Chapter 110 – The Creator’s Design

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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It was around the time the settlement was in full swing that a scream was heard.

It was also the moment a blue dot on the map blinked and disappeared.

=Star Creation, the Celestial Church has changed their stance!=

I wasn’t particularly surprised or astonished.

I just thought that what was meant to come had come.

Originally, after killing three great demons, the remaining ones banded together tightly.

We had entered the full-fledged late game.

From this point on, instead of massacring each other, the bastards moved while covering each other’s weaknesses.

The underground dragons dug into the ground and the Celestial Church angels flying in the sky were the same.

One was specialized in disrupting detection, and the other was specialized in breaking up survivors.

Considering this, the demons utilized a strategy of luring survivors to where a dragon was lying in ambush.

If those bastards suddenly changed their strategy, there was only one reason.

I recalled my memories of playing Last Comet and reassured Anniel.

“Do not fear. It is a sign that the enemies are terrified.”

It’s a world where even gods are not flawless.

The demons were the same. Distinct strengths and weaknesses coexisted in them.

Taking my first victim, the Holy Mother of Stillbirths, as an example, the Holy Mother of Stillbirths was extremely vulnerable to light in exchange for rapidly expanding her forces.

Cooling Breath was no exception.

The strength possessed by Cooling Breath and the fallen dragons was that they were adept at ambush and surprise attacks.

Of course, an excellent strength is always followed by a fatal weakness.

The weakness the dragons possessed was a smaller population size compared to other demon factions.

Because their numbers were small, they were sensitive to losses and turned defensive if they received damage above a certain level.

Because of this, the key was ultimately whether one could press them down with DPS.

There is a reason why I bothered to drop a meteor and shake the earth’s crust once.

I had slightly expected it, and it seems I somehow succeeded.

“The Celestial Church is stepping forward in place of the retreating dragons. Calmly intercept the enemies and accumulate damage.”

=But the people they have captured!=

Anniel was pushing herself too hard.

It was a valid point.

Because the majority of the survivor groups that arrived at the Orrak Plains were still under the Celestial Church.

However, with the forces currently available, we couldn’t save them all.

If we scattered them out of urgency, instead of saving them, we would only give the enemy an opportunity to defeat us one by one.

I could see what the mad god, Serving Moon, was plotting.

The intent to kill those trying to come here to prevent us from expanding our forces and to force a fight to consume us was obvious.

But if the opponent schemes and I just sit still and suffer, could I be called a god?

It was time to pull out the trump card I had endlessly pondered since I began handling life and decided to hide since I began handling deceit.

It was time to utilize a method I hadn’t used so far to neutralize the enemy’s intentions and reduce sacrifices.

“Be at ease. Reinforcements who will share your burden and save the people will arrive soon.”

=…I heed your will.=

Anniel caught my meaning and focused on the fight again.

The voice mixed with doubt seemed a little surprised by the word reinforcements.

I could understand that feeling.

After all, the word reinforcement had been forgotten for a long time due to being surrounded by a hostile environment on all sides.

To say reinforcements were popping out now, she couldn’t help but harbor doubts.

Of course, it wasn’t that another god had a change of heart and joined us.

The gods who had their hearts broken and went into hiding a long time ago wouldn’t be helpful even if I dragged them out.

In the first place, even when the Celestial Church was hunting them, far from joining forces, they were fleeing far, far away separated from each other.

Seeing the star marks on the map moving distractedly, I could only let out a deep sigh.

“Since they’re guys I’m going to kill anyway, it’s better not to needlessly get friendly with them.”

There was no other existence to help the people instead of the gods.

Leaving the hammering sounds ringing from all over the settlement behind, I flew into the forest, tap-tap.

At that, the tree branches swayed and rustled even though there wasn’t a single breeze.

Even the large squirrels going around picking up fallen acorns or seeds stopped their actions and stood up straight.

The deer grazing on grass, and the wolf opening its mouth wide to take a bite, both stealthily corrected their posture.

All sorts of bugs and microorganisms were the same.

Every single life existing in this forest stopped its actions to look at me and perceive me.

The place where a documentary was being filmed just moments ago had turned into an artificial set looking only at me.

Honestly, it’s a bit burdensome.

I waved my hands, trying to distract their attention.

“Keep doing what you were doing.”

It was a meaningless attempt.

The lives I sculpted had far superior senses than existing lives.

Their detection ability was so outstanding that they only tilted their heads and looked around after I resolutely hid my presence.

It would have been really nice if it ended there.

Without distinguishing between squirrels, wolves, and deer, the entire forest heaved and began looking for me.

They dropped the prey they were biting, and the prey being bitten was looking for me rather than caring about its wounds.

As if it didn’t even hurt.

“Kki-ing, kking. Kki-i-ing.”

“Hukkeureu-euk! Hukkeu-euk!”

Among them, the first to come near me was an eagle owl.

With round eyes and fluffy feathers, it lingered around for a long time, so I eventually gave up.

When I revealed myself just slightly instead of hiding my presence, the eagle owl settled on top of my head as if it had been waiting.

This was the beginning.

Not long after the eagle owl came, all the myriad lives of the forest approached.

Seeing this sight, I recalled a familiar scene.

The few rays of bright light in the Sun God’s dark memories.

