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Chapter 240: #&Prologue
I couldn’t tell what happened at first.
“Aaaah! Unniii!”
Sung Mi-Ri’s earsplitting shriek rang with the crushed Sung Mi-Na at the center, dragging me back to reality.
Plop!
My legs gave way, and I fell to the ground.
S-she’s dead? Mi-Na noona? In such a gruesome and appalling way? Am I dreaming?
“You fool! Get up!” Yi-Shin yelled, looking up into the sky.
“Keugh! What's that!”
Cracks formed in the sky like an egg cracking. It was actually the protective barrier I’d conjured as a High-tier god.
Sss—
A gigantic eyeball that seemed to span at least a few kilometers appeared through the cracks.
Drrrrr!
It moved oddly and looked down at the ground, where I was. That eye looked as clear and pure as a child’s.
I had a certain thought a long time ago. A villain, condemned by the world for his indulgent lifestyle, lived out his full years and died peacefully, surrounded by family—while a good man, who stepped up to save another, met a miserable end. Sometimes, fate was too cruel, and misfortune befell humans regardless if they were good or bad. If god existed in this absurd world, why did he let the good suffer?
Just then, it occurred to me—if there really was a god of absolute supremacy, he could possibly be a lovely child who ripped off the wings of a butterfly.
“L-Lord Yu Il-Shin! What is that monster?!” 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Even Il-Ho, who had gone through all sorts of battles, tensed up.
[Infinite Abundance turns pale, screaming at the top of her lungs.]
[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword stares in astonishment at the unidentified newborn god.]
[War of Carnage and Madness rages at the unidentified newborn god!]
In fact, even the Top-tier gods were stunned.
“Aaargh!”
I tried to appraise it with my remaining good eye.
Ding!
[Appraisal failed.]
What the hell was that monster?!
Come to think of it, Despair hadn’t told me why she created God-Maker. Could this monster be the purpose?
Pzzz!
“Aaaargh! You monster! You killed my unni!” Sung Mi-Ri’s hair stood on all ends, and the lightning around her turned red. “Dieeeee!”
Ruuuumble!
She channeled all her strength into the red lightning, forming a huge spear. Then, she shot it at the eye peering down from the sky.
The eyes of the monster drew a long arc as if looking at a tiny insect.
Swoosh!
Sung Mi-Ri’s lightning, which was about to pierce the sky, disappeared into thin air.
“Ah...”
The same unidentified aura that had crushed Sung Mi-Na into pieces fell onto the devastated Sung Mi-Ri.
Crush!
The sickening crack of bone and flesh echoed through the air. Blood splattered everywhere, streaking across Sung Mi-Ri’s face.
“M-Mr. Yu...?” Sung Mi-Ri stared at me in disbelief.
This time, I wasn’t late, but my body from my waist down was crushed in the process.
“Mr. Yuuuuu! Nooooo!” She pulled me into her embrace, screaming at the top of her lungs.
The pain was so excruciating, my consciousness was fading, yet I struggled to speak, “I-I’m fine... Ugh! I can’t heal this fast enough...”
I raised my trembling ring finger on my lower body. “Haa, haa! H-Healing Ring Finger... of God.”
Tzzz!
A dazzling white light enveloped me. Soon, the pain would blow over...
Ding!
[Healing failed!]
[Insufficient divine power level to heal this target.]
What? Even my High-tier god powers couldn’t heal it?
Swoosh!
The monster cut through the atmosphere at a frightening speed. Since it was invisible, I couldn’t see it clearly with my skill, but it seemed like an absurdly huge finger—and it was coming for me and Sung Mi-Ri.
“Lord Yu Il-Shin!”
A black figure appeared between us.
Baaaam!
“Aargh! Muuuscles!”
Il-Ho’s muscles swelled up as he resisted the crushing invisible force with all his might. I felt like I was witnessing the majesty of Hercules, the ancient god and hero who held up the sky.
Crack!
Even with his superhuman strength, Il-Ho’s knees buckled as his bones began to snap. He shouted to Sung Mi-Ri, who was still in shock, “Girl! Hurry and flee with God Yu Il-Shin!”
“Ah...”
“Hurry! I can’t hold out any longer!”
Drip.
Black, putrid blood flowed out from Il-Ho’s eyes and nose. Coughing more blood, he yelled, “Girl! Lord Yu Il-Shin will die if you stay here any longer!”
“Mr. Yu... will die?” Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Skill... Thunder God!”
As she ran forward in a flash, my blurry sight caught Il-Ho, who seemed to fade.
“I-Il-Ho... No...”
If we leave, Il-Ho will...!
Swoosh swoosh!
“This damn monster! Stop!”
Yi-Shin and Sam-Shin then stepped forward to save Il-Ho.
