Chapter 45 : The Endbringer Codex

Witch Queen.

Dawn’s First Blessing.

The Perfect Amber…

Each title rang louder than the last, making Li Wen’s head spin.

Witches were the name given to practitioners of the Twilight Path—a subset of the Eternal Paths.

So the “Witch Queen” must be someone who had reached the very pinnacle of that Path…

“Blessing” was another term for Anointment.

It was said that after a follower became a Saint, they had to undergo an Anointment Ceremony.

The First Blessing of Twilight naturally referred to the first Saint of the Twilight.

As for the “Perfect Amber”… According to intel from the strategy group, the entire city of Amber was constructed around the Amber Temple.

That temple had been the sole residence of the Twilight Witch, and ever since the end of the Golden Age, there were rumors that one of her incarnations still lingered within it.

That incarnation was known by a revered title—the Supreme and Perfect Amber.

Li Wen kept telling herself that the Twilight Pillar had already collapsed, and that the Twilight Witch and her incarnations were long gone.

It was a confirmed fact.

But standing here, facing a being who might very well be that mythical incarnation… her heart couldn’t help but pound in her chest.

“I’ve heard… the Perfect Amber is the incarnation of that Pillar God.”

“So that means I couldn’t possibly be the Perfect Amber, could I?” the voice behind the curtain countered.

Li Wen fell silent.

No matter how she answered that, she would lose.

“There’s no need to be afraid. Who I am doesn’t really matter to you, does it?” the voice continued.

“You came here for The Endbringer Codex, because out there… the destined destruction is already stirring.”

“You… know about the Twilight of the End?”

It was a pointless question, and Li Wen knew it. But she asked anyway.

“Yes. All Saints are eventually told the truth: that the world is not eternal. In the distant future, the Twilight of the End shall descend.”

“At that time, everything must be sacrificed to the apocalypse. No existence will be spared. It is a prophecy spoken by the Three Goddesses. And so… it will come to pass.”

Li Wen had heard this prophecy before.

But hearing it again now pulled her back to a place of solemn dread, that same oppressive weight she had once felt in her past life.

“Not even the Pillar Gods can survive it?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” came the reply from behind the curtain.

After all, this being was neither a Pillar God nor someone who had lived through the End.

How could they know the answer?

Li Wen recalled the memories of her past life.

The hard-won truths uncovered by the strategy team—truths paid for in blood.

The Twilight of the End was not invincible.

Even a mere mortal could stand in its way, if only for a moment.

But that moment was proof enough.

So…

Li Wen’s gaze grew resolute.

“If I become a Pillar God, I will have the power to stand against the Twilight of the End.”

Silence.

A long pause stretched out, as though the being behind the curtain were quietly mocking her naive ambition.

“I don’t know… I’ve seen mortals crowned as Saints, Saints ascend as gods, and gods carve out new Paths. But to become a Pillar God…”

They trailed off.

“Perhaps it’s possible.”

“Then what must I do for you to hand me The Endbringer Codex?”

It was the most critical question.

According to the guide, the Codex was supposed to be resting on the altar, unguarded.

But the altar had been replaced by a curtain.

That meant the Codex was in the hands of this mysterious being.

“I won’t ask you to do anything. The Codex… I can give it to you.”

They paused for a moment.

“But tell me—do you truly intend to walk the same path that others have already taken to become a Pillar God?”

“Isn’t that the whole point of a Path?”

Li Wen retorted.

“The paths forged by those before us are meant to benefit those who come after. I’ve never heard of a rule that says one must create an entirely new Path in order to become a Saint or a god.”

“But a Pillar God is different,” the voice murmured.

“Since the end of prehistory, across countless epochs, there have never been more than twelve Pillar Gods. Because the world itself is upheld by twelve Pillars.”

“Only when one Pillar God falls can another take their place. Only then does their domain become open, their Path available. But never has a Pillar God risen through the Path left behind by their predecessor.”

“Never doesn’t mean impossible.”

Li Wen didn’t falter.

If anything, her conviction burned even brighter.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to forge her own Path.

She would have, if time allowed it.

But it didn’t.

If she had a thousand years—no, even a mere hundred—she might’ve tried.

But in just one year, the Grand Convergence would erupt.

All players would lose their edge.

Then the waves would crash in, and the Twilight of the End would follow.

The world wouldn’t last another century.

She had no time to “find her own way.”

Only the paths of others could save her now.

Of the twelve Pillars, eight remained whole and intact.

Four were vacant.

The strategy team had spent decades piecing together the original Codex of the Twilight Pillar.

That Codex was now the only hope left—for Li Wen, and for everyone in both worlds.

The being behind the curtain seemed to understand.

They sighed.

“Perhaps you are brave. But courage alone is not enough to face the Twilight of the End.”

The curtain parted slightly.

A pale, delicate arm stretched out from the darkness.

It was ghostly white, almost corpse-like, yet possessed a chilling beauty—like the flawless work of a god.

In that hand was a weathered book, sealed inside translucent amber.

Its appearance was plain, with no signs of magical power.

Li Wen stepped forward.

With both hands, she accepted The Endbringer Codex.

It was surprisingly light.

Yet the moment it touched her fingers, it felt as heavy as the world itself.

[Endbringer Codex]

[Supreme Artifact – ???]

[Contains the original Codex of the Twilight Pillar. It records the Twilight Witch’s ascension to godhood. Possessing this Codex is said to offer a glimpse into the position of a Pillar God.]

[Unusable!]

Li Wen didn’t waste time gawking at the artifact’s description.

She bowed deeply toward the being behind the curtain.

“I cannot speak for others. But please allow me to offer you my deepest, most sincere gratitude.”

Silence.

Then, after a long pause, the voice responded:

“You don’t need to thank me. Twilight is a Path that represents both eternity and the end. I only hope you understand what that truly means.”

“As for how to use the Codex… I’m sure you know far better than I do. I won’t say more. But when you’ve become a Witch— Come see me again.

Preferably before I return to my long slumber.”