A god whose life was nearing its end crossed over from another world and created a new one.
He believed in human potential more than anyone and hoped that in this new world he created, everyone would be free to pursue their dreams based on their own efforts and talents.
In this world, there were no classes, discrimination, or distinctions, and it originally had a given name.
That was, until it was erased by those who falsely call themselves gods.
[You’ve fallen for my trap, Aleokgos. Did you think I watched you drop your fragments upon the world for no reason? It, too, was merely a part of my plan.]
The being known as the God of Order spoke.
His words were a gospel in themselves.
The meaning of the words was not important. The sanctity, holiness, and wonder imbued in his voice convinced every mortal that the colossal figure extending far into the heavens was unquestionably indeed a divine being.
The followers of the God of Order were the first to kneel.
The priests serving the God of Order, led by Tigon Bosborot and his clergy, rushed onto the deck racing each other for the chance to kneel before the immense figure that had appeared on the battlefield, blessing his manifestation into the world.
Next, ordinary soldiers knelt before the God of Order. They couldn’t explain why, but the sight of the sacred enormity made them kneel involuntarily, swept up in the atmosphere.
While staunch troublemakers like Dragoman remained upright, even the kings willingly showed their respect for the advent of the god.
The citizens of La Grange were next in line to witness the spectacle.
The impoverished citizens who climbed up to the city walls, and the wealthy from the comfort of their homes in the upper districts, could see some colossal holy being emerging from the faraway battlefield.
In the midst of thick dry clouds that was covering much of the sky, there were rays of light shining through the darkness only where the form of the god was standing. Beyond the glamorous light was a flock of birds flying towards the east.
“It’s a god. The God of Order has appeared!”
“He has finally made an appearance in the world to save us all!”
The priests of the Horsan sect were shouting themselves hoarse. Their exuberant voices were infectious.
In the midst of the worst of all recorded Calamity to date, as the capital city of the world was under siege by the Barbarians and the final battle to determine the fate of the world was underway, the god they believed in personally made an appearance on the battlefield.
What else could this be, if not a sign of salvation?
However, only one person, Clarice Assam, trembled slightly at the sight of the god.
“No… no, that’s not it.”
She wasn’t a believer. Instead, she was an atheist who cursed both god and fate, which perhaps allowed her to see the situation more objectively. Maybe the multiple calamities she had experienced had given her a certain intuition on the matter.
“That… That’s not here to save us…!”
She hurriedly ran outside and dashed towards her mansion.
“Gramps! Grab all the money and jewels! We have to leave now!”
“No, Clarice. Why are you doing this again? Think about how much we spent to get this house!”
Kruut Assam looked puzzled by his granddaughter’s actions.
“I don’t want to be on the run anymore.”
Kruut Assam leaned back deeply into the armchair and turned his head away meekly.
“Gramps!”
Despite Clarice’s urging, Kruut Assam did not turn around. After some time, a self-satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
“If I am to die, I might as well die here. When will I ever live in a place like this again?”
Kruut Assam handed something to Clarice.
It was a sparkling cube crafted from blue sapphire.
The cube passed from hand to hand.
“This is the rumored ticket to the Floating Archipelago.”
“Gramps…”
“It was hard to obtain.”
Kruut Assam’s wrinkled hand enveloped Clarice’s smooth one. But there was only one ticket.
Clarice blinked and asked.
“You don’t have one for yourself?”
“The Floating Archipelago doesn’t take in old men like me. It seems only the young and beautiful are allowed to go.”
Kruut Assam said this and then gave his granddaughter a warm smile.
It was at that moment that Clarice’s body slightly trembled.
Outside, a cry of despair filled the air.
People on the city walls looked towards the God of Order with eyes filled with horror.
The subject of their surprise and fear were what the Barbarians were doing.
The Barbarians were kneeling in unison before the God of Order, showing their respects.
This could only mean one thing.
That the God of Order was guardian deity of more than just humanity.
The God of Order did not respond to the prayers of mankind. But it responded to that of the Barbarians.
The colossal hand that could rightfully be called a fortress waved to accept the worship of the Barbarians.
This brief gesture was enough to shatter any short-lived hopes in people’s hearts.
