《Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe》 Prologue Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C Prologue In the vast expanse of the universe, countless beings exist. Once, there was a race that arrogantly believed they were the only intelligent life forms in the cosmos, calling themselves ¡®humans¡¯ and referring to other species as ¡®aliens¡¯¡ªthe proud ¡®Terra race.¡¯ The ¡®Lubaran race¡¯ possessed an ultra-advanced civilization that pioneered space trade and the beginning of a space society with their exceptional scientific technology. The ¡®Meias race¡¯ utilized abilities powered by a special energy that the Terra race referred to as ¡®fantasy¡¯ or ¡®magic¡¯¡­ In addition to these, there were many diverse beings living within the space society that connected numerous stars ands. Among them, there asionally appeared beings so iprehensible that mortal minds could not fathom them. Intellectual life forms of the space society called them by various names: ¡®Great Beings,¡¯ ¡®Gods,¡¯ ¡®Cthulhu,¡¯ ¡®Cosmic Gods,¡¯ and so on. However, these beings did not identify themselves by race or name. They simply existed, iprehensible and unreachable by anyone. People began to collectively refer to these entities as ¡®Outer Gods,¡¯ beings from beyond the cosmos.[ ¡­No, damn it, so you¡¯re saying I¡¯ve be one of those things now. ] [ It¡¯s already absurd enough that I¡¯ve reincarnated into a sci-fi world like something out of StarXraft, but this¡­ ] [ Oh, look at this. Even thenguage ising out like some fantasy world system. ] ¡­It seems I have reincarnated as a cosmic horror entity in a sci-fi universe. Chapter 1: Outer God Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C EP.1 Outer God Suddenly, I died. I was an ordinary man in myte twenties living in South Korea, and in a rather ssic manner, I was hit by an 8-ton truck with a broken handle and died. Just when I thought it was the end, surprisingly, I opened my eyes again. What is this? Did Ie back to life? Or did I perhapse to the afterlife after dying? Everything around me is incredibly dark, and I can¡¯t move my body at will. Judging by that, it seems like it could be the afterlife.While I was thinking that, ¡®Universe, Universal Treaty, Space Society¡¯s beginning, foreign news, absolute being, my identity¡­¡¯ Suddenly, an enormous amount of information started pouring into my mind. An amount so vast that if I were still human, my brain would have exploded instantly. But I was able to ept that information without any pain or change, as if it were nothing. No, what is this? I can¡¯t understand what is happening right now. Information about the gxies of the universe, their locations¡­ and even ways to get there are flooding in¡­ Universe? Gxies? What is all this? The information entering my mind is something I¡¯ve never seen before. Obviously, this is not the world I lived in, and I have not been reincarnated as a human. This ce is a world set in a space opera like ¡°Star Wars¡± or ¡°StarCraft.¡± And I¡­ seem to have been reincarnated as something called an ¡®Outer God.¡¯ An absolute being close to a god¡­monly referred to as a ¡®Cosmic Horror¡¯ or ¡®Cthulhu.¡¯ With a body as massive as a decent-sized, writhing tentacles, and an indiscernible form, I had be something indescribably horrific. [Shit¡­] A curse slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it. Hmm, at least I have a mouth to speak with. No, wait. It¡¯s a strange feeling of being able to speak without having a mouth? Moreover, the words feel like they are being directly transmitted into my mind, like some kind of systemnguage or worldnguage from a novel. ¡­I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m saying, damn it. Anyway, I could tell that I was in a seriously messed-up situation. To put it simply, I am now an Outer God like Cthulhu, right? Hahaha, this is insane. The information about what I can do now is flooding into my mind, and just skimming through it makes me feel like I¡¯m going insane. Is this the mental copse attack of an Outer God¡­? Yeah, just being near me makes most life forms dizzy and mentally unstable. The moment they see, hear, or perceive ¡®me¡¯ in any way, they either die or be insane unless they have mental defense measures in ce. It¡¯s an ability truly worthy of being called an Outer God. But is that all? Of course not. There¡¯s all sorts of stuff. Creating life, destroyings, creatings, creating stars, creating ck holes, tearing dimensions, crossing dimensions¡­ it¡¯s almost omnipotent, isn¡¯t it? In fact, among the information that just entered my mind, there was information about the entire universe. But if crossing dimensions is possible, does that mean I can return to the Earth where I originally died? [¡­¡­] Hmm¡­ no, let¡¯s not do that. Even if I were to return, what would I do in this form? It would be the end of Earth in an instant¡­ What can I do? Since I¡¯ve been reincarnated like this, I might as well live this way. ¡­But what do these Outer Gods do with their lives? They don¡¯t die or disappear forever anyway. It seems like it would be incredibly boring. Just floating around in the universe like this would be too dull. Is this why gods create worlds, create life forms¡­ and go around threatening and tormenting them? Because they have nothing else to do. Isn¡¯t there something fun to do? It¡¯s been less than 10 minutes since I reincarnated, and I¡¯m already bored. [Oh.] At that moment, I sensed the presence of some life form nearby, and I inadvertently made a sound. ¡­I need to be careful. Just hearing my voice would drive most life forms insane. I should try to keep my thoughts to myself and avoid speaking as much as possible. Anyway, about 200,000 km away, something like a spaceship suddenly appeared. Did it warp here through a wormhole? It seems to be one of the intelligent life forms living in this universe¡¯s space society. Hmm¡­ it looks like a tourist ship of the Terra race? The Terra race is the most simr to humans from my previous life. To shake off this boredom, I want to meet them. Anyway, whatever they do, they can¡¯t threaten me, so there¡¯s no worry about being attacked or hurt. Hmm, but just by getting close to them, their minds might copse and all¡­ Oh, I found a useful ability. ¡®Clone Creation¡¯ It allows me to create a clone that shares my senses. The clone can hardly use any of the abilities my main body possesses and instead has the appropriate abilities of the species it mimics, so it won¡¯t be much of a threat to those fragile beings. Srrrk©¤ As I created the clone, something that would be smaller than a speck of dust from my perspective was formed. After all, my main body is about the size of a decent-sized. Anyway, Ipleted the clone by recalling my previous appearance. Hmm, this is a bitcking. It didn¡¯t perfectly replicate my appearance. Let¡¯s just tweak the body to be a bit more muscr, erge the eyes a bit¡­ Oh, and maybe raise the nose bridge just a tad? Hehe, it¡¯s done. Terra Race Clone! Alright, then I¡¯ll use material creation to make a suitable personal spaceship and put my clone in it. Now! Let¡¯s go! # Pzzzt©¤ Using the wormhole, a massive spaceship appeared in the middle of space in an instant. ¡°Thank you for visiting Gxy B-02345,monly known as the ¡®Skull Neb.¡¯ We at ¡®Lacstol Tours¡¯ sincerely appreciate your patronage¡­¡± ¡°Wow~ Dad, look over there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Skull Neb. It really does look like a skull up close, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going inside, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a development-prohibited managed by the Lubaran race, and they¡¯ve turned it into a space safari for tourism purposes. You can see some very rare creatures there.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ is that the guidebook? I want to read it too.¡± The tourismpany ¡®Lacstol Tours,¡¯ created by the Terra businessman ¡®Hank Yu,¡¯ is a colossal enterprise that owns a staggering 500 tourist ships, each capable of carrying 1,000 passengers by Terra standards. Today, they are transporting hundreds of tourists from various species to a ce known as the ¡®Skull Neb,¡¯ a massive neb named for its skull-like shape formed by interster matter when viewed from afar. Within this neb are several development-prohibiteds managed by the ¡®Lubaran Race,¡¯ one of the highest-ranking nations in space society. Theses remain in their pristine, undeveloped state, making them extremely popr as tourist destinations. The tourist ship was heading smoothly towards this destination without any issues. Although space pirates asionally attack tourist ships, Lacstol Tours is a veryrgepany, so their ships are well-armed. Additionally, this area is under the surveince of the Lubaran Race, with their patrol ships frequently flying around. In other words, it¡¯s generally a safe journey. Everyone, both crew and passengers, was at ease until that moment. [Oh.] A very short and concise phrase suddenly entered their minds. ¡°?!¡± ¡°Ugh!! Argh!!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Kyah! Aah!¡± And at that moment, Terra race members and several other species with low mental immunity began to suffer from severe headaches due to that single word etched into their minds. Some even vomited or copsed with nosebleeds. ¡°Ugh¡­! What is this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡­!¡± Even the species with high mental immunity were barely holding on, clutching their throbbing heads to avoid copsing. Just one word. The scene was caused by a single word, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What are you doing! Quickly deploy the Mind Barrier!¡± A young man from the Meias race, who was rtively unscathed, shouted at the crew. However, most of the crew were Terra race members, who had low mental immunity and were in chaos. ¡°Damn it¡­ Where¡¯s the emergency control panel! I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± The Meias man stood up. Although he looked almost identical to the Terra race, the amount of energy he possessed was on a different level. He belonged to a race that used energy technologymonly referred to as ¡®magic.¡¯ But then, an elderly Meias man next to him stopped him. ¡°Stop¡­ This isn¡¯t something that can be handled with a Mind Barrier¡­¡± The old man seemed to understand what was happening. He was trembling and sweating profusely. ¡°Master, do you know what¡¯s going on right now?¡± The young Meias man asked his master with a serious expression. The old man, who was called master, nodded with a resigned look. ¡°¡­A god, a god hase. Something that should never be encountered in this universe. Something we should live without even knowing it exists¡­ that hase¡­!¡± He then started muttering that they were all going to die. There was no way to survive. Running away was futile; they would all meet their end here. If he had known this would happen, he would never have ventured into space¡­ ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The young Meias man began to gather the energy, or ¡®mana,¡¯ within his body, intending to cast a protective spell. But at that moment. ¡°¡­What the hell, this is crazy. What¡¯s going on?¡± Suddenly, a young Terra man in casual clothes appeared out of nowhere. Chapter 2: Encounter with the Unknown Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 2 EP.2 Encounter with the Unknown Since it was a bit too far to travel by spaceship, I used my main body¡¯s ability to teleport the spaceship close to the tourist ship. To avoid startling them, I teleported it just outside their detection range and then flew towards the tourist ship. ¡°¡­Ah! Good. I can speak normally with the clone.¡± The clone was an exact replica of my former self, so there was no difort in moving or speaking. Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem to destroy anyone¡¯s mind just by encountering or talking to them. Living like this, almost as a form of amusement, might be enjoyable. I could keep my main body hidden far away in space to prevent any potential victims and send out clones to observe and directly experience their lives.Hmm, but would I need an identity for that? I could create one if necessary, but I would need to register my clone¡¯s information in the Terra race database¡­ Alternatively, altering the perception of the entire universe might be quicker. ¡­But that¡¯s such an absurdly omnipotent ability that I don¡¯t really want to use it. It¡¯s like a game. Using cheats makes progress and growth fast and fun at first, but it quickly bes boring. Since I have be an eternal being that must live even if the universe disappears, I can¡¯t afford to make the game boring too quickly. I should enjoy it leisurely and slowly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve arrived.¡± While I was thinking that, I reached a distance close enough to touch the tourist ship. ¡­But how do I get in there? Will they let an outsider in? What if they suddenly attack, thinking I¡¯m an enemy? Damn¡­ I came here without any n, thinking I wouldn¡¯t be a threat. Being overwhelmingly powerful can be quite inconvenient. Even if they attack, it would only result in the clone disappearing, but it would be a waste not to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity. ¡°Huh?¡± Something seemed off. The inside of the tourist ship appeared to be in utter chaos. Even though it was just a clone, it was still created by a god-level being, so when I got close to the ship, I could sense the internal situation as clearly as if I were seeing it with my own eyes. People were in pain. Oh, aliens. There were also some with strong energy. No, no. Why am I just admiring at this? People inside are inplete turmoil. They are suffering immensely. Alright, I¡¯ll use this opportunity to get inside. And then I¡¯ll help them. Saving people in distress by chance and starting a new life in another world. It¡¯s amon clich¨¦, right? I teleported the clone inside the tourist ship. Even at this distance, teleportation is possible. As expected of an Outer God¡­ anything is possible with just a thought. ¡°¡­What the hell, this is crazy. What¡¯s going on?¡± The internal situation was even more chaotic than I sensed from outside. People were fainting, vomiting, and some were even bleeding from their eyes, nose, and mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Even the species that were holding on were clutching their heads and staggering. This is¡­ a symptom of mental contamination. Something is directly interfering with their minds, affecting their brains. What could it be? I didn¡¯t sense anything around here capable of such a mental attack. The Meias youth gathering energy over there or the elderly man next to him might be capable of this level of mental attack. They look like Terra race¡­ humans, but the amount of energy inside them is different, making it easy to distinguish. Ah, they call it ¡®mana,¡¯ right? Anyway, since the Meias are also suffering, they don¡¯t seem to be the source of this mental contamination¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± I realized it in an instant. ¡®The moment they see, hear, or perceive ¡®me¡¯ in any way, their minds copse and they either die or be insane unless they have mental defense measures in ce.¡¯ It¡¯s me? I¡¯m the culprit. It must have been because of that moment when I unconsciously said ¡°Oh.¡± Isn¡¯t this too much? Even at a distance of 200,000 km, just me saying ¡°Oh¡± caused this much devastation. This turns the clich¨¦ of saving people in distress into me being the viin who put them in danger! ¡°¡­¡­¡± No, this is not the time to be thinking about that. Mental Purification. Swaaah©¤ I removed the mental contamination from the people. Even though I can copse minds just by being perceived, surprisingly, I also have the ability to purify and clear minds. However, if I use it on someone who has directly seen me and had their mind copse, it causes a rapid cycle of mental copse and recovery, turning them intoplete idiots. So, in reality, it¡¯s argely meaningless ability. But in this case, it¡¯s different. They didn¡¯t fully perceive me; they only heard my voice briefly from a great distance. If I perform mental purification now, there won¡¯t be any further confusion. ¡°Ugh, what was that?¡± ¡°My head suddenly felt like it was going to explode¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Raymond! Snap out of it!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Hoo, everyone, please calm down and remain in your seats. We will assess the situation immediately.¡± Fortunately, everyone seemed to regain their senses, and the chaos subsided quickly. Phew¡­ I almost shattered the minds of hundreds of intelligent beings within 30 minutes of my reincarnation. That would have been quite the achievement for an Outer God known for bringing only pain and despair¡­ Haha. But then, the young Meias man approached me. ¡°¡­You. What did you do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Oh no! What, what is this? Did he figure it out? That I shattered their minds¡­?! Is he going to realize I¡¯m an Outer God?! ¡°When you arrived, everyone¡¯s minds recovered. You didn¡¯t seem to use any special energy¡­ How did you do it?¡± Ah, I see¡­ that¡¯s what he¡¯s curious about. Well, it¡¯s not like the clone needs to use energy. I just used the main body¡¯s abilities. An Outer God, a transcendent being, doesn¡¯t use energy. It simply causes phenomena. There¡¯s no energy interference in a natural phenomenon akin to aw of nature. But I can¡¯t just say that outright¡­ ¡°I have some unique abilities that allow me to help in situations like this. It¡¯s a bitplicated to exin, but I¡¯m d I could assist.¡± ¡°Ha, haha. I¡¯m an adventurer who travels through space, and I¡¯ve encountered mental attacks quite often. So, I developed this myself. It sends electromaic waves to the brain to adjust the mind, which is probably why you didn¡¯t see any energy flow.¡± I said this while pulling out a rod-like device made of mechanical parts from my pocket. Of course, it¡¯s a lie. I just created this fake invention using material creation. But it¡¯s not entirely a lie. I actually made it have the ability I just described while creating it. With a single button press, it emits waves that remove mental contamination within a 100-meter radius. Of course, it can¡¯t handle the mental contamination caused by me, but it can cure most mental attacks. As expected of a creator god-level ability¡­ anything can be made just by thinking about it. ¡°¡­I see. That¡¯s impressive. To invent something like that. You could make a fortune if you patent it with the Gctic Union.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m considering that too.¡± The Gctic Union. It was established by the ¡®Lubaran Race,¡¯ who first proposed and built the space society, and isposed of representatives from numerous intelligent beings across the universe. It¡¯s the highest institution in the current universe. ¡­Or so my knowledge tells me. In simple terms, it¡¯s like a global summit or the United Nations. Most intelligent beings currently active in space are under the management of this Gctic Union. Even newly discovered wilds, like some of thes in the Skull Neb right in front of us, are isted and managed as soon as they are found. If intelligent beings appear, they are sometimes inducted into the Union, or if they are hostile, they are exterminated. It¡¯s an organization with immense power across the entire universe. Wow¡­ it¡¯s nice to start with all this information. I can just search my mind for anything I¡¯m curious about or don¡¯t know. ¡­But why is this Meias guy speaking so informally to someone he¡¯s just met? It¡¯s a bit annoying. I should have left his mind unpurified. ¡°¡­Wait! This isn¡¯t the time for this. Master¡­ ording to your words, we¡¯re about to encounter a being we should never meet¡­!¡± At that moment, the rude Meias man hurriedly returned to his seat. He started talking to the elderly man of the same race. ¡°Master, let¡¯s at least get out of here. Those foolish Terra race members won¡¯t listen even if we tell them to leave quickly!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Lowie.¡± The old man calmed him down and then suddenly stared intently at me. ¡°¡­?¡± His eyes seemed to pierce through me. Ah, that old man¡­ he seems to have figured something out. ¡°It seems it¡¯s not yet time for us to die. We¡¯ve encountered a benevolent and gentle god.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean¡­¡± Ah, as I thought¡­ that old man has somewhat grasped my true nature. But is it okay? If he starts to perceive me, his mind might copse¡­ Ah, it¡¯s probably fine since he hasn¡¯t directly seen or heard me. The form he sees now is the Terra race clone, after all. ¡­Still, just in case, I should talk to himter. I¡¯ll assess his mental state and warn him not to reveal my identity. It wouldn¡¯t be fun if my identity is exposed right from the start. ¡­Hmm, but maybe I could just erase his memory? No, let¡¯s save the main body¡¯s abilities for truly dire situations. Like how I created the mental purification device earlier. As I mentioned before, using cheats in a game makes it boring quickly. Chapter 3: Omnipotence Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 3 EP.3 Omnipotence In this universe, vast and infinite, there exist a myriad of beings. Intelligent life forms, microorganisms, gigantic monsters, special entities¡­ And among them, there are some whose existence is beyond theprehension of mortal minds. Absurd beings asionally exist. Intelligent beings have called them by various names: ¡®Great Beings,¡¯ ¡®Gods,¡¯ ¡®Cthulhu,¡¯ ¡®Cosmic Gods,¡¯ and so on. Yet, these beings do not identify themselves by any race or name. They simply appear and exist.Where theye from, how they arrive, and why they exist are all beyond understanding. They are beings that no one can approach orprehend. People collectively refer to these beings as Outer Gods, or ¡®??(ÍâÉñ),¡¯ meaning beings from beyond the universe. The term ¡®beings¡¯ indicates that there are more than one of them. Of course, not all Outer Gods possess the same abilities or wield the same level of power. But from the perspective of mortals, they are iprehensible, god-like entities with absurd abilities from an outside world. Somes even worship them as gods, leading to numerous problems. However, regardless of how the worshippers are dealt with, there is almost no way to handle the Outer Gods themselves, making them one of the Gctic Union¡¯s major headaches. No, they are more than just a headache. They are akin to natural disasters. Just as people in the past, without scientific technology, could not stop typhoons or earthquakes, Outer Gods are unstoppable natural disasters. Avoiding them is considered the best strategy. However, the Gctic Union does not always n to avoid them. With the advancement of scientific technology, most intelligent beings belonging to the Gctic Union can now prevent natural disasters on theirs in advance. Even if a disaster urs, they can minimize the damage by applying physical force to eliminate it. In other words, the cosmic natural disaster known as the Outer God is merely beyond current technological capabilities. They firmly believed that one day, it would be a controble domain. In fact, the Lubaran race once managed to deal with an Outer God the size of a using a supermassive warship equipped with thetest scientific technology. Of course, that supermassive warship, which was practically the ultimate weapon created bybining the scientific prowess of the Lubaran race and all other intelligent beings in the universe, was shattered to pieces. Nevertheless, the fact that they managed to defeat an unknown entity that seemed unbeatable was significant. Of course, some argued, ¡°That wasn¡¯t truly an Outer God.¡± ¡°Actually, it was just a gigantic monster the size of a.¡± A terrifying being that caused mental contamination just by being looked at and started molecr dposition upon contact. Moreover, it had a body as massive as a. ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Jupiter, a Meias elder who had been reprimanded by the Lubaran race for making such ims, thought as he looked at the well-dressed, handsome Terra race youth in front of him. ¡°Mental contamination and dposition abilities alone don¡¯t define it. Not everything thates from an external dimension is an Outer God.¡± Beings from other realms. They also have ranks. The lowest rank, which only engages in destruction without any reason. The mid-lower rank, which has reason but cannot suppresstent instincts. The upper rank, which explores the world with calm reason and curiosity. And¡­ the highest, strongest rank, which has mastered everything and shows no interest in anything, merely observing. As Jupiter, who had lived for hundreds of years as a Meias elder, thought, At least the upper rank should be considered worthy of being called an ¡®Outer God.¡¯ The lower-ranked beings are hardly deserving of the title of gods. They are more akin to dimensional monsters. So, what about the Terra race youth in front of him? He had already realized that this young man was an Outer God. He had seen him create a mental purification device using thetest scientific technology out of an empty pocket in an instant. Moreover, the mass mental contamination that urred on the tourist ship was purified not by the device but by his mere authority. It made sense that his disciple, Lowie Hendrick, couldn¡¯t sense any energy movement. It was simply an act of authority, unrted to thews of the universe. ¡®He is of the highest rank.¡¯ Seeing this, Jupiter was convinced. A supreme outer entity. Among the beings from beyond the universe, he was the most overwhelming and absolute. The reason for this certainty was that he felt no sense of purpose from him. If he were of a lower rank, the tourist ship and everyone inside would have already been dposed to atomic levels and be part of the universe. Their sole purpose is to endlessly destroy whatever they encounter. If he were a mid-level being, he would havee here out of curiosity to explore something. But there would be no reason to fix the mental copse of insignificant lower beings for that purpose. He simply came, as if to apologize, and restored the mental contamination caused by his presence. And he even lied to hide his true identity. Pretending to be an ordinary person. There was no way to understand the reason behind such behavior. There was no visible purpose. That¡¯s why he judged that this being was of the highest rank. A being that knows everything and can do anything, omnipotent and omniscient. Thus, it has no purpose, and lower beings cannotprehend it. It could truly be called a ¡®real Outer God.¡¯ ¡®There must be a reason he¡¯s hiding his identity. I should stay quiet.¡¯ He probably already knew that I had figured out his identity, but there was no need to bring it up. The fact that my consciousness remained intact even after realizing it showed that he was being considerate. If he didn¡¯t want me to know, he could have erased my memory, or he could have made his presence fully known, causing my mind to copse. He was likely being considerate, expecting me to pretend not to know. ¡°A young man of the Terra race, is it? Thanks to you, the people on this tourist ship, including myself, were able to survive. Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s nothing. Really¡­¡± Pretending not to know and speaking to him, the young man¡¯s eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised. Seeing this, Jupiter thought his judgment was correct and introduced themselves. # ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Jupiter, one of the elders of the Meias race. This is my disciple, Lowie Hendrick.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Well¡­ after encountering them for a bit, I immediately recalled their names, positions, physical specs, and even the extent of their energy, so there was no need for an introduction. That old man, as I suspected when I first saw him¡­ he¡¯s quite remarkable. The Meias race, one of the upper races in the Gctic Union, which isposed of variouss with a fantasy world view simr to those in novels from my previous life. Jupiter was one of the five elders, selected from the most capable individuals of the Meias race. And the young man beside him was Jupiter¡¯s only disciple, considered a rising genius and a potential future elder. Hmm, to know so much in detail. It even eliminates the need for small talk topics. Being an Outer God is more inconvenient than I thought. It takes away the joy of getting to know new connections. Don¡¯t reveal too much depth! Still, since we¡¯ve met like this, we should get along well. I want to see the magic of the Meias race in action. I mean, I already know everything about it theoretically. I can use it whenever I want¡­ Bute on, as a person who¡¯se to another world, don¡¯t I have a romantic notion about magic? There¡¯s a big difference between just knowing something in your head and actually seeing it! I want to see it with my own eyes and be amazed. ¡°Passengers, we apologize. The maintenance isplete, but¡­ is there anyone who still feels unwell?¡± At that moment, one of the crew members came running and asked the passengers. It seemed that the crew and pilots, who had been mentally affected, had fully recovered. Even though the mental contamination was purified, it must have taken some time to sort things out. Well¡­ it looks like everyone is in a simr situation. No one seems to be in pain, just a bit confused. And that confusion seems to be settling down. ¡°My child is having a hard time¡­¡± One of the Terra families raised their hand. ¡°Sniff, sob¡­¡± A young girl, around ten years old, was still crying. Even though her mind was purified, experiencing such an event suddenly¡­ it would be fortunate if it doesn¡¯t be a trauma. I¡¯m a bit worried. Srrr¡ª Since she¡¯s a child, maybe I should go the extra mile and treat her trauma too. By slightly altering her memory¡­ just removing the keywords rted to fear. She¡¯ll still remember the event, but the fear will be gone. ¡°Sniff¡­ Huh? Why was I crying? Mom! When are we entering the Skull Neb?¡± ¡°Huh? Are you okay¡­?¡± Good, this way, she won¡¯t have any lingering trauma. Hehe, am I¡­ too kind for a terrifying, mysterious Outer God? Chapter 4: Wormhole Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 4 EP.4 Wormhole Beep beep beep¡ª ¡°?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± The Gctic Union Headquarters¡¯ Space Environment Management Department, responsible for detecting energy fluctuations across the observable universe, was thrown into chaos by the sudden rm. Leus, a member of the ¡®Lubaran Race,¡¯ the great race known for their superior technology and for creating the Gctic Union by uniting intelligent beings, rushed to the area where the rm had sounded. He had the characteristic blue skin, gray eyes without pupils, and elongated head typical of the Lubaran race. The Lubaran race generally had little external variation since they identified each other by their unique energy wavelengths.The only noticeable difference was usually hair color. For reference, Leus had dark teal hair. He pushed aside the staff in the rmed area and checked the screen. The screen kept flickering, turning ck and then back on repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this¡­ What is it? A machine malfunction¡­?¡± The staff member spoke in a flustered voice. Given the repeated ck screens, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think so. However, the rm had clearly sounded, and it wasn¡¯t just a malfunction causing the ck screen. rms typically went off when there was an anomaly in the energy flow. Or when the energy was excessivelyrge. Events like a cosmic storm, someone intentionally gathering energy explosively, supernova explosions beyond regtions, or the emergence of a supermassive ck hole. In the vast universe, these rms usually went off for frequent events that urred about once every few days. Most rms are assigned color codes. A cosmic storm is code blue, a supernova explosion beyond regtions is code red¡­ and so on. The corresponding color shes on the screen repeatedly. For instance, if a cosmic storm urs, the screen shes blue. So, if the screen is shing ck¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s code ck.¡± Leus felt a chill run down his spine as he checked the screen. In his 50 years of service, he had never seen this rm. But it was the most dangerous rm, one he always kept in mind. Code ck is fundamentally different from other rms. Generally, rms are triggered by excessive or anomalous energy. But code ck signifies that, for a moment, the energy in that spacepletely disappears as if the universe¡¯s energy is utterly void. A situation that defies thew of energy conservation andpletely contradicts thews of the universe. ¡­What it signifies in this universe is only one thing. ¡°An Outer God¡­ a new Outer God has appeared.¡± The emergence of a new Outer God. ¡°The location is Gxy B-02345. Specifically, about 300,000 km away from the Skull Neb.¡± ¡°¡­The Skull Neb. A famous tourist spot.¡± Receiving the briefing from Leus, the head of the Space Environment Management Department, were ¡®Celeste,¡¯ the department head, and ¡®Allegros,¡¯ the head of the Space Safety Measures Headquarters. Both were also from the Lubaran race. Their appearances were almost identical, differing only slightly in height. Additionally, Celeste, being female, had a slightly more curvaceous figure. Their hair colors varied; Celeste had red hair, and Allegros had brown hair. ¡°Yes. Tourists were visiting today as well. Thepany is Lacstol Tours, officially registered with the Gctic Union and quite argepany.¡± They were traveling through a wormhole and viewing the Skull Neb from about 150,000 km away. The new Outer God, the subject of the code ck, appeared approximately 200,000 km away. ¡°Sure enough, we received reports from the tourist ship in that area. The passengers and crew suddenlyined of severe headaches and dizziness.¡± ¡°¡­Mental contamination?¡± The fact that it caused mental contamination from 200,000 km away indicated it was an immensely powerful being. If it could affect beings at that distance, it must have a clear purpose. ording to the ssification of Outer Gods, this indicated at least a high-level entity. ¡°Fortunately, it seems to have stopped moving.¡± ¡°Then we should send a rescue ship. If it hasn¡¯t moved from its spot, a rescue ship with a mind barrier should be able to approach safely. There might be survivors among the species with strong mental resilience.¡± As Allegros, the head of the Space Safety Measures Headquarters, said this and was about to call his subordinates, Leus shook his head to stop him. ¡°Ah, that won¡¯t be necessary. Some space adventurer appeared and performed mental purification on everyone, and we received the report afterward. They are currently returning to the Union base through a wormhole, deeming the area too dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Performed purification¡­? On mental contamination caused by a presumed high-level Outer God?¡± Celeste and Allegros looked at Leus in disbelief. Leus sighed deeply and exined. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either. It seems to be a young man from the Terra race. He imed to have created a mental purification device using brain waves.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± The two department heads let out a short, incredulous sigh. Using brain waves to match the frequency of contaminated minds and restore them to normal. Such technology indeed exists. However, it¡¯s a rtively recent development, even for the Lubaran race, who lead the universe in scientific technology. Moreover, it was designed as a treatment for general mental attacks, and even if it worked on an Outer God, it would likely only be effective against low-level mental contamination. But a mere space adventurer from the Terra race creating such a device on his own? And even purifying mental contamination caused by a presumed high-level Outer God? It was absurd. ¡®There¡¯s something more to this.¡¯ The three Lubaran race members concluded that they should head to the Union base where Lacstol Tours was located and investigate the Terra race man. They couldn¡¯t even think of approaching the coordinates near Gxy B-02345 where the Outer God had appeared. So, they decided to capture and investigate at least one suspicious individual. Oh, so this is what it feels like to travel through a wormhole. It¡¯s kind of queasy. Just like in the movies, a hole opened up in front of the tourist ship, and we moved to an entirely different space. When I use teleportation, it feels like I just disappear and reappear, but this definitely has a more sci-fi vibe. In an instant, we seemed to have traveled about 15 light-years from where we were. Considering the vastness of the universe, it¡¯s a rtively short distance, but even with sub-light speed spacecraft, it would take quite a while without a wormhole or teleportation. So, it¡¯s quite a significant distance. Still, my connection with my main body remains intact. My abilities¡­ well, even though the output is slightly reduced when ryed through my avatar, I can still use most of them. 15 light-years is roughly 140 trillion kilometers¡­ seeing that the connection and my powers are functioning well, it really hits me that I¡¯m a cosmic being. ¡°Still, it¡¯s fortunate that we coulde together.¡± ¡°Haha, indeed.¡± Jupiter, the old man beside me, smiled warmly. The reason I could board this tourist ship and use the wormhole to reach the Union base was all thanks to this old man. Technically, I¡¯m a space adventurer, but I don¡¯t have any official status. Creating an identity would be very easy if I wanted to, but I prefer not to use cheats unless necessary, so I deliberately didn¡¯t create one. However, because of that, I was at risk of being kicked off the tourist ship despite saving everyone. ¡­They were grateful for the rescue, but they said they couldn¡¯t allow someone without an identity to stay on board due to regtions. I understand. There are many space pirates in the universe, and space monsters that mimic humans to hijack ships. ¡­It feels a bit ironicing from me. Anyway, I was about to be kicked off when Jupiter, the old man, vouched for my identity. Naturally, when someone as esteemed as an elder of the Meias race guarantees your identity, no one can argue. So, I was allowed to board the tourist ship as part of his entourage. For reference, I stored the spaceship I created in the cargo hold. It¡¯s a small personal one, so it fit well. I wonder if this old man is treating me well because he knows my true identity? Or is he just grateful for the rescue? Whatever the reason, it¡¯s a good thing. Thanks to him, my identity is guaranteed, and he even said he¡¯d help me get a new ID card under his name when we reach the Union base. I¡¯ll just ept the help and move on. Even if he has some ulterior motive, I¡¯ll find out eventually. And if he manages to proceed without my main body noticing, a simple memory wipe will solve it. ¡­If all else fails, I can just wipe everything out and escape to another ce. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°M-Master! What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. Suddenly, I felt a chill all over my body¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hmm, this old man has a good sense. To vaguely sense the profound presence of an Outer God. Hahaha! Chapter 5: Union Base B-45 Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 5 EP.5 Union Base B-45 This is Union Base B-45. Currently, the Gctic Union manages the universe by dividing it into various sectors under their control. Sector B includes about ten superclusters. The diameter of this sector is roughly 3 billion light-years. An unimaginably vast area, but within this sector, only 45,897 gxies are under the Gctic Union¡¯s administration. They are continuously exploring and developing the universe, so the number is gradually increasing. Considering there are about 400,000 gxies in the ten superclustersbined, they manage about one-tenth of them.The five-digit designation of Gxy B-02345, where the Skull Neb is located, seems to be for this reason. ¡­Wow, I have all these exact numbers in my head. Outer Gods really do know everything. If an ordinary human tried toprehend such universal information¡­ ugh. Just thinking about it is terrifying. Anyway, to manage these 45,897 gxies, the Gctic Union has established multiple bases in each sector. There are about 1,000 bases in Sector B. One of them is this ce, Union Base B-45. Simply put, it¡¯s the 45th base in Sector B. It¡¯s not a but a massive space fortress built by modifying a drifting asteroid. Buildings are erected on the asteroid¡¯s surface, and a huge sphere encloses them. They seem to use energy from massive stars scattered across the universe and convert cosmic radiation energy for use. For them, the universe is almost an infinite domain, so resources are virtually limitless. The fortress is kept stable with gravitational field technology, maintaining its position with gctic coordinates and moving with the universe. The basic structure is provided by the asteroid, but the sphere that almostpletely covers the massive asteroid and the technology to modify the interior and exterior into a base are impressive. Gravity and oxygen inside the sphere are adequately provided. It¡¯s truly a high-tech civilization that couldn¡¯t even be imagined in the previous world. ¡°This way, please.¡± I wanted to explore the space base of this sci-fi world to my heart¡¯s content, but to move around freely, I needed an identity. So, I followed the old man Jupiter to the base headquarters. Even though all the details about the interior and the technology used are in my main body¡¯s mind¡­ seeing it in person is a different kind of awe. Just like how people revisit masterpieces even when they know the story and ending. ¡°Who are you? This area is off-limits to unauthorized personnel¡­ Huh?! Elder Jupiter, wee.¡± As Jupiter, Lowie Hendrick, and I approached the base headquarters, the guards stopped us. But upon checking Jupiter¡¯s registered information, they were startled and opened the door for us. ¡°And the people behind you are¡­?¡± ¡°My disciple, Lowie Hendrick. This is my important guest.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Understood.¡± The guards let us in without checking my identity, just because I was called an important guest. ¡­It seems that having connections with high-ranking people is powerful in this world too. They let someone in without proper identity verification just because they were called a guest. Well, thanks to that, I can easily get a confirmed identity. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I don¡¯t know your name yet. We need a name to register your identity.¡± Jupiter suddenly realized and spoke. That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t mentioned my name yet. A name, huh¡­ what should I do? Honestly, I haven¡¯t thought of one yet. A human¡­ a Terra race name that sounds fitting? Should I just use my real name? But then again, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a country called Korea among the Terra race here¡­ Maybe I should go for a cool, game-character-like name? ¡°Eugene. My name is Eugene.¡± It was the most usible name that came to mind. A name that has both an Eastern and Western feel to it. ¡°Eugene, is it? That¡¯s a great name.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Eugene of the Terra race. This was the moment my first identity in this world was created. # ¡°Oh¡­¡± Afterpleting the identity registration, I received an electronic panel ID card. It was simr to the resident registration card from my previous life, but the card itself was an electronic device with a touch panel that allowed detailed information to be viewed by swiping. The race was listed as Terra, and the name was Eugene. There was even a photo simr to an ID photo, and swiping the screen revealed details like the address. Due to the adventurer concept, the address field was left nk. The special notes section indicated that I was currently active as an adventurer. The Gctic Union creates detailed IDs like this to manage people¡¯s information. This is to respond quickly in case of crimes or issues. Since there was a simr system in Korea, it didn¡¯t feel too ufortable. From what I recall in my mental history category, there were quite a few races that opposed the Gctic Union¡¯s method of registering personal information and requiring identity verification. Of course, they were all eitherpletely crushed or severely beaten into submission. The Lubaran race must be incredibly powerful. Well, considering they possess incredible scientific technologies like the gravitational field technology used to create this base and the Dyson sphere-like structure that harnesses the energy of entire stars, it makes sense. They could probably wipe out most races with a single standard-issue weapon. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Jupiter, the old man beside me, smiled warmly as he watched me examining my ID card. Oh, I love it. This means I can roam around freely now. Hehehe, a space base created by a highly advanced civilization in an SF setting! I¡¯m itching to explore every nook and cranny. ¡°¡­We have some business to attend to at the base headquarters, so why don¡¯t you take a look around the base in the meantime?¡± Wow! This perceptive old man beat me to it. I was just about to ask. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Yes, please register my ID card on yours. The ID card has a unique code, so it functions as a contact method as well.¡± Beep¡ª As Jupiter said this, he brought his ID card to mine, and with a mechanical sound, his code was registered on my ID card. Oh¡­ I knew about this feature, but seeing it in action is fascinating. It feels like exchanging contact information via Bluetooth. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touchter.¡± After exchanging contact codes, I parted ways with them. Hehe, finally free. Where should I start my exploration? # ¡°¡­Master.¡± After Eugene left to explore the Union base, Lowie Hendrick turned to his master Jupiter, looking puzzled. ¡°Why are you treating him so well? Sure, he purified the mental contamination, but to go so far as to use your elder status to create an identity for an unknown entity?¡± Lowie Hendrick had kept quiet because Jupiter was treating Eugene with such respect, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. Even though Eugene had helped by purifying their minds, he was still a man without any identity. He could be a space pirate, a heinous criminal whose identity had been erased, or even a member of an anti-Union group still fighting against the Gctic Union. Creating a guaranteed identity for someone without one is a very difficult andplicated task. There are many things to prove, and it naturally takes a considerable amount of time. Yet, Jupiter used his authority as an elder to pressure the head of the Union headquarters to create an identity for him. If the Gctic Union¡¯s council found out about this, he could face severe disciplinary action and possibly be stripped of his position for several years. Despite this, he went through with it just because Eugene helped with the mental purification. Lowie Hendrick couldn¡¯t understand his master¡¯s actions. ¡°Is it because of that talk about gods or whatever? Sure, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary mental attack, but still¡­¡± If they had made it back to the Union headquarters, they could have used more precise machines or treatment methods to normalize the situation. Lowie didn¡¯t think they had received such significant help. ¡°Enough.¡± At that moment, Jupiter stopped him. ¡°Lowie, you may not understand, but we should be grateful just to be existing right now.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± Lowie Hendrick frowned even more, not understanding what Jupiter meant. What on earth was he talking about? But he knew one thing. His master was a great elder of the Meias race and one of the greatest wizards. As a great wizard who had lived for a long time, he was very wise and never spoke in vain. In other words, all his words had meaning. He wouldn¡¯t act without a reason. ¡®If he¡¯s not giving me the answer directly, it means he wants me to think ande to a conclusion on my own.¡¯ His master, Jupiter, had always been like that. He taught his disciples to realize and act on their own. A sudden mental attack, the presence of a god that made his master tremble in fear, and Eugene¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± After thinking deeply, Lowie Hendrick quickly reached a conclusion. And he understood what his master had done, feeling chills all over his body. Outer God. Beings whose mere presence could copse the minds of those around them and plunge the world into fear. Eugene might be one of them¡­ or perhaps an avatar of one. Chapter 6: Visitor Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 6 EP.6 Visitor ¡°So, Master, you¡¯ve given an identity to a being presumed to be an avatar of an Outer God?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve understood correctly.¡± It was madness. Foreign Gods, or Outer Gods. Beings whose mere existence could plunge the living creatures of the universe into despair and suffering. Granting an identity within the Gctic Union to an avatar of such a being. Understanding it made it even clearer how insane it was.No, what was even more iprehensible was: ¡®An Outer God helping us? And acting like an ordinary human¡­ Is that even possible?¡¯ Outer Gods were literally symbols of destruction and despair. A prime example is the Outer God codenamed ¡®Zakura Mog.¡¯ As a mid-tier god among the Outer Gods, it had a grotesque appearance resembling a fusion of a scorpion and a centipede from the Earth, where the Terra race lived. A monster the size of an asteroid, hundreds of kilometers in diameter,bining the features of a scorpion and a centipede. Just looking at it would cause one to recoil in disgust. In reality, it possessed abilities as repulsive as its appearance, spreading deadly venom and gues around it. Known as ¡®The Bringer of gues,¡¯ Zakura Mogmanded billions of giant insects, ranging from a minimum of 1 meter to a maximum of 2 kilometers in size. Its mere passage would turn a into a wastnd of venom and disease, leading to its destruction. Decades ago, there was an incident where Zakura Mog annihted a in the Gctic Union¡¯s Sector F in an instant. The inhabitants of that were a reputable race, diligently advancing their scientific technology with the support of the Lubaran race. Yet, they were wiped out in just three days. Simply because Zakura Mog passed by. To prevent further damage, the Gctic Union somehow lured Zakura Mog into a void with few gxies nearby, eliminating future threats. Since then, it seems Zakura Mog has been wandering in that void, as there have been no reports of damage caused by it for over 30 years. Such is the nature of Outer Gods. Beings so overwhelming that mere mortals cannot possibly oppose them. Even the Gctic Union, which currently dominates the universe, can only drive them into voids to avoid further harm. They are truly ¡®gods¡¯ in every sense. If Eugene is such a being, then why? Not only this Union base but also thes of the Meias race, including Jupiter and Lowie himself, could be at risk if he remembers their presence. Why did his master help such a terrifying being? ¡°Lowie, the gxy is under a misconception.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± At Lowie Hendrick¡¯s question, Jupiter smiled gently. ¡°Not all Outer Gods are hostile to people. In fact, we can¡¯t even be sure if they are hostile to us at all. They are simply beings whose mere existence poses a threat to us.¡± Fundamentally, Outer Gods do not antagonize the life forms of the universe. Of course, some are filled with boundless hatred towards cosmic life forms, but generally, they are indifferent to life. Why would they care about insignificant life forms that copse and die just by being near them? The life forms of the universe deem them enemies and fear them simply because being close to them is dangerous. ¡°But just as some of us take an interest in insignificant insects or microorganisms, some of them are researchers who take an interest in us.¡± And sometimes, they help the life forms of the universe. They might even create new life forms and civilizations or endow primitive races with power and wisdom, transforming them anew. ¡°Of course, they act out of mere curiosity and boredom. But for us, those actions undoubtedly serve as ¡®good.¡¯¡± If we define the typical Outer Gods, who are not particrly hostile but pose a threat by their mere existence, as ¡®evil,¡¯ then those who help the universe out of simple curiosity can be considered ¡®good.¡¯ And if they are such benevolent Outer Gods, shouldn¡¯t we reciprocate as much as we can? Though these beings defymon sense, and we can¡¯t be sure if our actions will be perceived as helpful, it¡¯s worth trying. ¡°Just the fact that he spared us indicates that he can be considered ¡®good¡¯ to us.¡± ¡°¡­So, because he¡¯s a benevolent god, we should treat him well?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than offending him and making him angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Indeed, that made sense. There was no need to unnecessarily anger an Outer God who could be considered friendly towards us. If he spared us, we should do our best not to offend him and express our gratitude. The moment he bes even slightly displeased, insignificant mortals like us could be obliterated without a trace. ¡°¡­Understood. I will be careful as well.¡± Lowie Hendrick decided to follow his master¡¯s lead and express his gratitude to him from now on. ¡°He can see through our conversations and everything else. There¡¯s no need to hide it.¡± Suddenly, Jupiter seemed to remember something and looked at Lowie Hendrick. ¡°However, he doesn¡¯t seem to want his identity revealed. So, be careful with your words.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, understood.¡± As they concluded their conversation and were about to head back into the headquarters. ¡°Elder Jupiter. There you are.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Someone spotted them and called out. ¡°Who are you¡­¡± Turning their heads, they saw two people standing there. Blue skin and gray eyes without pupils. And an elongated head extending backward. One had dark teal hair. The other had brown hair. These were characteristics of the highest-ranking species in the Gctic Union, the Lubaran race. ¡°My name is Reus. I am the team leader of the Gctic Union¡¯s Space Environment Management Department. And this is¡­¡± ¡°Allegros. Deputy Director of the Space Safety Measures Headquarters.¡± Reus and Allegros hade from the headquarters of the Gctic Union. ¡°Why have two esteemed members of the Union¡¯s headquarterse to see this old man?¡± Jupiter asked. Reus narrowed his eyes and handed over a photograph. It looked like an identification photo of a young man from the Terra race, with ck hair and ck eyes. ¡°Do you know this person in the photo?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°This, this is¡­¡± Jupiter and Lowie couldn¡¯t help but be shocked when they saw the photo Reus was holding. Because it was an identification photo of Eugene, who had just been with them. ¡°You guaranteed his identity and created an ID under your name. Where is this man now?¡± Reus asked sharply. The look in Allegros¡¯s eyes was also serious. It was clear that they were looking for him for reasons that were not good. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know the reason, but if it¡¯s for something unfavorable, I would rmend not looking for him,¡± Jupiter tried to dissuade them, fearing what might happen if they angered Eugene. Allegros pushed Reus aside and lunged at Jupiter, shouting angrily. ¡°Hey, old man! Do you not understand how serious this situation is? There¡¯s no leniency just because you¡¯re a Union elder! This is a severe threat to space safety!¡± He then pointed to Eugene in the photo and continued. ¡°The tourist ship you were just on in the Skull Neb. You were mentally attacked there, right? That¡¯s because an Outer God appeared a bit farther away. Just suddenly, out of nowhere.¡± Moreover, after estimating the size and power of that Outer God, it was concluded to be at least a high-tier one. ¡°A mental attack from 200,000 km away as soon as it appeared. It might be a crazy one like Nyathotep!¡± Nyathotep. One of the terrifying high-tier Outer Gods, known for paralyzing dozens of nearbys and space stations with its mere 10-minute appearance centuries ago. It¡¯s known to deliver an overwhelming mental attack that can copse the minds of life forms even 1,000,000 km away. Though it stayed for only about 10 minutes before suddenly tearing through dimensions and disappearing, it caused immense chaos. Despite its brief appearance, it earned the nickname ¡®Crawling Chaos.¡¯ ¡°This Terra race guy seems to be connected to that Outer God, so we need to investigate.¡± ¡°So, hurry up and tell us. What¡¯s your rtionship with this guy? Who is he? Where is he now?¡± Jupiter remained silent and shook his head quietly. It meant not to look for him. Even if he didn¡¯t cooperate here, the worst that could happen was an extended suspension or permanent expulsion from his elder position. But if he sold out Eugene¡¯s information to these clearly hostile individuals, he couldn¡¯t even imagine the repercussions. ¡°Hmph, fine. He¡¯s probably somewhere in this base anyway. Let¡¯s go, Team Leader Reus.¡± ¡°Yes, Deputy Director Allegros.¡± With that, they tried to push past Jupiter and Lowie. Swoosh©¤ At that moment, Jupiter summoned his staff and blocked their path. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not allowed. If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better back off now.¡± ¡°¡­Ha! Has this old man gone mad?¡± And at that moment, veins bulged on the long hair of Reus and Allegros. Chapter 7: Touring the Base Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 7 EP.7 Touring the Base Jupiter, the old man, greeted Lowie and stepped outside the headquarters building. ¡°Oh¡­¡± A transparent, gigantic dome showcasing the view of space above, and buildings erected on asteroids. Inside, the air was kept clean and at optimal oxygen levels thanks to the air maintenance system. The gravity was slightly heavier than what the Terra race¡¯s Earth standard was, but it seemed manageable for most Terra people without much difort. Despite being in apletely different world, I couldn¡¯t help butpare everything to Earth, given my origins. ¡°Hmm¡­ but it¡¯s a bit noisy.¡±Countless materials, buildings, and various objects surrounded me. Information about them continuously flooded my mind. Additionally, the thoughts and emotions of the people around me, along with detailed internal information, all flowed in. While it was certainly convenient and my main body could easily process this amount of information, it was somewhat annoying. It felt like constant background noise that I couldn¡¯t shut off. Could I change it so that I only received information when I wanted it? The moment I thought that. ¡°Huh.¡± Suddenly, all the information pouring in from all directions abruptly stopped. It was like working on aputer with multiple windows open, only for theputer to crash, leaving my face reflected on the ck screen. Though the analogy was a bit grim, it became incredibly quiet. All the overwhelming information and the incessant, inaudible noises vanished. Only what I could see with my eyes, hear with my ears, smell with my nose, and feel with my skin remained. Right, just like an ordinary person. I couldn¡¯t see infrared or electromaic waves with my eyes anymore. I couldn¡¯t feel the gravity of the red giant star about 20 light-years away! For someone like me, who hasn¡¯t even been reincarnated for a day, this was a much more familiar sight. Wow, this is great! I can have whatever I want. This is what being a true god feels like. It really makes me feel like a protagonist in an isekai story, living a normal life after being reincarnated into another world! Moreover, if I use my main body to grant myself some abilities, it¡¯s like having an overpowered cheat in an isekai story. ¡°But staying like this all the time might be inconvenient.¡± Going back to the previous state was not appealing, but could I have a skill like those emotion-based abilities in fantasy novels, where I only get the information I want? ¡­Hmm, it seems possible. It seems that as soon as I think about wanting something, it bes possible. Let¡¯s try to get information about a nearby pebble. ¡°Oh, it works.¡± As I focused on a nearby pebble, information about it flowed into my mind. Itsposition, weight, where it originally came from, and how it ended up here. Well, I don¡¯t really need such detailed information about a random pebble. But anyway, it¡¯s good that I can control my abilities now. ¡°Wow! That means I can block information and explore this unknown sci-fi world without knowing anything beforehand.¡± Exactly! Even if I had information before, experiencing it firsthand is different from just knowing it in my head. Sure, it¡¯s true, but experiencing something without prior knowledge is the real thrill! ¡°Wow, I can block information at will. Outer Gods are awesome.¡± Then, let¡¯s explore this asteroid base built by a highly advanced civilization without any prior information, shall we? ¡­Hmm, it might be a bit inconvenient to have absolutely no information about this world. I¡¯ll filter it to the level of general knowledge that a space adventurer would have¡­ Okay, that should do it. It¡¯s nice to have this self-filtering ability. I can choose to receive information selectively based on the situation. Now that I¡¯m ready, it¡¯s time to finally step out into the base¡¯s streets. As I ventured out, I saw a wide variety of space species walking between the buildings. Even though it was an asteroid, its diameter was at least 100 km. It looked like the top had been ttened to build the base, and the area wasrge enough to amodate a city-sized base. Naturally, there were many people, including some who looked like space adventurers and others who seemed to be permanent residents. They were probably employees of the Gctic Union or workers from corporations based here. As I moved from the central headquarters through therge, modern buildings and into what seemed like an alley, I found amercial district lined with rtively low-rise buildings. ¡°Wow, this is amazing.¡± Long rows of low-risemercial buildings on both sides. Merchants busy with their trade outside. And countless species walking by. Wow, there are all sorts of species here. I saw Terra race members, a species with green skin and an extra joint in their limbs. There was even a species that looked like an octopus with numerous tentacles, reminiscent of the stereotypical alien image. But from the outside, it just seemed like a diverse range of species. Hmm, it feels like a well-developed market? Although it¡¯s supposed to be sci-fi, it doesn¡¯t seem that extraordinary. However, seeing what¡¯s being bought and sold in the market changes that perception drastically. ¡°Come,e! These are the teeth of ¡®Lowmen¡¯ from the Phuros! Perfect for reinforcing armor with alloy! Now avable for just 500,000 SP each!¡± ¡°Get your skewers! Made with Terek meat, they¡¯re chewy and delicious!¡± ¡°This is made from the bones of a giant monster I got when I was at Base B388¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know this. Is this from the Kartush species?¡± Lowmen, Terek, Kartush¡­ Names I had never heard of in my previous life. But here, they aremon. Lowmen are wild creatures from a called Phuros, which belongs to a gxy quite a distance from here. Imagine a two-legged elephant with long arms, a long trunk, sharp teeth, and ws, walking bipedally, about 10 meters in size. Their teeth and ws are made of very hard metallic materials, making them valuable for use in spaceships and weapons. They were nearly hunted to extinction due to overhunting, but the Gctic Union designated them as a protected species, allowing only a certain number to be hunted, making them rarer nowadays. Terek is essentially arge chicken, and its meat tastes like chewy chicken. As for Kartush¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I only know they are giant monsters, and they seem to be quite rare since they are not part of the general knowledge of space adventurers. So, this is a sci-fi market where such things are bought and sold. ¡­But the smell of those Terek skewers is incredibly appetizing. Sizzle©¤ Wow, look at that color. The yellowing as it cooks and the aroma of roasted chicken are seriously tempting. ¡­But then I remember, I don¡¯t have any money. [ 1 for 200SP / 3 for 500SP ] The SP written on the price tag is the currency unit created by the Gctic Union. I can make electronic transactions with the identity card I created earlier, and they also issue banknotes made of metal fibers that are hard to tear for physical transactions. It used to be confusing when each species had its own currency, but since the Gctic Union officially made it, it seems to have settled in well and is widely used. Comparing it to the cost of living in Korea where I used to live¡­ it feels like 100 SP is equivalent to 1,000 won. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sizzle©¤ Wow, this is insane. It looks incredibly delicious. I swallowed my saliva involuntarily. 200 SP is equivalent to 2000 won. 2000 won¡­ Maybe I could subtly create it with my ability without anyone noticing? I wouldn¡¯t get caught for counterfeiting or anything, right? If not that, I could just replicate the Terek skewer directly¡­ No, no. Even so, I have the pride of an Outer God. I can¡¯t resort to counterfeiting or making replicas just for a 200 SP Terek skewer. Damn¡­ I should have asked Jupiter for some money¡­ I can¡¯t start working to earn it now. Of course, I don¡¯t actually need to eat food. My avatar, like my main body, doesn¡¯t require nutrients. But the taste is different. Eating isn¡¯t just about replenishing nutrients; it¡¯s a noble act for obtaining pleasure. Look at the texture of that chewy meat. And it even tastes like chewy chicken. Damn it! Knowing the taste makes it even more torturous to imagine! ¡°¡­Hey, if you¡¯re not buying, move along.¡± At that moment, the shop owner, annoyed by my lingering presence, waved me away. Sigh¡­ I can change thews of the universe, but I can¡¯t buy a 2000 won skewer. How pathetic. Just as I was thinking that. Boom! ¡°¡­?!¡± A sudden explosion-like sound came from the direction of the headquarters. What¡¯s going on? An attack? Or maybe a gas explosion? ¡°What¡¯s happening all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Is it space pirates?¡± ¡°But there are no invasion ships around¡­¡± The people in the market were startled and began to murmur. And I felt a massive energy wave. To understand the situation, I slightly lifted the information filter and checked the headquarters. ¡°¡­Jupiter?¡± And there, I sensed Jupiter confronting two Lubaran race members. Chapter 8: A Minor Dispute Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 8 EP.8 A Minor Dispute In the Gctic Union, each species elects a representative known as an ¡°Elder¡± to form the ¡°Gctic Union Elder Council,¡± the highest decision-making body. As representatives of their species and, by extension, the Gctic Union, these individuals are chosen for their exceptional abilities. This position is not distributed equally. Differences in lifespan, civilization, and abilities among species mean that those with higher civilization levels and greater abilities receive more positions. Some species have no Elder positions at all, or are given only a nominal one. While there were those who were dissatisfied with this, the Elder Council is not just a ce to wield power. It involves handling numerous tasks for the entire Gctic Union and gathering the most capable individuals to face threats to the Union, so there weren¡¯t many majorints.Species with fewer or no Elder positions understood that theycked the necessary capabilities. Thus, the total number of Elder positions is 500. Considering that there are currently 480 intelligent species in the Gctic Union, it might seem fair to allocate one position per species, but unfortunately, that was not the case. The highest-ranking species, the Lubaran race, holds 10 positions. Other species hold 5, 3, and so on. Some species have multiple positions. Of course, this is not a fixed number. If a species strengthens its capabilities, it can im more of the 500 positions. After the Gctic Union opened up interster society, the Terra race, with a civilization level just high enough to glimpse into space, received a nominal one position. However, with their unique adaptability and absorption capabilities, they rapidly expanded their influence. They now have fours that they have directly terraformed into colonies, and their poption has grown to 15 billion. As a result, they earned an additional position, bringing their total to two, making them a mid-to-upper tier species within the Union. To secure a position in the Gctic Union Elder Council, one must have the requisite abilities and make significant efforts. The Meias race, which holds five of these coveted positions, exemplifies this. The fact that Jupiter is one of the Elders of the Meias race speaks volumes about his extraordinary abilities. ¡°Hey, do you think being an Elder means you can do whatever you want? Arrogant old man¡­¡± But Reus and Allegros showed no fear of him. This was because, while they were not Elders, they belonged to the Lubaran race, the highest-ranking species in the Union. They believed their scientific technology far surpassed the magical energy technology of the Meias race. No matter how powerful or advanced magic was, they thought it could never defeat them. Moreover, they held significant positions within the Gctic Union, even if they were not Elders. Being high-ranking officials of the Lubaran race made them arrogant. Thus, they disregarded Jupiter and acted recklessly. ¡°This matter has been approved by the Lubaran Elders. This is insubordination.¡± ¡°I am also an Elder of the Union. I believe I have the authority to issue orders to you.¡± ¡°Hah! You¡¯re just a Meias. You and your so-called magic, pretending you have superior abilities¡­¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± At Reus¡¯s sneer, Lowie couldn¡¯t hold back and lunged at him. ¡°Gravitational Field.¡± Thud©¤! ¡°¡­?!¡± A gravitational field controller manipted gravity, applying several times the normal gravity only to the area where Lowie stood. Unable to withstand the immense weight, Lowie¡¯s body was crushed, and he copsed to the ground. The only reason Lowie wasn¡¯t crushed into a pulp was because he had reinforced his body with mana, a trait of the Meias race. Without it, the gravity would have already turned him into a dried fish. Seeing how such intense gravity could be manipted with just a controller, it was clear that the Lubaran race¡¯s scientific technology was formidable. ¡®Reverse Gravity¡­!¡¯ However, the Meias race had simr techniques in their magic. He reversed the crushing gravity, making himself lighter and propelling himself away, waiting for an opportunity while lying prone. His internal organs were severely damaged by the gravity, so he circted mana to quickly heal his body and prepared an attack spell. ¡°Kahahaha! Go ahead, use your so-called magic!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. It¡¯s more suited for a circus, really.¡± The two Lubaran membersughed, mocking Lowie as he struggled under the gravitational field. They werepletely unaware that Lowie Hendrick was preparing to counterattack. ¡°Stop, Lowie.¡± ¡°M-Master.¡± At that moment, Jupiter stepped in front of Lowie. Seeing Lowie withdraw the mana he had gathered for his attack spell, Jupiter addressed the two Lubaran members. ¡°Can this be considered an act of aggression? Should I interpret this as Lubaran wanting a war with Meias?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? This is a sanction. He dared to defy the will of the Lubaran Elders and challenged us.¡± At the word ¡°sanction,¡± Jupiter let out a smallugh. ¡°Sanction, you say. Then consider my actions a sanction as well. A sanction against you for poking a beehive that was minding its own business.¡± Wooong©¤ In an instant, Jupiter gathered mana. Mana surged from his hand, and then¡ª ¡°Shock Wave.¡± A spell that generated a massive shockwave to incapacitate the enemy was activated. With a tremendous roar, part of the headquarters building was destroyed by the shockwave, and the two Lubaran members were exposed to the magic, feeling as if their bodies would burst from the impact. ¡°Kuhuk?!¡± ¡°Kehuk¡­¡± Thanks to the defense of their nanosuits, created with Lubaran scientific technology, most of the shockwave was absorbed. However, the impact that did prate was enough to shake a person¡¯s brain. Even with bodies enhanced by Lubaran biotechnology, the force was too much to withstand. They copsed to the ground. Reus was knocked unconscious, while Allegros, who had received higher-grade body enhancements, managed to stay conscious. ¡°Kuh, kuhuk¡­ You crazy old man¡­ Do you think you¡¯ll get away with this¡­?¡± Although he was conscious, he was in no shape to get up anytime soon, as he was retching and in disarray. ¡°You should be thankful that I¡¯m ending it here.¡± With those words, Jupiter sent another small shockwave to finish off Allegros, causing him to lose consciousness as well. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to block them now and then go exin the situation to the Gctic Union Elders myself.¡¯ They would only bother Eugene if they were allowed to proceed. Exining Eugene¡¯s identity here and now would be futile; they wouldn¡¯t listen. In fact, if he told the truth, they would likely cause an even biggermotion, questioning why such a dangerous being was allowed to roam free. So, his n was to stop them first and then slowly exin the situation and reasons to the Gctic Union Elders. That Eugene appeared to be an avatar of an Outer God and seemed rtively friendly. And that provoking him could endanger the entire Gctic Union. ¡®There might be sanctions for the excessive measures against the officials and for registering the avatar of an Outer God, but¡­ the Elders are reasonable. They will surely understand my intentions and make choices to protect the Gctic Union.¡¯ He was prepared to take the punishment alone and bear the grudge of the two Lubaran officials. That way, everything could be resolved without significant harm to all involved. That was his thought process. Anyway, with the situation temporarily resolved, ¡°Wow, what happened here?¡± ¡°Eugene¡­!¡± Hearing the sound of the shockwave, Eugene returned. # ¡°I was wondering if something was wrong¡­¡± He approached Jupiter and Lowie with an awkward smile. In truth, he already understood what had happened. He knew that the ones lying on the ground hade looking for him. And that Jupiter had intervened to prevent them from bothering him. That¡¯s why he hade. They had be aware of the emergence of a new Outer God. To investigate, they sought out someone who seemed to have some connection to it¡ªEugene. It was too risky to go directly to the location of the main body. Well¡­ I can certainly undergo the investigation. Even though this is my avatar, they won¡¯t find any connection to the main body. If I hide it, they have no way of knowing. No matter how advanced the Lubaran race is, their technology is still within the bounds of what can be understood. But they know I appeared without an identity, showed up nearby, and even cured mental contamination. Even if no resultse from the investigation, they¡¯ll find me suspicious and keep me detained. Jupiter probably attacked the Gctic Union members to prevent that. ¡­Because if I get annoyed and cause trouble for the Gctic Union, it would be a hassle. It seems they¡¯re more afraid of me than I thought. Honestly, if they bothered me too much, I was considering manipting a few memories¡­ ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing. Just a minor dispute,¡± Jupiter said,ughing it off as if it were nothing. In this world, even minor disputes can result in a base being destroyed. This is definitely sci-fi¡­ or maybe not. Jupiter seemed determined to bear the responsibility alone. He might even be expelled from his Elder position¡­ Did I really seem that dangerous? Well, I am an Outer God. Even though I¡¯ve shown a friendly demeanor, his reaction might be normal. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sigh, if I hadn¡¯t been blocking information, I would have noticed those guys immediately and manipted their memories to send them back. Was this my mistake? Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll just manipte the memories of those two and send them back, and as for the shockwave¡­ I can just say there was an explosion ident without needing to go as far as memory maniption. Jupiter is the benefactor who first helped me when I arrived in this world. And this time, he took the me alone to prevent them from bothering me. I can¡¯t just leave him be. ¡­Ah, damn! Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t get to see him use magic directly! What a waste¡­ Chapter 9: The Fragile Mortals Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 9 EP.9 The Fragile Mortals ¡°Ugh, ughh¡­¡± ¡°Euaaah¡­¡± Regaining consciousness, Reus and Allegros clutched their throbbing heads as they got up. Pshh©¤ The treatment incubators they were lying in opened up. ¡°What? Why am I¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this.¡±Still groggy, they couldn¡¯t remember why they were in the treatment incubators. They looked around with dazed expressions. A typical treatment room in a standard Gctic Union base. It was quiet, seemingly with no other patients besides the two of them. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± Then, Jupiter entered the treatment room and noticed the two who had gotten up. ¡°Elder Jupiter¡­?¡± ¡°Ugh, my head¡­¡± Seeing Elder Jupiter, their heads began to throb again. Memories started toe back to them. ¡°That¡¯s right, we were here to investigate a Terran named Eugene¡­¡± ¡°And then there was an explosion due to a mechanical failure in the base¡­¡± They had identified that Elder Jupiter was with someone named Eugene and had detained him for questioning. However, they ultimately found nothing suspicious about him. It was determined that Eugene had no connection to the massive object presumed to be an Outer God that suddenly appeared in gxy B-02345. He was simply a Terran whose identity had been erased because he was presumed dead, which exined hisck of official status. There were no other issues. Just as they were about to leave without any significant findings, an explosion urred in the base, causing them to lose consciousness from the shock. ¡°It seems there are no significant issues with your bodies. You should be able to return now.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I see.¡± Allegros responded, internally clicking his tongue. They hade with such confidence to conduct an investigation, only to leave empty-handed. ¡°Tsk, how does this base manage its equipment to the point where a mechanical failure causes an explosion?¡± Moreover, the explosion was powerful enough to destroy part of the building and knock out two Lubaran members, despite their enhanced bodies and nanosuits. They thought it was fortunate that there were no casualties. Since their bodies were fine, Reus and Allegros left the treatment room to return. As they saw Jupiter following them to see them off, they spoke. ¡°Elder Jupiter, there will be a disciplinarymittee convened soon regarding the re-registration of a nullified identity without proper notice.