Super Righteous Player
Chapter 712 - 253 Book of Truth: Record of Atonement_1

Chapter 712: Chapter 253 Book of Truth: Record of Atonement_1

Elle’s emerald pupils contracted slightly.

What emerged at her fingertips were two pages, intertwined and circling like swimming fish.

Mainly translucent white with a hint of bloodstain that seemed to diffuse into water, they resembled two overlapping goldfish. Dark red text swam across them... It was a curse of utmost purity and sanctity.

In front of her, a somewhat familiar, yet slightly different screen of light materialized:

[The Record of Atonement, Prologue, Epilogue]

[Type: Book of Truth (2/5) (Unlocked)]

[Remaining Fragment Holders: 1]

[Already Revealed: 3]

[Description: A Fragment of Truth newly born, chronicling the methods of realization for all sins and punishments of this world, currently containing the "Chapter of Betrayal." Gather the fragments of four sins to wield greater authority; having obtained the "Chapter of Redemption," this Book of Truth is now fully unlocked]

[The Record of Atonement (2/5): Can only be used with a "Heart of Justice" or "Pure Heart": Grants the right to kill or take life from betrayers]

This was not just a Fragment of Truth, but the Book of Truth.

Because the most important "Epilogue" had been obtained, had the book now indeed come into being...

Annan pondered as he compared it with another’s Book of Truth.

He glanced at the other’s work and felt he could do it.

Although Elle had not yet collected all the pages, she now possessed the "Prototype of Truth" and could already ascend to godhood.

So...the last page was the most important? No, that’s not it...Aside from the last page, at least one of the earlier pages was needed to form the Book of Truth. Otherwise, obtaining just the last page would be meaningless.

Where was the last page of the Book of the Celestial Chariot?

If one follows the unique collection method of the Book of the Celestial Chariot...

The ritual for the seventh mirror would likely involve obtaining the "Table of Contents" or "Cover." That is to say, as long as Annan knew who his sixth mirror corresponded to and then defeated Ingrid, who was the seventh mirror, he could ascend to godhood.

Because "Light Born from the Mirror," the method of collecting the Book of the Celestial Chariot was to find someone both similar and opposite to oneself; but for the "Truth of Sin and Punishment," it definitely would not be the same as Annan.

At that moment.

[That is——my Book of Truth!]

Suddenly, a massive gray hand shot up——clasping tightly the Book of Truth in the void.

That was the gray, "living" demonic god that resembled a living tombstone.

Previously pierced with chains and lying on the ground...it had merely been playing dead. Just as Midas had said just a moment ago, he would give up all dignity to achieve his goal.

——But Annan did not stop Him at all.

The demonic god’s gray, crack-riddled hand disintegrated while trying to snatch from the void.

Yet He grasped nothing at all.

The action of the demonic god was delayed for a moment.

[How could this——]

"...Hah."

Annan could not help but laugh.

He looked at the gray demonic god, who was hardly able to speak, and sighed.

"I’m sorry, but this is...a Truth that only [Justice] and [Pure Good] can use.

"You might have once fulfilled this condition. Hence, you were attracted by the truth...but you couldn’t resist the temptation, you couldn’t control yourself. Since that time, you have already failed."

If one could learn from mistakes, he too would be a deity.

But the Eternal Duke was planning to give up the body of bones.

This tragedy was the result of his overly high self-awareness and his sluggish and rigid understanding of the world.

Once Elle had been born, He would no longer have a second chance to regain the Truth of "Betrayal."

"...From the very beginning, you took a wrong turn, Eternal Duke."

He forgot, or rather deliberately ignored one thing—the gods are the "living pillars of the present world."

In other words.

No matter what Truth it is, its ultimate expression must always be "orderly." Even the Evil Gods like Tragedy Writers and the Black Widow, who use murder as their offering, must have some kind of rule... and they all tend to "the restraint of power," not allowing actions such as mass killings, genocides, or the cultivation of plagues to occur.

Even the Tragedy Writer would disdain a mad, senseless schemer, and might even personally intervene to clean house; even the followers of the Black Widow, who research various poisons and test them on humans, would still produce an antidote for the poisons... and after all, the Black Widow is not a god of humans, but a god of spiders. From the standpoint of spiders, and even other species friendly to spiders, she is naturally not seen as an Evil God.

At its core... this is because gods are the spokespersons for Truth.

Because Truth, which holds authority, does not think or act, they need a proxy to personify themselves and to manifest their existence.

Even the Book of Truth, which records the principles of "Death," would not choose a madman trying to destroy the world, to kill every single person. Just like the Red Knight, as the god of war, would not stir up wars either.

Gods may have different interests, personalities, and standpoints... but in the end, they are "the Guardian of something or someone."

Then, if there truly exists a Truth of "Betrayal."

——It could never exist in a Book of Truth that "records many of mankind’s evils" and thus can only choose scoundrels to wield it. It might at most choose someone with the stance of "the Guardian of the Betrayer."

And whether it is the Eternal Duke or the Skeleton Duke... Even if he fits the Truth of Betrayal and betrays many people, he does not meet this requirement.

He had taken the wrong path from the start.

On the other hand.

——If it is "the person betrayed by everyone," that person paradoxically fits the need of "the Guardian of the Betrayer" far better. Hence, the previous Skeleton Duke, even if he had forcibly obtained the Truth of Betrayal through rituals, would not have been acknowledged by the Book of Truth.

It was only after he realized that he, too, was a man betrayed by his nation... and destroyed his own tombstone, that he had come full circle back to the starting point, and could meet this criterion.

But by that time, Elle had already moved even further ahead and delved deeper. And it was the Skeleton Duke himself who had kicked Elle further along that path...

Annan might be the person who has helped the most with ascension to godhood, directly or indirectly.

In his first run, the invention of the internal combustion engine seemed to have directly propelled someone in The Holy Nation to obtain the Book of Truth regarding "The Machine," and that stranger would undoubtedly ascend to godhood in the future; whereas in this run, Annan had respectively sent the Mirror and Angelo, as the Betraying Angel, to the realm of Light.

Even Annan himself was a match for the Book of Truth, and was in a duel with his "Mirrors" to decide the final "Celestial Chariot."

While the Eternal Duke might have a deep understanding of rituals.

His understanding of "gods" and the Book of Truth, however, was misguided.

In that sense, the Rotten Husband was more like a god than he was—the Rotten Husband at least still shelters the "eternals" he has created.

And the Skeleton Duke is just using his divine power to create more "traitors" and watch coldly the tragedies that ensue from these traitors... Perhaps he was also seeking some solace from it?

"That’s why I said before... Are you really, deep into this than Elle?"

Perhaps Midas had started out earlier than Elle.

But he was on a path leading in the completely opposite direction.

Just like the "Record of Atonement" Elle obtained.

Annan glanced at the system panel.

Sure enough.

Elle’s element of "Pure Goodness" had awakened to 78%.

Maybe it was surpassing 66% or 75% of Pure Goodness that allowed her to meet the final requirement for the Revelation of Truth.

How ironic.

The actions of the Eternal Duke back then were the very last blow that crushed him today; while Elle’s useless and feeble good intentions... turned out to be the opportunity for her victory.

"This great play about ’Betrayal’ should come to a close at this time.

"——What do you think of it yourself?"

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