NOVEL NEXT Chapter 428: Origin
"I, Zonos, swear this oath: if the original body is captured, I will share half of it with Barmulodi, and together partake in the feast of Origin!"
Yuga Khan's true name was Zonos.
Yuga Khan swore with all his heart. His solemn oath resonated across the Wall of Origin, echoing like a wave of light. It drew the attention of kings, gods, and entities, shaking the very wall itself. The oath then imprinted upon his divine body, transforming into a tangible divine chain of vows that infiltrated his essence. It emerged from his rugged, massive form and tightly bound his godhood to the promise he had made.
Many unique gods connected to Origin watched with awe, compelled to respect Yuga Khan's boldness.
The oath of a One God was not to be taken lightly.
Surrounded by phantom chains of divine law, Yuga Khan bound himself with the oath.
If he failed to fulfill the promise, or if Bardi died and he was unable to complete it, the divine chain of oaths would ignite, binding him eternally and reducing him to a broken god—forever incapable of rising to godhood again.
No One God could break their own oath or withstand the torment it would inflict upon their heart and divinity.
This was the supreme law of the gods.
"Please believe me!"
Yuga Khan's broad face was lit with intensity. His eyes, like bronze bells, glowed fiercely as his cracked mouth revealed rows of white teeth in a terrifying grin, filled with conviction and overwhelming force of will.
In this moment, Yuga Khan was sincere—undeniably so.
Bardi's deep, timeless gaze seemed to pierce through thoughts. He stared at Yuga Khan for a long moment before replying, "I see your sincerity."
"But a One God is not to be trusted. I'm sorry. I refuse to take the oath."
To be frank, even if Yuga Khan hadn't made the oath, Bardi would still have joined him in searching for and attempting to devour Origin.
Because it was the only possible way out of the Wall of Origin.
That is, if Yuga Khan was telling the truth. At worst, they would fight for the right to devour Origin once they found it.
The two were not equals, and if Bardi could claim even a smaller share, escaping the Wall would already be a victory.
What Bardi truly worried about was the Barmulodi Star. It was very likely that it had already fallen under the control of the Great Artisan God. That was the one thing Bardi could not tolerate.
However, now that Yuga Khan had sworn an oath...
Bardi became even more guarded, and his distrust of him deepened.
"It doesn't matter. I only need to prove it to myself. Origin... I must have it!"
Yuga Khan's eyes burned like twin suns, sincere and radiant, leaving little room for doubt.
But Bardi still didn't trust him.
"Let's begin. Find his body—within this Wall of Origin that spans eternity, from the endless eras to the Third Age."
"Very well!"
Yuga Khan growled, and a dimensional universe appeared at his fingertips. A black hole hovered and spun in the center of his palm.
This dimensional universe seemed completely detached from the cosmos. It intertwined with every gap between the gods of the Divine Realm, shrouded in a hazy illusion.
"This is..."
Bardi furrowed his brow.
For a One God to feel this kind of suppression—an illusion and confinement—was enough to prove that this dimensional universe was bound by technology designed to imprison even beings like them. It was a device nearly impossible to escape from.
This thing...
"This is a dimensional universe created by the Monitor. An eleven-dimensional construct that allows us to walk freely on the Wall of Origin and locate the Origin hidden within."
"Only inside can we lock onto Origin without alerting him."
Yuga Khan explained.
He knew well that this dimensional universe was a deadly trap for One Gods.
Not in the sense that it could kill them, but that it could imprison them—forever.
That's why he had made such a solemn and sincere oath. He needed Bardi to trust him.
The gateway to the dimensional universe opened, waiting for both Yuga Khan and Bardi to enter.
Yuga Khan stepped in first. His godly body, massive as a planet, shrank instantly and disappeared into the dimensional universe like a grain of sand.
Bardi remained cautious. His thoughtful eyes remained fixed on Yuga Khan's back. Then, silently, he followed into the dimensional universe.
"The truth is the envy of gods!!!"
"I want to devour Origin too!"
"Damn it! I'm clearly stronger than those two. I could crush them with one hand! Why isn't it me?!"
"I'm not willing!"
"I'm not willing!"
As Yuga Khan and Bardi finalized their pact and entered the dimensional universe in pursuit of Origin, countless voices of resentment and fury echoed from the Wall.
Many ancient One Gods, who could have easily crushed the two with a single hand, were now trapped on the Wall—forced to watch as these two juniors sought to consume Origin and gain his immense power. Their unwillingness boiled over. Their anger erupted into the heavens.
Inside the dimensional universe, there was nothing—only darkness.
The moment they entered, an unusual sensation took hold.
Bardi suddenly felt his body, every pore and strand of hair, glowing with a subtle crystalline light. It was his essence, his energy, his spirit, his divine nature—his power.
'The dimensional universe can draw out divine power and trap it within...'
The dimensional universe could actually absorb his energy and imprison him using his own divine essence.
For a moment, Bardi was shaken. He almost suspected Yuga Khan of trying to ambush him. But when he saw that Yuga Khan, too, was radiating divine essence from every pore and strand of hair, also fueling the dimensional universe, his heart settled.
He remained alert and observed Yuga Khan's movements.
Once the dimensional universe was sealed, it completely vanished from the sight of the furious One Gods. It disappeared without a trace.
Inside the dimensional universe.
Yuga Khan grinned and spoke in his rough voice, "Don't worry. Your power is the key to breaking through to the source. The dimensional universe needs your strength to pierce the Wall of Origin and reach the innermost depths."
"Finding Origin is the easy part."
Bardi remained silent. As the dimensional universe vanished, it began conducting various complex technological scans: positioning, frequency-matching, waveform-locking, and other self-governing processes. In an instant, powered by Bardi's divine energy, it breached the Wall of Origin and slipped into its inner structure.
The interior of the Wall of Origin was a dense, radiant red source. Only with Bardi's power could it be broken open for access.
In a trance-like moment,
They had entered the deepest part—
And found the unmoving Origin.
"We've arrived."
Yuga Khan grinned, his white teeth gleaming madly, his pupils swirling in frenzy. "I'll share half of the Origin with you. After I absorb half of the Origin, I will share half with you… wait till I absorb half of the Origin, then I'll share half with you… After I absorb half of the Origin, I'll share half of it with you…"
"Once I absorb half of the Origin, I will share half of the Origin with you…"
Bardi thought about what "half" even meant—then he saw it.
A being containing every color in the world.
Possessing all that exists in the world.
Embodying every shape and form known.
The source of all things.
The beginning of everything.
A sphere of light—the very essence of all existence.
Origin, stood before them.
(To be continued.)