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not a big deal, so I won¡¯t receive a severe punishment. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Hearing this, Jupiter¡¯s eyes trembled slightly, as if he felt an inexplicable fear. ¡®Hmph, no matter how much he tries to keep hisposure, he¡¯s still just an Elder. Is he worried about losing his position if he gets caught?¡¯ ¡®Pretending not to care, but in the end, he¡¯s tasted power.¡¯ Reus and Allegros thought Jupiter was afraid of the disciplinary action, but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®Their memories were manipted perfectly, without any sense of oddness. As if it really happened that way¡­¡¯ The source of Jupiter¡¯s fear was Eugene¡­ or more precisely, the main body that created Eugene¡¯s avatar. Their memories were altered, but since there were no other staff around, and Jupiter and Lowie were directly involved in the incident, there was no need to manipte their memories. Thus, it was clear that their memories had been manipted. Outer Gods possess transcendent abilities that defy themon sense andws of the universe. They can disintegrate objects at the atomic level with a mere touch, corrupt minds to cause mental copse, create phenomena that defy naturalws, and even bring entirely new forms of life into existence. Manipting the memories of cosmic beings is a trivial task for them. However, Jupiter, having never experienced such overwhelming ¡°irrationality¡± firsthand, felt fear from this encounter. He was also terrified by the realization that if his own memories were manipted, he would have no way of noticing it. Perhaps some of the memories he currently held had already been altered by an Outer God. The idea that his very existence could be distorted by an Outer God, or might be in the future, was pure horror. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the favorable feelings he had towards Eugene were also manipted or fabricated. Such thoughts kept surfacing in his mind. ¡®No, don¡¯t doubt. He helped me. He manipted their memories to prevent me from receiving severe punishment.¡¯ That fact was happening right before his eyes. There was no choice. As a mere mortal, he could only judge and conclude based on what he saw, heard, and felt. Even if everything he saw, heard, and felt was distorted, there was no way to know or break free from it. # Alright, if left alone, they¡¯ll go back to headquarters and exin everything properly. I¡¯ve adjusted their behavior slightly to ensure that. Still, just in case, I should move the main body to a ce where no one is likely toe. There¡¯s a massive void in Sector B of the universe. Yes, there¡¯s apletely empty region between these superclusters. With the nearest gxy being 5 million light-years away within the void, there shouldn¡¯t be any entities that could be affected. Let¡¯s move the main body there. That way, the Gctic Union will think it moved to an empty space on its own and feel reassured, right? ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Hold on a second. There¡¯s a better way. Looking at beings like Nyathotep or Shub-Niggurath, it seems that higher-ranked entities can freely traverse dimensions and move between different realms. Even mid-tier beings can pierce through dimensions, though it takes them longer. For some reason, information about entities above a certain level doesn¡¯te to mind¡­ but I should be able to use simr abilities, right? In that case, it might be better to move to another realm to avoid causing trouble for my cosmic friends. With that thought, I tore open the space in front of the main body. Riiip©¤ Ah, but what happens to my avatar, Eugene, if I move to another dimension? Since it¡¯s not the same universe, will the connection be severed? Even if not, the change in dimensions might severely limit my abilities. The answer was quickly found in the information in my mind. Crossing dimensions doesn¡¯tpletely sever the connection with the avatar, but it does impose several limitations on abilities. I wouldn¡¯t be able to manipte memories or create desired materials as freely as I have been. ¡­Alright. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll bestow various abilities upon Eugene now, and then move to the other realm. That way, those abilities will be inherent to Eugene, not reliant on my connection. This approach is akin to life creation, so there are limits to what abilities I can grant without viting thews of the universe. The avatar, Eugene, must remain within the bounds of a Terran, adhering to the universe¡¯s principles. Alright, let¡¯s enhance the body¡­ Oh, and add mana abilities. I¡¯ll have Jupiter teach him. That sounds good. He can learn and use magic directly. Of course, I could make him a magic prodigy and let him use all the magic knowledge I have, but¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be fun. Alright, let¡¯s not make him too overpowered; that would be boring. Just to be safe, I¡¯ll create a backup personality so he can act independently if our connection is severed. Everything¡¯s ready¡­ Shall we go? To the other dimension. Ssssk©¤ The main body entered the massive rift in the dimension. What appeared inside was an astonishing sight. Oh¡­ this is quite fascinating. The other dimension. To be precise, it¡¯s a kind of ¡°dimensional rift¡± where multiple universes float around. A ce where one can travel to other universes if they wish. No physicalws apply here¡ªno light, no sound, nothing. Naturally, there¡¯s no color, and nothing can be felt in this void. The only sensation is the distortion enveloping the entire body. Mortals wouldn¡¯tst a second here. Even the strongest Lubaran, aboard the most advanced spaceship created with all the universe¡¯s technology, would be the same. The concept of ¡°strongest¡± only applies within their universe¡¯sws, which are meaningless here. Light, matter, and life all cease to exist. Yet, there are things that can be felt in this ce where nothing should exist. Well¡­ it¡¯s obvious. If there are inhabitants of this rift, they must be like me. Like this rift, without anyws and where nothing exists¡­ such beings. They are Outer Gods. It seems they sensed me, and some are approaching out of curiosity. Oh no, what should I do? I expected to meet other Outer Gods, but I wasn¡¯t mentally prepared yet. What if they look too grotesque? As an Outer God myself, just seeing them won¡¯t cause my mind to copse, but if they¡¯re too horrifying, it might affect my mental state¡­ [Who are you? I¡¯ve never seen you before.] At that moment, someone spoke to me. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a real spoken word. In this ce, it¡¯s not about the medium of sound; the concept of sound itself doesn¡¯t exist. It was like a systemnguage, directly speaking into my mind. The being that spoke to me had a grotesquely twisted mass of tentacles. An entity with a form so bizarre it defied any definition. I knew this being. I had no information about it, but I knew what it was called in that universe. The one who, in just ten minutes, destroyed the minds of countless beings on dozens ofs and Gctic Union bases, leaving thempletely paralyzed. Known as the ¡®Crawling Chaos,¡¯ it is presumed to be a high-ranking Outer God. The code name given by the Union is¡­ ¡®Nyathotep.¡¯ Chapter 10: Nyarlathotep Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 10 EP.10 Nyathotep ¡°So¡­ you couldn¡¯t find any connection, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°We apologize for not bringing back any useful information.¡± Having returned to the Gctic Union headquarters, Reus and Allegros were reporting to Edgar, one of the Lubaran Elders in the Gctic Union Elder Council. Though indistinguishable due to the Lubaran¡¯s characteristic blue skin and elongated heads, Edgar had the most noble blue hair among the Lubaran, a slightly darker teal that indicated his high status. ¡°¡­Sigh, well, that¡¯s fine. The Outer God disappeared suddenly anyway.¡± ¡°What?¡±Reus and Allegros looked puzzled at the news of the Outer God¡¯s sudden disappearance. ¡°It tore through space and vanished, just like other Outer Gods do.¡± It wasn¡¯t umon for Outer Gods to travel between dimensions. However, it was rare for them to disappear without causing any significant incidents. Usually, whether their stay was brief or extended, they would cause at least one major disaster before leaving. Of course, the passengers on the tourist ship did suffer from mental attacks, but those were resolved more easily than expected. Even if Eugene, the Terran, hadn¡¯t intervened, it wouldn¡¯t have been considered a major incident. Only one tourist ship with a few hundred passengers was affected. It was a bit risky that Elder Jupiter of the Meias, a member of the Elder Council, was among them, but still. In hindsight, the incident seemed more like a minor ident that a giant monster might cause rather than an Outer God. Moreover, the entity didn¡¯t move from its spot and vanished a few hourster. This was unprecedented in the history of the Gctic Union, leaving them extremely puzzled. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s fortunate that there was no damage. Plus, thanks to that Terran named Eugene, the passengers on the tourist ship were mostly unharmed.¡± Elder Edgar added that he hoped future encounters with Outer Gods would end simrly. ¡°More importantly, I¡¯d like to investigate this Eugene further. You mentioned his identity was erased by the Terrans, right?¡± Rather than dwelling on the past incident, Elder Edgar¡¯s interest shifted to Eugene, the Terran. The fact that the entity tore through dimensions and vanished confirmed it was a high-ranking Outer God. This meant Eugene had purified the mental copse caused by a high-ranking Outer God using thetest scientific technology¡ªsome kind of brainwave adjustment device. If true, it indicated Eugene was an extraordinary genius inventor. Such talent should naturally be brought into the Gctic Union. ¡°Contact the Terrans and see if anyone remembers him.¡± Such a talent might be known by name or face among the Terrans. Although names and faces can be changed, it was worth a try. ¡°¡­Shall we go and bring him here if necessary?¡± ¡°Hah, you fool.¡± Elder Edgar sighed in exasperation at Reus¡¯s suggestion. ¡°We investigated him without proper exnation, so he probably holds a grudge. And now you want to bring him here for his scientific knowledge?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It made sense. They had just conducted a thorough investigation, so Eugene¡¯s perception of the Gctic Union was likely negative. ¡°¡­Well, I made a mistake too. I should have asked where he learned about that technology, considering the possibility it wasn¡¯t his.¡± Reflecting on his hasty actions, Elder Edgar acknowledged hisck of caution. ¡°First, we¡¯ll send an official apology and give it some time. He¡¯ll likely stay with Elder Jupiter for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± They decided to apologize formally and give it some time regarding Eugene. Over time, any emotion tends to fade. Especially for Terrans, who have rtively short lifespans and poor memory. # Nyathotep¡­ what an imposing presence. Is it on a level simr to mine? It¡¯sparable to Shub-Niggurath, as seen in the history of the universe. Presumed to be high-ranking. Who decided that? It seems more like a top-tier entity¡­ Wait, if it and Shub-Niggurath are on par with me¡­ does that mean I¡¯m top-tier too? [Answer the question. I asked who you are.] While I was pondering this, Nyathotep spoke to me again. [You just came from that universe over there. There was no one like you among those who entered.] Well, of course. I was just born there today. [I was newly born. A few hours ago.] I decided to answer, thinking that if I kept silent, they might consider me rude and swarm to attack. ¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure if Outer Gods have such seniority rules like college seniors and juniors. [¡­What?] Nyathotep expressed confusion, as if it didn¡¯t understand what I meant. What, even an Outer God doesn¡¯t know everything? Didn¡¯t it know I was born? Ah, right. I also have little information about higher-ranking Outer Gods. At best, I have data from historical sightings and incident reports in the universe. [That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no such thing as a newly born entity among those like us.] ??? What does that even mean? I clearly just came into existence. So when do Outer Godse into being? I mean, in Cthulhu Mythos, don¡¯t Outer Gods create other Cthulhu entities? [You are like us. A being close to the Source¡­ surely, you must have originally existed as part of the Source.] Originally part of the Source¡­ that must refer to the true high-ranking Outer Gods. Maybe it thinks I¡¯m the same because I possess simr powers? But I was just an ordinary human who reincarnated as an Outer God. The Gctic Union even captured the moment I popped into existence. I wasn¡¯t created by anyone; I just came into being on my own. Yet, I possess powers akin to those of the original Source. ¡­What exactly am I? [Curious. You are like us, yet different. You have no memories, and your nature is peculiar. Like¡­ yes, like the insignificant beings in the universe.] Well, I was originally just a mere human. I still vividly remember my human memories and emotions. Even though I¡¯ve be an Outer God and gained knowledge of the universe, those memories remain. That is indeed curious. By now, my human ego should havepletely dissolved, and I should have be like the other Outer Gods. Listening to this Outer God, I realize I am somewhat different. But so what? No one is criticizing or restraining me. Not that I¡¯m sure they could, but anyway. Since things have turned out this way, I might as well enjoy being an eternal, immortal creator god. Living an eternal life, I don¡¯t know when my personality might erode and disappear, but for now, I¡¯ll enjoy it. That¡¯s what I decided. [Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll live my life as I see fit. Do other Outer Gods impose sanctions if I do?] [¡­No, they do not. As long as we are not interfered with, we do not interfere.] That¡¯s a relief. If the Outer Gods decided to have a battle of transcendents, it would have been troublesome. I¡¯m a newbie as an Outer God, while they¡¯ve likely existed for eons, making them highly experienced. Our power might be simr, but I¡¯d probably lose due to the experience gap. Well¡­ as top-tier Outer Gods, we are concepts and thus absolutely immortal, so even if I lost, my existence wouldn¡¯t be annihted. [You are truly fascinating. Your thoughts, speech, and nature. It¡¯s like observing the insignificant beings. I have a great interest in them. And I find you, who resembles them despite being like us, very intriguing.] Suddenly, Nyathotep said this, and its writhing tentacles began to thrash violently. Ugh¡­! Could you not move like that? It¡¯s making me nauseous¡­ Having a massive tentacle entity the size of Saturn take an interest in me isn¡¯t exactly pleasant. Honestly, it¡¯s unsettling. It feels like I¡¯m being observed as a test subject. [Would you like to converse with me further? In return, I will share some special knowledge.] [¡­¡­] Special knowledge, huh. I don¡¯t really need to know more¡­ or maybe it means knowledge I don¡¯t have? Perhaps it wants to share some know-how about living as an Outer God? That would be rtively interesting. Even though I¡¯ve done all sorts of things to enjoy the sci-fi universe, creating avatars and all, my essence is still that of an Outer God. ¡­Huh? Come to think of it, I can¡¯t feel the connection with Eugene. Oh no! It must have been severed. I got so distracted by Nyathotep¡¯s sudden appearance! Damn¡­ I can¡¯t reconnect from within this rift¡­ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I prepared a backup personality for situations like this, so Eugene¡¯s personality should be controlling the avatar and acting independently. I copied my personality, so it shouldn¡¯t deviate much from what I would do. I also endowed it with ample abilities, so there shouldn¡¯t be any danger¡­ Alright, let¡¯s not worry about it. For now, I should take this opportunity to converse with Nyathotep, this ancient Outer God senior. It¡¯s a bit unsettling that it¡¯s interested in me, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of harming me. This is a rare chance to talk with a top-tier Outer God. Chapter 11: Special Knowledge Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 11 EP.11 Special Knowledge [Others areing. I don¡¯t want our conversation to be interrupted.] Nyathotep said this and began writhing its grotesque tentacles again. In the next moment, I sensed a new space forming around us, centered on Nyathotep and me. I could have avoided entering the space or even disrupted its formation, but it didn¡¯t feel particrly dangerous, so I epted it. The once empty space transformed into an infinitely expanding, pure white space. At its center was a small tea table and chairs, where an ordinary human could sit and drink tea. ¡°How about this? I changed it to a form that might make you feel morefortable for our conversation.¡±A human voice reached my ears. Looking down at the source of the voice, I saw a beautiful human woman with long silver hair reaching the floor and red eyes. I realized immediately. Amazingly, this was the same mass of tentacles that had been in front of me moments ago¡­ Nyathotep. Wait, it suddenly transformed into a human? ¡°Hm, I changed my body, voice, and even manner of speaking to a form that might make you feelfortable. Don¡¯t you like it?¡± She looked somewhat dissatisfied. It seemed my reaction wasn¡¯t very positive. Well, that¡¯s understandable. I was caught off guard by the sudden transformation into a human. Still¡­ this is definitely better than having a conversation as gigantic, grotesque monsters in a formless space. ¡­But why a pretty female character¡­? Outer Gods, naturally, have no meaningful concept of gender. So, that form must be a reflection of her personal taste. ¡­Interesting taste you have there. Anyway. I quickly transformed my body into a human form as well. It seemed she wanted us tofortably enjoy teatime and converse in human forms. I chose the appearance of Eugene, the form I had originally created. ¡°I like it. Veryfortable.¡± I said this as I gently sat down on the chair. ¡°Good, good.¡± She smiled, seemingly pleased. It appeared she had also adjusted her personality and speech to resemble that of a human woman. Wow¡­ facing her like this, she really is stunning. If I were still my former human self, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to utter a single word to someone with such a celestial appearance. She sipped what appeared to be ck tea and then looked at me. ¡°So, tell me. Who are you? Where did youe from? What do you mean by newly born?¡± A barrage of questions came at once. But I could only provide a precise answer to one of them. ¡°I still don¡¯t fully know who I am. Other than being an ¡®Outer God¡¯ as mortals call us. As for being newly born, it¡¯s literal. I don¡¯t know the exact details either. I possess information about the entire universe¡­ but Ick information about myself and my birth.¡± Where did Ie from? This, I could answer with certainty. ¡°I was once a human. By the standards of the universe I was born in, a ¡®Terran.¡¯ I must have been a mere insignificant being born in one of the countless universes within this rift.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you retain the ego of a weak life form. Fascinating. It¡¯s not an artificially created ego like mine, but an original one.¡± Though I shared my origins, Nyathotep didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised. However, she did find it intriguing. ¡°How can the information entity of a weak life form be a being of the Source? And to be newly born, not created, but naturally¡­¡± An information entity ismonly referred to as a ¡®soul.¡¯ When a life form dies, it bes a kind of energy entity that retains the memories of its living self. After I died, I transformed into one and somehow drifted into another universe, bing what I am now. It seemed she was quite confused, as she had never encountered someone like me before. Beings of the Source¡­ meaning high-ranking Outer Gods like Nyathotep and myself, create most lower-ranking Outer Gods. Despite being mere creations, they are residents of the rift and possess the abilities of Outer Gods, capable of defying thews of the universe. Thus, I am a unique anomaly, a primordial being that wasn¡¯t created but was newly born, an impossible trait. An especially peculiar existence among Outer Gods. Fascinating. Whoosh©¤ ¡°¡­?!¡± Suddenly, Nyathotep lunged at me, extending her hair like tentacles to bind my entire body and pin me down in a mount position. What the hell is she doing, this crazy woman?! ¡°You are incredibly fascinating! I¡¯d love to capture you and thoroughly investigate and study you¡­ but that¡¯s not what you¡¯d want, is it?¡± This lunatic! Her eyes are gleaming with a desire to dissect me! ¡°¡­I¡¯d appreciate it if you refrained.¡± I said, trying to push her away. Her hair, like tentacles, was tightly wrapped around me, making it quite difficult to free myself. ¡­Thank goodness she transformed into a human form. If I imagine a massive tentacle monster wrapping its tentacles around me¡­ ugh! ¡°Well, I still gained a lot. Just knowing that you were originally a human¡­ a weak mortal, is a significant discovery.¡± Nyathotep tidied her writhing hair as she spoke. Once again, I was genuinely relieved that she had taken on the form of a beautiful woman. ¡°Perhaps your information entity is somewhat different from ordinary life forms. It might have been something else from the beginning. That could be why you became like us.¡± Hmm, I doubt that. In my past life, I was an utterly ordinary person. Nothing special about me at all. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to give you a gift.¡± Ah, finally. I¡¯m about to receive some amazing know-how from this ancient Outer God senior. ¡°It seems you only possess knowledge from the universe you were born in.¡± Well¡­ I haven¡¯t been to other universes yet. If I go to another universe, I should be able to acquire itsws and knowledge. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to obtain knowledge from other universes without having to travel around.¡± Oh, there¡¯s a way to do that? That would indeed be incredibly useful. I could showcase new abilities using knowledge not found in this universe. And if I find something interesting among the acquired information, it might be fun to explore that universe and experiment. ¡°Beings of the Source can connect to ¡®the one who is the ultimate Source, yet has no Source¡¯ and receive knowledge from all universes within this rift. I¡¯ll teach you how to connect to it.¡± The one who is the ultimate Source, yet has no Source¡­ it sounds paradoxical. Connected to all universes within the rift. An absolute being that surpasses even the Outer Gods¡­ could it be something like ¡®Azathoth,¡¯ known as the pinnacle of the Cthulhu Mythos? Now that I think about it, their code names are simr to the Outer Gods in the Cthulhu Mythos. And the term Foreign God is synonymous with Outer Gods¡­ there might be some connection. ¡°I¡¯ve imnted the method in your mind. Try connecting and receiving the information.¡± Nyathotep pointed to my head as she spoke. As she said, new knowledge had entered my mind. I drew a bizarre sigil, one I had never seen before, and uttered strange words that couldn¡¯t be pronounced by a human mouth, using a method simr to my original form¡¯s speech. [¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö-¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.] And then, in the next moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Huh? What¡¯s going on? Nothing¡¯s happening. ording to Nyathotep, I should now be essing a vast archive, with information from countless universes within the riftid out before me. But nothing of the sort is happening. Yet, I can feel the information pouring into my mind. Instead of an archive appearing, the information is directly being input into my brain. Ugh¡­ even as an Outer God, this amount of information is a bit overwhelming. Just how much data is this? The sheer volume of countless universalws and diverse knowledge from innumerable universes is staggering, enough to take an eternity just to list. ¡°¡­This is incredible.¡± After it all ended. I realized I had acquired an unfathomable amount of information, iparable to before. It was so much that it was hard to keep track of what knowledge pertained to what. I thought about asking Nyathotep why it seemed different from what she had described, but I decided to chalk it up to me being a somewhat anomalous Outer God¡­ and let it go. Well, thanks to this, I now possess vast knowledge of the multiverse. I¡¯ll have to take some time to organize it all in my mindter. ¡°It seems we¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s have more conversations in the future. Unlike with others, talking with you isn¡¯t boring. I like it.¡± With that, Nyathotep began to retract the space. Swoosh©¤ We returned to the twisted void, and both Nyathotep and I reverted to our original forms. [It was a useful conversation. Farewell.] Nyathotep wriggled her grotesque tentacles and went off to another ce. ¡­The gap between her previous beautiful girl form and her current one is dizzying. Chapter 12: The Creator and the Created Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 12 EP.12 The Creator and the Created After seeing off the two Lubaran, Reus and Allegros, Jupiter let out a short sigh of relief and returned to the site where the base was being repaired. Although he had imed the explosion was due to a mechanical failure, the truth was that it was his doing, and he feltpelled to help with the repairs. ¡°Hey, move those materials over here.¡± ¡°No, not that! Bring the anti-gravity transport device!¡± Given the sudden ident, people were bustling around. Most of the work was being done by machines, but it was humans who transported and supervised those machines. There were also personnel investigating the cause of the mechanical failure that led to the explosion.¡°Elder Jupiter? What brings you here?¡± The facility manager of the base¡¯s headquarters greeted Jupiter upon spotting him. ¡°Hmm, I thought I might lend a hand.¡± ¡°What? You, Elder, personally?¡± The manager looked at Jupiter in astonishment. It was understandable. Elders of the Union, regardless of race, held the highest positions within the Union. Even if it was a nominal position, the title of Elder carried significant weight. And here was an Elder of the Meias, one of the superior races, offering to help with such menial tasks. It was no wonder the manager was surprised. Of course, from Jupiter¡¯s perspective, he felt uneasy unless he personally dealt with the mess he had caused. ¡®Elder Jupiter is such a good person, helping out even with minor idents.¡¯ His actions led the manager and the surrounding people to think highly of him. ¡°Let¡¯s start by clearing the debris. The machines are efficient but slow.¡± Naturally, robots utilizing advanced technology were far more efficient than human hands. Especially for movingrge and heavy building debris that ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle, anti-gravity machines were almost indispensable. However, to Jupiter, even those seemed sluggish. Rumble©¤ And that was only natural. He was someone who could use magic to lift and move several tons of building debris with a single spell. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± The machine operators and base staff couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Seeing Jupiter effortlessly handle what would take ten trips with an anti-gravity machine using just one spell was nothing short of astonishing. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. Magic seems very convenient.¡± ¡°Haha, it is a useful ability. But it has a major drawback, unless one is born with mana, the energy within the body, it cannot be learned.¡± It would be wonderful if everyone could learn magic and handle things so easily. But if that were the case, machines like anti-gravity devices wouldn¡¯t have developed. Magic could only be learned by those who, like the Meias, had a special energy within their bodies. Therefore, it couldn¡¯t be taught to just anyone. While some individuals from other races asionally possessed such power, it was so rare that it was almost never seen. In essence, it was a unique power of the Meias. Anyway, as Jupiter was diligently helping with the base reconstruction, ¡°Master¡­!¡± Suddenly, his disciple, Lowie Hendrick, came running towards him in a panic. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I told you to stay with Eugene.¡± Jupiter had instructed Lowie Hendrick to stay by Eugene¡¯s side and assist him. He had intended to help with the base reconstruction for a bit before returning, but Lowie hade alone, leaving Eugene behind. Moreover, Lowie looked extremely flustered, indicating that something urgent had happened. ¡°Eugene¡­ suddenly copsed¡­!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jupiter was so shocked by Lowie¡¯s words that he inadvertently raised his voice. This drew the attention of everyone around them. ¡°¡­Lead the way.¡± Jupiter, after ncing around to gauge the situation, told the facility manager that he had an urgent matter to attend to and would be stepping away briefly. He then hurriedly followed Lowie to where Eugene was. However, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Contrary to Lowie Hendrick¡¯s words, Eugene was not copsed. In fact, he was standing and stretching as if nothing had happened. ¡°¡­Lowie.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s true! He really copsed just a moment ago¡­ He didn¡¯t respond no matter how much I called, and even healing magic didn¡¯t work¡­¡± Jupiter¡¯s sharp re made Lowie hastily plead his case. Eugene had indeed copsed. He had fallen like a puppet with its strings cut. Lowie had tried everything¡ªcalling out to him, using healing magic. But Eugene¡¯s pupils had been dted, he wasn¡¯t breathing, and he hadn¡¯t moved at all, as if his soul had left his body. Yet now, upon returning, Eugene was perfectly fine and moving around, leaving Lowie utterly bewildered. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t lie about this.¡¯ Of course, Jupiter didn¡¯t think Lowie was lying. He wasn¡¯t that kind of person. So, Eugene must have copsed for some reason and then gotten back up. Considering that Eugene was an avatar of an Outer God, it was necessary to investigate what had happened. ¡°Oh, you must be Grandpa Jupiter¡­ and this is Mr. Lowie. Right? The two who know my true identity.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± But something even stranger happened. Eugene was acting as if he was meeting Jupiter and Lowie for the first time. It was as if he had the memories but was encountering them in person for the first time. As Jupiter and Lowie stood confused, Eugene smiled and began to exin the situation. ¡°Oh, you must be quite bewildered. I am an independent personality created by the main body of Eugene. I am a separate entity from the main body.¡± He exined that there had been a slight issue with the connection to the main body, so his backup personality had emerged as a precaution. Eugene kindly borated. ¡°It seems the initial connection took a bit longer, making it look like I had just dropped dead. Haha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While he might have thought he was making a light-hearted joke, it was impossible to take it lightly. Especially for Lowie Hendrick, who had genuinely feared that Eugene had died. In the end, nothing serious had happened; it was just that the personality upying Eugene¡¯s body had changed. Though it was a bit shocking, this new personality retained most of the previous main body¡¯s character and memories. Since he understood that he was an avatar of an Outer God, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues in how Jupiter or Lowie interacted with him. ¡®¡­Is his main body alright?¡¯ While it was unclear what had happened to the main body, the calm demeanor of this backup personality suggested that it wasn¡¯t anything too dangerous. Not that it was something Jupiter, a mere mortal in the eyes of an Outer God, should be worrying about. ¡®¡­A backup personality, huh. So it¡¯s possible to create such a thing in an avatar.¡¯ Jupiter was once again astonished by the abilities of the Outer Gods, which defied even thews of nature. Creating a perfectly functional mortal body and imnting a personality in it was beyond extraordinary. That essentially meant he could create intelligent life forms directly. And not just mere replicas, but beings with fully developed personalities. Of course, with the current scientific technology of the Gctic Union, it was possible to create cloned life forms. Using high-performance AI, they could artificially create personalities almost indistinguishable from ordinary people. But this was on a different level. It wasn¡¯t about cloning or mimicking; it was the birth of apletely new life form, 100% unique. Even the Lubaran could only achieve a 90% simrity at best through cloning. What could only be achieved through the natural process of birth was created effortlessly. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°¡­I can sense incredibly powerful mana.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It seems the main body thought it might be dangerous if the connection was severed, so it granted me some abilities. I think it intended for me to learn magic from Grandpa Jupiter with this mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The mana was overwhelmingly immense. Even among the Meias, who were the base for Eugene, such innate mana was extremely rare. Those who possessed such levels of mana were all chosen as Elders of the Meias. As a precautionary measure, giving such powerful mana to an avatar was overkill. It was like handing a machine gun to someone just because the night streets were dangerous. And Eugene¡¯s nonchnt attitude about it all. ¡®¡­If it desired, it could potentially create a new race and civilization surpassing even the Lubaran.¡¯ Moreover, an Outer God wouldn¡¯t tire or stop after creating just one avatar. Like the creation myths of various races, it could give birth to primordial intelligent life forms that would pioneer new civilizations. ¡®Although no such cases have been discovered or revealed¡­ perhaps some ancient races were indeed created as mere diversions by Outer Gods.¡¯ Not only that. Perhaps every living being in this universe¡­ ¡®Enough. I should stop thinking about this.¡¯ Jupiter shook his head, trying to dismiss the deepening thoughts. Chapter 13: The Watching Constellations Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 13 EP.13 The Watching Constetions After Nyathotep left, a few other Outer Gods showed interest in me and approached. However, unlike her, they didn¡¯t seem as intrigued and merely nced at me before moving on. Do they generally have little interest in each other? Or perhaps my power is too overwhelming for them to approach? Those who showed interest were all of a higher rank. Most of them were weakerpared to Nyathotep and me. Still, being of a higher rank meant they had acquired knowledge from multiple universes, unlike the lower-ranked Outer Gods.But their knowledge wasn¡¯t extensive. They only had bits and pieces of information, like historical tales of their asional appearances in the universe. Even that was limited to two or three instances, making it hard to draw any conclusions. Well¡­ considering this space is outside the multiverse, it¡¯s vast, and there aren¡¯t many Outer Gods nearby. Most of them were drifting far away in this endless rift. Still, they must have sensed my presence to some extent¡­ especially the highest-ranking Outer Gods. It seems they don¡¯t show much interest in the emergence of a new Outer God. Nyathotep might be somewhat unique in that regard. ¡­But I keep thinking of her as Nyathotep. That¡¯s her codename. In other worlds, she¡¯s called by various names. Nittotep, Nyathotep, Nirthotep¡­ she¡¯s known by many names, all with simr pronunciations and meanings. Crawling Chaos, Creeping Chaos, Ascending Chaos¡­ basically, a lot of chaos. However, the highest-ranking Outer Gods generally don¡¯t reveal their true names. Perhaps they don¡¯t even have names to begin with. The lower-tier Outer Gods, created by the higher ones, might have been given names. Or they might have adopted names given by their worshippers or lesser beings. But the highest-ranking Outer Gods didn¡¯t concern themselves with such things. Their very existence was unique and absolute. They weren¡¯t created by anyone; they had existed from the very beginning, so they might not have names at all. ¡­Come to think of it, I don¡¯t have a name either. There¡¯s no real reason to have one. There¡¯s no one to call me by it, and the other Outer Gods either don¡¯t care or can distinguish me without a name. Names are a way for lower life forms to express their identity, so they might not be relevant to Outer Gods. ¡­Still, it would be nice to have a codename, wouldn¡¯t it? [ ¡­¡­ ] ¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter if I don¡¯t get one! Sure, sure. Anyway, being alone is actually nice. I was originally an introverted person, so being alone isfortable. Plus, I¡¯m busy organizing the knowledge in my head, so there¡¯s no time to be bored. Oh, as I organize, I¡¯ve found a universe almost identical to the one I lived in. It feels very simr to the sci-fi universe I was just in. The only difference might be the existence of the Gctic Union. Of course, I can¡¯t be sure it¡¯s the universe I originally lived in. There are billions of simr universes, even just the ones I can count right now. ¡­Humans on Earth said the observable universe is 90 billion light-years across. Modern humans still have a long way to go to truly understand the universe. Considering the multiverse, it¡¯s like examining a single atom in the entire human body. ¡­Oh! Speaking of Earth, I wonder how my avatar, Eugene, is doing? There¡¯s no concept of time in the rift, so I can¡¯t tell how much time has passed over there. Among the various pieces of knowledge in my mind, there¡¯s information about the rift. While I can¡¯t directly connect with the creations of the universe from the rift, I can observe them if I focus. It feels like a constetion watching over an awakened one from the divine realm. Well¡­ except that the constetion is an Outer God and the awakened one is my own creation. Anyway, let¡¯s see what Eugene is up to. As I thought about it, an image of Eugene appeared in my mind, like turning on a TV. [Eugene¡­!! What are you thinking?! This is a tant attack on the Gctic Union!] [Ask the underground researchers. I¡¯m just doing what I want¡­ Shock Wave!] [You wretched Tera brat©¤!] [Thud©¤!!] ¡­??? What¡¯s this? Something seems off. It feels like I¡¯ve tuned into the wrong channel. This doesn¡¯t seem like the drama I was originally watching. Ah! I see¡­ I set the time wrong. I identally set it too far into the future ording to their universe¡¯s timeline. The point where I lost connection with Eugene¡­ was about ten years ago from this moment. But what¡¯s happening now? It looked like Eugene was attacking one of the Lubaran Elders. Is Eugene leading a rebellion against the Gctic Union ten years from now¡­? I haven¡¯t organized the information about the future timeline yet, or maybe it¡¯s not in my mind at all, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any history of such events. Or is it? There are certainly details about general future branches. This must be because the future split into a path where Eugene exists when I created him! Is it that events caused by my avatar aren¡¯t pre-known to me? Oh¡­ so even an Outer God can¡¯t foresee variables they directly create. This is quite fascinating! In that case, it might be more entertaining to watch how Eugene moves and changes the future rather than directly intervening as him. It¡¯s like watching a real sci-fi drama. And if I don¡¯t like the script, I can subtly interfere and change it. ¡­Is this why gods create beings and scatter them into the world? Anyway, this is intriguing. Being able to watch real events unfold in the universe like a drama is quite exciting. [Grandpa. I¡¯ve taken care of things here. Let¡¯s head underground.] [¡­As expected of Lord Eugene. It seems you¡¯ve already surpassed me.] [It¡¯s thanks to your excellent teaching, Grandpa. Let¡¯s go quickly.] Ugh! I¡¯m dying to know what happens next! What¡¯s down there in the underground?! But I¡¯m also curious about what led up to this point! What happened that brought Eugene here? Alright, let¡¯s rewind to ten years ago and watch from the beginning. After all, ten years of story will pass quickly. I have all the time in the world. I am eternal and immortal! ¡­Well, there¡¯s no concept of time or aging here, but still! Alright, setting the time back ten years¡­ Okay. Start! [¡­I can sense incredibly powerful mana.] [Oh, yes. It seems the main body thought it might be dangerous if the connection was severed, so it granted me some abilities. I think it intended for me to learn magic from Grandpa Jupiter with this mana.] [¡­¡­] So, it continues from the point where I lost connection with Eugene. Darn! If I had known, I would have erased the memory of my main body from Eugene¡¯s and the others¡¯ minds. A story about a reincarnated genius Tera would be more interesting than one starting with the knowledge of being an avatar of an Outer God. Well¡­ it¡¯s not worth going back to that universe just to change that one thing. This might be interesting in its own way, so let¡¯s watch and see. # After that, Eugene spent his days learning magic from Jupiter with Lowie. Staying at Union Base B-45, Eugene diligently studied magic. Thanks to the immense mana and innate talent granted by his main body, he quickly surpassed Lowie. ¡°¡­You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. I received my abilities from an Outer God. If I couldn¡¯t do at least this much, it would be a problem.¡± As he said. All of Eugene¡¯s powers were granted by his main body. It was only natural for him to achieve this level. Therefore, Lowie Hendrick didn¡¯t feel much inferiority towards Eugene. From the start, Eugene was a different existence. ¡°You¡¯re truly incredible. Your progress is astounding. Even among the Meias, no magician has grown this quickly.¡± Jupiter genuinely praised him. In just two days, Eugene had mastered all the basics of magic, and within a week, he had already begun practicing intermediate magic. Even a genius would take a month to master the basics and a year to move from beginner to intermediate. But Eugene had aplished this in just a week. There was no time to feel inferior; it was simply awe-inspiring. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯ll soon finish intermediate magic. Teaching advanced magic alone might be difficult for me¡­¡± Jupiter seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking. ¡°¡­Lord Eugene. Would you be willing to go to the Meias¡¯?¡± ¡°Huh??¡± Eugene tilted his head at Jupiter¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. Advanced magic requires a teacher of Elder level, and I haven¡¯t mastered all advanced magic myself. You¡¯ll need to learn the remaining advanced spells from other Elders or top-tier magicians.¡± Lowie added an exnation to Jupiter¡¯s proposal. In other words, Jupiter couldn¡¯t teach all the advanced magic alone, so they should go to the Meias¡¯ cluster to learn from others. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love that. But is it okay for an outsider to enter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an Elder. What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± ¡°Oh, right. And you did create my identity, didn¡¯t you?¡± Thus, Eugene headed to the ¡®Meias Cluster,¡¯ a group of about tens inhabited by the Meias. Chapter 14: The Hand of God Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 14 EP.14 The Hand of God [The Meias Cluster is in Sector C. So, we¡¯ll need to go through several wormholes.] [It¡¯s going to take a while.] [Yes. It will take some time. But you can restfortably on the spaceship. It can amodate a few more passengers.] Oh, finally, they¡¯re heading to the Meias Cluster by spaceship. The Meias Cluster. It¡¯s the homnd and residential area of the Meias, consisting of about tens. It¡¯s also the birthce of magic, asionally visited by other races with mana energy in their bodies.Or by those simply curious about magic. Most visitorse out of curiosity or to see if they can use magic themselves. The Meias generally don¡¯t wee such outsiders. They believe magic is a unique ability of the Meias. Hmm¡­ I¡¯m a bit worried. I hope Eugene doesn¡¯t face racial discrimination as a Tera when he arrives. [Then, I¡¯ll teach you more intermediate magic during the journey.] [Thank you.] Grandpa Jupiter seems to be teaching intermediate magic even while traveling on the spaceship. Well, Eugene is still a beginner in intermediate magic. Even with wormholes, traveling to apletely different sector will take a considerable amount of time, so he might master intermediate magic during the journey. Considering he mastered beginner magic and started intermediate magic in just about a week by Earth¡¯s time, intermediate magic might take¡­ about a month? [¡­¡­] Hmm, but magic training scenes aren¡¯t particrly exciting. When Eugene was first learning beginner magic, it was exciting for both of us because everything was new. But now, he¡¯s just learning upgraded versions of those spells, so there¡¯s not much novelty. Of course, it¡¯s still interesting in its own way, but we¡¯ve already spent a lot of time watching him learn beginner magic at the base. Now, even though they¡¯ve moved to a spaceship, it¡¯s still just more magic training. The visuals aren¡¯t particrly engaging. [Maybe I should skip ahead.] As I considered skipping to the Meias Cluster, a piece of information suddenly popped into my mind. [Oh¡­ if they keep going like this, they¡¯ll encounter that.] To reach Sector C, where the Meias Cluster is located, they need to travel through several wormholes. But around the midpoint of their journey, a giant monster is scheduled to appear. Originally, if Eugene weren¡¯t there, no spaceship would be passing through that area, so nothing would happen. But because of Eugene, Grandpa Jupiter¡¯s spaceship is heading to Sector C, and they¡¯ll encounter it. ording to the Union¡¯s official ranking, it¡¯s an A-rank giant monster, the second-highest rank. It¡¯s about 4000 km in size, roughly the size of a small, and it possesses immense gravitational and maic energy. A colossal beast, indeed. To capture it, at least one battalion from the Union and arge warship would be required. It¡¯s so massive that it despises beings that are like ants or mites to it. It¡¯s simr to how humans feel when they see ants or mites¡ªthey want to squash them. As a result, it attacks any humans it encounters indiscriminately. Its power is so overwhelming that even a very strong Elder like Grandpa Jupiter would struggle to handle it alone. Originally, it would pass between Sector B and Sector C and be hunted down by therge warships dispatched by the Gctic Union. But if it encounters the spaceship carrying Grandpa Jupiter, Eugene, and Lowie, it would pose a significant threat to them. They might even die. I can¡¯t let that happen. I can¡¯t let Grandpa Jupiter and Lowie, who are helping my avatar, die. And since this situation arose because of Eugene, it feels like it¡¯s my fault! More importantly, I have no intention of ending Eugene¡¯s exciting space adventure drama prematurely. How could I miss the cathartic scenes where Eugene faces racial discrimination in the Meias¡¯ homnd but uses his innate powerful magic to teach them a lesson? And I need to keep watching to find out what happened with the confrontation against the Lubaran Elder. Plus, I¡¯m dying to know what the experiment in the basement is all about. If I die without knowing, I¡¯d be genuinely upset. ¡­Wait, if that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t it mean Eugene and Grandpa Jupiter both survive this ordeal? Maybe I don¡¯t need to intervene after all¡­? Or do I? Could it be that the future includes my interference? Since Eugene was born from my intervention, it might be natural for me to help him in seemingly hopeless moments. If the future oue includes my intervention? Ugh, not knowing is frustrating! What kind of Outer God am I if I can¡¯t figure this out? Forget it. I¡¯m done withplicated thoughts. I¡¯ll just do what I want. Crack©¤ The space splits open. Naturally, it¡¯s a dimensional gate leading to the sci-fi universe, my home and Eugene¡¯s world. I¡¯ll set the location and time roughly¡­ to a point where the A-rank giant monster is slightly behind. Rustle¡­ I step into the opened space. The Gctic Union might detect me and cause a ruckus, but since they¡¯re already monitoring the giant monster, taking it down might improve my image. I might even be known as a benevolent god, opposite to an Outer God, like an Elder God from the Cthulhu Mythos. Thinking that, I reveal myself in the universe again. Since I n to annihte the giant monster immediately, I appear right in front of it without any pretense. ¡°¡­?!¡± The giant monster, startled by my sudden appearance as I tore through space, froze in ce. It looked like an Overlord with a massive body, a long trunk, and extended tentacles. Despite its seemingly soft appearance, its body was harder than most metals. It was surrounded by immense gravitational waves and maic fields, causing physical attacks and even light or other wave-based attacks to refract and miss. This made it difficult to capture the creature with ordinary energy. A neutron cannon, typically used byrge warships to destroys, would be necessary to inflict damage. Though it was a colossal creature, roughly the size of Mercury, it seemed like a small mouse before me. I wasparable in size to gas giants like Saturn or Jupiter. Now, how should I deal with this creature? ¡°Krreeek¡­!! Just looking at you is corrupting my mind¡­ So, you must be one of those called Outer Gods.¡± Even before I attacked, the giant monster seemed to be suffering from mental corruption just by witnessing my presence. The mental copse caused by my true form was enough to torment even such a massive and powerful creature. Still, it seemed to be experiencing only a headache. As expected, an A-rank giant monster ofary size was different. Other beings would have had their brains melted like chocte by now. The fact that it was speaking indicated it was on a different level from other creatures. In space, sound doesn¡¯t travel due to theck of a medium, so it was modifying the waves surrounding its body to directly transmit its voice to me. It could manipte electromaic and gravitational waves at will. As a life form in space, its abilities were almost god-like. It was a bundle of special abilities. Well, I could block all electromaic waves and not hear it if I wanted to, but there was no need for that. ¡°Ha! Calling yourself an Outer God isughable! You¡¯re just a big creature using unusual energy. Perfect! I¡¯ll kill you and take the title of Outer God for myself!¡± [¡­?] Haha, it¡¯s amusing to see this tiny mouse spouting nonsense just because I stood still for a moment. Bing an Outer God isn¡¯t something you achieve by wanting it, my weak mortal friend. Sure, you can survive in the vacuum of space, remain unaffected by electromaic storms from various celestial bodies, and live almost eternally without breathing. At a nce, you might seem simr to an Outer God. But¡­ in the end, you¡¯re just a creature bound by thews of the universe. Huff¡ª I disintegrated a part of its body. No need for any grand gestures. It¡¯s as simple as breaking down and erasing the very molecules that make up a mortal¡¯s body. For me, it¡¯s as easy as breathing. Pffft¡ª! ¡°Arghhh!¡± When about a tenth of its massive head-like body suddenly disintegrated, an enormous amount of blood burst out. Its blue blood spread through space. ¡°What¡­ what did you do¡­?!¡± The giant monster was visibly shocked. Hmm, has it never encountered an Outer God before? It¡¯s so flustered. Well¡­ it¡¯s probably so confident because it¡¯s never met one. Huff¡ª This time, I erased a few of its long tentacles, each about 2000 km in length. ¡°Aaaargh! Ughhh!¡± The creature began to thrash about in agony. Blood started to pour out from the tentacle stumps as well. It would be easier to just annihte it in one go, but its audacity to im it would kill me and be an Outer God is quite irritating. Hmm, dragging this out might be dangerous, though. The Gctic Union seems to be moving quite busily, so I should wrap this up quickly and leave. ¡°What¡­ why¡­ why¡­¡± It seemed to be muttering something, but I wasn¡¯t interested. I simply disintegrated its brain. Unable to sustain its life, the creature exploded, scattering its flesh in all directions. Alright, now that my task is done, it¡¯s time to return through the rift. Chapter 15: Yad-Thaddag Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 15 EP.15 Yad-Thaddag ¡°Did you confirm that? The giant monster reported in the outskirts of Sector C recently.¡± ¡°Yes, we are currently tracking its energy. It seems to be roaming around the border between Sector B and Sector C, and there have been no reports of casualties yet.¡± ¡°Keep monitoring it. If it seems dangerous, we¡¯ll deploy forces to eliminate it immediately.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The Space Environment Management Department. One of the busiest departments in the Gctic Union. They monitor energy fluctuations in the 24 sectors under the Gctic Union¡¯s jurisdiction, ensuring there are no dangerous elements.Previously, they deployed small satellites across the universe for more detailed monitoring. However, this led to cases where monitoring personnel would directly witness Outer Gods and suffer mental breakdowns. Now, they use infrared and radio wave detection from bases spread throughout each sector. When they detect threats like giant monsters or massive fleets of space pirates, the information is ryed to the Space Safety Management Headquarters, where countermeasures are devised. Currently, they are tracking a giant monster estimated to be A-rank or higher based on its size and radio wave distortion. Deploying one or tworge warships is necessary, and even then, significant casualties are expected. The protocol is to avoid provoking it unless its path or behavior poses a threat. The estimated A-rank giant monster they detected is moving from the outskirts of Sector C towards the border between Sector B and Sector C. Its path is skirting the boundary, so it seems unlikely to threaten any protected gxies orary systems. While dedicated personnel continued to monitor it just in case, Beep beep beep¡ª Suddenly, rms started ring. ¡°This¡­ this is insane¡­¡± The employee cursed under his breath as he looked at the screen. It was the same special alert they had encountered not long ago¡­ The screen kept flickering between ck and normal. ¡°Code ck¡­!!¡± The appearance of an Outer God, Code ck. A special situation where the detected energy in spacepletely vanished in that area. The size, shape, and the sudden tearing of space indicated the arrival of an Outer God. ¡°Damn it, not again¡­! Quickly, contact the team leader¡­ no, Director Celeste!!¡± The employees urgently contacted Celeste, the head of the Space Environment Management Department. Receiving the call, Celeste rushed to the scene. ¡°Another Outer God appearance? We just had one recently¡­!¡± He hurriedly checked the screen, incredulous. Outer Gods never appeared this frequently. Typically, they appeared once every few years, or at the shortest, every few months by Union time. But it had only been a week since thest appearance. ¡®What, are they not counting thest incident because it wasn¡¯t a big deal?¡¯ Celeste gritted his teeth in frustration as he examined the screen. Something seemed off. ¡°¡­The size and void distortion rate. Isn¡¯t it almost identical to the one we saw before?¡± Since living beings couldn¡¯t directly observe Outer Gods, they identified them by the size, shape, and distortion rate of the empty energy signals. The size, shape, and distortion rate were all very simr to the Outer God that had appeared and disappeared suddenly a week ago. It hadn¡¯t even been given a codename due to theck of time to analyze it. ¡®Could it be that it¡¯s returned to cause a major incident?¡¯ Celeste thought, but something felt strange. The Outer God had appeared right in front of the estimated A-rank giant monster. As evidence, the giant monster had suddenly stopped moving and seemed to be confronting the Outer God. ¡°¡­What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°What should we do? Should we contact the Safety Management Headquarters?¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t know what might happen. The Outer God could do something, so we need to prepare a response¡­¡± As Celeste was giving instructions, ¡°Huh?!¡± An employee watching the screen suddenly shouted in surprise. ¡°What? What is it?¡± Celeste asked urgently, and the employee pointed at the screen with a trembling voice. ¡°The, the giant monster just¡­ vanished.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Celeste pushed aside the employees to check the screen himself. Indeed, the icon representing the giant monster had disappeared from the screen. ¡®Could that Outer God have done this?¡¯ The giant monster? It appeared suddenly and then¡­ Why? Questions flooded his mind, but there was no way to answer them. After annihting the giant monster, the mysterious Outer God seemed to havepleted its task and tore through space, disappearing into another dimension. ¡°¡­Both of them are gone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The sudden situation had passed too quickly. Celeste and the employees were left speechless, staring nkly at the screen. At that moment, ¡°Director Allegros from the Safety Management Headquarters has arrived!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation now? Exin it to me again!¡± Allegros rushed in, demanding an exnation. Celeste and the employees could only look at him in silence. The situation had alreadypletely ended. # ¡°So, the creature that had disappeared suddenly reappeared, annihted the A-rank giant monster we were monitoring, and then vanished again?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the situation.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Celeste reported everything he had witnessed to Elder Edgar. After hearing the report, Elder Edgar sighed deeply and shook his head. ¡°This is unprecedented.¡± It almost seemed as if the Outer God had helped the Gctic Union. Previously, it had caused a panic on a single tourist ship and then disappeared without further incident. And now, it had actually helped? ¡®This feels like something out of myth.¡¯ Gods who created the world and aided their creations. It felt like witnessing the gods from the ancient myths of various races. ¡°Is the site where the giant monster died being investigated?¡± ¡°Yes. The Safety Management Headquarters is sending ships and personnel to the site to recover the giant monster¡¯s remains.¡± ¡°Good, the remains of the giant monster will be useful for research, so make sure to secure them properly.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± For now, all they could do was recover the remains of the already dead giant monster. The giant monster¡¯s body, from its skin to its blood and internal organs, was valuable as both material and research data. Honestly, dealing with an A-rank monster would have required several medium-sizedbat ships from the Gctic Union, making it a costly endeavor. But now, we had gained a significant advantage without lifting a finger. ¡®A benevolent Outer God¡­ or perhaps we just don¡¯t understand its intentions.¡¯ Regardless of its motives, its actions greatly benefited the Gctic Union. During its first appearance, it caused some damage, but it also led us to discover Eugene, a genius Tera technician. This time, it directly killed the giant monster, providing direct assistance. ¡®Maybe not all Outer Gods are harmful to us.¡¯ It made sense when you thought about it. Higher-tier Outer Gods all possessed their own intelligence and curiosity. While most of the time, their intelligence and curiosity had adverse effects on space-dwelling life forms, there could be instances where they acted beneficially. ¡®We can¡¯t draw conclusions from just this one instance. We need to observe whether this new Outer God is truly friendly towards us.¡¯ It would be wise to monitor it separately. For that, we needed to assign a codename to this new Outer God. ¡°Codename, huh.¡± ¡°I do have a suggestion.¡± When the topic of a codename came up, Celeste proposed an idea he had already thought of. ¡°Yad-Thaddag. It¡¯s the name of a benevolent god from Yorein mythology. The leader of the good gods who opposes evil gods and protects their creations.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So, you hope this Outer God will be a protector and helper for us.¡± Elder Edgar nodded, seemingly pleased with Celeste¡¯s suggestion. Thus, the new Outer God was given the codename ¡®Yad-Thaddag.¡¯ # Yad-Thaddag? Hmm¡­ In that universe, it¡¯s said to be a god from Yorein mythology, but what I know is that Yad-Thaddag is the leader of the Elder Gods in derivative works based on the Cthulhu Mythos. It¡¯s somewhat simr yet different. Or perhaps they¡¯re intentionally giving names that fit well? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­ but it does feel nice to be given the name of a benevolent god. Not that I¡¯m particrly kind to all the races in the universe¡­ This time, I acted to ensure my avatar and old man Jupiter wouldn¡¯t die. Still, it¡¯s better than other Outer Gods who crush everything like ants or those like Nyathotep who destroy and study out of curiosity. I mean, not only did I remove a threat, but from their perspective, they also got valuable research material for free. Thinking about it that way, I must seem like a real angel to them. ¡­A benevolent god protecting its creations. Since I did it to protect my avatar, Eugene, I guess it¡¯s not entirely wrong. Chapter 16: Ubbo-Sathla Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 16 EP.16 Ubbo-Sat After Eugene and his party safely crossed from Sector B to Sector C and headed towards the Meiasary system, I felt relieved. Suddenly, someone came to find me. [Was it you who destroyed my creation?] [¡­?] It had a terrifying appearance, like an amoeba erged to the size of Jupiter. I could identify it through information from other universes. ¡®Ubbo-Sat.¡¯A colossal unicellr organism, referred to as the origin of all life¡­ an Outer God considered a creator deity that literally created life. Naturally, it was a top-tier Outer God like Nyathotep. It had countless creations, akin to avatars, spread across various universes, with the number of its creations being the highest among Outer Gods. It was said that nearly quadrillions of its creations were active across the universe. Well¡­ that¡¯s just what the literature from other universes says, so the exact number is probably uncountable. But to say I destroyed one of its creations¡­ What is it talking about? The only life form I recently destroyed was that giant monster¡­ oh. [It was a work I painstakingly created. And you destroyed it. Are you trying to hinder me?] Ubbo-Sat seemed quite angry. Apparently, it was upset because I had effortlessly killed the giant monster it had meticulously crafted. ¡­I didn¡¯t mean to; that thing threatened my avatar first. Well, it didn¡¯t actually threaten, but it felt like it might. I didn¡¯t know it was something you created. [My apologies. I didn¡¯t know it was your creation.] In situations like this, an apology is the best course of action. No need to escte into a troublesome conflict. [Don¡¯t think you can get away with such a petty excuse. How dare you destroy my¡­ hmm?] But then, Ubbo-Sat seemed to notice something and looked behind me. Oh, right. I had materialized Eugene¡¯s perspective into a screen to watch like a drama. But this is something other Outer Gods can easily do, so why would it be interested¡­ [That Tera life form, is that your creation?] Huh? Oh. It¡¯s not the screen but Eugene inside it that¡¯s caught its interest. Well¡­ considering I imbued it with personality, it¡¯s fair to say it¡¯s my creation. [Yes. Is there a problem?] Why is it suddenly interested in this? Surely it¡¯s not going to im that creating life is its exclusive domain and start some ridiculous territorial dispute¡­ [Very intriguing¡­! Compared to the giant monster I created, this is far more fascinating. Though it¡¯s currently weak, it has the potential to grow and even kill giant monsters.] Saying this, it suddenly moved closer. Ugh¡­! Don¡¯t shove that slimy, sticky body at me¡­!! Of course, I also have a terrifying, wriggly, and sticky appearance, but I still feel a sense of repulsion. Why do Outer Gods all have to look so grotesque and creepy? Trying to avoid contact, I subtly moved away, but it leaned in even more, almost entering the screen as it stared intently. ¡­Is it really that fascinating? It¡¯s just a typical overpowered protagonist from another world, isn¡¯t it¡­? [A creature designed to start as a lowly being and eventually overpower formidable creations¡­ very intriguing. This might help me achieve what I desire.] With that, Ubbo-Sat turned its gaze back to me. [I will forgive you for ruining my creation. Instead, I would like you to cooperate with my n.] [n?] Hmm¡­ What is this? I have a strong feeling that I¡¯m about to get involved in something extremely troublesome. # Ubbo-Sat. An Outer God referred to as the origin of all life in the universe. He created countless creatures to the extent that he earned such a title. ording to some universe¡¯s scriptures that worship him, his offspring spread across the universe number in the quadrillions. Of course, even that is just an estimate from their scriptures. In reality, the number of his creations spread across the multiverse is uncountable. For reference, in the sci-fi universe I was born in, there are numerous creations of Ubbo-Sat. Many giant monsters, including the one I destroyed, and even some of the species within the Gctic Union that almost dominate the current universe, are actually his creations, not naturally born. Even the Lubaran race was a civilization directly created by Ubbo-Sat. The reason Ubbo-Sat spread so many creations across various universes is simple. It was to absorb the life forms living in those universes as nutrients. [To achieve that, I create avatars that will dominate and destroy the universe, crushing the life forms.] When I asked why he needed to absorb nutrients when Outer Gods didn¡¯t require such sustenance, [Because they taste very good. The nutrients of life forms.] ¡­Just for the taste. Additionally, he said he greatly enjoyed watching his creations dominate and crush other life forms in the universe. It turns out that the demon kings of fantasy worlds, the ultimate cosmic beasts that rule the universe, and other destructive deities in various stories were actually creations of Ubbo-Sat, made to dominate and destroy the universe to absorb the nutrients of life forms. This insane being¡­ So, you were the mastermind behind every demon king in all stories¡­!! One might ask why he doesn¡¯t just do it himself instead of taking such a cumbersome approach. Well, it¡¯s because he¡¯s an Outer God. If Ubbo-Sat were to directly enter the universe, life forms would go insane upon encountering him. Even touching him would cause them to disintegrate at the atomic level. Before he could do anything, all life forms would either die or vanish. This means he wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb arge amount of life energy, and even if he did, his power would contaminate the nutrients. So, he creates avatars to y his universe-destroying games instead of doing it himself. And most importantly, it¡¯s probably more fun for him. Honestly, I can understand that. If I were to do it myself, it would be so overwhelming that calling it overpowered would be an understatement. Naturally, ying a universe domination simtion game with avatars I created would be more entertaining. [But sometimes, things don¡¯t go as nned in certain universes.] Ubbo-Sat said, giving several examples. For instance, it¡¯s as if the universe itself creates adversaries to thwart his amusement. These adversaries defeat the demon kings or destructive gods he painstakingly created, leading to annoying situations. When that happens, he sometimes gets angry and creates even stronger avatars or steps in himself. Anyway, to avoid such interference from the universe, he researched various methods. One of them was to create a powerful civilization instead of an overwhelming individual. This is how the Lubaran race was created in this universe. However, this n spectacrly backfired. You can tell by the fact that the Lubaran race formed the Gctic Union and started protecting the universe instead. He thought that if he interfered too much, the universe would eventually push back. So, he created a race with exceptional abilities and left them alone as much as possible. As a result, these beings advanced their science and, instead of dominating the universe, formed a union and became its protectors. ¡­Well, from the universe¡¯s perspective, that¡¯s pretty sweet. From my perspective, a space opera genre is far more entertaining than having a bunch of insane demon king races causing chaos. So, Ubbo-Sat tried to create giant monsters to attack the Gctic Union, but even that wasn¡¯t easy. He even sent a demon king-level entity, close to an Outer God, but the Gctic Union, despite suffering heavy losses, ultimately triumphed. ¡­Oh, so that was why the Gctic Union was boasting about capturing a lower-tier Outer God. It was his doing¡­ Anyway, Ubbo-Sat ended up creating an adversary that protects the universe with his own hands. What¡¯s more concerning is that the universe¡¯s will hasn¡¯t created an adversary yet. If he starts interfering more than just creating giant monsters, he¡¯ll have to deal with both the Lubaran race and the universe¡¯s adversary. [It¡¯s tempting to destroy everything out of annoyance, but it¡¯s rare to find a universe that has developed this much.] The entire universe is overflowing with delicious life forms, thanks to the Gctic Union led by the Lubaran race. Although his interference has increased due to the Lubaran race, it has also enhanced the quantity and quality of the universe¡¯s nutrients. [So, I propose this to you.] What Ubbo-Sat wants is a life form like Eugene. One that starts weak, preventing the universe¡¯s will from creating an adversary. Then, it grows and eventually bes a demon king-level entity. Whether he¡¯s never created such a life form before or hecks understanding of the concept of ¡®growth¡¯ because he¡¯s been an Outer God since birth, he¡¯s asking for my help. He wants me to create a cosmic demon king for universe domination and destruction. [¡­¡­] I mean, the story is incredibly interesting and entertaining, so I kept listening. ¡­But why would I help with that¡­? Chapter 17: Let’s Start Right Away. Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 17 EP.17 Let¡¯s Start Right Away. [You interfered with me, so you have a responsibility to help.] What kind of absurd logic is that? Just because I destroyed one giant monster that wasn¡¯t even an adversary, I¡¯m responsible? If he¡¯s consuming the nutrients of life forms, why not just use a universe as a farm, grow and absorb, grow and absorb? From what I see, in the universe that named him Ubbo-Sat, they seem to worship him as a creator god. [Why not just find a universe that will willingly offer you sacrifices? Why dominate and destroy a perfectly fine universe?] Curious, I asked.[Farmed and wild arepletely different in taste. I¡¯m a gourmet.] [¡­¡­] Ah, I see¡­ So, he doesn¡¯t like creating life forms to consume endlessly or farming them. He wants to taste life forms that naturally arise in the universe. [If you don¡¯t want to help, then give me your knowledge. How to create a life form that starts weak but has the potential to be a ruler.] ¡­Well, I don¡¯t have any specific knowledge to give. As he just mentioned, it¡¯s about creating a life form with potential. Like how I created Eugene, who has immense mana and talent for magic but hasn¡¯t learned to harness it yet¡­ something like that. Doesn¡¯t it juste naturally to create such a being? Despite being someone who enjoys consuming the nutrients of life forms, he doesn¡¯t seem to have researched much about creating them. He¡¯s interested in the taste of life forms but not in studying them. It seems Outer Gods are born with their inclinations, and they don¡¯t bother with fields they¡¯re not interested in. He has the information but no intention of utilizing or applying it. If he shared his interest in life forms with Nyathotep, he wouldn¡¯t need my help. One is overly curious and dissects races, while the other is obsessed with the taste of wild life forms. Aren¡¯t they a perfect match? They could go into business together. If they created a being with the potential to be a ruler without interference from the universe¡¯s will, Nyathotep could take some for research, and Ubbo-Sat could enjoy the rest. ¡­But no, that would mean Eugene¡¯s sci-fi space opera would end prematurely, and we can¡¯t have that. As I was thinking this, I sensed a familiar presence approaching. Speak of the devil. It was Nyathotep. [You filthy unicellr creature. Who do you think you¡¯re threatening?] [Isn¡¯t it the worm who¡¯s busy researching delicious snacks?] The moment they met, it was clear why they didn¡¯t work together. [Get lost before I dismantle all your precious creations.] [You get lost. Why are you here?] It seemed they had a very bad rtionship. Hmm, they¡¯re snarling at each other like they want to kill. I wish both would just leave. I need to get back to my drama. [That neer is mine. Threatening my research subject is the same as attacking me.] [Don¡¯t be ridiculous. That one will help me pursue the ultimate taste. Don¡¯t touch him.] You crazy fools. I belong to no one!! I really wish they would both just leave. # In the end, after arguing for a long time, they couldn¡¯t reach a conclusion and started a full-blown fight. I got a bit curious and decided to watch, and it was truly a spectacle. It was like a sh of concepts. Or just incredibly grotesque¡­ Ubbo-Sat¡¯s wriggling unicellr body extended something out. Nyathotep¡¯s tentacles stretched out to meet it. Smack! Thud! Boom! Every time their bodies collided, something flickered into existence and then vanished in the empty space between them. It was¡­ an enormous cosmic space. As expected from Outer Gods, every sh of their attacks resulted in a Big Bang. A universe was born, and with each subsequent collision, that universe was destroyed again. Big Bangs and universe annihtions urred hundreds, thousands of times simultaneously. Even the conceptless void began to twist and change. A massive ck hole, the size of a universe, formed as the twisted void tore apart and swallowed the surrounding universes. The ck hole was sorge that even beings the size ofs, like Nyathotep, Ubbo-Sat, and myself, appeared as tiny particles. Of course, we weren¡¯t particrly affected. But the universes floating in the void were a different story. The ck hole started sucking in the multiverses floating around like bubbles. Oh no, you crazy fools! At this rate, my sci-fi universe will get sucked in and annihted too! I hurriedly closed the ck hole. Since it was caused by the twisting of the void, I restored the twist to its original state, and the ck hole quickly disappeared. It seemed ridiculouslyrge, and I wondered if it would work, but it was easier to handle than I thought. Well, top-tier Outer Gods like me maintain this size for convenience. Considering our abilities, it makes sense that we could match the scale of a universe. If we wanted, we could probably be thatrge. But¡­ it would be inconvenient and a hassle to maintain, so we don¡¯t. Anyway, if those two keep fighting, these troublesome situations will continue to ur. Even if they fight to the death, neither can annihte the other. [Stop fighting. