Chapter 421:

Chapter 421:

Yuhyun felt a powerful wave of dizziness as the scene before him distorted.

Soon, when the surrounding landscape returned to the familiar library, he was finally able to steady his staggering body.

“So, the protagonists of this world are actually usurpers who stole the roles of the previous protagonists. And the Bookworms, the monsters in the myths we know, were actually those whose roles had been stolen...”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How do you even know all this?”

“Do you think of me as a usurper as well?”

Yuhyun nodded. There was no other way Praytion could have known this information.

Though it might have seemed a rather rude gesture, Praytion didn’t get angry; instead, he nodded as if Yuhyun’s assumption made sense.

“Indeed, you could see it that way. Perhaps I, too, unknowingly stole someone else’s role.”

“...So, what are you planning to do with the truth of this world?”

“To answer that, I first have to tell you my story. You’ve heard a bit about me from Oello, haven’t you?”

“Yes... As the King of the Last Story, the fifth and youngest. And that you held the special affection of Logos.”

“Haha. ‘Affection,’ huh? I suppose that’s how Oello would see it.”

“Are you saying that’s not true? Oello said you betrayed your father’s trust.”

It was said that Logos had given Praytion, alone among the five kings, the authority to handle the Codex.

Yet Praytion had torn that Codex to shreds and scattered it across the universe.

Oello was enraged, saying it was an unforgivable act of betrayal against both their father and the world.

At that, Praytion let out a bitter smile.

“That’s how it must look to him.”

Praytion slowly approached the false Codex at the center of the hall, lightly brushing the book’s surface with his gloved fingertips.

“Yes, it’s true that Logos gave me the authority to use the Codex. Lotfiout, Damcheon, and Catharsis were tasked with weaving stories out of the letters in this world. Oello was to discover and collect existing stories. And my role, the final role, was to gather those crafted stories and engrave them in the Codex, to complete the tales. At first, I thought nothing of it, but as I read the Codex, I began to grasp the true nature of this world.”

“And so... you tore up the Codex?”

“Tore it up? No, that’s not it. I didn’t tear the Codex by my own will.”

“What?”

“Did you ever find it strange? Even if I’m the King of Stories, simply having the authority to use the Codex shouldn’t mean I could rip it to shreds. I don’t consider myself that powerful. The Codex, on the other hand, is the foundation of this world, filled with countless eons of history condensed into a single form. Just by sheer level alone, it would be impossible for someone like me to even open it.”

Yet, Oello believed Praytion had torn apart the Codex.

How? And why?

The reason was simple.

No, there was only one reason.

“It wasn’t I who tore the book. It was Logos.”

“...What?”

“I didn’t know at first, either. But yes, for him, it was something he had done countless times. Every time a new universe began, Logos tore the Codex and scattered it across the world. Once a certain volume of stories accumulated within the book, he would begin his work in earnest.”

Each time a universe began anew, Logos created five beings to aid in his work.

These five beings would later be called the Tellers of Origin, the kings of all Tellers.

Each king gathered stories in their unique way, engraving them into the Codex. When the stories of a new universe reached a certain threshold, Logos would tear the Codex and scatter its pages across the universe.

“Oello thought I was the one who did it. And it wasn’t just him—my other siblings thought so too. Who would ever suspect that our father, the owner of the Codex, Logos, would do such a thing?”

The fragments of the Codex would wander the universe, responding to new stories.

Each fragment would observe, record, and remember ‘special’ stories, eventually transforming into small books of their own.

And when enough stories accumulated in the fragments...

Logos would begin his harvest once more.

“Tearing and scattering the Codex was like sowing seeds. It was a well-established part of Logos’ plan, a familiar process by now.”

The scattered seeds would react to stories and sprout, each in its unique way.

This was the stage of germination.

Those sprouts would grow, develop, and reach a level where they ripened beautifully.

Praytion called this the stage of heading.

