Chapter 663:

Chapter 663:

The Fusion Vessel.

This vessel created by mixing the Blue and the Void.

Even when Seong Jihan tried to analyze it before using the 'Power of Observation', he couldn't fully grasp it.

'I thought it was extraordinary back then too, but…'

In a world that appeared transformed into numbers and letters after using 'Analysis'.

The fact that only Yoon Seah looked normal seemed to be related to that thing.

Seong Jihan approached her and examined the Fusion Vessel closely.

'Hmm…? This is…'

The Fusion Vessel was immediately comprehensible, perhaps because his Light authority had become much stronger.

Seong Jihan blinked as he looked at the vessel mixed with Blue and Void.'It's similar to Ashoka's mixed defiled world, isn't it?'

Mixed defiled world, which had become a foothold to resist the light of the Transcendent Being.

Ashoka's legacy, where the floor was dyed a dark blue color after a blue lotus bloomed.

It was still the driving force that allowed Seong Jihan to endure in the Ark.

But how could Yoon Seah's Fusion Vessel…

How could it have properties similar to Ashoka's?

"Seah. Do you believe in Buddhism?"

"…Huh? Buddhism?"

"Yeah."

"No, I don't have a religion. Oh, wait. If I had one, would it be the Church of Seong Jihan?"

"Hey. I'm being serious."

"Hehe. But Uncle, if you go outside like that, you might really start a religion. You're already being revered as humanity's savior worldwide, you know."

Yoon Seah said this while looking at the glowing Seong Jihan.

He frowned at her words.

'Even sis suddenly speaking formally to me, it really could happen.'

Seong Jiah, who had been increasingly intimidated by the brilliantly shining Seong Jihan as time passed.

While Yoon Seah wasn't as intimidated by Seong Jihan, probably due to the Fusion Vessel.

But ordinary people would likely react even more extremely than Seong Jiah.

'I should avoid encountering people as much as possible and go straight to meet the Black Administrator.'

Seong Jihan thought this while examining the Fusion Vessel again.

Even on second look, the Fusion Vessel had properties similar to mixed defiled world.

Of course, the detailed structure was somewhat different, but the essence was similar.

'Mixed defiled world was… about unfolding a turbid present world, wasn't it?'

Ashoka had described mixed defiled world as a 'distorted mental image'.

Originally, practitioners sought a pure land, Jodo, from the defiled land, Yedo.

This was the normal path to enlightenment, but…

Ashoka, who thought he shouldn't be in the Pure Land, went in the opposite direction of this enlightenment.

He succeeded in manifesting a turbid present.

But for that to be blatantly present in Yoon Seah's body as a Fusion Vessel…

'…Is that why only Seah appears normal even when I use Analysis?'

Seong Jihan looked back and forth between Yoon Seah, who looked like a normal person, and Seong Jiah, whose body was more than half transformed into numbers and letters.

Seong Jiah, who looked like she was made up of complex code.

Seeing not just Seong Jiah, but the entire surrounding world appear that way, Seong Jihan thought,

'So this is why it was called a server…?'

For the first time, he clearly felt that this world was nothing more than Server 4212.

Until now, even when connecting to the server and returning to the original Earth, he felt there wasn't much difference in the sense of reality compared to the Ark.

'Now the feeling is completely different.'

The world he saw after absorbing the authorities of the Ark Isolates.

It definitely felt 'virtual'.

Until now, it just hadn't felt real because it was as elaborate as reality.

As the world appeared differently, there was something else he sensed.

'…Urd said I would change if I looked at the world from the same eye level as Mitra.'

Seong Jihan's expression hardened as he looked at Seong Jiah.

The sight of his sister, who had raised him like a mother after their parents passed away early, was more unfamiliar than ever before.

Even more than when he met her during the time she was the Witch of the Void.

Rather, seeing Seong Jiah now full of code, he felt an increasingly intense sense of alienation.

If he kept viewing the world this way…

'The structures that make up a house and my blood-related sister… might start to look similar.'

If even Seong Jiah looked like this, how would other people appear?

Seong Jihan thought that Urd's warning about 'Mitra's perspective' was more fatal than expected.

Even in this short moment, his perception of his sister was changing.

If more time passed, except for Yoon Seah who looked normal, he might come to perceive other beings as merely worthless code.

'This is serious…'

He had planned to organize his thoughts a bit at home before meeting the Black Administrator, but that wouldn't work.

Seong Jihan felt there was no benefit to staying here long in his current state.

"I think I need to leave again."

"Oh… okay. Take care…"

When Seong Jihan said he was leaving, Seong Jiah unconsciously shrank back and politely bid him farewell.

Yoon Seah looked at her in bewilderment.

"Huh? Mom, why are you speaking formally to Uncle?"

"Ah. Right. I did it without thinking…"

"Is it because Uncle is glowing? Hmm… should I be more polite too?"

"Don't. Just stay as you are."