The one who created the first life, the moment the Sun God faced the life it sculpted with its own hands.

And how trivial the light the Sun God emitted was.

The Sun God in the memories failed to block the terrible curses placed down by its siblings.

Senility, starvation, disease, mortality.

And finally, even the fate of an eternal struggle, fighting for others rather than oneself.

After peeking at this memory, I harbored one small doubt.

Did the Sun God leave these curses because it deemed them necessary, or did it leave them because it couldn’t lift them.

I had to poke and prod a bit to find out which it was.

I opened my mouth toward the lives pouring their attention this way.

“You guys seem more interested in other things than what you were doing.”

“Woof!”

It’s pleasing to see one answering alone while everyone else is quiet.

When I approached and patted its head vigorously with my left hand, the wolf panted with its tongue hanging out.

Wagging its tail and barking like that, it’s a dog, a dog, not a wolf.

It wasn’t just this wolf that was starved for my attention.

Even the bugs crawling on the ground were struggling to raise their bodies somehow.

I don’t particularly like their appearance, but I couldn’t be embarrassed and tell the kids crawling over because they like me to back off.

The breakthrough to overcome this difficult situation was, as expected, getting to the main point.

“I didn’t come to you for any other reason. I came to find champions who will fight for me.”

Fundamentally, I am a god friendly to humans.

Because my roots are human, and because living humans are the seal preventing the Sun God’s descent.

If I only pursued victory, I could just endlessly create lives to die in place of humans.

Of course, that was a method only possible if I didn’t feel a speck of apology toward the lives I created.

“But before that, I must give compensation for damages. I caused harm to those who had taken root, so I will grant you the right to petition me.”

Since I made them with my hands, I couldn’t just tell them to move according to my will.

Rather than demanding obedience with a coercive attitude, I pursued a bilateral contractual relationship.

I would at least give them a chance to choose, and if they responded to my will, I would give them appropriate compensation.

When I revealed this intent and waited, they turned their backs and left one by one.

The only ones who stayed until the end were the eagle owl on my head, the tail-wagging wolf, and the trees that couldn’t run away because they had taken root.

A place that had been bustling was instantly covered in silence.

I smiled while stroking the eagle owl sitting on my head.

“With that voice, strike fear into enemies and point the direction to go for those I wish to lead. All winged beings shall not dare to violate you.”

“Hukkeureureureureuk! Hukkeu-eeek!”

It was the moment light seeped into the eagle owl’s body.

As the tips of its wings were dyed blue like a profound sapphire, the little guy fluttered its wings and was extremely fascinated.

Next was the wolf sitting demurely, panting and looking up this way.

“Linger around people and immediately warn them of danger the moment you smell the scent of unseen things. From now on, dragons will come to avoid you.”

“Woof! Arf-arf!”

The wolf rolled around on the ground completely, even showing its belly.

It was so busy acting cute while wagging its tail roughly that it didn’t even realize its own fur was being dyed like a stark blue comet.

Now it was the turn of the trees that couldn’t run away because they were fixed in place.

When I turned my gaze that way, the branches shook roughly, dropping a few leaves.

Rustle rustle.

I replied to the complaint-filled movements with a bitter smile.

“Take root and take root again to prevent dragons from approaching. If you do so, from now on my symbol shall be your branches.”

Only then did the branches, which had been swaying without wind, stop.

Since it still seemed sullen, I decided to appease it a few more times while stroking its bark.

“Since you care for people so much, I too will tell people to care for you.”

This seemed somewhat appealing.

A few thoughts began to be clearly transmitted into my head.

“Catch bugs for you. Easy.”

It’s bad for the bugs that engorge on wood, but originally these things are fair when based on contribution.

“You want them to prune branches too if you think you’ve grown too much? Doesn’t it hurt?”

This was a bit unexpected.

I thought people pruned branches to make them look good… but it seems trees also have preferences, divided into species that are okay with it and those that aren’t.

The tree complaining right now belonged to the latter.

“As long as it doesn’t hurt… Spread your seeds far and wide. Good. I’ll have them do that right away.”

The negotiation was successful.

After an almost unconditional acceptance, the trees swayed with joy.

I slowly withdrew my hand and decided to generously grant another reward as well.

“But this much is not sufficient compensation for your service.”

The curse placed on life.

Even if I can’t do all of them, I have to test if I can lift one of them.

Only then could I gauge the extent of the victory the Sun God achieved and the strength the Sun God possessed.

“You shall hunger no more.”

***

The result was half a success.

The eagle owl, the wolf, and the trees—which I named Deep Root Trees on the spot—no longer needed nutrients.

Limited to when they stayed by my side.

Even that was barely possible only by devouring my divine power.

Through this one experiment, I could understand the world the Sun God designed a little.

Why did he, who won against his sibling stars and grasped the world, acknowledge other gods?

Why did he preside over the ascension of mortals and permit their ascension?

I was certain as I furiously stroked the belly of the panting wolf.

The flesh of a god, the paradise promised by a god.

Elysium is a world where starvation, disease, and senility do not exist.

Because there is no lack, there is no reason to fight, making it a peaceful paradise.

It is practically the only sanctuary where one can avoid the curses placed on life.

“A great decision.”

The Sun God had cherished life.

To the point of even creating unnecessary gods.