“Do you know what happens to the ears of grain once they’ve finished heading?”

“...They’re harvested.”

“Exactly. When the story’s fruit ripens fully, only one step remains.”

The stage of harvest.

“A human?”

“Yes. A being that is neither god nor demon, yet who could become either. The great Divine Spirits

, praised across the Mixed Realms, possess powerful abilities, but even they are trapped within undeniable limits. Even the role of star-born beings is merely a role assigned by Logos for his convenience.”

In the end, Divine Spirits were simply constructs Logos created to control the world more easily. Once someone became a Divine Spirit, they were bound within an immense framework from which they could never escape.

But humans were different.

They were a weak species occupying a tiny fraction of the world. So insignificant that they weren’t worth Logos’ attention.

That Logos didn’t control everything was proven by the existence of humans.

The smallest human, beyond Logos’ gaze, paradoxically possessed the greatest “potential” in this world.

“I didn’t expect much, but the results you achieved were truly extraordinary. Far beyond my expectations. And your existence has even influenced others trapped within their respective frameworks.”

“You were watching the whole time...”

“Yes. That’s why I made contact with Jin Cheong-woon as well. Your growth was so rapid. It was desirable, but too much of anything becomes poison. Your overwhelmingly intense presence reverberated throughout the Mixed Realms, and not even Logos could ignore that.”

Even though Yuhyun was a Teller and not fully human at that time, the situation was the same.

The very title of Teller was forced upon him after being reborn in another universe, but he was human at his core.

“The powerful light of your fragment attracted fragments from across the universe. Fragments that should have sought stories befitting their nature converged on your single fragment.”

Praytion had never wanted this. This was all happening too quickly.

If things continued this way, the time of harvest would come before they were prepared.

Thus, Praytion had to make a choice.

“We needed at least five more years.”

“So that’s why Jin Cheong-woon shaped me this way?”

“Yes, I ordered him to. The situation was shifting so rapidly, everything went off course, but fortunately, thanks to the help of a Divine Spirit who perceived the truth of this world, we succeeded.”

That Divine Spirit was none other than Buddha.

Surprisingly, Buddha was neither a usurper nor connected to a previous universe.

He had simply ascended to that position in this universe through his own enlightenment.

But through endless contemplation and penance, he had come to understand that the world was fundamentally flawed.

Yet, already positioned as a Divine Spirit, he could change nothing.

Being subject to the system’s influence, he couldn’t even convey the truth to others.

What could he do? What should he do?

Buddha chose to seek one who held potential.

“It was remarkable. For one of this world to fully comprehend everything and sacrifice himself was not part of my plan. Buddha existed in previous universes, and the one before, yet... never was he as special as now.”

“Then... what about Satan?”

“He’s different. He’s from the previous universe. To call him a usurper is a bit ambiguous. He’s another of Logos’ victims. But he shares my goal of breaking free from this world’s cycle. That’s why he helped you.”

Yuhyun felt the weight of all the hopes and desires entrusted to him as he came this far.

And he understood the vast background hidden within it.

“What is it that you want from me?”

“Honestly, I’d like to ask you to stand against Logos and save us...”

Praytion gave a faint smile and shook his head.

“But I can’t recklessly make such a request. I don’t intend to force you to choose. While I may have guided you this far, all the decisions were yours alone. The same holds true now.”

Dark shadows slowly rose between the library’s shelves.

It was the familiar aura of the Bookworms. Still unformed, their white pupils in the writhing black mass all focused on Yuhyun.

The Bookworms. Beings from vanished universes, robbed of their names and roles.

They all waited for Yuhyun’s answer.

There was no sign of coercion.

Not even the slightest hint of hostility to force him into submission.

Simply by Yuhyun’s presence here, it was as if they had already achieved their wish, and their aura was at peace.

“The choice is mine alone.”

Salvation or ruin.

There were only two paths.

Whichever he chose, Praytion and the Bookworms were prepared to accept it.