Awakening

Perhaps attempting to ascend to a Pillar Deity through the Lineage Codex and thereby resist the Twilight of the Apocalypse was impossible from the start.

*

"Li Wen, the discussion is concluded. Everyone agrees that you should be the one to safeguard Urd's Thorn and use it at the critical moment. The Strategy Group's fourth team has already prepared a strategy for all scenarios and actions following its use. You simply need to follow the procedure."

"I still don't understand, why me?"

In the dimly lit room, only two people sat at the massive round table. Li Wen spoke absently, her head bowed.

Across the table, the Strategy Group leader's figure was completely obscured by shadow, only his steady, calm voice reached her.

"Because you are the most suitable person."

Li Wen looked up, not even believing the words herself.

"In terms of my own strength, I'm at the bottom of the logistics team; in terms of strategic planning, anyone in the fourth team is better than me; in terms of understanding the game, I, who have barely logged in a few times, have no right... I just don't get it. Everyone is more suitable than me to bear this immense responsibility. If this were just an ordinary operation, I wouldn't hesitate. But this concerns the Twilight of the Apocalypse, this entire world, the lives of everyone..."

"You also said it's a significant responsibility..." The leader chuckled. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes sharp beneath the thick lenses. "Perhaps giving Urd's Thorn to someone more capable could create greater value and secure more hope, but... Li Wen, have you ever considered whether Urd's Thorn truly possesses that kind of ability?"

"Urd's Thorn is a divine artifact symbolizing the past, possessing the ability to alter the past and destiny. This has been confirmed through Prayer Prophecy."

"What if Prayer Prophecy is wrong?"

Li Wen was astonished. "Prayer Prophecy is the highest-tier divination spell, its accuracy is closest to that of the Three Fates. How could it possibly be wrong?"

The leader looked at Li Wen meaningfully, his hands clasped under his chin. He spoke in a low voice, "Even the Three Fates can make mistakes. How can we fully trust prophecies made by mortals?"

The empty conference room fell silent. After a long pause, the leader continued, "Putting that aside, even if Urd's Thorn truly has that ability, how can you be sure that obtaining the Codex will make you a Pillar God? The Codex records the secret to ascending to Pillar Godhood, but it's ultimately just a legend. No one has ever witnessed the Codex itself.

"Moreover, even ordinary Paths are incredibly arduous. How difficult and unimaginable must the paths walked by those Pillar Deities have been? If that's the case, let's take another step back. Even if you obtain the Lineage Codex and painstakingly become a Pillar God according to its methods, how will you resist the Twilight of the Apocalypse?

"Indeed, the sacrifices of the entire second and third teams have allowed us to establish a mathematical model. According to the model's deductions, the Twilight of the Apocalypse is not insurmountable. As long as one possesses power that is sufficiently strong, unimaginable, and beyond all cognitive scope, one can resist the apocalypse. In this world... only Pillar Deities possess such power. But have you considered why, with the apocalypse at our doorstep, the existing Pillar Deities remain inactive? Perhaps... it's precisely because they are also helpless.

"Everything we've prepared, all our efforts, seem flawless, but they are riddled with fatal flaws and uncertainties. This is our limitation; we can't do any better. And all the arrangements based on Urd's Thorn are the most chaotic among them. It's more like a mad delusion, lacking any basis in reality. This is why it's being kept as a last resort, rather than being used from the start—because no one can be certain that all these efforts are correct."

Li Wen remained silent for a long time. She wanted to refute, and she did: "Since no one can be sure that all of this is correct, then it cannot be definitively wrong either. As long as there is hope, it's worth a try."

"This is why we chose you, because you possess the resolve." Hearing this, the leader pushed up his glasses. "You desperately wish to save everything, even if the flame of hope is indistinguishable. But as long as there is a sliver of hope, you will give your all. This is your resolve."

*

"Every promotion requires the use of other Codices..."

Li Wen muttered to herself, as if transported back to the round table where the Strategy Group members were discussing, her thoughts racing.

"This might be incredibly difficult, but not impossible. Besides the four deceased Pillar Deities, the remaining eight have established sects, temples, and even kingdoms in the human world. For the propagation of their Paths, the Codices must exist in the human world, perhaps enshrined in the churches or temples of those sects..."

Since they are in the human world, there must be clues. As long as she visits the temples renowned among Transcendent beings one by one, she's bound to find something.

"The Codices of the remaining three Pillar Gods can be set aside for now. Once the other eight are obtained, finding them will only be a matter of time... I can do this."

Yes, she could do it.

Li Wen hugged "The Final Codex" tightly, contemplating her next move.

She already possessed one Codex, enough to take the first step on the Path of the End—Witch Disciple.

The Path of the End, like the Path of Eternity, is a path for Witches; only females can complete the promotion. This is not a secret. Li Wen knew this from her past life, which is why the group's strategy suggested creating a female character for the game.

"The Final Codex" contains a ritual to change one's gender to female, but clearly, Li Wen no longer needs it.

Her in-game gender is female. And in one year, the Great Transmigration event will occur, and all players will transmigrate to the otherworld in their in-game avatars, including those who used someone else's identity verification for their game accounts. Li Wen, naturally, will no longer be Li Wen.

Is it worth it?

She hadn't considered this question yet.

"The next step is to transfer to the Path of the End and use 'The Final Codex' to promote to Witch Disciple."

After confirming this goal, Li Wen put on the Emerald Star Cloak and walked directly towards the Blazing Flame Storm in the distance.

1% of her health didn't even last half a second in the scorching storm, dropping to zero.

*

Ake Town, Holy Candlemas Church, Nun Dormitory.

Li Wen woke up in bed. This was the resurrection location she had set last time.

She checked her equipment and items. Players have a chance to lose equipment and items upon death. In her past life, one unlucky player put all their items in a Magic Pocket, only to accidentally die and lose the Magic Pocket...

Fortunately, perhaps due to the benefit of her first death, all of Li Wen's belongings were still there, with nothing lost.