[Crowning of the one king. For those of you who cannot complete such an easy task, how dare you hope to rely on others? Even these animalistic beastly creatures are willing to put aside factions and personal gain and gather as one for the sake of their future. You should know shame.]
The god spoke.
His voice resonated not only across the battlefield but also clearly beyond the walls of La Grange.
The God of Order gazed down.
The barbarians were so far below that their prostrating form were like that of ants. But one kneeling man was looking back up at the God.
[You must be the Tool of God. What an unordinary object. Even though Brutalus was originally a useless scoundrel and a thug, he was an immortal. Difficult to believe you have slain him so effortlessly.]
Now, the voice of the God of Order was heard by Sungchul alone.
There was an undeniable power in the voice, compelling obedience.
Sungchul thought the voice sounded familiar.
‘There’s no mistake. This voice…’
Just then, as if it had been waiting, a voice boomed from within.
[Behold, the monster that impersonates God. That thing has betrayed god and stole the world, the world that was meant to be shared equally among all. The true enemy of the world.]
Sungchul could tell that though they were not the same entity, they were of the same caliber.
The voice he had been hearing from within him was of the same level of a being as the God of Order.
For a moment, Sungchul briefly recalled bits and fragments of his memories of climbing the Stairway to God before they vanished once more.
‘Just what did I do back then?’
He could not recall no matter how much he tried.
Only the word ‘Tool’ echoed in his mind.
And suddenly, a dry, echoing voice filled his mind.
[I’ll do anything. Even if it means becoming nothing but a mere tool. Anything to rid of this deeply rooted sense of helplessness.]
The owner of the voice in this unfamiliar memory was his own.
Suddenly the memory was unlocked.
He could recall the figure of the true god beyond the stairway.
And the servant of God standing close by.
And the exhausted man kneeling before them.
Sungchul’s eyes began to tremble greatly.
Despair blossomed in his heart like a sudden fog.
“I… just what was I…”
At that moment, the one who brought Sungchul back to reality was Bertelgia.
“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”
Bertelgia didn’t stop at shaking her body as strong as she could. She even stabbed the corners of her book at Sungchul to try and get his attention again.
“Get a grip! What are you doing in front of your enemies?”
Even before the God of Order who had everyone kneeling, Bertelgia wasn’t affected in the slightest.
Thanks to Bertelgia’s insistant effort, Sungchul was able to return to reality.
“…I must have been lost in some meaningless delusions.”
But nothing changed.
The God of Order was still standing before Sungchul.
[Templar knight Sidmia and now Brutalus, I have seen your prowess. You possess power worthy of being called the Tool of God. But such a weak tool of the dead god cannot bend the Order I established.]
The God of Order said.
In the shadow of the colossal figure not even the great Colossi could compare to, countless swords emerged mid air.
Each and every one of these swords had beautiful and reflective mirror-like blades. They hovered in the air for a moment before beginning their freefall towards Sungchul like rain.
[I shall kill you, the Tool of God and break the last remaining hope of those who dream of destroying the world in its entirity. This is the purpose behind my descent into the world.]
Sungchul thought to himself.
This wasn’t a battle. It was a judgement.
From the imposter of God.
Sungchul muttered to himself as he quietly watched the swords descend upon him.
“Bertelgia.”
As always, his voice was calm.
However, Bertelgia knew what Sungchul was about to do.
Sungchul removed the Hand of the Ascendent from his left hand and wrapped Bertelgia in it. The Hand of the Ascendent morphed to fit Bertelgia perfectly and covered her in her entirity.
“I…I don’t want this.”
Bertelgia struggled violently and protested with a pitiful, desperate tone.
Sungchul hugged Bertelgia with both arms before gazing upon her with a faint but warm smile.
“You. You should survive.”
“Stop! I don’t want this!”
Sungchul focused his god-like strength into his arms and threw Bertelgia as hard as he could towards the Human encampment.
“No-!!!!”
Bertelgia’s pitiful cry faded into the distance. Then, in its place, a relentless downpour of swords created by the God of Order began.
Sungchul stood against the attack of the God of Order, holding Fal Garaz in one hand and Krumbui in the other.
