Chapter 445
Se-Hoon’s eyes widened in shock.
I’ve already... conquered the Tower of Heroes once?
It couldn’t be. He was absolutely certain that never—even before he regressed—had he reached the top of the Tower of Heroes. But then, why was Li Kenxie saying such a thing?
Then again... it’s not like there weren’t any suspicious signs...
On top of the fact that he could use the powers that only the Perfect Ones should be able to wield, Aria had even once thought he’d also conquered the Tower like her. Thinking back, he’d already been suspecting that he had also gained something that only a Perfect One could possess.
However, despite even that, Se-Hoon wasn’t shaken—that alone couldn’t suffice as proof that he was a Perfect One.
Aria already proved that conquering the Tower of Heroes and becoming a Perfect One are two different things.
To reach the summit was merely to observe the full extent of the “world.” To achieve the status of a Perfect One, one had to take one step further and inscribe their synesthetic mindscape into the new world revealed to them—which, at that point, was the Golden Ring itself.
In the eyes of some, it was just a single step’s difference. However, like the time gap between someone who stops right before the finish line and someone who actually crosses it, the gulf between the two was anything but “just.”
If I really did become a Perfect One...
If he had taken that step, did that mean he had already etched his synesthetic mindscape into the Golden Ring without even realizing it? He didn’t know, plunging his thoughts into confusion.
Li Kenxie, watching him quietly, continued speaking.
“...This is something the Perfect One version of me—let’s call him the Sacred Craftsman for clarity—speculated on his own,” Li Kenxie said, after quietly watching Se-Hoon struggling for a moment. “So it might come as a surprise to you.”
“...”
“His theory may not be absolutely correct, so just listen to it all first and judge for yourself. Understood?”
At those words, Se-Hoon took a moment to gather his thoughts and calm down. And only once he had, did he nod.
“...Okay.”
“There are two main reasons the Sacred Craftsman concluded that you’re a Perfect One. The first is that ring on your left ring finger.”
“You mean the Hero’s Ring?”
“Yes. The one you said Ludwig gave you.”
Seeing Li Kenxie’s gesture toward the Hero’s Ring, Se-Hoon paused. He’d been expecting some remark about his talent or powers; the ring had never even been a factor in his mind.
“Do you know what kind of energy that ring provides?”
“...I’ve always assumed it’s an energy originating from the Golden Ring, the world itself.”
“You’re right. As you guessed, it’s something that descends from the world itself. The Sacred Craftsman calls it the power of Origin.”
“The power of Origin...”
“It’s this power that created the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons, introduced and spread novice concepts like mana, and sustains the laws created by the Perfect Ones. It’s the origin of all things—hence why he called it the power of Origin.”
Learning about the source behind the upheaval of the world, Se-Hoon stiffened. Calling it the root of all calamities wouldn’t even be an exaggeration, and that came with plenty of implications.
“You’ve probably already figured this out, but the power of Origin isn’t something ordinary people can handle.”
“By ordinary people, you mean...”
“Everyone who isn’t a Perfect One.”
To declare that only the Perfect Ones could access the power of Origin might’ve sounded too firm of a conclusion, but when considering how no one besides the Perfect Ones had ever successfully wielded or contained it, it no longer sounded implausible.
“I can guarantee you this: if anyone else had used that Hero’s Ring, their synesthetic mindscape would’ve collapsed or they would’ve died on the spot. In other words, the fact you survived also proves you’re a Perfect One.”
“...” Se-Hoon fell silent, ruminating over Li Kenxie’s absolute certainty, then asked, “Do you think the Chairman knows... about this?”
He couldn’t help but recall when Ludwig had said that his goal was to distribute the Tower of Heroes’s privileges and allow others to use the powers of the Perfect Ones. For that end, the Hero’s Ring had been created as a prototype during his research into drawing out the Tower’s power.
But now, with the new information he just learned, Se-Hoon realized it also implied Ludwig must have acknowledged and accepted the potential for human death, considering he had to be aware of the power of Origin.
“Hm...”
Li Kenxie tapped his memory at Se-Hoon’s question, then slowly shook his head.
“The Sacred Craftsman didn’t leave any notes on that; I can’t answer you.”
“...”
Seeing Se-Hoon pressing his lips tightly together, his gaze growing cold, Li Kenxie scratched his head awkwardly.