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble.] In the end, I stepped in to settle the situation. [I¡¯ll help you, but leave the universes I choose alone. Don¡¯t touch what¡¯s mine.] I told Ubbo-Sat that I¡¯d help himter, but he must leave the sci-fi universe where Eugene resides and any other universes I take an interest in alone. Honestly, as long as I¡¯m entertained, I don¡¯t need to worry about other universes. Thispromise should be sufficient. And to be honest, creating a cosmic demon god¡­ sounds kind of interesting. It could be fun, right? Anyway, that settled things with Ubbo-Sat. As for Nyathotep¡­ [I am not yours. I¡¯m not a research subject. I¡¯ll entertain your curiosity, but only as an equal.] How dare she try to im me. I¡¯m not her research subject. [¡­I apologize. It was not something I should have said to an equal.] [Well, there are plenty of other universes. I don¡¯t mind cooperating if it¡¯s on equal terms.] Nyathotep apologized for her attitude. And it seemed Ubbo-Sat epted my proposal as well. Phew¡­ Seriously, these primordial beings, supposedly the origins of everything, fighting like elementary school kids over such trivial matters. Even though they can easily destroy multiple universes if they fight for real, they throw tantrums like children. It¡¯s incredibly annoying. Anyway, the situation calmed down. I agreed to cooperate with Ubbo-Satter and sent him away. Nyathotep also left after confirming that Ubbo-Sat was gone. It seems she came because Ubbo-Sat was threatening me, which sshe didn¡¯t like. ¡­Sigh, finally sorted out. Living as an Outer God isn¡¯t as easy and convenient as it seems. However, my encounter with Ubbo-Sat sparked some interest in me. Specifically, in the creation of life and civilizations. Not to create a cosmic demon god to dominate the universe like him. But the story about the Lubaran race intrigued me. Seeing the species he created build civilizations and eventually grow into a powerful race that forms a Gctic Union epassing the entire universe. It¡¯s like a civilization-building strategy simtion game! It¡¯s like a cosmic version of that old game, Civilization. Expandings and colonies with the species I nurture, ultimately achieving a scientific victory by unifying gxies and the universe. That sounds incredibly fun! While Eugene¡¯s sci-fi space opera is great, a civilization-building game also sounds fascinating. ¡­What if the species I nurture achieve such advanced civilization that they surpass the Lubaran race and be the leaders of the Gctic Union? That would be incredibly entertaining. And it would be a two-birds-one-stone goal to mess with Ubbo-Sat, who annoyed me. Isn¡¯t that right? Of course, even though his species and civilization ended up being a nuisance because they didn¡¯t follow his orders, he did put a lot of effort into creating them to dominate the universe. What if my newly created species eventually push them out? Honestly, that would feel incredibly satisfying. Perfect. I¡¯ve decided on my second source of enjoyment. Anyway, Eugene facing off against the Gctic Union is a decade away¡­ In the meantime, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues with me designing a species. Even if something happens, I¡¯ll keep part of my consciousness monitoring the situation. ¡­But what if creating this species causes the future to get all messed up? Not that it really matters. There¡¯s a chance Eugene and my created species could influence each other. ¡­Oh, a drama and a game sharing the same universe. And they even influence each other? Haha, what a ridiculous idea. Let¡¯s start right away. Chapter 18: Species Design Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 18 EP.18 Species Design Alright, let¡¯s start with the design. A species, huh. It¡¯s my first time creating a species, so I¡¯m a bit worried. I¡¯ll also need to create a star system ands for them to live on, but let¡¯s decide on the species first. The environment will depend on the nature of the species. If they¡¯re like humans, they¡¯ll need an Earth-like. If they¡¯re monstrous like the Zerg, they¡¯ll need a harsh environment. If they¡¯re transforming robots, they¡¯ll need a Cybertron-like world. Each species requires an environment suited to their characteristics.So, let¡¯s start with the concept. Should they be intelligent like the Lubaran race, rapidly advancing in science and achieving a highly advanced civilization? Or should they use special energy like the Meias race¡¯s magic? Or perhaps they could be like the Terra race, with unique adaptability and absorption abilities, expanding their poption and civilization? Going for a monster-like feel, like the Aliens or Zerg, would be cool, but it¡¯s not suitable for bing the head of the Gctic Union. A world of mechs, Cybertronians? It¡¯s romantic, but they might get captured and dissected by the Lubaran race, so let¡¯s pass on that. Ah~ It¡¯s tough because they can¡¯t be too overpowered, but they also can¡¯t be too weak. If they¡¯re weak, they¡¯ll be dominated instantly. If they¡¯re overpowered, they might be the cosmic demon god species dominating the universe. Alright, let¡¯s base their appearance on humans. Why? Because I was originally a human from Earth. Human appearance is the way to go. Right, right. They might end up looking simr to the Terra race, but who cares. After all, the Meias race also looks almost human, and there are many species that look alike. And let¡¯s make them attractive, with handsome men and beautiful women! It¡¯s more pleasing to the eye that way. Mainly, it¡¯s pleasing to me. As for their lifespan¡­ If they die too quickly, they¡¯ll be too busy surviving to build a civilization, so let¡¯s set it reasonably long. But not too long, or they might be too leisurely and slow to develop¡­ Maybe a lifespan simr to humans? ording to the Gctic Union¡¯s official time, that¡¯s about 100 years. Same as Earth time. Come to think of it, the flow of time in the Gctic Union is the same as on the Earth I lived on. Just to check, I searched my mind and found that the Terra race¡¯s Terra is different from the Earth I lived on. Why was it set that way? It turns out the average lifespan of the species that first formed the Gctic Union was that. ¡­Is this a coincidence? Well, it makes calctions easier for me. Anyway, a lifespan of around 100 years should be appropriate. Or maybe not. If I make them diligent and lucky enough to be born on a rich in minerals and energy¡­ They¡¯ll develop on their own regardless of lifespan, right? If I set their intelligence high and increase their curiosity and desire for progress? In that case, a longer lifespan might actually be better. ¡­Hmm, is this favoritism? No, no! Ubbo-Sat also created a simr environment for the Lubaran race. He poured immense resources and energy into the Lubaran race¡¯s to create a species that could dominate and crush the universe. On top of that, he even gave them a basic level of civilization to start with. I can also give my species an easy mode start, right? ¡­Alright, let¡¯s do it this way. Their lifespan will be 400 years, but the orbital period of their will be 4 years. So, inary terms, their lifespan will be 100 years! Perfect, it matches 100 years. Done and done. For the orbital period to be that long, the central star needs to be quiterge. Yes, the light and heat from the star are also energy sources for the civilization. If they¡¯re going the scientific route, they¡¯ll eventually dismantle surroundings to build a Dyson Sphere around the star¡­ So I don¡¯t need to worry too much about that. I¡¯ll provide enough coal and oil for early use, and after that, they¡¯ll venture into space to use resources from others or ster energy. Let¡¯s steer them towards developing eco-friendly energy quickly, without letting their deteriorate. ¡­Isn¡¯t this just a mix of the Terra and Lubaran races? I want to add something more unique. Something special, whether in appearance or abilities. Long-lived humans¡­ Scientific advancement¡­ Eco-friendly¡­ Handsome men and beautiful women¡­ [Oh, I¡¯ve got a great idea.] A long-lived species that lives in harmony with nature, is eco-friendly, and has many handsome men and beautiful women! Isn¡¯t this exactly like elves? [¡­¡­] Of course, when you think of elves, you imagine them living in forests, shooting arrows, andmuning with spirits, not advancing technologically. But we¡¯re aiming for eco-friendly natural energy, right? And if I create theary environment that way¡­ And more importantly, if we consider space as part of nature, they could be space-faring elves protecting and preserving the natural universe! Totally possible, right? Alright, the species name will be Elf. While they¡¯re amon species in other universes, there don¡¯t seem to be any elf-like species in this sci-fi universe. There are intelligent life forms that love nature and live in forests, but they aren¡¯t beautiful and don¡¯t shoot arrows. In fact, they look like amoeba blobs. Kind of like slimes? After hearing about Ubbo-Sat, I wondered if he created them too. But it seems they just urred naturally. Anyway, there¡¯s no species with a simr concept here. Space Elves, guardians of the vast natural universe. Great, let¡¯s go with this concept. I¡¯ve roughly finished designing the species, the star system, their initial, and the surroundingary environment. Now, I just need to return to the universe and create it. But if I go, the Gctic Union will go into a frenzy, and if their attention shifts towards the star system, they¡¯ll detect and observe everything I¡¯m doing. Creating it near a naturally urring supernova explosion could help avoid detection, but my presence would still be highly unnatural. Hmm, constantly being detected is annoying. Maybe I should change my form? I¡¯m easily detected because my body is made of void, which can¡¯t be exined by thews of the universe. When an Outer God appears, the energy in that part of the universe suddenly cuts off and bes empty. There is a way to avoid detection. By continuously altering my body to mimic the energy flow of the universe. Essentially, creating a body made of cosmic radiation energy. If I match the wavelengths, I won¡¯t be detected by energy sensors. As for my appearance¡­ If someone passes by close enough, they¡¯ll see me, but I can use stealth to hide that too. With this, there¡¯s no chance of detection by the Gctic Union or nearbys. However, there are side effects. Namely, life forms might approach me without realizing the danger. While nurturing a civilization, it¡¯s best to stay nearby to quickly respond to unexpected situations, but if my creations discover me¡­ Or if a Gctic Union scout, a passing tourist ship, or a space adventureres near and notices me¡­ Just being near me or recognizing me would destroy the minds of weaker life forms. [Heh, of course, I¡¯ve prepared for this.] Who am I? I¡¯m an incredibly powerful top-tier Outer God who can do anything. Naturally, I¡¯ve thought of a solution for this. The reason life forms¡¯ minds overload is because the information from my void body and the distorted environment is too vast andplex for their brains to handle. So, I need to change my appearance and the distorted cosmic environment. First, if I change my void body to an energy body aligned with thews of the universe, that takes care of the void aspect. As for the distorted environment, I can reverse the distortion. In other universes, there are Outer Gods whose true forms don¡¯t cause mental copse. Most of them are weak, low-tier Outer Gods, but there are some high-tier ones too. The method they use is surprisingly simple. If the distorted cosmic environment overloads with information, reversing the distortion can mitigate it. Of course, my power is so immense that I can¡¯tpletely eliminate the effects of the void body and the distorted environment. But I can adjust it so that instead of instantly melting brains, it just causes severe headaches and dizziness. Honestly, even this is a significant improvement. The fact that one can encounter a top-tier Outer God without their brain exploding is almost impossible. Haha, doing all this¡­ I truly deserve the title of the benevolent god, Yad-Thaddag. Honestly, where else would you find a god as considerate as me? ¡­Well, the high-tier Outer God who taught me this method is simr. He¡¯s called ¡®Kthanid¡¯ in various universes. An Outer God who cares for life forms as much as I do. I¡¯d like to meet him and have a conversation. For now, let¡¯s create the Elf species and their. Later, when I return to the rift, I¡¯ll try to find him. Chapter 19: The First Elf in Universe Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 19 EP.19 The First Elf in Universe [Ah.] Just as I was about to proceed after finishing the design, two issues came to mind. The first issue is that the moment I cross back into the universe, the tear in the dimensional rift I emerged from will be detected. This would alert the Gctic Union that something has crossed over. While I can solve the issue of my body by transforming it into an energy body simr to cosmic radiation, I can¡¯t conceal the torn space. Well¡­ it¡¯s not a major problem. I could temporarily disable the Gctic Union¡¯s detection devices at that moment, and if discovered, I could erase the memories of those involved and delete any transmission records.Honestly, even if they detect it, I could just teleport far away, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. But to avoid futureplications, I¡¯ll briefly disable the detection devices when I tear through space. It¡¯s not a difficult task. In fact, I wonder why I didn¡¯t do this before. ¡­Maybe I was just toozy. That¡¯s settled, now the second issue. What to do about Eugene. Currently, Eugene is being controlled by a backup personality I created. Though this personality is essentially a part of me, there¡¯s still a difference between me directly controlling things and the backup personality doing so. Even though it¡¯s a personality split from me, it¡¯s still an independent entity. Moreover, changes in the future caused by my doppelg?nger don¡¯t seem to be included in my knowledge. If I wanted, I could go to the rift, which has no concept of time, and see the future of the universe¡­ but I¡¯m currently enjoying the drama, and I don¡¯t want any more spoilers. Yes, I¡¯m watching Eugene¡¯s life like a drama. Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s consider Eugene not just as my doppelg?nger but as an independent creation. I¡¯ll decide that the backup personality currently controlling the body is the real ¡®Eugene.¡¯ Leaving it like this, I won¡¯t know how his rtionship with the Gctic Union will develop in 10 years, or what impact he will have on this universe in the future¡­ but isn¡¯t that more exciting? Time is inherently interesting because it has no predetermined direction or endpoint. If everything ran towards a fixed end in a set direction, what could be more boring? I actually prefer that even an Outer God has things they can¡¯t predict or know. In an unimaginably eternal life, it¡¯s good to have events that can still pique my interest due to my interference. The creation of this species and civilization is the same. How they will change the future. How they will grow and what kind of presence they will be in this universe. There¡¯s no way for me to know. I¡¯m just creating the Elf species as I please and nting them in the garden. How much they will grow and what kind of flowers and fruits they will bear is something to be seen. ¡­Well, just as I knew the information and future of the Lubaran race the moment I was born into this universe. If I asked another top-tier Outer God with simr powers, I might learn their future. But I won¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not a pervert who wants to hear spoilers for a movie or drama I¡¯m looking forward to. Anyway, I¡¯ve decided how to handle the two issues that came to mind just before crossing over. Now it¡¯s truly time to return to my birthce. This time, I¡¯m not just stopping by like when I got rid of that giant monster. I n to stay for quite a while. At least until my species, the Elves, are firmly on track. If any problems arise, I¡¯ll be there to take care of them immediately. # Crossing into the universe, I obscure the Gctic Union¡¯s vision. Thanks to that, there¡¯s no reaction from their side. Alright, let¡¯s quickly move to the nearby supernova. It¡¯s best to choose a ce without any major civilizations nearby. We don¡¯t want our new civilization to be devoured before it even has a chance to grow. Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, there¡¯s a suitable spot in Sector G. A recent supernova explosion has created a ce where new stars are about to be born. The immense amount of material dispersed by the supernova is clumping together to form stars ands. In this ce, creating a star system out of nowhere wouldn¡¯t seem strange to the Gctic Union. Sector G of the universe. It doesn¡¯t even have a gctic identification number. In other words, it¡¯s not under the jurisdiction of the Gctic Union. The Gctic Union¡¯s reach doesn¡¯t extend here, so monitoring and detection arex. So, hiding behind the supernova explosion and creating a star system in ten seconds won¡¯t be a problem. Even if a star system suddenly appeared in an empty gxy, it might raise suspicions, but here, stars are already being formed by the supernova explosion. As the saying goes, hide a tree in a forest and a person in a bustling city. So, when creating stars, the best ce to hide them is where stars are already being formed. Even if the Gctic Union eventually sends a team to explore this gxy and investigate intelligent life, by then, our Elves should have grown significantly. If not, I can always hide them from detection. For now, let¡¯s quickly move there. Hmm~ I can feel the effects of the supernova explosion on my body. Being an energy body perfectly attuned to the surrounding energy, I can feel a sudden surge of energy within me. Haha, at this rate, I might end up creating a star inside my own body. But if you¡¯re wondering how I¡¯ll create a livable environment for life forms in such an immense energy-filled space¡­ Of course, I¡¯ll adjust the cosmic environment ordingly. Huh? Wouldn¡¯t the sudden void of neutrinos and light in the middle of the supernova be detected? No need to worry about that. Since this gxy is beyond their influence, the Gctic Union won¡¯t pay attention until the effects of the supernova dissipate. Even if they do discover it, I¡¯ll cleverly conceal it, so there¡¯s no need for concern. We need to give the civilization time to develop. ¡­It might seem like a cheat, but it¡¯s necessary. Isn¡¯t that right? When ying a civilization-building game, no game suddenly sends a fleet to destroy everything just because an anomaly is detected from the outside. If such a game existed, it would get heavily criticized and disappear right after release. Even if such events ur, they usually happen only after the yer¡¯s civilization can somewhat handle them. So, me shielding and concealing everything is like a beginner¡¯s protection period blessed by a goddess. In this case, it¡¯s not a goddess¡¯s blessing but an Outer God¡¯s blessing. Anyway, enough with the digressions. Let¡¯s get down to creating the star system. I¡¯ll make the main sequence star slightlyrger than the Sun, and surround it with severals rich in minerals, enough to build a Dyson Sphere around the star. Lastly, I¡¯ll create the Elves¡¯ in the Goldilocks zone, the perfect ce for their development. The will be slightlyrger than Earth. Its surface area will be about twice that of Earth. Therger, the better. Additionally, I¡¯ll create another in the Goldilocks zone, positioned for future terraforming when the space age arrives¡­ Okay, that should do it. Ah, arger star in the Goldilocks zone, and a well-prepared star system to match. I think I¡¯ve done a pretty good job adhering to thews of the universe without any setting errors. Now, I¡¯ll skip the numerous processes that primitive Earth had to go through and create a with a livable temperature, liquid water in oceans and freshwater, and a suitable amount ofnd¡­ and that¡¯s it. The birth and evolution of life, extinctions, and so on. I¡¯ll skip all those processes. Watching all that might be like enjoying arge terrarium with a mini-ecosystem, but doing that for billions of years is a bit much. Speeding up time on the to observe natural evolution is an option, but there¡¯s no guarantee that Elves would be born. It¡¯s best if I create them quickly. I want to nurture a civilization, not y a cell-raising game or Spore. So, I¡¯ll skip everything and create forests with suitable temperatures in various ces to match the characteristics of the Elves. And finally, it¡¯s time to create the Elves. Now¡­ how should I do this? Intelligent life forms typically undergo appropriate evolutionary processes, evolving in various locations. Among the evolved species, only those with the highest intelligence and strongest adaptability survive and eventually dominate the world. But what if there¡¯s no such process? I could create Elves in promising areas where civilizations are likely to form. Large rivers, fertile soil, and abundant resources. Since I initially created the environment with abundant resources and conditions suitable for life, there are many such points. With so many points, not just four major civilizations but maybe even ten could emerge. Now, I need to sculpt the Elves directly. As expected, since they are Elves, they should have blond or silver hair and be handsome or beautiful¡­ and the most important feature. Pointy ears! Ears that can droop, perk up, or turn red, allowing the expression of various Elf emotions visually. Yes, yes. This is what makes them truly Elves. Satisfied, I nodded as I looked at the forms of the first male and female Elves I created. Chapter 20: The Beginning of Civilization Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 20 EP.20 The Beginning of Civilization I¡¯ve created their forms, and now it¡¯s time to imbue them with gic traits and characteristics. As they are, they¡¯re just physical dolls. The rotational period is 36 hours by Gctic Union standards, and the orbital period is 4 years¡­ Time on this is about 6 times that of the Gctic Union¡¯s standard. If I set their lifespan to about 100 years by this¡¯s standards, that¡¯s a whopping 600 years by the Union¡¯s standards! For reference, the 36-hour day is just an adjustment because I increased the¡¯s size. Well¡­ it doesn¡¯t really matter.With the increased size, gravity is also a bit stronger, so I¡¯ll make their bodies out of lightweight materials but ensure they¡¯re highly durable. I¡¯ll increase the strength and sticity of their bones and the density of their muscles to make them strong enough to withstand several times the current gravity. Just like humans, secondary sexual characteristics will begin at 12-14 years old, and adulthood will be at 20 years old. By Gctic Union standards, that¡¯s 120 years. They¡¯ll be capable of reproduction from the onset of secondary sexual characteristics, and hormones will encourage them to find mates and reproduce around adulthood. They¡¯ll love forests and nature, have rtively peaceful dispositions, but possess the decisiveness to kill enemies without hesitation when in danger. I don¡¯t want them to wage war against each other, so I¡¯ll make their bonds with fellow Elves very strong. In fantasy settings, Elves are often depicted as having strong bonds within their race and being quite exclusionary towards other races. This is a faithful representation of that concept. They¡¯ll have strong concentration and vision, be sensitive to environmental changes like wind speed and humidity, and be gically specialized for long-range weapons like bows. They¡¯ll have high intelligence and a strong curiosity and desire for progress, enabling them to quickly reach advanced technological levels by utilizing resources. Hmm, what else is needed? What else is characteristic of Elves? Elemental magic? How should I implement that? I¡¯m debating whether to cover it with scientific technology or to imbue them with abilities akin to magic, like the Meias race. Honestly, even without such abilities, if they develop their scientific technology well, they could be incredibly powerful, like the Lubaran race, which creates phenomena on par with magic through science. I could create entities like spirits in the universe. But then, should they be confined to the Elf or spread throughout the universe? That¡¯s another issue. There¡¯s also the problem that this power might not remain exclusive to the Elves. If energy beings like spirits spread into the universe, they might grow uncontrobly. Spirits would need to be energy-based life forms without physical bodies, like me, but imagine them spreading into the universe. A supernova spirit absorbing supernova energy, a ck hole spirit absorbing gravitational waves from a ck hole, or a bizarre entity spirit turning everything it touches into bizarre energy and dposing it. Just imagining it conjures up cosmic horror-like monstrous entities. A-sized giant monster would be preferable since physical attacks would still work on it. ¡­Yeah, let¡¯s not create spirits. It could lead to troublesome situations, and I¡¯d have to create and manage an entire new race of spirits, which would be a hassle. Alright, let¡¯s settle with this. The Elves areplete! Let¡¯s see¡­ Handsome and beautiful beings with baster skin. They have the stamina and mental strength to stay active for up to a month without sleep, with a 36-hour day. Extremely strong bones and muscles. A lifespan of 600 years by Gctic Union standards. Strong bonds within their race and the decisiveness to kill enemies without hesitation when in danger. High concentration and vision, sensitive to environmental changes. High intelligence. A strong desire for progress. These are all just the basic options. ¡­Wait, as I was creating them, it seems like I¡¯ve made a superhuman race that can do everything. No, no! That¡¯s how Elves are supposed to be! In fantasy, they are depicted as a very noble and powerful race. In some other universes, they are even one of the strongest races that dominate the cosmos. Yes, yes. Look at the Lubaran race of Ubbo-Sat. They started with strong vitality, long lifespans, an abundance of resources in their star system, and high intelligence and civilization. Inparison, I¡¯m starting them off in a mere forest, so I¡¯m being more ethical. ¡­Well, it¡¯s a forest overflowing with resources, but still. Ah! I forgot something. There are plenty of edible resources, but I didn¡¯t include any animals. My Elves are omnivorous, so I need to include animals that can be domesticated¡­ and to add some challenge, I¡¯ll also include some strong predatory carnivores. Animals simr to tigers or bears? But since Elves are inherently strong beings, I¡¯ll make these predators somewhat monstrous. Not unbeatable, but at a level where early on, the Elves would need to avoid them or hunt them in groups for survival. However, when they do manage to hunt them, they¡¯ll get useful materials like tough hides or strong ws and teeth as loot. Wow, this feels like I¡¯m creating a game from scratch, and it¡¯s quite fun. I¡¯ll add herbivores, small carnivores, omnivores, and smaller animals and insects ordingly. I¡¯ll also include aquatic life in the seas and freshwater bodies! ¡­¡­ Phew, I got carried away and added quite a bit. By adding a variety of life forms, I¡¯ve created an ecosystem as diverse as ancient Earth¡¯s. Now, it¡¯s a teeming with life. So¡­ should I release about 1,000 Elves at each key point? That should be enough for them to multiply on their own, not too many, not too few. In ancient Earth, humans built viges with only about a hundred people in good locations, so 1,000 is quite a number. Given the strong bonds among Elves, they shouldn¡¯t fight amongst themselves. With abundant food and water resources, there¡¯s no reason for conflict. Instead, they¡¯ll need to band together to protect themselves from the fearsome predators around them. Haha, I haven¡¯t set the difficulty so high that they can¡¯t survive, so let¡¯s see how well they do. Srrr¡ª I distribute 1,000 Elves at each of the 30,000 pre-identified survival points. The initial poption of Elves is 30 million. Now¡­ let¡¯s see how quickly they multiply. Or, they might initially decrease in number due to survivalpetition. But I believe in them. As the strongest race I¡¯ve created, they¡¯ll ovee everything and dominate the entire, bing a great civilization. Not only that. Once they¡¯ve conquered the, they¡¯ll expand into space. Go, Elves! To the universe, Elves! # A female Elf slowly opened her eyes. Consciousness returned. She was a living being of this. And those who look simr around me are my kin. It¡¯s aforting forest. I like the forest. But who am I? I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m not sure, but there¡¯s one thing I know for certain. ¡°¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s something else in the forest besides us. And those things are targeting us. With highly sensitive senses, I could immediately perceive this. It seemed my kin also noticed it. We must survive. A thought that burned intensely in my mind. I must survive with my kin. With that thought, the 1,000 Elves quickly gathered closely together. By staying together, the enemies wouldn¡¯t dare attack easily, and even if they did, this would reduce the chance of being individually targeted, moving instinctively. We must defend against the enemies. Who we are, where we are. Those things can be figured outter. Can we win? Against the unknown entities in the forest? How? We have hands. We can hold things. If we hold something, we can attack farther and stronger than with bare hands. Realizing this, the female Elf hastily picked up a sturdy branch from the ground. A branch as thick as her slender forearm. It looked quite heavy, but she lifted it more easily than expected. Her body was remarkably strong. Seeing her actions, the other Elves began to imitate her. Some picked up branches like the female Elf, while others, finding no branches, picked up nearby stones. And during this time¡­ ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Fiverge quadrupedal animals, simr in size to the Elves, appeared. They had long snouts and sharp teeth. Drooling as if looking at prey, with fierce eyes. Their bodies were covered in fur, and their paws had tough, sharp ws. These were creatures their creator had envisioned as ¡®wolves.¡¯ But the newly created Elves had no knowledge of their names or characteristics. However, they instinctively knew that these were ¡®enemies¡¯ viewing them as prey. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± The female Elf who had first opened her eyes seemed to have an idea and began gesturing wildly at the Elves holding stones. Since they had nonguage system, she was exining with her body. She made a gesture as if to throw the stones by swinging her arm. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Fortunately, the Elves understood, and those holding stones threw them with all their might at the predators. The explosive strength from their strong bones and muscles,bined with their high concentration, sent the stones hurtling towards the predators at incredible speed. Thwack! ¡°Yelp!!¡± The hundred or so stones that flew struck the wolves on their heads, legs, and bodies. The stone-throwing was stronger than expected, causing some legs and bodies to fracture slightly. ¡°Yelp! Yelp!¡± The five wolves, severely injured, fled, and the Elves cheered in triumph over their victory against the predators. ¡°Woo!!¡± ¡°Oooo!¡± Though they had nonguage, it was clear they felt joy and satisfaction. They looked at the female Elf who had first picked up a branch and taught them to throw stones. The Elves realized that she was the smartest and most proactive among them. They hoped she would continue to lead them as their leader. Chapter 21: Primitive Tribe Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 21 EP.21 Primitive Tribe The Elves, gathered around the seemingly smartest female Elf, quickly began to adapt to the forest. Innately possessing a love for nature, none of them had anyints about living in the forest. In fact, they enjoyed it. With their bipedal stance and dexterous hands, they began to learn how to use tools. Time passed, and night fell. On the first night, they realized that the temperature dropped significantlypared to the day.Thanks to their eyes that could pierce through the darkness, maintaining visibility at night was easy, but the cold and the activity of nocturnal beasts posed a great threat. In fact, an attack by a massive, 3-meter striped carnivorous beast resulted in the death of 10 Elves, and the cold night prevented them from recovering their strength, leaving them in poor condition the next morning. Although their bodies were inherently strong and immune, preventing illness from just one sleepless night and a bit of cold, the difficulty of conserving and recovering energy in the wild was a significant issue. ¡°Uwaa! Uwo.¡± ¡°Ugh?¡± Then, in the morning, the female Elf noticed insects crawling out of the ground. Seeing this, she seemed to have an idea and gestured vigorously to the others, pointing at the ground. It seemed like she was suggesting they dig into the ground. By digging and entering a pit, they could avoid the cold winds at night and respond more flexibly to animal attacks. She reasoned that if they covered the top with leaves like the insect holes, it would block the wind and allow them to hide from predators. The intelligent Elves quickly understood her intent and began digging. Of course, digging a pitrge enough for 990 Elves was no easy task. They knew how to pick up and use things, but they didn¡¯t know about tools designed for efficiency. So, they dug with their hands or with branches and stones they found along the way. Naturally, progress was slow, and night began to fall. Though there were scattered pits everywhere, they were far from sufficient for 990 Elves to live in. Neither the depth nor the width was adequate. Fortunately, the ground was soft near the river in the forest, allowing them to dig this much; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have aplished even half of this. Despite their superior physical abilities, without proper techniques or tools, this was their limit. They would have to spend another night exposed. Although they had the stamina and mental strength to endure without sleep for some time, the problem was¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The Elves began to feel fear. They feared the return of the giant striped beast once the sun set. The beast wasrge and much more agile than the predators they had previously driven away with stones. It dodged several stones and killed the Elves one by one. To deal with it, they needed stronger and faster weapons. Or at least some means of protecting themselves¡­ ¡°¡­Geuheuk?!¡± Swoosh©¤! At that moment, an Elf identally stepped into one of the hastily dug pits and fell. The pit wasn¡¯t deep enough to cause injury, but the Elf was visibly startled and stumbled. ¡°Ah! Ah?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± With the help of others, the Elf stood up again. Seeing this, the female leader Elf had a brilliant idea. ¡°¡­!!¡± The idea was to lure the beasts into deep pits. If the beasts fell into the pits, they would be disoriented and their movements restricted, making it impossible for them to dodge the stone throws! This was it. They would dig deep enough pits to make it difficult for the beasts to climb out, lure them in, and trap them. Afterward, not only would they have a safer ce to sleep, but they could also create a field of pits around them to block the beasts. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh?¡± But how could she exin this? There were limits to bodynguage. Dig a pit, lure the beast, let it fall in, and then throw stones to kill it. Realizing that she couldn¡¯t exin this with gestures alone, she hurriedly went to a nearby rock. ¡°¡­¡­¡± There were white marks on the rock from practicing stone-throwing in preparation for the beast¡¯s appearance. Seeing this, she picked up a stone from somewhere and began to draw on the rock. Scritch©¤ A white line appeared on the rock, just like the marks from stone-throwing. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± Confirming this, the female Elf began to gather the others. Recognizing her as their leader, the Elves flocked to her. Some were trembling with fear. Some hoped she had found a solution. Some were ready to fight the fearsome beast with desperate resolve. In front of the many Elves, she became the first Elf to¡­ Scritch©¤ Scritch©¤ ¡­create the beginnings ofnguage through cave paintings. # A drawing of a person with pointed ears, and arge striped beast twice its size. The tree-like drawings surrounding them represented the forest, and the circles drawn among the multiple Elf figures indicated pits. Everyone understood that the circles represented pits. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± The female Elf continued drawing and exining. A pit drawn in front of therge striped beast. Behind it, a series of Elf figures. In the subsequent drawings, the striped beast was shown half-submerged in the pit. Elves surrounded it, appearing to throw stones. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The reaction of the Elves to the first cave painting was¡­ ¡°Uwaa! Uwaa!¡± ¡°Oooo!¡± They immediately understood its meaning and cheered with hopeful faces. They began preparing deep pits to trap the striped beast. However, to trap the beast and prevent it from escaping, they needed to dig pits three times their height. Even with their superior physical abilities, making it difficult for an Elf to jump out if they fell in. The female leader Elf had thought of a solution for this too. She had seen a spider climbing a tree using its silk and brought long vines from the forest. By holding onto these vines, theirrades could pull them up. The n was perfect. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± After finishing their preparations, the awaited night arrived. As expected, the striped beast appeared again tonight. One beast. A majestic monster that roamed alone. Yet, its overwhelming power was enough even by itself. But tonight would be different. ¡°Uwaa!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± As an Elf drew its attention, the striped beast charged swiftly towards them. And at that moment¡­ Crack!! ¡°Grr?!¡± Suddenly, the leaves under its feet gave way, and the striped beast fell straight down. Thud! It was caught perfectly. ¡°Woohoo!¡± ¡°Uwaa!¡± The Elves rejoiced at the sess of their trap and quickly approached the pit with stones in hand. ¡°Roar!¡± The striped beast struggled to climb out of the pit, but it was deep and narrow, making it difficult for it to move. It also seemed unable to adapt quickly to the sudden situation. In that state, the Elves began to throw stones relentlessly. If they hit, despite the beast¡¯s attempts to dodge¡­ Crunch! Crack! Thud! ¡°Yelp! Screech! Roar!¡± The Elves¡¯ powerful bodies hurled stones like cannonballs, and no matter how tough the striped beast¡¯s hide and sturdy its body, it couldn¡¯t withstand the barrage. If it were just one or two stones, it might have been different, but with dozens of stones flying at it simultaneously, there was no way it could survive. Crunch! Crack! The pit filled with dozens of stones, and then it went silent. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± The Elves panted heavily as they cautiously peered inside. Was it over? The striped beast, buried under the stones, didn¡¯t move at all. It waspletely dead. ¡°Woohoo!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The Elves cheered, overjoyed that they had managed to capture the fearsome striped beast with their own hands, without a single sacrifice. They jumped around in admiration of the female leader Elf who had devised and led the entire operation. Unable to express their emotions through words or gestures, they showed it with their whole bodies. Having captured the seemingly invincible monster, the Elves continued to diligently establish their home under the leadership of the female Elf. # Wow¡­ This is impressive. The Elves had settled well in their respective areas and begun to survive. It had been about a month since they were released, and the survival rate was around 70%. Out of 30 million, about 9 million had died, leaving 21 million. Some groups had lost more than half, dropping to as few as 400 members. Given the circumstances, this was a good oue. Honestly, I had expected the overall survival rate to be less than half. In some areas, there was an exceptionally intelligent Elf who boasted a survival rate of over 90%. These groups had already built decent shelters andid the foundations of civilization. As they lived as individual tribes and expanded their territories, they would eventually encounter each other. War or harmony¡­ When creating them, I made it easier for them to unite by strengthening their bonds as kin, but how it would actually turn out was uncertain. Perhaps I should have given them anguage. Seeing such beautiful and handsome beings grunting like primitives was a bit unsettling. Well, they are primitives, but still. Considering they managed tomunicate through cave paintings within just two days, establishing anguage system shouldn¡¯t take long. Ah¡­ But it¡¯s unfortunate for the group that dwindled to 400 members. The environment was simr, but the timing wasn¡¯t favorable. The surrounding ecosystem was a bit tricky. I thought it was a good spot, but it turned out to be quite challenging. Honestly, it breaks my heart a little. Both the thriving and struggling ones are like my own creations. Seeing them die off so easily isn¡¯tforting. It feels like they might all die out before achieving anything. ¡­Maybe I should help them a bit. Just a little. The others who are doing well wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of help. Yes, that¡¯s it! Chapter 22: Development of Civilization Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 22 EP.22 Development of Civilization ¡°Grrr¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A giant bear, about 4 meters tall, attacked. The Elf group, which had dwindled to around 400 members after losing more than half of their number, trembled in fear, unable to think of a proper response. They threw stones and swung branches like the other Elves, but the giant bear didn¡¯t budge. While the giant tiger in a simr category was a formidable opponent due to its high agility, the bear was a type with high strength and defense. Because it was sluggish, it could be hunted easily by wearing it down slowly over time. However, these Elves had been facing continuous hardships from the start, losing over 500 members in a short period.They seemed to have no intention of fighting back seriously or even thinking of running away. At this rate, this group would be the first to face extinction. I had no choice. Should I help them just this once? But simply making the giant bear disappear wouldn¡¯t help them understand anything. If possible, I wanted to teach them how to catch fish rather than just giving them fish. Should I possess one of the Elves and create weapons for them? No¡­ Suddenly advancing their civilization alone wouldn¡¯t be fair. Perhaps striking the bear with lightning and turning it into a well-cooked meal might be better. After all, giving them a fishing rod when they don¡¯t even know what fish are would be meaningless. Rumble©¤ I created a massive cloud near them. A lightning strike from a clear sky would be unnatural. ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± At the moment the giant bear charged at the Elves, a sh of lightning struck from the sky, hitting the bear directly. Sizzle¡­ The bear copsed, instantly turned into a well-cooked meal by the lightning. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Crackle, crackle©¤ Moreover, the trees around the spot where the lightning struck caught fire. Well, I helped them, but at this rate, the whole forest might burn down. Some groups had already discovered fire naturally through lightning strikes. The intention behind using lightning here was to introduce fire to them. So, I decided to let it rain just enough to extinguish the spreading fire, leaving a small ze to inform them of fire¡¯s existence. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°??¡± The Elf group that discovered the fire didn¡¯t know what it was, but they seemed to understand that it originated from the lightning that had killed the giant bear in one strike. They were very afraid to approach the fire. Well¡­ It is hot and dangerous. It¡¯s better than them getting curious and touching it, risking burns. Given their high intelligence, they quickly became ustomed to the presence of fire and started pondering how to utilize it. Since the fire originated from the lightning strike, the Elves seemed to believe it held the same power as the lightning and intended to use it against beasts. How to start a fire was something they would figure outter on their own. Oh, it looks like they are digging a hole to store the precious embers. They must have noticed that water extinguishes fire, so they are trying to protect it from getting wet. They also saw how the fire spread to the trees, so they are feeding it with dry wood to keep it burning. Wow¡­ As expected of a highly intelligent species, they learn quickly from observation. Sure, their spawn point was terrible, but these Elves have great potential for development. ¡­But that wasn¡¯t the end of their troubles. Attacks from poisonous insects, other beasts, and diseases spreading from decaying corpses continued to gue this unfortunate Elf group. Damn, I really gave them a horrible spawn point. It¡¯s like the difficulty was set to make them go extinct. As I kept helping them fend off all these threats, they seemed to notice something strange. ¡°Ooo¡­¡± ¡°Ooo¡­¡± These guys suddenly started bowing down at the ce where they stored the first embers, as if in worship! They even ced the carcasses of the poisonous insects, the ws of the beasts, and the new nts that helped prevent disease next to the fire storage, almost like an altar. ¡­Could it be that they discovered the concept of worship before developing anguage? Did I help them too much? Once I started helping, it became easier to keep doing it¡­ But if I hadn¡¯t, they would have all died! Well, yes. I am indeed your creator god, and I did help you, but being worshipped as an actual deity feels quite strange. Nevertheless, the 400¡ªno, now reduced to about 300¡ªElves who had lost all will to live and even the desire to flee seemed to regain their will to live by starting to worship me. Suddenly awakened, they began hunting beasts and diligently gathering edible fruits and nts. Even though they intended to offer these to me, their newfound motivation to survive was a relief. Now that most of the major threats seemed to have disappeared, I didn¡¯t need to worry too much about this group anymore. They might be a religious group that worships me, so asionally providing them with help to affirm my existence could be a good idea. The emergence of exceptionally talented Elves. I helped them out of pity to prevent their downfall, and now they constantly worship me, forming a nascent religious group¡­ This is getting interesting. The Elf tribes are growing in fascinating ways. Watching the diverse development of the tribes will be enjoyable. # ording to the Gctic Union¡¯s standard, about two years had passed. On the Elf, it had been half a year. Eugene was currently staying in the cluster of the Meias tribe, experiencing various events. He had almost mastered advanced magic and had been summoned to mage tournaments and by the elders of the Meias tribe. There were many events, but let¡¯s talk about thoseter. For now, let¡¯s discuss the Elf. Half a year on the Elf. A lot had happened. Though it was half a year, over 700 days had passed based on a 24-hour standard. During that time, the Elves made tremendous progress. With their inherently high intelligence and the abundance of various resources around them, they grew rapidly. Among them, the tribes with exceptionally intelligent Elves had already established anguage system. They began to establish their own rules and started to properly manage their vige. ¡°Here are the new rules. Please familiarize yourselves and follow them.¡± ¡°Another set of rules.¡± ¡°Hmm, but the rules set by the leader are important.¡± For the record, I could understand their self-madenguage systems perfectly. Even though each tribe had differentnguages, I could interpret all of them. I had acquired them all at a nce. I needed to understand what they were saying, after all. Anyway, the area now looked like a proper vige, with a moat dug around it and a fence erected. They had built numerous huts using wood, stone, and straw. Since they were all created as 20-year-old adults, some had started engaging in reproductive activities, resulting in pregnancies. In other words, they had established a stable vige and were ready to begin increasing their poption. Although they hadn¡¯t started farming or raising livestock yet, there was plenty of food around, so their hunting lifestyle didn¡¯t hinder their daily lives. Some focused on hunting, others on defending the vige, and others on preparing meals and handling various chores. They divided roles and rotated tasks. To professionalize certain jobs, skilled individuals were assigned to perform specific tasks without rotation. They even had names now. The female Elf leader who had previously led the tribe to trap and kill the giant tiger with stone-throwing, her name was ¡®Lasi.¡¯ In theirnguage, it meant ¡®wisdom.¡¯ A very fitting name. She had beautiful golden hair that sparkled in the sunlight and emerald-green eyes. She was exceptionally beautiful, even among Elves. Her eyes had a depth that exuded the aura of a very wise person. Around her, 900 Elf tribe members gathered and diligently built their vige. Lasi was exceptionally intelligent. She anticipated that concentrating all authority in herself could lead to dissatisfaction and usations of dictatorship. To mitigate this, she established a council to decide on major vige matters. It was akin to a parliament. It reminded me of the Gctic Union¡¯s Elder Council. Anyway, they fairly elected a total of 10 elders through a voting system to handle the vige¡¯s rules and major decisions. To prevent dictatorship, they decided to re-elect these elders every 500 nights. Although the concepts of time and dates were still a bit vague, that would eventually sort itself out. So, they hadnguage, a stable vige, and a council. They even had general elections where all tribe members participated. Achieving all this in just over 700 days was an incredibly rapid pace of development. ¡­As for the nascent religious group that worshipped me: ¡°Ooo! Oh great deity, we offer this sacrifice to you!¡± ¡°Oh deity, save us.¡± ¡°Oh deity, save us.¡± ¡­They were performing rituals, offering animal sacrifices. Sigh¡­ Well, at least they developed anguage. To worship me, apparently. They even crafted a well-carved idol, imagining me as an Elf with six arms. ¡­At least they used their imagination. Since I never showed myself. They built an altar around the idol, lit a fire, and offered a freshly killed boar. While frantically shouting for salvation. Damn, they looked like a crazed cult! If they were going to form a religion, they could have made it a bit more refined! Chapter 23: Magic Tournament Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 23 EP.23 Magic Tournament Sector C, Meiasary Cluster. The third, ¡®Lucheri.¡¯ This ce was a tourist area within the Meiasary Cluster, hosting various events like magic tournaments and magic festivals to attract visitors. Recently, the magic tournament was in full swing, and the area was bustling with people. Among them, a male Terran was sitting in a caf¨¦, sipping tea. ¡°Ah, the Poru ck tea of the Meias tribe is indeed the best in the universe.¡± He said this while diligently typing something into an electronic notepad. A middle-aged man with unkempt long brown hair and a bushy beard.He was none other than Kon Arche, the most renowned adventurer among the Terrans and a famous space explorer. He had published a book titled ¡®Kon Arche¡¯s Adventure Journal,¡¯ which had sold hundreds of millions of copies across the gxy. He was a true gctic celebrity. Even if people didn¡¯t recognize his face, everyone in the Union knew his name. The reason he was here was simple. He was gathering material for his new book, ¡®Encounters in the Universe.¡¯ The book was about his observations of life forms, ces, and objects that ordinary people living on their homes could never encounter. But why had hee to a ce popted only by the Meias tribe? ¡®The Magic Tournament! It¡¯s a ce where not only the Meias tribe but all beings in the universe who use magic gather.¡¯ He was here to see other magicians, not just those from the Meias tribe. More precisely, he hoped to witness a magician who might rival or even surpass the Meias tribe¡¯s magic prowess. ¡®Such a person wouldn¡¯t be someone you could easily encounter in the universe.¡¯ If he could find such a person, he would interview them and include it in ¡®Encounters in the Universe.¡¯ ¡®My ordinary space adventure journal sold 40 billion copies both online and offline. If I write about things that people could never experience in their lifetime, it might sell twice¡­ no, three times as much.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t satisfied with just finding an exceptional magician who wasn¡¯t from the Meias tribe. He nned to venture into uncharted territories, meet life forms he had never seen before, encounter-sized giant monsters, experience what happens near a ck hole, observe the phenomena near a neutron star, and even enter the neb formed by a supernova explosion to see its structure firsthand. Each of these endeavors could cost him his life ten times over, but he intended to experience them all and write about them. The reason he could do this was simple: he was Kon Arche, the world¡¯s greatest space adventurer. He possessed a state-of-the-art personal spaceship capable of withstanding the immense gravitational forces near neutron stars and ck holes. He also had the knowledge and skills to handle any crisis that might arise in space. His physical capabilities were extraordinary as well. He had undergone physical enhancement with the serum of the Lubaran tribe and, though at a basic level, had learned magic from the Meias tribe, allowing him to wield magic. Though he was a Terran by name, he was essentially a super soldier specialized for space activities. Even so, if asked why he would risk his life for such endeavors, he would answer: ¡®Of course. That¡¯s what being an adventurer is all about.¡¯ He was an adventurer to his very core. ¡®After this, I should head to the supernova that urred in Sector G. I might be able to witness the interster material slowly beginning to coalesce.¡¯ It takes an incredibly long time for these materials to form a protostar. Even in a ce overflowing with energy and interster material due to a supernova explosion, it would take a considerable amount of time to see the formation of a star. Of course, he would also visit ces where protostars had formed millions of years after a supernova explosion. The reason he wanted to see the supernova in Sector G first was not only because it was rtively close to Sector C. The supernova wasrge enough to potentially create multiple stars. By going there, he might also witness the massive ck hole formed from the remaining core after the explosion. Experiencing both a supermassive ck hole and a supermassive supernova simultaneously was an incredibly rare opportunity. Moreover, since it was in uncharted territory and not within a gxy managed by the Gctic Union, it was left unattended. An abandoned supernova and a supermassive ck hole. How could any space adventurer pass up the chance to witness this firsthand? ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go! The preliminaries are about to start!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Is it starting already?¡± People excitedly ran towards the gigantic colosseum. It seemed the tournament was finally beginning. ¡°Guess I should head over too.¡± Having already reserved his seat, Kon Arche leisurely finished his tea, paid the bill, and walked calmly towards the colosseum. The colossal colosseum could amodate a million spectators. Regrly, magic tournaments were held there. The winner of the tournament would receive the opportunity to learn magic directly from the top-tier magicians, the elders of the Meias tribe, along with a substantial prize. As a result, most of the renowned magicians from across the gxy participated in this tournament. Due to the sheer number of participants, they first conducted a ¡®preliminary interview¡¯ to filter out contestants. Those with significantly poor magical abilities, criminal records, or severely wed personalities were eliminated during the interview process. More than half of the applicants were disqualified without even getting a chance topete. ¡®I would probably get eliminated here.¡¯ Kon Arche was an exceptional adventurer, but he was terrible at magic. For a Terran like him to have learned magic at all was a testament to his extraordinary talent, but that was his limit. He had only mastered a few basic spells. So, even if he wished to participate in the tournament, he believed he would likely be eliminated in the preliminary interview. ¡®It would be great if an exceptional magician from another race were a Terran, but¡­ that¡¯s something that will never happen.¡¯ Given that he, one of the most talented Terrans, could only achieve so much, he believed that a Terran magician would never be seen in the magic tournament. Even after the preliminary interview, which filtered out many, tens of thousands of participants remained. They were further narrowed down to just 1,000 through practical duels with the regr army magicians of the Meias tribe. These remaining 1,000 would finally get to participate in the official tournament preliminaries. Only the most outstanding magicians from across the gxy would make it through this rigorous selection process. Most of the participants were from the Meias tribe, with a few from other races, but these were not well-received. The winner was almost always a magician from the Meias tribe, with a 99% certainty. There wereints about why they epted entries from the entire Gctic Union if the winner was almost always from the Meias tribe, but spectators were mainly interested in seeing spectacr and impressive magic battles. Issues of racial discrimination werergely ignored, as people were more interested in the spectacle. Moreover, since it was a tournament hosted by the Meias tribe, many felt it was their prerogative. Given that the Meias tribe was the birthce of magic, it was almost impossible for a magician from another race to surpass them. Even Kon Arche, who hade to see if there were any exceptional magicians from other races, didn¡¯t really expect to find any. ¡®Honestly, I just came to watch the magic tournament for fun before diving into more dangerous adventures.¡¯ Finding an exceptional magician from another race would be a bonus. With that thought, he sat down and watched the preliminaries. The preliminary format was simple. Fifty participants were ced in a massive arena at once, and they had to use magic to knock each other out or force them out of the ring. Only thest four standing would advance to the main tournament. ¡®As expected, most of them are from the Meias tribe this year too.¡¯ Watching the first group of fifty participants enter the arena, Kon Arche sighed briefly in disappointment. While there were a few from other races, they all looked weakerpared to the surrounding Meias tribe members. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± In the midst of the crowd, a man caught Kon Arche¡¯s eye. At first nce, he looked just like a member of the Meias tribe, but with ck hair and ck eyes. There was also a distinct sense of familiarity. That man was not from the Meias tribe. ¡®Could he be¡­ a Terran?¡¯ He was undoubtedly a Terran, just like Kon Arche. ¡®How did a Terran get here?¡¯ Naturally, not just anyone could make it to the preliminaries. The 1,000 magicians who made it through the preliminary interview and the practical duels with the Meias tribe¡¯s regr army magicians were of a considerably high standard, even by Meias tribe standards. Most participants were adventurers or frence magicians, as regr army members were not allowed topete for fairness, but they were all on par with or superior to the regr army in skill. Yet, among them was a Terran? A race inherently devoid of magical talent? Kon Arche wondered if he was mistaken, but his instincts confirmed it. The man was indeed a fellow Terran. ¡®¡­Eugene? Eugene, huh.¡¯ Seeing the name tag on his chest, Kon Arche decided to remember his name. Just making it to the preliminaries was enough to warrant an interview. However, moments after the preliminaries began, Kon Arche was soon left in shock by an unbelievable sight. Chapter 24: Unexpected Results Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 24 EP.24 Unexpected Results The first 50 participants in the preliminaries. Given that the 1,000 participants had been meticulously selected, even among the first 50, there were quite a few well-known magicians. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Serna of the Gale?¡± ¡°Look over there! It¡¯s Russo the Rock Fist!¡± ¡°Arana the Sculptor is here too!¡± Serna of the Gale, the fourth disciple of Organ, one of the five elders of the Meias tribe known as the Magician of the Breeze. Russo the Rock Fist, who specialized in closebat by enveloping his body in rock as hard as steel.Arana the Sculptor, who controlled beautiful golems made from her own sculptures. All were already renowned high-level magicians, active as troubleshooters or frence magicians, and promising talents of the Meias tribe. Though there were many other skilled magicians, these three were particrly famous and strong. Everyone expected these three to undoubtedly pass the preliminaries. However, as soon as the preliminaries began, a major upheaval urred. ¡°You, you¡¯re the second disciple of Elder Jupiter, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serna of the Gale. Before the preliminaries started, he noticed a man and approached him. That man was Eugene. A Terran brought by Jupiter. While Terrans and Meias tribe members didn¡¯t differ much in appearance, Eugene¡¯s ck hair and ck eyes, which were extremely rare among the Meias tribe, stood out. And he could be distinguished by his unique energy wavelength. ¡°¡­A Terran, huh.¡± Serna didn¡¯t like Eugene. The fact that a Terran had be the disciple of Elder Jupiter, who had never taken another disciple in his lifetime, was infuriating. It was also infuriating that he had made it to the preliminaries of the magic tournament. Most of all, he couldn¡¯t stand that Elder Jupiter had personally requested Elder Organ to teach Eugene magic. ¡®How dare he ask Elder Organ to teach him magic? Especially a mere Terran?¡¯ It was absurd. In the end, Elder Organ had refused, stating that he only taught his own disciples. However, rumors had it that Elder Jupiter had approached not just Elder Organ but all the current elders and magicians of simr caliber, seeking their teachings for Eugene. ¡®Why is Elder Jupiter going to such lengths for that guy?¡¯ Why for a mere Terran? Eugene didn¡¯t seem to have a lot of mana or any noticeable abilities. And now, he was tainting the sacred tournament by suddenly participating. ¡°What kind of connections do you have? Did the elder pull some strings for you?¡± Serna sneered at Eugene with a mocking tone. He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of a Terran, who likely had neither skill nor mana, being here. ¡°Did an elder pull strings for you too? Is that why you think that way?¡± ¡°What, what did you say?!¡± Eugene retorted dismissively, causing Serna¡¯s face to turn crimson with anger. But then Serna shook his head, thinking. ¡®No, no. There¡¯s no need to get worked up. That guy will be eliminated here anyway. Elder Jupiter must be blind. Even Lowie Hendrick could aim for victory. Sending someone like him to the tournament is just asking for embarrassment.¡¯ And he thought he would be the one to eliminate Eugene. ¡°Now¡­ let the match begin!¡± Beep! As soon as the whistle signaling the start of the preliminaries sounded, Serna immediately turned his attention to Eugene, ignoring the other participants. True to his name, Serna of the Gale conjured a wind that pulled Eugene towards him rather than pushing him away. Using this reverse wind to draw his opponent in, Serna would then immobilize his target with a powerful gust, rendering them unable to move freely. He would then strike with his nano de, made of nano particles, which could prate defenses. This was Serna¡¯s primarybat strategy. Whoooosh! An intense wind. If one wasn¡¯t prepared, they would be swept away towards Serna by the sheer force of the gale. Even if one were prepared, the wind was so strong that all they could do was try to withstand it. Confident in his strategy, Serna drew his sword and charged at Eugene. ¡°¡­¡­¡± As expected, Eugene stood still, seemingly unable to move against the oing wind. ¡®Heh, how do you like that! Such incredible magical abilities that you could never even imagine!¡¯ Just as Serna was about to sh Eugene¡¯s arm with his nano de¡­ Crunch! ¡°¡­?¡± A sudden sound of something piercing through flesh. His body froze. Looking down at his own body, he saw¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± Sharp, blood-red ice had grown from within him, piercing through his stomach and clothes. ¡°Argh! What is this?!¡± ¡°Your defense iscking. You should have protected the inside of your body, not just the outside with a shield.¡± As the cold ice grew from within him, piercing his flesh, Serna screamed in agony, experiencing an unprecedented level of pain. Eugene looked at Serna with a hint of pity, then kicked him out of the arena, disqualifying him. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it to kill you. You¡¯ll be fine after some treatment.¡± ¡°Argh! Damn it!¡± In just 20 seconds, the unexpected happened: Serna, whom everyone was certain would advance to the main tournament, was eliminated. # ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± ¡°Serna got eliminated? Right after it started?¡± Something had suddenly pierced through Serna¡¯s body, and then, writhing in pain, he was kicked out of the arena by a man. The crowd was in chaos. A talent everyone thought would surely advance to the main tournament had been eliminated in an instant. Simultaneously, all attention turned to the ck-haired magician who had disqualified Serna. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ ¡®Who¡¯s that? Never seen him before.¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t even look like he¡¯s from the Meias tribe.¡¯ Murmurs filled the air. Among them, Kon Arche was equally astonished. ¡°What¡­ he¡¯s incredibly strong¡­¡± Eugene, a Terran. Kon Arche had honestly thought he would be eliminated immediately. But he had just disqualified Serna of the Gale, a candidate for the main tournament, in an instant. And it didn¡¯t stop there. Eugene began to overwhelm and eliminate all the renowned Meias tribe magicians around him with his superior skills. Finally, at the end of the round: ¡°The qualifiers for the first round are Eugene, Russo, Arana, and Janie!¡± Eugene proudly made it onto the list of qualifiers. ¡°Wow! Who is that neer?¡± ¡°Amazing! I¡¯m rooting for him!¡± ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s from the Meias tribe¡­¡± While the crowd cheered and expressed their doubts, Kon Arche watched in disbelief. ¡®Isn¡¯t he a Terran? Am I mistaken? No¡­ he¡¯s definitely a Terran¡­¡¯ He was confused. Despite being a Terran, Eugene had overwhelming mana and exceptional magical skills. He could easily be mistaken for a promising candidate for the next elder of the Meias tribe. ¡®At this level, he could be a contender for the championship.¡¯ A magician of such caliber. Thinking he needed to interview Eugene immediately, Kon Arche went to find him. ¡°With skills like that, you could win the tournament. Well¡­ it¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Winning here would give you a strong case to ask the elders who refused to teach you to reconsider.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why he told me to participate.¡± Rushing to the waiting room, Kon Arche saw Eugene deep in conversation with Elder Jupiter. ¡®So he was Elder Jupiter¡¯s disciple.¡¯ Kon Arche thought as he approached Eugene. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Eugene?¡± ¡°??¡± Eugene tilted his head in curiosity at Kon Arche¡¯s call. Recognizing him immediately, Eugene broke into a bright smile. ¡°Oh! Kon Arche! It¡¯s really you, Kon Arche, right?!¡± ¡°Oh, you know me?¡± While his books and name were well-known, not many people recognized his face. He was quite surprised that Eugene recognized him immediately. But after hearing Eugene¡¯s exnation, it made sense. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re practically a legend among space adventurers. Anyone who doesn¡¯t know you must be crazy.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a space adventurer.¡± It was shocking to learn that Eugene was a space adventurer. Was he just a space adventurer with exceptional potential who became Elder Jupiter¡¯s disciple? ¡°¡­I wanted to ask you a few things for my new book.¡± ¡°Oh, absolutely. Is a new booking out?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± When Kon Arche nodded, Eugene tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Am I going to be featured in it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re a Terran with incredible mana, a disciple of Elder Jupiter, and a skilled magician who advanced to the main tournament. That¡¯s rare and impressive enough to be in a book, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Eugene scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. From this reaction, Kon Arche was certain. ¡®So he is a Terran.¡¯ If he wasn¡¯t, he would have corrected him. Now it was confirmed that Eugene was a Terran. A Terran with incredible magical skills and mana¡­ Kon Arche had traveled across the gxy but had never encountered such a rare case. After sessfullypleting the interview with Eugene, Kon Arche said, ¡°Win the tournament. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± They parted ways with a polite farewell. Of course, Kon Arche didn¡¯t actually believe Eugene would win the tournament. Despite Eugene¡¯s incredible mana and skills, Kon Arche believed there were too many powerful contenders among the Meias tribe for him to win. ¡­Or so he thought. As the tournament progressed over several days, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, Eugene ended up winning, just as Kon Arche had predicted. ¡°The winner is Eugene! Breaking through all the top contenders, he bes the first Terran magician in the universe to win the tournament!!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°W-What¡­¡± The crowd¡¯s reaction mirrored Kon Arche¡¯s, with everyone wearing the same stunned expression. Chapter 25: Contact Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 25 EP.25 Contact As if binge-watching a slightly dyed drama, a year had passed while following Yujin¡¯s training and victory story. Wow, he really grew well. He could now handle advanced magic quite adeptly¡­ In fact, it seemed like his persona was even better than mine. Meanwhile, it had been three years since the creation of the elf race. On the elves¡¯, less than a year had passed. By slightly tilting the, four seasons were established. Currently, the northern hemisphere was transitioning fromte autumn to winter preparation, while the southern hemisphere was moving from spring into summer.The female elf leader Lasi¡¯s group, which had originally numbered 1,000, had now grown to about 1,050. Initially, their numbers had decreased to around 900 due to various events, but the birth of 150 newborns from pregnant elves had increased their poption. Since they were set to have a 10-month pregnancy period simr to the Terrans, the children were born rtively quickly. Hmm¡­ Considering the¡¯s orbital period, perhaps the pregnancy duration should have been longer, but¡­ In any case, the faster the poption grows, the better. Even if the¡¯s poption reached saturation quickly, it wouldn¡¯t matter once they ventured into space. The vige was already well-protected with moats and fences. They had developed spears from sharply cut stones and slings to throw stones more forcefully, making them formidable against nearby beasts. Hit by slings and spears, the beasts were no match. Moreover, the vige was surrounded by a moat, making it difficult to approach. Consequently, the beasts turned their attention away from the elves¡¯ vige and started targeting elves who ventured out for food. However, even those elves were well-equipped with spears, throwing weapons, and wooden armor and shields, making them tough targets. Of course, not everyone could venture outside the vige, so the number of people who could fight was limited. This led to ongoing concerns about developing better weapons and armor. At least the vige¡¯s internal safety was guaranteed. Now was the time to focus on breeding within a stable society to increase their numbers. With safety ensured and the poption starting to grow through reproduction, the next critical need was food to support the increasing poption. ¡°For now, we have enough, but it¡¯s risky. The ¡®Merow¡¯ has passed, and the weather is getting colder again. It would be great if Merow returned, but if it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to live through continuous cold weather. This could lead to serious food shortages.¡± Lasi referred to ¡®Merow¡¯ as the warm days in their vigenguage, essentially meaning the summer that hadsted until a year ago. Although the winters on this weren¡¯t extremely cold, it was still a concern. Each seasonsted a standard year, and enduring sub-zero temperatures for an entire year would be harsh. Thus, even during ¡®Arow,¡¯ their term for the cold days or winter, temperatures didn¡¯t drop below freezing. The lowest temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius, and on warm days, it could reach up to 10 degrees Celsius. By the standards of the Korea I lived in during my previous life, this weather was akin to te autumn.¡¯ However, for primitive elves without proper heating facilities, insted buildings, or food production technology, even this degree of cold was quite deadly. Their bodies were naturally strong, so the cold itself wasn¡¯t a problem. Considering that the elves were born during winter, the¡¯s winter wasn¡¯t a big deal for adult elves. But it was a different story for babies. The elves caring for the babies had to stay inside their huts all day, doing nothing but keeping warm by the fire. Even if those caring for babies were excluded from thebor force, other members would still be less active than during warmer weather. More importantly, food would be rtively scarce in winter. There would be many mouths to feed, but less food avable. This situation wouldst for an entire year by Gctic Union standard time. As a result, Lasi, the leader, had many concerns. The elves in other regions faced the same dilemma. They were worried about how to endure the approaching winter. If they could farm, raise livestock, or produce food in various ways, they might manage. But since they hadn¡¯t developed to that point yet, the best they could do was gather and store as much food as possible. Perhaps I should teach them farming techniques or how to raise livestock? Growing something like potatoes in winter could help them survive. Livestock might not be a viable solution within a year, but still. Even without my help, they would find a way to endure. The elves in the southern hemisphere were in the middle of summer, so they had plenty of food even if babies were born. ¡­Honestly, my biggest concern was something else. ¡°Oh, great deity! Thank you for providing us with food even in this cold weather!¡± ¡°We offer this sacrifice to you, our mighty god!¡± ¡­¡­ What the hell, you crazy idiots, why are you offering the food you¡¯ve worked so hard to gather to me? And then, instead of eating the food after the ritual, they just leave it, saying it¡¯s an offering to the god. They barely eat what¡¯s left after the offering. No wonder their poption isn¡¯t increasing; it¡¯s actually decreasing despite my help. How do I deal with this crazy cult? The only silver lining was that dangerous beasts no longer approached. These fanatics had be so deranged that they didn¡¯t fear the beasts. Instead, they crazily charged at them to offer them as sacrifices, scaring the beasts away. And another thing. Since their poption was small and they hadn¡¯t had many babies yet, they could survive even with less food. There was a clear cause-and-effect rtionship. But these crazy people¡­ ¡°The beasts aren¡¯t attacking us! The god has blessed us!¡± ¡°Oh, it must be the Hand of Protection among the six hands!¡± You crazy fools! The beasts are scared off because you¡¯re charging at them like maniacs, trying to offer them as sacrifices, no matter how many you kill! And what¡¯s this about the Hand of Protection among the six hands? Did you guys just randomly decide I have six arms, each with different abilities? What even is the Hand of Protection? ¡°Even in this cold, we have food to eat!¡± ¡°Not starving is all thanks to the god¡¯s grace.¡± ¡°It must be the Hand of Abundance among the six hands!¡± That¡¯s because your poption is so small that even a little food is enough to keep you from starving. What god¡¯s grace? Hand of Abundance, my foot. Which hand is that, anyway? ¡°Thank you, oh great god!¡± ¡°We pray to you, mighty god.¡± Sigh¡­ Just thinking about that fanatical group makes me sigh. It¡¯s endearing that they worship and pray to me so fervently, but can they even survive like this? While I was pondering this, something happened. ¡°¡­Oh!¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± An event urred in the southern hemisphere of the. One of the intelligent elves I had been keeping an eye on, Muwan, led a group of elves. A scout from Muwan¡¯s group encountered an elf from another group gathering food at a nearby point. Oh, finally! After approximately three years by Gctic Union standard time, elves from different groups finally encountered each other. Until now, they had been too busy organizing their viges and dealing with beasts to expand their range of activities. However, the southern hemisphere had entered a bountiful summer, allowing them to extend their exploration range. What would happen next? Would they fight? Engage in a territorial war? Or, given their strong sense of kinship, would they cooperate to expand their territories? Although food supplies were still a bit uncertain, the southern hemisphere¡¯s summer allowed for ample hunting to sustain them. ¡°¡­Bagu. Abonsu. Warandu?¡± ¡°Segrinu, Lata.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°???¡± Hmm, it seemed like thenguage barrier was quite significant. Well, these elves were so intelligent that they developed theirnguage systems too early. Each vige likely had differentnguages or meanings. But they had bodynguage and drawings tomunicate! Realizing they couldn¡¯t understand each other despite being the same species, they started using gestures and drawings tomunicate. It was fortunate that they didn¡¯t attack each other upon meeting but instead tried tomunicate. Apparently, bodynguage worked, and some of Muwan¡¯s scouts decided to visit the vige of the elves who were gathering food. Others returned to their vige to inform Muwan, their leader, about the existence of another elf vige and that some scouts were heading there. The fact that they were willing to visit an unknown elf vige suggested an instinctive understanding that they wouldn¡¯t harm each other as the same species. I was d I had fostered strong kinship among them. Thus, the first contact led to a visit to a new vige. I was starting to look forward to seeing how interactions with external elves would unfold from here. Trantor Note: I changed the name from Eugene to Yujin, since it will fit the story better. I will update the previous chapter and the following ordingly. Chapter 26: Visitor Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 26 EP.26 Visitor ¡°What? Another elf vige?¡± Muwan was shocked and widened his eyes as he asked again after hearing the returning scouts¡¯ report. The scouts nodded and continued. ¡°Yes, Muwan. During our patrol, we discovered other elves who exined through gestures that they were from another elf vige.¡± ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t understand theirnguage, wemunicated through gestures, so it¡¯s not entirely clear¡­¡± ¡°To get a better understanding, Yeonhu and Jigang headed to their vige.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡±Hearing that the scouts named Yeonhu and Jigang had gone to an unknown elf vige, Muwan frowned deeply. ¡°You fools! What if something happens to them?¡± Oh, Muwan seemed to be a cautious one. It appeared that even among elves, there were those who were more wary. Well, different races have different traits and personalities. There¡¯s no rule saying elves can¡¯t be cautious. ¡°¡­? They¡¯re fellow elves. What danger could there be?¡± ¡°It was a friendly atmosphere.¡± Most of the elves seemed to wonder what Muwan was so worried about. Due to their strong sense of kinship, they were confident that other elves wouldn¡¯t harm them. Well, it seemed that the other elves were right in this case rather than the cautious Muwan. The other vige seemed to be weing them warmly. Still, Muwan wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Such caution and prudence were necessary traits for a leader to protect the vige. There was always the possibility that these elves might be the kind who would kill even their own kind. Muwan was indeed one of the particrly intelligent elves I had been observing. His thinking was different from the other elves who strictly adhered to their racial traits. ¡°Raise the alert level. We don¡¯t know what might happen.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± If Lasi was a friendly leader who encouraged cooperation and camaraderie, Muwan was apetent superior who issued somewhat forcefulmands. Because of this, even when Muwan gave orders that the elves didn¡¯t understand, they followed, believing there was a reason behind them. It seemed that different types of leaders had their own pros and cons. If Lasi had given such an order in this situation, the elves might have questioned why or suggested it wasn¡¯t necessary. Unlike the tense atmosphere in Muwan¡¯s vige, the other vige was quite cheerful. ¡°Oh ho! So there are other elves!