“Looks like we’re supposed to die here today?”
Krumbui remarked as he watched the dire situation unfold.
Sungchul smirked and gripped Krumbui tightly.
“I thought it would be lonely to go alone.”
“Always a nuisance to the very end, my master. Well, since it’s come to this, let’s give it a go. Along with that damned god’s swords!”
In the pouring judgement raining down upon him, Sungchul put up a fight to the best of his ability.
He knocked away countless falling swords and forced his way to the feet of the God of Order to try and land a hit on the divine body of the god.
Every mortal present watched without a word as one man desperately fought against a being known as a god.
No one could even think to intervene.
Not the Barbarians, nor Sungchul’s allies.
Such was the nature of divine retribution.
However, amidst the relentless storm of swords and the rays of light, Sungchul began to wither away.
Ssnk ssnk
Sungchul’s body was repeatedly cut by numerous swords, leaving cuts both big and small. And this rain that was sapping his strength was also beginning to drain him of his will to fight.
“Starlight!”
Sungchul summoned all his strength to emit his own light, but it was absorbed and vanished into the brighter light enveloping the body of the God of Order.
He was beginning to lose hope.
[You shall know shame! You will pay for the blasphemy of daring to try and harm me, the manifestation of order itself!]
The flow of the falling swords changed.
The swords that once only fell from top to bottom began to move wildly before it started flying towards Sungchul from every which direction.
Sungchul did his very best to try and protect himself until the end, but he finally hit his limit.
Stab.
A blade pierced him through his torso.
And at that moment, he could hear a cruel laughter bursting out from within his mind.
“Kuhh!”
Red blood gushed from his mouth. But this was only the beginning.
Dozens of swords pierced through Sungchul’s body one after another.
One of his Soul Contracts was triggered, causing his body to swell temporarily. But all it accomplished doing was creating a larger surface area for the swords to pierce through.
“Ugh…”
His vision began to darken.
Death was approaching.
[It is the end. The tool of God.]
In a blurry consciousness, Sungchul saw a pale figure holding a sword within the light.
‘Is that the true body of the God of Order…?’
If only he had known beforehand, he might have been able to come up with a countermeasure.
That was Sungchul’s final thought.
Even until the end, he was a warrior who thought only of how to win a battle.
It was when the God of Order was about to deliver the final blow.
The God of Order’s pale form flinched.
He stood still, sword in hand.
[This cannot be.]
The God of Order finally realized.
The black energy leaking out from Sungchul’s bloody and dying body.
The black light of annihilation was threatening to devour all of creation, consuming even the holy radiance emanating from the God of Order’s body.
The colossal form of the god of order shuddered.
[Is this the power of the dead god? Could it be that this was the true function of the Tool of God?]
The black aura was still writhing around the wounds on Sungchul.
The pale form of the god of order frantically waved its hands, shamefully so.
The dozens of swords that had pierced Sungchul were instantly pulled out.
Sungchul’s body writhed as a massive amount of blood spewed out from where the swords had been drawn.
A light of healing enveloped Sungchul.
The wounds that should been fatal were perfectly healing and recovering at an unbelievably fast rate.
The dark aura that had been emanating from Sungchul’s body gradually retreated and were sealed once again.
Only then, could the God of Order let out a sigh of relief.
[God of Chaos Kunkido! You evil snake. How dare you try and have me, the god of this world, to open that box of apocalypse! Had I been any more careless, I would have destroyed this world by my own hands!]
Meanwhile, the heart of the Ancient God was weakening once more. The temporarily blurred boundary between the present world and the Transcendent World was returning.
The God of Order glared at Sungchul’s collapsed body before speaking with a low tone of voice.
[My loyal dogs. Capture this dangerous tool! You mustn’t harm it in any way! Capture it and do not let it escape. I shall find a way to deal with this tool and give you instructions another day.]
The God of Order then turned and walked into the void.
The holy light that had illuminated the battlefield disappeared, and the colossal deity vanished as it had never been present.
What was left on the battle field in the wake of the god’s departure were the god’s chosen ones, and the ones abandoned by the god they so fervently believed in.
Thank you!
Yep, that was good.