Chapter 203

The moment the fragments of the shattered scales scattered into particles of light, a complete silence filled the space.

The clash of overwhelming power that, until a moment ago, had threatened the heart of the city subsided as if it had been a lie.

However, that stillness was not peace, but a precarious silence akin to the eye of a storm.

“…….”

The workers of the Ark could barely breathe. Their gazes were fixed on a single point: Taewoon, who stood quietly, shrouded in the remnants of a crimson aura.

Awe, fear, and a primal bewilderment born from witnessing an incomprehensible existence.

No one dared to move rashly.

Having witnessed the Authority of a Branch Leader crumble so futilely, they effectively had no other choice.

“Keugh……”

The man on his knees coughed up blood with a dry rasp.

Though he acknowledged his defeat, he still stared at Taewoon with sharp eyes.

It was at that very moment, as the tension stretched tight across the plaza.

[Since I now understand your intent, please stop.]

A dignified and deep voice resonated from the highest point of the city’s spire, far in the distance.

It was a voice he had never heard before. Yet, Taewoon could instinctively tell who the owner of that voice was.

“…….”

The Constructor of the Ark.

The former assembly leader of the Dawn Assembly, and a secretive figure said to be moving for a new salvation at the end of the world.

He had heard that the man avoided all conflict and focused solely on his inherent task, but he was a titan who would not be outdone even by the Cult Leader of the Apocalypse Society.

“Have you decided to grant my request?”

[If it is your wish, having a conversation is not difficult. Follow this light.]

As soon as the words ended, a single beam of pure light shot down vertically from the top of the spire.

The moment the light touched the plaza floor, it refracted gently, extending long toward Taewoon’s feet like a guiding carpet.

“…I accept the invitation.”

Taewoon did not hesitate. He silently stepped onto the path created by the light.

The guidance of the light led Taewoon to the highest point of the spire, to a space like an attic that seemed severed from the rest of the world.

Books filled every corner, alongside unknown blueprints and strange Relics.

[Welcome.]

Dust danced in the sunlight pouring through the round ceiling window, and the scent of old paper and a faint aroma of wood lingered in the air.

On an old table in the center of the room sat a single teacup with steam rising from it. However, the host who had invited Taewoon was nowhere to be seen.

[I am called Kenneth. I am the Constructor of the Ark you were seeking, and the master of this city.]

“Do you have no intention of showing yourself?”

Taewoon asked, staring at the empty chair beyond the teacup without lowering his guard.

[The End of Dawn is not far off, so I must continue working without rest to complete the Ark. I ask for your understanding in this matter.]

Kenneth’s voice carried a deep fatigue along with a firm sense of mission regarding his task.

Taewoon looked around for a moment.

The Ark. From what Taewoon had heard, it was no ordinary object, but a massive symbol of salvation prepared for the end of the world.

Yet, no trace of the Ark could be found anywhere in this peaceful city.

‘Indeed… does this mean it cannot even be approached through conventional means?’

Perhaps Kenneth was constructing the Ark even at this moment in a special space that Taewoon could not perceive.

As Taewoon sat down and lifted the teacup, Kenneth continued.

[Regardless… I am well aware of your doubts. I, too, have heard things passed down from her.]

“…….”

[The workers did not lie. Even at this moment, Yerin is firmly refusing to make contact with you. Have you perhaps noticed the reason why?]

He wasn’t sure.

Taewoon absolutely lacked information right now.

However, from the moment he arrived in Duham and heard of Yerin’s refusal, one lingering thought had been circling in the back of his mind.

Taewoon set down the teacup. Then, he slowly provided the answer to the question.

“Could it be… that it’s already too late?”

[It seems you are aware. You must know. The very act of coming to find her like this signifies your failure.]

Yes, he thought it might be so.

After a Cycle ended, Taewoon’s party would have certainly gathered in the Theater’s Waiting Room to plan their next attempt.

They would have calculated every variable meticulously and precisely to avoid repeating previous failures.

“…….”

But as a result, Taewoon was experiencing confusion and gaps in his memory. And that meant only one thing: the attempt of this Cycle had already resulted in a conclusion of failure.