¡± ¡°Judging by their gestures, it seems they have a sizablemunity, simr to or evenrger than ours.¡± Unlike Muwan, they seemed to warmly wee the outsiders. It wasn¡¯t that they particrly liked other elves; their overall atmosphere was more rxed and joyful. This was likely because they were located in a higher, more secure area, which, despite having slightly less food, faced fewer external threats. With fewer crises, the elves¡¯ atmosphere became more rxed. Because they had more leisure time, they began toy the groundwork for farming earlier than other elves. They started by nting fruit seeds and nt roots in the vige soil. Living in a slightly elevated area led to food scarcity, which in turn elerated the development of farming. However, since they were still at the very basics, the fruit seeds and nts didn¡¯t grow well. At best, they sprouted and then withered. It was still too early to say they had truly begun farming. However, what if this event led to an exchange between Muwan¡¯s vige, located downstream with much more fertile and soft soil, and the other vige? Muwan¡¯s sharp mind would quickly grasp the concept of nting seeds and growing crops. The fertile soil would help the seeds grow well, potentially ushering in the first agricultural era in the southern hemisphere. Wow¡­ This feels like watching a documentary on human development while ying a simtion game. It¡¯s really fascinating. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this here?¡± Oh! Scout Yeonhu had just discovered an elf nting seeds. Although they couldn¡¯tmunicate verbally, Yeonhu used gestures to ask what the elf was doing. ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve started having babies, but food is scarce. We thought it would be better if we grew our own food.¡± The elf used bodynguage to show fruits from trees and edible nts. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Yeonhu and Jigang immediately understood their actions. If they returned and reported this to Muwan¡­ Hm? While engrossed in watching the elves¡¯ development documentary, I suddenly sensed something approaching. A personal spaceship? No, it wasn¡¯t just any personal spaceship. It was the famous space adventurer, Kon Arche¡¯s ship, who had interviewed Yujin. He had won the Mage Tournament and had another interview tomemorate his victory. It seemed he hade here to write a book, as he had nned. I had known about his ns since I started focusing on Yujin. I hadn¡¯t kept up with other information to concentrate on the elf civilization simtion, so I didn¡¯t know he had already arrived, but I knew he woulde eventually. Well, there¡¯s no risk of being discovered. The massive and bright neb created by the supernova explosion emitted immense energy and radiation, making it impossible for most life forms to approach. Kon Arche would likely juste close enough to observe. He could never imagine that within that neb, a star system had already formed, and a new race had emerged, creating a civilization. ¡­Hmm, just in case, should I scare him away so he doesn¡¯te closer? If he suddenly risked his life to enter the supernova and discovered the star system, reporting it to the Gctic Union would be problematic. But Kon Arche, the famous space adventurer, was intriguing. A Terran who had enhanced his body with Lubaran serum, learned Meias magic, and incorporated various technologies he acquired during his adventures¡­ truly a super soldier. Even if he discovered and reported me, I could just erase his memory or the information itself. Since it hade to this, I might as well take a look at him in person. I knew his face and features, but it¡¯s like going to a zoo to see a tiger even if you already know what it looks like. The elf¡­ It should be fine without me for a while. The supernova¡¯s energy and radiation defenses were solid, and everything was running smoothly without my interference, except for that cult. Swoosh¡ª # I moved towards the direction where Kon Arche was approaching to examine the remnants of the supernova explosion. I had reduced the distortion effects that caused mental copse, so his brain wouldn¡¯t suddenly melt from getting too close. ¡°¡­Wow, a freshly exploded supernova. What an incredibly bright neb. If I get any closer, I¡¯ll be roasted by the gamma rays.¡± Kon Arche leisurely observed the massive neb, jotting down notes in his memo pad. I watched him quietly from the side. I had camouged my body by blending with the surrounding energy and visible light, making it almost invisible. Even with a body asrge as Jupiter, it would be hard to spot me. ¡°Ugh¡­ my head¡­¡± However, it seemed I had gotten too close, as Kon Arche started toin of a headache. Although I had minimized the distortion effects, I couldn¡¯t eliminate them entirely, so they still had an impact even from a considerable distance. Well¡­ 30,000 km is practically next to each other in space. Moreover, I¡¯m the size of a. That means my influence is vast. Due to the distortion effects causing a headache and possibly altering his optic nerves, he suddenly spotted me. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ah. Damn, I¡¯ve been seen. I thought I had blended with the light wavelengths. Something strange must have happened to his optic nerves, as he looked directly at me. This was unexpected. There was no future information about changes caused by myself, so I had to observe in real-time. It seems that even if I camouge myself with light, I shouldn¡¯t reveal myself in front of living beings. Who would have thought that just by getting close, I could alter his optic nerves to see me through something other than light wavelengths? I hadn¡¯t tested this by approaching living beings before. But I had taken precautions to prevent mental copse, following the method of my friend, Cthanyd. So, his brain wouldn¡¯t explode just from making eye contact with me. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Huff¡­!!¡± Oh no, this is strange. He looks like he¡¯s about to die from hyperventtion. Damn, he¡¯s just terrified. This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve achieved my goal of seeing Kon Arche¡¯s face, so I¡¯d better leave quickly! Swoosh¡ª I retreated far back into the supernova. Geez¡­ I still seem tock the self-awareness of being an outer god. Almost causing someone to die from hyperventtion just because of curiosity? Or maybe, as a true outer god, it¡¯s right to satisfy my curiosity regardless of whether someone dies from hyperventtion? No, no! I decided to be a benevolent outer god. One who enjoys space adventures with an avatar and secretly observes the elves¡¯ ecosystem in secluded ces. Yes, yes. Retreating quickly was the right thing to do. Let¡¯s see if Kon Arche is okay. If he ns to report the presence of an outer god near the G-Sector supernova to the Gctic Union, I¡¯ll have to erase his memory. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± He seemed to be feeling a bit better after I disappeared, still clutching his throbbing head and catching his breath. ¡°What was that just now? A giant monster¡­? Or¡­ was it the ¡®outer god¡¯ I¡¯ve only heard rumors about¡­?¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have a clear grasp of my existence. Knowing it was dangerous, he should just quietly back off. ¡°This¡­ This is it. I have to write about this in my book¡­!¡± ¡­?? ¡®The moment I met its enormous eye, an unbearable headache struck me. Just by facing it, the amount of information exceeded what my brain could handle.¡¯ Wow, this guy is something else. A super soldier who almost died from hyperventtion, and the first thing he does afterward is take notes for his book? And what¡¯s with that content? Is this the prologue to a Cthulhu mythos story? Unbelievable¡­ Chapter 27: Agrarian Society Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 27 EP.27 Agrarian Society The fact that Kon Arche had already arrived here meant that quite some time had passed since Yujin¡¯s victory. Oh, man¡­ I got so engrossed in the civilization-building simtion that I forgot to keep up with the drama. I could watch both simultaneously, but doing both at once might be a waste¡­ Besides, being eternal and immortal, I should savor each one slowly. But then again, since both are happening in real-time, there¡¯s no point in saving them forter, is there? Hmm¡­ Since the elves are on the verge of ushering in the agricultural era, I¡¯ll focus on this for now. Later, when things stabilize and I get bored, I can binge-watch Yujin¡¯s story. Yeah, I still have seven years before the confrontation with the Gctic Union I saw earlier. The Meiasary system doesn¡¯t seem to be expanding the story further for now, so I¡¯ll let it sit for a bit longer.I¡¯ve watched up to the part where Yujin was summoned by the Meias elders, recognized by them, and started learning magic. From now on, it¡¯s mostly about learning advanced and ultimate magic, which can be a bit dull. ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s get out of here. We can go to another ce with a giant ck hole.¡± Kon Arche, still shaken from our encounter, hurriedly left the area. Fortunately, he seemed to only n on writing about it in his book and not reporting it to the Gctic Union. The book wouldn¡¯t be published for a while, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about sudden visits from the Gctic Union or others for the time being. Now, I could continue observing the elves without concern. ¡°Their armaments look quite formidable.¡± Unask, the leader of the hignd vige, showed interest in the weapons carried by Muwan¡¯s scouts. Like Lasi¡¯s vige and other intelligentmunities, they were armed with sharp stone spears, slings, and primitive bows, advantageous forbat. Living in a vast forested in, they had faced frequent beast attacks, which elerated the development of their weapons. In contrast, the hignd vige faced fewer external threats, so their weapons were still limited to stone-throwing and roughly made blunt spears. Although weapons were less of a priority, they were still important to them. However, since the food issue was more pressing, they focused on solving that rather than developing weapons. From this, Unask came up with a good idea. ¡°Let¡¯s befriend them. We can learn their weapons and techniques.¡± By ¡°befriend,¡± he meant establishing an exchange between the viges, as they didn¡¯t have a specific word for it. In return, they would send nts that could only be found in the hignds or teach them how to grow food in their vige. Even though their methods were primitive, they believed it would be helpful. Hmm, I¡¯m not sure if this is a good idea. Looking at it now, in terms of geographical features, weapon technology, and vige size, Muwan¡¯s vige held a much higher position. From Muwan¡¯s perspective, there was no reason to exchange or cooperate with them. In fact, they could easilye and gather nts or herbs from the hignds themselves, given the rtively short distance. If Muwan¡¯s vige decided, they could push out the hignd vige and monopolize the hignd resources. And the method of growing nts was just a primitive way of nting seeds in the ground. There wasn¡¯t much to teach. In Muwan¡¯s vige, located downstream with fertile soil, seeds would grow well just by nting them. Knowing this, the existence of the hignd vige would be unnecessary. Hmm¡­ They might end up being devoured instead. Although elves have a strong sense of kinship, Muwan¡¯s sharp and deep thinking made him wary even of this instinctive bond. Given his personality, he might aim to absorb the hignd vige to expand his territory rather than cooperate. Wow, expanding the vige¡¯s scale through territorial expansion at the start of the agricultural era. Knowing that there were other elf groups around, Muwan wouldn¡¯t stop here. He would aim to dominate arger territory and expand his influence. The elves I created have a high sense of curiosity and a strong desire for development, just as much as their sense of kinship. I¡¯m really curious to see how things will unfold. Perhaps the firstrge group that could be called a ¡°nation¡± might start with Muwan in the southern hemisphere. # While significant changes were about to ur in the southern hemisphere, Lasi¡¯s vige in the northern hemisphere was also on the verge of a major transformation. ¡°Isn¡¯t the problem that weckbor to go outside during the cold days, resulting in fewer resources?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we obtain food within the vige itself?¡± ¡°Food within the vige?¡± Oh, they¡¯ve finallye up with the idea of farming here as well. But will it work? It¡¯ste autumn now, and winter is approaching. If we divide the year into 12 parts, it¡¯s around mid-October. The things they can grow now to eat during winter are limited. But these elves, who were born just three years ago¡­ no, less than a year by their standards, wouldn¡¯t have that knowledge. They might consider this winter as a trial and error period. ¡­Or so I thought, but Lasi turned out to be a remarkably wise elf. ¡°Store as much as you can of what we can gather now. When the Arowes, we can store it outside without it spoiling, so keep it in a cool ce where sunlight doesn¡¯t reach. And let¡¯s focus on the foods that helped us survive the previous Arow. Let¡¯s try growing those.¡± Exactly. They had already experienced one winter. They were born in the winter, after all. They remembered the foods that sustained them then. Root vegetables like potatoes and bellflowers, which fed 990 elves, were among those foods. And leafy greens that are resistant to cold, like lettuce. If they had a way to control temperature and humidity with a greenhouse, it would be even easier, but cold-resistant nts generally have strong vitality and can grow well even in tough, hard soil. Moreover, the elf maintains an average temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius, even in the coldest winter. The nearby river keeps the ground soft and moist. In fact, it¡¯s an environment not much different from a winter greenhouse. I thought they would fail when winter came after nting various things. I underestimated the natural conditions and Lasi¡¯s memory and adaptability. Wow¡­ They are indeed elves. The race I created is truly exceptional. Isn¡¯t this faster than the Lubaran race¡¯s history? I remember it took them about five years to reach an agrarian society. Following this, Lasi and the vige elves gathered roots and seeds of nts simr to potatoes and lettuce and began nting them in the empty spaces of their vige. Lasi named the potato-like nt ¡°Lumoru,¡± meaning ¡°blessing of the earth.¡± She named the lettuce-like nt ¡°Arimoru,¡± meaning ¡°blessing of the forest.¡± Originally thriving in the forest, Lumoru and Arimoru grew even faster andrger when nted in the more fertile soil near the river in the vige. About a monthter, as winter set in, Lasi¡¯s vige had its first harvest. Long, slightly dry potatoes and somewhat wilted lettuce. They didn¡¯t look great, but they were proper ¡°crops.¡± Though called potato-like, these were wild nts withrge, swollen roots and a somewhat earthy taste. I could have made them delicious from the start, but I wanted to leave room for scientific development through selective breeding. ¡°Sess.¡± ¡°Ha ha! They grew well even in the Arow. Now, we won¡¯t need to go outside except to hunt for meat.¡± ¡°Indeed. Ha ha ha!¡± The winter food problem was resolved much more easily than expected. But it seemed that Lasi wasn¡¯t done thinking. ¡°Hmm, when ites to getting meat¡­¡± It was clear what she was contemting. They had discovered farming. For now, their methods were primitive¡ªno plowing, no fertilizing, just digging and nting. But knowing that they could grow their own food meant they no longer had to worry about food shortages. So, what¡¯s next? Livestock. Meat,bor, and some animals could even be trained for hunting. This would be a significant advancement in their industry. Raising dogs improved hunting efficiency, raising cattle improved agricultural efficiency, and raising chickens and pigs made meat supply much smoother. Of course, bringing other living creatures into the vige wasn¡¯t easy. Taming them was one issue, but it also meant they needed surplus food. Lasi understood this well. That¡¯s why she started thinking about livestock. ¡®After the Arow passes and it gets warmer, we can try growing other nts besides Lumoru and Arimoru. If that seeds, we¡¯ll have more than enough food. We won¡¯t need to go outside.¡¯ But to get meat, they still needed to venture out. Hunting and fishing were necessary. But what if they could solve that within the vige? If they captured edible animals and kept them in the vige, feeding them surplus crops? ¡®We could get meat without hunting. If we can breed them, we could have an endless supply of meat.¡¯ With this in mind, Lasi set her next goal: capturing animals and confining them in the vige. Of course, this was only in her mind for now. Since it¡¯s winter now, Lasi must have thought it would be difficult to start immediately. She would likely begin after spring, once they¡¯ve tried growing various crops and have an abundance of food. Wow, Lasi is the first to think of and implement both agriculture and livestock farming. I thought Muwan would take the lead, but it seems the agrarian society will start here first. It seems necessity sharpens the mind. The difference between the abundant summer and the scarce, desperate winter. Chapter 28: Village Merger Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 28 EP.28 Vige Merger ¡°Greetings. I am Muwan.¡± Oh, they¡¯ve finally met! A few days after the scouts from Muwan¡¯s vige returned with a warm reception, Muwan and Unask finally met. Muwan led a group of armed elves up to the hignds, arriving at Unask¡¯s vige. From my perspective, their armament was rudimentary¡ªcrude wooden shields, primitive bows with limited range, and spears made from sharpened stones. But from the viewpoint of Unask¡¯s hignd vige, these were advanced weapons they didn¡¯t possess. It was like bringing machine guns and mortars to an old army that had just developed gunpowder.Imagine the excitement of those who had just discovered gunpowder seeing such advanced weaponry. If they didn¡¯t know what it was, it wouldn¡¯t be scary, but they had developed enough to understand how terrifying it was. As a result, Unask and the vigers were quite overwhelmed. This was exactly what Muwan intended. He wanted to show who held the higher ground and apply psychological pressure to naturally make the hignd vige a vassal state. His greeting was also part of this strategy. Even though his scouts had learned the hignd vige¡¯snguage, he confidently greeted them in his ownnguage, implying that Unask should also use hisnguage. Wow¡­ This is pure dominance. If Muwan continues to develop rapidly and starts absorbing other elf groups around the hignd vige, he could be the king of the southern hemisphere. ¡°Ah, um¡­ Greetings¡­¡± Unask also sensed Muwan¡¯s intentions. It would be foolish not to notice such an overt attempt to seize control. However, he felt overwhelmed. The advanced weapons made from sharpened stone and wood, which they did not possess, and the warriors of Muwan¡¯s vige, hardened by constant battles with external threats, were intimidating. Instinctively, Unask knew that elves attacking elves was unthinkable. But a deeper, primal instinct as a living being warned him of the danger. If they resisted, it would be perilous. An elf who openly disyed such weapons to assert dominance could easily subdue them by force if displeased. If I were in the same position, I would have felt the same. We are weak, so we have no choice but to submit. At least, we have value in our agricultural skills andbor, so they wouldn¡¯t kill or persecute us, he hoped. Thus, for the sake of his vige and his own life, Unask decided to relinquish control. He responded in Muwan¡¯snguage. Muwan, pleased, smiled and said to Unask, ¡°Shall we discuss the future of our viges?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do that.¡± The future of the vige. Unask could only hope that they wouldn¡¯t be treated too poorly. After all, they were fellow elves; surely, they wouldn¡¯t be treated as ves. Not that they even knew what very was. Did they even have a concept of social status? Muwan might be seen as a leader, with others as subordinates, but perhaps this could be the birth of the first social hierarchy. Even so, it would likely be a simple distinction between the elves of Muwan¡¯s vige and those of the hignd vige, akin to higher and lowermoners. Because of the strong bond between the races, they wouldn¡¯t be treated as ves. ¡°This ce is quite small, and there aren¡¯t many people.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s the hignds, and food has been scarce¡­ but that will soon be resolved.¡± During their conversation, Unask mentioned agriculture. Muwan, who had already heard about it from Yeonhu and Jigang, nodded knowingly. ¡°nting seeds, is it? But that won¡¯t be easy in the mountains.¡± ¡°Ha ha¡­ We¡¯re considering various methods. We can at least feed those within this vige.¡± Then Muwan drove the point home. ¡°Ournd is blessed by the river and very fertile, unlike these mountains.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A deration that even in agriculture, they could surpass the hignd vige. Wow¡­ he¡¯sing on really strong. In terms of military strength, poption, and even agriculture, the hignd vige couldn¡¯tpete. ¡°Moving the vige to the downstream area, like ours, could be a good solution.¡± But of course, Unask couldn¡¯t respond to that. Naturally. The downstream area was filled with dangerous beasts. While the hignds had some intrusions, it wasn¡¯t as bad as the fertile ins downstream. With their current armament and numbers, they couldn¡¯t establish and defend a vige there from the start. Muwan knew this as well. They were better off staying here, at least until they could somehow replicate the weapons Muwan had shown them to improve their defenses. Primitive as the weapons were, they could be replicated. But that wasn¡¯t what Muwan wanted. Muwan was essentially telling them to abandon their vige and join his. He nned to rapidly increase his poption and expand his vige¡¯s territory. Since agriculture made food plentiful, there was enough to go around. Muwan wasing on very strong. His boldness exuded the scent of a powerful ruler. It seemed the southern hemisphere was about to be quite intense. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have the strength for that.¡± ¡°Ha ha, shall we help you? Or perhaps some of you coulde to our vige! nting seeds requires morend andbor than you might think. If you join us and help, we could expand our vigend and make nting and growing easier. You have the experience, after all.¡± Wow, he was being very direct. He was telling them toe under his rule. He nned to leave some people in the hignd vige, sending a few soldiers under the guise of protection to keep watch. Later, he would expand his territory using theirbor, naturally absorbing theirnd into his own. Unask understood Muwan¡¯s intentions, but once their vige was visible to Muwan, they had no options. Muwan was an elf who would crush anyone he deemed necessary, regardless of elven kinship. ¡°¡­We will help with the nting.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha, we would be grateful for that.¡± In the end, Unask submitted, and Muwan smiled with satisfaction. Thus, the first ¡®merger¡¯ among the elves took ce. # Meanwhile, something seemed to be brewing on Yujin¡¯s side as well. Having won the tournament, Yujin had be the most famous figure in the Meiasary army. It was partly due to his outstanding magical skills, but even more so because of the rumor that he was not of the Meias race, but of the Terra race. ¡°How can a Terra race member be so skilled in magic?¡± ¡°They say he¡¯s Elder Jupiter¡¯s second disciple. Maybe he was given some incredible power?¡± ¡°Come on¡­ there¡¯s such a thing as innate mana.¡± Despite being the center of controversy, Yujin sought out the elders who hadn¡¯t taught him magic and learned from them. Winning the Mage Tournament granted him the opportunity to learn from the elders or top-tier mages equivalent to them, so they had no reason to refuse him now. Hmm¡­ Did I make him too strong? I never imagined he¡¯d win the magic tournament after only three years of learning magic. He¡¯s stronger than most elder disciples with just three years of training. He¡¯s absorbing advanced magic at an rming rate; in a few more years, he might reach the level of the elders. I thought I shouldn¡¯t make him too overpowered, but he¡¯s already be excessively so. Moreover, considering the timeline ten years from now, he could overpower a Lubaran elder armed with top-tier serum and nano equipment. A Lubaran elder is nearly the strongest among intelligent beings, barring some giant monsters and a few powerful creatures¡­ No wonder Ubbo-Sat is interested. Meanwhile, something interesting is happening to Yujin, who is diligently training. ¡°You arrogant Terra brat.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what trick you used, but it won¡¯t work this time.¡± A group of disciples of the Meias elders surrounded Yujin. Of course, Lowie Hendrick wasn¡¯t among them. Knowing Yujin¡¯s true identity as a fragment of an external god, he treated him with utmost respect. Among the group were many who had been thoroughly defeated by Yujin during the magic tournament. These fools, having been bested by magic, were now iming he used tricks. They couldn¡¯t ept that a lowly Terra could defeat them with magic, so they concocted a ridiculous theory about trickery. ¡°The elders are only teaching you because of the tournament rules. They don¡¯t care about a lowly Terra like you.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ll probably teach you some basic magic and then kill you when the timees.¡± Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t really deny this part. There are indeed elders who look down on Yujin because he¡¯s from the Terra race. About three of them. ¡­Three out of five is a majority. If you exclude Elder Jupiter, it¡¯s not just some; it¡¯s most of them. Anyway, these elders intended to teach Yujin some basic magic and then discard him. Some even thought about killing him to prevent the great magic of the Meias race from leaking. But who is Yujin? He¡¯s my fragment. Of course, he¡¯s aware of all this. He seemed to have already prepared countermeasures. Chapter 29: Dalos Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 29 EP.29 Dalos Yujin¡¯s mana had already surpassed that of most elders. He originally had arge amount of mana, but learning magic had taught him how to umte even more within his body. Moreover, he had now learned advanced magic to a certain level, making his magic skillsparable to those of high-ranking mages. No, he was continuously growing, absorbing various types of magic like a dry sponge. He could use more types of magic than most high-ranking mages. In addition, his mana reserves were overwhelming, even surpassing those of the elders.If an elder attacked Yujin with the intent to kill, he could easily hold his own. Even if more than one elder attacked, Elder Jupiter could assist him. ¡®He has reached a level where he can fight back sufficiently.¡¯ Furthermore, Yujin was still growing. Not only in magic but also in physical abilities, thanks to the serum from the Lubaran race, making him as strong as a warrior. Even without my help, Yujin was bing strong enough to survive on the Meias on his own. This meant that the elder disciples, who were nothing more than novices,ing in groups to provoke him, were not scary but merely annoying. ¡°¡­Ha, is that all you have to say? Stop yapping ande at me all at once.¡± ¡°What, what?!¡± ¡°You filthy Terra brat!¡± The elder disciples charged at his provocation. ¡°Ice Lance!¡± ¡°Earth Drill!¡± ¡°Lightning Vortex!¡± Boom! Crash! Crackle! Despite being young disciples, their magic was on par with that of high-ranking Meias mages. However, to Yujin, who had abilities rivaling those of the elders, it was nothing. ¡°What, what?! It didn¡¯t even prate the shield¡­?¡± ¡°This is impossible! You, you bastard, are you using Lubaran nanomachines or electromaic field technology¡­?¡± Were they really attributing it to Lubaran technology? It was a shield created using mana energy. Well, it didn¡¯t really matter what they thought. With or without the shield, Yujin¡¯s body, enhanced by his basic specs and mana, would have suffered little damage from their attacks. ¡°Mass Gravity.¡± Boom!! ¡°Gah?!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!!¡± Yujin used the advanced gravity magic he had learned from Elder Jupiter to subdue the disciples in one go. And that was the end of it. The situation was resolved in an instant. Yujin, havingpletely ttened the disciples, looked at them with disdain and left the scene. # ¡°It¡¯s about time to pass on the advanced magic.¡± This meant that Yujin was about to shed thebel of a high-ranking mage and be an archmage. Those who learned the pinnacle of magic and explored its extremes. It was the highest position among the Meias race. The five elders, as well as other archmages, were all considered elder-level figures and received the highest respect within the Meias race. Yujin was about to be one of them. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s only been a little over three years, and he¡¯s bing an archmage. Ha ha ha.¡± Elder Jupiter chuckled, clearly impressed. Hmm¡­ Maybe I made him too overpowered. No, actually, these days, overpowered characters in refreshing stories are quite entertaining. While the elf offers the enjoyment of watching a civilization grow gradually, it doesn¡¯t provide the same exhrating satisfaction as Yujin¡¯s story. They are different types of content that fulfill different kinds of enjoyment. While I was enjoying both types of content, something unusual was detected in space. Approximately 2 billion light-years away in Sector M. This is the sector where the Terra race¡¯s home, Earth, is located in this universe. There didn¡¯t seem to be anys with life nearby, and it wasn¡¯t particrly dangerous. Although it was quite far away, this was a serious issue. Because something resembling an Outer God had appeared there. Given its location within the Gctic Union¡¯s territory, it would be detected immediately. It didn¡¯t seem to be making any effort to hide its presence, unlike me. Oh, damn¡­ If an Outer God suddenly appears in the neighboring sector, they might expand their investigation range to include this area. Its identity couldn¡¯t be determined immediately. In other words, it was an Outer God of a higher rank. Time to dig through the information I¡¯ve gathered from the multiverse. Hmm¡­ In other universes, it¡¯s known as Dalos or Daolos. It has a body made of an unknown metallic substance. Indeed, it has a metallic appearance. Of course, that can¡¯t actually be metal. An Outer God wouldn¡¯t have a physical body made of material substances in the first ce. They are all entities that emerged from the ¡®void,¡¯ attaching concepts and existence to themselves. They just appear that way. Just as I made my body appear as an energy form, that thing made its body appear metallic. Anyway, the light reflected off the metal is distorted by the power of the void, driving those exposed to it insane. The loud noise and vibrations from the metal shing are transmitted even in the vacuum of space, causing the heads of those who hear it to explode. As expected of an Outer God, it¡¯s a crazy entity that devastates its surroundings just by existing. But what¡¯s going on all of a sudden? It seems to be an Outer God with considerable power, even among the higher ranks. Why has ite to this universe? ¡°Damn it, what is it this time?!¡± ¡°Code ck near Gxy M-093851 in Sector M!¡± ¡°What, what did you say?! Again?!¡± As expected¡­ the Gctic Union is in chaos again. If it were in a sector 10 billion light-years away, it would be one thing, but if it¡¯s in Sector M, which is almost adjacent to Sector G, this area might also be a target for investigation. Maybe it¡¯s okay since it¡¯s 2 billion light-years away. While I was thinking that, this crazy entity started moving closer to this area. It was creating a giant wormhole, making its approach very obvious. Could it be¡­ is iting for me? This won¡¯t do. Before it crosses from Sector M into Sector G, I¡¯d better go to it. Otherwise, the Gctic Union might discover the existence of the elf. Well, even if they do, I can just erase their memories¡­ but still, there¡¯s that feeling. It¡¯s like a mischievous desire to keep something hidden, even if it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s discovered. Anyway. I quickly moved to Sector M to confront the entity. Screeeech¡ªCrack! Ugh, it¡¯s so loud! Getting closer, the noise was overwhelming. I could understand why it was said to make people¡¯s heads explode. Moreover, its appearance was aplex geometric pattern that defied exnation by conventional astrophysics. It felt like it came from a higher dimension¡­ like the fourth dimension. Well, technically, that¡¯s correct. The void between multiverses is a higher dimension of the universe. Anyway, I confronted it and asked. [Who are you? Why are youing here?] There was a warning implied in my question. It meant, don¡¯te any closer. [So you were in this direction. I heard about you from ¡ö¡ö-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.] So, it came looking for me after all. ¡ö¡ö-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö is a moniker that Outer Gods use to refer to Ubbo-Sat. Well¡­ even if I say it, it¡¯s in an unintelligiblenguage. But what did Ubbo-Sat say about me that made this being, which had never been to this universe,e looking for me? [Let¡¯s move to the void. It¡¯s not good to stay here for long.] [Hmm? Why bother?] Of course, it¡¯s because your presence affects the surrounding universe! Do you have any idea how many dangerous creatures were exposed to the light and noise reflected off your body while you were traveling here? I managed to mitigate the damage, but if you stay here, it will have more severe consequences. Cleaning up after you is a hassle. [As he said, you are indeed curious. Caring about insignificant creatures.] From my perspective, it¡¯s you who are curious, not caring whether they live or die. Typical of an Outer God. [Be Quiet, follow me.] Too tired to exin further, I just grabbed it and escaped into the void. Since I had already temporarily disabled the Gctic Union¡¯s sensors when I met it, opening the void didn¡¯t matter. To the Gctic Union, it would seem as if the entity had suddenly disappeared. Quickly, I erased any records and memories to prevent them from discovering the elf during their patrols. In an instant, the Gctic Union returned to its peaceful, uneventful days. [So, what¡¯s the reason you came looking for me?] I asked the entity known as Dalos. What business did it have with me? If it¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯ll just turn it into a piece of metal art. [He boasted that you were a master at creating creatures and that you helped him. So, I came to seek your assistance as well.] [¡­¡­] Ubbo-Sat, that bastard, spreading stories about me everywhere? He¡¯s making me lose any desire to help. So, this metallic entity wants to create its own creatures and came to me for advice? Why doesn¡¯t it just create them however it wants¡­ [Sigh¡­ Fine, let¡¯s hear it.] Annoying as it is, the idea of another Outer God creating creatures piqued my interest. So, I decided to at least listen to what it had to say. Chapter 30: Mechanical Lifeforms Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 30 EP.30 Mechanical Lifeforms [Why do you want to create lifeforms?] Considering it had heard stories from Ubbo-Sat, I wondered if its goal was simr¡ªperhaps universal domination. If that were the case, I¡¯d have to ensure it didn¡¯t meddle with my universe. [It¡¯s purely out of interest. I want to observe how my creations live and thrive.] Ah, that¡¯s a relief. It seemed it wasn¡¯t aiming for universal domination. It appeared to view the universe as a giant terrarium, much like I did.Could it be lying? Outer gods don¡¯t have the concept of lying. They get whatever they want, so there¡¯s no reason for them to lie. As a human reincarnate, I might lie, but true Outer gods don¡¯t. So, that¡¯s how it is. If it¡¯s just observing leisurely, it might be okay to let it into my universe. Unlike Ubbo-Sat, it wouldn¡¯t create monstrous creatures for domination, and being a high-rank, its powers might be slightly inferior to mine or Ubbo-Sat¡¯s. [What kind of lifeform do you want to create?] This was crucial. It might suddenly want to create a monstrous species that could wreck the terrarium. Observing could mean watching the universe¡¯s destruction, after all. [I love metal. The existence of metal in the universe is incredibly beautiful. Especially iron and titanium¡­ strong and resilient metals. They are resistant to heat and, when alloyed¡­] [I see. So you want to create lifeforms made of metal, like yourself.] I quickly interrupted before it couldunch into a full lecture on materials science. Well, I had somewhat expected it from its appearance¡ªlifeforms made of metal. When ites to that, one thing immediatelyes to mind. Cybertronians from TransforX! They were originally among the candidates for lifeforms I wanted to create. The thrill of metal nking and transforming¡­ Ah~ Honestly, no man can resist that. It fits well with the sci-fi genre and setting of our universe. However, I dismissed the idea because I thought the Gctic Union would capture and dissect them. The Gctic Union appears cooperative and friendly towards intelligent lifeforms, integrating them into the Union and treating them well, but it¡¯s not as it seems. If they find something they deem necessary, they will capture, dissect, and study it. Especially the Lubaran race, created by Ubbo-Sat for the purpose of universal domination, are quite selfish. If a new concept like Cybertronians, or mechanical lifeforms, were to emerge, they would definitely capture and dissect them. They would somehow procure a corpse in a somewhat humane way and dissect it. Then, they would try to understand the principles of mechanical lifeforms and mimic them. I suspect that the ¡®researchb¡¯ Yujin mentioned might be rted to this. Anyway, I gave up on that idea because I didn¡¯t want to feel bad about having my technology stolen. ¡­But if someone else is creating them, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right? Honestly, I want to see it. Real, moving TransforX. Moreover, if they are ced near the elf, it could lead to a good storyline. Just like in the TransforX movie, Cybertronians coulde to the elf and teach them mechanical technologies. Based on that technology, the elves could quickly undergo a mechanical revolution and reach modern civilization at a rapid pace. Yeah, it¡¯s better than me directly intervening. It would be a natural change in the cosmic flow. Moreover, if they maintain a cooperative rtionship, it would be a mutually beneficial symbiosis. As the elves advance, even if they can¡¯t create mechanical lifeforms, they could at least repair them when injured. The elves would benefit from rapidly advancing their technology, and the Cybertronians would gain repair technicians and engineers. Dalos would achieve his goal of creating and observing metal lifeforms. I would get to see my dream of TransforXe to life and elerate the technological progress of the elf. This is a true win-win situation. [How about something like this?] I proposed to Dalos, sending an image of TransforX into his mind. [Oh¡­ mechanical lifeforms that transform their bodies. They resemble the cars and spaceships created by the Lubaran or Terra races.] Fortunately, he seemed to understand it correctly. [But why do they need to be vehicles? The characteristic of body transformation doesn¡¯t seem necessary.] No, you idiot! He didn¡¯t understand at all! That¡¯s the essence of the dream! [And I don¡¯t understand the concept of the cube. Using an actual energy source for reproduction is inefficient. If it¡¯s lost or destroyed, the species would face immediate extinction.] No, the cube is the core of the dream! It can turn other machines into Cybertronians. Isn¡¯t that awesome? [That¡¯s what makes it great.] [Is that so? I don¡¯t understand. But if Ubbo-Sat praised you highly, then your choice must be right.] Phew, it seemed he reluctantly understood the importance of the dream. ¡­But wait, doesn¡¯t this mean I¡¯m practically creating them myself? Maybe it would be faster if I just did it. No, no. There¡¯s a world of difference between creating something myself and having someone else create it. Still, it wouldn¡¯t be right to impose only my ideas¡­ [I just gave you an idea for metal lifeforms. Create them as you see fit.] [Understood. I¡¯ll take that into consideration.] Dalos seemed to ponder for a moment before moving to my sci-fi universe. Wait, what? Is he starting already? Hey, if you do that suddenly, the Gctic Union will detect you. You need to consider that! [Hold on.] [Why?] I stopped Dalos and warned him that if detected by the Gctic Union, they mighte and ce the newly created lifeforms under their control before they even had a chance to develop. [¡­? Then why not just eliminate them all?] ¡­Wow, that¡¯s a very Outer god-like statement. ording to information from other universes, Dalos isn¡¯t particrly malevolent. Maybe that information was wrong. ¡­Or maybe not? Perhaps not capturing, dissecting, and experimenting on beings makes him less malevolentpared to others? [But then there would be no other lifeforms to interact with. Watching them interact with other beings, whether for better or worse, is also interesting.] [That¡¯s a good point. Interesting. Then I¡¯ll try to keep them hidden until they develop.] Fortunately, he seemed to understand my point. He transformed his body to blend with the universe¡¯s energy, then crossed back into the universe. He used his powers to temporarily disable detection or altered his body¡¯sposition to avoid being noticed. As expected of a high-ranking Outer god, he seemed capable of using various powers. However, he couldn¡¯t seem to give up his geometric metallic form. He really loves metal. Oh, but upon entering, it seemed the timeline was slightly off. We arrived in a time slightly ahead of when we disappeared. Approximately¡­ four years had passed. What?! That means¡­! Yujin¡¯s story had progressed by four years, and the civilization simtion had been running automatically without me for three years¡­?! Ugh¡­! I could go back to four years ago, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to monitor what kind of Cybertronians Dalos was creating. If he created some insane monstrous species, I¡¯d need to intervene. ¡­Sigh, there¡¯s no choice. I¡¯ll just have to catch up on three years of story in one go. First, let¡¯s check if there are any immediate issues. Starting with Yujin. Three years plus four years, that¡¯s a total of seven years. There are still three years left until that incident. So, he should still be learning high-level magic without any major events¡­ [Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­] [Sigh¡­ You shouldn¡¯t have tried to kill me. Well, you almost seeded, Elder Organ.] ??? Why is he killing an elder? ¡­This side is always surprising. I knew that elder had been plotting to kill Yujin, but I didn¡¯t expect him to actually attack and then get countered. I had anticipated it, but I didn¡¯t think it would actually happen. This isn¡¯t just a simple case of killing because of an assassination attempt. A Terra race outsider had killed one of the five elders of the Meias race. And he did it by overpowering him with magic. This is a serious problem. [¡­Huh. How should we handle this?] Even Grandpa Jupiter seemed extremely flustered. From the perspective of the Gctic Union, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. If an elder died, they would simply inform the Elder Council of the Gctic Union and decide on a new elder. As long as the new elder wasn¡¯t significantly weak in power or influence, the council would generally approve. But for the Meias race, especially those who prided themselves on their magical supremacy, this was a catastrophe. A Terra race outsider had absorbed magic like a sponge and, in just seven years, had grown strong enough to kill an elder? It was utter chaos. How this situation would be resolved¡­ was incredibly intriguing! Yujin, you¡¯ve be too powerful in just seven years, haven¡¯t you? To think you actually defeated an elder. As expected of my avatar. Chapter 31: Four Years Later Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 31 EP.31 Four Years Later A lot had happened to Yujin over the past four years. He had learned the highest-level magic of the Meias race from Jupiter and, recognizing his immense potential, other elders and top-tier magicians had joined forces to teach him magic. ¡°This is unbelievable¡­ He is a once-in-a-millennium talent, even among the Meias.¡± ¡°To think he reached this level in just a few years.¡± ¡°A Terra race member¡­ Would you consider defecting to the Meias?¡± With their full support, Yujin rapidly mastered magic. The highest-level magic was incredibly difficult andplex, on a different level from what he had learned so far.But Yujin had the exceptional magical knowledge I had bestowed upon him. Moreover, his innate, immense mana capacity allowed him to practice extensively. His learning speed was so astonishing that even the elders, who were considered the most talented and skilled in the Meias race, were left speechless. However, there were still those who resented him. ¡°He¡¯s still a Terra race member. He¡¯s not one of us.¡± Elder Organ, known as the Magician of the Gentle Breeze, particrly disliked seeing the highest-level magic, considered the Meias race¡¯s secret, being handed over to Yujin. He had always looked down on Yujin and had even incited his and other elders¡¯ disciples to harass him. Of course, Yujin had always overwhelmed them with his superior skills. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, Elder Organ took matters into his own hands, leading to a fierce battle where Yujin ultimately killed him. ¡°Tsk, this is troublesome.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ The only fortunate thing is that we are in a secluded forest, and I am the only one who discovered this.¡± Grandpa Jupiter said, looking at Yujin. Elder Organ, an incredibly skilled magician on par with himself. Known for hiding terrifying mana des within a gentle breeze that would tear enemies apart, Elder Organ earned the title of the ¡°Magician of the Gentle Breeze.¡± However, seeing Yujin, who had learned various magic from multiple magicians, overwhelmingly defeat Elder Organ, Grandpa Jupiter seemed quite shocked. He knew well that Yujin was a monster. After all, Yujin was my avatar, and in the beginning, I had moved directly through him. To Jupiter, Yujin would appear as an entity on par with me, an Outer God. But aside from that, Yujin had always shown himself as a Terra youth with a genius talent for absorbing magic like a sponge. Jupiter had just started getting used to that image, but witnessing such overwhelming power firsthand seemed to revive the awe he felt when he first encountered Yujin. No, back then, it was more of a fearful feeling, but now¡­ respect? It felt like he was seeing a great magician on a higher level than himself. ¡°If word gets out that Yujin dealt with him, it will be dangerous. Since everyone knows that Elder Organ was targeting Yujin, let¡¯s announce it and say that I killed him.¡± Grandpa Jupiter was nning to take the me again. He intended to frame it as Elder Organ, driven by jealousy over Yujin¡¯s immense growth, attacking his disciple, leading to a deadly battle where Jupiter killed him. This way, they could paint Organ as the viin and hide the dangerous fact that a Terra race member killed a Meias elder. Of course, Jupiter would not escape criticism. No matter how talented his disciple was, he would still be criticized for killing a fellow Meias elder to protect a Terra race member. ¡°¡­This is annoying. Should I just wipe them all out?¡± Oh, Yujin¡¯s true nature is showing. That¡¯s the Outer God mindset¡ªif something is troublesome, just clean it all up! As expected of my avatar¡­ or not. Isn¡¯t that a bit too dangerous? It could turn the entire Meias race against him. Well, maybe not the entire race. Regardless, there would be those who support him, like Grandpa Jupiter or Lowie. And some elders who favored Yujin might also take his side. However, this was a significant issue that could potentially split the Meias race and even lead to a civil war. Even if it was self-defense, killing an elder was a serious matter. Following Grandpa Jupiter¡¯s suggestion seemed like the best course of action this time. ¡°¡­Tch. Let¡¯s do as Grandpa Jupiter says.¡± At that moment, my will was conveyed to Yujin through our connection. Yujin clicked his tongue in annoyance and said so. Oh, he¡¯s showing dissatisfaction. This guy, getting rebellious just because he¡¯s grown a bit stronger. Is this his rebellious phase? Anyway, we decided to handle it as Grandpa Jupiter suggested, and now it was time to check on the much-anticipated elf civilization simtion. Four years had passed. That equated to one year on the elf. I¡¯m excited to see how much they¡¯ve progressed. Did Lasi and Muwan sessfully develop agriculture and transition into an agrarian society? What about the other elves? ¡­I¡¯m also curious about the cult group. With no answers or help from me for four years, the religious boom might have died down by now. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s happened. # ¡°Now then¡­ Let¡¯s begin the regr meeting of Lumsi Vige.¡± Lumsi Vige, huh. So that¡¯s the name they settled on for Lasi¡¯s vige. In Lasi¡¯snguage, it trantes to ¡°Blessed Lasi.¡± Lasi managed to get that cheesy name approved, huh? And they¡¯re even holding regr meetings? The vige leaders all had impressive titles. Lasi was the Vige Chief. Next to her was Selian, the Harvest Chief, overseeing agriculture. Elma, the Warrior Chief, managed the vige¡¯s guards and external scouts. Dro, the Construction Chief, was responsible for buildings and structures. Lastly, Rakus, the Production Chief, handled the creation of clothes, armor, and weapons. There were four key leaders in total. Wow¡­ They had already divided roles among the elves, assigning professions and establishing management positions. Lasi truly excelled at stabilizing themunity. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the regr reports. Harvest Chief Selian, you go first.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll begin by discussing the seeds currently under cultivation and the crops being harvested.¡± Selian spoke while drawing and writing on arge piece of animal hide with a ck chalk-like substance made from graphite. Unbelievable¡­ They had already mined graphite from the ground and made chalk from it? And despite the primitive method, they were essentially doing a presentation. Their vocabry had also expanded and be more specialized over time. They were evolving in a surprisingly professional manner. ¡°Currently, we have about 200 days¡¯ worth of first-generation crops like Lumoru and Arimoru. Both can be harvested to some extent even during the Arow period, so this should be enough tost until the next Dimero period, considering the new births.¡± Dimero referred to the less hot days, essentially meaning spring. For reference, autumn was called Diero, meaning less cold days. So, they had 200 days¡¯ worth of food. Over the past four years, the poption had grown to 1,300 with new births. Even though elves required less food, having enough to feed 1,300 people for 200 days meant their harvest was substantial. It was inevitable that the harvest would increase. Initially, they simply nted seeds. But once they established the role of Harvest Chief and assigned the farming duties to a few talented elves, they began tilling the soil, creating fertilizers from animal and their own waste, and so on. Agriculture was developing at an incredible pace. Naturally, the yield had to increase. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°We¡¯re currently experimenting with new seeds. This time, we¡¯re focusing on fruits. The cultivation methods seem a bit different from the first-generation crops, so we¡¯re still researching. We should be ready by next year.¡± They were also experimenting with tree fruits like apples and vine fruits like strawberries. If they could cultivate fruits, their diet, which primarily consisted of potatoes and lettuce, would be much more varied. ¡°Good. And¡­ are you preparing what we discussed earlier?¡± Lasi asked with a sharp gaze. Could it be¡­? ¡°¡­We managed to capture a few animals alive with the help of the warriors, but as you know, there were incidents where they broke through the fences and escaped. Despite providing water and food, they died shortly after. It¡¯s still quite challenging.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± So it was about domesticating animals. With a surplus of food, it made sense to aim for livestock domestication. Even after four years, they hadn¡¯t seeded yet. Well, capturing wild animals and raising them doesn¡¯t automatically make them livestock. This part would likely involve a lot of trial and error. But if they seeded, they would gain a stable source of animal fats and proteins, as well as powerfulbor. I hope they seed in domesticating animals soon. Go, Selian! Let¡¯s upgrade the Agricultural Management Office to the Agricultural, Fisheries, and Livestock Management Office! ¡°Now then, Elma. You have something important to report. Please share it with everyone.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Understood.¡± Next up was Elma, the Warrior Chief, who managed the guards and external scouts, known as the elf warriors. True to his title, Elma had a robust physique and chiseled features, quite unusual for an elf. Of course, he still had the elven charm, making him look like a muscr, sculpted handsome man with a strong presence. I wonder what the important report is about. I could easily scan the entire to find out, but hearing it firsthand would be more interesting, so I¡¯ll block out that information for now. Chapter 32: Discovery of Metal Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 32 EP.32 Discovery of Metal ¡°¡­We encountered what appeared to be other elves in the forest, about a four-day journey to the west.¡± ¡°What? Other elves?¡± Elma¡¯s statement caused everyone to murmur in surprise. I see. Until now, they had been so focused on agricultural development that they hadn¡¯t encountered elves from other viges. Even though it had been four years, and many elves, including Muwan, had already started meeting and interacting with each other. Lasi¡¯s vige had prioritized internal stability, which meant fewer people were sent out.Also, the geographical distance yed a role. Even with elves¡¯ ability to walk through the night and the fact that a day on the elf was 36 hours long, it still took six days to reach the nearest vige. Considering the distance, it was quite far. They had to traverse an undeveloped forest for several days with only a few warriors. It made sense that they hadn¡¯t found anyone in four years. But now, things had changed. They had encountered other elf viges. It seemed like the timing was perfect, as those elves had also started expanding their range of activities. ¡°We hid and observed them without being noticed¡­ It felt like there was a vige nearby.¡± ¡°I see. Other elves.¡± Lasi seemed deep in thought upon hearing this. Naturally, she would be. Instinctively, she might know they could be friendly, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. As the vige leader, she needed to make a cautious decision. ¡°Understood. They don¡¯t know our identity, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± The other elves had not yet noticed their presence. Given the distance, it would be hard to discover them unless they intentionally went looking. With that in mind, they decided to hold off for now. ¡°Still, just in case, please strengthen the external patrols.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With that, Elma¡¯s report concluded, and Dro, the Construction Chief, reported that more houses had been built for the elves. Construction techniques had evolved rapidly, moving from simple huts made of wooden poles covered with nts and leaves to proper wooden frames with walls solidified using a mix of mud and dried grass, creating earthen houses. Additionally, they had discovered a nt resin that acted like a ze, preventing the mud houses from copsing in the rain. In just four years, their construction technology had advanced significantly. Thanks to this, the elves could now live in homes that were almost impervious to wind and rain, allowing them to keep fires burning inside and live more warmly and safely. Finally, it was Rakus, the Production Chief¡¯s turn. I had a feeling this would be interesting. ¡°Regarding the special stone we discovered earlier, it seems it¡¯s not just an ordinary stone.¡± After discovering fire, the elves had tried all sorts of experiments to see what they could do with it. Recently, while mining graphite for writing, they had found a peculiar stone. A very shiny, greenish-yellow stone. When struck against a rock, it left a blue mark. Moreover, instead of breaking or chipping, the part of the rock it struck seemed to dent inward, like pressing into a fruit. Attracted by its unique beauty, they wondered if they could make tools from this stone. Since they were still using stone tools, they thought they could definitely create something with it. So, they brought the stone back and immediately put it into the furnace. The elves had learned that heating stones in the furnace before splitting them made the process much cleaner and easier. The furnace itself was originally created to maintain fire for long periods and quickly cook meat or crops. They built it usingpacted mud, simr to how they constructed their homes. Although they didn¡¯t know the exact temperature, the furnace could reach up to 1400 degrees Celsius. When they ced the stone into the furnace, they were startled to see the greenish-yellow stone melt instead of merely heating up like other stones. Panicked, the elves quickly removed it, and as it cooled, the stone turned a more intense yellow. What could this be? A substance that melts when exposed to fire, loses its blue hue, and turns yellow. While the elves were seeing this for the first time, I knew exactly what it was. Copper. A smooth, yellow metal known for its excellent conductivity,monly used in electrical wiring and various electronic devices. Its low melting point allowed some regions to enter the metal age earlier by creating bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, even before the iron age. It seemed they had stumbled upon a copper vein while mining for graphite. Actually, calling it a copper vein might be an understatement. I had designed this with an abundance of useful metals like copper, tin, iron, silver, and others. Copper veins were so plentiful that they could be found just by digging around a bit. Despite being softer than iron, copper was easier to work with in the early metal age and remained crucial for electronicster on, so I made it readily avable. Had they finally discovered it? Finding it while mining for graphite was quite a serendipitous event. Moreover, I had also deposited a significant amount of tin nearby, which was rtively rare on Earth. If they found that, they could easily create bronze, a much stronger alloy, and quickly advance their metalworking capabilities. Well¡­ even without tin, they could still make tools from pure copper, then eventually discover iron and transition to the Iron Age with the help of a st furnace. But discovering copper already? It took humanity on Earth roughly 4,000 years to move from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, so this is almost 1,000 times faster? The ease of finding raw materials and the rapid growth of elf civilization must be factors. In any case, entering the metal age quickly would be beneficial. Whoever mastered metal first would essentially be the dominant force on the elf. Muwan and the other elves I had been keeping an eye on¡­ not yet, it seems. Considering that Lumsi Vige discovered copper while mining for graphite for writing, it makes sense they were the first. If Muwan had discovered it, he would have immediately crafted weapons from this metal, which is heavier, harder, and easier to work with than stone. ¡°It melted into a malleable state and then hardened again as it cooled, retaining its shape. The blue hue disappeared, and it turned a deeper yellow, bing even harder.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It bes easily moldable when heated and hardens again, even stronger?¡± Lasi, always focused onmunity stability, saw a different use for it. ¡°If it¡¯s harder and easier to work with than stone, we should try making farming tools with it.¡± She looked at Selian, the Harvest Chief. ¡°Stone sickles are hard to make and feel more like tearing than cutting. Plus, stone tools for tilling the soil break easily and are tough to use.¡± Indeed, as Lasi pointed out, stone farming tools were barely functional, just slightly better than using bare hands. But if they had a metal that was harder and easier to shape? They could make much better farming tools, significantly increasing work efficiency. ¡°It could also help in making weapons and shields for the warriors.¡± ¡°A stronger material would be great for making tools like hammers for construction, or sturdy clubs for cutting wood¡­¡± Warrior Chief Elma, not wanting to miss the opportunity, spoke up, and Construction Chief Dro did the same. Of course, copper was softer than iron and heavier, making it less practical in some ways. And since they hadn¡¯t reached the age of electricity yet, its full potential wasn¡¯t realized. But even so, it was far superior to using ground stone. If they could create various tools and arm their warriors with copper, they would gain an unimaginable advantage over other elves. ¡°There seems to be an abundance of this greenish-yellow stone, so we should be able to make everything you¡¯ve mentioned. But¡­ Rakus, do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± Ultimately, it was up to Rakus, who oversaw the production of various tools, to decide. Fortunately, Rakus responded enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. The soul of a craftsman is burning within me. The fact that it bes malleable and then hardens even more¡­ We can do so much with this.¡± He was a production enthusiast with the soul of an artisan. Chapter 33: Metalian Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 33 EP.33 Metalian The discovery of metal in Lumsi Vige. The advancement of agriculture and the potential for livestock farming. The seeds of dominion sprouting in the southern hemisphere. And¡­ ¡°Look there! The sun moves across the sky, shining upon us!¡± ¡°The gods are watching over us!¡±¡°When the sun sets, small lights descend upon the darkened sky!¡± ¡°They are the agents of the gods! They watch over us while the gods rest!¡± ¡°Their positions change constantly! Look, after the cold season, the tree-shaped agent moved from the northeast back to the south.¡± ¡°The agents of the gods patrol the sky, circling around!¡± ¡°They move in cycles, so we can divide the year based on their positions!¡± ¡°Oh! They tell us when the cold and hot days wille! Truly, they are the agents of the gods!¡± ¡­These crazy cultists are developing astronomy based on their faith in me. And their understanding is eerily urate. Even as a fanatical religious group, the high intelligence of the elves is evident. The elves are rapidly advancing in various fields. At this rate, they might enter the Iron Age and establish a proper nation within the next ten years. Speaking of which, I wonder how Dalos is doing. Shall I take a peek? It seems they are following my advice, creating a metallic for the metal-based lifeforms. The is quite massive, about twice the size of mine. Dalos¡¯s preferences are evident, with the¡¯s metal forming intricate geometric patterns. Since they are machine lifeforms, nearly all the resources making up thend are metal, with a strong maic field flowing through it. Using that powerful maic field to generate electrical energy and supply it to the machine lifeforms, huh? Interesting¡­ they¡¯ve put some thought into this. [How do you find it? I think I¡¯ve done a pretty good job.] Dalosmunicated directly into my mind, aware that I was observing. [Creating the is a good start, but it¡¯s just a barren sphere for now.] Of course, as seen with TransforX, they don¡¯t necessarily need a star like the sun. The cube serves as their sun, energy source, and mother. But wasn¡¯t that concept discarded for being too inefficient and risky? [I n to introduce a substance simr to the cube, something that can directly channel my power.] So, they decided to adopt that idea after all. However, it¡¯s not just a simple cube; it seems to be a materialized form of Dalos¡¯s power, acting as a conduit. Indeed, the cube¡¯s function in TransforX felt like it borrowed the power of a creator god. Perhaps the cube in TransforX was created with that intention? Not the cube¡¯s inherent power, but as a conduit for the creator god¡¯s power¡­ Anyway. If it¡¯s a material that directly channels divine power, there¡¯s no risk of it being stolen or destroyed. It can¡¯t be destroyed in the first ce, and even if it were, as long as Dalos exists, it¡¯s directly connected to him and can regenerate. So, the high-risk factor is essentially nullified. A metallic and machine lifeforms, huh? It¡¯s certainly a dreame true. [It¡¯s time to create the lifeforms.] Ah, so now that the Cybertron-like is ready, it¡¯s time to create the Cybertronians to inhabit it. Let¡¯s see how he goes about creating them. In an instant, Dalos designed and created the lifeforms he had in mind. Their basic form was simr to typical humanoid races, with two arms and two legs, walking bipedally and using their hands to manipte various tools efficiently. Their exterior was, of course, sleek metal panels. Internally, they were filled with intricate mechanicalponents befitting their robotic nature. Near the heart, there was an engine powered by electromaic fields, which provided energy to hydraulic systems that allowed the body¡¯s joints to move. Their size ranged from approximately 10 to 20 meters. Although quiterge, they weren¡¯t excessively so, ensuring they could support their metal bodies. [I¡¯ve also included the transformation feature you mentioned. I thought it would be useful for them to transform into spaceships to navigate the universe.] Their default transformation setting was a spaceship. Depending on the environment and situation, they could transform into various mechanical vehicles such as cars, nes, ships, and submarines. Wow¡­ it¡¯s basically TransforX in all but name. [The name of this lifeform species will be¡­ Metalian.] Metalian! Metal humans, huh. The name itself is incredibly romantic. Given that they are born as robots, they won¡¯t need an industrial or cyber revolution; they¡¯ll inherently surpass all scientific and technological advancements. And their default transformation being a spaceship? While the species itself might not be overwhelmingly powerful, their ability to transform into state-of-the-art mechanical weapons gives them significantbat strength. Being robots, they would be almost god-like in mechanical engineering. However, their bodies, made of very delicate mechanical parts, would be vulnerable to external shocks and electromaic storms. But Dalos had already addressed this by equipping them with a maic shield that could constantly protect their entire body. Looking at them now, they do seem like a pretty overpowered species, don¡¯t they? Rather than being captured and dissected by the Lubaran, it might end up being the other way around¡­ But since I¡¯ve programmed them to be friendly unless attacked first, that shouldn¡¯t happen. The reason for this programming is, of course, the elves. I want them to naturally form an alliance with the nearby elves. Ideally, they would even visit the elf and spark a technological revolution there. With a bit of my help and Dalos¡¯s power, the Metalian, Metallica, was created. They¡¯ll need time to get used to their and settle in, so they won¡¯t be visiting the elf immediately. I wonder how many years it will take for them to stabilize. In the meantime, I¡¯m excited to see how much the elves will progress. Or will Yujin¡¯s attack on the Lubaran elder happen first? There are only about three years left until that scene unfolds. # The Death of Elder Organ This event caused significant controversy among the Meias tribe. Yujin, a Terra with immense magical talent. And Elder Organ, who despised and persecuted Yujin because he was a Terra. Eventually, Organ¡¯s resentment boiled over, leading him to ambush Yujin in a remote location to kill him. This resulted in a major conflict with Elder Jupiter, leading to Organ¡¯s death. It was a major incident. The Meias tribe split into two factions and began fighting fiercely. ¡°How can you justify killing a great Meias elder over a mere Terra?!¡± ¡°This is rebellion and terrorism! Killing an elder, no matter the reason, is uneptable!¡± ¡°The Union won¡¯t stand idly by!¡± One faction was outraged that a fellow Meias, especially an elder, was killed just to protect a Terra. They vehemently argued that both Elder Jupiter and Yujin should be punished and exiled. The opposing faction had apletely different stance. ¡°We should recognize and ept magical talent and diversity, even from other races. It was Elder Organ¡¯s fault for attacking first out of petty jealousy!¡± ¡°Honestly, regardless of race, what kind of master would stand by while their disciple is attacked?¡± ¡°Elder Jupiter¡¯s actions were justified.¡± They believed that even if Yujin was from another race, his magical prowess and talent, proven by his tournament victory, should be acknowledged. Elder Organ¡¯s jealousy and attack were at fault. They argued that neither Elder Jupiter nor Yujin did anything wrong. Thus, the factions were fiercely shing. ¡°¡­If only I were to leave, this would all be resolved. It¡¯s getting out of hand,¡± Elder Jupiter sighed deeply as he observed the chaos. The other elders shook their heads and responded. ¡°With Organ gone, there¡¯s already one vacant elder position. If you leave too, we¡¯ll have two vacancies. That¡¯s not ideal¡­¡± ¡°Once we appoint new elders to fill the vacancies, the fighting will die down soon enough. People are just excited by the sensational news, but it¡¯s temporary.¡± They didn¡¯t want Jupiter to leave. With one elder already dead, filling another vacant position would be no easy task. Given that Yujin¡¯s magical abilities were already proven, the consensus was shifting towards exonerating Jupiter, and the situation would likely calm down soon. ¡°I hope so,¡± Jupiter said, sighing deeply. The internal conflict among the Meias was trivial. The real issue was external. This incident not only shook the Meias tribe but also spread news about Yujin throughout the Gctic Union, causing aplete uproar. While the magic tournament was just an event that would have made Yujin famous within the Meias tribe, the death of a Union elder¡ªespecially one from a powerful faction like the Meias¡ªwas significant enough to spread across the entire Gctic Union, bringing Yujin¡¯s story along with it. ¡°A Terra with magical talent?¡± ¡°They say a Union elder took him as a disciple!¡± ¡°He even won the magic tournament!¡± ¡°What?! I thought Terras could only manage low-level magic at best?¡± Thus, Yujin¡¯s existence became known throughout the Gctic Union, stirring up quite amotion. Chapter 34: Missionary Activities Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 34 EP.34 Missionary Activities ¡°Elder James, have you seen this?¡± James Cobalt, the chief military officer of the Terra and one of the two Terra elders in the Union, was shown something on a tablet by his secretary. It was an article about a man who, despite being a Terra, had won the Meias tribe¡¯s tournament. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve seen it. He¡¯s the most famous person right now.¡± Although the magic tournament was open to all species of the Gctic Union, it was essentially a Meias event. The Terra who caused an upset and won hadpletely overturned the perception that Terras could only manage low-level magic at best. Despite this, Terras still couldn¡¯t learn magic or anything of the sort.Theycked the innate ability to handle energy, and they didn¡¯t possess the advanced scientific technology of the Lubaran to create superior weapons or machines. They didn¡¯t have the strong exoskeleton and natural reproductive abilities of the Kapteri. They were a species that could only mimic what others had sown. Terras were seen as weak and insignificant. Despite their relentless efforts to improve their technological prowess and climb to a mid-upper rank within the Union, prejudice and discrimination against Terras persisted. ¡°Even a Meias elder was jealous and tried to kill him. How did we not know about such a person?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the Union did ask us to verify his identity some time ago.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t find anything on our end. It was as if his records had been erased.¡± James tilted his head in confusion at his secretary¡¯s words. ¡°If his records were erased due to exile, there should have been a separate record of him as an exile. Could it be that he was considered dead long ago?¡± James tilted his head, puzzled. Yujin¡¯s records had been erased from the Terra¡¯s database, likely ssified as deceased. However, such talent should have been known, yet there was no memory of him. ¡°Perhaps he was born secretly elsewhere to avoid being recorded.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s irrelevant now. Make contact with him. See if we can bring him over to our side since he¡¯s a fellow Terra.¡± James didn¡¯t care about Yujin¡¯s origins or records. What he wanted was Yujin himself. A formidable talent, envied even by the Meias elders, and a natural-born powerhouse. If they could recruit Yujin as a Terra warrior, it would significantly bolster their strength. Moreover, being the disciple of a Meias elder and the winner of the magic tournament, Yujin¡¯s presence could potentially forge a special rtionship between the Terras and the Meias. With this in mind, James quickly instructed his secretary to make contact with Yujin. # Oh¡­ it seems the Terras are starting to move as well. Yujin¡¯s name has indeed be quite well-known due to this incident. Knowing Yujin¡¯s personality, he¡¯s likely to reject any offer to join the Terras. After learning magic from the Meias, he probably ns to travel the universe and be a true space adventurer. He¡¯s bound to stir up quite amotion within the Gctic Union. Though, it might not be as significant as the upheaval caused by the emergence of the elves and Metalians. Meanwhile, in Lumsi Vige, they began digging for copper, hoping to find it in other locations as well. ¡°We¡¯ve discovered a silver-colored stone.¡± ¡°This one¡­ looks like a slightly reddish stone, but its smell and texture are somewhat unique.¡± In addition to tin ore, they found iron ore. They explored various ces, including the vige, surrounding forests, hills, and caves, discovering multiple veins of minerals. Thanks to the elves¡¯ keen senses, they quickly noticed that the ores had a distinct smell and appearancepared to ordinary stones. Iron ore, for instance, might just look like a slightly reddish stone at a nce. However, without a furnace to process it, the iron ore would likely remain unused and stashed away. Still, discovering it was a positive step. If they could achieve the necessary temperatures for extraction, they could quickly enter the Iron Age. While copper and bronze alloys are rtively easy to melt, extract, and cast, they are softer and heavierpared to iron, making them less versatile. For weapons and farming tools, iron is essential. Meanwhile, what¡¯s happening with Muwan? It seems they¡¯re focusing more on territorial expansion rather than various discoveries and inventions. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s plow the fields. This is where our food will grow.¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± As expected, subtle social hierarchies were beginning to emerge. Although they hadn¡¯t formally established sses, their actions and speech suggested a division based on their roles. Muwan was akin to a king. Below him were the vige overseers, a managerial ss. Then there were the warriors, originally from Muwan¡¯s vige, who became warriors due to their exceptional physical abilities. Next were theborers who farmed or provided manualbor. And at the bottom, though not treated as ves, were the outsiders from the hignd vige, who even theborers couldmand. These outsiders handled almost all menialbor. Tsk tsk, wherever people go, hierarchies form, but to see it at the vige level already¡­ Muwan certainly exudes the aura of a ruler and dictator. However, despite this, the people of Muwan¡¯s vige lived very well. They enjoyed a prosperous andfortable life, with abundant food grown in fertile soil. Thanks to the warrior ss¡¯s exceptional hunting skills, there was no shortage of meat, ensuring a varied diet for everyone. Even the generalborers could enjoy meat two or three times a week, living in abundance. This was also true for the hignd vige elves, who were considered outsiders. Despite being treated as menialborers, they were content with the bountiful meals they could never have imagined back in the hignds. Moreover, Muwan and the warrior ss¡¯s aggressive territorial expansion had significantly erged the vige. With manyborers, the houses were builtrge and sturdy. Even the outsiders lived in spacious, well-built homes and ate plentifully, so they had little reason toin about Muwan¡¯s dictatorial rule. As they rapidly expanded their territory, they soon found themselves close to the hignd vige. If they continued to expand around the hignd vige, the two viges would eventually merge into one territory. Their territory had grown sorge that it could be considered a small city rather than a mere vige. With the influx of hignd vigers and the birth of new children, their poption was quickly approaching 2,000. With arge poption, rapid expansion, a radical leader, and exceptional military strength, they had everything they needed. There would likely be no elf in the southern hemisphere capable of stopping Muwan now. ¡­Wait a minute. It seems something is happening with the cultists as well. Switching the perspective quickly to that side. ¡°What, what¡¯s this? Other elves?¡± A scouting party from an elf vige near the coast had discovered the cultists. ¡°Oh! Outsiders! The gods have sent us outsiders!¡± ¡°Wee, wee the outsiders!¡± They joyfully greeted their fellow elves from afar. ¡­But seriously, if they keep screaming and dancing like that, the neers will run away in fear! ¡°These people are strange¡­¡± ¡°Look at that¡­ they even built a bizarre statue¡­ Are they a group of lunatics?¡± See, I knew it. They¡¯re being treated like a bunch of crazies. ¡­Or so I thought. ¡°Oh, great six-handed elf god!¡± ¡°Bless our scouting party and our vige!¡± ¡°The outsider is with us! Let us all pray together!