Chapter 317: The Book of the World (II)
"Make supernatural power disappear from this world."
The Will of the World looked directly at Gideon.
"Demons, Heaven, knights, witches... all of these powers should be driven out."
"The entire world is paying the price for their existence."
As soon as the words fell, "Mashal" raised a hand.
A silver metallic sphere suddenly appeared above his palm.
The object rotated in midair of its own accord. Countless intricate carvings covered its surface, and with a single glance Gideon spotted symbols of crosses, ram horns, crusader swords, and many others.
"This time, the Church's expedition into the Lost Realm has two primary objectives," the Will of the World said.
"Besides the Tablet of the Ten Commandments, the most important target is the Book of the World."
"The Book of the World?"
Gideon looked the sphere up and down. It was difficult to associate the object with anything resembling a book.
"Mashal" lightly tapped the sphere.
The surface shimmered.
Moments later, the metallic orb transformed into a thick tome bound in black leather.
"The Book of the World is also a manifestation of the world's laws."
"It reveals the flow of power throughout this world."
As he spoke, the book opened by itself.
Its pages turned rapidly.
Each page displayed a different map, marked with glowing points of light.
"These pages record the locations of every Source Channel."
"And those channels are precisely how the external beings exert influence upon the mortal world."
Gideon frowned.
Among the locations shown on the pages, he recognized both New Orleans and Derry Town.
The former was the place he had discovered together with the Witch Academy.
The latter was the hometown of Pennywise the Clown.
The Will of the World continued,
"As long as these channels are closed, those beings will lose their ability to interfere with the world."
"And supernatural power will vanish entirely."
Gideon furrowed his brow.
"If that's the case, why not do it yourself?"
"The Book of the World and I each govern different aspects of reality," it replied.
"We cannot directly interfere with one another."
"Furthermore, natives of this world cannot alter the laws of the world itself."
"That is why only an outsider like you can accomplish it."
At last, Gideon understood.
If the world were a body infected by disease, then he was the medicine capable of destroying the source of infection.
"You mentioned earlier..." Gideon said,
"...that the Church is searching for this thing as well?"
The Will of the World nodded.
"If all other Source Channels were sealed, then the Church would become the only remaining faction capable of wielding supernatural power."
Understanding dawned on Gideon immediately.
With the intervention of a higher existence, the Church could likely circumvent the restriction that prevented ordinary natives from using the Book of the World.
"So how exactly is this supposed to work?"
Gideon made a smashing motion with his fist.
"Do I simply travel to these locations and blow them up?"
"And what happens if people try to stop me?"
Anything this fundamental would certainly be heavily protected.
The saintly remains hidden inside the New Orleans channel were proof enough of that.
"To close a Source Channel," the Will of the World explained,
"you must possess an Anchor belonging to the corresponding power."
"A legendary holy relic for the Church."
"A true sacrificial offering for a demon."
"And so on."
"Once such an anchor is placed within the Book of the World, the channel's power becomes locked by the laws of reality."
"At that point, we can repair the rupture left behind and sever the influence of those supernatural forces."
Gideon rubbed his chin.
"So basically, I need to pick fights with every major supernatural faction in existence..."
"And steal their most precious treasures?"
The Will of the World nodded.
"Correct."
The corner of Gideon's mouth twitched.
That's practically suicide.
Besides—
I work for the Church.
He voiced the concern aloud.
"And if I refuse?"
"Will you kill me right now?"
The Will of the World shook its head.
"The Church continues expanding its influence."
"The armies of the Demon Gods are gathering at the edge of the world."
"Demons, witches, and countless other factions have already begun moving."
"No matter what direction the future takes, humanity faces catastrophe."
"You are the only one capable of changing that."
"I will not force you."
"Until the world reaches its final turning point, I will continue waiting."
Gideon's mouth twitched again.
You know, if you were a little more threatening, I'd have a much easier excuse to refuse.
The proposal had come far too suddenly.
There was no way he could simply agree on the spot.
"I need time to think."
"I understand your concerns."
The Will of the World stepped forward and offered him the black leather book.
"You're not worried I'll hand this over to the Church?" Gideon asked.
"If that is your choice," the Will of the World replied,
"then I respect it."
"My existence is merely a corrective mechanism for this world."
"I do not feel resentment because of failure."
Gideon sighed.
"Entrusting the fate of the world to humanity doesn't strike me as a particularly wise decision."
"Based on my observations," the Will of the World said,
"you are different from the others."
"Whenever evil emerges, you consistently choose the most rational course of action."
"Most humans, however, are consumed by desire, greed, or simply moments of stupidity."
Gideon shrugged.
"Yeah. Everyone says the same thing when they complain about horror movies."
"Horror...?"
"I'm not certain I understand that expression."
"Ahem. Never mind."
Gideon changed the subject.
"Putting the future of supernatural powers aside, there's still a fallen angel descending into the world right now."
"Maybe you can escape, but I certainly can't."
The Will of the World smiled faintly.
