Do named items exist?
Judging by the shaking of my mana, it was clear that it was an item related to dark magic.
Did Father leave it behind?
Speculating alone, I descended, and dust-like particles flying in the air emitted light from all directions.
"Glowing powder from the Fairy's Flower. Could the Fairy's Flower have bloomed nearby?"
It was considered one of the rare ingredients for alchemy.
But now, my priority was to go down and confirm, so I didn't have time to collect the powder.
As I descended the stairs, I began to see the floor, and I doubted my own eyes.
I hurriedly went down, and suddenly, Fairy's Flowers were blooming everywhere.
"This can't be true."
How is this possible?
The Fairy's Flower was not a common plant.
It wouldn't grow unless the mana in the atmosphere was abundant.
Other conditions were also required, but the most important factor was mana.
"There are only a handful of places with abundant mana."
Those places were mostly remote areas like the magical barrier.
And it wasn't just Fairy's Flowers that were here.
In the middle of the vast flower garden, there was something standing.
"A tree?"
From a distance, it looked like an ordinary tree, but as I approached, I realized that something was different.
And as I got closer to the point where it could fill my vision, the system window appeared.
[Codex Apocalypse: Chapter 0, The Pure Original Sin]
[Waiting for the fruit to bear.]
Seeing the Korean characters blocking my vision, I unconsciously took a step back.
"What the...?"
I couldn't hide my surprise, despite my training to control my emotions.
Even though it seemed unbelievable, the reality in front of me did not disappear.
Could this tree be...?
"The Codex's main body?"
It was said to be a game with high freedom, but it still had more restrictions compared to other games, ultimately requiring players to play within the framework of the game.
If you played as a character from the Academy, the focus was on Academy life, and if you played as a mercenary character, the focus was on completing mercenary quests. There were more limitations than expected.
Twelve clearances.
However, due to the limited range of actions, the Codex I had seen so far consisted only of Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth, which I had in my hands until recently.
I had collected all the Codexes and had seen the final boss resulting from them, but I had never individually examined them.
So I didn't know what the main body looked like, and I couldn't even imagine it would look like this.
The tree was small.
At best, it looked slightly larger than me, and its appearance wasn't particularly unique.
However, despite its appearance, an immense amount of sticky and dense mana could be felt.
Even though the concentration couldn't be that high, it felt like the scent of mana was emanating from it.
"What should I do with this?"
As time passed, I was able to regain my composure.
Setting aside why this was here, I had to figure out how to handle it.
I thought it would be as simple as just getting rid of it, but it wasn't that simple.
While I was pondering, I noticed something on the branches.
"A note?"
It looked like someone had hung a note there.
I immediately untied the note.
Then, the magic embedded in the note was activated, and my vision was filled with white light.
One day, I headed to the palace in response to a sudden summons.
The one who called me was none other than the Emperor himself.
"Kane Cromwell."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You are a faithful servant to the Crown."
"A faithful servant, Kane Cromwell, indeed, Your Majesty."
"I will give you a special order that only you will receive."
I couldn't understand the reason.
But from that day on, I forgot my duty as a mage and entered the service of the notorious necromancer Morne Dwalisky, a dark mage.
Fortunately, the trade with His Majesty seemed satisfactory, as he had no reservations in dealing with me.
With His Majesty's order, I spent three years learning dark magic under Morne Dwalisky, who was notorious among dark mages.
Afterward, I returned to the Empire.
"I feel uneasy burdening you with such a heavy responsibility."
"No, Your Majesty."
His Majesty then handed me a seed the size of a fist and ordered me to take care of it.
I didn't know the reason, nor did I know the true identity of the seed.
But I, as his faithful servant, simply took the seed and took care of it.
The seed was peculiar.
It showed a sensitive reaction to mana, unlike ordinary plants, especially to my mana, which had been altered due to dark magic.
As I studied the seed day by day, one day, I succeeded in sprouting the seed.
When I reported this fact to Emperor His Majesty, he personally came to inspect it along with Bahat Alven, the Empire's chief mage.
"While I want to reward your efforts fittingly, this matter is confidential, so I cannot give you the treatment you deserve."
"No, Your Majesty. It is an honor."
That way, I was able to grow the seed into a small sapling.
I thought it was because I gained recognition from Emperor His Majesty.
I was so absorbed in my research that I didn't know the situation in my territory, how my family was doing, or what was happening around me.
Then, the situation changed to the point where I couldn't intervene.
The situation became tense, and my territory was taken away.
Until then, I believed that His Majesty would protect me.
I was an important figure secretly carrying out His Majesty's orders.
But it didn't take long for me to realize that it was a delusion.
"Catherine..."
My wife suddenly died.
