Chapter 319: The Book of the World (Final)
"Sorry," Gideon said, raising a hand apologetically. "Next time I'll try pouring it into your mouth instead."
Tears streamed down Hugh's face. After a great deal of effort, he finally managed to squeeze out a response.
"It's okay..."
Whether the tears came from the unbearable pain around his mouth or from the relief of surviving once again, even he could not tell.
Nearby, hope rekindled in the eyes of Bettice and Caroline.
Calvis and Rolcie glanced behind Gideon. After confirming he had come alone, confusion filled their faces.
Did this guy come here to commit suicide?
Haggai repeatedly wiggled his eyebrows at Gideon and gestured frantically toward the mist behind him.
The evil aura within the fog was no longer as chaotic as before.
That could only mean one thing—
The restrictions imposed by the world's laws had grown increasingly weak.
Yet nobody seemed to notice his anxious signals.
A flash of surprise crossed Jolan's eyes when he saw Gideon.
But his expression quickly darkened.
"You fool! You should have reported everything here to the Church, not returned alone trying to play the hero!"
Gideon shrugged.
"Lord Jolan, I think that responsibility suits you much better. You know me—I've never been interested in that sort of thing."
"You…"
Jolan opened his mouth to argue.
In the end, however, he said nothing.
"It's too dangerous."
The four members of the Clergy Corps were dumbfounded.
Never in their lives had they seen anyone speak to Lord Jolan like that.
Even more unbelievable—
Jolan seemed remarkably tolerant of the young priest.
The sight left the group, who were frequently subjected to what Jolan called 'the Lord's discipline,' feeling rather envious.
Cynthia, however, wore a strange expression.
Remembering how this priest had saved them earlier, she increasingly suspected that he was the mysterious new member Jolan often mentioned.
Yet even so—
Faced with such absolute despair, what difference could one priest possibly make?
The spark of hope that had just reignited within her quietly dimmed again.
Valak, meanwhile, looked positively ecstatic.
"Hey! Kid, you finally made it!"
"You asked me to handle something, and I didn't slack off. This guy can testify!"
Dragging its gate-like body, the demon hopped beside Jolan, splattering dirt all over the Archbishop's face.
"Thank you."
Gideon pulled out three glass bottles.
Then, after a brief pause, produced two more.
"As promised."
He tossed all five bottles toward Valak.
Crack. Crunch.
Valak's face lit up with delight.
It swallowed all five bottles in one gulp.
Moments later, the facial features carved into the gate's surface began twitching uncontrollably.
Aside from the few clergy members who had witnessed this scene before, both the Clergy Corps and the members of Wings of Vengeance stared in disbelief.
"Astonishing," Lucifer remarked with genuine curiosity.
"To experience something akin to narcotic addiction through holy power alone."
"No wonder it obeys you so willingly."
Gideon waved dismissively.
"Don't bother trying to drive a wedge between us. We enjoy a healthy working relationship."
Valak managed to force out a trembling response.
"Th-that's... right..."
"Hmph."
"A demon cooperating with a priest."
Lucifer sneered.
"Since you've appeared here, that means Mashal is dead."
Closing his eyes, he inhaled slowly.
"Interesting."
"I can't sense anything at all."
"He despised the way your organization slaughtered innocent people," Gideon replied.
"So after confessing his sins to me, he chose to move on."
"Liar!"
Abaddon immediately bellowed.
"Mashal would rather share a meal with Beelzebub than repent!"
Beelzebub frowned.
"I understand that you're trying to prove he's lying."
"But using me as an example is insulting."
"I would never share a meal with someone who has such terrible taste."
The moment food was mentioned, the other members of Wings of Vengeance all wore odd expressions.
"Enough, Father."
Lucifer spoke again.
"Based on what happened during Memorial Day, I doubt you came here merely to die."
He gestured invitingly.
"Feel free to use whatever methods you have."
