Long long ago, God who had been abandoned by their followers escaped the world and created a new world.
The god, who had seen not only their followers succumb to heresy had to watch the remaining followers be pushed to extermination, desperately wished to make this world different.
He believed in the potential of mankind.
A world where with hard work in trust in the possibility of success, anyone could rise to the top, that was the world god wanted.
He did not outright believe that human organizations were evil, but he believed that the systems of organization itself that led humans to suppress other humans were the cause of the corruption of the human spirit.
Therefore he created ways for superhumans to emerged that could right the wrongs of the organized majority.
The framework of the world that revolved around the 9 core status was thus born.
And from the god’s delicate consideration and care, the humans thrived as they made use of their abilities and talents to live in this dream-like world to the max.
But one day, the god realized that it was nearing the end of its power and began to search for a successor to take its place.
First the Immortals, then the Lesser Gods came to exist.
Nine sages took it upon themselves to become examiners to determine who had the qualifications to become mankind to rise above mankind, to determine who can ascend as the Lesser Gods.
At first, only the most excellent of all mankind could be selected to try out to become a Lesser God, and even they did not possess unlimited life.
They took it upon themselves to oversee the world on behalf of the exhausted God, and under the infinite authority of God, they sacrificed themselves for the good of the world.
But there is an end to all things.
Troimea and Kire. There were two cities.
The two of the largest cities of Mankind often competed with or cooperated with each other to lead the humanity towards a better future.
But after a long period of time, the nature of two cities became a schism that transformed their cooperation into hatred and competition into war.
The god who watched their fall from grace realized that humans will never learn and lost interest in the humans.
Instead, god sought to find a replacement that would dominate the world on the God’s behalf.
The nine sages of the God’s dungeons all refused that position.
It was because all of them understood how grave a responsibility such a position as becoming God’s replacement would entail.
So, instead, four candidates were found among the man kind.
And these are Kire’s Enkiadusa and Dirgo, and Troimea’s Aleokgos and Kunkido. The most excellent characters of the two competing cities.
Kire’s head priest Enkiadusa became the God of Order, and his younger brother Dirgo became the God of Neutrality.
Meanwhile Troimea’s oldest man known as the sage Aleokgos became the Ancient God, and the young and free spirit genius Kunkido received the name of God of Chaos.
At first, the four of them seemed to do a good enough job managing the world in God’s behalf.
But Troimea and Kire’s competition did not end upon these four becoming immortals.
Enkiadusa, ever the man of ambition, was the first to cause disaster.
Making use of when God was not paying attention, he planted his follower at a God’s Dungeon and had unworthy humans receive unbelievable gains in status and forcefully ascend them as Immortals.
The number of Immortals directly translated to the power of one’s factions.
Realizing slightly later, the Troimea’s All-fathers also followed in mass producing immortals.
Though at first only the most excellent candidates of humanity could become immortals, now anyone and everyone could become an immortal no matter their character or flaws.
Yesterday’s rapist, theives, and scam artists could regularly be found ascending as Immortals every day.
God that came to find out about this became enraged.
He thought that a fifth all-father would be needed to create yet another faction to keep the other four gods in check.
To act as the overseer to the four all-fathers who have failed to fulfill their roles.
And after finding this out, the God of Order and the God of Neutrality schemed to harm the God who created this world.
The God who was attacked by his own creation closed his eyes, and the world began to die.
Though they were called gods, in truth they had none of the privileges or authority or power that the true god possessed, so the God of Order began to search for any way the world might be able to me maintained.
Calamities.
A cruel and evil system beyond comparison that would use the future generations of humans as fuel to continue their own happiness and lives into perpetuity.
That was the truth of this world.
“…”
Sungchul had an inkling that this might be the case.
But the truth behind this world he heard directly from the God of Chaos was dirty and messed up beyond imagination.
Sungchul remembered.
Moments before he was about to be summoned into the Summoning Palace, the final moments he had in his home world.
He was collapsed in the alleyway in the red-light district in sub-zero weather, awaiting his death.
And to him, one man approached him.
He asked Sungchul.
“Do you wish for a paradise?”
A question without any explanation.
Sungchul’s answer was obvious.
But the true identity of this paradise was a meticulously created hell.
A burning flames of hatred took root in Sungchul’s eyes.
