Chapter 323

The Bearer (2)

It was a world of light. What awaited him was a world full of pure light that couldn't even cast a shadow. Janus wasn't there, but he still succeeded in finding traces of existence he knew well in the hot light that surrounded him.

[You're here, Anvil.]

"...Halo?"

Kang Shin-hyuk was speechless at the scene before him. It neither had a beginning nor an end. It was neither material nor mind...it was just light. The moment he realized what it meant, the answer had arrived.

[Yes, I'm Halo.]

"I think so. But, I think... I think you have a different name now."

What did Kang Shin-hyuk previously think Halo was? Did he think he was a man or a tree? Some other unknown race? It was all wrong. He was wrong the moment he thought he had a certain shape in the first place.

[Yes... Mortals also call me Gaia.]

"Gaia..."

A world full of light... No, maybe that whole place was just the inner space of the being called Halo and Gaia. The moment he realized it, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he couldn't breathe. Who could've imagined that the master of the Gaia system would be a member of the Hero Universe? But yes, there were hints. The administrator and even Tsukuyo, the master of great power, referred to Halo respectfully. Only now did he realize the true reason. However, the administrator, who wanted to find out why, was in a situation where they couldn't be connected.

[The administrator has no authority to interfere with this space, Anvil.]

"..."

Although he had been to a world where the Gaia system was jammed, he had never been to one where the Hero Universe was. Therefore, it was natural for Kang Shin-hyuk to feel out of his depth. Were it not for the synchronization of his previous life; he would've been panicking.

[Don't worry too much. I've no intention of harming the administrator; our position is fundamentally similar.]

"Similar to the Hero Universe..."

[Not so surprising. Isn't the Hero Universe a group that affects whole worlds? Even I couldn't control it, nor could I ignore it or destroy it. After talking with the administrator, I decided to become a member.]

"Ha...haha."

His mind was filled with confusion. In the meanwhile, he recalled that Vita had plunged into the gate with him, but she was nowhere to be found.

"What about her?"

[If you are referring to the child who came here with you, you probably know better than I.]

"What is that? Hm?"

He was confused by Halo's words, but he tried to spread his spiritual power out. Then, he felt her presence in the subspace connected to him, the very same one that Onyx usually resided in. Even though it was originally a garbage warehouse, no garbage was left because Onyx had eaten all of it. Now it was used as a sub-space separate from the inventory...unlike the inventory, it had the advantage of holding people.

'Administrator...no, did Halo interfere?'

[No, it is the result of the manifestation of your own nature. In this space, you know she wouldn't be able to withstand it, so you moved her instinctively. I've no authority to interfere in your sub-space.]

He understood right away that only a transcendent being could endure this extreme light. Even Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn't have been able to stand it if it hadn't been for his light mastery. But, more than that...

"Are you reading my thoughts?"

[It's something you can do as well. Reading other's feelings or superficial thoughts with spiritual power.]

"No..."

Of course, if he focused his spiritual power, he could faintly read other people's feelings. However, he had never thought of trying to use it to read others' thoughts, even fragmented. Halo's abilities weren't even comparable to his own. There was a difference in existence that could never be crossed between the two.

'It's not so pleasant to read thoughts. Ha...'

Kang Shin-hyuk had a strong mind alongside his body that could endure Halo...no, Gaia.

"You...what are you? The creator?"

[Well, I can tell you now.]

Maybe he hadn't been able to say it so far. The existence of Gaia wouldn't be easy to accept, even as a member of the Hero Universe. Maybe some of the VIP members didn't even know Halo's identity.

[Unfortunately, I am not the creator. I'm just another type of administrator.]

"Another type."

[Yes. Anvil also knows the Gaia system, right? You have also seen my terminals. I manage my powers, spread across many dimensions, to control the worlds that have contact with mana.]

"Ha."

It felt like he was struck by lightning. He hadn't recognized it because of its different shape, but the terminal in Cy Xenon! It had the same basic structure as the tree in Mirotoz! If he had analyzed the tree in Mirotoz even a bit more aggressively, maybe he would've realized it earlier. Of course, Halo wouldn't have allowed it...

[So is it correct to say that I'm the senior? Or maybe it's right to say I'm the only administrator of a universe without the Hero Universe. Though, now it's moving with it.]

Some might ask what bullshit he meant, but Kang Shin-hyuk grasped the truth. He was discussing the distinction between before and after the birth of Jormungand. Halo, an ancient transcendent being, built the Gaia system to protect the order on countless worlds. However, with the Hero Universe built beyond the laws of time and space, he was no longer unique.

[So... I'm not nearly the great being you think I am. I'm just the administrator of an incomplete system.]

"Halo..."

Halo's words were an affirmation of the future Kang Shin-hyuk had foreseen. Even though he had forbade it, Halo's words shocked him far deeper than he anticipated.

"Is it...?"

[Yes.]

Honestly, it was so great that it was unbearable. Still, he had one more thing that he had to ask.

"Halo, it's great to be able to come here and hear about your secrets, but... Why am I here after jumping through Jormungand's gate?"

[That's...]

"I wanted you to come here."

Kang Shin-hyuk quickly turned his head to the new voice. He already knew who it was, but Janus was standing right there.

"That's why I opened the gate, Anvil."

[That.]

"Janus."

"Anvil...! I really missed you."

She was still beautiful, with a touch of transcendence, but her presence alone didn't diminish him like it had last year. Probably because he had grown at such an absurd pace...no, perhaps it was better to see it as a recovery rather than growth. Tsukuyo speculated that the spiritual power lying dormant inside him had begun to find its place due to his synchronization.