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"For a villain, that's a remarkably amateurish thing to say."
"Oh?"
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"Would you care to enlighten me?"
Gideon extended a hand.
"You all suffered some experience or tragedy that left you utterly disappointed in the world."
One finger folded down.
"You spent years acquiring the strength you now possess."
A second finger folded.
"You invested immense effort, resources, and preparation into a carefully designed plan."
Another finger lowered.
"You made enemies of the entire world."
"You abandoned your former lives."
"You risked death countless times to reach this point."
Only his little finger remained raised as he pointed it toward Wings of Vengeance.
"And yet—"
"When everything was finally ready…"
"You didn't immediately carry out your plan."
"Instead, you deliberately stalled."
He let out a cold laugh.
"Why?"
"Because you're so confident victory is guaranteed that you want to savor this fleeting feeling of controlling the entire board?"
His smile turned mocking.
"Have you ever heard the saying—"
'Villains die because they talk too much.'
"Every second of meaningless delay creates an opportunity for your enemies to change the situation."
"It risks turning years of preparation into nothing."
"If you can't even guard against that possibility…"
"Then doesn't that make you amateurs?"
Silence descended instantly.
The Church members stared at Gideon suspiciously.
Who sent this guy?
Is he an undercover operative?
Meanwhile, the members of Wings of Vengeance looked equally shocked.
Everything he said perfectly summarized the sacrifices, humiliation, and perseverance they had endured for years.
His professional analysis was so accurate that some of them actually felt guilty.
One by one, they turned to Lucifer.
The meaning in their eyes was unmistakable.
Boss… are you absolutely sure this guy isn't one of ours?
"Hmph."
Lucifer's expression darkened.
"I don't need you teaching me how to do my job."
Gideon shrugged.
"The harder you deny it, the more obvious it becomes that you have no argument."
"And if you intend to claim that your 'god' hasn't fully broken free yet…"
He shook his head.
"Don't bother."
His gaze remained calm.
"The moment the evil aura stopped fluctuating chaotically…"
"The Fallen One had already gained its freedom."
"…Hadn't it?"
Lucifer narrowed his eyes.
"You truly are different."
"Very well."
"Since you've figured it out, there's no need to hide it anymore."
He pressed a hand against his heart.
Instantly, violent winds exploded through the mist.
A suffocating force descended.
Oppression.
Despair.
Corruption.
Every person present felt an overwhelming urge to kneel.
To submit.
To worship.
Calvis merely attempted to glance behind him—
Yet the very act suddenly felt like blasphemy.
He clutched his own throat, seized by an urge to kill himself in atonement.
"Before you offer up your soul completely," Lucifer said, staring at Gideon, "I have one final question."
Yet Gideon still managed a smile.
"Oh?"
"I assumed you'd try recruiting me first."
Lucifer merely snorted.
After Gideon publicly undermined his authority before the other members of Wings of Vengeance, Lucifer had already marked him for death.
"If you hadn't exposed the truth about the True God's liberation…"
"You might have lived a little longer."
That was the part Lucifer genuinely wished to understand.
From every conceivable perspective, Gideon's earlier words had only harmed the Church's position.
"So that's what you're curious about."
Gideon smiled.
"Everyone here is both powerful and intelligent."
"To keep people like you occupied, the bait must be irresistible."
Lucifer frowned.
He had spoken those exact words himself not long ago.
His eyes swept across the battlefield, searching for Gideon's hidden trump card.
Then—
"Stop looking."
Gideon spread his hands.
"How could you possibly detect the power of a Holy Angel?"
Lucifer's heart sank.
"…What did you say?"
At that exact moment—
BZZZZZ—
A radiant sphere of light appeared in the heavens.
The clouds turned gold.
The entire world brightened.
"This…"
Jolan's eyes widened.
Disbelief covered his face.
Within the clouds stood a colossal figure.
Its vast silhouette seemed to fill the entire sky.