¡± ¡°Oh, god¡­¡± ¡­¡­ Damn, they¡¯ve been indoctrinated. The scouting party from the coastal vige got indoctrinated by this crazy cult, learning theirnguage, rituals, and prayers to their god. They even became fanatics, joining in their dances. Oh, for crying out loud, this is insane. Did I ever include such fanatical elements when I set up the elves? Or did they develop this on their own¡­ Anyway, this might be a serious issue. Cults are dangerous once they take hold, but I never expected them to spread this easily. If this keeps up, these lunatics might spread across the entire, turning all the elves into a crazy cult. Should I pretend to be a god and tell them to tone it down¡­? No, that would only make them crazier. They¡¯d think the god has spoken to them directly and go even more berserk. They¡¯d twist my words to mean that their faith isn¡¯t strong enough! They¡¯d start spreading their fanaticism even more fervently. ¡°Let¡¯s go to your vige together! It¡¯s sphemous that you¡¯ve lived without knowing the god¡¯s existence and blessings!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go to our vige! The vigers will be overjoyed to learn about the god¡¯s existence and will join us in prayer!¡± Oh no! Those lunatics are actually going to evangelize to another vige¡­! What should I do? ¡°Oh, great six-handed elf god!¡± ¡°Almighty Creator!!¡± ¡°Guide us on our path!!¡± ¡­Sigh. I give up. If they want to believe in a god, let them. Our elf supports freedom of religion¡­ Chapter 35: Space Pests Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 35 EP.35 Space Pests ¡°Fire is a gift bestowed by the God! This liveliness, this heat! It is a great gift given with the hand of fire among the six hands!¡± ¡°But, but we lit the fire ourselves¡­¡± ¡°You sphemous beings! It is because the God bestowed it upon us that we can create fire with our feeble strength!¡± ¡°Is, is that so¡­?¡± No, why are they convinced? Fire is just a natural phenomenon. Well, if you consider thews of physics in the universe as a God, then it makes sense¡­ Right now, I am witnessing in real-time how a cult expands its influence and increases its followers. They enchant people with seemingly usible stories, making them believe. Well¡­ the difference is that real cults have leaders who lie to exploit people. These guys genuinely believe in the six-handed elf God.Fire is a sacred thing bestowed by the God. The hand of judgment strikes lightning, and the hand of fire embraces it to create fire. ¡­They seem to attribute every natural phenomenon to the God¡¯s hands. At this rate, they might end up with a hand for storms, a hand for the sea, a hand for water¡­ and eventually, they might have more than six hands, like the thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara. What¡¯s scarier is that these guys¡­ learned the coastal vige¡¯snguage in an instant, iming they wanted to spread the God¡¯s greatness. If they couldn¡¯tmunicate, they couldn¡¯t proselytize. ¡°Is that the sea? It looks like a veryrge pond.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know its end. It is vast and deep.¡± ¡°Moreover, it tastes salty. When it dries up, it creates sea powder, which is very delicious when sprinkled on fish or food.¡± ¡°We can offer a new sacrifice to the great God!¡± They just learned about the existence of the sea and salt, and that¡¯s all they have to say? The potential changes in diet, the advent of trade¡­ The possibilities of what they could do with the sea are endless. Well, these guys would probably take a small boat and sail across the sea just to spread the greatness of their God. Wasn¡¯t the name of that fanatic leader ¡®Rodri¡¯? I had almost forgotten his name, thinking of him as just the leader of these crazy people. Anyway, I have a feeling this guy will go all the way. He doesn¡¯t have the exceptional skills and charisma of someone like Lasi or Muwan, but¡­ somehow, he seems likely to build a simrlyrge force. It shows that it¡¯s not just the smart and charismatic ones who seed. Muwan¡¯s tyranny, Lasi¡¯s technology, and Rodri¡¯s religion¡­ It feels like an interesting three-way battle is about to unfold. # Gctic Union The Gctic Union is thergest organization in the universe, managing an area approximately 20 billion light-years in diameter, divided into 24 sectors. Considering that the observable universe¡¯s diameter is roughly 100 billion light-years, it¡¯s rtively small, but still, the Gctic Union is the only entity managing such a vast space in the entire universe. Of course, the Gctic Union does not perfectly control the entire 20 billion light-year diameter area. There are certainly unexplored spaces and several species that they have not brought under their control. Most of the time, they epted hostile species by either annihting them or inflicting near-annihtion damage before persuading them. However, there were species they couldn¡¯t subdue. The ¡®Kapteri¡¯ species, led by the Lubaran, is the only blemish on the Gctic Union¡¯s record. The Kapteri use their naturally extremely hard exoskeletons for both defense and offense, and their terrifying reproductive speed means that no matter how many are killed, they always manage to multiply somewhere else. Their exoskeletons are so formidable that unless sma weapons or nano-particle weapons developed by the Lubaran are used, it¡¯s difficult to inflict significant damage. Even if just one survives, it will escape to another part of the universe, consume the resources of another, and reproduce again. They are truly like incredibly tough cockroaches that tear people apart. The Lubaran and the Gctic Union have been striving to annihte these pest species that only bring harm to the cosmic society. However, they always manage to let a few escape, which then reproduce, and when they are found and killed, they escape and reproduce again¡­ The astonishing part is that these creatures, which seem to act purely on instinct, actually possess a high level of intelligence. Along with their incredibly fast reproduction, another remarkable trait is their rapid evolution. Newly bornrvae are mere instinct-driven monsters, but within a few years, their brains develop enough to enable some level of thinking. By the time they are ten years old, these monsters possess intelligenceparable to most other species. From that point, their characteristics and intelligence levels vary depending on their evolutionary paths. Those that evolve focusing on their brains bemanders issuing orders, while those that evolve focusing on their exoskeletons be frontline assault troops. When they were first discovered, nearly fully evolved ones were swarming. There were colossal Kapteri that could devour entire buildings, flying ones, those that ambushed from underground, and even suprememanders with intelligence surpassing the Lubaran. Although now they have been reduced to being perceived as mere space pests, initially, the Lubaran had to wage a war risking everything. Fortunately, the Gctic Union was already being established, and with the help of other species, they managed to win the war. If it had been just the Lubaran, they would have surely lost to the overwhelming numbers. However, the war with them was not over yet. ¡°Kirik. Kruruk.¡± ¡°Kikikik¡­¡± The Kapteri, now reduced to mere space pests, continued to evolve as they fled. Lifeforms inherently evolve more rapidly when faced with drastic environmental changes and crises. At some point, the Kapteri began to be born with intelligenceparable to most species right from theirrval stage. Their evolution elerated further, and they developed the patience to hide rather than seek resources to grow stronger. The Kapteri, born with an instinct to devour the life and resources ofs, exhibited an astonishing level of patience. Using this patience, they hid and began to increase their numbers. In the uncharted regions where the hateful eyes of the Union did not reach, particrly in the secluded corners of Sector G, they started to expand their forces. ¡°Kikikik¡­ Revenge.¡± ¡°Union scum. We will devour them all.¡± They prepared for the day when they would exact their revenge on the Union. # Oh, damn. What is this? In the seven years we ignored this area, those pestsid eggs on nearbys. The Kapteri, with their exoskeletons, incredible reproductive rate, rapid evolution, and high intelligence, are indeed a troublesome species. They are born to wander the universe, consuming all life and resources they find¡ªtrue pests. It seems they are hiding and building their numbers. If they burst out, our Elf and Metallica will be in danger. Given their rming rate of evolution, in 20 to 30 years, they could grow to the scale that once threatened even the Lubaran. At that level, it would be too difficult for the Metalians or Elves to respond. The Metallica might hold out for a while, but the Elves certainly wouldn¡¯t. Some have just entered the metal age, while others are still using stone tools. I don¡¯t think we can defeat creatures that once threatened the Lubaran in just 30 years. The Metalians might endure, but the Elves definitely won¡¯t. Just to be safe, we should consider annihting thes entirely. The Gctic Union¡¯s eyes don¡¯t reach this far, so they wouldn¡¯t notice a few missings. That¡¯s probably why the Kapteri settled here. Unfortunately for them, the location is a bit¡­ bad. Currently I¡¯m building a civilization right next to them. Just wait a bit, guys. I¡¯ll go over there and burn their nest. There are fives in total. To be honest, they¡¯re no longers, but rather aplete breeding ground for pests. I didn¡¯t want to use my powers when building a civilization, but I just can¡¯t stand having a cockroach nest near my home. It seems they¡¯re determined to take revenge on the Union and are increasing their numbers. I feel a bit sorry for them, living with the determination to take revenge¡­ No, I don¡¯t. Pests must be eradicated! They¡¯re just useless beings in this universe, consumingary resources and devouring the life forms that inhabit them. You guys, I¡¯ll teach you what cosmic horror truly is. You¡¯ll feel the overwhelming power of the universe¡¯s Outer Gods, which even a tiny insect like you can¡¯t resist! Haha, finally, I¡¯ll get to do something cosmic horror-like. Since I¡¯m doing it, I¡¯ll make sure to do it in a terrifying way. I didn¡¯t like insects even in my past life. Mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies¡­ Ugh, just hearing about them makes me ufortable. The insects in my past life didn¡¯t have intelligence, so they couldn¡¯t feel fear, but these guys, with their high intelligence, will feel the overwhelming threat and fear. Kuhuhu, I¡¯ll add my past anger to make them suffer as much as possible and make them tremble with fear. It¡¯ll be a great stress reliever. Chapter 36: Extermination of Pests Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 36 EP.36 Extermination of Pests The currentmander of the Kapteri tribe had dispersed his subordinates across fives, instructing them to remain hidden. This was to increase their numbers and prepare for the future. Here, they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. No dangerous events would ur. Although the area was within the influence of powerful gamma rays and energy storms due to the aftermath of a supernova, this was not an issue for the Kapteri tribe, who were specialized in radiation and space environments. They just needed to endure for several decades. ¡­That was what they thought. It appeared on the they had hidden on, at some point. A massive shadow emerged, blocking the intense light caused by the supernova¡¯s aftermath. Its size was so immense that it covered the entire. Amazingly, it was moving. Its tentacles extended from its gigantic body, writhing here and there, while its enormous, blood-red eyes gazed down at the. ¡°Kkik¡­ kkeugeuk.¡±The moment themander of the Kapteri tribe met those red eyes, he thought, ¡®Ah, the end hase for our species.¡¯ An absolute end that could never be defied. An unimaginably deep abyss. An inevitable death was staring at them. The Kapteri tribe froze in ce. Normally, upon sensing a crisis, they would all enter a state of alert and either engage in battle or flee into space to find another safe ce to reproduce. But they couldn¡¯t move. Themander couldn¡¯t even issue an order to move. No, it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t; it was that it would be meaningless. His instincts as a living being told him there was no way to escape from that thing. No matter what they did, it would be futile. The moment they were discovered, their annihtion was certain. The moving end of the world, the eyes of termination. All they could do was wait. It simply stared down at them without a word, but it was merely toying with them. The moment its curiosity ended would be the end of the Kapteri tribe. Just as they were thinking that, Kiieeeeeng©¤ ¡°Geueeek!¡± ¡°Geuek!¡± ¡°Kraaaak!¡± Suddenly, themander¡¯s head began to ache intensely. It was an extreme pain he had never felt in his life. It felt as if dozens of tiny Kapteri tribe members were madly burrowing and gnawing inside his head. The pain was so severe that he wished he could just die. Not only themander but also the other Kapteri tribe members seemed to be experiencing the same pain, as they all screamed and rolled on the ground. It wasn¡¯t hard to realize that it was the doing of the massive entity before them. It could kill them instantly but chose to toy with them instead. Out of mere curiosity, it inflicted terrible pain upon them. ¡®Just kill us already¡­!¡¯ Themander of the Kapteri tribe wanted to shout this, but he couldn¡¯t utter a word. It wasn¡¯t just because of the excruciating headache. The despairing realization that speaking would be utterly futile also sealed his lips. They could only hope for a swift and painless death. # Oh, that won¡¯t do. Considering the crimes you mightmit in the future, you deserve at least a thousand years of suffering¡­ Hmm, but is it right to punish you for something you haven¡¯t done yet? No! Think about the countless space species ands you¡¯ve harmed over the centuries. Consider this your punishment! Yes, even when I used to catch mosquitoes or flies, I would torture them alive, channeling the anger from all the pests that had ever bothered me. I¡¯d cut off their wings or snouts, making sure they stayed alive to suffer as much as possible. Well, I don¡¯t know if those creatures felt pain, but honestly, I think pests like mosquitoes and flies deserve such treatment. So do you. You deserve this! Moreover, since you¡¯re an intelligent species, you¡¯ll definitely feel the pain. That¡¯s even better. ¡°Keeek!¡± ¡°Kieeek!¡± Hmm, it seems the fragilervae are barely hanging on with just a bit of mental copse. Well, considering the mental contamination caused by directly witnessing my true form, it¡¯s impressive they didn¡¯t die immediately. The resilience of pests, indeed. Since there are so many of them anyway, let¡¯s take this opportunity to eliminate all the ones scattered across the others and leave only the ones on this where themander is. There were too manyrvae, and they were bothersome, so I decided to let them all die. I would take only a few survivors, including themander, and imprison and torment them. ¡­Hmm, but am I being too cruel? Honestly, as an Outer God, this level of cruelty is somewhat expected, but I still feel a twinge of guilt due to my human ethics. Even though they are cosmic pests, is it right to torment them this much when they haven¡¯t harmed me directly? ¡­Then again, what ethics do I need to uphold when I¡¯ve already created life? As an Outer God, what could they possibly say to me? It¡¯s not like other Outer Gods would criticize me. If anything, they are worse than me. I once glimpsed some information about Nyathotep¡¯s experiments and dissections on living creatures from another universe¡­ If I could vomit in this form, I would have. Anyway, I¡¯m actually being quite kind by dealing with these nasty pests. I¡¯m probably doing a great favor to my cosmic friends by exterminating an entire species of space cockroaches. Crack¡ª Crunch! First, I annihted the fourspletely overrun by the Kapteri tribe, along with all the Kapteri on them. I then confirmed the death of thervae, which were bleeding from every orifice. I captured a few surviving evolved forms and the Kapteri tribemander, imprisoning them in a giant insect collection container. The container was about 10 kilometers in size,rge enough to amodate even the building-sized Kapteri. Now, I would torment them just enough to keep them alive. To prevent any idental escape that might harm the elves, I ced them in a separate subspace. By slightly distorting the space of the universe¡­ Okay, a perfectly isted subspace was created, where no external influence could reach except his own. Another source of amusement was added to my collection, along with civilization simtions and space opera dramas. Helping the Gctic Union friends and gaining entertainment¡ªwhat a wise way to live as an Outer God. # It created a vast, transparent space and imprisoned the surviving dozens of Kapteri tribe members, including themander. ¡°Krugh¡­ Kieek¡­¡± As they were confined within the space, the excruciating headache vanished. However, trapped in the narrow space, they were transported somewhere unknown. They couldn¡¯t tell where they were. It was pitch-ck darkness, with no starlight, radiation, or gravity. It felt like an empty void. No, even a void wasn¡¯t devoid of the energy that filled the universe. But here, it was truly ¡¯emptiness¡¯ itself. A space where nothing could be felt. The only things present were the massive transparent case, about 10 kilometers in length, that imprisoned them, and the dozens of Kapteri tribe members inside it. They could do nothing but remain helplessly trapped within. In this void of no energy and no sense of time passing, the Kapteri tribe began to tremble in fear. They had no idea when or where it would return to inflict pain upon them again. They wished it would just kill them quickly. They envied thervae whose brains had melted and died, and their kin who had perished along with the others. As they shivered in terror, thinking this, [Shall we start with some cold torture? I wonder at what temperature you¡¯ll freeze?] A voice directly entered their minds. ¡°Keeek!¡± ¡°Kieeek!!¡± Just hearing that voice made the Kapteri tribe members writhe in agony, their six legs twitching uncontrobly. The voice felt as if it was directly drilling into their brains, pounding them relentlessly. Even though it was merely conveying words, the pain was unbearable. But that was just the beginning. As it had said, the cold torture began, and the surroundings started to grow colder. The Kapteri tribe could survive in the vacuum of space, enduring extreme temperatures. However, the problem was that this ce went beyond the absolute zero of space. The temperature dropped even lower. Theoretically, at absolute zero, the entropy of a substance bes zero, meaning the temperature cannot drop further. But here, suchws did not apply. The motion of molecules came to aplete halt. All physical movement ceased. It was a state ofplete freezing. In this absurd phenomenon, defying the physicalws of the universe, the bodies of the Kapteri tribe began to freeze. It wasn¡¯t just freezing; the molecr motion stopped entirely, causing the material to solidify and start to disintegrate. From the edges, everything slowly stopped, and the sensation of everything gradually copsing was something they couldn¡¯t even feel. They couldn¡¯tprehend what was happening to them. It was a space where everything hade to a halt. [Oops¡­ Maybe that was a bit too much.] Yet, even in such a state, its voice was heard clearly. And immediately after, ¡°Kehk! Guh¡­ urgh¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± The surrounding temperature returned to normal. At that moment, the molecules began to move again. The biological clock started ticking, and the frozen, disintegrating bodies regained their sensations. The unimaginable, excruciating pain was like having their bodies petrified and shattered into pieces. Even the shattered fragments of their bodies sent signals to their brains, causing an unbearable agony that felt like their brains were burning. More than half of the Kapteri tribe died from shock, unable to withstand the pain. These beings, known for their extraordinary vitality, were killed by the unbearable agony. The surviving Kapteri tribemander thought to himself, ¡°This is impossible. I can¡¯t endure this. Do I have to repeat this torture until I die?¡± Considering the previousment, ¡°That was a bit too much,¡± it was clear that the intention was to torment them without killing them. This was unbearable. The Kapteri tribemander, thinking desperately, forced out a voice that didn¡¯t want toe out and begged, ¡°Oh, great and mighty being¡­! I will be your faithful servant¡­ Please, please release us¡­ Free us from this pain¡­¡± He wept, pleading desperately for their release. Of course, the sight of a massive, grotesque crustacean-like creature begging in a pitiful, whining voice was more likely to evoke disgust than sympathy. Chapter 37: Yujin’s Dilemma Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 37 EP.37 Yujin¡¯s Dilemma Oh¡­ You shouldn¡¯t be making such a fuss over just one instance. You¡¯re quite the drama queen. Hmm, I admit I might have gone a bit overboard just now. I nearly killed you. Should I leave you alone for a while as an apology? Anyway, escaping from there on your own is impossible. ¡°Great being, please release us. Or just kill us¡­¡± Seeing a giant arthropod that looks like a mix between a beetle and a king crab crying like that is more disgusting than pitiable, but on the other hand, I do feel a bit sorry for them. Honestly, these guys haven¡¯t caused that much harm, just running away from the Gctic Union all the time. Torturing them this much might be excessive. Ugh, this is why bugs shouldn¡¯t talk. When they do, it creates emotional exchanges. And when there¡¯s emotional exchange, even these grotesque creatures start to seem a bit pitiable and cute. Have I finally gone mad? Has the mental copse of an Outer God affected me as well? Or maybe, by Outer God standards, they are cute. I¡¯ll think about what to do with themter. Even if releasing them is out of the question, I could at least bind them to me and use them as subordinates. It¡¯s not so much procrastinating as it is taking my time because it doesn¡¯t really matter what I do. This sense of leisure and omnipotence is what being a god is all about. [Hello. Are you Yujin?][Ah yes, hello.] Oh, an event urred on Yujin¡¯s side in the meantime. A delegate from the Terra tribe had arrived on the of the Meias tribe, where Yujin was staying. I quickly switched the channel to focus there. # James Cobalt, the elder and chief military officer of the Terra tribe, had sent one of his high-ranking officers to Yujin. The officer, named Rigel Dorch, was roughly equivalent to a colonel in his previous life¡¯s military rank. He was a man in his 40s, quiterge in stature, and exuded a strong ¡°tough soldier¡± vibe. ¡°To meet the one who ttened the noses of those Meias tribe wizards despite being from the Terra tribe, it¡¯s an honor.¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± Yujin¡¯s response was indifferentpared to thepliment. It was understandable since the meeting had cut into his magic training time. ¡®I need to learn magic as quickly as possible.¡¯ Although Yujin didn¡¯t have a grand goal, he was very interested in magic and had a strong desire to master it. Therefore, he disliked anything that interrupted his magic lessons. The arrival of Rigel from the Terra tribe had reduced that time, which annoyed him. One might think he could have just refused the meeting, but since Rigel was sent directly by the Terra tribe¡¯s elder, it seemed to involve some political implications. If Yujin refused, it might cause trouble for Elder Jupiter. The Meias tribe was already divided because of Yujin, and if the Terra tribe, including Elder Jupiter, started causing problems, it would be like pouring oil on a fire. Given these circumstances, Yujin had no choice but to meet with Rigel to avoid causing trouble for Jupiter. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like to beat around the bush. Let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Yujin¡¯s expression grew even more indifferent, as he could easily predict what the main point would be. ¡°Join the Terra tribe. No, to be precise, join the Terra tribe¡¯s military. We promise you the best treatment.¡± A recruitment attempt. It was so obvious. The Terra tribe wanted to recruit Yujin, the sensational wizard born from their tribe, to garner public support and bolster their military strength with the much-needed special unit of wizards. Additionally, they harbored the vain hope that by uncovering the secret behind Yujin¡¯s strength, they might be able to train wizards within the Terra tribe in the future. Magic, after all, didn¡¯t require particrly expensive equipment and could produce immense power purely through one¡¯s umted energy and skill. It was a highly coveted ability in the militaries of various species. Naturally, the Terra tribe was no exception. However, their magical talent as a species was abysmal. The arrival of Yujin, a beacon of hope, was enough to tempt them. Of course, regardless of their intentions, Yujin¡¯s answer was already decided. ¡°No, I¡¯m not joining the military.¡± The military? Even if it was the human military? Ugh, no way. Only bad memories came to mind. Naturally, for Yujin, who shared some of my memories, the military was an instinctively avoidable institution. Sure, that was the Korean military I was in, and it was a conscription system, so the feeling would be entirely different. Moreover, Yujin would likely receive excellent treatment and enter as a high-ranking officer¡­ but still, the military was a no-go. Even without bad memories, Yujin wouldn¡¯t join any specific organization. Yujin¡¯s goal was to travel around the universe, fully enjoying the sci-fi world as a space adventurer. Being part of any organization would inevitably lead to being bound by it. That was something to be avoided as much as possible. Sure, a sci-fi space military drama might be interesting, but ultimately, the choice was Yujin¡¯s. Though he was technically a doppelganger, he was now practically an independent entity. He should be allowed to act ording to his own will. ¡°Haha, think it over carefully. The Meias tribe is already in chaos because of you. Even those who support you do so not out of affection but merely to acknowledge diversity. They are more hostile than friendly towards you.¡± Despite Yujin¡¯s refusal, Officer Rigel didn¡¯t give up and began to say various things to persuade him. ¡°No matter how talented you are in magic, you won¡¯t receive proper treatment in a ce that discriminates against your race. Elder Jupiter may be looking after you now, but it¡¯s clear that when pushes to shove, their loyalty will lie with their own kind.¡± In simpler terms, he was saying that Yujin wouldn¡¯t have a good time here due to racial discrimination and shoulde with him to the Terra tribe to be a hero of his species. This persuasion was entirely ineffective on Yujin, who had no interest in being a hero or in racial discrimination. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly interested. Whether it¡¯s the Terra tribe or the Meias tribe¡­ I¡¯ll just go my own way, and you should go yours. Just like it has been so far.¡± Yujin was born with a Terra tribe base, but he wasn¡¯t truly a Terra tribe member. Strictly speaking, he was a creation of an Outer God, apletely new species. A hybrid of the Terra and Meias tribes. Thus, any attempt to appeal to a sense of racial solidarity was futile. ¡°Hahaha, your tone is quite rude.¡± ¡°Well, who was the one being rude by speaking informally right from the start?¡± As the two argued, an aura began to subtly emanate from them. They began a battle of auras, a contest of intimidation. Oh¡­ a pathetic duel. Usually, fights are said to be interesting when it¡¯s a close match, but in this case, it¡¯s clear who is the weaker party, making the oue predictable and unexciting. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± As expected, the result of the contest was an overwhelming victory for Yujin. After all, who would be stronger? The one with an immense amount of mana energy stored within or the one who fought on the battlefield with a scientifically inexplicable and clumsy murderous intent? ¡°I shall take my leave for now. Consider my proposal and respond at your convenience. Here¡¯s my contact frequency.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Officer Rigel left in a hurry, his face flushed red with embarrassment and anger at being overpowered by a much younger man who seemed to be an incredible magician. ¡®This young brat dares to look down on me? Me, who is directly under Elder James?¡¯ Oh, is he thinking of revenge? This kind of scenario ismon in fantasy novels. A noble or knight with a bruised ego goes tattling to someone higher up to put the protagonist in a difficult situation¡­ something like that. Of course, such tactics wouldn¡¯t work on Yujin. ¡°Haah¡­ This is so annoying. I need to learn magic quickly and get out of here.¡± Yujin sighed deeply and then suddenly shifted his gaze, looking at something in the void as if he could see something beyond the invisible space. ¡­?? What is he doing? It¡¯s as if he¡¯s looking at something that¡¯s not there¡­ ¡°Original being, are you watching? Even if you¡¯re not, you¡¯ll eventually hear about it. You know everything that happens in the universe, after all.¡± What? Is he trying to talk to me all of a sudden? Was he looking at me beyond the void? Hey! What are you doing, breaking the fourth wall like that? There haven¡¯t been any descriptions or foreshadowing of this until now. While breaking the fourth wall isn¡¯t unheard of these days, doing it so abruptly can make viewers ufortable. Oh, right, I¡¯m the only viewer here. But why is he suddenly talking to me? Does he need something? ¡°I n to be a space adventurer and travel to various ces in the universe. But¡­ is that truly my will? Or am I just a puppet moving ording to the subconscious thoughts imnted by the original being?¡± ¡­Hmm, it seems that through his conversation with Officer Rigel, Yujin realized that he doesn¡¯t belong to either the Terra tribe or the Meias tribe. He feels like a solitary existence. Has he started questioning his own existence and purpose? Indeed, he is a doppelganger I created, and his personality is almost a direct copy of mine. Honestly, it¡¯s hard to say that everything is Yujin¡¯s own voluntary choice. ¡­But there¡¯s nothing I can do for him. I¡¯ve decided to treat Yujin as apletely independent entity. From now on, everything will move ording to his will. While some of my tendencies might be reflected in him, it¡¯s simr to a parent watching their child, who was born from them, make their own choices and follow their own path. Yujin, born as my creation, will ultimately make his own decisions while being influenced by me. Yes, that¡¯s how it should be. That way, I can continue to enjoy watching Yujin¡¯s life unfold! Chapter 38: The Iron Age Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 38 EP.38 The Iron Age Time passed quickly. Even during his human days, with a lifespan of less than a hundred years, Yujin would often find that a year or two had slipped by in the blink of an eye. Now, as an immortal Outer God with no concept of lifespan, this sensation was even more pronounced. He began to understand why beings like dragons in fantasy settings viewed time spent with humans as fleeting moments. Two years had passed since Lasi discovered metal, Muwan expanded his territory, and Rodri advanced to the coastal viges. Yujin, who had been contemting his identity, seemed to have reached a conclusion. Since then, he hadn¡¯t tried to talk to me or shown signs of inner turmoil. Instead, it seemed his vague goal of bing a space adventurer after learning magic had shifted to something else. From that day on, he began to take different actions. For instance, he started engaging in various volunteer activities to help the Meias tribe, who had previously discriminated against him, in an effort to improve his image among them. He actively showcased his incredible magical abilities along with his good character. ¡°Did you hear? Yujin took care of the monster that appeared on the neighboring.¡± ¡°Yes, it was originally something the Meias elders or the magic corps would handle, but he actively helped out.¡± And this approach was quite sessful. Whether they had a positive or negative view of Yujin, the Meias tribe generally didn¡¯t like him because he was from the Terra tribe. However, after two years of effort, Yujin managed to significantly change public opinion. Initially, the reactions were dismissive, withments like ¡°He¡¯ll stop soon,¡± or ¡°He¡¯s just trying to suck up,¡± but¡­As the saying goes, ¡°Sincerity moves heaven.¡± After two years of diligently using his abilities to help people, public opinion about Yujin began to shift positively. ¡°He¡¯s better than the elders who just sit around looking important.¡± ¡°Hey, someone might hear you.¡± ¡°So what? Honestly, he¡¯s better than the elders.¡± Some even believed he was better than the elders who, despite their high positions, didn¡¯t actively help out like Yujin did. Thanks to his exceptional magical skills and two years of effort, Yujin was sessfully integrating into the Meias tribe. Additionally, Yujin began to build a friendly rtionship with the Terra tribe, despite having previously ignored their proposal to join the military. ¡°Haha, so you really have no intention of joining our military? With your skills, you could easily be the next elder.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stay friendly with my kin, but the military isn¡¯t for me.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re an unusual one.¡± Yujin now bypassed Officer Rigel and directly conversed with James Cobalt, the elder and chief military officer. He also seemed to be exchanging messages with Kon Arche, a Terra tribe adventurer he had briefly connected with during an interview. (I almost got disintegrated near a ck holest time.) (Take care of yourself. You¡¯re not young anymore. LOL) (You little¡­) It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why Yujin was doing this. He was building his ownwork of influence. Not just followers orrades, but allies among the Meias and Terra tribes. By building friendly rtionships and connections, Yujin was creating awork of allies who could support him when needed. This kind ofwork wouldn¡¯t be necessary if he were merely a space adventurer wandering the universe. He wanted to undertake something significant with the backing of a substantial force. ¡®Since it hase to this, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a cheat wizard reincarnated in this sci-fi universe. And I¡¯ll take over the Gctic Union.¡¯ Oh¡­ that¡¯s a pretty grand goal. Aiming to be the ruler of the universe, huh? That¡¯s quite ambitious. He wanted to seize control of the Gctic Union and be its leader, bringing the regions governed by the Union under his control. It¡¯s a grandiose goal, but honestly, for a doppelganger of a cosmic entity, such an ambition seems fitting. The storyline has shifted from a space travel adventure to a space conquest saga! I support you, Yujin! This means Yujin will likely start moving very proactively from now on. Now I understand why he would eventually sh with the Lubaran tribe elder of the Gctic Union. To take over the Gctic Union, it makes sense to target the de facto leader, the Lubaran elder. Moreover, the secret of thatboratory¡­ if he uses that as leverage, he would have enough justification to oust the elder both militarily and politically. Capturing and dissecting interesting species to understand their traits and use them for their own scientific advancements is definitely not okay. It¡¯s just inhumane experimentation to make themselves stronger. That¡¯s precisely why I hesitated to create something like TransforX. If they were mechanical lifeforms, those creatures would have dissected and studied my creations, whether they killed them themselves or obtained the corpses from somewhere else. Fortunately, elves don¡¯t have any distinctive features apart from their physical prowess and high intelligence, so they likely wouldn¡¯t be dissection targets. If the Lubaran tribe were to dissect the species I created after joining the Union, I might have been so annoyed that I would have just wiped them out. Honestly, the aftermath of eradicating an entire species¡ªfilling the void or calming the chaos among other species¡ªwould be a hassle. That¡¯s why I deliberately kept it hidden and made the species elves. Dalos creating the Metalians, who are essentially TransforX, was eptable because Dalos would handle the destruction and the cleanup. Or maybe not. These guys might just destroy without cleaning up. Anyway, if Yujin discovers and overturns their ns, it would be beneficial. The Metalians, being neighbors to the elves, would receive various forms of assistance. Capturing and dissecting intelligent lifeforms out of curiosity¡­ it reminds me of the creeping chaos. Perhaps Ubbo-Sat referenced that when creating the Lubaran tribe. Such madness-driven curiosity is indeed the best trait for scientific advancement. But honestly, isn¡¯t this practically universal domination? Maybe it¡¯s because the life force absorbed from the experimental subjects isn¡¯t significant. Anyway, I don¡¯t like those guys. If Yujin takes over the Union, the elves and Metalians would be able to expand without interference or attacks. Wait! But I was nning to make the elves the leading species of the Union. Does that mean they¡¯ll end uppeting with Yujin? A showdown between a doppelganger and a created species¡­ an internal conflict of epic proportions. # As Yujin actively moved to take over the Gctic Union, the elves were also experiencing their own revolutions. ¡°How about this! This is the new furnace. It can reach temperatures high enough to melt red stones.¡± Rakus, the craftsman of Lumsi vige, unveiled a new type of furnace. It was made from specially heat-resistant and well-insted y, with the interior coated in graphite, which had been used for writing instruments. The elves, known for their curiosity and strong desire for advancement, quickly figured out how to efficiently utilize the various environments and conditions they were given. While using silicon, ceramics, or synthetic refractory materials capable of withstanding very high temperatures would be more efficient, their chemical engineering hadn¡¯t developed to that point yet. Given their current capabilities, this was the best they could do. With proper oxygen supply, the furnace could reach temperatures up to 1900 degrees Celsius. This was a significant improvement over the previous furnaces, which could barely melt copper. With this, they could melt the red stones they had discovered, which were actually iron, and produce iron ingots. This marked the beginning of their Iron Age revolution. Wow¡­ discovering iron is quite a leap forward. If left unchecked, Lumsi vige could be the most powerful. ¡­Or so one might think, but surprisingly, not yet. Despite entering the Iron Age, they were still limited to making arrows, swords, and spears. Even with improved materials for primitive cold weapons, without the invention of modern firearms, they would still be fighting with bows and engaging in closebat with spears. While having better materials might give them an edge in skirmishes, it wouldn¡¯t make them overwhelmingly dominant. On the other hand, Muwan¡¯s side was also formidable. They had discovered and absorbed two more nearby viges, forming arge forceprising four viges. Naturally, this significantly increased the elf poption, and with new births, their numbers exceeded 5,000. Despite Lumsi vige¡¯s rapid development, their poption was still around 1,500. Even with some families having three children over the past nine years, this was their limit. While Lumsi focused on rapid technological advancements, Muwan¡¯s vige concentrated on territorial expansion and agriculture, remaining in the Stone Age. However, theirrge poption meant significant collective intelligence andbor force, enabling rapid development if they chose to pursue it. Would it be Lumsi, the city of rapidly advancing science and technology, or Muwan¡¯s city, which grew its numbers exponentially? Who would first unite the elf forces? ¡­But why am I assuming they would fight? Elves are known for their strong bonds and harmony! It would be better if they all got along and advanced together. So, let¡¯s hope they join hands and progress together in peace. Chapter 39: Technological Power Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 39 EP.39 Technological Power In that sense, religion might y a more significant role than expected. Originally, religion was meant to unite people under a single will, fostering moral thinking and helping them be proper members of society. Over time, its meaning faded, and it transformed into something akin to a corporation. ¡°Argh! The sea is angry!¡± ¡°The god is furious!¡± ¡°No, everyone! The god has given us a trial! Only by oveing this and praying to the god can we surpass it¡­!¡± Well¡­ of course, such insane idol worship is an exception. For some reason, Rodri, the priest of the religious group, hade to the coastal vige. Was it for proselytizing? No, more importantly, what are they doing? A typhoon was causing tidal waves, yet they had no intention of fleeing. The waves were crashing into the coastal vige, and at this rate, they would be swept away.¡°Oh god, I will ovee this! I am not afraid of such storms and waves!¡± ¡°Oh! Priest Rodri has started praying to the god!¡± ¡°Let us pray together! If we pray, the god will save us!¡± ¡°Yes, if we leave it like this, the vige might disappear. Let us pray together!¡± ¡­¡­ No, they were shifting the responsibility onto me. This was almost like ckmail, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°If you don¡¯t save us, it¡¯s your fault that the vige gets destroyed.¡± That was essentially what they were saying. For a moment, I considered just letting them get swept away. But then again, they were my followers, and it felt wrong to abandon them. Moreover, the typhoon was stronger than I had anticipated, and if left unchecked, it couldpletely wipe out the vige. Damn it¡­ I originally intended not to interfere. Instead of fully saving them, I decided to reduce the typhoon¡¯s intensity to a less dangerous level. Whoosh! ¡°Ugh, pfft!¡± ¡°Argh, salty!¡± Originally, a massive wave was supposed to engulf the vige and sweep away the elves, but thanks to my intervention, it ended up being just a ssh of water. With their basic physical abilities, the elves wouldn¡¯t drown. However, if they stayed like that, they¡¯d be soaked in seawater all day and end up pickled in salt. Whoosh! ¡°Ugh! Cough, cough!¡± ¡°Argh.¡± Their determination was stronger than I had expected. Even as they got drenched and looked like wet rats, they didn¡¯t stop. They continued to pray to me in their own way for hours. Despite their sturdy bodies, even the elves began to shiver from the constant exposure to the waves and rain. It was only natural. ¡­Sigh, fine, I give up. You win. In a way, they were like my children, much like Yujin. They were the only ones who believed in and praised my existence. Even though their devotion seemed somewhat cult-like, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a soft spot for those who believed in and followed me. sh©¤! ¡°Oh, oh! The sky is clearing up!¡± ¡°The typhoon is starting to recede!¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to our prayers! Thanks to Priest Rodri and our prayers!¡± ¡°Oh! The god has saved us!!¡± Seeing them cheer so excitedly made me slightly regret not just leaving them be¡­ but whatever. If a god exists and cares for its creations, shouldn¡¯t it eliminate the injustices they face? If these creatures were merely hoping for luck without any effort, that would be different. But they risked their lives, praying to me not just to save themselves but to protect the coastal vige they had worked so hard to build and maintain. Ignoring that would make me a cruel god who saw its creations only as test subjects. While I initially created them out of curiosity, I¡¯m not a psychopath devoid of affection for the beings I created. ¡­Really, what am I saying? A cosmic entity capable of traversing multiverses talking like this? Other cosmic beings would be baffled if they heard me. I guess I¡¯m quite an anomaly. My origin, retaining the personality from my human days¡ªeverything about me is unusual. If I were just a bit weaker, wouldn¡¯t I have been captured and experimented on by Nyathotep? # The Iron Age. Iron, when processed in a high-temperature furnace and through an oxygen reduction process, is rtively easy to work with. Moreover, if oxidation is well prevented, it boasts high strength and durability after processing. Most importantly, it is extremely stable, being the final product of nuclear fusion. It is also one of the mostmonly avable metals. Depending on how it is processed, iron can exhibit a wide range of properties, making it highly versatile. It can be used in construction, agricultural tools, weapons, various tools, and even cooking utensils. Even the Lubaran, the most advanced race in the current universe, predominantly use iron in their daily lives unless something special is required. Naturally, the discovery of iron leads to revolutionary advancements. First, agricultural tools. ¡°My goodness. This is on a different levelpared to yellow stone (copper) or blue stone (bronze)! It¡¯s lighter and much harder.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s been sharpened so finely, it has incredible durability. Unlike stone or yellow stone (copper), it seems like it can be used in various ways.¡± Attempts were made to create weapons and agricultural tools from bronze alloys made of copper and tin previously discovered. Unfortunately, those attempts failed. The primary reasons were theck of good processing techniques and the fact that bronze was heavy and soft. During the Bronze Age, most items crafted were ornaments or decorations for high-ranking individuals. This was partly because copper and tin were very rare minerals, but also because, despite being harder to process and more valuable than stone, bronze did not offer significant advantages. However, iron was different. As long as the environment for processing it was avable, it was much easier to obtain and far more versatile. Thus, when agricultural tools like sickles and shovels were made from iron, it felt like an enormous upgrade from using stone. The same applied to weapons. Iron could be sharpened to the point where it could cut flesh with a mere touch, making it ideal for crafting swords, spears, and arrowheads. Even if not sharpened, iron was harder than bronze, making it excellent for creating blunt weapons that could strike much harder. Iron was so versatile that it was often referred to as the ¡°rice of industry,¡± being used extensively in various other sectors. For example¡­ ¡°Currently, we support building walls with wood and dried grass¡­ but with this, we can insert much sturdier supports. Yellow stone (copper) and blue stone (bronze) are heavy and scarce, so we only considered it, but this strong stone (iron) is much moremon and sturdier¡­¡± As construction chief Dro enthusiastically exined, iron could also be used as a building material. ¡°Depending on the temperature and method of production, its strength, tensile properties, and various characteristics can change drastically. I¡¯m sure there are much better ways to utilize it in manufacturing¡­¡± Hammers, screwdrivers, screws, nails¡­ iron could be used to make all sorts of manufacturing tools. With the creation of highly efficient agricultural tools, harvest chief Selian was excited. The possibility of crafting superior weapons and armor thrilled warrior chief Elma. The ability to build sturdier walls and experiment with more diverse construction methods excited construction chief Dro. And naturally, the most excited was manufacturing chief Rakus, who was directly handling this highly versatile material. ¡°Excellent. We can now achieve so much more. Everyone, please do your best for the vige.¡± Their leader, Lasi, also seemed pleased. Watching the technological advancements of the vige in real-time was undoubtedly a joy for any leader. ¡°Oh, I have some news to share. It¡¯s about another elf vige we discovered two years ago.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± Ah, right, that was a thing. It seemed they had made direct contact this time. Given the vige¡¯s significant technological advancements, no one could threaten them unless they were arge group like Muwan¡¯s vige, which had over 5,000 people. Not that it seemed like a hostile situation to begin with. ¡°Although we couldn¡¯t fullymunicate, we managed to find somemon ground and had a conversation.¡± The high intelligence of the elves was beneficial in such situations. Even though each vige spoke a differentnguage, they could quickly understand and adapt to the newnguage by grasping the context. Initially, I was worried when they all created separatenguages, but it turned out I had nothing to worry about. ¡°After informing them about our vige¡¯s situation, they seemed interested in establishing rtions with us.¡± Indeed, Lumsi vige was exceptional. They were the only vige in the vicinity that had not only entered the Iron Age but also properly established agriculture. Naturally, other viges, which still struggled with wild beasts and food shortages, would want to befriend Lumsi, where such worries were nonexistent. In such a case, it was highly likely that they would join Lumsi to learn the technology. This would naturally increase the size and influence of Lumsi vige. It would be a peaceful victory through scientific advancement, unlike the rough methods of Muwan. Chapter 40: The Fire Spirit God, Cthugha Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 40 EP.40 The Fire Spirit God, Cthugha In the vast multiverse, there exist eternal beings known as Outer Gods. Among them, some, like Nyathotep, take a keen interest in living beings. Others, like Ubbo-Sat, savor the life energy of the universe as a delicacy. However, most of the countless Outer Gods living in the infinite void have little interest in the universe. Having lived for eons, they had already experienced everything they wished to enjoy. Beings like Nyathotep and Ubbo-Sat, who indulge in their hobbies for eternity, are the exceptions. The rest either exist without any particr thought or, having lost their sanity over the endless ages, follow only their instincts, wandering through the universes and leaving destruction in their wake. Among these beings, there are those whose sole purpose is not gourmet delights or research but pure destruction. In a universe governed by thews of nature, where natural phenomena possess will and live as beings, there exists a god of me-enshrouded spirits, known as the ¡°Fire Spirit King from Beyond.¡± This being is also an Outer God, with power rivaling that of Nyathotep and Ubbo-Sat. His name is Cthugha. He had a history of destroying and burning down Nyathotep¡¯sboratory in the void, making them fierce enemies. Although their powers were evenly matched, their battles never reached a conclusion. Each time they shed, they would snarl and fight, but the oue would always be the same: the surrounding universes would be left in ruins, while their own conflict remained unresolved. Cthugha. The mes emanating from his body defied physicalws, burning even in the void, and were an eternal fire that could never be extinguished. The temperature and energy of these mes surpassed thebined energy of thousands of supernova explosions. Merely appearing in a universe, his heat and energy could destroy it entirely. He was a terrifying god of destruction, burning everything in his path. [The universe. Most beautiful when it zes and vanishes.]And so, today, he wandered from universe to universe, burning them for his own amusement. His mes were so powerful that just approaching them caused anomalies in the universe. As soon as he entered a universe, the explosive energy caused its matter to ignite rapidly, leading to theplete annihtion of everything in a short time. His terrifying power seemed overwhelmingpared to other Outer Gods. Of course, other top-tier Outer Gods could also erase universes in an instant if they wished. They simply chose not to unleash their full power. Thus, it wasn¡¯t just his nemesis Nyathotep who disliked Cthugha. Other supreme Outer Gods also disapproved of him, despite being beings of the highest order themselves. They found Cthugha¡¯s tant disy of power and his habit of destroying universes with brute force to becking in dignity. Regardless, Cthugha continued to burn universes, finding joy in watching everything ignite. At that moment, [Behold. A new universe. Beautifully aze.] Cthugha had found a new target. In a universe inhabited by various cosmic races, the presence of other Outer Gods was also felt. However, Cthugha, who had once burned down Nyathotep¡¯sboratory, was not one to care about the presence of one or two other Outer Gods. As he approached to burn another universe, [¡­? Strange. No change.] Something was off. Normally, just the proximity of Cthugha would cause the entire universe to experience anomalies due to the intense heat of his mes. Space might twist, or phenomena contrary to physicalws might ur. But nothing happened. Cthugha seemed slightly puzzled by this unusual situation. [Shield. Entire universe.] The reason was not hard to discern. An Outer God within had sensed his approach and enveloped the entire universe in a protective shield, as if to guard it. [Amusing.] Cthugha scoffed at the effort, piercing through the shield and entering the universe. However, the moment he entered, [Hey, didn¡¯t you see the shield? Why would you break through it?] The voice of another Outer God echoed in his mind, and Cthugha found himself not in the targeted universe but in apletely different space. [¡­¡­] He was even more bewildered than before. Without even realizing it, Cthugha had been transported to another space. Before him stood a massive, tentacled giant with a single red eye¡ªan Outer God. Moreover, this space seemed inescapable, as if a higher being had trapped him in an independent dimension. [Annihtion.] Fwoosh! Yet, the thought that he couldn¡¯t escape this space never crossed his mind. He was a supreme Outer God. Even Nyathotep couldn¡¯t stop or defeat him. The idea that some unknown red-eyed entity could imprison him wasughable. However, [Hmm¡­ I see. You¡¯re strong. The Fire Spirit God, huh? But escaping from here won¡¯t be easy.] The red-eyed Outer God spoke mockingly. It was indeed this being who had created the space. But how? Universes, even Nyathotep¡¯sboratory, would burn and vanish instantly upon contact with Cthugha¡¯s full power. Yet, this space remained unaffected. Who was this Outer God? Confusion began to swirl in Cthugha¡¯s mind. [What. Identity. You.] Even when fighting Nyathotep, he had never experienced anything like this. As a supreme Outer God, he had never felt the oppressive presence of an absolute higher being. Cthugha was greatly bewildered. This had never happened before¡­ no, there was one time. He had felt such overwhelming pressure from a higher being only once. It was when he connected to the ¡°most primordial yet originless entity¡± to receive the knowledge of the multiverse. Cthugha, driven by greed, had caused chaos the moment he connected, attempting to seize more knowledge and power. But nothing worked. The entity¡¯s presence was far stronger than his energy because it was the most primordial being. Simultaneously, it was originless, making it impossible to grasp or feel anything. Yet, its immense presence had undeniably overwhelmed Cthugha. It was something that should never be touched. At that moment, even he, an eternal being, felt an unknown fear. Yes, fear. He, who was meant to bring destruction, annihtion, and fear, was feeling fear himself. It was an impossible urrence. This was chaos and sphemy, breaking even thews that governed beings like the Outer Gods, who had already transcended thews of existence. [Denial. Denial. Denial.] Cthugha began to recall the emotion of ¡®fear,¡¯ which he had felt for the first andst time in his eternal existence. The being before him was not an Outer God. It was far beyond that. It was the essence, the evil, the taboo, and the creation itself. Recognizing its existence was sphemous. It was a higher-dimensional entity that made even Outer Gods feel the same fear and reverence that lesser beings felt towards them. Cthugha, having once defied and felt the power of such an entity, understood this. While others might be deceived, he was not. This was no mere Outer God. [Ah¡­ Ah¡­] Cthugha, forgetting his usual terse speech, bowed his head. To fight? Such an option did not exist. Confronting this being was an inconceivable concept. He wondered why it appeared as a mere Outer God, but even questioning that was taboo. He had no choice but to ept it as it was. After all, even Outer Gods could not fullyprehend its will. [Return. I, go back.] Attempting to burn the universe where this being resided was a grave mistake. Cthugha did not wish to be annihted. He conveyed his intention to leave without causing any harm. [What?] The being, seemingly unimpressed, opened a part of the space, allowing him to exit. The exit led to a distant part of the void, far from this universe. [¡­¡­] Without uttering a word, Cthugha extinguished his usual zing mes and energy. He reverted to his original form¡ªa massive, winged, tentacled monstrosity¡ªand trudged away. # Phew¡­ I thought we were in serious trouble with that crazy cosmic arsonist showing up, but he left more quietly than I expected. I was worried we might have to fight, considering he seemed almost as powerful as Nyathotep. Thankfully, he was more reasonable than I thought. Wow, he appeared so suddenly. If something like that entered the universe, the elf and everything else would have been incinerated. The energy that can burn the very concept of space itself¡­ It wasn¡¯t just the elf at risk; the entire SF universe could have been obliterated. Outer Gods are truly terrifying. Just passing through can annihte the very fabric of the universe. As someone who was once human, with a fragile heart and limited abilities, it¡¯s hard to endure such encounters. So scary. Chapter 41: The Six-Handed Elf God Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 41 EP.41 The Six-Handed Elf God Although Cthugha¡¯s sudden appearance had been startling, he had retreated more easily than expected, leaving no significant damage. The elf and the entire universe had narrowly avoided annihtion. Even though it could have been restored, it would have felt like realizing that a meticulously nurtured game character was just a bunch of data bits¡ªdisheartening. In any case, life had returned to normal for a few months after that incident. ¡­Wait. Something else was approaching the universe. Unlike Cthugha, it didn¡¯t seem to carry a strong intent of destruction. It felt more like someone was seeking him out. [Hey.] [Huh.]Stepping outside the universe, I saw a familiar face. It was Ubbo-Sat, a top-tier Outer God. I was the one who had promised to create life forms. Could it be now? [Seeing that fireballing this way reminded me. Help me now.] [¡­¡­] Ugh, Cthugha. He had toe here and stir things up for no reason. Well, a promise is a promise. Once made, it must be kept. Unlike Cthugha, who came looking for trouble, I didn¡¯t want to create bad rtionships with other top-tier Outer Gods. Considering the dynamics between Nyathotep, Ubbo-Sat, and Cthugha, it seemed wise to avoid unnecessary hostility. Fighting them would result in universe bubbles boiling and bursting, creating dark ck holes that could swallow universes. Just thinking about it was exhausting. Still, there was a chance that another Outer God like Cthugha might invade while I was away. I decided to reinforce the universe bubble surrounding the universe, making it imprable even to most high-tier Outer Gods. While it was possible that a top-tier Outer God might attack, such urrences were exceedingly rare. Top-tier Outer Gods were notmon. Just in case, I set it so that Dalos could enter and exit. After all, Dalos might need to go somewhere, just like me. I was a bit worried about the elves. There could be another disaster like a typhoon or tidal wave, or an invasion while he was gone. I decided to create an avatar to protect and watch over them. However, for the avatar to be powerful enough, it would need at least the strength of a lower-tier Outer God. Creating such a being within the universe could lead to opposition, which would be problematic. It seemed best to enhance an existing life form¡¯s abilities. Ubbo-Sat had used this method when creating a giant monster with the power of a lower-tier Outer God. Using a life form that already existed within the universe and shared its fate seemed like the best approach. While it might still be risky, it should be eptable if the purpose was to protect a species rather than destroy the universe. However, I couldn¡¯t just turn an elf into a god. ¡­Turn Rodri into the Six-Handed Elf God? No, that wouldn¡¯t work. I needed a life form resilient enough to withstand divine powers and adaptable enough not toin about modifications. [¡­Ah!] Ah, of course! There was a perfect candidate. # Themander of the Kapteri tribe couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly heard with ears, but still. ¡°Kirik¡­ Are you saying I should be a god?¡± The overwhelming Outer God who had captured them was proposing that the Kapterimander be a subordinate deity, conveying my will to the Kapteri tribe. The task was to watch over and protect the beings created by the Outer God, defending them from external threats. For the Kapteri tribe, who had only ever caused harm by consuming resources from other species ands, this was an entirely foreign proposition. ¡®I will grant you power. However, if you misuse it, you will eternally repeat the suffering you have experienced before.¡¯ In return, if themander performed well, I would be granted freedom and near-immortal power and life as befitting a god. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a bewildering offer. However, from the Kapteri tribe¡¯s perspective, there was no reason to refuse. Due to previous torture, more than half of the captured Kapteri tribe had perished. Only 14 members remained. If they could survive and continue their existence, there was no reason to refuse the offer. They weren¡¯t in a position to refuse anyway. Declining would mean nothing but writhing in pain until a slow death. While they couldn¡¯t achieve their goal of spreading their species across the universe and avenging themselves against the Lubaran tribe, they could be a far superior being and live an immortal life until the end of the universe. For the Kapteri tribe, who had been wandering the universe in fear, this was nothing short of a life-changing opportunity. ¡°If you grant me this power, I swear eternal loyalty! I will exceed your expectations!¡± Setting everything else aside, just escaping this ce was a blessing. Nothing was more terrifying than being in a ce where they could be subjected to the excruciating pain of their bodies being slowly disintegrated at the molecr level. [Very well, I will grant you power. The rest of you, wait here.] The great Outer God spoke, bestowing immense power upon the Kapterimander. Crunch! Crack! ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­!¡± The Kapterimander felt an unfamiliar, hollow energy filling his body for the first time in his life. Gradually, his body began to grow, transforming from a grotesque arthropod into something else. His skin turned white, his form shifted to a bipedal humanoid, and his ears became pointed. Strangely, he retained his six arms. In fact, with the addition of legs, he now had two more limbs than before. In an instant, the transformation wasplete, and themander stood as a towering elf with six hands. [Th-this is¡­] The Kapterimander¡ªnow transformed into the Elf God¡ªtrembled with the overwhelming sense of power coursing through his body. He had traveled across the universe and witnessed countless disys of immense power: the infinite gravity of neutron stars and ck holes, the incredible light and energy of supernovae, and even the insane scientific prowess of species that weaponized such forces. But nothing in this universe had ever made him feel so overpowered. This was truly the power of a god. It was the kind of overwhelming presence that marked the end of the line in the universe¡ªthe presence of an ¡°Outer God.¡± Unlike a typical lower-tier Outer God, he had been transformed into a god by receiving power from a great being. This allowed him to retain his intellect and will. His voice didn¡¯te from a conventional vocal apparatus; it felt as though he was directly conveying his thoughts to others. [Now, you are the god of the elves. Your name¡­ well, you can decide that yourself. Anyway, take good care of the elf while I¡¯m gone. Especially keep an eye on those who are performing strange rituals in front of statues that look like you. Watch them closely.] The voice, conveying its will directly to him, was the same as before. The Elf God looked up at the great Outer God who had granted him this power. [¡­¡­] Overwhelming. It was the same as before. Even when he was just a small and insignificant Kapteri, the great Outer God had been an overwhelmingly powerful presence. Now, despite gaining immense power that dwarfed his previous self, the Outer God¡¯s presence remained just as overwhelming, if not more terrifying. As a Kapteri, he had been ignorant. Now, with a glimpse of that power, he understood just how vast, fearsome, and dreadful the Outer God truly was. ¡®Yes, my survival and the power I have gained are merely due to his whims. Even now, my suffering or the loss of this power would be at his whim.¡¯ His existence hinged on mere whims and mood swings. Even with the power to be called a god, this fact remained unchanged. [I pledge my eternal loyalty to you.] The Kapterimander¡ªnow the Elf God tasked with watching over and protecting the elves¡ªsincerely swore eternal allegiance. He vowed to do everything in his power to avoid being erased on a whim or as a mood swing. He resolved to earn the favor of the great Outer God with all his efforts. ¡®But why do I have six hands?¡¯ The thought crossed his mind. His appearance was very simr to the Terra or Meias species, who naturally had two arms, which seemed the most efficient. He wondered why he had six hands but decided not to question it, believing there must be a reason. # ¡­Damn, now that I¡¯m called the god of the elves, that¡¯s the only image thates to mind. Originally, I had nned to create a ssic World Tree-like deity. But it was all Rodri¡¯s fault. Now, whenever someone mentioned the Elf God, all I could think of was the six-handed elf! The image was so strong that it naturally led to this form. To make matters worse, those creatures, originally based on insects, had six legs, adding to the confusion! Ugh, whatever. I¡¯ve done my part. I decided to leave the remaining Kapteri tribe under the care of the Elf God for now and figure out what to do with themter. The loyalty pledge had been confirmed as genuine. If it had been a lie, I would have already detected it and subjected them to torture. Alright, time to head out. Since I had created the Elf God, there was no need to return at a predetermined time. I decided to move forward in time to see how the universe had progressed in my absence. The routine had be monotonoustely, and I was eager for a change. While helping Ubbo-Sat, I nned to connect to the timeline and watch the highlights. Chapter 42: While I Was Away Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 42 EP.42 While I Was Away After making thorough preparations, I followed Ubbo-Sat to the universe he had set his sights on. It was a bubble located quite far from the one I had inhabited, and it was significantlyrger¡ªabout twice the size of my previous universe. The vastness of this universe meant that countlesss and life forms thrived within it. The physicalws were simr yet slightly different from those of my previous universe. For instance, the gravitational eleration was a bit off, and the constants in the thermodynamic equations varied slightly. These differences resulted in life-sustaining temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius, but that was not his concern. My task was to cultivate a being powerful enough to dominate this universe but won¡¯t create enemies in the universe. Ubbo-Sat had attempted something simr with the Lubaran tribe, but they had failed to conquer the entire universe. Their focus on conquest rather than destruction had led to their downfall. Despite the terrifying experiments and research conducted in the undergroundbs of the Union Headquarters, they were insignificantpared to Ubbo-Sat¡¯s power. This time, I needed to create a being with abilities surpassing those of the Lubaran tribe, capable of both dominating and destroying the entire universe. [If the destructive tendencies are too strong, it will create an enemy. But if it¡¯s too docile, it won¡¯t destroy the universe.] It was a challenging bnce to strike.Despite transforming the Kapteri tribe into beings close to lower-tier Outer Gods, there had been no significant reaction. This was likely because they were designed to be gentle and benevolent guardians. Maintaining this delicate bnce was crucial. Ubbo-Sat had sought my help precisely because he concluded that the key to this bnce was a being called ¡°Yujin.¡± [A being that moves with my will and possesses great potential. But mere imitation wasn¡¯t enough. The moment my will was involved, adversaries emerged.] It seemed Ubbo-Sat had tried to replicate my method but failed. Naturally, if the being inherited Ubbo-Sat¡¯s personality, it would have been all about destruction and chaos. The universe¡¯s will wouldn¡¯t have allowed such unchecked behavior. Honestly, I felt like telling Ubbo-Sat to use his own power to destroy everything and go home. But I knew Ubbo-Sat would argue about bnce and other such nonsense. Ugh, troublesome creature. This is why you shouldn¡¯t get too close to those who are overly particr about taste. It¡¯s a hassle every time you go out to eat. [The problem is that you created your beings and avatars with the explicit purpose of destroying the universe.] That point needed to be clear. If the purpose was too tant, it would be detected. [I know. But hiding it led to the failure of the Lubaran tribe.] Ubbo-Sat was well aware of this. The Lubaran tribe was a failed attempt to conceal destructive instincts. The critical point was that merely hiding the intent wasn¡¯t enough. [Intelligent beings inherently possess desires for domination and destruction. Even if you don¡¯t think about it from the start, with the right guidance, they¡¯ll naturally move in that direction.] If the intent was too obvious, adversaries would emerge to fight. If it was forcibly hidden, it would result in beings like the Lubaran tribe, who concealed their instincts and conducted secret experiments. Therefore, there was no need to interfere directly. Intelligent beings would eventually seek to dominate everything they could, consuming and destroying in the process. The key was to grant them enough power and subtly guide their instincts. Potential for growth, exceptional abilities, and slightly loosened instincts were essential. Simply put: [We need to create a slightly unrestrained version of the Lubaran tribe.] There was no need to interfere directly; just loosen their instincts a bit. However, to prevent them from tearing each other apart before they could develop, they needed strong tribal cohesion, like the elves. Additionally, there should be apelling reason for rapid technological advancement¡ªsuch as the presence of rival intelligent beings¡ªcreating an environment where they must evolve quickly. [Is that all?] [Yes, that¡¯s it.] Of course, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. Fine-tuning the bnce was crucial, and I would assist with that part, so there was no need to worry. [You seem to understand these creatures very well, almost like Nyathotep.] Well, unlike that madwoman, I didn¡¯t abduct and dissect them for experiments. [But unlike that guy, you don¡¯t give off a bad vibe. You¡¯re a good one.] It seemed Ubbo-Sat had taken a liking to me. Understandable, considering his strained rtionship with Nyathotep. They had even fought upon their first encounter¡­ though that might have been my fault. [I¡¯ll give it a try. I¡¯ll need some help with the fine-tuning.] [Sure.] With that, Ubbo-Sat ventured into the universe to create the new species. Meanwhile, I used the opportunity to check on the events in my own universe. Let¡¯s see how things have been going. # ¡°Let¡¯s take over the Gctic Union.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± At Yujin¡¯s words, Jupiter was more shocked than he had ever been in his life. The Gctic Union was a colossal organization, centered around the Lubaran tribe with their advanced scientific technology, andposed of countless intelligent beings with various abilities. It dominated a region approximately 20 billion light-years in diameter, making it thergest known organization in the current universe. While there might berger organizations in the unobserved parts of the universe, the Gctic Union was the supreme power within the observable universe. Its influence continued to grow, as it protected newly discovered life forms and integrated intelligent beings into its ranks, expanding its reach even further. For someone to suddenly dere their intention to take over such an organization was nothing short of astonishing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jupiter couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell Yujin that it was impossible. Who was Yujin, after all? He was an avatar of a great being with the overwhelming power to erase or reset this vast universe in an instant. Not only was his original form immensely powerful, but Yujin himself possessed extraordinary abilities. In less than ten years, he had surpassed the elders of the Meias tribe in magical prowess. His physical abilities, enhanced by mana, were so exceptional that even the formidable Lubaran tribe couldn¡¯t match him. He was an overwhelming monster, a giant beast in all but size, capable of taking on entire fleets. It seemed there was nothing Yujin couldn¡¯t achieve if he set his mind to it. Jupiter thought that if Yujin wanted to do something, it would simply happen. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t do it alone. We need to gather forces. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Yujin smiled slyly. ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t need that many forces, nor will it take long. Usually, these things end when you take out the head.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As he said this, Yujin made a request to Jupiter. ¡°The Lubaran tribe is likely involved in some unsavory activities within the Union. I sensed something like that when I was connected to the main body.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll investigate.¡± Jupiter immediately grasped the meaning behind Yujin¡¯s words. Nodding in agreement, he headed towards the Union Headquarters to begin his investigation. The n was to uncover the corruption and darkness within the Lubaran tribe and use it as leverage to stage a coup. Once the Lubaran tribe was ousted and their position seized, dominating the Gctic Union would merely be a matter of time. Jupiter saw the potential in this n and began preparing to gather allies while investigating the Lubaran tribe¡¯s secrets. Meanwhile, Yujin traveled across the universe to recruit forces for his cause. Thus began his grand adventure to conquer the Gctic Union. # Yujin¡¯s journey to gather allies was about to unfold. While the story of recruitingpanions might not be particrly exciting, with tales of meeting new allies and exploring their pasts, it had its own charm. However, the real interesty in watching the protagonist smash through obstacles and reform the world. For now, I decided to keep an eye on who would join Yujin¡¯s ranks. Next, I turned my attention to the elves. I wondered if the Elf God was fulfilling his role well. Honestly, I was a bit worried. Compared to Yujin, the progress on the elf side seemed slow. Although establishing their ownnguage systems and reaching the Iron Age within a few years was impressive, it still felt sluggish. I decided to leave the elves forter. Checking on them now probably wouldn¡¯t reveal much change. Even if there were dangers, the six-handed Elf God would handle them. I trusted that the Elf God wouldn¡¯t entertain any foolish thoughts. [Hey, I¡¯ve created something. Come take a look.] Ubbo-Sat returned through the rift, asking for confirmation. It seemed the elf side would have to wait. ¡­I did feel a strange sense of unease about the elves, but it was probably just my imagination. Chapter 43: Excessive Passion Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 43 EP.43 Excessive Passion Themander of the Kapteri tribe, empowered by the great being, was no longer a mere Kapteri. He had be the god of the elves, a species created by the great being. [Are these the ones I must protect?] The Elf God observed the industrious elves. Some were diligently working with mineral resources, others ventured into the sea for fishing, and many were gathering their kin to expand theirmunity. These small, weak beings, with only two arms unlike his own six, were building their society with great effort. [Is it them?] Then he spotted them¡ªthe elves worshipping a statue with six arms, just like him, as the great being had mentioned. ¡°O great god, please ept our offerings.¡±They ced their hunted beasts and carefully cultivated fruits on a long stone table resembling an altar. [I was told to watch them closely due to unease.] While the great being had advised caution, the Elf God couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride and affection for these elves who showed such loyalty and devotion to the god who created them. He felt a desire to take special care of them. [Yes, these are the ones the great being entrusted to me. I will raise them to be the greatest species in the universe.] Partly driven by the resentment from his previous life as a Kapteri, he was determined to surpass the Lubaran tribe and create a species that would dominate the Gctic Union and the entire universe. He made a vow. He would repay the great being who trusted him with this species. [First, I need a name. A god without a name simply won¡¯t do.] Typically, names given to gods are bestowed by the awe-struck beings who worship them, as true gods find names meaningless. However, he wasn¡¯t a true creator god but a symbolic figure who would directly interact with and nurture the elves. Therefore, he needed a fitting name. [A god, huh.] Elves. They were unique to this part of the universe, with no prior information avable. Their entire existence was what he could see before him. As their guardian deity, he needed a name that reflected his role. [This is difficult. I can¡¯t just call myself Kapteri. Elvgod? Too simple.] He needed a name that was both meaningful and impressive. [¡­Rios.] The word suddenly came to him. Though it had no special meaning, he instinctively knew it signified ¡°light.