Chapter 207

As time passed, discussions for the upcoming struggle began in the highest chamber of the spire.

Kenneth’s voice still echoed through the space without a physical form, but the weight contained within it was markedly different from before.

[…To eliminate the Cult Leader first. Indeed, a bold idea, fitting of you.]

“There is no other choice.”

Taewoon’s voice was resolute. In those eyes, which had regained their memories, there was not a hint of confusion. Only a conviction-filled determination was revealed.

“The Cult Leader’s Authority directly interferes with our memories and causality. As long as he exists, we will always be entangled in his spiderweb. Avoiding him can never be the solution.”

At those words, Yerin nodded, supporting Taewoon’s opinion.

“It is absolutely necessary, if only to recover our last comrade. There will come a moment in the journey toward the End of Dawn where we will need her help.”

Kenneth remained silent for a while in the face of the two people’s firm will. As the Constructor, he had no choice but to consider tens of thousands of possibilities before a massive gamble that staked the very existence of the Ark.

[I admit that your power has reached a realm incomparable to before. However, the Cult Leader is no easy opponent. The entity behind him possesses a rank that is among the highest even among the Calamities of the world. A hasty frontal confrontation is…]

“We are also aware of those risks.”

Taewoon cut Kenneth off. His gaze turned toward a single point in the air, where Kenneth’s will resided.

“But the Cult Leader’s reach will eventually extend to the Ark as well. His ideology is the peaceful end of all things. There are no exceptions. Do you truly believe he will turn a blind eye to the existence of the Ark?”

It was both a persuasion and an ultimatum. Taewoon accurately pierced through the longing for survival hidden behind the Ark’s closed nature and pacifism.

No matter how much Kenneth wished to avoid conflict, the affairs of the world did not always flow according to his desires.

After a moment, along with a low sigh that echoed through the space, Kenneth’s decision was made.

[…Very well. The Ark can no longer remain silent either. I shall lend my strength to your will. I will provide all the information we possess, as well as sufficient military force.]

Thus, the final alliance staking the fate of the world was forged.

However, before the formal planning began, one fundamental question remained in Taewoon’s mind.

‘The Cult Leader likely already knows that I have escaped his Authority. If so, he must be devising a new plan at this very moment.’

The opponent was a meticulous and cunning being who had turned the entirety of the 2nd Cycle into his own Chessboard. Now that he had sensed Taewoon’s change, it was certain he would not move in the same way as before.

‘A frontal clash has too many variables. Even as I am now, I cannot guarantee victory in a direct confrontation with the entity behind the Cult Leader.’

But at that moment, Yerin, who had been silent all along, spoke up cautiously. An intellectual light, different from before, flickered in her eyes.

“But… is it really to that extent?”

“What?”

“I mean the entity behind the Cult Leader. If that entity is the type that can only descend once the End of Dawn is reached, like The Red Man, I suspect it might be too early for it to be active now.”

It was a blind spot that struck the mark.

Taewoon had also communicated with the entity beyond the Mask and borrowed its power, but that entity had never directly revealed itself in this world or interfered with reality.

It had merely been the exercise of intermittent and limited influence through the conduit that was Taewoon.

What if the Cult Leader’s case was the same?

“Thinking back, it was the same in the 2nd Cycle. The Cult Leader used every means to check us and lure us into Traps, but he only stepped onto the stage himself when everything had reached its final stages.”

Yerin’s deduction was rational. The power the Cult Leader borrowed was strong, but there was a high possibility that it still fell far short of the original’s power.

That was why he preferred to avoid frontal confrontations and instead used his Authority to neutralize his opponents.

Taewoon’s gaze gradually changed. A ray of light seemed to shine upon a situation that had looked like a desperate dilemma.

‘Right, unexpectedly, a frontal clash might be the closest thing to the correct answer.’

Now that he was no longer swayed by the Cult Leader’s Authority, Taewoon had the power to break through his deception head-on.

Furthermore, having been with the Apocalypse Society during the 2nd Cycle, Taewoon had already grasped a significant amount of internal secrets, including their headquarters.

No matter how prudent the Cult Leader was, it would be impossible for him to abandon the very place that served as the foundation of The Society.

‘A swift resolution, then…’

Having finally made his decision, Taewoon began preparing for the final battle alongside the Ark Faction.

A cold wind brushed past the ruins of the old, corroded city.

The city where the headquarters of the Apocalypse Society was located was enveloped in the same gloomy silence as before.

Three Branch Leaders of the Ark, Taewoon, and Yerin. The final strike team, composed of a small elite force, headed silently toward the massive underground Holy Sanctuary, the heart of the headquarters.

“…The atmosphere is strange. Someone should have stepped in to block us by now.”