“Demon Lord’s Heavenly Sword Ultimate stance, Demon Lord’s Disintegration!”
“Des...troy!”
Yi-Shin unleashed a sword technique at the rift in the sky, while Sam-Shin shot a massive destructive beam at the eye. However, their attacks crumbled to dust before they could even land.
Then, Il-Ho smirked at me, flashing his pristine white teeth. “God Yu Il-Shin! Please li...!”
Craaaack!
Just like that, his smile was crushed, reduced into shreds of flesh and blood.
“Il-Hoooo!” I screamed as tears of blood poured out from my remaining eye.
The tragedy had only begun. The sky was dyed blood red—to be more precise, the monstrous god’s eye was.
Flash! Baaaam!
A destructive beam, thousands of times larger than Sam-Shin’s, struck us.
Yi-Shin watched with devastation, gritting his teeth. “Darn it!”
Baaaam!
The world was turned upside down. The impact of the powerful beam spread like a fog, completely swallowing Earth.
“Aaah! M-my body!”
“Eeek! Save me!”
“God!”
“Waaaah! Mommyyyy!”
Fog of destruction shrouded everyone, obliterating them. They died, just like that, like insecticide sprayed on a swarm of bugs.
“M...Mr. Y—”
Psss...
Even Sung Mi-Ri, who carried me while making our escape, turned into red powder and disappeared into the air. I rolled around in the ruins, and God-Maker fell out from my pocket from the impact.
Ding!
[Number of followers left on Earth: 0]
Everyone died. My family, followers, everyone on Earth.
Please, please!
I struggled with my crushed lower half, crawling toward God-Maker.
Please let a Follower Salvation Quest appear!
I had once used that quest to save my followers. Grasping at straws, I grabbed God-Maker, hoping to alter fate.
Ding!
[Fate alteration denied! Insufficient causality for a Follower Salvation Quest!]
Tears of blood dripped onto God-Maker.
“Aaah! Aaaargh!”
How was I a god when I couldn’t do anything...?!
Drrrr!
Compared to the god who looked down at me from the rift in the sky, I was an insignificant worm.
“Crushing Forefinger of God!”
Still, even if I was a bug...
“Convicting Middle Finger of God!”
I couldn’t let things end like this!
I vomited blood, then pointed my hands at the eye in the sky.
“Proliferating Thumb of God!”
Kwaaaaa!
I unleashed all my skills and even my remaining lifespan into conjuring a series of fiery spears, shooting them at the monstrous eye. Just then, a hand so gigantic that it could cover the entire Earth emerged from the crack, wiping away my final act of struggle. It fell upon me and Earth with a force that could crush everything in one fell swoop.
As tears of blood rolled down my face, I witnessed my imminent death.
Sorry, I’m sorry... I’m sorry for being unable to save everyone...
Ding!
[Silently Crawling Nightmare’s gift, ????, has been activated.]
Ding!
-----
[????] → [Nightmare Transformation]
Sweet child, no matter how terrifying your nightmare may be, don’t be afraid. It’s only a dream, and it will soon pass.
-----
It was the unknown gift I had received when I first started playing God-Maker.
Ding!
[Nightmare Transformation’s causality is insufficient to stop the world’s end.]
Ding!
[Infinite Abundance’s gift, False Creation, has been activated.]
-----
[False Creation]
God created the world at the dawn of time. But now, as it spirals toward a dreadful end, the devastated god declares that the world he once shaped was nothing but a lie.
-----
I saw Nightmare in my room, whose black petals were falling and disappearing one by one. The second moon, which I’d created with Infinite Abundnace’s power, was also waning. Then, both of them scattered.
Baaam!
The monstrous god’s palm squashed me and Earth right after.
Ding!
[Your last innate power is fully activated.]
-----
[xxxx Pinky Finger of God] → [Regressing Pinky Finger of God]
Created by combining Fate Restoration, a power bestowed by Guardian of Fire and Smithing, and Yu Il-Shin’s most desperate desire. Allows the restoration of a distorted fate by returning to the past.
-----
Ding!
[A perfect return is impossible due to the end of the world.]
Ding!
[Regressing Pinky Finger of God combined with the effects of Fate Restoration and Nightmare Transformation, creating an incomplete return.]
...
...
...
How much time had passed? An alarm rang through eternal silence.
Ding!
[Welcome to God-Maker.]
[Depending on your choices and play style, you can become a benevolent or a malevolent god.]
I struggled to open my eyes at the familiar notification message. I was alive...? How? The place I was in felt extremely familiar: a small, old cave, with my lower body crushed.
Just as I was flustered at the situation and environment I was in...
-What? When did I install such a lousy game? Did I accidentally open a spam email?
Then, like a nightmare, a familiar voice rang out in the air.