¡± [Heh, light.] Once, he had been part of a filthy insect species, hiding in the darkness beneath a¡¯s surface. Now, he was a god named Rios, symbolizing the bright light that illuminated the elves. Life was unpredictable, Rios thought. [Now that I have a name, it¡¯s time to get started.] He decided to grant the elf species more power. Although they were in the early stages of development, at their current pace, it would take them a thousand years to catch up to the Lubaran tribe. Considering the Lubaran tribe¡¯s rapid advancement, even that would be an impressive feat, but it would still be toote. [I can bestow more powerful abilities and impart knowledge for faster development. In my current state, I can do this.] Thus, Rios began his journey as the God of Light, aiming to be a bright beacon for the elves. Managing all the elves alone was impossible, so he shared his divine power with his subordinates, who were still Kapteri. They transformed into ¡°Spirits of Light,¡±pletely shedding their former Kapteri forms. In this way, the Kapteri tribe was entirely eradicated from the universe, reced by the new collective of ¡°Spirits of Light and the God of Light.¡± # ¡°Everyone, let us pray to Lord Rios, the great God of Light!¡± ¡°The great God of Light!¡± sh! ¡­??? What had happened while I wasn¡¯t looking? Why was Rodri, the former fanatic leader, wielding magical powers and proiming the name of Rios, the God of Light? And how had the elves, who were just beginning to forge iron tools less than a year ago, suddenly skipped several stages of development and were now preparing to create engines? ¡°This is all thanks to the knowledge of light that Lord Rios has bestowed upon us.¡± ¡°Yes, once weplete this, our development will elerate tremendously.¡± The elves were now on the verge of creating their first steam-powered engine, and they had begun using spirit magic through the Spirits of Light. Their development had elerated to an unbelievable pace. Previously, their progress had already been astonishing, but now it seemed like they were skipping entire stages of development. It was as if someone had paid for premium upgrades. Why are they suddenly advancing so rapidly? ¡°O great Rios! Please grant us your revtion!¡± [Rodri, and my children, I bestow upon you the knowledge of light.] ¡­Ah. The culprit was immediately obvious. That six-handed fool, who was supposed to just protect them, had gone overboard. What was this ¡°Rios¡± and ¡°knowledge of light¡± nonsense? I had nned to nurture the elves slowly, but this overly enthusiastic new recruit had gone full throttle, buying all sorts of enhancements and premium items to elerate their growth. It wasn¡¯t just the steam engine. They nned to use its development as a stepping stone to create countless advanced energy sources and machines. It seemed they intended to achieve in one year what would normally take the elves 50 to 100 years. The rate of development was beyond imagination. ¡­Hmm, maybe this isn¡¯t so bad after all? I had been getting bored with the slow, predictable progress. This way, it wasn¡¯t me directly intervening but rather Rios, a being within the cosmicws, using his authority to influence events. It gave a different vor to the unfolding story. This unexpected turn of events might actually make things more interesting. Despite the rapid advancements, it seemed that Rios hadn¡¯t meddled with the elves¡¯ evolution, direction, or values. He had simply bestowed the same knowledge and power upon them, without directly influencing their actions. The religious faction centered around Rodri continued to offer sacrifices and worship, focusing on developing supernatural powers rather than scientific ones derived from the knowledge of light. In Lumsi vige, they utilized the spirits¡¯ power but also leveraged the knowledge of light to advance their vige more quickly, aiming for a morefortable and prosperous life. Lastly, Muwan, the ruler of the southern hemisphere, was driven by his desire for domination. ¡°Heh, such immense power and knowledge. And it seems the area I control is less than one-thousandth of this! I want it all.¡± Muwan was clearly intent on using both the new spirit powers and the knowledge of light to enhance his military might and personal strength. ¡­This was concerning. Given that all received the same knowledge and power, Muwan would naturally have an advantage. However, it seemed Rios had considered this. He only provided Muwan with the ability to use the spirits and the knowledge of light, without actively intervening. The most intervention from Rios and the Spirits of Light urred within Rodri¡¯s religious faction. Their active sacrifices and rituals supplied energy, allowing Rios to recover his powers. Consequently, Rios intervened more actively with Rodri¡¯s faction, granting them greater strength. Rios also subtly guided more elves towards Lasi¡¯s faction, which aimed for a stable and prosperous life. By making minor adjustments, he ensured that the various factions maintained a bnce of power. While there was some concern that the elves, with their simr levels of power, might eventually go to war, it was an inevitable part of their development. As long as it didn¡¯t escte to a catastrophic nuclear war that could wipe out the entire species, there was no reason to intervene. Historically, scientific and technological advancements often elerated during times of war. Although it would be tragic to see elves killing each other, it was merely a phase in their growth. After enduring the horrors of internecine war, they could emotionally mature and resolve never to engage in such conflicts again. This could also spur greater technological advancements. ¡­Of course, encouraging war was not the right approach. If they continued to wage war out of greed, they would ultimately face extinction. While I believed that the elves I created wouldn¡¯t fall into such a cycle, it was well-known that intelligent beings rarely followed their intended paths. In any case, if things ever became that dire, our God of Light, Rios, would handle it. That¡¯s why I entrusted him with this responsibility. Since he elerated their development, he should also manage any resulting chaos. Isn¡¯t that right? Chapter 44: The Demon King Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 44 EP.44 The Demon King After assisting Ubbo-Sat in creating a new species, I returned to my own universe. Fortunately, the massive cosmic bubble that housed my universe remained intact and undisturbed. [Hmm.] Around me, bubbles continued to form and dissipate, constantly moving. Each of theserge and small bubbles represented a universe, a space where countless materials, life forms, and energies existed ording to their own uniquews. While I had only yed with one universe, the sheer number of them was staggering. Of course, not all these universes operated under entirely differentws. Many were simr, and some were even identical. Some universes were essentially the same, often referred to as ¡°parallel worlds.¡± ¡°What if I had made a different choice?¡± ¡°What if A hadn¡¯t died?¡±¡°What if country B had conquered the world?¡± These ¡°what if¡± scenarios gave rise to alternate realities, parallel universes where different choices or events led to divergent oues. However, the universe didn¡¯t split into new bubbles for every trivial decision made by a single insignificant life form. A significant event that could serve as a branching point for the entire universe had to ur for a new bubble to form, dividing the universe into world A, where the event happened, and world B, where it did not. However, significant events that could serve as branching points for the entire universe ur quite frequently on a cosmic scale. Often, the moments we imagine as ¡°what if I had done that¡± coincide with such events, creating branching points in the universe. Because these events are somon, it seems as though parallel universes form every time a choice is made. In reality, the universe is indifferent to the trivial decisions of insignificant beings. If no significant event urs in the universe at that moment, no parallel universe is created. There are, however, universes that flow along a fixed destiny without creating such branching points. This happens when external entities interfere, causing significant changes in the universe. For example, the universe where I am currently creating and interacting with the elves and Yujin. When Ubbo-Sat created the Lubaran tribe, that universe became fixed and could no longer generate parallel universes. The interference of an external entity prevents the universe from splitting into separate bubbles. Thus, the universe containing the Lubaran tribe exists as a singr entity. While other universes continuously generate new cosmic bubbles and infinite parallel worlds, the universe with the Lubaran tribe remains unique. With my additional creations of the elf species and the Elf God, this singrity is further reinforced. But there is one way to create a parallel universe from this fixed one. It¡¯s simple. Since the universe was fixed by the interference of an external entity, it can be copied through the interference of another external entity. Easy, right? Now, you might wonder why I¡¯m suddenly discussing this. The reason for this curiosity? It struck me while working with Ubbo-Sat on various projects. I began to wonder about the concept of ¡°antagonists¡± created by the universe. When a destroyer with overwhelming power appears, the universe¡¯s will creates a countermeasure. This countermeasure could be a living being, a sentient celestial body, or a form of energy. Simply put, if an external entity¡¯s interference creates a ¡°Demon King,¡± the universe¡¯s will creates a ¡°Hero¡± to counterbnce it. I understand the principles behind this system, how antagonists are created, and even ways to circumvent it, thanks to my knowledge of the multiverse. But isn¡¯t it fascinating to see how it would actually unfold? I wanted to see how a hero would emerge to defeat a Demon King I created. To do this, I nned to copy my universe. You might ask, why not just try it in another universe? Well, that¡¯s a valid point, but honestly, I¡¯m curious. In this world with the Lubaran tribe, Yujin, elves, and all sorts of unique elements, where and how would a hero appear? If I meddled with the original universe, I might inadvertently cause the elves¡¯ extinction. So, this is more like a backup. No, not just a backup¡ªit¡¯s like creating an identical universe to run a highly realistic simtion. Even if this copied universe were to be destroyed, the original one I nurtured would remain intact. ¡­Does that make me sound too much like a psychopath? But for an external entity, this is quite a humane approach. Many others would simply destroy the original universe out of boredom, without bothering with copies or backups. # Parallel universes. The beings living within a universe cannot fathom how absurdlymon and insignificantly fleeting they are. These insignificant creatures, unable to ever fullyprehend even the single universe they inhabit, crumble away without realizing how ubiquitous their existence is. If they understood how trivial their universe is to the eternal, immortal beings outside, they would go mad. They would realize that their world and their very existence are iprehensibly small and insignificant. This is especially true for species like the Lubaran tribe, who pride themselves on their supposed understanding of the universe. Do they know that their universe¡¯s fate was fixed by an unimaginably vast and overwhelming being? And that an even greater being shattered that fate and copied their world exactly? They cannot know. They cannot even sense it. They can only continue to live, believing themselves to be the ultimate rulers and understanders of their universe, waiting for the end of days. How tragic it is to be like printer ink, easily replicated and created at will. Their destiny is to be destroyed and disappear for the sake of mere curiosity and amusement. And even that will not stir any emotion in the great beings, for they can always create more. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± And so, the creatures of the replicated world were faced with the arrival of a cosmic Demon King, a destroyer of their existence. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A giant monster¡­?¡± A writhing behemoth beyondprehension. Its size was immeasurable, and all that could be discerned was its ability topletely obscure the star-speckled sky. Typically, a giant monster might span hundreds to thousands of kilometers. An A-rank giant monster, the size of a modest asteroid, could effortlessly obliterate a just by its presence. But this entity was different. Its diameter was roughly 100,000 kilometers¡ªa size so vast that it defied the physical limitations of solid matter, let alone a living creature. Its tentacles, each potentially hundreds of kilometers thick, coalesced into an immense monstrosity. The first appearance of this being was on a colonial belonging to the Teran species, a member of the Gctic Union. Its emergence, nketing the sky as if a sun had drawn near, left the people incapable of action. They could neither respond nor flee in terror; they were paralyzed. All they could do was watch with a sense of futility as the colossal tentacles slowly descended upon their. Why? There was no understanding why. Why had this being appeared here, and why did such a thing exist at all? Why them? They couldn¡¯t ask why. Even if they did, no answer woulde. That colossal being had no interest in such trivialities. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An absolute judgment descended upon them. There was no escape, no way to even consider a response. The militarymander overseeing the Teran species on the colonial was equally powerless. Battleships? Space fighters? The neutron cannon currently being developed with the help of the Lubaran tribe? What use would they be? And yet, someone, in a desperate bid to resist the impending doom, pressed the button. ¡°¡­Damn it!!¡± It was the button to fire the neutron cannon, still in its developmental and iplete stage. Once perfected, this formidable weapon was said to be capable of erasing an entire continent from the¡¯s surface. Shiiiiing©¤ The energy of the neutron cannon began to charge. It mimicked the overwhelming gravity, rotation, and terrifying light and radiation emitted by a neutron star. An attack so powerful that it could pierce through and destroy any celestial body, save for a ck hole. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°Gulp.¡± Seeing this, the Teranmand harbored a glimmer of hope. Perhaps they could defeat that impossibly gigantic monster? If not defeat, maybe they could at least drive it away? Or at the very least, inflict a minor wound? Hope. It was like a sweet drug. Facing the absolute sentence of death, they had been waiting in vain. But the moment even a sliver of hope appeared, people began to expect. Wooooong©¤ BOOOOM!! With a tremendous roar and searing heat, the neutron cannon fired. Due to its iplete state, theunch tform couldn¡¯t withstand the energy and melted into a shapeless mass. But it had fired. A super-energetic projectile flew towards the colossal mass of tentacles, the size of a star. Fssss¡­ The moment it touched that enormous body, the tiny neutron cannon, no more significant than a toothpick, fizzled out and vanished. It caused no damage. In fact, it seemed the entity didn¡¯t even notice the impact, showing no reaction at all. It didn¡¯t even bother to block it, as if it posed no threat whatsoever. Despair. The hope that had swelled within them turned into disappointment in an instant. People began to realize the gravity of their situation. They realized they could do nothing. A horrifyingly futile end awaited them. ¡°Ahhhh¡­ AAAAAHHH!!!¡± ¡°Why! Why is this happening?!¡± ¡°Save us, save us, save us, save us¡­.¡± And then they understood. They should have never harbored false hope and simply waited. If they had, they might have died without ever knowing such dreadful despair. Why, why did they foolishly cling to hope? But it was toote. In the depths of their horrifying despair, they could only wait for the colossal tentacles to descend upon them. Crunch©¤ The tentaclespletely enveloped the, and in an instant, the was destroyed and absorbed into the monstrous entity¡¯s body. The screams of those dying on the were not even heard. Chapter 45: The End of Arrogance Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 45 EP.45 The End of Arrogance Hmm, I released some ultra-giant monsters into the test replica universe. They possess powerparable to mid-tier Outer Gods. Previously, I briefly mentioned ¡°Batoth Zakura Mog,¡± ssified as a mid-tier Outer God by the Gctic Union. These monsters are slightly weaker than that. Well, Batoth Zakura Mog was drawn into the void and returned to the rift by the Creator¡¯s power. When I copied the universe, Outer Gods weren¡¯t replicated, so there are no Outer Gods in this test replica universe. If they had been copied, even lower-tier Gods like Dalos might have been replicated. I could potentially replicate lower-tier Gods, but Dalos, one of the top-tier Outer Gods, is beyond my capability. For reference, I excluded the Elf God Rios, the elves, and Yujin from the replication. Even though this is a test replica universe, I don¡¯t want to witness my creations being annihted. Since they were set to never exist in this universe, there won¡¯t be any confusion about their sudden disappearance. Therefore, there are no beings stronger than these ultra-giant monsters in this universe. I created them anew with my authority, ensuring that the universe will produce an adversary to counter them. If the will of the universe operates correctly in the replica, that is. I¡¯m looking forward to it. Previously, Ubbo-Sat created beingsparable to lower-tier Outer Gods, like the Elf God Rios. The Lubaran tribe managed to kill them, albeit with significant sacrifices. But this time, the ultra-giant monsters possess power equivalent to genuine mid-tier Outer Gods, far stronger than before. Of course, unlike true Outer Gods, these monsters are mortal beings with limited lifespans. They can be killed, though their abilities areparable to those of Outer Gods. They are formidable enough to be called Demon Kings that could lead a cosmic civilization to ruin. If they were beings beyond top-tier Outer Gods, they could easily control the entire universe, and no adversary could stand against them. But these ultra-giant monsters are not that invincible.Their abilities might be on par with Outer Gods, but they are still kible. Now, let¡¯s see it. Show me the adversary born from the will of the universe. Recently, Yujin has been busy gathering allies, and the elves have been rapidly advancing thanks to Rios and the spirits of light. However, nothing fundamentally different has happenedpared to before. The original universe¡¯s storyline is too predictable andcks excitement. News of the catastrophe on one of the Teran colonys quickly spread throughout the Gctic Union. ¡°It¡¯s an incredibly massive cosmic lifeform.¡± ¡°Its size defies the limits of physical possibility¡­¡± Reports continued to flood into the headquarters of the Gctic Union. Elder Edgar, one of the elders of the Lubaran tribe, clicked his tongue and spoke. ¡°It was the same when we first discovered A-rank giant monsters. We said their size was physically impossible. We don¡¯t know everything about the universe. Just as there are beings with the gravity of a, it¡¯s not surprising to find lifeforms with the characteristics of a star.¡± A monstrous being with a size of 100,000 kilometers. Each of its countless tentacles was hundreds of kilometers thick, an absurd existence. Yet, Elder Edgar did not panic. When observing the universe, one finds countless phenomena that defymon sense. ck holes were once purely theoretical, as were neutron stars and ck dwarfs. There was a time when no one believed these Gods existed. Going further back, there was a time when people didn¡¯t understand the rtionship betweens and stars, or even the concept of the universe itself. No one has yet to fullyprehend the universe. This means that the appearance of beings beyondmon sense is not surprising. And this time, it was just another one of those anomalies, he thought. Of course, he couldn¡¯t imagine that this entity was a Demon King created by a being from outside the universe, meant to drive this universe to ruin. He had no inkling that it was a lifeform that couldn¡¯t exist under thews of the universe. ¡°Our task is simple. If that thing continues to threaten the Gctic Union, we must either eliminate it or drive it to a ce where it can cause no harm.¡± ¡°But the neutron cannon developed by the Teran species couldn¡¯t even scratch it¡­¡± ¡°Though it was still in development and unstable, its destructive power wasparable to our Lubaran neutron cannon.¡± The members of the Union headquarters trembled with anxiety. At that moment, the elders of the Lubaran tribe gathered behind Edgar. There were ten of them in total, the ten strongest elders of the Lubaran tribe. They were essentially the ten strongest beings in the universe. ¡°Do not worry. Even with our assistance, the Teran weapon is still theirs. It is fundamentally different from ours.¡± ¡°We have many weapons besides the neutron cannon.¡± ¡°Its destructive power is unparalleled. Didn¡¯t we personally take down the lower-tier Outer God codenamed ¡®Shoggoth¡¯ with our own strength?¡± The elders of the Lubaran tribe spoke proudly. The lower-tier Outer God, codenamed ¡®Shoggoth,¡¯ was a quasi-Outer God created by Ubbo-Sat through various experiments to dominate this universe. Though it had the powerparable to a lower-tier Outer God, it had a physical form and life, making it kible. Despite this, its overwhelming power was sufficient to be considered an Outer God, and the Gctic Union had given it a codename and treated it as an official Outer God. They did so because they had personally destroyed it, showcasing their ability to eliminate even beings from outside the universe. Their arrogance from having defeated such an entity led them to believe they could ovee this new threat in the same way. They seemed to forget¡ªor perhaps deliberately ignored¡ªthat they had no means to deal with Batoth Zakura Mog and had to push it into the void. Or maybe they remembered and thought that if they couldn¡¯t win, they could just guide it into the void to prevent it from causing harm for a while. Either way, their arrogance knew no bounds. ¡°Track its movements and keep reporting. In the meantime, we will gather our full strength. No matter how powerful it is, if webine the forces of the Gctic Union, we will surely achieve victory.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± And this arrogance spread to the members of the Union as well. The ultra-giant monster slowly but surely made its way toward the headquarters of the Gctic Union. As if it had a clear destination, it devoureds and stars along its path, converting them into its energy and evolving in the process. The realization that it was evolving came when it attacked a managed by the Lubaran fleet along its route. ¡°Captain, let¡¯s not engage. We¡¯ve received orders from the Union headquarters to gather our forces first.¡± ¡°Hah! The elders are overly cautious! Just because it swallowed a few Terans and some insignificant stars, they act like this.¡± The fleet captain, filled with arrogance, issued hismand. ¡°We¡¯ll stop it. If they¡¯re so scared, I¡¯ll capture that thing and earn great merit! Maybe then I¡¯ll be chosen as the next elder!¡± Arrogance. The captain was brimming with it. His arrogance surpassed even that of the Lubaran tribe, who believed they could somehow gather their strength to defeat an Outer God-level monster. He thought a single fleet, capable of taking down giant monsters, could defeat this absurd creature that devoureds and stars indiscriminately. His judgment was clouded by his ambition for promotion. And the result was inevitable. The fleet suffered a crushing defeat. The astonishing part was that the monster, at the tip of its tentacle, condensed energy and mimicked the neutron cannon seen on the Teran colony. ¡°¡­What?¡± It happened in an instant. One of the ships was hit by a neutron cannon and shattered into pieces. The monster had been consumings and stars, umting energy within itself, and evolving to use that energy in various ways. The energy it amassed made the single Teran neutron cannon seem insignificant. Hundreds of neutron cannons fired from the tips of its hundreds of tentacles. Boom! Boom! Boom! In an instant, the entire fleet was obliterated, and the end of arrogance was utter destruction. ¡°¡­This can¡¯t be happening. How could it¡­?¡± The captain shook his head in disbelief, but reality did not change. The monster effortlessly mimicked the powerful neutron cannon, a weapon created through immense effort, and fired hundreds of cosmic-scale strategic weapons. There was no way to win. The captain¡¯s arrogance vanished, reced by an overwhelming sense of despair. ¡°Damn it.¡± No matter what they did, the impending doom could not be avoided. Just as the creatures living in the universe could not prevent its annihtion, so too could they not stop this monster. Yes, this was the end of the universe. The captain thought this as he was exposed to the neutron cannon andpletely disintegrated. Trantor Note: I changed the name from Eugene to Yujin, since it will fit the story better. I will update the previous chapter and the following ordingly. (Same announcement with chapter 25) Chapter 46: Coup d’état Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 46 EP.46 Coup d¡¯¨¦tat It seemed that the emergence of an adversary wasn¡¯t as simple as I thought. It didn¡¯t appear immediately. Well, if it were that easy, it wouldn¡¯t be the will of the universe but rather the interference of an Outer Gody. For now, I¡¯ll leave that side as it is and take a look at the situation in the original universe. [Alright, let¡¯s go.] Oh, it seems Yujin has finished gathering hispanions. The group consists of four members in total. The protagonist, Yujin. Kon Arche, a fellow Teran and an adventurer who traveled the universe enjoying his freedom. ¡­?Why did that guy join the group? Maybe he had some dissatisfaction with the Gctic Union¡¯s methods? [Hehe, traveling with you is full of exciting adventures. It¡¯s a real thrill!] Hmm, it seems he joined simply because he liked Yujin. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any particr thoughts about the Gctic Union or the Lubaran tribe. It looks like he doesn¡¯t care whether they fall or not, as long as he¡¯s having fun. Well, he was the type to approach a supernova explosion just to watch it up close. He even documented his encounters with Outer God that would drive others insane. I remember chasing him away when he came near the Elf before. Another member is a rough-looking woman dressed in revealing clothes¡ªhot pants and a tank top. Her slightly pink skin and green eyes suggest she might be a descendant of the Lorian tribe. The Lorian tribe, which refused to join the Gctic Union and was subsequently targeted and annihted by the Lubaran tribe. Judging by her rough appearance and the skull tattoo on her arm, symbolizing piracy, she seemed to be a space pirate. Yujin, this guy, even recruited a space pirate. Or perhaps, since he¡¯s nning to overthrow the Gctic Union and take down the Lubaran tribe, it makes sense to ally with a space pirate. Especially if that pirate is a victim of the Lubaran tribe¡¯s genocide, the setup is perfect. [Are you sure about this, young master?] [Stop calling me young master. I¡¯m a discarded son anyway.] Thest member of the group was surprisingly a Lubaran. He was one of the sons of a Lubaran elder, almost like a prince. However, due to his father¡¯s numerous illegal activities and suspicious behavior, he became disillusioned. While wandering after leaving home, he met Yujin and decided to betray his father and withdraw from the Gctic Union. A famous adventurer interested in the protagonist, a heroine with a painful past, and a young master who betrayed the viin. Wow, theposition of thepanions is straight out of a ssic shonen manga. It¡¯s refreshing to see such a ssic setup after being used to protagonists who are either solo powerhouses or haveedic sidekicks. Though, ability-wise, it still feels like the protagonist is the main powerhouse. In any case, with Elder Jupiter and his followers, along with the forces gathered separately, it seemed like a sizable group was forming. Is this the real beginning? Overthrowing the Gctic Union¡­! Damn, I originally nned to raise the elves for this. But that would have taken at least 500 to 1,000 years. I was thinking too much from my own perspective. For ordinary life forms, that¡¯s an unimaginably long time. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve be a being for whom time has no meaning, but my sense of time has be blurred. After all, it¡¯s been several years since I transformed from a human to an Outer God, even by Gctic Union standards. Several years? How many years has it been? ¡­Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Strangely, while everything else is perfectly stored in my mind, my memories of my past life are oddly hazy. Now, I only remember that I was once human. I wonder if, eventually, my personality and everything else will disappear, and I¡¯ll be aplete Outer God. ¡°Grandpa Jupiter!¡± ¡°Wee back, Yujin.¡± About a year had passed. Yujin had been diligently gatheringpanions to support his cause, and Elder Jupiter had been making various preparations during that time. When they reunited, both seemed quite pleased with the results, meeting each other with joyful faces. ¡°Kon Arche. I didn¡¯t expect to see you again like this.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Elder Jupiter. Ah, though we¡¯ve often met throughmunications, so perhaps it¡¯s not that long?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I enjoyed your book. ¡®Things I Encountered in the Universe,¡¯ right?¡± Yujin¡¯s interview at the Magic Tournament and several previous meetings had already brought Kon Arche and Elder Jupiter together. Nevertheless, it had been quite a while since they met in person, so they greeted each other warmly. ¡°Is this the first time we¡¯re meeting in person? Well, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Yes, nice to meet you, Celine. I never thought I¡¯d see a living Lorian again.¡± Celine of the Lorian tribe greeted him awkwardly. Initially, she disliked Elder Jupiter simply because he was an elder of the Union. However, through Yujin¡¯s persuasion and conversations with Elder Jupiter, she realized he was a good person. Despite this, her past resentment towards Union elders made the interaction slightly ufortable. Elder Jupiter, aware of her feelings, treated her gently to ease her awkwardness and tension. ¡°Elder Jupiter.¡± ¡°Kotritas. I suppose I don¡¯t need to call you ¡®young master¡¯ anymore.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Kotritas, the youngest of the three sons of Lubaran elder ¡®Ocatalo,¡¯ also felt awkward. Even Elder Jupiter seemed a bit uneasy around him, his voice slightly trembling. With the arrival of Elder Jupiter¡¯s apprentice, Lowie Hendrick, the entire group was finally assembled. ¡°I¡¯ll exin once more. Currently, the Lubaran tribe has created a secretboratory beneath the Gctic Union headquarters. There, they capture and dissect numerous species to understand their structures and conduct various human experiments.¡± The Lubaran tribe¡¯s secretboratory. Under the guise of protection, they managed various life forms, including those they had driven to extinction like the Lorian tribe. They even captured members of thriving species within the Gctic Union, such as the Teran and Meias tribes. ¡°They aim to discover the unique traits and knowledge of these species, assimte them, and achieve greater advancements.¡± As he spoke, Elder Jupiter yed a hard-to-obtain CCTV footage of theboratory. [Groooan¡­] [Gasp, gasp¡­] The footage showed various intelligent life forms, including Terans, Meias, Lorians, and other protected species, captured and twisted into grotesque forms, writhing in immense pain. In front of them, Lubaran researchers casually observed and took notes on their tablets. ¡°¡­These scum.¡± Elder Jupiter, recognizing the scene, ground his teeth in anger. ¡°Though I heard about it throughmunications, seeing the actual footage is horrifying.¡± ¡°My father did this¡­?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Celine! Are you okay?¡± Though they had heard about it, seeing the footage in person left them speechless. Kon Arche seemed quite shocked, and Kotritas, unable to believe his father was involved in such atrocities, turned pale. Celine, recalling painful memories, even retched. ¡°We don¡¯t need to see any more. This will convince the other elders and the species of the Union.¡± Yujin said as he turned off the footage. Though he had gathered hispanions for a purpose, he had grown fond of them and didn¡¯t want them to suffer by watching such painful scenes. ¡°Now we have a clear justification and a solid n. When the general Lubaran poption sees this, public opinion will turn against the elders, and we¡¯ll only need to deal with the elders and a few soldiers.¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t acknowledge it.¡± At Elder Jupiter¡¯s words, Yujin smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s why we gathered our allies with the intention of using force. And we also told Grandpa Jupiter to gather his forces well.¡± Once this is over, the elders of the Meias tribe are set to oust the Lubaran tribe and take control. This is because Yujin and hispanionsck the reputation and justification to be the leaders of the Union. Yujin, at least, has the title of the magic tournament winner and the reputation of being a rare magical genius from the Teran tribe. However, he doesn¡¯t have the fame or justification to suddenly push out the Lubaran tribe and take their ce. Kon Arche, although famous throughout the universe, is just a Teran adventurer. Celine is a former space pirate. The only one with some justification is Kotritas, the son of a Lubaran elder, but no one in their right mind would give the position to a rtive of an elder who conducted such horrific experiments andmitted numerous corrupt acts. Thus, the only ones with both fame and justification are the elders of the Meias tribe, including Elder Jupiter. That¡¯s why Yujin decided to put them forward. Of course, the ultimate power will lie with Elder Jupiter as the chairman of the council of elders. His decisions will essentially be influenced by Yujin, making Yujin the de facto leader of the Gctic Union. This was their n¡­ Yujin¡¯s n. Chapter 47: Adversary Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 47 EP.47 Adversary Ah, so Yujin¡¯s rebellion is finally starting. Has it been ten years since Yujin was created? That¡¯s quite a long time in human terms. From now on, it¡¯s the kind of scene you often see in movies orics. Thepanions Yujin has gathered will shine, with Yujin himself taking the lead, causing chaos at the Union headquarters. In the end, they¡¯ll capture the Lubaran elders, and that Lubaran young master will kill his father, adding an emotional twist! They¡¯ll expose the existence of theboratory, revealing the Lubaran elders¡¯ atrocities andpletely ousting them. Finally, as per Yujin¡¯s n, the Meias race will be established as the representative species of the Union, with Yujin pulling the strings from behind. Essentially, the Gctic Union will fall into Yujin¡¯s hands. Well, it hasn¡¯t progressed that far yet, but honestly, it¡¯s predictable. With Yujin¡¯s current abilities, no matter how much the Lubaran tribe struggles, they can¡¯t win. In a fleet war, maybe, but on an individual level, no one can surpass Yujin. Even if the plot is predictable, the visual spectacle of the battle between the Lubaran tribe, armed with advanced SF technology, and Yujin, who has honed his special abilities to the extreme, will be highly enjoyable. So, don¡¯t miss the highlights. By the way, how are things going on the elf side? Thanks to the overly generous care of the great elf god Rios, they were developing at an incredible speed. Thest time I checked, they were creating steam engines.Of course, that was based on the most scientifically advanced vige, Lumsi. But since scientific knowledge has been spread to everyone, it shouldn¡¯t be much different. It¡¯s just a matter of how each vige develops it ording to their tendencies. [The train connecting the scattered mines and viges has beenpleted! Now we can transportrge quantities of ore at once!] [Hooray!] Unbelievable. How long has it been since they invented the steam engine, and now they¡¯ve built a steam lotive? Is that part of Rios¡¯s knowledge, or did theye up with it themselves? Given the elves¡¯ desire for progress and their exceptional intelligence, it¡¯s not far-fetched to think they devised it on their own. Although the steam lotive is slower than the running speed of elves with their powerful physical abilities, its significant advantage lies in its ability to transport vast amounts of ore without any issues. Moreover, it requires less physical effort and manpower, allowing the surplus workforce to engage in other tasks. The ability to travel long distances without much effort is highly significant in the context of the industrial revolution. It means they can now transportrge quantities of ore and other resources at once, moverge poptions efficiently, and easily bring in goods from specific regions. The invention of the steam lotive is a cornerstone for substantial advancements in productivity, culture, and military capabilities. Currently, the elves are experiencing tremendous territorial expansion due to the industrial revolution. They have mines for extracting necessary ores, factories for producing goods, and residential areas. Some powerful factions have absorbed surrounding viges, and the territory has grown so vast that even the physically strong and fast elves find it challenging to traverse it on foot. They now possess enormous territoriesparable to small nations, far beyond mere viges or cities. Naturally, their poption surpassed the ten-thousand mark long ago, and the children born are growing rapidly. The first generation born after settlement is already toddling around energetically. By elfary standards, they are now about 2-3 years old, roughly equivalent to 9-10 years in human age, with physical growth to match. The religious factions of Lumsi and Rodri are notable, but the most active in territorial expansion is the faction of Muwan. Located in one of the fourrge continents in the southern hemisphere, they control an enormous territory, nearly one-fifth of the continent. If we think in terms of the Earth I originally lived on, Muwan¡¯s faction has taken control of an arearger than one-fifth of the continent of Oceania. This is a species that has only existed for ten years. During this time, they either killed or absorbed all the elf factions they encountered. Their poption is iparable to others, reaching 100,000¡ªequivalent to the initial 100 elf groups created in the early days. [There is another continent beyond this vast body of water. I want to go there.] Not stopping there, Muwan expanded his territory to the coastline and began preparing to venture across the sea to a new continent. To properly navigate their vastly expanded territory, they needed a means of transportation. Muwan focused more on developing ships than onnd transportation. His ambition for domination was greater than anticipated. This is getting quite interesting. I¡¯m curious to see how Muwan¡¯s empire will fare as it starts to extend its influence across the sea. However, their poption is still woefully inadequate. Despite their vast territory and advanced technology, they haven¡¯t had enough time to increase their poption. No matter how advanced a society bes, manpower remains the most crucial resource. They will need some time to grow their poption. Elf god Rios seemed to understand this, advising the elves to focus on increasing their poption and strengthening their internal foundation rather than expanding too rapidly. [It is the word of the god! Great Rios!] [Great Rios!] [The spirits are right. Weck the manpower to match our capabilities. Let¡¯s take some time to think, even if it means a temporary slowdown.] [Understood. We will convey this.] [Hmph, I don¡¯t care about that. We can grow our poption by conquering and absorbing others.] [We will follow you, Muwan.] While their approaches differed, everyone except Muwan epted this advice and entered a period of rtive calm. Hmm¡­ Muwan, having ambition is good, but charging ahead without solidifying your base is risky. Without a strong foundation, it¡¯s like an apartment without steel reinforcement¡ªeasily shattered by small cracks or external shocks. While he has the qualities of a ruler, he may not be a good leader. As always, I find myself leaning more towards Lasi or Rodri. It¡¯s a shame, really. But wait, since when did Rodri be strong enough topete with Lasi or Muwan? Why did I take that for granted?! Is this the gaslighting effect of a cult? Rodri, you are terrifying¡­! # Meanwhile, in the cloned universe where the great demon king capable of destroying the universe was unleashed, interesting events were unfolding. The Lubaran fleet, the grand armada of space pirates, ordinarys with life, and shining stars¡ªall were being destroyed and devoured by a gigantic monster. Its sheer size and overwhelming power forced everyone into submission, causing some in the Gctic Union to flee as far as possible into space. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We can win.¡± The elders of the Lubaran tribe still boasted confidently about their chances. However, they knew the truth. The fact that one of their fleets was annihted without leaving a scratch on the monster meant that no matter how many fleets they had, the result would be the same. ¡®We need to escape while we buy time.¡¯ ¡®Honestly, if the fleet can¡¯t handle it, what can we do?¡¯ The elders were filled with thoughts of fleeing while the Union¡¯sbined forces bought them time. It¡¯s quite pathetic for those who im to be the universe¡¯s strongest warriors. But I understand. When a space fleet, akin to a floating armed firing neutron beams, is swept away without doing anything, it¡¯s hard to me them. No matter how strong an individual¡¯s power is, what¡¯s the use? Honestly, even Yujin would have fled from this. But quite some time has passed, and there¡¯s no sign of anything appearing. It¡¯s about time the will of the universe or whatever creates an adversary. If this keeps up, the Union will bepletely destroyed first. [¡­?] At that moment, a special change was detected in a distant part of the universe. ¡°Ugh¡­?! What, what¡¯s happening all of a sudden?¡± A giant light. As the fabric of space twisted, some force of the universe was transmitted to the space adventurer Kon Arche. It was an immense power, on a different level from anything before. Of course, it was still a small forcepared to the universe¡¯s vastness, weaker than even a lower-tier outer god. But by the standards of beings within the universe, it was an incredible power. It was an overwhelmingly powerful force for a single individual. It felt like the condensed power of a Rank A giant monster. Just by looking, it was clear that he was an adversary. So, Kon Arche was chosen as an adversary? In the original universe, he was Yujin¡¯spanion. Both in the original and the cloned universe, he yed a significant role. If I hadn¡¯t created Yujin, perhaps Kon Arche would have been the protagonist of this universe¡¯s story. ¡°This, this is¡­¡± The immense power that hade to him. Surprisingly, this phenomenon was happening in other parts of the universe as well. Including Kon Arche, there were four locations in total. Four adversaries had been born. Chapter 48: Subjugation of the Demon King Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 48 EP.48 Subjugation of the Demon King Swoosh©¤ ¡°Aaaah! Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Turn to starboard! Quickly!¡± Tentacles,rger and thicker than the ships themselves, reached out. Despite the frantic barrage of bullets and shells, they continued to approach undeterred. Naturally, there was no damage. Even when concentrated fire caused slight scratches, they healed instantly. It was nearly impossible to inflict wounds, and even if they managed, it was meaningless. This realization drove the soldiers to despair. ¡°Headquarters! Headquarters, respond! Respond, you bastards!!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ we¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡±Crunch! A massive tentacle wrapped around a ship, crushing it under immense pressure until it shattered. The colossal ship, made from the strongest artificial metalbining tungsten, titanium, and special minerals, and costing astronomical amounts to build, was destroyed in an instant. smasers, neutron beams, hydrogen bombs, even-destroying pration missiles¡ªnothing worked. They even tried graviton bombs and space-warping cannons, modeled after the infinite gravity of ck holes, but to no avail. At best, they managed to sever a single tentacle, but even that regenerated within minutes. It was the epitome of despair. A terrifying despair that they could do nothing awaited them. To make matters worse, there was no contact with the headquarters¡¯ elders. ¡°They used us as shields to escape, those trash.¡± ¡°Damn it all!!¡± Realizing they had been used as fodder, rage consumed them. But rage was meaningless. From the moment they faced the monster, there was no option to flee. No option for victory. They could only struggle futilely until they were either crushed by the massive tentacles or swallowed whole into the gaping maw to be digested as prey. One might think, why not just run away? But the monster seemed intent on not letting anything in its sight escape. Whether it possessed the intelligence to judge or not, it swiftly captured and destroyed any ship or spacecraft attempting to flee. That was why they stood still, unable to fight or run¡ªinstinctively hoping to cling to life for even a second longer. All that remained for them was to await death. Many soldiers, sumbing to despair, took their own lives. [¡­¡­] As the end of the Union seemed imminent, suddenly, the monster¡¯s massive tentacles stopped their ughter and became still. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The soldiers, momentarily confused by the abrupt halt, watched as four small silhouettes appeared before them. ¡°Are those¡­ people?¡± Amazingly, the four silhouettes belonged to individuals of various tribes. # In the universe, there are four fundamental forces: Gravity, arising from the interaction between masses. Electromaic force, governing the interactions between charges. Strong nuclear force, the source of fusion energy, binding protons and neutrons. Weak nuclear force, causing radioactive decay and being the source of fission energy. These four forces are the foundation, the truth, and the essence of the universe. All matter and phenomena in the universe stem from these forces. If a person could directly manipte these forces, the possibilities would be unimaginable. They could potentially destroy and create the universe, ying the role of a cosmic creator. This immense power was divided among four beings, making them adversaries to the gigantic monster: Celine, A Lorrian woman wielding the power of gravity. Kotritas, The son of a Lubaran elder, possessing the power of weak nuclear force. Lowie Hendrik, A Meias tribe candidate for the next elder, wielding the power of electromaic force. Kon Arche, A Terra tribe space adventurer, wielding the power of strong nuclear force. ¡­Thisbination feels very familiar. They¡¯re Yujin¡¯spanions. It seems they weren¡¯t just randomly gathered around Yujin. These individuals are protagonist-level characters, ying significant and pivotal roles in this universe. Indeed, their backstories are perfect. The sole survivor of a destroyed tribe. The abandoned child of a corrupt elder. The apprentice of the greatest magician. An adventurer from a minor tribe traveling the universe. It¡¯s the perfect backstory for a shonen manga protagonist. Ah, so they became the adversaries. It¡¯s fascinating. The will of the universe directly selected them and divided the cosmic forces among them. There are cases where an entire tribe is born as adversaries, or a god-like being emerges. But here, the power is lent to create heroes. That power is indeed formidable. The others are on par with lower-tier outer gods, and Kon Arche, with the strongest power, isn¡¯t jokinglyparable to a lower-tier outer god in terms of influence and might within the universe. At this rate, my gigantic monster might lose. But then again, it¡¯s only natural since the adversaries are created to be able to win. What happens if the opponent is beyond their capacity to handle? If I think about when I or another outer god suddenly intrudes, it seems they do nothing in the face of overwhelming power. They struggle against winnable foes, but otherwise, they just hope the threat passes quietly. Interesting. There¡¯s a lot to explore. For instance, if the same adversary appears in identical environments within identical cloned universes facing the same enemy, would the adversary be the same, or would it vary? What if the environment is slightly different? Can the type of adversary be influenced? It seems no outer god has directly cloned a universe for such experiments, and there are no simr reference materials. In other words, there¡¯s much I won¡¯t know unless I experiment myself. It appears that such tedious domestic experiments aren¡¯t a hobby for outer gods. Anyway, since I¡¯m having fun, maybe I¡¯ll try some experiments after this is over? [Oh.] While I was lost in thought, the battle between the gigantic monster and the four adversaries began. They unleashed nuclear fission energy, manipted gravity, electrocuted with electromaic force, and blew off tentacles with nuclear fusion energy. In fact, the Union¡¯stest weapons operated on simr principles¡ªrailguns, graviton bombs, neutron beams, hydrogen bombs. However, the difference was that these adversaries wielded the raw, natural forces of the universe itself. Naturally, their power was iparable. Even if one tries to mimic a ck hole or a neutron star, it¡¯s infinitely weaker than the real thing. That¡¯s exactly what it felt like. They hurled ck holes, threw neutron stars to explode, andpressed cosmic radiation storms into high-density sts. It was a battle beyond the imagination of ordinary mortals. ¡°¡­My God.¡± ¡°Where did those peoplee from¡­?¡± People couldn¡¯t help but marvel. But to me, it looked like ants fighting each other. If I were still human, I¡¯d be terrified, but now, as a top-tier outer god who orchestrates such battles, it¡¯s just amusing. It¡¯s like watching ants pick up grains of sand and throw them at each other¡ªfascinating in its own way. ¡­Wait, isn¡¯t that incredibly cool? If I posted a video of this, it would easily hit a million views. Unfortunately, most outer gods aren¡¯t interested in such things, so even if I recorded it, it wouldn¡¯t get much attention. Anyway, after an intense battle filled with immense power and exploding tentacles, the four adversaries emerged victorious. [Groooar¡­] ¡°Wow, we won! Those people defeated the gigantic monster!¡± ¡°My God¡­¡± Though they were battered and on the brink of death, the adversaries had won. The 100,000 km-long tentacle mass was now so thoroughly destroyed that its original form was unrecognizable,pletely immobilized. The colossal space monster shattered and dispersed into the cosmos. So, this is how it ends. What a spectacle. The birth of adversaries, the subjugation of the demon king. I saw what I wanted to see. Now that it¡¯s over¡­ I should clean this up. Leaving it unattended might cause problems in other universes, especially our original universe. Natural cosmic collisions are one thing, but this is an artificial creation¡ªessentially a man-made disaster. Or rather, a god-made disaster since I¡¯m an outer god? Hmm? That would just be a natural disaster then¡­ Anyway, leaving an artificial cloned universe unattended could cause issues, and if it¡¯s because of me, it would leave a bad taste. So, I¡¯ll erase it. After all, it¡¯s a universe I cloned, so it shouldn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m destroying naturally urring, well-functioning universes. I¡¯m just erasing cloned existences that never originally existed. Compared to other outer gods who go around wrecking perfectly fine universes, I¡¯m much kinder. I¡¯m not crossing any lines, right? ¡­Or am I? Chapter 49: Emptiness Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 49 EP.49 Emptiness ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± The terrifying fragments of the colossal monster shattered and scattered into space. Kon Arche and the other three adversaries panted as they watched. They had been given the mission by the will of the universe, ¡°I will grant you power, so confront the great evil.¡± Following the pull of this power, they hade here and, quite literally, fought and defeated the giant monster. It was a battle for the survival of the universe. They had emerged victorious. ¡°We won.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Kon Arche, Lowie Hendrik, Celine, and Kotritas¡ªthese four adversaries were overjoyed that they had prevented the universe¡¯s destruction with their newfound powers. ¡°Whew! That was incredible!¡±¡°You¡¯re the best! Where did youe from?!¡± ¡°Thank you for saving us!¡± The surviving Union soldiers also expressed their immense gratitude and joy to the adversaries. Of course, since this was space, their voices didn¡¯t carry, but the overwhelming emotions reached the four adversaries clearly. ¡°Kon Arche, that was an incredible ability.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the Meias elder¡¯s disciple, right? I think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± ¡°¡­Good job.¡± ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t talk to the likes of Lubarans.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯re not so bad after all.¡± The four adversaries, though newly acquainted and somewhat mismatched, seemed to be in good spirits. Despite not knowing each other well, they had fought back-to-back, risking their lives asrades. ¡°Ah! Those filthy elder bastards! Let¡¯s drive them out of the Union! They used us as shields and ran away when things got dangerous.¡± ¡°Yeah, if anyone should lead the Union, it should be heroes like those four.¡± ¡°Right, right!¡± Among the Union soldiers, there was a gLowieng consensus to oust the elders who had abandoned them. It seemed the wartime situation hadpletely ended. But then¡ª Swoosh©¤ ¡°¡­Huh.¡± A soldier noticed something and pointed above his head. ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Following his gaze, the other soldiers looked up and saw it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± A massive, blood-red eye was staring down at them. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± It was strange. The eye wasn¡¯t within the universe. It was as if they were fish in a bowl, looking out at a person beyond the ss. The eye seemed to be observing them from outside the vast aquarium that was their universe. The moment they faced it, everyone froze. No, they couldn¡¯t move. It felt as if all control over their bodies had been stripped away. What was causing this? Paralysis? Fatigue? Or perhaps¡­ fear. When faced with an indescribable terror, living beings be unable to move, as if their bodies had already given up on life. It was as if they were being told to abandon hope because escape was impossible. The others felt the same. No one could move upon seeing the massive, blood-red eye above them. Astonishingly, this wasn¡¯t limited to just them. Across the entire universe, every living being was looking up at the enormous, red eye floating above. In the universe, there is no inherent up or down. There are only directions where gravity acts and where it doesn¡¯t. Yet, regardless of the direction of gravity, the eye looked down upon every living being, as if it existed in a dimension beyond the universe, in a ce that was ¡°above¡± everything. The terror was beyond description. Just facing it caused their bodies to freeze. Many realized what it was. They hade to an understanding. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± An outer god. One that looked down upon the entire universe as if it were a toy. A top-tier outer god. Or perhaps something even beyond that¡­ In any case, the moment Kon Arche saw that eye, a realization struck him. For some reason, a passage from a book he had never read came to mind. The moment he faced its massive eye, an unbearable terror arrived. Just by facing it, the fear exceeded the tolerable limit of his body. It seemed impossible to confront it. Even though they had just annihted an absurdly powerful outer god-level monster, it wasn¡¯t because their strength had waned. Even if the four adversaries were in perfect condition, they could never stand against it. No, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to reach it. It existed somewhere beyond this universe, somewhere mortals could not even touch. But why? Why had it appeared in our universe? Why did it suddenly look down upon everyone, bringing all things in the universe to a halt? The answer was simple. It had been watching all along. It was just that it hadn¡¯t revealed its presence until now. Why? That too could be roughly guessed. A lower-tier outer god-level colossal monster had suddenly appeared without warning. And as soon as it was barely defeated, a top-tier outer god seemed to lean in as if it had business to attend to. Everything had been a mere amusement for it. It was a bet to see whether its creation would win or the will of the universe would prevail. ¡®Then there¡¯s only one thing left for us to do.¡¯ It had its fun. And when the fun was over, it would discard everything. But it didn¡¯t just leave, it revealed its presence and looked down upon all beings in the universe. What could that mean? It meant that since its business was finished, it was now time to clean up. This universe was nothing more than a simple yground for it. After having so much fun, isn¡¯t it only polite to clean up thoroughly? ¡®Ah¡­ We were nothing but their toys.¡¯ ¡°Ha, hahaha.¡± What did everything they had done amount to? They had worked hard to gain strength, embarked on adventures, and written books. Some had earned money to buy homes, met someone special, and had children¡­ Each person had a life full of meaning, both to themselves and to those around them. But in front of that being, such things held no significance. No matter how they had lived or what they had left behind, everything could be erased with a mere gesture from it. It wasn¡¯t just about dying; the entire world where their lives were recorded would vanish as if it had never existed. ¡®What was the point of it all?¡¯ They had gained power from the universe and fought fiercely to finally bring down the colossal monster. But the conclusion they faced was merely the whim of an iprehensibly powerful being. ¡®Everything is decided by its whim. The fact that we are still alive, and that we will soon disappear¡­ all of it.¡¯ Emptiness. All emotions¡ªfear, anger, sadness¡ªdisappeared, leaving only a profound sense of emptiness. There was nothing they could do. Nothing they wanted to do. They could only wait for their annihtion. The red eye blinked, as if acknowledging their understanding. And then, immediately after that. Everything vanishedpletely, as if it had never existed from the beginning. # ¡­Oh, did I go too far? Even if they were clones, those were beings with personalities. No, no. Most outer gods don¡¯t even bother creating clone universes, they just crush, slice, and burn whatever they want. Compared to them, I¡¯m quite considerate. Yes, that¡¯s right. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable to witness and experience adversaries created by the will of the universe. Mortals wielding the four types of cosmic power¡ªbeings capable of causing supernova explosions with a mere gesture. Even though I made it somewhat feasible to defeat them, they still managed to take down a lower-tier outer god-level monster. The will of the universe is stronger than I thought. ¡­So where¡¯s the limit? They couldn¡¯t withstand my annihtion beam, but what about a mid-tier outer god? And I¡¯m curious about the hypothesis I had earlier, ¡°Would the same adversaries emerge under identical conditions?¡± If I were to create different adversaries, how would that process work? Ah, I want to create multiple clone universes in a separate space and conduct various experiments. Should I set up a dedicatedb space like Nyathotep? That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about interference from other cosmic bubbles. But if I go to apletely separate space with no connection to the original universe, I can¡¯t link back to it at all. Ugh, why are there limitations even for an outer god? Shouldn¡¯t I be omnipotent? Even if it¡¯s apletely separate and isted space, I should be able to connect it with my ultimate outer god powers. ¡­Hmm, that might be a bit too unprincipled. Ah! What if I did this instead? What if I copied the current original universe exactly as it is and moved it to an isted dimension? Dalos seems to be just observing afterpleting Metalian, so it shouldn¡¯t take long to make a perfect copy. Even if there might be slight differences in incidents and idents between the original and the clone, the environment would be identical, so events should unfold simrly. Oh, it would be interesting topare the oues between the real original and the cloned originalter on. Great, let¡¯s do that. As an outer god, ying on this scale should be more entertaining. Honestly, after spending ten years inside the universe with dramas and simtions, I was starting to get a bit restless. ¡­Hmm, but I should still consider the concept of ¡°copyright¡± (?). I should ask Dalos for permission before cloning Metalian. While the Lubarans were abandoned by Ubbo-Sat and don¡¯t matter, Metalian is different since Dalos is actively observing it in real-time. Chapter 50: The Creator and the Destroyer Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 50 EP.50 The Creator and the Destroyer ¡°Yujin¡­!! What on earth are you thinking?! This is a tant attack on the Gctic Union!¡± Elder Edgar, one of the elders of the Lubaran tribe, shouted as he looked at a man with dark hair who was extending a hand brimming with dense mana energy. The man was a member of the Terra tribe. Despite being a Terra, he possessed exceptional magical prowess, which had led him to cause several incidents. Recently, there had been rumors that he was gathering unsavory individuals and plotting something, prompting caution. However, no one had imagined he would brazenly storm into the Union headquarters and attack them. There was another unexpected factor. Yujin was far stronger than anticipated. They had thought he would be on par with the elders of the Meias tribe at best, but that was not the case. Even with the Lubaran tribe¡¯s top-tier serum and thetest nano-suit equipment, they were no match for him. Elder Edgar, along with the other elders, had all been defeated. Some fell to other rebels, including Elder Jupiter, but more than half¡ªsix elders¡ªdied at Yujin¡¯s hands. They had no choice but to acknowledge it. Yujin and the rebels were strong enough to overthrow them. But why? Why suddenly resort to such actions? Was it just for power? Even if they used force, the Gctic Union wouldn¡¯t fall into their hands. While the Lubaran tribe held the most power as the highest-ranking species, the other species wouldn¡¯t ept such brute-force rule without some justification. ¡°Ask the underground researchers about that. I¡¯m just doing what I want,¡± Yujin replied nonchntly.¡°¡­?!¡± Underground researchers. The moment Elder Edgar heard those words, he realized they were finished. They knew about the undergroundboratory. Once that was exposed, the elders of the Lubaran tribe would be done for. They wouldn¡¯t just lose their positions as leaders of the Union, they would likely be expelled from the Union itself. It was that serious. They had conducted biological experiments on the intelligent beings within the Union, dissecting and analyzing their structures. The rebels had a clear justification. They also had the power to eliminate the elders. This was a fight they couldn¡¯t win, no matter how they looked at it. ¡®Damn it¡­ We could have kept it hidden. Where did they find out? Why do I have to die at the hands of this insignificant Terra?¡¯ What followed was a surge of anger¡ªanger at why a great elder of the Lubaran tribe had to suffer such a fate. He channeled that fury and shouted at Yujin. ¡°You wretched Terra scum©¤!¡± ¡°Shock Wave.¡± Thud©¤! St! That was the end of Elder Edgar. The immense shockwave emanating from Yujin¡¯s overwhelming mana pierced through his sturdy nano-suit and exploded his body. Neither his superior physical abilities nor his advanced scientific equipment were of any use. In the face of overwhelming power, he was just another piece of meat. ¡°Phew¡­ Is it over?¡± He had personally dealt with seven elders, including Edgar. The remaining three elders and the Union soldiers were being held off by hisrades, including Elder Jupiter and the mages of the Meias tribe. It was essentially over. Most of the Lubaran tribe¡¯s elders were dead, and those still alive would soon meet the same fate. ¡®Time to head to the undergroundb.¡¯ With the upper levels cleared, the next step was to secure evidence from theboratory to stabilize the chaotic situation within the Gctic Union. When the attack began, the elders likely issued orders to erase records and flee. Anticipating this, Yujin had already sent people there. Kon Arche led the way, apanied by rebels and some mercenary adventurers. By now, they should have reached the undergroundb and begun securing it. Given the heavy security likely present there, it seemed wise to go and assist them. ¡°Heading underground? I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°¡­Kotritas.¡± At that moment, Kotritas appeared behind Yujin. His expression was far from pleasant, and understandably so. From his perspective, they were killing his fellow elders. Even though he had steeled himself for this, it couldn¡¯t have been easy to witness. Moreover, the person he had just killed was¡­ ¡°I handled my father. In his final moments, he finally called me his son. ¡®Son, please spare me¡­¡¯ he said.¡± A bitterugh escaped him. Yujin knew he couldn¡¯t fathom the emotions Kotritas felt in that moment, so he remained silent. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was prepared for this. I had to kill my father with my own hands. Only then could I stand tall before others.¡± Kotritas was a member of the Lubaran tribe, the very tribe targeted by the coup. He was also the son of one of the elders directly involved. Even if he was branded a parricide, it was something he had to do. That way, he wouldn¡¯t be condemned simply for being a Lubaran or the son of an elder. That¡¯s why Yujin had intentionally left his father to him. Though he was somewhat concerned about Kotritas¡¯s mental state, he believed it was the right decision. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the undergroundb.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With that, the two descended into the chaotic Union headquarters¡¯ underground levels. # Theypletely subdued the undergroundb, exposing its secrets to the entire Union and thoroughly ousting the Lubaran tribe. Finally, they had seized control of the Gctic Union. Ah, my doppelganger has done well. As expected of an outer god¡¯s doppelganger, taking over the Gctic Union is just the beginning. Having witnessed the key highlights¡ªYujin¡¯s battle with the Lubaran elders and the Union¡¯s takeover¡ªit¡¯s time to wrap things up here. I surveyed my surroundings. Unlike the ¡®gap¡¯ with no material concept, this space had a slightly blue hue, which I found calming. This was none other than myboratory. In this vast space, I could create clone universes or experiment with various creations. It was a ce to satisfy my curiosity, gain knowledge, and pass the time. [Well done.] [Thank you.] Standing beside me was not a grotesque mass of tentacles, but Nyathotep. Since this was my first time creating such a space, I had enlisted her help. Ah, it¡¯s tricky since outer gods don¡¯t have genders. Anyway, Nyathotep was a seasoned expert, having created several isted dimensions for herboratories. Her experience was invaluable. Knowing something in theory and actually creating it are two different things. [By the way, that elf species is quite intriguing. Could you provide me with some samples¡­] Oh, here we go again. Why don¡¯t you just create them yourself? [Create them yourself and experiment.] [That¡¯s not fun.] Fun, huh? Are you like Ubbo-Sat, who insists on wild-caught versus farm-raised? [In any case, I have no intention of sharing my creations.] [That¡¯s unfortunate. How about a trade? My experimental subjects for¡­] Oh no, you¡¯re not going to torment my cute little elves. Back off! [What about that elf god¡­ the Spirit of Light, was it?] [No means no.] They¡¯re off-limits too. I promised them afortable existence if they behaved. If they ever cause trouble, then maybe I¡¯d consider it. Few things are as torturous as bing one of Nyathotep¡¯s experimental subjects. [Can¡¯t you just clone them? Give me the clones.] [¡­¡­] Clones, huh? Since I¡¯m nning to do various things with the cloned universe anyway, I might consider cloning the elves for experiments in the future. So, in the end, am I no different from Nyathotep? [Take your time to think about it. Talk to me whenever you want.] With those words, Nyathotep left. Cloning, huh. Does it matter if it¡¯s something I created, as long as it¡¯s a clone? Whether they suffer or perish, does it make a difference? I created thisboratory to experiment and erase clone universes without any emotional attachment. I do have affection for my creations like the elves and Yujin, but it¡¯s not to the extent that I feelpelled to protect them or keep them exclusively mine. It feels like my mindset is gradually bing more like that of an outer god. Guilt, empathy, and affection are all fading. All that remains is curiosity and boredom. The only thing keeping me from crossing the line is the lingering memories of my human past. But this leaves me feeling caught between two worlds, inconsistent and indecisive. What am I, really? # The Deep Abyss. The beginning and end of everything. The ultimate origin, yet without origin¡­ such a thing. To the residents of the gap,monly known as outer gods, it imparts its knowledge of everything and shares a fragment of its omnipotence. A god that is both non-existent and the genesis of all existence. Those who know of its existence call it thus: ¡®The Beginning and the End of Chaos.¡¯ ¡®The Amorphous Evil.¡¯ ¡®The Creator and Destroyer of All Things.¡¯ They named it: ¡®Azathoth.¡¯ Surpassing even the gods, it stands at the pinnacle of everything in this world. Truly, the creator, mother, and destroyer of all things. Today, it quietly gazed down at something directly connected to itself. A dimension isted by a blue light. There stood an outer god, a colossal giant with a single red eye. Chapter 51: The Laboratory Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 51 EP.51 The Laboratory Ten years had passed by the Gctic Union¡¯s standards. A short time for some, a long time for others. For me, the concept of time doesn¡¯t exist, so I can¡¯t say if it was long or short. Regardless, many things had happened during that period. Yujin had taken control of the Gctic Union. Those who were disgusted by the atrocities of the Lubaran elders and those who opposed the coup regime left the Union in droves. The Union¡¯s size shrank by about 30%pared to before. However, Yujin saw this as an opportunity. He began to provide generous support and share various technologies with those who remained in the Union. As a result, the superior technology of the Lubaran tribe and the secretive magical techniques of the Meias tribe, among others, were released en masse, rapidly raising the average capabilities of the Union¡¯s species. Since magic couldn¡¯t be used without innate talent, the Meias tribe didn¡¯t have much to say. But the Lubaran tribe, which was at the forefront of scientific advancement, strongly opposed this. [Why should we share our technology?!] [If everyone reaches our level, what was the point of all our hard work and research?!] While their arguments weren¡¯t entirely wrong, they were framed as the main culprits of the recent events. Thus, their objections were dismissed. There was no other choice.[The quickest way to unite people is to create amon enemy.] Moreover, if you take the enemy¡¯s assets and distribute them to everyone, support will naturally increase. [And when the species within the Union see rapid development, those who left will start to reconsider. ¡®Should we go back?¡¯ they¡¯ll think.] As Yujin spoke with a smile, Elder Jupiter nodded in admiration. [Yujin, I knew you were formidable, but you¡¯re even more terrifying than I thought.] [Oh,e on, what¡¯s so scary about this? It¡¯s not like I wiped out an entire species or secretly conducted human experiments.] [Hahaha¡­.] Wow¡­ So, the Gctic Union has reached a new level. The elves will have to step up their game. The elves had also undergone significant changes. The most important one: they finally met. [Pleased to meet you. I am Lasi.] [Oh, Lasi. Servant of the god. This too is the guidance of Rios.] The meeting of Rodri and Lasi¡­! Wow, I never thought I¡¯d see this scene in just about ten years. The elves had gradually expanded their territory, establishing a realm and system that was practically a nation. Most elves had been absorbed intorger factions, leaving only a few independent groups. Their numbers had dwindled to about one-hundredth of their original size. Among them, three factions had grown and developed the fastest. Lumsi Rodri¡¯s Rios Religion Muwan Empire As expected, the three individuals who initially caught my eye have risen to the top three. The elves had advanced their scientific technology to the point where they had discovered electricity and begun applying it, akin to the period of the modern industrial revolution when numerous machines were invented. Lumsi was preparing to transition from steam power, which used coal, to electric power, which had better transmission efficiency and versatility. Rodri¡¯s Rios Religion focused less on scientific technology and more on honing the power to control the Spirit of Light, granted by their god. They had developed abilities almost akin to those of wizards, using the Spirit of Light to hunt and perform tasks that were difficult for ordinary people. Muwan Empire had rapidly advanced their weaponry. In addition to firearms, they were currently developing small steam-powered vehicles armored with heavy ting. The front of the small steam-powered vehicle was equipped with a massive, manually operated, traditional machine gun. Impressive¡­ and terrifying. Could Muwan end up conquering everything? Just as I pondered this, Lasi and Rodri met. Both now leaders of groups that were practically nations, they held a very serious meeting. They discussed their perceptions of each other, their future directions, and the potential impacts they could have on one another. After extensive discussions, they reached a conclusion. [Let¡¯s form an alliance.] [Let¡¯s form an alliance.] An alliance was formed. From the perspective of the Rios Religion, all elves were blessed by the god Rios. Increasing the number of devout followers who actively worshipped the god was a good thing. Lumsi was well-developed and rapidly growing in poption, so the influx of new believers would be swift. From Lumsi¡¯s perspective, the god Rios was a benevolent deity who had bestowed knowledge and power upon them. They already praised and followed him, so a few additional rituals and prayer times wouldn¡¯t be met with resistance. They did take some crops and meat as offerings to the god, but with an abundance of food, it wasn¡¯t an issue. More importantly, the abilities of the Rios Religion¡¯s followers were a significant asset to them. They likely believed that the military strength of the Rios Religion would be useful someday. Additionally, they thought that by believing more fervently and following the Rios Religion, their own powers from the Spirit of Light would grow stronger, simr to the Rios Religion¡¯s followers. And they weren¡¯t wrong. It¡¯s natural for a god to favor those who offer more. If it were a god indifferent to such things, it might be different, but Rios seemed to absorb the energy from offerings and use it to strengthen himself. Lasi had good instincts. Soon, Muwan wouldnd in the northern hemisphere. Coincidentally, Muwan was set tond on thergest continent, where Rodri and Lasi resided. Would there be war? Or would Muwan, like Rodri and Lasi, surprisingly form a friendly rtionship with them? Knowing Muwan¡¯s nature, that seemed highly unlikely. Ah, of course, there have been many changes in myboratory as well. The universe I¡¯m currently observing isn¡¯t the original universe but a perfectly replicated original clone universe. It was copied with such precision that even the positions of the quarks were identical, leaving almost no room for variables. Events and phenomena urring in the original universe would hardly differ here. Even if minor discrepancies arose,paring them with the original would be enjoyableter. Anyway, this is just one aspect. Myboratory now has floating universe bubbles everywhere, much like the gap. There are about 3,000 of them. Some were created under identical conditions to serve as various control groups. Others were made with slightly different environments. That¡¯s just the 3,000; there are others created separately. These aren¡¯t cloned universes but ones I created myself. Think of them as the cosmic version of an elf civilization simtion. I started creating various worlds for fun, and now there are over ten of them. Some are exact replicas of the universe I originally lived in. Others have a sci-fi vibe simr to the universe with the elves and Yujin. There are fantasy worlds where magic is asmon as it is for the Meias tribe. I¡¯ve even created a multiverse bubble where multiple universes are interconnected, resembling Norse mythology. I thought linking entirely different universes would be challenging, but it turned out to be easier than expected. I just created an environment simr to the gap between the universes and established a connection pathway. Surprisingly, there were no issues with physicalws interfering and causing copses. It¡¯s quite entertaining to asionally peek into these created universes. Creating worlds based on theics and novels I read as a human and observing how they y out in reality is also possible. Although it¡¯s been less than ten years since I created them, making them rtively undeveloped, they still offer some entertainment value. The hunter world connected to the fantasy world has been in chaos for ten years since the gates opened. The pure fantasy world is still in its early stages, with only ten years since the Demon King appeared, so the hero¡¯s emergence seems far off. By the way, I created this Demon King. I thought it would be better to leave the creation of the hero to the will of the universe rather than making one myself. I made the Demon King a significant enough threat to the world to warrant the rise of an adversary. The sci-fi world isn¡¯t like the Gctic Union; it¡¯s more of a setting where various aliens live their lives, with different events urring in the universe. As for the Earth I originally lived on, I created a zombie apocalypse scenario. Naturally, an enormous number of people died over the past ten years. I didn¡¯t make it an exact replica; I just recreated the environment, so it feels different, and I don¡¯t feel much guilt about it. Or maybe not. Even if I had replicated my original Earth exactly, I might not have felt any guilt. Lately, it feels like my humanity is gradually fading. No, rather than fading, it feels like it was never there to begin with. Anyway, ten years isn¡¯t a long time in the grand scheme of the universe. There haven¡¯t been any significant changes. In reality, I could fast-forward time if I wanted to. With a snap of my fingers, I could advance a thousand years and instantly review all the information. But thatcks a certain charm. Besides, it would leave me with nothing to do afterward. There¡¯s nothing quite like this to pass the time. Chapter 52: The Constellation of the Abyss Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 52 EP.52 The Constetion of the Abyss Unlike anime or movies, this has a certain immersive quality. These are real, living beings thinking and acting on their own, without any scripts or predetermined stories. It¡¯s likebining the thrill of a real variety show with the special narratives you¡¯d only find in anime or movies. Even after observing for quite some time, I find it neither boring nor tiresome; it¡¯s quite enjoyable. What¡¯s more, the ability to directly intervene and change things adds to the fun. If I interfered too much, it would just follow my thoughts and be boring, but subtly nudging things in the desired direction is quite satisfying. I can skip unnecessarily dull parts or alter the flow to something I want to see. For example¡­ let¡¯s take a look over there. A universe with an environment very simr to the Earth I originally lived on, but with a slight twist, it has what ismonly referred to in novels as a ¡°hunter world.