completely white.
Gideon narrowed his eyes and quietly increased his vigilance.
Crack... Crack...
Every joint in Mashal's body twisted grotesquely.
Foam leaked from the corners of his mouth.
Meanwhile, the dark green slime covering him rapidly receded.
Then—
To Gideon's utter bewilderment—
Mashal calmly loosened his belt.
And began urinating on the spot.
Along with the stream came a puddle of dark green liquid.
Silence filled the forest.
After fastening his pants again, Mashal folded his hands neatly over his abdomen and turned his gaze toward Gideon.
At least, that's how it appeared from Gideon's perspective.
Then he spoke.
"Gideon Black."
"A soul from another world."
"Greetings."
The very first sentence caused Gideon's expression to change instantly.
His voice was no longer the deep, rough tone Mashal had used before. Instead, it had become calm and androgynous, carrying an inexplicable sense of detachment.
"Who exactly are you?" Gideon asked, frowning as he secretly palmed another century-old holy relic. "An angel?"
"An angel?" the figure replied. "That being is still near the ritual site at this very moment. Jolan Borha of the Church is currently burning away his lifespan in an attempt to seal it."
Gideon's expression darkened.
Burning away his lifespan.
Those words alone were enough to reveal just how dire the situation had become.
"As for me..." the figure continued, "you may call me the Will of the World."
"The... Will of the World?"
Gideon studied him from head to toe, countless possibilities flashing through his mind.
"I am this world itself," the being said. "This space is also a part of me."
"So..." Gideon narrowed his eyes. "You've possessed his body?"
"Possessed?" The Will of the World considered the term for a moment. "That is an acceptable interpretation."
"I dealt with your enemy. By human standards, that should count as a welcoming gift."
"A welcoming gift..." Gideon replied. "That sounds like a rather friendly gesture."
"Correct."
"I require your assistance, Gideon."
A thoughtful look appeared in Gideon's eyes.
This suddenly appearing entity was filled with mysteries, yet it genuinely seemed free of hostility—for the moment.
Otherwise, with the ability to seize control of another person's body so effortlessly, Gideon doubted he would still be alive.
But...
The Will of the World.
What kind of existence was that?
And why had it specifically sought him out?
The most unsettling part was that it knew he did not belong to this world.
"I understand that you have many questions," the Will of the World said. "Please allow me some time to explain."
Gideon shrugged without responding.
"There are infinitely many worlds within the universe."
"Each world operates according to its own set of laws."
"The tides. The wind and rain. The turning of the stars."
"All of these are manifestations of those laws."
"But when those laws become influenced by a force from a higher dimension, the world itself will create a highly condensed collection of rules in an attempt to free itself from that influence."
"That collection of rules becomes the Will of the World."
"In other words... me."
Gideon frowned slightly.
"That's a rather extraordinary claim. Do you honestly expect me to believe something like that?"
The moment he finished speaking, "Mashal" suddenly raised both hands.
Instantly, the surrounding grass and trees began growing at an astonishing speed.
Within moments, they towered toward the heavens, illuminating the entire region.
Only then did Gideon see the sky clearly.
Countless layers of mist filled the heavens.
Hidden behind them was a vast barrier.
Its surface was riddled with cracks, resembling shattered glass.
Beyond those fractures stretched endless darkness.
A boundless void.
Crack... Crack...
A crisp sound echoed through the air.
The broken edges of the barrier suddenly began regenerating and expanding.
"You possess the ability to perceive these things," the Will of the World said calmly.
"You should be able to understand what I just did."
Gideon's expression became grave.
Using the perception granted by Preacher, he had witnessed the regeneration of the space's spiritual particles in real time.
This power had already surpassed the realm of holy arts.
It was a force comparable to divinity itself.
"The Holy Light Barrier you possess can achieve similar effects when cultivated to its highest level," the Will of the World explained.
"These are all examples of manipulating and altering the rules themselves."
"The reason demons, angels, and gods can influence reality is because they rewrite those rules."
"In other words... they tamper with my authority."
A hint of surprise flashed across Gideon's face.
The Will of the World fell silent for a moment, as though recalling an ancient memory.
"This world was no different from countless others."
"In the beginning, supernatural power did not exist here."
"However, within the void exist countless unknown beings."
"No one knows where they came from."
"No one knows their purpose."
"No one even knows what they truly look like."
"And long before humanity appeared, some of those entities reached the outer boundary of this world."
"They attempted to interfere with reality itself using indelible marks of power."
"It was during that era..."
"That I was born."
Gideon's gaze flickered.
The information was difficult to absorb.
What he was hearing felt like a secret far beyond anything humanity was meant to know.
"So what you're saying..." he slowly began.
"...is that some external existence granted supernatural power to humanity?"
"Which means the Church, demons, angels... all of them are products of that influence?"
The Will of the World lowered its head slightly.
"Granted?"
"I prefer a different description."
"A sweet poison."
"But your conclusion is correct."
"These are powers humanity was never meant to control."
"And once people obtained them, conflict and death only intensified."
"The destruction of this very space is proof of that."
"For a very long time, I attempted to resist the intrusion of those powers."
"In the end, I failed."
"Faith."
"Spirit."
"Bloodlines."
"Purpose."
"The reasons humans seek power differ greatly."
"But what they ultimately do with that power is often remarkably similar."
"The entities within the void succeeded."
"Their influence seeped into this world."
Gideon slowly shook his head.
"Even in a world without supernatural power, humanity would still make many of the same choices."
"The capacity for both good and evil is part of human nature."
"It's one of the things that makes humanity unique."
"Those powers merely amplify what already exists."
The Will of the World gazed at him for a long moment.
"I have searched for change for tens of thousands of years."
"And only now have I finally found a possibility."
"It is you."
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
"One day," the Will of the World continued, "while observing the activities of those entities as I always do, I discovered an extraordinarily powerful force."
"A force even more mysterious than the beings lurking within the void."
"It was carrying a soul as it passed by this world."
"Ordinarily, it would have been nothing more than a fleeting encounter."
"A strange coincidence that would never happen again."
"But then I wondered..."
"If a force like that existed..."
"Perhaps it could drive those entities away."
"So I called out to it."
"And unexpectedly..."
"It answered."
"Several years later, you appeared in this world."
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
He had always believed his arrival here had been a complete accident.
Now it seemed there had been far more behind it than he ever imagined.
The force that carried my soul...
If the Will of the World was telling the truth, then whatever had transported him here was beyond the comprehension of both this entity and the mysterious beings lurking in the void.
What kind of existence could possibly possess such power?
"You said earlier..." Gideon looked directly at him.
"...that I might be the turning point."
"Then tell me."
"What exactly do you want me to do?"