Drael, a man in a grey robe and one of the Branch Leaders, murmured softly. In his hand, he held a massive combat hammer.

Taewoon also scanned the surroundings thoroughly with Thousand-League Perception, but he didn’t feel many presences. There was a strange sense of incongruity, as if a stage had been prepared specifically for Taewoon’s party.

As they reached the entrance of the massive Holy Sanctuary, two figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

They were the two Cardinals of the Apocalypse Society, Aphrasia and Gaspen.

“Oh my, you arrived sooner than I thought.”

Aphrasia waved her hand with a kind smile, as always. However, a chilly shadow that hadn’t been there before now cast over her eyes. Gaspen, standing beside her, remained silent with a stiff expression.

Yerin stepped forward, taking a defensive stance.

“Where is the Cult Leader?”

“Calm down, young lady. We didn’t specifically come here to fight today.”

Aphrasia waved her hand, blocking Taewoon’s party.

“The Cult Leader… is waiting for you. We were simply ordered to deliver the invitation.”

Invitation.

At that word, Taewoon’s brow twitched. It was that unpleasant sensation of stepping onto his Chessboard once again.

However, Taewoon now possessed sufficient power, and he could not simply retreat helplessly after coming this far.

“…Lead the way.”

At Taewoon’s short reply, Aphrasia shrugged and turned around.

The interior of the Holy Sanctuary they entered still looked the same as before. The endless research facilities and prisons. And beyond them, the throne in the empty space.

And upon it, the Cult Leader of the Apocalypse Society was waiting for Taewoon’s party with a serene demeanor.

As before, he was accompanied by Seoyoon, who wore a dark red uniform.

[…You’ve come.]

The Cult Leader’s voice was eerily calm. As if welcoming an old friend, no hostility could be felt in any of his actions.

But not one of Taewoon’s party lowered their guard. Through past experiences, they knew well that this very stillness was one of his greatest weapons.

Reading their tension, the Cult Leader let out a small chuckle.

[There is no need to be so guarded. I did not invite you here specifically to settle things once and for all.]

“Then why?”

Taewoon stepped forward and asked. The Cult Leader remained silent for a moment before continuing.

[It is simple. Because I have already… completed all the calculations.]

There was absolute certainty in the Cult Leader’s voice.

However, it didn’t seem to be certainty directed solely toward his own victory.

[Holy Follower… your vessel is truly marvelous. In the end, you broke my Authority on your own and reached a level of transcendence nearly equal to the beings who will arrive at the End of Dawn. To be honest, it would be no exaggeration to say that we have no way to handle you as we are now.]

It was a truly shocking confession. It was an act equivalent to admitting defeat before the fight had even begun.

[Therefore, I decided to change my tactics. Instead of a meaningless struggle, I have arranged this meeting to turn your footsteps back through persuasion.]

“Persuasion? Are you saying you still have something to say to us at this point?”

[It is not such an absurd story. It concerns a question that you likely pondered many times while facing the End of Dawn.]

The Cult Leader’s gaze shifted toward Taewoon’s party and the Branch Leaders of the Ark.

[The escape of the Ark. Do you truly believe that it will succeed?]

He used the metaphor of a lion trapped in a cage. A lion raised by a keeper’s hand, living in a comfortable cage its entire life. But if that lion suddenly breaks the cage and steps outside one day, will true freedom be given to the lion?

[The lion does not know how to hunt. It does not know how to survive in the harshness of Nature. Furthermore, outside the cage, there is a larger cage.]

“…….”

[What is given to the lion that broke out of the cage is not freedom, but a more miserable and painful reality encountered amidst hunger and fear.]

“That is sophistry! We are moving forward for the sake of hope!”

Drael shouted in anger, but a slight tremor, which he couldn’t help, was mixed into his voice.

They knew it too. The fact that the Ark’s plan could not be a perfect salvation or a method of survival.

To that, the Cult Leader asserted without hesitation.

[Even if countless fortunes and opportunities are given after the escape, the lion that lived trapped in the cage can never handle them. In the end, the gentlest and most merciful conclusion is to be raised within the cage and meet a peaceful end. That is the true meaning of the End of Dawn that I pursue.]

Taewoon also could not deny the persuasiveness of those words. Recalling the horrific landscape of the apocalypse he witnessed in the 1st Cycle, a peaceful death could indeed feel like salvation.

However, Taewoon had already reached a clear answer regarding that ideology.

“…Unfortunately, we cannot agree with your answer.”

At Taewoon’s resolute reply, the Cult Leader shook his head and let out a sigh that seemed to contain denial.

[You still know nothing. What state a mere powerless human will find themselves in when they step outside the world…]

Having finished speaking, the Cult Leader slowly rose from his throne.

And the moment the deep shadow covering his body and face slid away.

Everyone present gasped, falling into a state of shock.