Though its face remained concealed by brilliant golden light—
The enormous white wings stretching through the heavens…
And the incomparably pure holy power gathering above…
Made a terrifying possibility emerge within Jolan's mind.
"Damn it!"
Valak suddenly regained its senses.
It glanced upward.
Then terror unlike anything before overtook its face.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
"How could a being like that truly descend past the world's restrictions?!"
The gate began shaking violently.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Crack.
Crack.
Under everyone's astonished gaze, the gate crumbled into dust.
Valak vanished without a trace.
At the same time—
A beam of dazzling light descended from the sky.
Near the ground it split into eleven streams, enveloping every clergy member except Gideon.
Warmth surged through Jolan's body.
His exhaustion disappeared completely.
Then, to his utter shock, countless spirit-particle runes gathered at the stump of his severed arm.
Blood vessels.
Bones.
Muscles.
Skin.
Within moments, the limb had been perfectly restored.
Jolan clenched and unclenched his fist.
It felt completely normal.
As though it had never been severed at all.
The same miracle occurred for the others.
Their restraints vanished.
Their bodies returned to peak condition.
Without hesitation, they dropped to their knees and prayed devoutly toward the heavenly figure.
Then—
A sudden voice broke the solemn atmosphere.
"Lord Angel! That guy attacked the Holy Land!"
"He murdered a lot of our people too!"
"He even used their corpses as sacrifices to summon evil!"
The assembled clergy froze.
They all looked horrified.
What kind of shameless tattling is this?!
That's a genuine Angel!
How can you complain to a celestial being like a child running to a parent?!
The divine has its own will—we must not interfere!
Yet what happened next stunned them even further.
Another beam of holy light descended.
Straight toward the members of Wings of Vengeance.
The cultists immediately entered defensive stances.
BOOM!
A tremendous explosion erupted in midair.
Shockwaves swept across the battlefield, scattering vast portions of the mist.
Then a pair of black-and-white wings burst from the fog.
Shadows swallowed the earth beneath them.
Looking closely, one could see that the wings were formed from countless intertwined arms.
Standing atop the dark wings was Lucifer.
Blood streamed from his eyes.
Yet he never once looked away from the heavenly figure.
"Hypocrites of Heaven!"
"The flames of vengeance shall rise from the earth!"
"Bearing corruption and death!"
"To demand justice from you!"
His voice overlapped with another presence.
His entire being radiated overwhelming danger.
BOOM!
The black-and-white wings surged skyward through the mist.
Straight toward the colossal figure above.
The next instant—
The heavens exploded into blinding brilliance.
Pure white light engulfed the entire world.
It swallowed Lucifer.
It covered the battlefield.
Everyone instinctively shut their eyes.
Moments later, the light consumed them completely.
—
How much time passed, no one knew.
Gideon's fingers twitched.
Then his eyes snapped open.
Shaking his head, he tried to recall what had happened before he lost consciousness.
Moments later, he narrowed his eyes and cautiously drew out his cross.
Suddenly his foot struck something solid.
Looking down, he found a book bound in black leather.
He bent down and picked it up.
Opening it, he discovered page after page of maps drawn in black ink.
"The Book of the World…"
Gideon murmured softly.
When he had spoken with the being possessing Mashal earlier, he had requested time to think and never accepted the book.
Yet somehow it had appeared here regardless.
He let out a long sigh.
"Looks like I'll have to carry this trouble with me for now."
Closing the book, Gideon slipped the Book of the World into his robes.
He turned around—
And immediately froze at the breathtaking sight before him.
The ground at his feet had split apart.
A massive fissure stretched endlessly in both directions, extending so far into the distance that its end could not be seen.
Within the crack was nothing but darkness.
Bottomless darkness.
It resembled a chasm descending straight into the depths of Hell itself.
The earth had been carved open, leaving behind an enormous canyon.
Gideon slowly lifted his head.