Seong Jihan chuckled at that and said:

"Before I go, I'll take a bit of the Fusion Vessel."

"Oh. Okay. You can take a lot if you want."

"No, I just need a sample."

Swish…

He absorbed part of the Fusion Vessel from inside Yoon Seah's body.

Then,

[Analysis data for the Gift 'Fusion Vessel' has been acquired.]

[Do you want to update the data on 'Fusion Vessel' to the BattleNet system?]

A message asking if he wanted to upload data about the Fusion Vessel appeared before Seong Jihan's eyes.

'The system message window doesn't show code…'

Unlike the scenery of Server 4212 which was all covered in code, Yoon Seah and the system window looked no different from before.

Seong Jihan stared intently at the system message for a moment, then,

'No need to update.'

He pressed 'No' on the message window and waved to his family.

"Well then, I'll be back after taking care of some business."

"Okay. Will you be done soon?"

"Why?"

"I was thinking we could have dinner together after a long time."

Dinner, huh.

Seong Jihan smirked and shook his head.

"I'm not sure when I'll be done. Go ahead and eat without me."

"That's too bad… Alright. Have a safe trip~"

Yoon Seah waved cheerfully while saying that.

"Take, take care…"

Seong Jiah tried hard to speak casually to Seong Jihan.

He looked at his family's contrasting reactions for a moment, then,

'…Let's go.'

He left home earlier than planned,

To meet the Black Administrator.

* * *

In the void-filled space of the universe.

[You have arrived.]

When Seong Jihan arrived here,

The purple-helmeted Black Administrator greeted him as if he had been waiting.

"Did you know I was coming?"

[Yes. Congratulations on your victory over Urd.]

The helmet bowed its head in the air as it said this.

Seong Jihan twisted the corner of his mouth at the sight.

"It's an honor to receive a bow from the great Mitra."

[I am not Mitra. I am merely an AI belonging to the Ark, responsible for data deletion.]

"Is that so?"

Still introducing himself that way, huh.

Seong Jihan stared silently at the purple helmet for a moment, then.

Ziiing…

He replayed the scene he had witnessed when imprisoning Urd in the Prison of Time.

In it,

– This one commits evil deeds.

Flash…!

The purple helmet flashing with a fierce light, and

– Ha. Stop bullshitting…! Mitra, in the end it's you doing this!

Urd's screaming figure as she saw this appeared.

The helmet's appearance matched perfectly.

Seong Jihan pointed at the screen and asked the Black Administrator again.

"Black Administrator. Are you going to deny that this is you?"

[You used the Prison of Time. Excellent.]

The Black Administrator nodded with satisfaction, then said,

[This is indeed me.]

"You don't try to deny it when presented with evidence. Mitra."

[However, I am not Mitra.]

"…?"

[Mitra is a perfect being. I was merely a tool to carry out evil.]

Seong Jihan snorted at those words.

"Ha. Mitra. Should I tell you to stop bullshitting like your daughter?"

[I am not Mitra.]

Looks like he was going to keep saying that.

Seong Jihan smirked at the helmet's stubborn response.

"Fine. Then I'll call you by your real name, Jackson."

[…An old forgotten name. How did you learn of this?]

"One of the New Humanity told me."

[I see.]

The Black Administrator stared silently at Seong Jihan.

A fierce purple light flashed from within the helmet.

[Well then, let's end the pleasantries and get to the main point.]

"Right. Stop pretending to be an AI and prepare to fight."

Seong Jihan said as he drew out the Blue Flame.

[Prepare to fight?]

The Black Administrator questioned as if he'd said something strange.

[I have no intention of fighting.]

"What?"

[You are my masterpiece and finally a true companion. Why would I fight you?]

"What nonsense are you spouting about companions? I'm from this server too."

[Origin doesn't matter. The beings of the server or the original humanity, they're equally worthless to me. More importantly…]

Flash…!

For the first time, within the purple helmet, a pure white light flashed, coalescing into something like an eyeball.

[What matters is that you now possess the same authority as me.]

Seeing the eye of light appear within the Black Administrator, the light authority within Seong Jihan resonated in response.

Then,

Ziiing…

Including 'Analysis' which he had been trying not to consciously use, the light authorities he had internalized activated randomly, forcefully triggering the power of white light.

Momentarily losing his way amidst the light exploding within him,

'Ugh. How long are you going to move on your own…!'

He quickly regained his senses and started to control the rampaging abilities.

Swoosh…

As the Blue energy spread out, suppressing the light,

[You're not yet a perfect 'companion'. But it's only a matter of time.]

The Black Administrator observed this with a relaxed attitude.

At his demeanor suggesting it was futile to resist, Seong Jihan frowned and asked.

"…So the Ark Isolates weren't storing abilities needed by the Transcendent Being, but Mitra's abilities after all?"

[That's right.]

"Why… go through all that trouble?"

To that question,

[It's simple.]

The Black Administrator readily provided an answer.

[Because I needed a true companion to share in the great work.]