Chapter 270: The Gods Meaning (1)
Standing in the volcano cave, I looked at the God who suddenly appeared. He still wore a smile as Carla, behind me, caught my attention.
“You can go.”
At the same time, a quest popped up.
[Main Quest: The God’s Meaning]
◆ Mana +200
He was the final boss, responsible for the end of the game. He was a being that would cause the stage to collapse. Therefore, this encounter would happen someday, and dialogue was a necessary process.
“Follow me.”
I approached him. He smiled calmly and beckoned.
“My hometown. Let’s go on a trip to the Holy Age.”
The space around us changed as we spoke as if the whole world had responded to him. As if it was natural and obvious.
…Tweet- Tweet-
The chirping of birds, clear sunlight beaming from the sky. I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again, I could see the landscape of the distant past.
“…”
It was a primitive village. There were huts and thatched houses comparable to those in tribal societies. I could see no concrete or cement, but buildings made of only natural materials. There was harmony in the green mountains, clear streams, and warmth. Residents with smiling faces were walking between them.
“It is the village of God where I live.”
It was modest but full of transcendental mana. This was a scene of the Holy Age.
“Come with me, Deculein.”
He pointed to the largest chapel in the quiet town. I nodded.
“Every day in our village begins with worship.”
Walking, he scanned the area with longing eyes.
“They… receive a revelation from God in this hall.”
Creek-
He opened the door to the chapel. There were many believers already inside. Everyone sat with their eyes closed as if in prayer, waiting for the revelation.
“Look, I’m over there too.”
Sophien sat where he pointed. Long hair red like flames and crimson eyes like wine. It was Sophien’s face.
“Don’t I resemble your emperor?”
“…Yes.”
He smiled.
“Your emperor was modeled after my body during this time.”
I looked at him. His words were strange. No, everyone in the village was suspicious. They all looked beautiful, but there were no factors to distinguish gender.
“We don’t die, so there’s no need to decide such a thing.”
As if he read my mind, he quietly explained.
“If you live forever, do you need to divide your gender to create descendants? Everything is God’s will, we lived life in faith….”
He said as if it were natural. I just laughed and shook my head. A life without human freedom. A life of obedience only to God’s will. It was no different from the theory of fate that I hated. No, it was the same as fate.
“They’re living like dolls.”
“Is faithful life that for you?”
“It’s no different than that.”
“Hmm… I respect that line of reasoning.”
He continued, nodding with slightly puffed cheeks.
“Anyway, we had no crime, no law, no foolish passions. However, I don’t think it’s the life of a doll. There are exchanges between residents too. We laugh, we cry, we get angry, and we love under the great will of God.”
Snap-
When he snapped his fingers, the location changed. This time, it was a certain academic hall with voices buzzing inside. Residents discussed, debated, and even quarreled with each other over a few sheets of paper with revelations written on them.
“The task after worship is to interpret the revelations of God.”
─הפרשנות של משמעות זו דומה לגילוי הקודם.
─לא. אל תיתפס יותר מדי בגילויים קודמים.
I couldn’t understand their conversation. This complex and subtle language structure was difficult to grasp even with my characteristic Understanding. Nevertheless, I put all that information and conversation into my head.
“Analyzing the revelation, studying it, feeling divinity in the process, documenting history, we get one step closer to our source….”
As he murmured, he suddenly made a sorrowed expression and stopped talking. His lips seemed to smile, but his eyes looked to be crying.
“This… it’s our time. God’s word becomes our duty, and that duty becomes a lifetime’s work, and we live day by day realizing God’s gratitude anew…”
I clicked my tongue. It was pathetic.
“…But.”
Suddenly, his mood changed. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. Hostility flared in his pupils.
…Did he just read my mind? As if, luckily, it wasn’t that, he continued.
“One day. God died.”
Although his tone was low, passion and rage seeped from his voice.
“…Believers killed him.”
