Chapter 649:

Chapter 649:

"…"

Swish.

As Ashoka moved his head,

"Oh. Buddha, have you awakened?"

Jiang Shang quickly approached him.

"I heard you created that blue light. Tell me more about it in detail."

"…You are not Dongbang Sak."

"Oh? You figured that out right away?"

As Jiang Shang looked at Ashoka with interest at that response,

"This place… is quite strange. Could you explain the situation to me?"Ashoka said, looking at Seong Jihan.

"Alright. It might be a long story, but…"

Seong Jihan then summarized everything from after the Martial God's death, to the stories about Urd, the server, and the transcendent beings.

Listening to this, Ashoka slowly nodded.

"So my hunch wasn't wrong."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Stat 'Blue'… I devised this ability to eliminate enemies, but it contained many more possibilities beyond that."

"I see."

"Yes. My intention was solely to remove red, but an ability far surpassing that emerged. It felt odd to say I suddenly realized it… Nullification, huh…"

Swish…

Ashoka manifested the Blue that Seong Jihan had given him, then nodded.

"It seems the transcendent being you mentioned influenced me."

"The transcendent being?"

"Yes. Blue developed far beyond my original intentions. This would be impossible without intervention."

It did seem strange that Stat Blue showed similarities to the President's ability.

Was there intervention from the transcendent being from the moment Ashoka realized Blue?

'Urd did say that Siddhartha from other servers was definitely not at this level…'

Stat Blue, which completely neutralized Urd to the point of shocking her avatar.

If the transcendent being's arrangements were involved here too, how should they deal with such a formidable opponent?

As Seong Jihan was pondering this, Jiang Shang, who had been quietly listening, asked Ashoka a question.

"Hmm… So Buddha, you couldn't fully grasp that ability either?"

"Please call me Ashoka. I am not an enlightened one."

"Well, you seem enlightened to me… But if that's what you want, I'll call you that."

"Thank you. And, I do have some insights."

"Oh?"

As Jiang Shang showed interest at those words,

Ashoka slowly began to speak.

"I was in the Pure Land all this time."

"…The Pure Land?"

Wasn't the Pure Land like the Buddhist heaven?

Seong Jihan expressed confusion at Ashoka suddenly mentioning the Pure Land when he said he had insights to share.

"In other words, you could call it the transcendent being."

"…Are you saying you were in the transcendent being?"

"That's right."

Seong Jihan was greatly surprised to hear Ashoka say that the Pure Land was the transcendent being.

No.

How could he have been in the transcendent being?

"I am the greatest sinner to humanity. I helped the Martial God turn the wheel of time infinitely."

"But… wasn't that a desperate measure to stop the Martial God?"

"Whatever the motive, it doesn't erase the sin. The Pure Land should have been an impossible place for me, who carried the heaviest karma. But the place I faced after accepting death was truly unexpected."

Ashoka then described the 'world full of light' he encountered.

"It was a place where everyone was happy. The utopia everyone dreams of. It wasn't a place where a sinner like me should set foot, and yet. They welcomed me there."

"Welcomed…"

"They showed me how wonderful the world the transcendent being envisions is. Yes… it was the paradise all of humanity holds in their hearts. If I were to describe it all, it would be endless."

Ashoka's eyes seemed even warmer than usual when mentioning the transcendent being.

Perhaps that was how good the world he called the 'Pure Land' was.

After being lost in thought for a moment, Ashoka slowly opened his mouth.

"But isn't it strange?"

"What do you mean?"

"That I, summoned by you, have memories of the transcendent being. And only good memories at that."

"That's…"

As Seong Jihan was at a loss for words,

"It seems I've been given the task of persuading you."

Ashoka said, looking around at everyone present.

* * *

"Persuade? So, you bastard, you're on their side?"

As Jiang Shang's tone turned aggressive at Ashoka's words, he smiled gently.

"If that were the case, I would have immediately shared what I saw in the transcendent being with all of you."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"If you saw it, you would all be moved by the will of the transcendent being."

"Hah. Are you enduring it right now? You think I couldn't endure it? Let's see you try!"

No.

Why was Jiang Shang getting all worked up about his pride here, saying if you endured it, he could too.

'Should I just tell Dongbang Sak to come back?'

As Seong Jihan was seriously considering this, Ashoka's smile deepened.

"Haha. It's interesting to see my friend being so aggressive. What do you think?"

"No. Rather than sharing memories and risking being moved by the transcendent being, I'll choose the safe path."

"No! Son-in-law, I'm disappointed! To be a man is to take on challenges…"

"I have too much at stake to take on such challenges boldly. Doesn't the Emperor feel the same?"

"…Ahem."

At the mention of his burden, Jiang Shang's eyebrows twitched several times, but he soon regained his composure and just stroked his beard.