¡± It¡¯s a world connected to a fantasy-like dimension where bizarre and powerful monsterse through gates. I¡¯ve also linked it to the divine realm, adding a touch of the ¡°constetion¡± trope. Gods choose their avatars, bestowing power upon them and making them hunters. Although I created it, the structure and overall setting are based on an existing universe. After all, in the infinite expanse of universe bubbles within the gap, every possible scenario exists somewhere. Whatever I create will inevitably feel simr to something else. Anyway, let¡¯s use this as an example. Since we¡¯re talking about gods choosing avatars, I can take the role of selecting the ¡°protagonist¡± of this world. Calling them a protagonist might sound grandiose, but there¡¯s no need to overthink it. In a world like this, the strongest one is naturally the protagonist. All I need to do is grant him more power than the other hunters. Let¡¯s see¡­ how about that guy over there? Park Yujin. Coincidentally, his name is also Yujin. A 25-year-old young man living a lowly life, drifting from one convenience store job to another. He dreams of bing a hunter but has given up, believing no constetion would ever choose him.¡­What is this? Did I subconsciously create him? He¡¯s the epitome of a hunter story protagonist clich¨¦. The only difference is that, in reality, no god has chosen him. Judging by the state of the constetions, he doesn¡¯t even seem to be on their radar. But by choosing him myself, Park Yujin could be the strongest in this world. Of course, I won¡¯t give him absurd power from the start. There¡¯s no need to create an adversary by mistake. Still, I¡¯m curious about what an adversary would look like in this universe. With three worlds intertwined, would an adversary arise only in the world where the threat appears, or could one emerge in any of the three worlds, given their integration into a single universe? I¡¯ll have to replicate this and experimentter. For now, let¡¯s take on the role of a constetion. I¡¯ll gift this unfortunate young man a new life, just like a protagonist in a novel. It brings back memories of my own past. When I was human, I lived a simrly desperate life, always hoping to be someone extraordinary someday. But I ended up bing something far more extraordinary than I ever imagined. It¡¯s quite astonishing. Anyway, let¡¯s proceed. I bestow the power of the constetion upon Park Yujin. Let¡¯s see¡­ it seems like the power is granted in the form of a status window. Something like this, perhaps? # Twenty years ago, ¡°gates¡± connecting to other dimensions appeared. Strange, monstrous creatures emerged from these gates, plunging the world into chaos. Amidst the turmoil, beings known as ¡°hunters,¡± chosen by constetions, appeared tobat the monsters. They ventured into the gates, exterminated the monsters within, and closed the gatespletely. Remarkably, it was discovered that the stones found within these monsters, known as ¡°magic stones,¡± contained immense energy. The world was astounded. The appearance of gates and hunters, initially thought to herald the end of the world, turned out to be a transformative event that provided a new energy source. People cheered, weing the change. Thus began the era of the great hunters. The world revolved around hunters, who became more famous than celebrities and earned astronomical sums of money. Corporations known as ¡°guilds¡± managed hunters and grew to surpass even thergestpanies. ¡°Haa¡­ What¡¯s the point? I¡¯m just working part-time at a convenience store.¡± Of course, not everything in the world revolved around hunters. Ordinary citizens continued to live their lives as they always had. Among these ordinary citizens, living a lowly life, was the man slumped over the convenience store counter with disheveled hair: Park Yujin, 25 years old. ¡°I want to be a hunter too. I want to make tons of money. I want to be popr with women¡­ Ahem!¡± Average in appearance and ability, Park Yujin was an ordinary young man. If there was anything unusual about him, it was that he was an orphan with no one to rely on. As hey there, his phone buzzed with a message. (Manager Bastard: Hey, don¡¯t ck off during work hours. I¡¯ll fire you.) ¡°Damn it¡­ What the hell is his problem? There aren¡¯t even any customers.¡± He wanted to curse out the manager who constantly picked fights with him and quit, but doing so would cut off his living expenses. So he endured. Ding! [A being from the Deep Abyss has taken an interest in you.] [A being from the Deep Abyss wishes to grant you power.] [Do you ept the power?] ¡°¡­What?¡± A translucent window suddenly appeared before his eyes. Park Yujin knew exactly what it was. ¡°Holy¡­! A constetion, it¡¯s a constetion!¡± A message from a constetion. A status window, awakening, hunter! ¡°Damn, a day like this has finallye for me!!¡± Quickly processing the situation in his mind, Park Yujin nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, I ept!¡± Deep Abyss, Outer Being¡ªthese were suspicious-sounding titles, but so what? It was still a constetion offering him power. It wasn¡¯t like it was the Great Demon who would destroy the world or the King of Flies who devoured everything. In fact, there were hunters who had received power from constetions known as evil gods. They, too, were legitimate hunters who fought monsters and closed gates for the sake of the world, their own honor, or money. [The Being from the Deep Abyss epts your will.] [Awakening the power of the Abyss.] [Name: Park Yujin] [Age: 25] [Gender: Male] [Title: Avatar of the Abyss] [Strength: 10(+10)] [Agility: 10(+10)] [Endurance: 10(+10)] [Magic: 10(+10)] ////////// [Passive: Blessing of the Abyss (LV.1)] [Increases stats and skill effects ording to the level of the blessing.] [10 stat points per level.] [Skill enhancement varies by skill effect.] [The Blessing of the Abyss skill grows each time you absorb the power of the Abyss from monsters.] [Attribute: Abyss (LV.1)] [The Abyss attribute prates everything and reaches the essence.] [Ignores 10% of defense.] [Fear of the Abyss (LV.1)] [Instills fundamental fear in those who face you.] [Causes Fear status effect LV.1] ¡°¡­Wow, what is this?¡± The appearance of a status window upon awakening wasmon to all hunters. The initial stats of 10 were the same for everyone. These stats could be increased through rare elixirs sometimes found within gates or through rigorous training and effort. However, since there was a limit to how much one could increase their stats directly, skills were actually more important. A hunter¡¯s rank is often determined by the type of overpowered skills they possess. That¡¯s how it should be. But¡­ ¡°A skill that increases stats¡­?¡± An absurd skill had appeared. A skill that raised stats based on its level¡ªessentially breaking through the stat limits in a ridiculous manner. ¡°This is insane¡­ What is this?¡± And that wasn¡¯t all. There was a skill that ignored defense, crucial for dealing with powerful enemies who typically had high defense. Additionally, there was a status effect skill that could induce fear, which was incredibly useful inbat. Even having a skill that caused a simple slow effect could get one called to higher-level gates. It was aprehensive set of rare abilities. Any one of these skills could make someone a top-tier hunter, and Park Yujin had awakened three of them. He realized he had hit the jackpot with this constetion. (Me: I quit. Bye.) He immediately texted his convenience store manager. With these skills, he could easily earn tens of millions a month. What meaning did a part-time job at a convenience store have now? Although he felt like cursing out his manager, he refrained because he was in such a good mood. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m a hunter, a freaking awesome hunter! Thank you, God of the Abyss! I worship you!¡± [The Being from the Deep Abyss is pleased to see your joy.] Imagining the bright future ahead, Park Yujin smiled contentedly. Chapter 53: When You Gaze into the Abyss Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 53 EP.53 When You Gaze into the Abyss Park Yujin, filled with joy, registered as a hunter and entered a gate. Naturally, he started at the lowest rank, F-rank, and entered an F-rank gate with other novice hunters in simr situations. Although a D-rank hunter apanied them as a safety measure, the rest were a ragtag group. Inside the gate, they encountered goblins. For the inexperienced novices, these goblins were a somewhat challenging opponent. ¡°Keeek!¡± ¡°Kieeek?!¡± It was clear that the Fear of the Abyss skill I had given him was working well. The goblins were confused and unable to act properly due to the fear. Fear of the Abyss. Although the effect was minimalpared to facing me directly, even at level 1, it was enough to mentally disrupt goblins. As the skill level increases, it will eventually affect even top-tier monsters like vampires or dragons, which are typically immune to fear. After all, the mental corruption caused by seeing an ¡°Outer God¡± like me cannot be blocked by mere immunities created by thews of the universe. Unless there are special measures against mental corruption by Outer Gods, like in the original SF universe I was born in, it cannot be stopped.¡°What¡¯s going on? The goblins seem off.¡± Among the F-rank hunters, one with some gate experience noticed the unusual behavior of the goblins and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What is this? This has never happened before¡­.¡± The D-rank hunter leading the group was equally puzzled. This was something they had never encountered before, leaving them bewildered. ¡°It seems to be thanks to my skill. I have a fear status effect skill,¡± Park Yujin said proudly, attributing the goblins¡¯ behavior to his ability. He didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding his abilities. In most novels, characters would typically conceal their skills in such situations, but thinking about it, that¡¯s quite strange. In a structured modern society, no one would suddenly capture and kill him. If someone had a special ability, wouldn¡¯t they want to reveal it quickly to gain fame and earn money? Assassination attempts by those envious of his abilities? Oppression and tyranny fromrge corporate guilds? Realistically, a major guild would prioritize recruiting him. Joining one would make it easier to earn money and preemptively prevent assassination attempts by jealous individuals. The notion of wanting to roam alone or disliking restrictions imposed by belonging to an organization is merely an excuse to drive the plot forward in protagonist-centric novels. Park Yujin¡¯s decision to reveal his abilities early and actively appeal to a major guild was a very smart choice in reality. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I¡¯m serious. The goblins are running away¡­ Yes, understood. Ahem! Mr. Park Yujin, could we have a word?¡± As expected, the D-rank hunter who was leading the group quickly contacted his guild and then called Park Yujin aside. Naturally, the intention was to recruit him into the guild. The fear status effect was not just a simple debuff; it was a top-tier crowd control ability that could render enemiespletely unable to fight, making it highly coveted by major guilds. Having discovered such a valuable ability early on, it was only natural for them to want to recruit him. However, Park Yujin was smarter and more thorough than they anticipated. ¡°Sorry, but I think I can aim for a higher ce with my abilities.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± While the D-rank hunter might have felt slighted by the rejection, he understood. Park Yujin¡¯s reasoning was sound. Confident in his abilities, Park Yujin boldly headed towards a major guild. In this world, the guild that prides itself as the best in Korea is the ¡°Awakening Guild.¡± ¡°¡­Hoo. This is where my life turns around.¡± Park Yujin¡¯s story was just beginning here. For now, everything seemed fine. However, since I had directly granted him power from beyond the universe, there were signs of gradual erosion. They say, ¡°When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you,¡± right? In simpler terms, this meant that due to mental corruption, his personality could gradually disappear, and he might go insane. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t wise to recklessly bestow the power of an Outer God upon a fragile being. Moreover, he was just an ordinary human from Earth. The power I granted might have been too overwhelming for him to handle. Although there might not be any immediate issues, it¡¯s better to make some adjustments just in case. Tweaking the settings slightly to prevent mental corruption should be understandable even to the will of the universe. Okay, done. This should ensure that even with a weak mental fortitude, he can withstand it. Now, I need to check on other matters for a bit. # ¡°Rising Star, Park Yujin!¡± ¡°The ¡®Fear of Monsters¡¯ Park Yujin, growing at an incredible speed. Who is he?¡± ¡°Defense Pration, Fear Status Effect, Stat Increase. All in one? The world is watching this hunter.¡± A year had passed since Park Yujin debuted as a hunter. With his incredible skills, he directly contracted with Korea¡¯s top guild, ¡°Awakening,¡± and received their enthusiastic support to grow stronger. In just one year, he had be an incredible star hunter, not only in Korea but also globally. With his stat-increasing skill, he achieved A-rank in just one year. Park Yujin brought immense fear to monsters, causing chaos, and crushed enemies with overwhelming destructive power that prated defenses. He received numerous offers from top guilds worldwide. There were even rumors that China¡¯s number one guild, ¡°Xiao,¡± had offered a contract worth 100 billion won. Despite these offers, Park Yujin remained with the Awakening Guild, staying as a Korean hunter, which made Koreans even more enthusiastic. ¡°He¡¯s a patriot, a true patriot.¡± ¡°What is the government doing? They should be giving him a reward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you bring honor to the nation.¡± Other hunters also envied his incredible status and praised him. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous. I should have had at least one crowd control skill.¡± ¡°Even if I have one, it¡¯s just a slow.¡± ¡°Having one at all is something.¡± ¡°And defense pration? That¡¯s a top-tier skill for a damage dealer.¡± Park Yujin¡¯s life seemed to be on a continuous upward trajectory, with nothing but a path of roses ahead. ¡­Or so it seemed. ¡°Ugh, haah, haah¡­!¡± Everyone envied and praised Park Yujin. But now, he was writhing in pain in the penthouse of the luxurious apartment provided by the guild. The reason for his agony was the relentless headaches and dizziness. When his abilities were weaker, he was fine. But as his skill levels increased, his physical condition began to deteriorate. It wasn¡¯t that he was sick or weakened. His abilities had indeed grown stronger. However, he started experiencing unexined headaches and nightmares featuring horrific, unidentifiable shapes. And that wasn¡¯t all. It wasn¡¯t just his body that was in pain; Park Yujin could feel his mind gradually transforming. Recently, he found himself getting angry over trivial matters. People who once seemed ordinary now appeared insignificant, and he had an overwhelming urge to crush them all. ¡°Ugh¡­ Why is this happening?¡± He had visited the hospital multiple times. The doctors attributed it to fatigue from the numerous changes and events he had recently experienced. So he tried resting. He tookplete breaks, doing nothing but resting, yet the symptoms showed no signs of improvement. It was an obviously strange situation. Rumors began to spread within the guild. People whispered that Park Yujin¡¯s condition seemed to be deteriorating. They spected whether he had contracted some sort of illness. ¡°Damn it¡­ Why is this happening? Answer me, damn constetion.¡± The root cause was undoubtedly his abilities. The stronger his powers became, the worse his condition grew. Park Yujin questioned the Being from the Deep Abyss that had granted him his powers. Why was this happening? But there was no response. In fact, the more he tried tomunicate with the entity, the stronger his symptoms seemed to be. It felt as though he was being increasingly consumed by the abyss. ¡®Why is this happening? Is it because the god who granted me power is evil?¡¯ However, he had never heard of people being corrupted simply because the deity was malevolent. Even evil gods aimed to protect Earth from external dimensions, so they wouldn¡¯t deliberately torment humans. Despite beingbeled as evil gods, they needed humans to live normally and transmit energy to exist. This was something different. The Being from the Deep Abyss that granted him power was something alien. ¡°Ugh¡­ haah, haah¡­!¡± As he tried to think about it, another headache surged. Simultaneously, fear began to creep in. Each time the headache struck, it felt as if something was being chipped away, leaving him with a chilling sensation. It was as though the persona of Park Yujin was gradually crumbling, being reced by the power of the abyss¡ªan indescribable terror. ¡®I¡¯m being consumed. I¡¯m being eroded.¡¯ The horrifying fear of losing himself while still alive overwhelmed Park Yujin. ¡°Damn it¡­ stop. Please stop¡­ I don¡¯t need this power anymore, please. Please take it back. I was wrong¡­¡± Had he erred by desiring power? Had he sold his soul to the devil for a chance to turn his life around? Tears began to stream down his face at the thought. He was being consumed by fear. The tears that flowed turned ck. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± And then, in that moment of terror, when Park Yujin realized that ck tears were streaming from his eyes¡ª Click¡ª Everything went dark, as if someone had turned off a TV. Chapter 54: Destruction and Regression Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 54 EP.54 Destruction and Regression ¡­What happened while I was away? [Aaah! Run away!] [Park Yujin¡­ It¡¯s the Abyssal Demon, Park Yujin!] [Crash! Boom!] Why was Park Yujin killing people and destroying the world, being called the Abyssal Demon? While I was observing other universes, what transpired here? A quick nce at the logs revealed that the fragile human mind couldn¡¯t withstand my power and was ultimately consumed. As a result, his rationality vanished, leaving behind only a destructive instinct, turning him into a lower-tier Outer God-like entity. The more severe issue was that no one possessed the strength to stop this rampaging being consumed by the power of an Outer God. That made sense. In a universe where so-called gods were merely powerful interdimensional beings, I had bestowed genuine Outer God power. Now it was running amok, and there was nothing they could do.People were being crushed by overwhelming power, and just meeting his pitch-ck eyes caused them to lose their will to fight or go insane with fear. Wow, this is a real disaster. Initially, he was a regr being in this universe, not particrly strong, but he suddenly grew and became a world-destroyer. This meant that the universe¡¯s will couldn¡¯t even create a counterbnce. In other words, this universe was doomed. Interdimensional monsters were out of the question, and the so-called gods in the divine realm couldn¡¯t interfere. On Earth, there was no one who could stop the rampaging Park Yujin. The conclusion was the destruction of the world. Oh no¡­ What was I thinking when I directly gave him power? I should have created an avatar simr to myself, like the Elf God Rios did, and made it a constetion. This was a mistake driven by my curiosity and excitement, without deep consideration. Of course, I could simply reverse the world¡¯s time or erase Park Yujin¡¯s existence to resolve everything. The reason why gods are said to never make mistakes is that even if they do, they can perfectly cover it up as if it never happened. Just as I was about to turn back the universe¡¯s time to before Park Yujin¡¯s awakening¡ª [Wait a minute.] An incredible idea suddenly struck me. [A constetion story, world destruction, final boss¡­ Isn¡¯t this the perfect setup for a regression story?] A demon that destroys the world. A regressor who knows the future struggles to prevent it¡­ Absolutely possible! Alright, let¡¯s choose someone to be the regressor. This time, I¡¯ll create an avatar in the divine realm to prevent them from being consumed by power. The avatar will use up all its power and disappear, sending the regressor¡¯s memories back to the past. Oh, there¡¯s a character in the perfect situation for this. I¡¯ll make him the regressor. # ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± C-rank hunter Lee Junhyun. With his detection skill, he barely managed to survive Park Yujin¡¯s attacks. But now, it was the end. Six months had passed since Park Yujin went berserk and became the Abyssal Demon. He had swept across the world at an incredible speed and returned to his homnd, Korea, to finish everything off. This was the end. Korea, which had a few surviving hunters during the early stages of his rampage, was now doomed with his return. Even the world¡¯s strongest hunters had gathered to face him, but none could withstand his terrifying power and fear. ¡®Is this really the end?¡¯ Lee Junhyun had managed to survive by evading with his exceptional detection abilities, but now he had reached his limit. All the hunters were dead, and countless civilians had been massacred. There were no hunters left. He might be thest one. If that were the case, the monster that had ughtered all the hunters woulde for him next. He was certain of it. ¡°¡­Damn, he¡¯s here.¡± His detection skill sensed an overwhelmingly ominous presence. In this world, there was only one being capable of emitting such an aura, both in the past and the future. ¡°The Abyssal Demon.¡± The Abyssal Demon, Park Yujin, had approached Lee Junhyun, staring down at him with those characteristic pitch-ck eyes. ¡°Huff, huff, huff!¡± The moment their eyes met, an indescribable fear began to consume Lee Junhyun¡¯s mind. It felt as though an invisible force was crawling all over his body, binding him tightly and rendering him immobile. His entire body froze. He couldn¡¯t make a sound. He couldn¡¯t even swallow. It felt like making the slightest noise would result in his immediate death. Even if that weren¡¯t the case, he was as good as dead already. Swoosh¡ª Just as Park Yujin reached out to kill him¡ª [My avatar.] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Suddenly, a voice echoed in Lee Junhyun¡¯s mind, and he felt the fear and headache dissipate. It was as if someone was protecting him, giving him a warm and soothing sensation. ¡®What is this¡­?¡¯ Just as he was bewildered by the sudden change, something even more startling happened. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± Park Yujin suddenly opened his mouth wide and let out an enormous scream. ¡°H-Huh?!¡± Startled, Lee Junhyun recoiled, watching as Park Yujin continued his bizarre behavior. ¡°Keeek! The Great One! The Great One ising! Wee Him! Wee Him! Wee Him!¡± For the first time since his rampage as the Abyssal Demon, Park Yujin¡¯s mouth opened, and the first words that came out were, ¡°The Great One ising. Wee Him.¡± Immediately after, Lee Junhyun felt his consciousness slipping away, as if being gently put to sleep by someone. ¡°The Great One!¡± In his fading consciousness, he could still hear Park Yujin¡¯s eerie screams. # Lee Junhyun slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­ Huh?! Where am I?¡± As soon as he regained his senses, he frantically looked around. But the Abyssal Demon Park Yujin, who had been in front of him moments ago, was nowhere to be seen. The ruined cityscape destroyed by Park Yujin was also gone. All he could see was an endless whitendscape. No, there was one thing. In the midst of the white expanse, something else stood out. It was¡­ ¡°My avatar.¡± ¡°You are¡­¡± A Western old man with a bushy beard and a friendly appearance stood before him. Instinctively, Lee Junhyun knew that this was his constetion, ¡®The Legendary Prophet Who Even Sensed the Future.¡¯ Despite the grandiose title, it was a bit disappointing that he had only granted Lee Junhyun a moderate detection ability. Still, this being had made him a C-rank hunter and enabled him to survive until the very end against the Abyssal Demon. ¡°How¡­?¡± How was he able to meet his constetion directly? Where was this ce? What was happening now? He had countless questions. But the constetion shook his head as if there was no time and said, ¡°You have perished. Just as I prophesied.¡± In a calm tone, he dered that the world had been destroyed by the Abyssal Demon, as if confirming his words. ¡°¡­You could have told me if you knew in advance.¡± ¡°Excessive interference is forbidden. I¡¯m sorry. But that¡¯s not the issue. Listen to my exnation.¡± The constetion began to exin to Lee Junhyun, who still couldn¡¯t fully grasp the situation. He revealed that he had foreseen the future of destruction and had prepared to change it by turning back time and sending someone back to alter this fate. He had sacrificed his own existence to make this possible. And Lee Junhyun was the chosen one. He also mentioned that he would infuse as much of his power as possible into Lee Junhyun during the regression. The sudden rush of information left Lee Junhyun greatly bewildered. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying¡­ I have to go back to the past and stop that monster?¡± ¡°Yes. But there are limits. I can¡¯t turn back time to before he awakened his powers. Even my strength has its limits.¡± He must track him down and stop him after he has already gained his powers. It will not be easy. The Abyssal Demon was an exceptionally talented individual even when he was just a regr hunter. ¡°But if you ept all of my power¡­ it might be possible.¡± ¡°Wait, hold on. I don¡¯t understand any of this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no time. You must go now.¡± Lee Junhyun was still confused, but the constetion, with a sense of urgency, extended his hand towards him. ¡°Wait, just a moment¡­!¡± Lee Junhyun waved his hands frantically, but his body had already begun to fade away. Momentster¡ª ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Lee Junhyun found himself waking up in his old officetel room from the past. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a dream. Everything that had happened¡ªthe rampage of the Abyssal Demon, his death, and meeting his constetion¡ªwas real. It was too vivid to be a dream. This meant he had truly returned to the past to prevent the Abyssal Demon¡¯s rampage. ¡°Damn it. Sending me back without any exnation¡­¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t have a clear n. He felt nothing but resentment towards the constetion who had sent him back without any further instructions. ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t fair. This is too much.¡± There was no response. Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be. The constetion had said he was sacrificing his existence to make this happen. This meant that the constetion¡¯s existence hadpletely vanished¡ªpast, present, and future. ¡°¡­Sigh. Fine, let¡¯s see what kind of power I¡¯ve been given.¡± Lee Junhyun decided that there was no point in ming anyone for what had already happened. The constetion had done this to save him and Earth, so he decided to understand and move on. The spilled milk couldn¡¯t be gathered back; what mattered now was understanding his abilities and devising a n to stop the Abyssal Demon. ¡°Status window.¡± In this timeline, Lee Junhyun had only recently gained his abilities, but he was well-versed in calling up the status window from his previous life. The familiar semi-transparent window appeared before his eyes. Chapter 55: Hierarchy Establishment Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 55 EP.55 Hierarchy Establishment [The Legendary Prophet Who Even Sensed the Future has exhausted all his power and has vanished.] [Although the constetion has disappeared, the power remains with you.] [Name: Lee Junhyun] [Age: 24] [Gender: Male] [Title: Avatar of Prophecy] [Strength: 16(+10)] [Agility: 17(+10)] [Stamina: 13(+10)][Mana: 11(+10)] ////////// [Passive: Blessing of the Constetion (LV.1)] [Ability stats and skill effects increase ording to the level of the blessing.] [10 points per level.] [Skill enhancement varies depending on the skill effect.] [The Blessing of the Constetion skill grows when monsters are defeated.] [Detection skill evolves into Future Prediction.] [Future Prediction (LV.1)] [Beyond sensing the present, you can see a bit into the future.] [Abyss Resistance (LV.1)] [Resistance to the fundamental fear instilled by the Abyssal Terror.] [The higher the level, the greater the chance of oveing stronger fears.] Despite the stats window showing that he had trained somewhat as a hunter, the numbers were still at a novice level. However, the additional 10 points attached to his stats elevated his novice-level attributes to at least the entry level of a D-rank hunter. Not only that, but he also had three skills. A growth skill simr to Park Yujin¡¯s, a skill that allowed him to see slightly into the future beyond ordinary detection, and a skill essential for facing Park Yujin, which provided resistance to the Abyssal Terror. The sacrifice of his constetion had indeed paid off. ¡°¡­Alright. Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s give it a shot.¡± Lee Junhyun decided that, having returned to the past and received new powers, he needed to find and stop Park Yujin as soon as possible. If he didn¡¯t, the only things awaiting him were the destruction of the world and his own death. He had been given a chance to change that dreadful future. Wasn¡¯t that a good thing? ¡®But it¡¯s difficult right now. Park Yujin revealed his power early on and quickly grew under the protection of a major guild.¡¯ It was too much for Lee Junhyun to handle on his own. Would it even make sense to stop Park Yujin before he went on his rampage? Even if he killed him, Lee Junhyun would just be a criminal who killed a promising hunter. ¡®It¡¯s better than the world ending and dying, but¡­ honestly, it¡¯s not very appealing.¡¯ Was there another way? A method to stop him without killing him before his rampage? Or perhaps¡­ ¡°Or be strong enough to kill him even after his rampage.¡± Both options seemed incredibly difficult. But he needed to decide quickly. Even at this moment, Park Yujin wasying the groundwork to be stronger, and once he hit his stride, he would reach A-rank within a year. ¡®I can¡¯t win right now anyway. I need to break through the protection of the major guild and grow strong enough to face him directly.¡¯ For now, worrying was pointless. He needed to be stronger. Even a little bit stronger, and he believed he could do anything. With this conclusion, Lee Junhyun came up with a clever n. ¡®I¡¯ll hinder his growth as much as possible while using my knowledge from the previous timeline to gather as many resources as I can.¡¯ For example, legendary weapons or elixirs that appear in gates. He would block Park Yujin¡¯s growth while elerating his own using his knowledge as a regressor. All the famous items had been documented in articles, so he roughly knew when and where they would be found. ¡®The only way I can grow faster and stronger than him is by doing this.¡¯ With this in mind, Lee Junhyun began to move quickly. Every second wasted felt like a loss. # [Ah, indeed. The charm of regression stories lies in using regression knowledge to gather resources.] Lee Junhyun, this guy knows what he¡¯s doing. As expected of a hunter who survived until the end, he¡¯s quick-witted and sharp. This is interesting. Instead of the will of the universe, I¡¯m creating the adversary myself. The Abyssal Demon who will destroy the world is my power, and although I didn¡¯t directly give it, the hero protagonist who regresses to oppose him is also my creation. It¡¯s like pitting animated characters against each other to see who¡¯s stronger. I¡¯m quite looking forward to seeing who will win. If he can¡¯t win, I could turn it into an infinite loop story where the protagonist bes more and more deste. After he wins, I could reveal that there was another mastermind all along and introduce the Abyssal Constetion I created. Would that be too bleak? Hmm,tely, my sense of guilt about these things has been fading. Am I truly bing an Outer God in my heart as well? But even such worries and fears don¡¯t seem to affect me anymore. I just thought, ¡°Well, it is what it is.¡± Isn¡¯t that the truly scary part? Am I, like Park Yujin, gradually being consumed by the abyss, losing my own personality? But I¡¯m perfectly fine. Rather than my personality copsing, it seems to be bing clearer and more distinct. The things I want to do, the things that pique my curiosity, the things that are fun¡ªthey¡¯re all bing more vivid. Is it because I have the power to realize them? Whatever the reason, one thing is certain, I am thoroughly enjoying my current situation and abilities. As long as it¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t that enough? After all, I created this universe, so it¡¯s essentially my possession. I can do whatever I want with it. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave the fight between the regressor and the demon forter. It seems to be growth time now. Watching the regressor quickly grow by finding and utilizing the knowledge he has is fun in its own way. But the problem is, I¡¯ve already seen what happens once. There¡¯s a certain enjoyment in knowing what¡¯sing, but a story where the protagonist knows every action from start to finish isn¡¯t very entertaining. So, what should I do today? Maybe I¡¯ll take a look at my beloved home, the SF universe! Yujin¡­ Ah, not Park Yujin, but Yujin from the SF universe, the Terra race. Anyway, Yujin is still busy solidifying the Union¡¯s internal affairs, which is a bit dull. But interesting things are happening on the Elf. The Elves have started to cross the seas andnds with steamships and steam vehicles, beginning to extend into different regions. Rather than expanding and unifying their territories, they acknowledge each other¡¯s independence and only ept those who wish to join their collective. The Elves began to develop concepts of ¡®nation,¡¯ ¡®territory,¡¯ and ¡®borders.¡¯ Following this, Rodri dered the establishment of a Holy Nation, having learned about the concept of a nation from Rios¡¯s knowledge. Simultaneously, Lasi dered a democratic nation. Consequently, various other nations began to form, influencing and growing alongside each other. ¡­But then, a discordant note emerged. [Muwan.] I couldn¡¯t help but grin as I called out that name. The Overlord who brought tension among the peaceful Elves. His presence made the growth of the Elves even more interesting. [BOOM!] [What, what is that?!] [It¡¯s an attack! Everyone, get up!!] The first strike began in the outskirts of Lasi¡¯s nation, the Republic of Lumsi. Located not far from the sea, this area became Muwan¡¯s first target, having crossed the ocean from the southern hemisphere. In thiswlessnd, devoid of warws or the Geneva Convention, sudden night raids without deration of war were entirely possible. Even if the target was not a military force but a civilian vige. [Thud-thud-thud©¤] [Swoosh©¤ BOOM!] [Aaaargh!] [Run, run away¡­!] Bombs flew and modern firearms were fired indiscriminately. These were terrifying weapons capable of killing people effortlessly. The Elves, with their superior physical abilities, didn¡¯t die as quickly as humans, but they were still massacred by the overwhelming firepower. [Hold them back! Hold them back!] [Break through everything. Thisnd is ours now!] Muwan¡¯s direct subordinatemander led the Elves in attacking the vigers. Of course, they didn¡¯t kill everyone indiscriminately. The initial attack was meant to break their spirit through a ruthless assault, but those who survived were generally captured. After all, while territory was important, so were the workers needed to cultivate that territory. However¡­ it was clear that the fight was one-sided. If it were the main forces of the Republic of Lumsi, it might be different, but an ordinary vige stood no chance against Muwan¡¯s overwhelming troops and firepower. If this continued, half of Lumsi would soon be devoured. Something needed to be done. [¡­¡­] The Elf god Rios was observing. It seemed he had decided not to intervene in a fight between fellow Elves. A wise choice. If the master intervenes in a fight between dogs and takes one side, things are bound to go awry. In such cases, unless both sides are gravely injured, it¡¯s best to let them sort out their hierarchy on their own. One of the surviving Elf soldiers was already running towards Lasi¡¯s vige, the capital of Lumsi. Once Lasi received the news, the main forces would be deployed immediately. Recognizing the threat, they might even request support from Rodri¡¯s Holy Nation. Let¡¯s see¡­ which side will seed in establishing their hierarchy? I¡¯m quite looking forward to it. Chapter 56: Blocking Variables Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 56 EP.56 Blocking Variables Codename ¡®Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg.¡¯ Also known as the God of gue, this Outer God is ssified as a mid-level Outer God. It has the grotesque and horrifying appearance of a creature that seems to be a fusion of a centipede and a scorpion, with a long centipede-like body, a sharp stinger on its tail, and massive pincers on its head. This monstrous entity, with its terrifying form, spans several hundred kilometers in size. It constantly emits a deadly poison that rots any living being in its vicinity. As an Outer God, its powers transcend the universe, causing eyes and noses to decay just by looking at it. Those who encounter its otherworldly poison suffer agonizing deaths. In addition, it can summon billions of absurdly gigantic poisonous insects, each spanning several kilometers, to swarm around it. Those who attempt to escape it often end up as food for these insects. Such is the cruel and horrifying nature of Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg. Currently, it resides in the deep, dark ¡®Void,¡¯ a ce where no stars or gxies are visible. In this universe, where direction and flow are indiscernible, the only guiding lights and gravitational forces are absent, making it the loneliest and most empty space. The Void spans a diameter of 3 billion light-years, and the stars¡¯ light is so distant that even if one tries to navigate by them, they end up lost and returning to the Void. In simple terms, it is a cosmic castaway. Initially, Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg tried to use its power to tear through the space and return. However, as a mid-level Outer God, it had already expended a significant amount of energy 30 years ago to rip through the space and enter this universe. It would likely take another 100 years to gather enough strength to open a rift and escape. [I want to kill. I want to kill life.]More than anything, it did not want to remain in this state. Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg, known as the God of gue, harbored an extreme hatred for living beings, taking immense pleasure in killing and causing them pain. The sight of creatures writhing in agony as their bodies burned from his poison fueled him with negative energy, which he used as his power source. Whether to return to the rift or simply for his own satisfaction, he desperately wanted to kill living beings. Driven by this singr desire, Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg wandered the Void for 30 years. Finally, he seeded in escaping the Void. [I will kill. Anything I see, I will kill.] Outside the Voidy the territory beyond what wasmonly referred to in this universe as the ¡®Gctic Union.¡¯ It was a space several timesrger than the 20 billion light-year diameter managed by the Gctic Union. This vast expanse was teeming with life forms¡ªcreatures that would fuel Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg¡¯s energy. [I see them. I feel them. Beings that will writhe in pain.] Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg smiled with joy and began to move to im his prey. But just then¡ª [It seems wise to reduce variables even in the original.] [¡­?] Suddenly, a voice from somewhere beyond reached him. Who? As he pondered this question, the space above him began to tear open massively. [?!] Caught off guard by the sudden event, Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg saw a gigantic, tentacle-like hand extend from the rift and grab him. The hand was absurdlyrge, capable of gripping his 500-kilometer-long body with ease. If the hand alone was that immense, the scale of the entity it belonged to was unfathomable. [Gulp?!] An overwhelming force. Irresistible. Despite being a mid-level Outer God, it was inconceivable that he would be unable to ovee such a simple physical phenomenon. Yet, he could not escape. It was as if a much greater power was suppressing his divine abilities. With a swift motion, Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg was dragged through the rift by that hand. Like pulling an object out of a pocket, he was sucked in without any chance to resist. [What is this! What in the world is this?!] He shouted in confusion, but no answer came back. The torn space closed silently. And just like that, the gigantic hand and Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg vanished from the universe as if they had never existed. # ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yujin, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Yujin was staring nkly outside the Gctic Union base when Jupiter, puzzled, inquired. Yujin then smiled wryly, as if it was nothing of concern, and replied. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just had a feeling that my original body was up to something.¡± ¡°What?! Isn¡¯t that a serious matter!¡± ¡°Should we gather the elders?¡± At Yujin¡¯s words, Lowie Hendrick and Jupiter were taken aback, but Yujin shook his head. ¡°No, it won¡¯t harm us. It¡¯s something my original body is doing.¡± Yujin knew the personality of his original body well, a personality simr to his own. Of course, he was unaware that his original body was gradually bing ustomed to the senses of an Outer God. Nevertheless, this time, as Yujin said, it was something that would greatly benefit the Union rather than harm it. To prevent significant variables from causing major deviations in the timeline between the replica universe and the original universe, the process of eliminating the biggest variable factors¡ªOuter Gods within the universe¡ªwas undertaken. Dalos had also gone outside and was merely observing the Metallian, and several other mid-to-low-level Outer Gods had been eradicated. A protective barrier had even been ced around the cosmic bubble to prevent Outer Gods from approaching recklessly. Thus, this universe was virtually free from threats due to external interference. From Yujin¡¯s perspective, who wanted to solidify the Union¡¯s internal stability, this was the best possible assistance. ¡°The Radline tribe has switched from the opposition to our side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Zone C is almost finished.¡± ¡°Yes, but there is still considerable opposition.¡± Since the regime change, the Gctic Union had been in a state of internal turmoil. The Lubaran race, which held the highest position, had stepped down, and the Meias tribe, backed by Yujin, had taken their ce. Many races expressed dissatisfaction with this. While the Lubaran elders deserved condemnation for their inhumane actions, there was confusion about why the Meias tribe should take the highest position. ¡°Ten positions should be distributed fairly among different races.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we took only five and released the remaining five for races with merit or influence.¡± ¡°Why does the Meias tribe get to hold ten positions like the Lubaran race? There¡¯s no guarantee they won¡¯t seize power and conduct inhumane experiments like the Lubaran elders!¡± For about three years, such disputes continued. However, thanks to the efforts of Yujin and his colleagues, the opposition had beenrgely subdued. Through persuasion, threats, deals, and proposals¡­ In the end, even extermination was employed. Although it was not much different from what the Lubaran race had done, the fundamental policy of the Gctic Union was that those with power seized greater authority, so there was little room forint. ¡®They couldn¡¯t say anything when the Lubaran race did it, so they know it would be hypocritical to nitpick now.¡¯ Yujin was well aware of this and skillfully utilized it. He publicized and condemned the atrocitiesmitted by the Lubaran elders, and wielded the implicit agreement of other races¡¯ silence regarding the Lubaran race¡¯s actions without hesitation. This allowed him to resolve many internal issues within three years. Now, the races of the Gctic Union did not fear the Meias tribe. They feared Yujin and his colleagues, who stood behind the Meias tribe and acted decisively. Those whoplied were promised prosperity beyond what they had before, but those who resisted were inevitably confronted. If persuasion, threats, or deals failed, they were utterly crushed. Who wouldn¡¯t fear them? ¡°Still, if you conform to the Union, you¡¯re promised a prosperous life.¡± ¡°Unlike the Lubaran race, they share a lot of technology.¡± ¡°Thanks to that, food and resource issues have been resolved.¡± While some harbored fear, most had positive opinions. Thus, Yujin naturally established himself as the de facto ruler of the Gctic Union. # [Don¡¯t evere back.] [I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.] [I will nevere near again.] Phew, thankfully, a bit of a beating made them listen. There were some Outer Gods pulled from the SF universe who were doing well but got angry about being dragged out. After dealing with a few as examples, they quickly learned their manners. Especially that centipede-scorpion creature with the codename Baoht Z¡¯uqqa-Mogg, who, despite being a mid-level Outer God, threw all sorts of tantrums. I cut its centipede segments into 32 pieces. Even then, it resisted fiercely, so I remembered torturing the insect-like Kapteri race before and applied extreme cold torture. Unlike the Kapteri race, this one was an Outer God, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about it perishing. I tortured it with the lowest possible temperature I could muster. It seemed to be in considerable pain, trembling and bing a well-behaved friend. [I will never speak out of turn again. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.] Yes, yes. How nice it is to see you so polite. Chapter 57: The Great Elf War Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 57 EP.57 The Great Elf War The Great Elf War. It was a name that perfectly encapsted the magnitude of the conflict. It was a colossal war involving the ruler of the southern hemisphere, Muwan, and the alliance of Lasi, the representative of Lumsi, and Rodri, the priest of the Holy Nation. The battle between these two forcessted for a staggering five years. Considering that their poption was rtively small, numbering in the millions despite their vast territories, and that the number of warriors capable of fighting was just under 100,000, the war¡¯s duration was remarkable. The reason was simple: the elves¡¯ bodies were incredibly strong and resilient. Additionally, they possessed the power of spirits bestowed by Rios, allowing them to quickly recover from most wounds and continue fighting. With both sides engaged in a war of attrition without actually depleting their forces, it was inevitable that the conflict would drag on. ¡°This won¡¯t end at this rate.¡± ¡°Moreover, we are on an expedition. Although we are rotating our troops through supply lines due to our numerical advantage, there are limits to this approach.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Muwan¡¯s side was in a state of emergency. The longer the war dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for them. Being on a distant expedition, they had to rely on supplies from their far-off main base. Initially, they managed through looting and hunting, but as the war extended, even that became difficult.Fortunately, theirrger number ofbatants allowed them to rotate troops through supply lines, but the fundamental issue was that resupply took a very long time due to the distance. The further they were from their base, the longer it took for supplies to reach them. Additionally, if their supply lines were ever cut off, it would be catastrophic. Naturally, the supply units were heavily guarded, but that also consumed manpower. They couldn¡¯t continue like this indefinitely. ¡°If this goes on, we¡¯ll eventually be worn out.¡± ¡°We need to break through, no matter what.¡± Under the pressure from his officers, Muwan clicked his tongue. He knew it too. If they stayed like this, they would lose. Butunching a full-scale frontal assault was also risky. While they had the numerical advantage, it wasmon knowledge that the besieging side needed more troops. Considering this, their advantage wasn¡¯t overwhelming. Their armament wasn¡¯t significantly different either. Unlike at the beginning, the enemy had made substantial advancements in weaponry over the five years of conflict. Moreover, the Holy Nation¡¯s Sacred Army, with their superior ability to wield the power of light spirits, made their armament even more formidable. ¡®If only it were like when we first arrived¡­¡¯ When the war first broke out, Muwan¡¯s forces had a clear advantage. That was until Rodri¡¯s Holy Nation intervened, using the power of light spirits to repel them. Even then, they still had the upper hand. But the sudden appearance of the Holy Nation¡¯s reinforcements caused them to act cautiously, dragging the conflict out to this point. ¡®Damn it¡­ If only we had ignored them and pushed through when we first arrived.¡¯ Had they done so, they would have suffered significant losses, but they would have likely secured victory. Their unnecessary caution had brought about this prolonged struggle. ¡°¡­Alright, we advance. All troops, advance and sweep them away. Before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°We obey yourmand, my lord.¡± In the end, Muwan ordered the charge. Muwan decided to take a gamble before it was toote. More precisely, he thought¡­ ¡®We¡¯ve lost this time anyway. So, I¡¯ll inflict as much damage as possible to dy their recovery, then return to prepare for the next battle.¡¯ He nned to use the soldiers participating in this war as pawns, sacrificing them while he retreated to his homnd to prepare for the next conflict. If they won, that would be great; if not, inflicting significant damage on the enemy would force them to spend time and resources on recovery. ¡®Soldiers can be replenished. Weapons can be remade.¡¯ To Muwan, soldiers were mere expendables, like bullets in his gun. Once they served their purpose, they were discarded. Even in discarding them, he aimed to maximize their utility. Thus, the next night, Muwan¡¯s armyunched their assault. # ¡°Uwaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill them all!¡± Bang! Bang! Shuuuu¡ªBoom! Predictably, Muwan¡¯s army began to falter. Despite their numbers, their armament was now on par with the enemy, and the Holy Nation¡¯s Sacred Army was present on the opposing side. The power to wield light spirits was a significant advantage for the enemy. ¡°There is no retreat! Just break through! If we break through, we can win!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaaa!¡± Despite this, they did not stop their charge. They appeared fearless in the face of death. And that was urate. Muwan¡¯s soldiers charged relentlessly, as if they had no fear of death. They were driven by the belief that breaking through was their only path to victory, even if it meant sacrificing themselves. At that moment, they did not fear death. Euphoria, numbness to fear, and excitement coursed through them. This was due to the extract of the ¡®Aslo Fruit,¡¯ known for its potent effects, which Muwan had secretly mixed into their meals to ensure they wouldn¡¯t retreat even if the battle turned unfavorable. ¡°Heh heh, yes. Fight like that. Die gloriously as my stepping stones.¡± Watching this, Muwan began to slowly retreat, aiming to escape the battlefield. ¡°Hahaha! We will be victorious!¡± ¡°Charge! Charge! Chaaaaarge!¡± The soldiers and officers, intoxicated by the Aslo Fruit extract, did not notice Muwan and a few high-ranking officers slipping away. They enthusiastically charged towards their deaths. ¡°What, what are these crazy bastards!¡± ¡°This is¡­ could it be¡­!¡± However, Lasi, understanding the current situation, quickly realized that the soldiers were in a frenzied state due to the Aslo Fruit extract. ¡°Priest Rodri! Use the power of the light spirits to dispel their drug-induced state!¡± ¡°Hmm? Drug-induced state? Understood.¡± Although Rodri didn¡¯t fully grasp Lasi¡¯s instructions, he trusted her judgment, which had never been wrong. Rodri summoned the highest-ranking light spirit and spread a vast power of light across the battlefield. ¡°Purify everything. Oh, spirit of light!¡± Fwaaaah©¤! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Wha-what?¡± The purifying light dispelled the effects of the Aslo Fruit extract from Muwan¡¯s army. With the effects gone, they could now calmly assess their surroundings. They realized they had been recklessly charging towards certain death. And then, another realization struck. ¡°He¡¯s gone. Lord Muwan is gone.¡± ¡°What¡­ he made us charge and then ran away?¡± ¡°He even drugged us so we couldn¡¯t tell what was happening.¡± The soldiers, realizing what Muwan had done to them and that he had fled, were left in a state of shock. Amander who drugged his troops and sent them to their deaths while he escaped¡ªsuch a despicable elf being hailed as a conqueror now seemed utterly foolish. ¡°We surrender.¡± ¡°¡­We surrender. Please spare our lives.¡± Naturally, they all surrendered, and thus, the Great Elf War, which hadsted for five years, came to an unexpectedly anticlimactic end. # ¡°The soldiers are doing well, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The effects of the Aslo Fruitst quite a while.¡± Muwan, grinning as he led his soldiers to their doom, was a pitiful sight. Yet, he rationalized it as a necessary step to achieve his ambitions. ¡®Yes, this was unavoidable. The soldiers would be happy to die as stepping stones for a conqueror like me.¡¯ With such thoughts, Muwan continued his march. Just a bit further, and he would reach the dock where the supply unit¡¯s ship awaited. But then¡­ [You despicable scum.] ¡°¡­?! What, what is this?¡± Suddenly, a voice directly echoed in the minds of Muwan and his high-ranking officers. This sensation was familiar. ¡®Rios, the god¡­?¡¯ The voice of Rios, the god of elves and light spirits, was unmistakable. It was the same voice that had granted them knowledge and power. ¡®Has hee to aid me?¡¯ Initially, Muwan thought so. In his arrogance, he believed that the god hade to save him from this humiliating defeat and retreat. But, of course, that was not the case. [I tolerated the war among kin. But this¡­ this crosses the line. How dare you abandon your loyal followers and flee alone? The war you started, the soldiers who risked their lives for you?!] ¡°Argh?!¡± At Rios¡¯s rebuke, Muwan and his high-ranking officers felt an excruciating headache, causing them to copse on the spot. The pain was as if their heads were about to split open. Muwan, in disbelief, questioned Rios. ¡°Why¡­ why are you doing this? Am I not your servant? I¡¯m only acting to fulfill my ambitions. What¡¯s wrong with that¡­! Is it because they have a priest? Are gods supposed to y favorites?¡± Crackle! Despite oveing the headache and growling in defiance, all he received was even greater pain. ¡°Aaaaargh¡­!¡± [You have crossed the line. Your existence is no longer necessary. You are a detriment to the future of the elves.] ¡°¡­What?¡± Muwan tried to ask what he meant, but he couldn¡¯t. Because right after hearing that voice¡­ Pop! His head exploded, and he died instantly. Muwan, the conqueror who ruled the southern hemisphere of the elf and harbored ambitions to dominate the entire world, met a lonely and unremarkable death in a quiet forest, known to no one. Chapter 58: End and Beginning Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 58 EP.58 End and Beginning Wow, Rios was really furious. He didn¡¯t seem to care much during the war, but abandoning his loyal followers without any remorse clearly enraged him. Well, it¡¯s understandable. While infighting and battles might be tolerated as a means of establishing hierarchy, from the perspective of Rios, who was once amander of the Kapteri race known for their strong sense of unity, Muwan¡¯s actions were utterly inhumane. Rios must have thought Muwan had crossed a severe line, leading to his immediate execution. It¡¯s a good thing, really. While war can spur rapid technological advancement, it also consumes manpower and resources, drastically lowering the quality of life. If it drags on too long, it benefits no one. So, Muwan met a miserable end as a traitor. Most of his forces were absorbed by Lumsi and the Holy Nation. The two factions were so closely knit that they were practically a singlemunity, making it fair to say that the elves were now unified. Thebination of Lumsi Republic¡¯s advanced technology and democratic tendencies with the Holy Nation¡¯s devout religious practices created a formidable alliance. Although a few factions remained, none were asrge or powerful as this unified entity. Eventually, they would either be absorbed or willingly seek protection under this powerful alliance. Despite knowing their moderate stance, the overwhelming technology and military power were still a source of fear. Now is the time. From this point of unity, the true progress of the elves would begin. From the modern era to the SF era. The day when the elves would venture into space was drawing near. It had been about 20 years since the birth of the elves, and five cycles had passed ording to the elven¡¯s calendar. The children born in the early days had now grown into adults, bing a significant workforce. Simultaneously, they were now capable of having children,ying the foundation for a poption explosion. With territories, food, and resources capable of supporting a poption in the hundreds of millions, the elves actively encouraged childbirth. Those who had children received ample food support andrge houses to live in with their families.Interestingly, despite such advancements, there was still no concept of ¡®currency.¡¯ Transactions did ur, but they were mostly barter-based. Workers werepensated with food and necessary resources instead of money. Thanks to the elves¡¯ strong sense of unity, this system worked without major issues, but theck of currency was somewhat inconvenient. Lasi seemed to recognize this and was discussing potential reforms. Currency reform, poption explosion, the end of war, and the unification of the elves¡ªall these changes began to unfold simultaneously after the war with Muwan. It was truly a golden age. And then, there was one more significant event. Pssshhh¡ª {Multiple lifeforms detected.} {They are different from us. They are made of soft materials.} {The scent and sound of machinery are also present.} {Could it be that these soft lifeforms coexist with machines?} Visitors had arrived from space. They were the Metallians, creations of Dalos, beings made of machinery. They were the inhabitants of a neighboring. With the arrival of the Metallians, it seemed like the future was set. In my estimation, within the next 30 years, the elves would develop modern vehicles like cars, tanks, and fighter jets. Within 50 years, they would venture into space. They would make contact with the Gctic Union, join it, and in about 100 years, the elves might even rise to the highest ranks within the Union. That¡¯s roughly my prediction. # While observing the elves¡¯ progress, various events were unfolding in other parts of the universe. All were interesting in their own right, but one stood out in particr. It was the ¡®Constetion Hunter¡¯ universe I had previously meddled with. This unique universe connected three dimensions: a fantasy world, a divine realm, and Earth. I had once granted power to a human there as a constetion, causing quite the upheaval. Initially, I considered resetting or deleting the failed experiment, but instead, I decided to introduce a regression twist. This caused the flow of time to be somewhat tangled, with time passing 100 times faster there than in other ces. Adjusting it back would be simple¡ªjust a click¡ªbut since the universe was self-correcting to align its flow, I didn¡¯t feel the need to intervene. So, I left it as it was for about 5 years, during which 500 years passed in that world. The amusing part was that despite the passage of time, the ¡®Constetion Hunter¡¯ universe remainedrgely unchanged from when I first interfered. The timeline, characters, and events all remained unchanged. Why did this happen? [¡­How many times has it been now? Around 400¡­?] Unbelievable. Lee Junhyun wasn¡¯t just experiencing a regression; he was caught in an endless loop due to the tangled flow of time. The world was supposed to end on the date and time when he was first killed by Park Yujin. At that moment, the world would end, and he would die. However, something had gone terribly wrong. Instead of disappearing, Lee Junhyun was continuously sent back to the time and ce of his initial regression. Not only did he return to the same point after being killed by Park Yujin, but even suicide would result in the same regression. The entire universe had aligned itself with the existence of the regressor, Lee Junhyun. If he ceased to exist, the universe would also end, so the universe¡¯s will kept returning him to his original state. Due to my interference, the universe was already set to end at the date and time of Lee Junhyun¡¯s first death. This contradiction created an infinite loop for Lee Junhyun. This is quite fascinating. The universe¡¯s very existence is tied to a single human, and its will is to maintain that human¡¯s existence at all costs. Creating adversaries and ensuring its own survival¡ªthis is worth a closer look. Let¡¯s watch it closer. # A total of 397 times. 489 years, 73 days, 15 hours, and 33 minutes. That¡¯s how many times Lee Junhyun had regressed and the duration he had been trapped in the loop since his first regression. ¡°¡­Here again.¡± He always found himself back at the starting point, his officetel. The clock, as always, showed 10:00 AM on July 17, 2024. It was the start of the 398th loop. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lee Junhyun stared at his phone¡¯s clock, lost in thoughts of the distant past. It all began with his murder at the hands of Park Yujin. Despite his efforts to grow and prepare, he was no match for the rampaging abyssal demon, Park Yujin. Lee Junhyun was killed by him for the first time. ¡®Damn it¡­ I couldn¡¯t save them after all. I prepared so hard. But I have no regrets. I did everything I could. Now, I can just rest¡­¡¯ As he thought this, he suddenly found himself back in his officetel. [July 17, 2024, 10:00 AM] ¡°I-I¡¯m back?¡± During his second regression, he concluded that he had to kill Park Yujin and save the world to end the loop. Determined, he sought out Park Yujin before his rampage and killed him, even if it meant bing a criminal. But then¡­ ¡°What? Why¡­?¡± From Park Yujin¡¯s corpse, the power of the abyss erupted, creating an indescribably monstrous form. An abyssal creature. This being was even more destructive than the awakened abyssal demon, Park Yujin, and it shattered the world even more catastrophically. Naturally, Lee Junhyun, who confronted it before he had grown stronger, was brutally torn apart by the abyssal monster. In his third regression, he reflected on his previous failures and prepared even more meticulously. He trained rigorously to not only defeat the abyssal demon but also to vanquish the true boss that emerged from his death. But he lost. He lost and regressed, died and regressed, was torn apart and regressed. Throughout this cycle, he felt his emotions and senses dulling. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t taste anything while eating.¡¯ Perhaps it was the result of experiencing countless horrific deaths. He was gradually falling apart. However, to end all of this, he had to eliminate the abyssal demon, and the monster that was the abyss itself within it. Fixated on this singr goal, Lee Junhyun continued to push forward. ¡°Huff, huff¡­.¡± After roughly 30 regressions, Lee Junhyun finally managed to defeat the abyssal demon Park Yujin and the abyssal monster that emerged from her. ¡°I did it. Finally.¡± His emotions had dulled to the point where he felt no great joy. Yet, the relief of finally being liberated was palpable, seeping into his very bones. ¡°It¡¯s finally over. Finally. Finally, it¡¯s over¡­.¡± [July 31, 2026, 6:28 PM] Drip¡ª It was over. Everything was. And then¡­. [July 17, 2024, 10:00 AM] ¡°¡­What?¡± It began. Everything. Chapter 59: Next Plan Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 59 EP.59 Next n Despite having defeated the Abyssal Monster, Lee Junhyun found himself back at the same time and ce. This realization threw him into great confusion. ¡®Why? Did I miss something? Did it not actually die? Was there a third form?¡¯ No, there was nothing like that. So why? Was there some condition he needed to fulfill? He hadn¡¯t given up hope yet. He believed there had to be a way to break free from this horrific loop. ¡­At least, until the 150th cycle. ¡°¡­Ha, hahaha. Ahahahahaha!¡± The 151st officetel.The 151st July 17, 2024, 10:00 AM. His mental state waspletely shattered. He realized that no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t escape this loop. Whether he killed the Abyssal Monster, let it destroy the world, or killed it the moment he woke up, the world would eternally repeat. He understood now. This world had no intention of letting him go. It was as if the moment this loop ended and he was freed would be the end of this world. ¡°Damn it. Just end. End already.¡± He felt resentment. He resented the Abyssal Demon Park Yujin, the constetion that had regressed him, and the world that held him captive. No, none of that mattered anymore. All he cared about was ending this disgusting loop. Drowning, suffocation, explosion, exsanguination, falling, radiation poisoning¡­ He had tried dying in every conceivable way, hoping he wouldn¡¯te back. But as always, after dying, he would wake up in the same ce, at the same time. The 397th loop. July 17, 2024, 10:00 AM. Waking up, Lee Junhyun desperately prayed again and again. Please, please end this world. End me. He had been trapped in the loop for nearly 500 years. His mind was worn out, his senses long gone. He didn¡¯t even know what kept him moving anymore. He just prayed inwardly, begging for this horrific life to end. And then. [Do you wish to disappear?] From somewhere, a voice responded to his plea. The moment he heard it, he felt a sensation he thought he had lost long ago¡ªpain. A sharp headache. The feeling of pain, something he hadn¡¯t felt in ages, was both agonizing and oddlyforting. ¡°Who¡­?¡± He asked who was speaking to him. Was it a constetion? But his constetion had disappeared. Then, was it another constetion? He wasn¡¯t sure. It felt different. Lee Junhyun, feeling a throbbing headache, waited for the answer. Soon, it responded gently. [I am the one who will bring you an end.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, he felt his heartbeat. It must have been beating all along, but he hadn¡¯t felt it. Now, he felt it, filled with excitement and anticipation. The words of an unknown entity: the one who would bring him an end. But why? Why did he feel such deep trust in this being¡¯s words? It felt like this entity could effortlessly make this world disappear. It exuded an omnipotence that made him think it might be a true god, not just a constetion. ¡®Have youe to pity me and offer salvation?¡¯ No, what did that matter now? All he wanted was to die, to end everything. ¡°Please, end it all. Erase me. Grant meplete death.¡± He desperately wished for it. He pleaded for an end to himself and this world. And then, it came. [I have heard your wish. Since it¡¯s thest, may you have a pleasant dream.] With those words, Lee Junhyun gently fell asleep. Since the loop began, he had hardly ever slept properly, but this time, he fell into a deep, peaceful slumber. And then. [July 31, 2026, 6:28 PM] . . . [July 31, 2026, 6:29 PM] [July 31, 2026, 6:30 PM] ¡®Ah¡­ it¡¯s over. The loop is over.¡¯ In his dream, the nearly 500-year-long loop had ended. He dreamed of lying peacefully in a world that had be tranquil. In that dream, he was hailed as a hero who saved the world, living a rich and splendid life without envy. At the end of a happy life, he quietly passed away at the age of 93, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Tears streamed down his face as he smiled gently, experiencing all his life¡¯s goals, even if only in a dream. As he slept happily, dreaming of such a life. With a soft rustle¡ª The universe met its end. # [Hmm, a universe choosing a loop to maintain its existence¡­ I¡¯ve gathered good data. Indeed, this is data that couldn¡¯t be obtained without creating and experimenting with various worldviews.] By the way, that dream at the end¡­ Maybe I should have let him achieve it in reality and then erased him after 70 years. It was quite pitiful. No, that wouldn¡¯t have worked. He could only be that happy in a dream. In reality, he would have likely just wished for death, loop or no loop. His senses had dulled, and his emotions and mind were almost entirely eroded. He would be satisfied knowing he was happy, even if only in a dream. Besides, there was no need to keep the constetion-based world around any longer. I had gathered all the data I needed. Wow, saying it like this makes me sound like a psychopathic scientist from a movie. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to this world as long as I get my data!¡± You see that in movies sometimes. Oh, speaking of which, I had created a zombie apocalypse world with a simr vibe. It¡¯s been seven years since I made it, and it seemed to be reaching its climax. You know, the part where they discover the scientist who created the zombie virus and the vine subplotes into y. It might be fun to binge-watch thatter. But what¡¯s important now is this, my original universe. Well, it¡¯s a replica, but still. It¡¯s been 15 years since Yujin took control of the Gctic Union. Finally, the Union waspletely stabilized, and they were preparing for the next phase. [We n to expand the management area of the Gctic Union.] [Expand the management area?] The next step Yujin envisioned was¡­ the conquest of the entire universe. ¡°The current diameter of the Gctic Union¡¯s controlled territory is about 20 billion light-years. That¡¯s only about one-fifth of the observable universe.¡± The elders of the Meias tribe nodded in agreement. Indeed, while the Gctic Union boasted thergest scale within the observable universe, it only managed a fraction of it, controlling just one-fifth of the diameter. However, Yujin had ns to expand this territory further, envisioning a future where the Gctic Union¡ªor rather, he himself¡ªwould govern the entire universe. ¡°But Yujin, there are still many areas within our current territory that we haven¡¯t managed to control.¡± Jupiter raised his hand in objection. He argued that it was premature to expand the territory when there were still many uncharted regions within their existing domain. ¡°I understand. That¡¯s why we will start by organizing our current territory as a preparatory step.¡± Yujin responded nonchntly, causing the Meias elders to waver. It sounded too far-fetched. If it were that easy, they would have done it long ago. The fact that they hadn¡¯t expanded further or fully controlled their existing territory indicated the difficulty of the task. ¡°In fact, we have enough manpower and technology. It was only impossible because the Lubaran race monopolized it.¡± Yujin said with a sly smile, causing the Meias elders to be greatly astonished. ¡®Is that so? We do have enough manpower for exploration. The number of intelligent life forms in the Gctic Union is immense.¡¯ ¡®It was just ack of technology. Thetest scientific advancements were almost entirely monopolized by the Lubaran race.¡¯ ¡®But now, with Yujin having released that technology, the conditions are essentially met!¡¯ From the beginning, Yujin had aimed for this. He hadn¡¯t released the technology merely to attract races into the Gctic Union. He had a grander vision, considering both the reinforcement and expansion of their territory. ¡®What a terrifying man.¡¯ ¡®To think he nned this far ahead.¡¯ The elders of the Meias tribe were in awe of Yujin¡¯s broad vision. Initially, they had many concerns about a Terra race member bing their de facto leader, despite his prowess in magic. But witnessing his expansive vision and exceptional handling of affairs, they shuddered to think what might have happened if they hadn¡¯t entrusted him with leadership. ¡°Then let¡¯s make this the agenda for this council meeting. I look forward to your cooperation, elders.¡± Everyone knew he was the true ruler, yet he never stepped forward, maintaining a meticulous approach to avoid giving anyone leverage against him. ¡°Let¡¯s adjourn.¡± With that, the meeting ended, and Yujin left the conference room. Jupiter followed after organizing the meeting materials. The remaining elders finally rxed, letting out deep sighs of relief. ¡°Phew¡­ I get tense every time we have a meeting.¡± ¡°Indeed. He doesn¡¯t do anything special, yet there¡¯s this overwhelming pressure.¡± Their conversation naturally revolved around Yujin. A member of the Terra race, yet the ruler of the Gctic Union. He had stabilized the chaotic Union within 15 years and was now building towards even greater goals. Honestly, he was worthy of respect. But then, a thought struck them. ¡¯15 years¡­ That¡¯s a long time for a Terra race member. Even with physical enhancements, he should have aged somewhat.¡¯ ¡®¡­Why hasn¡¯t he aged at all?¡¯ Yujin¡¯s unchanged face over 15 years seemed odd to the elders. ¡®Is he just incredibly youthful?¡¯ ¡®Maybe he has excellent skincare. Should I ask for his dermatologist¡¯s contact?¡¯ Of course, none of them deeply suspected anything beyond that. Chapter 60: Encounter Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 60 EP.60 Encounter After Yujin solidified his position within the Gctic Union, his next goal was to expand the Union¡¯s territory. To do this, he aimed to first explore and develop the uncharted regions within the current domain. But wait, this could pose a risk of the elves being discovered. Although the elves were rapidly advancing through their alliance with the Metallians, this might lead to an early discovery. Even with a diameter of 20 billion light-years, if the Gctic Union invested in scientific advancementsparable to the Lubaran race, internal exploration could be swift. At thetest, it would take 20 years. Twenty years. Would the elves be able to grow enough to ept the Gctic Union within that time frame? Yujin, you troublesome variable creator. [Hmm¡­] Wait a minute. This might actually be a good thing. With Yujin at the helm, the intelligent life forms within the Gctic Union would receive significant benefits. They would share advanced technology and provide support for any deficiencies. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be faster for the elves to grow by joining the Gctic Union and receiving shared technology rather than developing on their own? As intelligent beings, they wouldn¡¯t be attacked or captured under the guise of protection upon first contact.The issue here is whether Yujin would preemptively eliminate the elves upon recognizing their potential. With intelligence on par with the Lubaran race, exceptional physical abilities, and light spirit magic akin to the Meias race, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the elves to rise to a position simr to the former Lubaran race within the Union. Given Yujin¡¯s desire for power, he might decide to eliminate them preemptively. [Yujin might consider persuading them to be manageable from above¡­ but the simplest method is to wipe them out before they can develop.] So, the answer is clear. [Make them so attractive or threatening that wiping them out isn¡¯t an option.] If the elves have an irresistible allure that Yujin can¡¯t ignore, or if eliminating them would result in significant losses, making an alliance would be the more beneficial choice. The existence of Rios, a real god, could be one such allure. As my avatar, Yujin would naturally be intrigued. He might also see it as a threat, but that¡¯s even better. It means we can leverage both allure and threat. Therefore, if we elevate the elves¡¯ scientific and technological prowess to a sufficiently threatening level, it would be perfect. If the Gctic Union anticipates considerable casualties in a conflict, they would have no reason to fight. There¡¯s a risk that the Meias race could suffer critical damage, or in the worst case, Yujin himself could be incapacitated. This would provide an opportunity for other Union races, always eyeing the next regime, to make their move. [Ugh. This is annoying. Should I just hide them so they can¡¯t be found?] Honestly, whether it¡¯s strategy, allure, or threat, I could end it all with a single disy of my power. Being an omnipotent god has its perks. However, the downside is that it makes everything go exactly as I predict, which isn¡¯t very fun. Unexpected variables, unintended events, and risky gambles¡ªthese are what make games and life interesting. If everything went ording to n, where¡¯s the fun in that? So, let¡¯s see what happens when Yujin and the elves meet for the first time. Let¡¯s see what kind of oue this encounter will bring. # Five years had passed since the war with Muwan. The third generation of elves had grown up, bing adults capable of working and having children. The poption of the Lumsi and Holy Nation alliance had surpassed the initial 30 million elves. Their territory now spanned an entire continent. With the cooperation of the Metallians, they had ventured beyond the seas using modern motorized ships. Roads were paved, cars sped along them, electric trains ran on tracks, and flying machines soared in the skies. All of this progress had been achieved in just five years. Despite steamships and steam lotives still being in active use, they had leaped several generations to build a modern civilization. Due to the rtively small poptionpared to their vast territory, transportation technology had advanced rapidly. ¡°Impressive. At this rate, we can rely on Metallian technology for medical treatments and body transfers,¡± said Lasi, the leader of the elves. ¡°Indeed, the elves¡¯ technological prowess is remarkable,¡± replied Sprine, the leader of the Metallians. Sprine was a massive 5-meter-tall robot that could transform into a fighter jet, possessing immensebat capabilities. He could single-handedly take on dozens of Metallians if he wished. However, for now, he was focused on advancing civilization in coboration with the elves. ¡°It would be wonderful if we could advance to the point of space travel soon,¡± Sprine remarked. ¡°We¡¯ve made significant progress with rockets. Now that we¡¯ve solidified our foundation, it¡¯s time to prepare for external exploration,¡± Lasi said with a smile, leading Sprine to the researchb. Theb was filled with advanced devices andputers based on Metallian technology. The enormousputers were modeled after Metallian brains and neuralworks, boasting incredibleputational power. These supeputers were used to design intricate rocketponents and perform various calctions. Once the rockets were built, they would also calcteunch trajectories and orbits. ¡°A few years ago, this would have been unimaginable. It¡¯s truly fascinating.