Chapter 342:

Chapter 342:

A world covered in antiques.

At the top of an eerie fortress made up of piled-up, worn-out items, a gigantic snake with three heads descended from the sky.

[Mephistopheles!]

At Satan’s furious shout, Mephistopheles, who was sitting on the throne of the antique fortress, raised his head and smirked.

“Welcome to my world, friend. You seem quite angry.”

[You've been up to some very interesting mischief lately.]

Satan did not hide his hostility toward Mephistopheles. Despite being a fellow lord of the Archdemons, Mephistopheles had crossed a line.

[I warned you not to interfere with my affairs. Yet you schemed behind my back?]

“Hmm. My memory's been a bit hazy lately, so I can't recall what you said.”

[If you're still in the mood for games, I can help refresh your memory.]

A chilling cold emanated from Satan, covering the antique fortress.

Frost settled on numerous antiques, some of which turned to ice and shattered. Mephistopheles sighed and lightly tapped the ground with the staff in his hand.

The energy of the stars emanated from Mephistopheles, pushing back Satan’s cold. Satan narrowed his three pairs of eyes and opened his mouths. Just as a massive chill began to gather in his three mouths—

[Enough.]

Mephistopheles finally revealed his true form. Shedding his guise of a medieval nobleman, he transformed into a gigantic black beast.

[Please, don’t destroy my abode any further. It took me a long time to create this, and it would take ages to restore it.]

[Mephistopheles!]

[You don’t need to shout. I’m not deaf. More importantly, are you sure you should stay like this?]

[What are you talking about?]

The black beast smiled with slitted eyes.

[I saw that Kang Yu-hyun, the Teller you've been watching, encountered the bookworm.]

[...What?]

[I'm not lying. Just before you arrived, I was watching his narrative. And something very interesting is happening on Earth right now. Do you want to see?]

As Mephistopheles spoke, he showed Satan the current situation unfolding in Gangneung.

Satan, upon seeing the scene, glared at Mephistopheles with eyes full of murderous intent.

[Is this your doing?]

[Hahaha! You say the funniest things. Me? Satan, no matter how much you hate me, blaming me for this is too much.]

[Then how do you explain the current situation?]

[I told you. The bookworm appeared. And you know, don’t you? It’s all happening because of the Fragments.]

[....]

[Satan. No, Lucifer. Did you think I wouldn’t know? Like you, I too have the same ‘origin’ despite living in harmony with the flow of this world. Deep in my memory, the knowledge from back then still lingers.]

[...Knowing that, did you still interfere with me?]

[Interfere? Let’s get the facts straight. I was helping you.]

[What?]

Satan couldn't comprehend what Mephistopheles was saying.

The one who spread rumors that he gave Laplace’s Fragment to Yu-hyun and troubled him claimed to be helping.

[Think about it. You thought Kang Yu-hyun, the Teller, was the liberator who would break this cycle, so you handed over the Fragment, right? And it was Laplace, known as the best among the Fragments.]

[....]

[You’re not denying it. Usually, you would make excuses, but you’re taking this seriously.]

Mephistopheles laughed as if it didn’t matter.

[He gained Laplace, Maxwell, Descartes, and Darwin. And even awakened a new demon called Aporia, formed by combining four formless demons. Yes, as you said, he surely has the potential to be the liberator.]

[Then don’t interfere with me.]

[No, it’s not enough. You know that too, right?]

[After handling the Fragments like that, what more qualifications does he need?]

[Kang Yu-hyun, the Teller, has indeed gathered many Fragments and made them his own. And he recently collected a large number of Fragments again. But it’s still not enough. In fact, it’s problematic because he’s gathering them too quickly.]

[...Too quickly?]

[The completion of Codex with all the Fragments should be delayed. At this rate, Codex will be completed in less than a month. One month is too short. It’s not enough time to prepare properly.]

[Mephistopheles, you...]

[We need more time. Codex shouldn’t be completed yet. If you truly want to escape this wretched cycle, listen to me.]

[There’s no one as capable as him!]

“Did you see Hye-rim and Sumin?”

[Yes. Both ladies entered as well. Descartes and Darwin accompanied them.]

Laplace’s account ended there.

Ultimately, the bizarre spectacle before him was the result of Jin Cheong-woon’s scheming.

Yu-hyun had no idea what lay inside. But given that the barrier had reacted to Kwon Jia’s Fragments and the seed of the narrative...

An unimaginable otherworld must be unfolding inside.

‘I must go in.’

He was certain his companions were inside.

Moreover, ordinary citizens trapped within needed rescuing before anything happened. He had to stop the dome’s expansion.

“Young-min.”

[Yes, brother! Where are you?]

“I’m in Gangneung. Is everything sorted out?”

[Yes. I just finished and am heading up.]

“Come to Gangneung immediately. The situation is critical.”

[...How bad is it?]

“Kwon Jia fell into a trap, and something strange appeared nearby. A massive dome-shaped barrier, impenetrable from

the outside. It’s more bizarre than the Mental Realm’s runaway state, engulfing the world. Hye-rim and Sumin seem to have entered, and communication is down. I’m about to go in.”

[Understood. I’m on my way.]

“Be careful.”

After ending the call, Yu-hyun hesitated to contact Celine.

‘Right, she no longer manages my study.’

Since his return, Celine had handed over all his study materials, citing the immense burden. Considering the numerous threats and persuasions she likely faced, Yu-hyun understood her actions.

Celine had promised to return to Earth as soon as possible but was currently at headquarters.

Seeking her help now seemed impossible.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Yu-hyun reached out to the strange barrier.

Contrary to his expectation of resistance, the barrier easily allowed his hand through.

It was as if it had known he would come, welcoming him.

Steeling himself, Yu-hyun entered the massive dome.

* * *

“...This.”

Just like when he entered the Mental Realm, Yu-hyun felt a sensation of piercing through something thin.

Upon opening his eyes, Yu-hyun felt a chill.

Before him was a twisted world. Dozens of world fragments existed in their separate forms, unable to blend, like a patchwork quilt.

Among them, he recognized some familiar scenes.

‘That’s the Obelisk from the Ninth Trial of the Apocalypse.’

It wasn’t just that.

The swarming insects from the Thirteenth Trial.

The Cross of Destruction from the Seventeenth Trial.

The Bone Catacomb from the Twenty-Second Trial.

Various trials of the apocalypse that were deeply etched in Yu-hyun’s memory occupied parts of this world.

‘It’s not just the trials. Some scenes from the Mental Realm are mixed in. Collapsed pavilions, Western-style architecture, and foul-smelling swamps. Everything is blended.’

Even the Divine Spirits seemed bewildered by the unprecedented sight.

Yu-hyun calmly analyzed the place.

Laplace had said Jin Cheong-woon used a seed along with Fragments. If he had added more Fragments, this world was a distorted amalgamation of all 600 cycles Kwon Jia had experienced.

It utilized the seed of the narrative but wasn’t the Mental Realm.

It was far more alien, an otherworldly place beyond Genesis System’s clear definition.

‘Yes. If I had to name it, I’d call it the Nightmare of the Returnee.’

This was a nightmare world, distorted with all of Kwon Jia’s memories from over 600 cycles.