The burden given to Seong Jihan was ultimately Server 4212 itself.

He seemed to understand Seong Jihan's words about not gambling with this at stake.

"Alright. I understand. We won't take on the challenge. So Ashoka, what are you trying to say? If you're not going to persuade us on behalf of the transcendent being, are you going to help us?"

"I should…"

Before he could finish his sentence.

Fwoosh…!

A bright white light burst forth from Ashoka's body.

"The transcendent being already…! Be careful!"

Ashoka tried to block the bursting light by using the Blue he received from Seong Jihan, but

He couldn't completely block the light that erupted before he could fully react and a faint light touched all three people.

Then.

Fwoosh…!

As the world around Seong Jihan was completely immersed in light, he felt a new sensation.

'…This is.'

A comfort he had never felt before.

Though he was simply immersed in light, Seong Jihan felt more fulfilled than ever before.

'So this is what it feels like to be complete…'

Even when he became the Blue Administrator.

Even when he obtained the server management device and effectively gained control of Server 4212.

He had never felt such completeness.

Always feeling lacking, always realizing his inadequacies.

But in this light.

He felt like everything was being completed.

And.

'The will of this light… is full of goodness.'

Whatever the motive for creating the transcendent being, the world it seeks to change was ultimately for the new humanity.

Whether you call it the Pure Land or Heaven.

The paradise that people have always sought but could never reach.

The transcendent being could definitely realize it.

Because this light contained that much power.

This was simply for one individual.

It was an enormous flow that Seong Jihan could never go against.

And.

Swish…

'…If you wish, I will preserve Server 4212 as well…'

The 'burden' and driving force that had brought Seong Jihan this far.

He said he would definitely preserve the world he belonged to as well.

The will of the transcendent being was trying to persuade him.

Just like in the first future vision Seong Jihan had seen.

Cut down Urd and join the transcendent being.

'Then I will acknowledge your merit and protect your world…'

As the light, which had seemed like the most benevolent will in the world, whispered this, Seong Jihan felt a sense of rebellion instead.

'No… Why waste effort on such futility?'

Server 4212 was ultimately a fake world, a meaningless place.

Rather than expending effort on that, wouldn't it be better for this world to create the realm that the transcendent being truly seeks?

Though he offered to preserve the server, Seong Jihan was about to give in to the intense feeling of rebellion when suddenly,

'…Huh?'

Something.

Felt strange.

'Why am I feeling this way…?'

At this rate, he was just following the will of the transcendent being.

The reason he came this far was to maintain my own world, but just from touching this light, to go this far…

'No. No. Ultimately, for the sake of humanity, the world envisioned by the transcendent being must be completed. The server is just…'

The transcendent being and the server.

As these two thoughts arose simultaneously, his eyes filled with confusion.

"…Thousand Hands, Thousand Eyes."

Swish!

From within the light, a thousand shadow hands stretched out.

"Snap out of it!"

Ashoka forcefully pulled Seong Jihan out.

Fwoosh…!

With that,

The light that had spread all around disappeared,

And Seong Jihan was able to return to his original location.

"…Mmm."

Leaving the comfortable light and returning to this place felt like a cold reality.

Seong Jihan felt the sensations in his body were more prickly than usual.

'Was it really that comfortable there…'

Now he understood why Ashoka had called it the Pure Land, and why he said they would be moved if memories were shared.

Though he was only immersed in the light for a moment,

Seong Jihan had felt more comfort than ever before.

'…It was happier just being in that light than when I regressed and changed Seah's fate.'

Ashoka might not have come to his senses if he hadn't urgently raised Blue to weaken the light.

As Seong Jihan recalled the recent sensation and broke out in a cold sweat,

"I'm sorry. It seems the transcendent being knew I wouldn't follow its will."

Ashoka, who had pulled Seong Jihan out, apologized saying he should have been more careful.

"No, you saved me. Thank you."

"Hmm. That was quite dangerous…"

As Seong Jihan caught his breath, Jiang Shang approached with a tired face.

"Buddha, no, Ashoka – if it weren't for your hand, I might still be lost in there. Thank you."

It seems he too had seen the same illusory light as Seong Jihan.

He was deeply bowing to Ashoka, saying he had saved him.

"No. This happened because of me. I'm glad it was resolved."

"I'm ashamed of my earlier boast about taking on the challenge. Hah… How did you maintain your sanity in such a world?"

It seems he was hit hard by the transcendent being's light.

Jiang Shang now showed much more respect towards Ashoka than before.

As Seong Jihan observed his change in attitude, he suddenly realized someone was missing.

"Ah. By the way, what happened to Id?"

"You mean that new human?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… Look over there."

In the direction Jiang Shang pointed, Id's body was nowhere to be seen.

Only his scalp had fallen to the ground, gleaming with light.