[I merely shared a contract; I do not know much about the intentions you harbor. However, one thing is certain. You must leave this place immediately.]

“…….”

[I have put every possible precaution in place, but I cannot know which thought or action will act as a trigger. Even contacting you like this was a risk. Do you understand what I mean?]

He understood well enough.

Taewoon decided to give up on facing Yerin and stood up without hesitation.

But he couldn’t just retreat like this. Since he had already set things in motion, there was one fact he absolutely had to confirm.

“Is there not a message Yerin asked you to deliver?”

[…….]

“I must hear it. Even if I have to bear the risks that follow.”

Kenneth remained silent for a moment. The light from the ceiling seemed to flicker slightly.

After a long period of agony, his tightly closed lips opened with a low sigh.

[The last. That is the entirety of the message she left.]

The moment he heard that fact, Taewoon instinctively perceived the manifestation of an unknown Authority.

A moment ago, someone had borrowed Taewoon’s existence to ‘listen’ to Kenneth’s message together with him.

A cold sensation swept down his spine, blurring Taewoon’s senses.

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

Without a moment’s hesitation, Taewoon exploded the Authority of Apostle Transformation.

Soon, his body turned into Crimson Mist, slipping away from the coordinates of reality, and in the next instant, Taewoon was standing in the deep forest on the outskirts of Duham, rather than the light-filled attic.

‘Damn it! Was I too late?’

He had hurried to leave the area, but he hadn’t timed it right.

The critical and fatal secret—that this was the final Cycle of the Theater—had been leaked to that thing.

‘…So I’m already entangled in a spiderweb.’

The opponent was a being with truly bizarre and powerful Authority. And the core keyword was likely ‘memory.’

Taewoon’s party was in a state of absolute, desperate crisis.

‘Right… in a Theater of this difficulty, the secrets I hold are not absolute.’

The Theater of All Things had brought Taewoon mysterious and powerful strength, but it had always imposed corresponding trials and hardships.

If one desired stronger power, one had to overcome stronger trials.

This was a problem Taewoon had to navigate entirely on his own. And defeat meant the end of everything.

‘What do I need to do now?’

The situation was truly bleak, but Taewoon did not collapse.

Taewoon believed in the version of himself before he lost his memories, and in the potential of his two other comrades who were likely fighting in their respective positions.

‘It’s not over yet. There must be a breakthrough.’

For now, he had to trust the other two and pour all his remaining strength into the task before him.

Ultimately, what Taewoon thought of was the alien and secretive existence that was one of the sources of his power.

‘The owner of the Mask is a separate, independent entity. Even if I am entangled in the enemy’s web, it shouldn’t be a problem for him.’

Taewoon sat cross-legged on the spot and closed his eyes. Maintaining his Apostle Transformation State, he concentrated all his mind into the deepest part of his inner self.

Beyond simply feeling the existence behind the Mask, Taewoon attempted true communication.

He decided to face the entity completely, tearing down even the minimum level of vigilance residing deep in his heart.

Taewoon’s consciousness moved toward the distant beyond.

There, Taewoon was able to face head-on the massive will that had been watching him all along.

‘Owner of the Mask, what exactly do you want from me? And what must I do to break through this situation?’

The entity certainly wanted something from Taewoon.

And since it had watched Taewoon throughout this Theater, it likely held the answer to this desperate situation.

How much time had passed?

The massive will gave no answer, simply disappearing quietly after leaving behind a single, intense, unknown wave.

Yet, strangely, Taewoon could understand the meaning contained in that action with absolute clarity.

‘Complete… the Mask.’

The Apostle Transformation State was dispelled, and Taewoon slowly opened his eyes.

His pupils, which had been filled with confusion, now shone with a resolve as hard as steel.

‘The master of the spiderweb… must be the Cult Leader.’

While it couldn’t be said that there were no other variables, he was the most likely candidate.

If so, he had to settle the score with him and reach the Conclusion of the Theater before the End of Dawn arrived.

‘If I cannot overcome him… then that will simply be my end.’

Taewoon stood up and began walking toward the dark forest.

As always, there was no hesitation.