Against The True Gods-Chapter 179: All-Origin Gate of Truth

Above Caine, seated cross-legged and gazing down at him, was a humanoid entity composed entirely of dark matter.

The entity had no discernible features—no eyes, no mouth, no defining characteristics—just an abyssal silhouette, its form swallowing all surrounding light, distorting the space around it like a singularity.

Caine looked up, unmoving. He lacked the energy to be shocked, confused, or even doubtful. And the entity, in its silent, looming presence, seemed to know it too.

With a mere wave of its hand, a burning pain tore through him. The sensation was beyond agony, beyond mortal comprehension, as something unseen seared itself onto each of his Dao Hearts.

"ARGHHHGG!"

The agony was so overwhelming that his entire body spasmed against the endless white expanse beneath him. His screams echoed into the void, yet the entity showed no reaction, no sympathy.

It waved its hand once more, and suddenly, a strange insignia appeared above Caine before splitting into two identical copies. Without hesitation, they descended, fusing into the very core of his Dao Hearts, intertwining seamlessly with his Crowns and Halos.

A strange, ineffable sense of completion settled over his existence as the three elements reached a state of oneness, their essences stabilizing and falling into a dormant state.

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But even with the process seemingly complete, Caine's pain did not subside. He writhed in agony, his fingers clawing into the smooth, endless ground beneath him, his breath ragged as every nerve in his body screamed for release.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Lerouge."

The entity's voice was soft, yet it carried an absolute weight, a whisper laced with something far more ominous than mere words. And then, just as suddenly as it had arrived, it vanished, leaving Caine alone, trapped in the suffocating embrace of his suffering.

Through clenched teeth, his voice tore through the pain. "Laplace, I know you're here…Mind helping me a bit?"

A chuckle resonated through the void, smooth and amused. A moment later, golden light flickered beside him, and Laplace's figure materialized with his usual air of effortless grace. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, his palm radiating with a warm, tranquil glow before directing it toward Caine.

The relief was instant.

Caine froze as an overwhelming wave of euphoria surged through him, obliterating the pain in a mere instant. His wounds closed at an unnatural pace, and the burning brands seared onto his Dao Hearts cooled as though they had never existed in the first place.

"GODS."

Gasping for breath, his chest heaved as he struggled to regain his composure. His hands still trembled, his body shuddering as the aftershocks of the torment clung stubbornly to his nerves. Never before—not even during the Ceremony, not even during his first tribulation—had he felt anything as excruciating as that.

Laplace crouched beside him, patting his shoulder with an easy smile. "Are you alright?"

Caine took several more breaths before managing a weak nod. "I am. Thank you. I would've most likely gone mad if not for your help."

"That's great." Laplace's golden eyes glowed with curiosity. "But tell me, how did you know I was here?"

Caine blinked at the question, momentarily confused, but he answered nonetheless. "I can feel the weight of your presence."

"I can't see air, but I know it's absent when I can't breathe. Same concept."

Laplace tilted his head slightly, intrigued by the response, before nodding in approval.

Accepting his help, Caine pulled himself to his feet, wincing slightly as his body still protested the ordeal. Dusting off his bloodstained robes, he finally took a moment to survey his surroundings.

The world around them was vast and empty, an endless expanse of white nothingness stretching infinitely in every direction. Yet, at its center, something loomed.

A gate.

It was colossal—so massive that even attempting to grasp its full height made his mind reel. Ancient and foreboding, the gate was carved from dark stone, its surface adorned with countless runes and sigils, each pulsating with an indescribable power.

As Caine's gaze locked onto it, something deep within him stirred. A whisper in his soul, a resonance beyond instinct. This gate was not just a structure—it embodied something.

Everything. Everywhere—at once.

A congregation of all truths.

A threshold to existence's most fundamental mysteries.

It felt like…origin.

"Don't get lost in its majesty," Laplace warned, his voice pulling Caine from the daze. "Even I wouldn't be able to pull you back."

Caine exhaled, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Laplace's golden eyes gleamed as he gestured toward the monument. "This is the All-Origin Gate of Truth."

His voice lowered slightly. "And the entity you met upon arriving here—That was its Overseer, simply known as Truth."

Caine's mind raced. He turned to Laplace, carefully replaying the words over and over, ensuring he had heard correctly.

"…Truth?"

Laplace nodded.

Caine sighed, already anticipating the answer to his next question. "I suppose my mortality prevents me from knowing more?"

Laplace's smile deepened. "Naturally."

Caine shook his head, exhaling in mild frustration.

Laplace flicked his fingers, and suddenly, two stone thrones materialized behind them.

Caine collapsed into his seat, a quiet grunt escaping him as his body continued to recover.

For a long moment, he simply sat there, staring into the endless white expanse, allowing everything to sink in.

What had his life become?

He, a mere mortal, now sat across from an angel, having just encountered Truth itself, standing before a monument that transcended all existence.

And this was after battling Angels of Fate, facing past and future versions of himself, meeting outer entities, surviving samsara, and evading countless assassination attempts.

Yet despite all he had endured, despite all he had uncovered, he knew deep down—this was only the beginning.

The realization was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.

Slotting these reflections to the back of his mind, he refocused, his gaze steady as he turned to Laplace. "Do you have any idea why I'm here, Sir Laplace? Or what has happened to me?"

Laplace's grin widened. "Oh? You're being formal now?"

Caine didn't react, looking ahead as if he hadn't heard anything. Laplace chuckled at his shamelessness before leaning forward, his expression turning serious.

"A lot has happened, Lerouge."

His voice dropped, carrying a weight that sent ripples through the space around them.

"The Ceremony you performed has made you what the world calls a True Defiant." He met Caine's gaze evenly.

"As you can imagine, this has angered the Heavens but has also granted you rewards beyond measure."

Laplace's golden eyes glowed as he continued. "Many of these rewards… I cannot speak on, for even I am not privy to matters concerning beings like you."

"What I can tell you," he said, his voice laden with meaning, "is that the Visions you saw were linked to the Gate. And indirectly, to Truth."

"The way you achieved defiance was so… unprecedented that you drew the Gate's attention. And in turn, it offered you a gift."

"The Visions."

"They hold meaning," Laplace murmured, his voice almost reverent. "But what that meaning is? Only you can know."

His gaze sharpened as he gestured toward Caine's chest. "The mark Truth seared onto your Dao Hearts?" His voice dropped to a whisper, as though the knowledge itself was sacred.

"That is called a Brand of Defiance."

Laplace's expression darkened, unreadable.

"And that mark… has allowed you to form something equal to your Crowns and Halos."

He exhaled, his next words nearly a whisper.

"It has granted you an Eternal Creed of Defiance."