The moment he said it, all the scenery disappeared. The world sank into darkness. Inside, a cry of rage, slaughter, and hatred, completely different from the previous calm, resounded.
─האם עשית את זה!!!
─דברים כמו זבל. האנשים שיש לשנוא ששכחו את חסדם!!!-
It was still impossible to interpret, but it was clear that they were blaming each other. I could read their emotions before the meaning of words.
“We desperately reasoned about who killed him. About which beast dared to kill the God who created them. And about the reason why. In that process, I…”
Chijijik—
A lamp burned in the dark, radiating a faint but red light.
“I became a sinner.”
It was a prison. In a village where there were only thatched houses and trees, an iron fence was invented.
“Our sin was not interpreting the revelation properly.”
“Revelation?”
“Yes. It was a revelation from God foretelling his death.”
He looked at me and floated a letter in the air.
[Your indulgence will lead to my death.]
“We interpreted this one line of revelation differently. The factions were divided. I mistook it for us to serve God more faithfully, but in fact, God was talking about the existence of apostasy. We had to find and fight the apostasy, but I didn’t know that.”
He closed his eyes. His lips trembled.
“After that, what happened?”
“…We quarreled for a very long time. We, the immortals, spent all our time figuring out how to kill each other. Then, eventually, we scattered. All over the continent.”
He replied with regret.
“Some of the greedy became the progenitors of giants, some who were disappointed became the seeds of fairies and the gang of apostates whom I presumed to be the god’s killers….”
Suddenly, his evil eyes stared at me. I smiled coldly and nodded.
“Did they become human?”
“Yes. However, it’s not only that. Most of the apostasy, as you said, became human, but the few remaining became some other race, you know.”
He said it like a riddle and waited for my answer. It was an easy matter to deduce.
“The demons?”
“Yes. Humans and demons do not differ in their origins. Even the demons you hate so much are a kind of human, after all. If all of your humans are annihilated, those demons will be called humans.”
“…Is that all?”
“Hmm?”
“There is still one more left.”
Then he smiled without saying a word and pointed his finger at his chest.
“You mean me?”
“Yes. You, what have you become?”
“Haha. You know it too. Do you want to hear it through my lips?”
He put his hand on my shoulder. He patted it a couple of times and then hit me on the chest with his forehead.
“I tried to resurrect God. Even after God died, I remained as a believer.”
After that, the location changed again. It was the same village as before, but it was engulfed in disaster.
Whoooooosh-!
A whirlwind of volcanic ash and sand engulfed the village. Desperate screams resounded through the chaos.
─You can’t! Everyone come back! You must not leave like this!
It was someone who looked exactly like Sophien. To be precise, it was the one standing next to me right now.
—Didn’t you say we can revive God if we all work together? Trust me! I will resurrect God!
He screamed until his throat was torn, trying to catch those who left, but the sandstorm swallowed him.
─Come back! You were a believer too! You can’t leave like this! It’s the God you killed!
No-one turned around at his bloody cries. The only response was vulgar insults condemning him as a fanatic despite God’s death.
─Come back! You filthy apostates! Come back, come back, and make amends for your sins! Come back, come back-!
He cried out desperately while pulling at his hair. When his voice failed, he ran and grabbed the legs of those who were leaving. Although he was kicked and trampled, he forcefully blocked their way. However, as they didn’t even look at him, he began to throw stones at their backs.
Thud-thud-thud-
The stones fell helplessly.
-Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go…
However, nothing changed, and he was left alone. He looked around the empty town with empty eyes.
─…If we show our faith one more time. If we sincerely apologize, God will come back.
It was pathetic to see him muttering like he had lost his mind.
─It’s true. It’s not a lie, so why are you…?
He got up and trudged back to the chapel. The once sacred hall was full of torn and burned revelations.
─…The revelations can’t be damaged. For the day he comes…
While staggering like a puppet with untied threads, he collected the pieces of paper one by one, assembled them with his bare hands, enchanted them, and sat in the chapel waiting for a revelation. He prayed endlessly in the raging sandstorm. He dedicated his time and faith.