"Absolutely magnificent. Now you have a power that is difficult to find not only on Earth but in any other world."

Despite having fought last they met, Janus just seemed happy to see his growth.

"Thanks to you, I needed to be strong quickly."

"Well, we have no reason to fight."

Janus responded with a bitter smile to his thorned words. He felt like she might hold some resentment after what happened before, but he sensed no poison in her. She remained calm, but perhaps that was because this world was heavily influenced by Halo? Kang Shin-hyuk thought so for a moment, but as he saw Janus turn toward the center of light that was Halo, that thought collapsed.

"Halo...no, Gaia."

Janus began to pour out all the words she had hidden inside her.

"You were preventing Anvil and me from meeting again. Even though Earth wasn't supposed to be kicked out that soon!"

She wanted to meet with Kang Shin-hyuk, but couldn't? Kang Shin-hyuk's eyes narrowed as he heard her rant. Thinking about it, he had many meetings with Jormungand's other demons, but not one with Janus after that. Janus had appeared on Earth but then quickly vanished. But what if it weren't voluntary, but somebody had forced her out?

[You're talking silly. Now you're in a temporary form, but you wanted to meet another child?]

"It must've been you who made me such an idiot!"

[Janus, there is no complete system in the world. That is why we need many people to manage them...it was you, not anyone else, who applied for it.]

Again, he sensed some difference in Halo's attitude toward himself and Janus. Maybe it was the appearance of Gaia as the master of the system. But, even more, shocking was the content of the conversation between the two.

"Look at it, Halo. What did you say just now?"

Kang Shin-hyuk faced Halo in disbelief. Since he was made of light, there was no way to note changes in expression, but Halo exuded an atmosphere like he was in trouble.

[Ah... that's why I didn't want you to come here.]

"How long did you think you could fool him? Sooner or later, all will be revealed."

[If I had allowed Anvil to grow a little more, he would've become a friend who understood and shared my grievances as a fully transcendental person.]

"That's just your delusion."

Janus ground her teeth and pulled her sword. It had the dragon heart fragment embedded in it again, and it emitted both dark magic and pure white light. Yes, it looked like both sides of a mirror.

"Thanks to retrieving the dragon's heart fragments, I was barely able to resist. Anvil, thank you."

"...Are you saying you haven't been doing the crazy things you've done on Earth thanks to the Godslayer?"

"Right."

Kang Shin-hyuk laughed. It was only now he knew why Janus and Jormungand's interference had disappeared from the Earth the moment that fragment was recovered. So, it wasn't that the balance was right. It was just because Janus found themselves. Otherwise, it made no sense that they didn't directly attack Earth as their power grew exponentially.

"Until then, yes. It was all just the way they wanted it. Originally, I didn't intend to inflict such a wound on Eunah..."

[Janus...]

"Anvil, it's that guy."

Janus pouted like a child telling their parents that their friend harassed them.

"He was the one who hated the sight of the Hero Universe and Jormungand more than anyone else. He couldn't admit that the Gaia system alone wasn't enough to sustain the universe, so he tried to put it under his control by playing both sides."

[Janus... You're talking stupid again.]

"That's why you put Chiral in us and made us such an idiot, right? For you to control both the Hero Universe and Jormungand."

Chiral in Janus's body? Gaia tried to control both systems? Unfortunately, it was too convincing. However, it didn't take long for Kang Shin-hyuk to consider their conversation.

"That's why I tried to kill Eunah."

"...What?"

Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head.

[Janus!]

"Yes."

Gaia emitted light to mask Janus, but the sword she swung split it apart.

"Anvil...in other words, what do you think is the reason Eunah's parents did the research for Jormungand? It was just one of Gaia's ways to monitor Eunah."

"Why Eunah?"

"Because her ability is exactly the same as Gaia's."

[Janus...]

"Yes, so you've been interested in her since she was a child. If you saw the possibility she would surpass you, you had to deal with it somehow."

Infinite magic. Infinity was already a concept close to godhood. The infinite light emitted by Gaia was also the same. Eunah had the potential to show off god-like power as long as her ability to access it expanded.

"Since Eunah met you and grew too fast, I was used to kill her. I somehow succeeded in retreating without killing Eunah. Rather, I was able to regain my reasoning by recovering some of the dragon heart."

[Janus!]

An even bigger explosion of light rang out, but it was destroyed under the path the divine sword carved out. Janus seemed to be holding and swinging a black hole. She defeated Gaia's attack and looked back at Kang Shin-hyuk.

"But I didn't know Gaia had already placed a trap on you. I'm sorry."

"Wait a minute, Janus. I fully understand now..."

"Branches."

His breathing stopped, and his body stiffened as he recalled the branches he had put into the Great Heavenly Spirit. Looking at it, why did he try that? That's because of Halo. Why hadn't he questioned that fact so far? Whether Janus hurt her or not, in the end, she vanished because he put Halo's branch in the Great Heavenly Spirit.

"It's funny, Gaia. Did you try to kill Eunah with that? But just before that, Eunah had transcended, so you couldn't prevent her from creating a new dimension with her power. As a result, there is a disconnected dimension that even you, who claims to be the administrator of all the world, cannot find."

"Eunah's in it."

"Yes. So, Anvil..."

Janus laughed. It was an extremely bewitching and eerie laugh.

"From now on, let's kill our common enemy."

[Janus!!]

Gaia radiated light towards Kang Shin-hyuk. In enduring it, though there was a notification from the Gaia system, Kang Shin-hyuk felt his light mastery grow beyond its limits again. His pace of growth had reached an area that even Gaia, the administrator of the world, could no longer predict. Janus laughed as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk pull out his sword.

"Let's live together."