"That is indeed the consciousness of a fallen angel."
"But its body belongs to this world."
"It is not invincible."
Gideon's eyes brightened.
"You have a way to stop it?"
"Not me."
"You."
Gideon blinked.
"Me again?"
"The Sacred Scripture you possess can summon a true angel."
Gideon immediately took out the three parchment pages.
He had already considered this possibility before.
The problem was that he still lacked the final offering required for the ritual—
Purified Salt.
As if sensing his confusion, the Will of the World spoke again.
"You have possessed the offering for quite some time."
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"In the storm drain beneath Derry Town," the Will of the World said,
"you collected something."
Gideon frowned as memory surfaced.
He quickly rummaged through his pack and pulled out several brown crystalline chunks.
At the time, they had seemed unusual enough that he kept them.
Yet he had never managed to identify their purpose.
"They came from the children who died there," the Will of the World explained.
"Their bodies remained exposed to the Deadlights for such a long period that the salt within their flesh crystallized."
Gideon's brows knitted tightly together.
"Salt extracted from the corpses of children..."
"So this is the 'Purified Salt.'"
"A truly hellish interpretation of purity."
But the Sacred Scripture originated from the Church.
Which meant someone in history had attempted this ritual before.
And if so—
How had they obtained the offering?
The implications were deeply unsettling.
"Even if all the offerings are gathered," the Will of the World continued,
"an angel's descent would still be limited by the laws of this world."
"I will temporarily loosen part of those restrictions."
"This scripture will be able to display its true power."
"In human terms..."
"Consider it my sincerity."
Gideon stared at him for several moments.
He had no idea what the situation at the ritual site looked like now.
There was no time left to hesitate.
Immediately, he began preparing the summoning ritual described in the Sacred Scripture.
Placing a hand upon his chest, he summoned a complete skeleton from within himself.
Then came the century-old holy relic.
And finally—
The Purified Salt.
Taking a deep breath, Gideon began reciting the sacred passage.
"In the name of Holy Light, I beseech divine mercy..."
As his voice echoed through the forest, the earth began trembling.
The century-old relic erupted with dazzling radiance.
Pure holy power flooded the air, transforming into strands of spiritual light that connected every offering together.
BOOM!
A pillar of light shot into the heavens like a meteor.
It pierced through the layers of mist and vanished into the depths of the night sky.
Gideon looked up.
Far beyond sight, a tiny point of light raced across the darkness.
Gradually it formed the silhouette of a six-winged figure.
Before he could think further, a pure and ancient power suddenly descended.
The mere fluctuation of its energy made his heart tremble.
---
Philadelphia — St. Peter's Cathedral
Archbishop Matthew sat curled in a corner, clutching a bottle of liquor.
"Hic... wonder how those two are doing."
His eyes were unfocused, his face flushed red from drink.
Then suddenly—
Matthew's eyes widened.
He leapt to his feet and stumbled outside.
The sky, clear only moments ago, now glowed with a faint divine radiance.
Many clergymen had already rushed outdoors.
"What is that?"
"Some kind of atmospheric phenomenon?"
"No... I can feel an incredibly pure power coming from it."
"Could some priest be performing a holy ritual?"
Voices filled the courtyard.
But Matthew only stared upward.
A deep frown appeared on his face.
Within that radiance, he sensed something terrifying.
"Some existence has appeared..."
"What in the world is happening?"
---
The Holy Land:
The same celestial glow illuminated the sky.
A group of black-robed clergymen gathered at the mountain summit.
"Bring more holy relics!"
"The formation is about to collapse!"
"What happened to the Holy Spear?"
"Why is it reacting so violently?"
"Has the Holy Land been attacked again?"
A powerful barrier enveloped the entire mountaintop.
Yet cracks spread across its surface.
It looked as though it could shatter at any moment.
Inside the barrier, an utterly ordinary-looking spear stood upright, pointing toward the heavens as if it desperately wished to pierce the sky itself.
Meanwhile, within the Cardinal Council Chamber, Cardinal Parolin had already received reports regarding the Holy Spear's abnormal reaction.
After dismissing the attendants, the gathered cardinals exchanged grim looks.
"Someone actually performed a Divine Descent Ritual?" the fat cardinal exclaimed anxiously. "That's impossible! Our preparations aren't even complete yet!"
"No..." Parolin slowly shook his head.
"It isn't a Divine Descent."
"The power gathering in the sky is indeed immense, but its scale still falls short."
A tall cardinal suddenly froze.
"Could it be... the Sacred Scripture?"
"The one said to summon angels?"
The room immediately fell silent.
Every cardinal's expression darkened.
"That relic vanished centuries ago..."
"Has someone truly found it?"
"Regardless of the answer," Parolin said sternly, "we must discover exactly what is happening."
"And if it really is the Sacred Scripture, then it must be brought under our control."
"But where is the descent occurring?" another cardinal asked.
"So far, all we've received are reports of strange lights appearing across the world. There are no signs of an actual miracle."
