There was the , a place where Adapters who cleared the tower strived to reach greater Adaptation. These people were now killing each other with more efficient and powerful ways.

-KILL THEM! Or you will be killed!

-HAHAHAHA!

It was full of people fighting to become stronger. Cultivation was not over. It just turned from forced Cultivation to voluntary Cultivation.

7th… 8th… 9th stage Adaptation…

The Generals on top of all Adaptation led the frontline of the war, killing all people. Jaehwan turned away. But he saw 'death' in the place he turned to.

It was .

The screen showed Fortress Carpediem. created a central government surrounding Carpediem. They had become far more powerful, and they strived to become even stronger. Jaehwan then felt it was wrong.

-You're only a 1st step Awakener!

-Try harder!

-Everyone did it!

The Lords once said Adaptation and Awakening were almost the same thing. They were the same after all. The dead spirits strived to become powerful and yearned to become higher beings. They wanted to walk the path Jaehwan had walked. Jaehwan turned even though he knew what was waiting for him. He had to.

And there it was: .

It was a place where people who were at the peak of each Adaptation and Awakening step became 'G.o.ds'. It seemed like some time had pa.s.sed in too, and was now back in a chaotic state. G.o.ds that gathered objected the rules of the Council and fought them. was now being overturned. G.o.ds who had acquired enough Followers began to exercise their rights and the Followers stood behind a 'stronger G.o.d's side than the side of justice.

Jaehwan saw all those beings. They were all looking up to the sky, imagining the eye of Panopticon somewhere.

Jaehwan then realized that people did not hate Big Brother. They wanted to become Big Brother.

After Jaehwan closed and opened his eyes, he saw himself. Jaehwan, walking into the darkness. The Jaehwan that everyone of Tree of Imagery wanted to become — there he was.

There he was, and he had become Big Brother himself.

Jaehwan felt his legs giving way. Awakening, Adaptation, it was all part of the story. Cultivation took place to raise a new king, and Cultivation was needed when a king was born.

Jaehwan s.h.i.+fted his eyes toward Mulack.

[Hahah. I'll welcome you again, Jaehwan. No, our 1131st Big Brother.]

How many worlds had to be sacrificed to create just one Big Brother? Jaehwan thought as he looked at the 1,131 tanks within the corridor. If this was the truth of this world, what meaning did beings have? Or what value did 'meaning' hold?

Even after he found out all the secrets of the world, Jaehwan felt like he didn't know anything anymore.

[Since you are here, my job here is done. It's only for about 900 years in standards, so my time is short compared to other Big Brothers. I'll consider it lucky.]

"Are you going into that tank?"

[I will, soon. When you can do your job.]

"My job…"

[Yes. Your job. You must know if you Transcended. How pointless the life of a being is, and the grand story that's awaiting you from now on…]

With that voice, Jaehwan felt something crumbling down. Maybe 'Mulack' had much more meaning to him than he thought. Someone had gone ahead of him on the same path and never gave up. Jaehwan realized how rea.s.sured felt because of that fact.

It didn't take a long time for that emptiness to be replaced with sadness and rage.

"Mulack. You came here to kill Big Brother. You came here to stop all Cultivation in the world. What made you become such a thing?"

[…What?]

"You created the Tower of Remorse. You denied the System and came here. Then why…!"

His voice was barely able to hold back the anger. However, Jaehwan's anger came back with confusion.

[…What are you talking about? Denial? Remorse? That's a long lost… oh, wait a second. It's another one of your jokes isn't it?]

"No. I'm not joking."

[Then what are you….? Wait. Were you serious about everything until now?]

Mulack's eye then turned to disgust. Jaehwan took a step back without even realizing.

[That is strange. How did you manage to come here with such a weak mind? It was probably 10 billion years in that Fall of time…]

Mulack's expression turned cold.