The sky above was now a brilliant blue.
The sacred being was nowhere to be seen.
Likewise, the leader of Wings of Vengeance had vanished without a trace.
With no other clues, Gideon simply picked a direction and followed the edge of the rift.
Before long, he found something.
"What's this...?"
Half-hidden among the weeds lay a stone tablet engraved with mysterious symbols.
Although he could not decipher the writing, the overwhelming holy power radiating from it was unmistakable.
"The Tablet of the Ten Commandments..."
Gideon had assumed the relic had been destroyed.
He never expected to find it here.
Picking it up, he secured it to his back with a length of grass rope.
After all, recovering this artifact had been the objective of the entire mission.
Surely the Church would be willing to exchange it for something valuable.
After searching several more areas, Gideon finally found a living person.
"You still alive?"
He repeatedly slapped Haggai's face.
Only after his cheeks had become noticeably swollen did Haggai finally frown and open his eyes.
"Where am I?"
"Is this Heaven?"
Smack!
Gideon immediately hit him again.
"Hiss—! Why did you hit me?"
"If it hurts, that means we're still alive."
Holding his head, Haggai grimaced.
"Do you remember what happened at the end?"
Gideon shook his head.
The last thing he remembered was being swallowed by a blinding white light.
After that, everything went blank.
Once Haggai recovered, the two continued searching for survivors.
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side.
Before long, they found Jolan, Bettice, and several others.
Their condition was similar to Gideon's.
Disoriented but unharmed.
Out of everyone who had entered the Holy War Land, only thirteen people remained alive.
All other clergy members had perished.
Some had been members of Jolan's expedition.
Others were ordinary priests who had chosen to stay behind at the last moment.
Jolan's expression darkened.
He remained silent.
"What about the members of Wings of Vengeance?"
Bettice finally broke the silence.
"No sign of them so far," Gideon replied.
"If that being truly acted according to its nature…"
The group exchanged shocked glances.
None of them had expected to witness a genuine divine miracle.
"Now isn't the time for idle discussion."
Jolan suddenly spoke.
"We need to find a way out of here."
He looked around.
"Does anyone still have a Teleportation Stone?"
Several members of the Holy Families produced pale-blue stones.
"Good."
Jolan accepted one and immediately bit his fingertip, smearing blood across its surface.
Nothing happened.
His brow furrowed.
He turned toward Rolcie and the others.
They tried as well.
The result was exactly the same.
"How is this possible...?"
Jolan frowned deeply.
"Teleportation Stones are supposed to work in any anomalous space."
"Could the teleportation platform be malfunctioning?"
"Or..." Gideon suddenly pointed toward the horizon.
"Maybe we're not inside an anomalous space anymore."
Everyone followed his gaze.
In the distance stood a mountain.
At its summit were several enormous white wind turbines.
"Is that... wind power generation?"
Bettice asked uncertainly.
Gideon shrugged.
"Who knows?"
"But the Holy War Land definitely doesn't have anything like that."
"We might as well head over and investigate. We may find some answers."
Thus, the group set off toward the wind turbines.
Several hours later—
A dozen weary figures emerged from a dense patch of brush.
Before them stretched a paved highway.
Cars occasionally drove past.
Beyond it rose rocky mountain ranges.
Across the road stood a small restaurant.
Its sign read:
MEXICAN BURRITOS
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks.
Then, without a word, they headed toward the shop.
---
Holy Land — Hall of Cardinals
A black-robed clergyman hurried down the corridor and knocked urgently on the chamber doors.
"Lord Parolin!"
"We've received news of Lord Jolan!"
"What?!"
Parolin shot to his feet and crossed the room in several quick strides.
"Where is he?"
The clergyman swallowed nervously.
"We received a phone call."
"A phone call?"
Parolin frowned.
"From where?"
The clergyman hesitated before answering.
"From a burrito shop."
The entire conference chamber fell silent.
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