"Could it be... the Holy War Land?"
The suggestion caused everyone's faces to stiffen.
Parolin's expression grew even heavier.
"Very likely..."
"But what exactly happened there?"
Most of the trapped personnel had already returned.
Through their reports, the cardinals had learned that Jolan and the others were engaged in battle against the Wings of Vengeance.
Yet now the radiance of an angelic descent had appeared.
Just what kind of enemy were they facing?
---
The Church was not the only force investigating the phenomenon.
Across the world, countless organizations were scrambling to uncover the truth behind the celestial anomaly.
Unlike the Church's confusion, however, these groups felt something else:
Urgency.
If the Church had truly succeeded in bringing a divine being into the mortal world, then the balance that maintained the modern supernatural order would be shattered.
Such an event would reshape the entire world.
As a result, countless factions began reaching out to Church contacts, desperately seeking information.
Beneath the surface, the world stirred with hidden currents.
---
Nor were humans the only ones affected.
The moment the holy radiance appeared in the heavens, supernatural evil throughout North America seemed to retreat.
Haunted houses fell silent.
Cursed lands grew peaceful.
The malevolent energies lingering around them vanished without a trace.
Even the oppressive atmosphere that usually surrounded such places disappeared.
For one rare day, countless ordinary Americans experienced an unfamiliar feeling—
Peace.
---
Holy War Land — The Strange Forest
The entire forest had been illuminated by holy light.
The vegetation seemed revitalized.
Among the natural golden glow of the plants now shimmered vivid emerald-green life.
Mashal lay unconscious upon the ground.
Plants had already grown across his body.
A short distance away stood Gideon.
He kept his head lowered, doing everything possible to avoid looking directly upward.
Because above him floated a figure of pure golden radiance.
The being was colossal.
Its body occupied nearly half the sky.
Its face was concealed behind divine light, impossible to discern.
In its hand rested an ancient wooden staff engraved with a winding emerald serpent.
Simply by existing there, it had become the most brilliant presence in the entire world.
"Hah..."
Gideon breathed heavily, struggling to maintain his composure.
"May the Lord bless You..."
"To witness Your descent is an honor I never dared pray for..."
He cautiously attempted conversation.
At one point he even slipped into phrases from his previous life, hoping to sound familiar.
Yet only the sound of surging holy power answered him.
The being remained silent.
Gideon's thoughts raced.
Did I summon the wrong thing?
Or maybe all those times I mocked heaven got recorded somewhere...
Just as his imagination began running wild, the figure slowly raised its staff and pointed downward.
The next instant—
HUMMMMM—
A pillar of dazzling holy light descended from the heavens and enveloped Gideon.
His body instantly felt weightless.
The purity of the energy surrounding him surpassed even that of century-old holy relics by an immeasurable margin.
At the same time, a bridge formed within his body.
A bridge woven entirely from holy light.
It extended upward from the crown of his head, stretching all the way into the heavens above.
Only after a full minute did it gradually fade away.
And in that moment, Gideon understood.
A sacred pathway had been established between himself and Heaven.
Holy power surged through every corner of his body.
Its purity.
Its quality.
Its magnitude.
Everything was fundamentally different from before.
"Your blessing humbles me," Gideon began.
"But there's still one thing—"
Before he could finish speaking, pale-green holy light exploded outward.
In an instant, it filled the entire world.
When the brilliance finally faded—
Both Gideon and the angelic figure had vanished.
---
Holy War Land — Ancient Battlefield
Dark clouds covered the sky.
Mist blanketed the earth.
Jolan knelt upon the ground, drenched in blood.
One arm had been severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Yet he still clutched a Sacred Nail in his remaining hand, staring unblinkingly ahead.
Before him loomed a mass of dense black fog.
Occasionally crimson lightning flashed within it, revealing the silhouette of a colossal being.
Crackle—
A bolt of dark lightning erupted from the mist and shot directly toward him.
Just before it struck—
A gigantic gate suddenly materialized in front of Jolan.
Bzzzt... Bzzzt...
The lightning danced across the gate's surface before dissipating harmlessly.
"Hey, human!"
The gate turned around.
Astonishingly, a human face was embedded in its surface.
"That's the seventh time I've saved your life!"
"Don't push your luck!"
Jolan coughed violently.
"Cough... cough..."
"The others..."
"Are they safe?"
"Ten in total," Valak replied.
"I transported them all to the regions previously controlled by the evil spirits."
Jolan visibly relaxed.
"That's... good."
Suppressing the agony, he reached into his robes and tossed over a small glass vial.
"Your... payment."
Crunch.
Valak bit straight through the bottle, glass and all.
"Terrible flavor."
"It's nowhere near as good as the stuff that guy makes."
Then the living gate turned back toward Jolan.
"Hey."
"Are you leaving or not?"
"I promised that fellow I'd save your lives."
"And while that thing hasn't fully broken free yet..."
Valak glanced toward the churning black mist.
"This is your last chance to run."