“Well, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. The fact he put usage restrictions on it probably means he was trying to mitigate the side effects in his own way.”
“Isn’t that just a security function?”
“That’s up for interpretation—just like how you’re trying to lump Ludwig in with people like the Sacred Craftsman.”
Se-Hoon flinched. It was such a pointed remark that Se-Hoon ended up letting out a sigh.
“...You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. In truth, you reacting like that is normal. When have you ever seen a Perfect One who was actually sane?”
Wurgen, who had tried to erode the entire world with the Netherworld’s darkness.
Li Kenxie himself, who had attempted to sacrifice hundreds of millions of humans.
Baek-Yeon, who had silently stood by while the war against the Demon Force unfolded.
Karl, who often showed his extreme faith in his God.
Jason, who had an extreme indifference to everything.
The Seeker, who had committed countless human experiments without remorse.
Given all of them, it was, in fact, more strange to be someone who blindly believed the Perfect Ones were allies of humanity.
“Just try not to jump to conclusions until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. The Sacred Craftsman only ended up like that because of one moment of arrogance.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Se-Hoon, having calmed down.
Noticing that as well, Li Kenxie nodded. “Let’s get back on track, then. That first reason ran slightly long, and there’s still a chance the Sacred Craftsman was mistaken. But the second reason is not like that.”
“...What is it?”
“The very fact you and I are facing each other right now. That this encounter is even happening proves you’re a Perfect One.”
Just meeting Li Kenxie—who now only existed as a record stored within a power—was proof. But why? Pondering it over, Se-Hoon recalled what Li Kenxie had said earlier.
“Are you truly fine with this?”
Li Kenxie had expressed concern for him over altering the power of Anatta. And that meant... Se-Hoon understood what had made him a Perfect One.
“Helping to create a new power... alone is what makes me a Perfect One.”
When he had aided in establishing the Blessing of the Eternal, Se-Hoon recollected his own wish and reformed the disheartened Wurgen. To put it simply, he had inserted his own “code” into the program of the Eternal Nocturne and rewrote it.
But then a question arose.
Who does the Blessing of the Eternal belong to?
By proportion, it should’ve been Wurgen’s power—but Se-Hoon’s involvement was indispensable to the result. Because both were true, the current power of Boundaries that was taking effect in the world was now perceived as the shared power of both Wurgen and Se-Hoon, unlike before.
I was wondering why the Blessing of the Eternal was based on my values back then...
The conditions that the Heroes Association and UD Group had analyzed about the Blessing—especially how it defined criminals—perfectly matched Se-Hoon’s own inner moral compass. Before, Se-Hoon had simply assumed Wurgen had just been influenced by him or used him for reference. Now, though, he knew.
“A Perfect One is a power. And a power is a Perfect One. For that reason, even if the first reason I gave you was off, it still means you are already a Perfect One.”
“...”
Se-Hoon’s brow furrowed. Everything he had heard sounded absurd—that something like that had made him a Perfect One. And yet, he couldn’t deny that a part of him accepted it. Looking back now, after the establishment of the Blessing of the Eternal, the changes to his synesthetic mindscape had indeed sped up.
Moreover... there was the truth that he knew: that the so-called “world” wasn’t anything that grand.
Concepts flimsy enough to change... and flimsy enough to be tied together just like that. Anything with strengths would definitely have its weaknesses.
Taking in the new revelations, Se-Hoon logically examined his state and came to a conclusion.
“I think I have a different explanation, sir.”
“What is it?”
“It’s true I influenced the other Perfect Ones’ powers... but I doubt that alone is enough to say I’ve become a Perfect One. If all this is part of the process of changing, then maybe—but not yet.”
He could accept that the recent changes to his synesthetic mindscape and that the inexplicable confidence he’d been feeling were signs of becoming a Perfect One, but he still deemed they weren’t enough to say he was one. His synesthetic mindscape wasn’t complete yet, and he felt no sign that a new power had been forged.
“So what you’re saying is... even at the risk of becoming a Perfect One, you’re still going to move forward with changing the power of Anatta?”
Li Kenxie frowned, wondering if Se-Hoon truly hadn’t grasped the seriousness. Wanting to confirm, Li Kenxie opened his mouth—
“No.”