“…Does such a world deserve salvation?”
Uncomfortable memories once forgotten surfaced to his mind one by one.
For he who had given up everything and put everything on the line to save the world, how did the world treat him back?
Had it offered him so much as a glass of water?
With certainty, Sungchul could answer no, never, not once.
Everyone mocked Sungchul and feared him.
How about the ruling elites of this world.
When Sungchul had fallen in battle, had even one of them moved forward to save him?
No. He was thoroughly abandoned.
Even by his most trusted friend in this world.
There was no hope in humans of this world any longer.
The steel wheels of wagon no longer spun.
It was because his wrath was born from within.
The God of Chaos simply reminded Sungchul of his own rage.
It was slightly after this that Bertelgia and Ahmuge reappeared at the scene by the stairs.
They arrived slightly too late and saw that Sungchul was already becoming consumed by black flames.
He was transforming.
Into the black giant that would destroy the world.
Luckily, the black flames only covered his left side.
The God of Chaos rang out loud.
“You are too late, living book. My tool is already filled to the brim with hatred. What he wants is nothing but the destruction of this world. And as a tool, his objective already aligns with that of God.”
Beyond the stairs was Sungchul covered in flames.
“······.”
“…”
Sungchul’s eyes reflected unparalleled nihilism and hatred.
The God of Chaos stared at Bertelgia.
Bertelgia balled up her hands into a fist when felt the disgusting sensation of being seen all over by a snake before she heard the God of Chaos speak to her with a mocking tone of voice.
“It seems you went to go check. The truth this man was trying to hide. How foolish. Are you here to say farewell, Living Book?”
Hearing this, Sungchul turned to look at Bertelgia.
“Bertelgia.”
Sungchul said with trembling voice.
“Get out of here. With Soojin Lee.”
His voice was already not that of a human.
He was becoming integrated into the black giant within him.
It was a voice of depth and darkness befitting a world where all possibilities are crushed and there is nothing but despair.
But even before his voice could fade, it was overpowered by a clear and pure high pitched voice.
“I saw it all. The thing you were hiding from me.”
Bertelgia said.
Sungchul did not respond.
But there was a slight bit of movement.
Bertelgia did not let go of what this could indicate and continued in her cheerful tone of voice.
“It was Unit 55, right?”
Her words certainly had an effect.
The right side of his body that was still human did not show any change but the eyes on the blackened and burning left side opened wide open.
Bertelgia continued.
“Apparently I’m a tool? An unimpressive mass-produced kind?”
“…Bertelgia.”
From the unblackened side of him that still remained human, a sigh filled with regret was let out.
How hard had he worked to try and keep that secret from her? Even if he were to become hated by her, he was going to keep this a secret no matter what.
But Bertelgia found out the truth anyway.
Let alone being Eckheart’s daughter, even among the many books that serve Eckheart, she was an inferior being that the other books considered nothing more than an object and a tool.
‘It was the one thing I wanted to keep from you.’
The flames consuming Sungchul grew even thicker.
His consciousness was beginning to fade.
And lost in his familiar sense of ennui, Sungchul realized that his right side was about to be consumed as well.
Feeling helpless and tired, he let his consciousness fade without resistance.
But that was when Bertelgia suddenly awaked him.
“But, so what?”
Sungchul’s body trembled slightly.
‘So what?’
While Sungchul was trying to figure out what she could mean, Bertelgia’s youtuful voice came piercing through his fuddled mind and found its way into his awareness like a dagger.
“I am me. Bertelgia. No matter what anyone says, I am a beautiful, cute, lovable, smart, talented, knowledgeable, master of alchemy, the queen bee of Kodia[MK1] village, Bertelgia!”
An excessive level of self-love.
But that was what was needed to bring upon rejuvenating winds to Sungchul’s dying heart.
Sungchul’s remaining half stopped mid-transformation.
Bertelgia noticed this small success and continued.
“Just like how your Sameong[MK2] is to dedicate your life to the solution of the Calamities, I also have my own Sameong, and that is to lead you to the path of the Creationist!”
Bertelgia was shouting.
Sungchul discovered himself being shaken by the words of this little girl.
The black flames were shaking.
The face of the God of Chaos became twisted.
It felt threatened. The being carrying the title of God was, by a mere Living Book.
“You dare, you cheap tool?”