“…Please come to me again. Please accept my endless apology.”
Snap-!
All the scenery disappeared at that moment. The volcanic cave was back.
“However, God did not resurrect in the end. Even though I’ve prayed for ten thousand years.”
“…Ten thousand years?”
“Yes. I prayed there all my years. I waited for him alone.”
He smiled bitterly.
“The chapel I stayed in for all those long years was separated from the world. That was my death, but I didn’t know.”
…Should I say that it was expected from the final boss? His faith may have far surpassed my mental strength.
“So? Can you understand me a little now?”
He held out his hand.
“Deculein. This continent is a land born out of the sin of God’s murderers.”
His hand waved up and down. It looked like he was joking around as he waited for me to grab it.
“So this continent needs faith. The descendants of God’s murderer also need a chance to be forgiven. God has not returned, but I will be their God.”
“…”
“God would want it too because it’s me who truly served God more than anyone else. I have the qualifications and power of a god.”
In an instant, magma swelled from the ground, illuminating the cave. A scarlet light lit up his expression. I sighed and shook my head.
“You would know the answer already. You can’t become a god if you don’t even know what’s inside me.”
Despite the sarcastic remark, he calmly nodded before pouting.
“I know too. Still, I wanted to tell you. You seem like a very valuable person.”
He shrugged. Then, he smiled and raised his index finger.
“But Deculein. There is one thing I want to ask you.”
“…”
“What do people like you think of me?”
There was no need to worry about that question. I answered right away.
“…Ridiculous.”
No matter how great he was, no matter how pathetic the believer was, if I dug into it realistically, he was ultimately a character in a game. In that respect, in considering the level of existence, perhaps Kim Woojin, an outsider to the game, might be superior. He was part of the company that created this world. That was why…
“You’re really funny. You died as a believer without becoming a god or resurrecting God. You, who had vain hopes of becoming a god.”
“…”
His expression hardened. However, he quickly shook his head and smiled.
“Human. No, Deculein.”
He called my name calmly.
“I want to visit the exhibition. All the magic and technology of this continent are gathered there. I’ve only had this doll for less than a week. I want to see the world a little more.”
Yuren’s Magic Exhibition. His eyes twinkled.
“Not only that, I want to see the countless human beings on this continent and find out whether or not they can be forgiven of their sins. I want to experience it with this body.”
“…What if they can’t be forgiven?”
“Why are you asking something so obvious?”
He frowned and tapped my shoulder.
“Then I would need to clean the world. Faith is granted only to those who deserve it. Well, you deserve it, so tell me if you change your mind at any time.”
I convinced myself once more of the reason this was the final boss.
“…Oh, right.”
He took a step forward and pointed to the volcano.
“This volcano will erupt soon. But not because of magic, not because of explosives. It’s Mother Nature’s providence. It won’t change because of you or that kid, Deculein.”
Saying that he pointed at Carla, who was now asleep on the bed.
“I gave that child an excuse to believe. That kid deserves it too.”
I turned to Carla. It seemed like she might stop breathing at any moment.
“Then run away. A mere human cannot stop it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“…Okay.”
I nodded and put down my suitcase.
“As you said, this explosion may be a providence of nature.”
I unpacked the materials I had brought from the Ashes.
“I can minimize the damage.”
His eyebrows rose.
“I am not the type to give in so easily. In the first place, if I just accepted any calamity because of providence, I would be a moron who has no qualifications as a human.”
Based on the catalysts of the Ashes, I was trying to frame and envision ductility magic on the spot…
At that moment-
─This is just a volcano. I should’ve just eaten more.
─I know. It’s not a big deal, right?
─No. I feel something down here.
The voices of Epherene, Rose, and Arlos were descending from above.
“Haha. Your companions are here.”
He looked at me and smiled, and I cleared my throat.