Se-Hoon shook his head. Then, in a firm voice, he declared, “I’m changing the power of Anatta to avoid becoming a Perfect One.”
“...What?”
“If the world’s laws are that loosely held together, it’ll be faster for me to fix them myself.”
He would revise the power of Anatta and, in doing so, add several caveats to ensure he wouldn’t become a Perfect One. It sounded completely contradictory, but Se-Hoon didn’t think so. To him, he was simply filling in a blank space that no one had yet defined.
Though strictly speaking, it’s more of a hunch than certainty...
But even then—without proof or logic—he believed he would succeed. And if that undefined intuition was actually a power that emerged as he got closer and closer to conquering the Tower of Heroes, then all the more reason to trust it.
“...”
Li Kenxie was dumbfounded. Even when faced with the revelation that he may be unknowingly turning into a Perfect One, Se-Hoon had still regained his composure just like that—and was already thinking about how to exploit it.
It was at that moment that Li Kenxie understood. The sight of Se-Hoon right now was exactly why the Sacred Craftsman had staked everything on him.
He really is a monster.
To think he was planning to not only reshape the powers of Perfect Ones but even attempt to rewrite the world to his own design.... He embodied such a transcendent ideal that Li Kenxie genuinely had no idea how such a daring person had come to be.
But that was fine. If that was how Se-Hoon operated, then no matter what happened next, he’d be able to face it head-on.
“I like your vigor, but... how exactly do you plan to remake it?”
Choosing a different path was one thing, but whether that would lead to the enlightenment Li Kenxie needed to conquer the Tower of Heroes was another matter entirely.
Mulling over the question, Se-Hoon asked back, “I think I need to understand the content of your final trial first. What exactly are you supposed to do here?”
“Impermanence.”
“...That’s it?”
The unexpectedly short answer made Se-Hoon blink, and Li Kenxie nodded.
“That’s the conclusion I reached after seeing how there was nothing when I entered this place.”
“...Nothing?”
“Literally. Not even the Tower of Heroes. Just endless darkness.” As Li Kenxie’s words ended, he reached down and brushed his hand through the floor, sweeping up a portion of flame.
“This is...”
A space with absolutely no sensory input. If someone in the past version of the Netherworld had felt as though they were spiraling into an abyss, the darkness around them felt like pure nothingness—devoid of even fear.
Looking around the void, Se-Hoon’s face grew puzzled.
Setting aside the rest... the Tower of Heroes not being visible is strange.
In every trial of the Tower of Heroes, a pure-white path to the next floor had always been visible. Even on Wurgen’s floor 444, that had been the case. It was an absolute, meaning there were two likely possibilities: either the Tower was hidden within the darkness, or the trial itself had been warped.
This version of Li Kenxie in front of me... had his synesthetic mindscape distorted when he forged the Five Element Equipment.
When also considering that the Tower’s trials reflected the synesthetic mindscape of the hero within them, then the possibilities made sense. Weighing them both, Se-Hoon looked toward Li Kenxie.
“You said you concluded that the trial was about impermanence... but what exactly were you doing at the time?”
“Exactly what the word means. I tried to rid myself of the remaining impurities—no, memories and emotions—believing that everything is fleeting, hoping to find my true self.”
With a bitter smile, Li Kenxie admitted it had been a foolish, pathetic effort.
Se-Hoon fell into thought, and a long moment passed. Then, Se-Hoon finally opened his mouth. “I’m not sure yet... but I think I know what I need to do first.”
“And what’s that?”
“Eliminate the wrong answers.”
“...Huh?”
Eliminate the wrong answers? What was he talking about? As Li Kenxie stood there completely baffled, Se-Hoon smiled faintly as he pulled out five lanterns from the Dream Storage.
Each one held a flame of a different color—red, black, blue, white, and yellow—derived from the five elements.
Curious, Li Kenxie stared at the flickering flames, and then, when he realized their origin, his eyes widened.
“Those are...”
Familiar yet loathsome emotions and memories emanated from the multicolored fire. In other words, they were the very impurities—no, the parts of his synesthetic mindscape that he had sealed away inside the Five Element Equipment.
Unable to believe his eyes, Li Kenxie’s expression changed to one of pure disbelief.
And at that moment, Se-Hoon’s small smile widened before he opened the first lantern.
“Why don’t we start by shaping you into a human being?”