It was an unexplained death.
And behind it, I suspected that something was lurking, and when I discovered it, I realized that unimaginable darkness loomed.
"How could this happen to me..."
That darkness was Emperor, whom I thought was the light.
The tension in the situation, the confiscation of the territory, and my wife's death were all connected to the Empire's shadow.
I couldn't understand the reason.
The only thing I could speculate was that I had been taking care of the sapling.
I was afraid.
I also became desperate when I realized that I could die at any moment and that my children could be harmed.
Since then, I devoted myself to researching the sapling while keeping it hidden.
I believed that the only way I could survive was here.
After searching through various ancient documents, I finally discovered the true identity of the sapling.
"The Key that Opens the Age of Gods."
It was a tree called 'Original Sin,' one of the keys.
When the seven pages are composed of sins and the body I was managing, in other words, the Original Sin, gather, the world will be renewed, and a new world will open.
Of course, I couldn't know if it was true without seeing it with my own eyes.
Through this, I realized that the Emperor was involved in dangerous affairs.
"So, is that why he's pressuring me?"
Considering how dangerous it was, it would be better for the Emperor to have as few people as possible who knew about it.
Moreover, since the Original Sin had already grown into a sapling, it was enough for the remaining seven pages to gather, so I was no longer needed.
"It can't go as you wish."
Having already lost most things except my children, this was the best revenge I could take.
I moved the location of the Original Sin and created a barrier centered around it.
Even if Bahat Alven, the greatest mage in the world, were to come, he couldn't break it.
"A barrier using the Original Sin."
Only those who are directly connected to me through blood can enter here.
While creating the barrier using the Original Sin, I discovered various ways and effects of using it.
Honestly, thanks to that, I was able to move its location and create the barrier.
Its functions were:
The Original Sin could establish a master-servant relationship with a dark mage through their blood.
It could also lurk in the body of the contracted owner.
And various other abilities.
Perhaps even the people of the Empire were unaware of these facts.
Perhaps only I, who had conducted the research, knew about it.
However, despite discovering so much, I had no way to utilize it.
Unbeknownst to me, I had unknowingly become addicted to it.
"Hehe. Things won't go as you wish."
Even if I die, you won't be able to take the Original Sin.
The only unfortunate thing is my children, who will be left in the world.
While I hope they live peacefully without getting tangled up here, paradoxically, someone left a note containing these memories, hoping that one of the two would find it and take revenge for my injustice and Cromwell's revenge...
My vision gradually returned.
Was what I just saw my father's mana?
Naturally, a way to handle the Original Sin came to mind.
"So, it turned out like this."
The reason why my father was an unknown disciple.
The reason why Cromwell's influence tilted.
The reason why my mother passed away and my father as well.
Everything was connected to the Empire.
"The Empire was also gathering sins."
Behind the assembly of dark mages, whom I thought were the villains, there was an even bigger darkness.
Information that had never been revealed in the game.
I simply watched the note burning in my hand.
I had to organize my thoughts.
"It's certain that the Empire and the assembly are not on the same team. Rather, they are competing to gather sins."
Superficially, the Empire hunts dark mages, but they help each other when necessary.
Just like politics.
And because of that, some of the doubts about me were resolved.
"Indeed, there was a reason for Adrius to become playable."
I was also one of the seeds that could prevent the destruction of the world.
That's why I, who was nothing more than a minor villain, came into Adrius.
I drew my sword and lightly cut my palm.
As blood droplets formed, they soon flowed out.
"Drink."
I brought my bloodstained hand to the Original Sin.
Then, the Original Sin began to absorb the blood flowing from my hand.
['Codex Apocalypse: Chapter 0, The Pure Original Sin' recognizes the user as the owner.]
[It will no longer emit any energy.]
Unlike other named items that choose their owners themselves, it was fortunate that it happened this way.
Having become the owner of the Original Sin, I absorbed it.
['Codex Apocalypse: Chapter 0, The Pure Original Sin' lurks within the user's body.]
[Mana recovery increased by 144%.]
[The quality of mana increases over time.]
[The nature of mana becomes darker over time.]
[Performance improves when sins gather.]
[Additional abilities and functions are unlocked when sins gather.]
Countless messages appeared after a long time.
For some reason, I felt an overflowing power in my body.
"A kind of valuable loot, I suppose."
But it wasn't something to be happy about.
It felt like increasing my abilities in exchange for carrying a time bomb.
In the end, I was always carrying the body of the Codex Apocalypse.
"Father."
I looked at the empty land where the Original Sin disappeared amidst the blooming flowers.
Although it tilted Cromwell's influence and caused my mother's death.
There was no one to blame.
Now, I will bear that burden.
Rest in peace, Father.