Chapter 265: World’s Consciousness (2)

[I’m sure you’ve come across a similar case before. I’ve felt your presence inside this space.]

There was a pause as though the book was waiting for them to respond or process what it had been saying. A few seconds passed, and seeing that none of them voiced their thoughts, it continued.

[You’ve met a similar being like me]

There was no questioning in its tone, only certainty.

Rise, who was slightly startled earlier and had gone into brief thought, finally spoke a word.

"World Consciousness? "

Although he was actually certain in his heart, his tone still had a hint of probing. This, in essence, gave it more room for it to explain more.

[Yes] It replied quickly.

This time, both Kamille and Rise exchanged a glance. They were not too surprised, but somehow, it raised more questions. But they did not need to guess, they could ask directly.

"You and the author... how are you from the same origin?" Rise then paused a bit before adding, "I thought you were connected because they are your creator."

It was not wrong to see it this way. All along, Rise knew that the author could be said to be their creator, and as a book, it should also be the same.

[For a long time, I was under the same misconception.]

Misconception? Rise furrowed his brows, but he did not interrupt. He held most of his questions.

[I only drifted in this place, occasionally waking up when it was time for another reset. Recently, these occasions increased. This place also became unstable.]

[This change should be because of the two of you.]

Rise’s lips twitched, but he could not retort, as it was likely the case. And the voice did not have a blaming tone at all.

[I can feel it is a good thing. It compelled me to easily approach you. My slumber also shortened, letting me clearly observe the changes in this place and myself.]

[I was only missing an opportunity, something I couldn’t grasp in my hazy form. And now, it arrived. Its manifestation gave me that chance to glimpse my real form.]

For the first time, Rise somehow felt a kind of joy in the pages. Though it was not obvious, he could confirm that the book was celebrating this windfall.

The characters of the book also became vibrant and filled with life.

[’My’ essence is not the book created by an ’author’. ’I’ am the World Consciousness, the rule system that stabilised the world.]

These characters glimmered more than the earlier ones, as though the book simply wanted to acknowledge its true identity in a grand fanfare.

World Consciousness...

Rise already had an inkling at the start; after all, he also saw a page that was the form of this world’s consciousness. They were still different, though, as the book had a complete form and not just one page.

"Then, who is the author? If they aren’t the creator, then why... can they manipulate you and this world?"

Rise could not help but put on an accusing tone at it. If it was truly their world’s World Consciousness, it should have more power than whatever the author was.

Before the book could answer, Kamille’s deep voice rang.

"The author... No, or should we call it the World Consciousness?"

Rise’s head snapped to the side, colliding with Kamille’s gaze. His eyes narrowed, while Kamille only calmly met his eyes.

"Wait, you mean..."

Kamille nodded slightly.

"If my suspicion is correct, the existence of an author isn’t real." Before he continued, Rise’s voice interrupted him in a slight fluster.

"Isn’t real? Hah. That’s not right, it couldn’t be fake."

Rise wanted to say more, since he could not accept that the person he always tried to defeat and kill was fake? Since his mind was distraught, his thinking also narrowed and failed to deduce what Kamille meant.

Kamille quickly held his hand and made him look at his face.

"Rise, listen first, hm?" Kamille patiently stared at him, letting him calm down. His tone was gentle as he continued, "We aren’t saying that existence that tormented you... us, isn’t real. We are only uncovering its real identity."

Rise blinked slightly and breathed deeply. His narrowed thoughts slowly expanded again in accordance with that gentle voice and the hands that were gripping him, letting him fall back into place.

Thinking about it, that seemed to be the case. It was just that his mind subjectively caught on to the word fake, triggering his already sensitive nerves.

Rise nodded and finally calmed down.

"You’re right. I’m sorry..."

"It isn’t your fault, don’t apologize again regarding this matter." Seeing Rise nod, Kamille then glanced at the book again. "Let it explain."

"That author... is also the World consciousness? How can that happen?" Two world consciousness?

Rise wanted to ask if it was an invader or something, but he promptly stopped himself. Wild guessing would lead nowhere; as Kamille said, let the book explain itself.

[Yes, you’re right. It is the World Consciousness, of the same origin as me.]

Rise remembered it was the same line as earlier. Same origin? His mind spun, then slowly widened. Before he could exclaim something, it continued.

[’We’ are one and the same. However, ’I’ am the record and rule, and ’It’ is the will. Fundamentally, we are equal. But something happened. ’I’ couldn’t remember what exactly that event was. Its records are sealed in my core.]

Rise and Kamille listened attentively, faces solemn.

[For reasons unknown, the World Consciousness’ will, which should have been impartial and unfettered from desires, has undergone change. ’It’ gained sentience.]

Even though Rise was already expecting it, as the clues were bare for them to see, he still found himself inhaling a tense and deep breath.

He felt Kamille tighten his grip on his hand, which he reciprocated. This... became more troublesome.

[’It’ began to act outside the rules. ’I’ couldn’t stop it. My responsibility is to store records and rules, but it is the will that implemented them]

[’I’ didn’t know how my records were sealed. For a long time, ’I’ even forgot my essence.]

Rise frowned. When he thought he was dealing with the author, he already knew that this fight was almost impossible, and now knowing it was the World Consciousness, things became...

Wait. It seemed nothing really changed; while difficulty had gone up dramatically, the enemy was the same. Whether it was the writer or the World Consciousness, they were the same.

Thinking about that, the knot in his brows loosened, thoughts rushing through his mind.

"So, like you, it also forgot its essence..." Rise suddenly grasped this point, and his eyes lit up. Kamille glanced at him and stared.

[It should be the case.]

Rise’s lips twitched into a smile, a plan suddenly formulated in his mind. In fact, now that he had calmed down, most of his thoughts seemed clearer than usual.

"I actually don’t know what’s going on with the author or the book, or whatever, perhaps... Everything is our misconception, and what I saw in my rebirth wasn’t a determined plot but merely one of your records of the past."

Thinking this way, Rise also could not be blamed for this. After all, he saw a book that showed him the contents. Of course, he would think that they were merely characters in the book, and what he witnessed was the plot.

Since even the ’book’ and the ’author’ forgot their real identity.