It was just when he was about to reach out to Bertelgia. Sungchul raised his hand that was burning with black flames. As if the flames had a life of their own, they extended forward and created a wall of fire blocking the God of Chaos.
The God of Chaos was unable to do anything in this space.
With the distractions isolated, Bertelgia returned her gaze resolutely back to Sungchul and began to speak.
“Humans are beings that die after their short lives, right? But I lived much longer than most humans. In terms of age, I lived longer than your grandma’s grandma’s grandma. Just like how there’s something called life span, I also have something similar to a life span. And that’s my Sameong.”
“Sameong.”
Sungchul repeated the word as if lingering on it.
The black flames covering him shook greatly.
Bertelgia kneeled and lowered her arms. The Carbuncles hanging onto her body walked down the length of her arm in lines and stood by her feet.
Bertelgia crossed her arms and hugged herself as she spoke.
“Whether it be duty, fate, or dream, it doesn’t matter. As long as I complete what I chose to do, what I want to do, I am not a tool. And even if at the end of it, there’s death awaiting me, I will accept it. Just like how humans, with their limited life, accept that there is an end to their own lives as well.”
Bertelgia straightened her arms. Like the mother earth, ready to embrace all.
“Bertelgia.”
Sungchul said. But Bertelgia continued.
“And you aren’t some lowly tools, you are a person. Just like how someone who was born a tool like me isn’t a tool either.”
The black flames paused for a moment.
And from beyond the wall of flames, the God of Chaos’s insidious voice filled the air once more.
“If you do not obtain this hidden strength, then you’ll be put to the death by the God of Order.”
Sungchul hesitated upon hearing about the Hidden Strength.
To this, Bertelgia made a smile and spoke with a soft tone.
“You already have hidden strength. Not one that’s sinister and scary like this one, but the one hidden within you already.”
“Hidden strength?”
Sungchul replied with a changed, original voice.
Bertelgia let out a bright, radiant smile and nodded.
“One not even you realize you have.”
And as soon as he heard this, Sungchul felt the fog muddying his consciousness be lifted.
And in the absence of such fog was a child-like curiosity. What this hidden strength could be about.
And thus, Sungchul finally woke up from the seemingly never-ending sleep.
The steel wheels above him began to spin rapidly once more.
The God of Chaos’s schemes were defeated and Sungchul seemed to have recovered.
But the God of Chaos remained confident.
“Your body already accepted the dark attributes of the dead god. No matter how much you talk and steel yourself, you cannot stop the wrath of the murdered god.”
The God of Chaos let out a laughter before disappearing into the void.
It was just as he said.
The flames covering half of Sungchul seemed to stop for a moment, but it picked up pace once more to swallow the rest of him.
“It’s all hopeless. The Black Giant is going to appear again like this!”
Ahmuge uttered with a pale face.
‘Damn it.’
He finally had the answer, but cruelly, the flames refused to go out, and instead was burning even brighter to consume him even faster.
The black flames seemed like it could obey his orders, but he did not know how to recover the flames back.
‘Please, don’t let it end like this.’
Beyond the fading sight as Bertelgia and Ahmuge.
Like this, he would inevitably turn into the Black Giant of Ahmuge’s memories.
And rather than allow that to happen, it might be better to end his own life now.
Sungchul made up his mind and placed his right hand over his heart. God-like power flowed into his hands.
The moment the Cross of the Covenant is pulled out, the flames of another contract would consume him and destroy him.
Sungchul turned to Bertelgia for the last time and gave a smile.
A smile carrying his resolve to die.
“Be good.”
It was right before Sungchul was about to carve out his own heart.
Doon.
A sound could be heard.
Sungchul and Bertelgia, and any other being that existed in this space turned towards the infinite stairs towards the endless expanse of the universe towards where the sound had come from.
And they could tell that something big was about to happen.
It didn’t need any explanations or thought.
The moment the voice was heard, it was without a doubt the voice of the true god.
[A human who chose to become a tool]
[A tool that wants to become human]
With the voice that could only be described as majestic filled the air as the black flames taking over Sungchul’s body began to retreat.
It did not simply disappear.
As if absorbed, it returned into his heart.
Sungchul returned to his original form.
The inferno consuming the narrow hallway of this wretched world also was put out.
[I shall see how things play out from here on out.]
The god had spoken.