¡± ¡°When I arrived, you had already developed steam engines, so I can¡¯t quite grasp the extent of your progress.¡± ¡°Until recently, we were using wooden and stone spears and bows.¡± Sprine chuckled in disbelief at Lasi¡¯s words. It was hard to fathom that a genius race, which had advanced so rapidly with just a bit of shared knowledge, had been fighting with stone and wood until recently. Considering that the elves had only recentlye into existence and their showed little signs of development or destion, it seemed usible. ¡®Even with our help and the assistance of Rios, this is unbelievable.¡¯ Of course, the Metallians led by Sprine were also a rtively new race, having been born eventer than the elves. However, Dalos had meticulously crafted their history, leading them to believe they had existed for centuries. Regardless, Sprine thought the elves were truly remarkable. ¡®It¡¯s as if a god created them with the intention of dominating the universe.¡¯ However, this god was not the ¡®Rios¡¯ that the elves worshipped. It was something higher, a truly omnipotent being capable of creating life and controlling most aspects of the universe. Much like the great being that the Metallians believed had created them centuries ago. ¡°¡­?¡± At that moment, Sprine sensed something unusual and looked up. ¡®The sky? No¡­ space.¡¯ There was something above the. Higher than the sky, someone was observing from space. ¡°It seems something has arrived in space. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± ¡°What? Space? But Rios is there¡­¡± ¡°Something is scanning the. It doesn¡¯t feel entirely friendly.¡± With that, Sprine transformed into his fighter jet form and shot up into the sky. He pierced through the atmosphere and entered the ck void of space. What he found was¡­ ¡°¡­a spaceship.¡± This was no ordinary spaceship. It was an impossibly colossal galleon, with a length that seemed to stretch at least 500 kilometers. Its origins were a mystery. Then, a revtion. ¡®Rios¡­!¡¯ A gigantic elf-like figure with six arms, resembling a satellite floating in space, began to approach the massive galleon. This was the elf god Rios, inspecting the elf from space. The two titanic entities faced each other in the silence of the cosmos. # ¡°This is quite the predicament.¡± The giant galleon was, of course, a vessel from the Gctic Union. To be precise, it was the main fleet prepared to investigate this region, following an initial exploration by a scout ship. More urately, it was the main fleet poised for potentialbat operations. The presence of an intelligent life form with a significant level of civilization had already been detected, and the main fleet had arrived for a more thorough scan. It was confirmed: this was inhabited by a race on the cusp of spacefaring modernity. It was astonishing that this ce had remained undiscovered until now, but considering the recent supernova explosion nearby, which emitted tremendous radiation and debris, it made sense that it had been overlooked. ¡®How could life survive here?¡¯ As they pondered this question, something massive approached them. A titanic creature ofparable size to the Gctic Union¡¯s 600-kilometer-long galleon, but this being resembled the detected life forms and, curiously, had six arms. This entity had enveloped the with a powerful maic field, shielding it from the violent radiation storms and material onught. ¡®An outer god?¡¯ The immense power and colossal size were indicative of a lower-tier outer god. But an outer god protecting a? Moreover, it bore a striking resemnce to the inhabitants, almost as if it were an idol. ¡®¡­Pointed ears, baster skin, beautiful appearance.¡¯ There were many peculiarities. Yujin recognized the familiar appearance of the intelligent life forms inhabiting this ce, something only he and his creator would know. Based on these inexplicable oddities, he quickly reached a conclusion. ¡®This is the work of the Creator.¡¯ All of this, he realized, was orchestrated by the being who had created his. Chapter 61: Elves and the Union Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 61 EP.61 Elves and the Union Despite its incredibly beautiful appearance, its size matched that of the colossal galleon they were aboard. The six arms it possessed added an eerie quality, instilling an inexplicable mix of fear and awe in those who beheld it. This was different from the overwhelming danger felt when facing a giant monster. It was also distinct from the immense pain and indescribable terror experienced when encountering an outer god. While elements of those feelings were present, the primary emotion was awe rather than fear, coupled with a merciful presence that did not inflict pain on the observer. It was an entity truly befitting the title of ¡®god.¡¯ [Return. Otherwise, I will attack.] The god¡¯s warning was directly transmitted into the minds of all the Union members aboard the galleon. Despite being a state-of-the-art, heavily armed vessel, the warning had a profound effect. ¡°Isn¡¯t this dangerous?¡± ¡°An outer god¡­ or at least something equivalent.¡± ¡°We should retreat for now¡­.¡± The Union members on the galleon were terrified at the prospect of confronting the entity. However, their leader, Yujin, had no intention of retreating. Knowing that the entity was a creation of the same being who had created him, he felt no fear. In fact, Yujin was immune to the mental corruption of outer gods, so even if he had faced a true outer god, he would not have been afraid.Using an electronic loudspeaker that transmitted sound via electromaic waves, Yujin addressed the entity. ¡°I request a dialogue. We have note to attack the inhabitants of this. We seek to include them as members of the Union through peaceful discussion¡­.¡± [Otherwise, you intend to attack.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yujin had hoped to resolve the situation peacefully, but the god¡¯s pointed remark left him speechless. After all, that had been the original n. The divine entity seemed to have an intimate understanding of the Union, openly disying hostility. However, knowing that this and its inhabitants were creations of him own creator, Yujin had no intention of bing their enemy. A misstep could provoke the creator to erase him and everything else in a fit of rage. The god-like entity before him was not what he feared. Yujin feared the creator, who could erase him with a mere thought. ¡®That must be the same for this entity.¡¯ Yujin believed that revealing their shared creator and expressing a desire for cooperation rather than conflict would turn the god-like entity friendly. ¡°¡­I will withdraw the galleon and speak with you alone. This way, there will be no concern of an attack.¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­! Yujin?!¡± ¡°Yujin, what are you saying?!¡± The Union members were shocked by Yujin¡¯s bold statement. Yujin, despite being on the front lines, was the de facto ruler of the Union, having unified all the elders of the Meias race. Everyone in the Union knew this. The idea of him risking his life to speak with the god-like entity alone was astonishing. ¡°Do not worry. That entity cannot kill me.¡± Yujin reassured the Union members. ¡°That being seems to understand the Union quite well. It knows that if it attacks us, reinforcements numbering in the tens of thousands will arrive to obliterate the. That¡¯s why, despite its hostility, it hasn¡¯t attacked us first.¡± Yujin believed that as a creation of the same creator, there was no risk of being attacked. However, he couldn¡¯t share this reasoning with the Union members. Nheless, his logic was sound. The entity had issued a verbal warning instead of attacking outright, indicating its reluctance to engage in immediate conflict. ¡°Therefore, do not worry.¡± With these words, Yujin ordered the galleon to retreat while he approached the six-armed entity in a personal pod. [I understand that you do not intend to attack immediately. However, your presence is not wee here, filthy invaders.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± The response was sharp and hostile. Yujin remained calm and spoke softly. ¡°Hey, elf god.¡± [¡­? How do you know that name?] The term ¡®elf¡¯ was known only to the elf race, their god Rios, and their creator, the Absolute God. How did Yujin know it without being told? ¡°Of course, I know. With that appearance, it would be more surprising if you weren¡¯t an elf.¡± [You¡­ could it be¡­?] Rios quickly understood Yujin¡¯s identity. They were both creations of the same being, inheritors of the Absolute God¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Now you understand, don¡¯t you? Why I can¡¯t attack you¡­ and why you can¡¯t attack me.¡± [¡­I see. We cannot go against the will of the Great One.] They were creations with specific purposes and intentions. If they started fighting among themselves, it would displease their creator. To avoid unnecessary conflict and potential disaster, it was best to avoid disputes. ¡°I know that the elves are creations of the Creator, so I won¡¯t treat them like ordinary Union members. While others are subordinates, I want to ept them as equal partners.¡± Yujin spoke his mind without hesitation. Being creations of the Creator, the elves were undoubtedly extraordinary, possessing remarkable abilities. Drawing them in as allies would greatly aid his goal of ¡®conquering the universe.¡¯ Treating them as equals rather than subordinates would benefit both him and the elves. ¡®Creations of the Great One. Are they part of the Union? No, rather than being part of it¡­.¡¯ Rios looked at the colossal galleon that had retreated. The fact that Yujin couldmand such a vessel indicated his high rank, at least equivalent to a Union elder. He seemed more like a ruler of the Union than a mere member. Despite his lingering resentment towards the Union due to his memories as a member of the Kapteri race, Rios concluded that aligning with the Union was the best choice for the future of the elves. ¡®There¡¯s no need to be hostile. The Lubaran race is a bit concerning, but¡­ this guy should handle it well enough.¡¯ Unaware of the Lubaran race¡¯s downfall, Rios was understandably cautious. If he knew that the Lubaran race had already fallen and were now more like ves providing technology rather than rulers, he would have eagerly ensured the elves joined the Union. [Very well. Remember, if anything happens to the elves, you will not be spared.] ¡°Of course.¡± With this dramatic resolution, the elves weed a new outsider¡ªthe vast entity known as the Gctic Union. # ¡°Greetings, I am Yujin of the Gctic Union.¡± ¡°I am Lasi, representative of the elves.¡± Thanks to the elf god Rios, who facilitated automatic trantion of theirnguages, they could conversefortably. Naturally, the representative of the Metallians, Sprine, was also present at the meeting. ¡®TransforX¡­¡¯ Seeing the Metallian, Yujin recalled a movie from the Creator¡¯s memories. Robots that transformed into vehicles. Mechanical lifeforms living on a made of machines. It was clear to anyone that they resembled the species from that movie. ¡®Elves and TransforX. What on earth is the Creator up to?¡¯ At this point, Yujin wondered if the Creator had any purpose at all, or if he was simply amusing himself with whatever came to mind at the moment. ¡®Perhaps this is the closest to the truth.¡¯ ¡°Yujin?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I was just lost in thought for a moment.¡± Regardless, the important task was to understand the elf race. From the outset, they had shown characteristics quite different from typical elves. They possessed highly advanced technology and even raised livestock for meat consumption. However, there were still traits that hinted at their elven nature. Despite their technological advancements, they maintained harmony with nature, building low structures and preserving trees and grass wherever possible, creating a city that felt like a modern metropolis nestled within a forest¡ªa surreal and dreamlike atmosphere. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve truly stepped into another world.¡¯ Elves, a modern city, harmony with the forest, advanced technology¡ªelements that seemed ipatible were perfectly bnced on this unique. Yujin found himself quite fond of this ce. But it wasn¡¯t just the aesthetics that appealed to him. ¡®To think they achieved this level of civilization in just 20 to 30 years. Even with the help of the god Rios created by the Creator, their development speed surpasses that of the Lubaran race.¡¯ Moreover, their desire for progress and curiosity were exceptionally strong. Left unchecked, they could match or even surpass the Lubaran race¡¯s technology within a few decades. ¡®I must bring them into the fold as allies.¡¯ Otherwise, they would have to be exterminated immediately. If not, they would pose a tremendous threat to the Gctic Union. Naturally, extermination was not an option. Yujin resolved to offer any terms necessary to make them allies of the Union. Chapter 62: Idra Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 62 EP.62 Idra While conducting various experiments, I received a message from Nyathotep. She wanted to meet and discuss intellectual matters. Although both of us were top-tier outer gods unrestricted by space, making it possible to converse from afar, meeting in person had a different feel. It was akin to the difference between daily phone calls and face-to-face conversations. Nyathotep also expressed a desire to meet in person. ¡­What a pity. It would have been nice if the one eager to meet me was a stunning beauty rather than a grotesque mass of tentacles. Although Nyathotep¡¯s human form was quite beautiful, the true form left much to be desired. Regardless, this led me to visit Nyathotep¡¯sboratory space after a long time. Shhhh¡ª Having visited several times before, I was familiar with tearing through space to enter.[Hmm?] Apart from Nyathotep, I sensed another presence. Was there another visitor besides me? As I pondered this, a sharp, feminine voice filled with indignation rang out. [How could you torment these lovely beings so much! How many times have I told you to stop!] The voice belonged to a distinctly otherworldly entity. Unlike the grotesquely twisted forms of other outer gods, this entity, though equally colossal, took the form of an incredibly beautiful woman. She was not just any ordinary woman; she wore a flowing, revealing outfit, exuding an erotic charm. Compared to the usual grotesque tentacle masses, star-sized amoebas, or geometrically shaped metal lumps, her human-like beauty felt strikingly out of ce. She¡­ yes, she was worthy of being referred to as ¡®she.¡¯ In other universes, she was known as ¡®Idra.¡¯ Unlike other outer gods who either had no interest in the creatures of the universe or saw them merely as amusing toys, Idra genuinely loved and cherished them. She was like the gods of myth, who cared deeply for humans and other life forms, using her powers to enrich their lives. This earned her titles such as the ¡®Goddess of Abundance¡¯ and the ¡®Mother of All Things.¡¯ Her power level was top-tier. Although she was weakerpared to Nyathotep or Ubbo-Sat, she was definitely stronger than Dalos. The reason for her visit to Nyathotep was immediately clear. [Stop being a nuisance and get lost.] [Not until you dismantle this horrificboratory!] [This is my space.] [But these creatures have personalities and lives! Stop this at once!] Nyathotep, who found amusement in experimenting on and tormenting living beings, was the pr opposite of Idra, who loved and cherished them. They were the epitome of opposites. ¡­No, Nyathotep didn¡¯t get along with Ubbo-Sat either. Nor with Idra. Did she have any friendly outer gods? ¡­Ah, she was friendly with me? Well, anyway. It seemed like a bad time to be here, so it was best to leave. Although I tried to keep within certain boundaries, I engaged in simr activities to Nyathotep, so Idra would undoubtedly shower me with all sorts of scolding. That would be annoying, so I should just slip away¡­. [You¡¯ve arrived.] [Oh, and who might you be?] Damn it, that foolish Nyathotep! She should have just pretended not to notice! She definitely did that on purpose. She must think that sharing the scolding would make it less bothersome! [I know about you too! And about yourboratory!] Ah, I was caught after all. She looked furious at me. Sure, I had wished for a beautiful woman to cling to me instead of Nyathotep, but not like this. [At first, I thought you were a good entity who cared about the universe, but what is this! Just because it¡¯s a replica universe doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay. They can¡¯t even tell if they¡¯re replicas or not. They are just another set of living beings. For the sake of their rights¡­] Ugh¡­. This type was definitely ufortable. I needed toe up with an excuse and get out of here. [I understand. While some things don¡¯t always go as nned, I generally try not to cross the line. And I don¡¯t disregard life entirely. For example¡­ I created something like this.] With that, I showed her footage of the elves. The elves living in harmony with nature. Recently, they had joined forces with the Gctic Union and were elerating their development. Heh, it made me proud just watching them. The coboration between Yujin and the elves was indeed a sight to behold. Watching my creations join forces to dominate the Gctic Union and conquer the universe was quite satisfying. [Th-This is¡­!] Upon seeing the elves, Idra¡¯s expression changed. As the symbol of abundance and the Mother of All Things, Idra, who loved life and its prosperity, saw the elves living in harmony with nature as a utopia. In fact, the origin of the elves in the universe was Idra¡¯s own creation. She had crafted a beautiful race that loved nature and valued abundance, modeled after herself. Her love for them was special. [Elves¡­ and to see them created as such a prosperous, harmonious, and powerful race¡­.] Idra continued to watch the footage with great interest. Seeing her beloved creations thriving and growing strong in another ce was fascinating. From a copyright holder¡¯s perspective, she might have been upset that her creations were used without permission. However, from our omnipotent standpoint, copyrights were meaningless. As long as her creations were not tarnished, it was a good thing. Seeing them developed beyond her own efforts would likely make her feel proud. Phew¡­ what a relief. Honestly, I had created the elves on a whim, but who knew it would help in this situation? This should help dispel the image that I, like Nyathotep, disregard life and destroy everything. [Elves who have achieved development while maintaining harmony. This is very intriguing. May I observe them further?] [Well¡­ if you wish.] [I¡¯d like to see them in person. May I visit that ce directly?] [¡­!?] No, that wouldn¡¯t be ideal. Given the various inhumane experiments happening in the universe I created¡­. Well, myboratory might be less horrifying than Nyathotep¡¯s, but there were still plenty of things that would be quite shocking from Idra¡¯s perspective. [I¡¯ve realized that you are better than this merciless tentacle mass. If it¡¯s just minor experiments, I won¡¯t interfere further. Instead, I¡¯d appreciate it if you let me observe the elves more closely and perhaps assist in their prosperity.] Oh¡­ this was an appealing offer. I had anticipated that an immortal being constantly nagging me to stop my experiments would be incredibly annoying. But a deration of non-interference and even assistance with the elves? I usually refrain from using my powers directly because it¡¯s boring when things go exactly as I intend. But if another entity¡¯s intentions are involved, it bes a different story. It introduces variables that I can¡¯t predict, making things more interesting. Why refuse when she¡¯s offering to create those variables for me without any effort on my part? This is what they call turning a crisis into an opportunity. The elves would be an even more fascinating race, and I¡¯d preemptively avoid any annoying interference. [Then leave me alone as well. You¡¯re too bothersome.] [No, you are irredeemable! You trample on cosmic life forms mercilessly for your own amusement!] [Whatever. And besides, you also¡­] Nyathotep started to say something about me but then fell silent. This guy! She almost said something more. Was she trying to say, ¡°Since things havee to this, you deal with this annoying woman instead of me¡±? Quite loyal, isn¡¯t she? [Shall we go then?] [Ah, yes.] So, I headed to myboratory with Idra. The most beneficial aspect of this was that the most beautiful female entity among all beings, including the gaps and the universe, would be near me in my dreary, bubble-filledboratory dimension. The elves were pretty, but as creations and not equals, they didn¡¯t provide the same visual pleasure. It was like admiring a sleek and beautiful ant. Having Idra around would be a feast for the eyes. Chapter 63: Zombie Apocalypse Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 63 EP.63 Zombie Apocalypse [Hehehe. Such lovely creatures. Hehe, hehehe.] [¡­¡­.] I had brought her along, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t entirely normal either. She gazed at my elves with a sinister smile. Although her beauty made even that look somewhat glorified, it was honestly a bit frightening. I had thought she might be more normal since she passionately spoke to Nyathotep about the importance of life. But then again, I was the crazy one for thinking any outer god could be normal. Still, she didn¡¯t seem like she would cause any trouble, so I decided to leave her be. More importantly, I had other matters to attend to. Zombie Apocalypse. The previous world I created had zombies that were too overpowered. Within just ten years, the world hadpletely copsed without any significant resistance. While the ten years leading to the apocalypse were quite entertaining, the story ended with everyone struggling in vain and ultimately dying. So, I decided to reduce the power of the zombies and recreate the Earth setting with a new zombie virus. Realistically, such a virus is nearly impossible, but the powers of an outer god can make anything possible.The concept is a staple not only in novels but also in dramas, movies, andics. A zombie virus spreads, plunging the world into chaos, and people desperately struggle to survive. The sight of them resisting inevitable doom and trying to survive is both tragic and, at the same time, the moment when life shines the brightest. The story of individuals who once lived as mere cogs in the modern societal machine, now bing autonomous survivors, is something I quite enjoy. Of course, if I were in that situation, I doubt I¡¯d find any beauty in the struggle for survival. Perhaps my empathy has dulled over time, as I no longer feel guilt or remorse over these scenarios. Have I truly be an outer god in both mind and spirit? Well¡­ considering I now live as an eternal, immortal outer god, perhaps it¡¯s not something I need to worry about. However, the human heart¡ªlosing itpletely might make it difficult to enjoy various things as I do now. To live a more enjoyable eternal life, it might be best to maintain some semnce of it. Is there a way to achieve this? [Ah, there¡¯s a way.] It¡¯s simple. To restore the human heart, I need to experience being human. Yes, I will be a human dropped into the apocalypse. I will be a being whose existence ends upon death. Well¡­ it would still be a clone like Yujin, but the significance lies in experiencing the situation firsthand. Let¡¯s see¡­ what kind of human should I be? Should I create one from scratch? Or should I possess an existing person? Either way, it sounds fun. # ¡°Huff, huff¡­! Quickly,e this way!¡± ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°Close the door! Close it now!¡± Creaaak¡ªthud! ¡°Gwaaaah!¡± ¡°Gyaaaah!¡± Thud! Thud thud thud! As they shut the door and pushed a desk against it as a barricade, the furious growls of zombies, unable to get in, echoed from outside. ¡°Phew¡­ we almost died.¡± ¡°I¡¯m never going out again¡­.¡± ¡°Damn, if we had closed it a secondter, they would have gotten in.¡± Two men and two women. They were in a multipurpose meeting room in the university library, where they had been studying before the sudden zombie outbreak. After the chaos ensued, they had turned this room into their base. The four survivors had decided to band together to make it out alive. As part of their survival n, they had ventured to the convenience store to secure food, but they barely managed to escape with their lives after being spotted by zombies. ¡°Phew¡­ considering we almost died, we didn¡¯t get much.¡± Woo Sungjun, a senior in the Economics Department, was the oldest and the de facto leader of the group. It was his idea to secure food. ¡°At least we¡¯re alive. If we had been caught, we would have ended up like those things.¡± Park Hyunmin, a sophomore in the Department of Physical Education, was a sturdy man with a strong build. As a member of the Physical Education Department, he was very respectful and obedient to his senior, Woo Sungjun. ¡°Thank goodness you made it back safely.¡± Lee Minyoung, a freshman in the Department of Food and Nutrition, expressed her relief. Lee Minyoung had a very timid personality. Despite her pretty appearance, her shyness meant she had few friends. Even within the group of four survivors, she was the quietest. She never volunteered to do anything but couldn¡¯t refuse when asked. ¡°If it looked like you were going to bete, you should have just left it ande back. Damn it, we almost all died.¡± Thest member was Son Yoojung, a sophomore in the Department of Physical Therapy. She had a typical viinous personality, alwaysining and refusing to do anything dangerous. Her appearance was shy, but without makeup, she was quite ordinary. ¡°Hey. Sungjun and I risked our lives to get this food, and that¡¯s what you have to say?¡± ¡°Damn it, you barely got any food, and you¡¯re acting all high and mighty. What if we all died because of that?¡± ¡°What? I let it slide when you said you wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous because you¡¯re a girl, but that attitude towards people who risked their lives to get food is uneptable!¡± As Son Yoojung and Park Hyunmin started to growl at each other, Woo Sungjun stepped in between them. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not fight. This isn¡¯t the time for us to be fighting among ourselves. Let¡¯s eat first. Everyone¡¯s probably on edge because they¡¯re hungry.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± With Woo Sungjun mediating, the two finally calmed down and began to eat the snacks they had brought back from the convenience store. ¡°Ugh, even the stuff we brought back is just junk food.¡± ¡°That damn girl¡­¡± Just as the two were about to start fighting again, a loud crash interrupted them. Crash! ¡°Uwooooh!¡± ¡°Graaah!¡± ¡°Gyaaah!¡± ¡°?!¡± The sudden noise of something copsing and the excited growls of zombies rushing in filled the air. The group tensed up immediately, their brief moment of calm shattered. Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door. ¡°The zombies have all been lured to the other side. Please open the door quickly.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± It was a human voice, seemingly male. ¡°Who are you?¡± Given the situation, Woo Sungjun didn¡¯t open the door immediately and asked cautiously. There was a chance that the person might be trying to steal the little food they had managed to gather. ¡°My name is Kim Jiwoong. I have no intention of harming you. I¡¯ve brought a lot of food with me.¡± As he spoke, a man showed his face through the ss window of the multipurpose meeting room, along with a bag full of food. ¡°With this much food, you don¡¯t have to worry about me trying to steal yours, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Seeing this, Woo Sungjun nced at the others, seeking their opinions. ¡°If he seems suspicious, I¡¯ll take him down.¡± ¡°With that much food, why would he try to steal ours? If that was his intention, it would have been better for him to hide alone with all that food.¡± ¡°I-I think it¡¯s okay.¡± Everyone was hungry and their food supply was running low, so they unanimously agreed to let him in. They probably also thought that, as a fellow student, he wouldn¡¯t harm them. ¡°Alright.¡± As the door opened, they saw the zombies outside, drawn to the copsed bookshelf that Kim Jiwoong had used to divert their attention. Bringing so much food and managing to lure the zombies away showed that he had excellent survival skills. ¡®If he joins us, he¡¯ll be a great asset.¡¯ ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Woo Sungjun, a senior in the Economics Department.¡± Woo Sungjun thought this as he greeted Kim Jiwoong. ¡°Yes, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Jiwoong, a junior in the Department of Chemical Engineering.¡± ¡°This is Park Hyunmin, Lee Minyoung, and Son Yoojung.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± After the brief introductions, Woo Sungjun asked Kim Jiwoong why he had sought them out. ¡°With that much food, you could have survived alone for quite a while. Why did youe to find us? And how did you know we were here?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Kim Jiwoong exined the situation. He had been nearby when Woo Sungjun and Park Hyunmin went to the convenience store for food. Thanks to them drawing the zombies¡¯ attention, he was able to gather a lot of food. Feeling guilty about keeping it all to himself, he decided to join them. ¡°Well, I also didn¡¯t want to be alone in such a dangerous situation.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The group found his exnation reasonable. They were pleased that he wanted to join them rather than just share the food. Woo Sungjun assessed that Kim Jiwoong had high survival skills. ¡°So, that means we have a share in that food too.¡± ¡°Hey, Son Yoojung!¡± ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡± Once again, Son Yoojung¡¯s rude remark almost led to a fight with Park Hyunmin. ¡°Haha, everyone seems on edge because they¡¯re hungry. Let¡¯s eat first and then talk.¡± Kim Jiwoong smoothly mediated between the two, calming the situation. ¡®I like him more and more.¡¯ ¡®He seems like a good person.¡¯ Everyone thought this as they epted Kim Jiwoong into their group. Meanwhile, amidst the group¡¯s eptance, ¡®Hehehe.¡¯ Kim Jiwoong had a mysterious, subtle smile on his face. Chapter 64: To the Front Gate Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 64 EP.64 To the Front Gate With Kim Jiwoong joining, the library party now consisted of five members. They survived for several days on the food Kim Jiwoong had brought, all the while waiting for rescue. But¡­. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a week, and no one hase.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so quiet outside. Maybe the military and police are already¡­.¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say such unlucky things! That only happens in movies andics.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way the military would fall to something like zombies.¡± They still held onto the belief that the police or military woulde and sweep away the zombies, rescuing them. However, after a week with no news and the number of zombies increasing, their hope began to wane.¡°¡­Whatever the case, we need to move.¡± Finally, Woo Sungjun made a decision. ¡°What? You want us to leave when the rescue team mighte? You want us to go out there, where it¡¯s dangerous?¡± Son Yoojung shook her head in disbelief. Indeed, going outside was extremely risky. But they had no other choice. ¡°The convenience store¡¯s food is running out. There¡¯s barely anything left, either because other survivors took it, or it was looted during the chaos. If we stay here, we might starve to death.¡± ¡°But the rescue team coulde before that¡­.¡± ¡°How long are we supposed to wait for a rescue team that might nevere? We need to move while we still have the strength. At the very least, we need to go out and find more food.¡± As Woo Sungjun pointed out, there was no certainty about when¡ªor if¡ªthe rescue team would arrive. They couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait indefinitely. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s gather our things and prepare to move. We¡¯ll head towards the front gate and see if we can find a safer ce or more supplies.¡± The group nodded, understanding the gravity of their situation. They began to pack their belongings, ready to face the unknown dangers outside. They had to move to a safer ce or at least go outside to find more food. ¡°Then the guys can go out and get the food! Why do I have to risk my life too?¡± Son Yoojung¡¯s absurd remark finally pushed Park Hyunmin over the edge. ¡°You selfish bitch! If you want to stay here and starve, then fine! Senior, let¡¯s leave her behind. We don¡¯t need someone whoins and doesn¡¯t help at all.¡± ¡°What did you just say?! You bastard!¡± Son Yoojung screamed back, standing up abruptly. At that moment, Kim Jiwoong red at them and spoke in a low, menacing tone. ¡°Both of you, be quiet. Do you want to attract the zombies and get us all killed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two fell silent, cowed by Kim Jiwoong¡¯s intimidating presence. There was something about his words that carried an undeniable charisma,pelling them to obey. ¡®Damn it¡­ he started yelling first, so why am I getting med too?¡¯ Son Yoojung thought to herself, grumbling internally. Ignoring her, Kim Jiwoong voiced his opinion. ¡°I agree with Senior Sungjun. We can¡¯t be sure if the rescue team wille¡­ We should secure a safer location and find a radio or walkie-talkie to get updates on the outside world.¡± He then nced at Son Yoojung and continued. ¡°Those who want to go can go, and the rest can stay here. I can¡¯t force my decisions on others.¡± It was clear he was addressing Son Yoojung and the silent Lee Minyoung. At that moment, ¡°I-I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Lee Minyoung, who had been quiet and observant until now, raised her hand slightly and spoke up. She expressed her willingness to follow Kim Jiwoong¡¯s suggestion and go with him. ¡°Alright. So, everyone except Yoojung is going, right?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement to Kim Jiwoong¡¯s question. ¡°W-What! I never said I wouldn¡¯t go!¡± Afraid of being left alone, Son Yoojung hastily dered her intention to join them. ¡°We don¡¯t need you, so just stay here.¡± ¡°S-Shut up!¡± For once, Son Yoojung had no retort to Park Hyunmin¡¯s sarcasticment. # Finally, the five college students left the multipurpose meeting room. Thanks to Kim Jiwoong and Woo Sungjun drawing the zombies¡¯ attention elsewhere, they managed to exit the library without much trouble. There was a moment of danger when Lee Minyoung made a mistake, attracting zombies, but they managed to escape safely. ¡°Pant, pant¡­ That damn girl! Isn¡¯t she more of a burden? We should leave her behind!¡± Son Yoojung yelled angrily, pointing at Lee Minyoung, who bowed her head in shock. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°We almost died, and you think an apology is enough¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, okay? We¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t we? Let¡¯s not dwell on it.¡± ¡°Minyoung, please be more careful next time. It¡¯s not just your life at stake, but everyone else¡¯s too.¡± With Park Hyunmin and Kim Jiwoong defending Lee Minyoung, Son Yoojung had nothing more to say. ¡°Damn it¡­.¡± She felt increasingly isted. It was her own doing, but she didn¡¯t like the atmosphere at all. Regardless, the group quickly scanned their surroundings. Just because they were outside didn¡¯t mean they were safe. In fact, there were likely more zombies lurking around. The open space made it seem like there were fewer zombies, but they knew better. As they ventured outside, Woo Sungjun couldn¡¯t help but express his surprise at theck of zombies. ¡°Zombies dislike sunlight,¡± Kim Jiwoong exined. ¡°It doesn¡¯t harm them or weaken their abilities, but they seem to prefer staying out of it. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t see many around during the day. Of course, if we make too much noise, they will stille after us.¡± The group noticed that indeed, where sunlight was strongest, zombies were absent, but some lingered in the shadows, seemingly avoiding the light. ¡°But how do you know so much about this, Jiwoong? The zombie outbreak only started a few days ago.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Woo Sungjun asked as if something was strange. It definitely was strange. It had been about 10 days since the zombie incident happened. He had been locked in the multipurpose conference room with them for a week. But in just 3 days, in that chaos, he knew the characteristics of the zombies so urately? ¡°Ah, I might have just noticed it while looking outside, I guess.¡± His answer was vague, and although Woo Sungjun found it suspicious, he decided not to press further. It was hard to believe that a regr chemical engineering student could be involved in the zombie crisis. Besides, Kim Jiwoong was actively helping the group survive, and Woo Sungjun didn¡¯t want to cause discord based on mere suspicions. ¡®Whew¡­ This is a big deal. They¡¯ll probably find it quite suspicious.¡¯ Kim Jiwoong made a slightly anxious expression and sighed deeply. But soon he smiled as if it was okay. ¡®No matter, the n is still on track. Now that I¡¯ve got them outside¡­¡¯ His gaze sharpened, predatory as he looked at the other students, his mind calcting the next move. # ¡°Outside, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Open areas are rtively safer during the day. At night, they¡¯re also easier to keep watch over. But inside the university grounds, there are too many buildings, and the surrounding mountains don¡¯t help either.¡± Kim Jiwoong suggested that they should head outside and find a wide-open in. Woo Sungjun agreed with his reasoning. Given the zombies¡¯ aversion to sunlight, a vast, sunlit in would be ideal during the day. At night, it would be easier to monitor any approaching zombies or people from all directions. Of course, they would need enough people to maintain a proper watch, but that was a concern forter. However, Woo Sungjun couldn¡¯t shake off a slight unease about Kim Jiwoong. There was something suspicious about him, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. Kim Jiwoong¡¯s extensive knowledge about zombies and his calm, quick actions in such a terrifying situation were unusual for a third-year college student. Yet, these traits were also beneficial to the group, making it hard to justify any suspicion. ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s head outside the university. We should move before the sun sets.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. We¡¯ll avoid the buildings and head straight for the main gate. It should be the least infested with zombies right now.¡± Following Kim Jiwoong¡¯s suggestion, the group stayed away from the buildings and walked along the main road. As he had predicted, the zombies were avoiding the sunlight and sticking to the shadows, making their journey rtively safe. Although some zombies did notice them and give chase, the group was able to spot them from a distance and escape easily due to the open space. They reached the main gate with less difficulty than anticipated. However, what awaited them there was something they had not expected at all. Chapter 65: Trap Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 65 EP.65 Trap ¡°Huff, huff¡­ I can see the main gate!¡± ¡°We¡¯re finally outside.¡± After somehow shaking off the pursuing zombies, the students sighed in relief as they saw the entrance to the university¡¯s main gate. The thought of finally leaving the school grounds filled them with a sense of relief. Although the outside world wasn¡¯t necessarily safe, it felt like they had ovee a significant hurdle. Outside, they could see a few low-risemercial buildings and some one-room apartments. However, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Woo Sungjun suddenly stopped, having noticed something. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Son Yoojung also tilted her head, having spotted something unusual. What they saw were two vehicles parked in front of the main gate. It wasn¡¯t strange to see cars parked at the entrance, but the type of vehicles made them pause. These were heavily armored vehicles in camouge colors, the kind you¡¯d only see in the military. Mounted on the lead vehicle was a machine gun, the sort you¡¯d expect to see in a mechanized infantry division. Surrounding the vehicles were soldiers, armed with personal firearms and wearing bulletproof helmets. ¡®Soldiers? Is this the rescue team?¡¯ ¡®But why are they outside the gate and noting in¡­?¡¯ The students felt a mix of relief and curiosity upon seeing the soldiers. They were d to see what appeared to be a rescue team, but at the same time, they wondered why the soldiers hadn¡¯t entered the campus. The arrival of the military seemed like a beacon of hope. Despite the chaos unleashed by the zombie outbreak, it was reassuring to think that the military hadn¡¯t fallen and that a rescue team had finally arrived. However, questions immediately surfaced. Why were they waiting outside the gate instead of entering the school? Was it because of the zombies inside? That seemed unlikely, considering the number of zombies already taken down near the gate, indicating they had sufficient firepower to handle them. More importantly, there was an unsettling feeling about these soldiers. It was hard to pinpoint, but there was a certain thuggish aura about them, even from a distance. As the students hesitated in confusion, ¡°¡­Oh!¡± The soldiers noticed the approaching group of students and started moving toward them. ¡°You¡¯rete, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We thought our necks would stretch out waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The greeting was odd, as if they had been expecting the students. Did they know the students wereing? Was that why they were waiting at the gate? But why? How? A myriad of questions raced through Woo Sungjun and hispanions¡¯ minds. Soon, those questions began to find their answers. ¡°Ah~ Damn.¡± From behind them, in a tone and voice unlike anything they had heard before, someone muttered. Kim Jiwoong stepped forward. ¡°It was a good idea to bring food to appear friendly, but you took so much that itsted a week. I didn¡¯t expect you to eat so slowly.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You can¡¯tpare to how much Corporal Kim Jiwoong eats. Regr people eat about a third of that.¡± ¡°Hey, you little bastard, do you want to die?¡± He bantered with the soldiers as if they were old friends. The use of the term ¡°Corporal¡± and the familiarity in their conversation suggested a prior rtionship. Was he also a soldier? But why was he in civilian clothes? Why did he introduce himself as a third-year chemical engineering student? Was he on leave? But the conversation didn¡¯t fit that scenario. It felt like they had been working together all along. ¡°©¤Ah, you seem confused.¡± Kim Jiwoong turned to them with a sly smile. ¡°Did I say I was a third-year chemical engineering student? That was a lie. These clothes? I took them from a guy nearby.¡± A lie. Kim Jiwoong had lied. He wasn¡¯t a student. He was Corporal Kim Jiwoong, the squad leader of the 2nd squad in a mechanized infantry battalion. That was his true identity. ¡°Hey, my rifle.¡± ¡°Yes, I kept it safe for you.¡± One of the soldiers handed him a K2 rifle. It belonged to Corporal Kim Jiwoong. Corporal Kim Jiwoong, now armed, aimed his rifle alongside the soldiers and spoke. ¡°Alright~ If you value your lives, the men should leave, and only the women should get in. We¡¯ll make good use of them.¡± At that moment, the students realized the truth. These soldiers weren¡¯t here to rescue anyone. They were a dangerous, uncontrolled group. Kim Jiwoong had infiltrated the group under false pretenses to capture young women and fulfill their vile desires. ¡°Confused, aren¡¯t you? Why the military? Weren¡¯t they supposed to rescue us?¡± Kim Jiwoong grinned at their bewilderment. ¡°Rescue team, rescue team¡­ You idiots. The military has already fallen, you morons.¡± When the zombie outbreak began, the military had mobilized to respond. However, the sheer number of zombies and the sudden spread of the virus among the soldiers causedplete chaos. The higher-ups, seeking to save themselves, fled, leaving the troops without leadership, which only elerated the copse. In the ensuing chaos, Corporal Kim Jiwoong, his 2nd squad, and a few other soldiers escaped with two armored vehicles, weapons, and arge supply of ammunition. Thus, these heavily armed, uncontroble forces were now loose in the area. ¡°No way¡­.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡± ¡°Damn it, soldiers, my ass¡­!¡± Woo Sungjun and Park Hyunmin were in shock, while Son Yoojung growled angrily. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll take that bitch first. She¡¯s been so mouthy, I¡¯ll break herpletely.¡± ¡°Heh, then we¡¯ll take the short one. She¡¯s quite the catch.¡± ¡°Man, you guys are such perverts. Always going for the pretty ones.¡± ¡°He, heek¡­.¡± The students recoiled in horror at the soldiers¡¯ lewd conversation and predatory gazes. Lee Minyoung, receiving the same looks, quickly hid behind Park Hyunmin, perhaps hoping he could protect her in this dire situation. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t move. Unless you want a bullet hole.¡± Click! As the group tried to back away, Corporal Kim Jiwoong and the soldiers aimed their rifles, warning them to stay put. ¡°¡­If you fire, the noise might attract zombies.¡± Woo Sungjun tried onest desperate attempt to use the zombies as a threat. ¡°Do we look like we care about that?¡± They pointed to the soldier manning the machine gun on the armored vehicle and smirked. They had enough ammunition to shoot for hours. If they ever ran low, they could simply raid another fallen unit for supplies. Zombies swarming in didn¡¯t concern them at all. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Not wanting to get shot, Woo Sungjun and Park Hyunmin reluctantly stepped back. Only Son Yoojung and Lee Minyoung were left to be forcibly dragged into the armored vehicle by the soldiers. ¡°Hey, hey! Don¡¯t touch me, you bastards!!¡± Son Yoojung¡¯s defiant screams were quickly silenced as they bound her hands and feet with tape and gagged her. Lee Minyoung, although not as resistant, was simrly restrained as a precaution. ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s been so long since we had women.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our base. It¡¯s ufortable in the vehicle.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Hold on until we get there. We¡¯ll have plenty of time to enjoy them.¡± ¡°Two women won¡¯tst long, will they?¡± ¡°Then, we can just y with them until they break and bring more.¡± Listening to the soldiers¡¯ filthy and disgusting conversation, Son Yoojung and Lee Minyoung shivered as if they had sensed their terrible fate. ¡®Damn, damn¡­! To think I¡¯d be a sex ve for these military bastards. Is this how my life ends?¡¯ Son Yoojung thought as she shed tears. ¡°Hey, this bitch is crying?¡± ¡°Wow, damn. Crying is such a turn-on. I can¡¯t hold back, can I go first?¡± ¡°Hey, no. I said I¡¯d go first with that bitch.¡± Corporal Kim Jiwoong restrained a soldier who couldn¡¯t hold back and was ring his nostrils. ¡°If you have to do it, do it with this bitch.¡± He pointed at Lee Minyoung. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s not crying, so it¡¯s no fun¡­ but I guess I have no choice.¡± The soldier said as he slowly approached her. Although the armored vehicle shook a bit while moving, the space was so narrow that he quickly grabbed her head. But at that moment. [ This is quite unpleasant. ] Bzzz©¤!! ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± Suddenly, a voice echoed in their heads, causing not only the soldier but also Son Yoojung to suffer from a severe headache. Everyone present began to writhe in pain from the excruciating headache. [ Tsk, I was just going to watch to see how far you¡¯d go. But I can¡¯t tolerate you touching me. ] The voice echoed again. The headache intensified, pounding their heads harder. The people suffered even more. Some even had nosebleeds streaming down their faces. [ As expected, doing this in a woman¡¯s body is a bit unpleasant. No, I was getting tired of it anyway. ] Swoosh©¤ And among them, there was one person. Lee Minyoung, who had been almost silent and seemed timid, quietly observing her surroundings, slowly stood up. The tape that had bound her hands and feet disintegrated as if something had broken it down, and she was instantly freed. She¡­ no, the unknown entity. Quietly looked down at those suffering from the headache. [ I¡¯m tired of this. I¡¯m in a bad mood now. I need to go see something else. ] As she said that, her body disintegrated like the tape that had bound her and disappeared. Chapter 66: A Mere Insect Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 66 EP.66 A Mere Insect ¡°What, what the¡­ ugh!¡± Even though an incredible event had urred, where a person disappeared entirely, no one could pay attention to it. They were now suffering from an excruciating headache, as if their heads were about to be torn apart. No, they would rather have their heads torn apart. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± ¡°Save me¡­!¡± But this was not just their problem. ¡°Argh! My, my head¡­!¡±The driver of the armored vehicle. He, too, was struck by the same headache. Due to the immense pain, the driver naturally could not drive properly. The armored vehicle, which had been speeding forward with the elerator fully pressed, began to veer off course and crashed into a building on the side of the road. Boom! Crash! Since it was a heavily armored vehicle, the building was demolished and copsed, but the people inside the armored vehicle were not unharmed. Hearing another crash from the side, it was clear that the vehicle following behind was in the same situation. They were the same. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Due to the impact shaking the interior, all the passengers in both vehicles werepletely twisted and crushed. Those who had been wearing seat belts survived, but Son Yoojung, who had been left unrestrained, waspletely crushed and died instantly. Naturally, the driver and the front passenger, who took the brunt of the impact, also died instantly. It was a catastrophe where only a few of those in the back managed to survive. ¡®Damn¡­ what the hell is this¡­¡¯ Corporal Kim Jiwoong, who had only broken an arm, struggled to get up inside the armored vehicle. ¡°Hey, hey¡­!¡± He shook Private Lee Jinsoo, his closest friend, but his neck was broken, and he was dead. The others were either dead or severely injured to the point of dying if left unattended. The situation in the other vehicle was likely simr. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ what is this. What happened.¡± In such a sudden situation, Corporal Kim Jiwoong felt like his mind couldn¡¯t keep up. Having already killed several people, seeing corpses wasn¡¯t that strange to him. In the unit, he had already seen hisrades being torn apart by zombies in real-time, so the death of hisrades didn¡¯t feel new. But the reason he was confused was because of what had just happened. The woman had disappeared, and the headache gradually faded until it was no longer felt. He only felt the pain of his broken arm. So he had time to think. ¡®What was that woman?¡¯ She had suddenly disappeared. Was it a dream? No, the other woman was still there. She was dead, her bodypletely crushed, but she was there nheless. So the woman from before wasn¡¯t a dream. But how did she disappear like that? Was the headache that felt like his head was going to explode also because of that woman? Was it some kind of special ability? In a world with zombies, such things might not be so strange. He was confused. But there was no time to sort it out. Everyone except for a few had died in the ident. Those few seemed like they would die soon as well. In reality, Kim Jiwoong was the only one left alive. However. Thud! Thud thud! There were banging sounds from outside. The zombies had heard themotion and were gathering. They must have smelled the blood soaking the inside. ¡°Grrraaah!¡± ¡°Gyaaaah!¡± They were frantically banging on the vehicle to get inside. ¡®Is this how I die?¡¯ He sighed deeply, thinking it was a rather futile death. But then. ¡®No, damn it.¡¯ He felt that this wasn¡¯t right. He was going to be the protagonist of this world. So he couldn¡¯t die in a ce like this. This was just a small trial. He had to ovee it somehow. ¡®I will survive no matter what. Even if I have to eat the flesh of the dead¡­ I will survive.¡¯ And that damn woman. He vowed to find and punish the woman who had put him in this situation. Kim Jiwoong gritted his teeth as he made this resolution. Then, as he got back up and started thinking about how to deal with the zombies outside, he noticed something strange. Rustle©¤ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He began to see something unusual. Through the window of the armored vehicle, he could see the outside. Although it was hard to see clearly because of the zombies, in the distance. The ground and the sky¡­ ¡°¡­are disappearing.¡± Just like that woman earlier, just like the tape that had bound her body. They were turning into dust and disintegrating. The ground, and even the sky, which shouldn¡¯t have a tangible form. ¡®What is this? What the hell is this?¡¯ It was an iprehensible sight. He could have thought that the woman had some kind of superpower. But this¡­ this was beyond exnation. The world was crumbling into dust and disappearing. The ground, the sky, the buildings, the trees, everything. It was as if this world was being erased by someone¡¯s hand. And the zombies were no exception. The zombies were also disappearing. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Run!¡± People who seemed to have been hiding in nearby buildings screamed and tried to run, only to turn into dust and vanish. It wasn¡¯t a dream. It was reality. It was something happening in real life. ¡°Ha, haha.¡± At that moment, Kim Jiwoong realized. He realized that understanding and thinking about the situation meant nothing. There was nothing he could do but wait for his own disappearance in this ce. He couldn¡¯t do anything. When he first fled with the armored vehicle, he thought he would be the protagonist of this zombie apocalypse. Even until just a moment ago, he thought so. He believed he was the protagonist of this story and that he could survive and achieve everything he wanted. He had the weapons and firepower, the determination and ability. But none of that mattered. In the end, they were all mere insects, disappearing at the whim of someone¡¯s interference, at a mere change of mood. And he was no different. He was a feeble human who could do nothing in this situation but wait for his own disappearance. ¡®Ah¡­ this is the end.¡¯ That woman. The severe headache and her disappearing figure. Was she the god of death? Or something beyond that¡­ something that created this world? Had shee to deliver the death sentence of this world to insignificant beings like them? He didn¡¯t know. He just didn¡¯t know anything. He couldn¡¯t do anything, and he couldn¡¯t know anything. A mere human, in the end, was just that. All the passengers died in a single ident. Living in a trivial world that could be erased at a mere whim. Feeling omnipotent just because he had two armored vehicles. He was nothing more than a speck of dust in a tiny universe. ¡®It¡¯s futile.¡¯ What he felt was just futility, emptiness, and helplessness. And so, Army Corporal Kim Jiwoong disappeared along with the world. Rustle©¤ # [ Hmm, as expected, a typical zombie apocalypse isn¡¯t very fun. I just had an unpleasant experience by possessing a woman for no reason. ] If I had known, it might have been more interesting to possess a man or a soldier¡­ but honestly, the soldier side is unpleasant. I don¡¯t think the male side would have been that fun either. It seems better to erase it and create a new one. Maybe it¡¯s better to recreate it with a superpowered theme in an apocalypse setting. [ You¡¯ve erased another world. ] [ ¡­? ] Before I knew it, Idra was beside me, looking at me with eyes full of mncholy. Oh¡­ that startled me. Having a woman of such blinding beauty right next to me was quite surprising and refreshing. But perhaps because her presence and appearance felt so grand and divine, even if I had any sexual desire, I wouldn¡¯t have been aroused. She truly embodied the term ¡®goddess.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an exciting or lovely kind of beauty, but a divine and worship-worthy kind of beauty. Anyway, she looked at me for a moment, then quietly watched the spot where the apocalypse world had disappeared, and slowly closed her eyes. [ A prayer for the lost and unfortunate lives¡­. ] How can her heart be so kind? She seems to care and worry about the creatures of the universe more than I, who was originally human. Maybe that¡¯s why the guilt that had disappeared¡­ is noting back at all. A boring world deserves to be erased. After all, I created it. These beings wouldn¡¯t have existed in the first ce, so it¡¯s up to me what I do with them. ¡­Wow, my mindset is really trash. It¡¯s truly the mindset of an outsider. But why did shee to me instead of watching the elves she was so fond of? It doesn¡¯t seem like she came just to pray for the vanished universe. [ What is it? ] [ Ah, could youe over here for a moment? ] As if she had just remembered what she needed to do, she stopped praying and led me to where the replica of the original universe was. Oh, she held my hand. ¡­But can that even be called a hand for me? Well, if you consider my form as a giant, then it¡¯s the part where a hand would be. It might be more urate to call it a part of my tentacles. [ Look at this. I gave my beloved ones some special abilities. ] Anyway, she proudly showed me the state of the original replica universe. Specifically, she was showing the current situation of the elves living within it. Chapter 67: Special Abilities Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 67 EP.67 Special Abilities The superior physical abilities and intelligence granted by the Creator. The ability to control the spirits of light given by Rios, the six-handed elf god. Following that, the ability given to them by Idra, the god of abundance, was the ability to grow nts on anynd. It was literally an ability befitting the name of abundance. [I gave them the ability so that they would never starve wherever they go and always see the nts they love.] [Oh¡­.] Even if Idra gave that ability with pure intentions, the ability itself was truly absurd.Think about it. The ability to grow nts as long as there isnd for them to take root, without needing oxygen, water, or anything else. Of course, there would be differences in abilities depending on the elf individual, but if a group of elves with excellent abilities gathered, they could turn a barren into a nt with an incredible terraforming ability. As long as they could grow, they could create an atmosphere and secure food. In other words, even a barren with nothing. Even a full of death. Even an asteroid where nothing could exist could be turned into a where life could live. Originally, terraforming required an enormous amount of time and cost. Creating a base where people could live, first focusing on microorganisms and hardy ferns that could produce oxygen in the atmosphere, and gradually turning it green. It was a task that required hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. But to finish it all in one go with just this ability. To understand the significance of this, one only needs to look at the terraforming processes of others. For instance, the Lubaran race, which has terraformed dozens ofs, most of which already have environments suitable for life. However, some of them were still in the process of being terraformed, and in fact, the Lubaran race was living in sealed research bases. In the case of the Meias race, they created barriers with magic, and there were even magicians dedicated to producing oxygen and maintaining those barriers. ??????£Â?? But the elves could create a habitable within a few decades, or even a few years, without going through such cumbersome andbor-intensive processes. As a result, the importance of the elves to the Gctic Union increased significantly. Previously, they were considered a smart and rapidly developing race, simr to the Lubaran race, and were quite helpful to the development of the Gctic Union. Now, they had be essential for the terraforming ofs to expand the Gctic Union¡¯s influence and amodate the growing poption. If Idra had known this and given them the ability, one might think, ¡°He intended to make the elves the rulers of the universe by giving them such an overpowered ability.¡± [Hehe, now they can see their beloved nts wherever they go. Elves love dense forests.] [¡­.] Hmm, it seemed like she didn¡¯t have any grand ns. She just really liked elves. It was said that she gave the same ability to the original universe outside theboratory. So, there wouldn¡¯t be much difference between the two worlds. So far, things seemed to be progressing almost identically, with only minor differences in small incidents and idents. These minor incidents didn¡¯t seem to affect the entire universe, so it didn¡¯t matter much. While there is a saying about the butterfly effect, it only applies to specific events. Truly trivial incidents have no impact on the entire universe. Only significant events can change the course of the universe. A butterfly¡¯s p might need to be as powerful as a cosmic storm or a ck hole on a universal scale. The new terraforming ability given to the elves? This was an event significant enough topletely change the dynamics of the universe. It was not just a butterfly¡¯s p but a massive cyclone shaking the entire world. This could be said to havepletely altered the flow of this universe. ¡­So, what now? Are we screwed? [Haha. It¡¯s a good ability.] Well, I don¡¯t know either. Let¡¯s just see how it goes. # ¡°The god has bestowed upon us a new ability!¡± ¡°Ooooooh!¡± The new ability was conveyed to all the elves, and a detailed exnation was delivered as an oracle to Rodri, the highest religious authority and priest of the elves. The power of abundance. An ability to grow nts anywhere, securing food and vegetation no matter where they fell. ¡°Rios, the elf god, has bestowed upon us a special power with his hand of abundance! He said you could make flowers bloom even on barrennd!¡± ¡°Ooooooh! Rios! Rios!¡± At the words of Priest Rodri, the elves cheered and prostrated themselves before the giant statue of Rios. Of course, the ability was not given by Rios but by the foreign god, Idra. For convenience, they credited Rios, the god they worshipped. Moreover, it was believed that one of Rios¡¯s six hands, the ¡®hand of abundance,¡¯ had the power to grow crops, so it made sense. [¡­.] Rios, watching this, had mixed feelings, but since Idra had already informed him separately, he said nothing. After all, from his perspective, it was good if the elves, entrusted to him by the great Creator, were doing well. ¡°Is it really true¡­?¡± Yujin and the members of the Gctic Union, who hade to the elf to negotiate cooperation and union membership, were taken aback by the news and asked Lasi for confirmation. ¡°Yes. We have developed the ability to grow nts. We can grow nts on any barrennd, even ces without oxygen or water.¡± While there is individual variation among elves, even the weakest can grow nts over an area of 2 to 3 square meters. Lasi and Rodri, who had particrly strong abilities, were able to fill hundreds of square meters with shrubbery, as experiments showed. Even experiments conducted ons without oxygen or water through spaceships demonstrated that nts could grow on any soil, even on iron ore, without any other conditions. These nts survived for days without water, oxygen, or light, and are still thriving. The experimenters¡¯st words were that they needed to observe how long the nts could survive without any conditions. ¡°¡­This is unbelievable.¡± Yujin and the members of the Gctic Union knew what this meant and were dumbfounded. It was something not even the most mysterious and special ability of the Meias race, ¡®magic,¡¯ could achieve. While it was possible to create barriers and produce oxygen to sustain life within them, growing nts from nothing and maintaining them in a verdant state for days was impossible with Lubaran technology or Meias magic. A special ability that allows for easy and rapid terraforming. Did the elves realize how special, dangerous, and precious this ability was? ¡°With this ability, it will greatly assist in the stabilization and territorial expansion of the Gctic Union that you mentioned, Mr. Yujin. We could build bases wherever we want, significantly reducing the need for manpower, resources, and time.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed. It¡¯s the kind of ability we¡¯ve been wanting to the point of desperation.¡± At least Lasi was very aware of the importance of this ability. She understood how essential it was for Yujin and the Gctic Union¡¯s future direction. ¡®Our elves can secure a more definite position.¡¯ Lasi had no intention of generously sharing this ability like a fool. She intended to ensure that the elves received treatment and returnsmensurate with their newfound abilities. ¡°We need to start by revising the contract terms.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yujin sighed inwardly, feeling resigned. ¡®Haa¡­ What on earth is the main body thinking? Giving such an absurdly overpowered ability to the elves? Is he favoring the elves over me?¡¯ He had never particrly desired the main body¡¯s help or affection, but now he felt a sense of injustice. Of course, this ability was given by Idra on her own ord, not by the main body. The main body had only given the elves and Yujin their inherent abilities and wasn¡¯t paying attention at all. In fact, in terms of individual abilities, what was given to Yujin was far more preferential. Nevertheless, Yujin, unaware of these inner workings, felt increasingly resentful towards the main body. [What do you expect me to do? That woman did it on her own. I can¡¯t just take it away, can I?] The main body felt wronged. Chapter 68: Joining the Union Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 68 EP.68 Joining the Union The conditions Lasi set forth were as follows: First, to guarantee at least seven elder seats for the elves. This meant that the elves wanted power and authority within the Gctic Union equal to orparable to the Meias tribe, which currently held ten seats. With the Meias tribe holding ten seats and other tribes having at most five, even if the minimum of seven seats was granted, the elves would hold the second most power after the Meias tribe. And by stating a minimum of seven seats, it also implied that Yujin¡¯s allocation of more seats would reflect how important he considered the elves. Second, the elves would handle most of the terraforming for the newly developednds within the Union. In return, they wanted a percentage of the development rights for the energy and resources obtained from thoses and stars.Typically, when newnds were developed, those with the appropriate abilities would pioneer them, and the resources extracted would be developed bypanies from various tribes through fairpetition. Of course, ¡°fairpetition¡± often meant that the tribes with the most abilities and power would dominate. To prevent this, the Union had policies to provide equal opportunities to weaker tribes, and the Gctic Union generally aimed to be as fair as possible to its members. Especially with Yujin¡¯s policy of sharing technology to raise the average capabilities of all Union members, fairness was a significant concern. However, granting special development rights to the elves alone could undoubtedly spark controversy over favoritism. Yet, this was something Yujin and the Union¡¯s central authorities had to manage. ¡°Just keep in mind that we can¡¯t guarantee too much,¡± Yujin said. ¡°Of course. We don¡¯t intend to take too much,¡± Lasi replied. Thus, they promised a portion of the rights to develop and use the most critical energy and resources. In addition to these two main demands, there were minor conditions like non-aggression pacts and protection treaties. These were not as crucial and were addressed more straightforwardly. Thus, the elves officially entered the Gctic Union. Their elder seats were decided to be the same as the Meias tribe, with ten seats. # ¡°This is outrageous! A tribe that just joined the Union gets ten seats?¡± ¡°No matter how important they are to the Union, there¡¯s a history to consider. This is too much, no matter how you look at it¡­.¡± Unsurprisingly, there was a massive outcry against granting the elves ten elder seats. Even if they were to y a crucial role in the Gctic Union, giving them ten seats right upon entry was seen as excessive. The significance of ten seats was substantial. Originally, only the Lubaran tribe enjoyed such a privilege, and now the Meias tribe had taken over that position. In other words, ten seats were a kind of ¡®crown¡¯ allowed only to the most powerful tribes within the Gctic Union. Giving the same crown to a neer was bound to provoke strong opposition. ¡°However, considering their importance, this level of investment is unavoidable for the future.¡± ¡°Besides, with the Lubaran tribe and their supporters leaving, there are still plenty of elder seats avable. While new tribes are joining, we are still far from filling all 500 seats.¡± Not everyone opposed the decision. Some tribes, including the Meias and Terra tribes, which were heavily influenced by Yujin, supported it. They argued that considering the future investment value of the elves, this was a necessary step. Moreover, with many elder seats still vacant, filling ten seats shouldn¡¯t be an issue. ¡°It¡¯s not about filling the seats just because there are vacancies.¡± ¡°Traditionally, new tribes start with just one seat¡­.¡± That damned tradition. Yujin was fed up. ¡®Since when did they care so much about history? Damn hypocrites.¡¯ Yujin wanted to retort immediately, but he kept silent since it was an official setting. ¡°And asking for a portion of the resource development rights? Aren¡¯t they being too greedy?¡± ¡°No matter how powerful they are, this is too much!¡± The second condition faced simr opposition. They questioned why the resource and energy development rights, which were supposed to be obtained through fairpetition among the tribes¡¯panies, were being arbitrarily given to the elves. ¡°This is tyranny.¡± ¡°Lord Yujin, it¡¯s problematic to run the Union this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yujin looked at them and spoke. ¡°Then, if we offer the samepensation, can any of you do what the elves are doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone fell silent at Yujin¡¯s question. It was obvious. The elves¡¯ special abilities, superior intelligence, and physical conditions, along with their technological application skills, were unmatched. The only ones who coulde close were the Lubaran tribe, the Meias tribe, and Yujin himself. The other tribes couldn¡¯t evenpare. ¡°If there is a tribe that can perfectly perform the tasks the elves are doing, I will offer them the same, or even more,pensation. Who will step up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one responded to Yujin¡¯s proposal. It meant no one could do it. ¡°Then, this matter is settled. Anyone who has objections will be understood as volunteering to take over the elves¡¯ tasks.¡± Yujin applied a bit of forceful pressure to the elders, instilling a sense of determination. Faced with both persuasion and strong pressure, they could do nothing but nod in agreement. ¡°After all, the resource development rights are only a small portion, and what we can gain through them will be much greater. Without needing topete, everyone can peacefully extract resources from their own.¡± Having applied enough pressure, Yujin then softened his tone. It was a mix of stick and carrot. ¡°The Gctic Union will fully organize and expand its uncharted territories. You will be able to chooses and stars as you wish. With advanced technology, you can freely conduct energy experiments or development using the gravitational energy of neutron stars or ck holes, and the massive material emissions of supernovae.¡± These were originally the privileges of advanced tribes. But now, as long as they were part of the Union, even weaker tribes could achieve much. Currently, many celestial bodies were already developed or upied by other tribes, makingpetition fierce. However, if the elves could elerateary terraforming and the Union¡¯s management area expanded rapidly, they could share these celestial bodies withoutpetition. ¡°I promise you. Within the next 100 years, your tribes will achieve such tremendous development that the current Lubaran tribe will seem insignificant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The elders, intrigued by Yujin¡¯s final words, felt their hearts tribe with excitement. The prospect of their tribes bing that powerful and advanced was exhrating. It would be strange not to feel excited. ¡°Then, today¡¯s meeting is adjourned.¡± After Yujin dered the meeting over, even the elders who had opposed the elves¡¯ conditions left the meeting room, now in agreement and filled with high expectations. # Oh¡­ presenting an unavoidable choice and then applying strong pressure. Using psychological pressure to force them into making the desired choice, and then gently persuading them afterward. By making them feelpelled to choose, he reduced their resistance to the decision. Then, by highlighting the benefits they would gain, he elevated their mood, eliminating any regrets and instilling anticipation. Yujin, that guy, has quite the knack for handling people. Is it because he¡¯s been the head of the Gctic Union for nearly 20 years? His fundamental personality should be almost identical to my human self, yet he seems quite different now. They say a position shapes a person. Well, looking at myself, that¡¯s evident. I¡¯m bing more and more like a true outsider. A being that can discard the existence of the universe and its living creatures without a second thought, just to satisfy my curiosity and amusement. Still, I limit myself to what I create. I don¡¯t interfere with naturally formed universes. It¡¯s a line I¡¯ve drawn for myself. Crossing it would mean the end. ¡­Though, I feel like I¡¯ve already crossed that line quite a bit. In that sense, should I explore another universe? It seems things are well-settled between Yujin and the elves. Where should I go next? Chapter 69: The Demon King and the Hero Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 69 EP.69 The Demon King and the Hero The Demon King. Every 500 years, an absolute being from the Demon Realm descends upon this world, threatening and destroying it. The Hero. The only one capable of opposing the Demon King, created by the will of this world as the adversary to the Demon King and the hope of humanity. Yes, this is a story as old as time. The Demon King descends, leading an army of demons to threaten the world. A boy from a certain vige is chosen and awakens as the Hero to stop them.Such a predictable story. ¡°Hero, won¡¯t you join hands with me?¡± ¡­Or so it was supposed to be. Up until just a moment ago. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? I¡¯ll say it again. Hero, won¡¯t you join hands with me¡­?¡± ¡°I heard you perfectly! I asked again because it¡¯s absurd!¡± At the Demon King Tureglo¡¯s proposal, the Hero Rain shouted in disbelief. The terrifying Demon King, with massive horns protruding from his head and glowing crimson eyes. And opposing him, a 17-year-old boy, thest bastion of humanity who had defeated countless demons over the past three years¡ªthe Hero. Their confrontation was supposed to be a fierce battle for the fate of this world. However, the Demon King Tureglo seemed uninterested in fighting the Hero. No, it wasn¡¯t just that he didn¡¯t want to fight. He was proposing an alliance to the Hero. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to catch me off guard and attack!¡± Naturally, Hero Rain did not trust the Demon King. The Demon King was a being that led an army from the Demon Realm to threaten this world. He was the enemy of humanity. And Rain was humanity¡¯sst bastion and protector. The being before him was someone he could neverpromise with. Thus, he refused. In fact, he didn¡¯t even believe the proposal was genuine. He thought it was a ploy to deceive him. ¡°I am sincere, Hero. I have no intention of fighting you.¡± ¡°Hmph! And you expect me to believe that when you¡¯re fully armed!¡± As Rain pointed out, Demon King Tureglo was fully armed, contrary to his words. He wore armor and wielded a cursed demonic sword. ¡°This is to defend myself should you reject my proposal and attack. I have no intention of attacking you.¡± Saying this, Demon King Tureglo even threw his sword to the ground. ng! ¡°¡­!!¡± When the cursed demonic sword, a symbol of the Demon King, hit the ground, Hero Rain hesitated for a moment. Could he be sincere? Did he genuinely want to talk? ¡°¡­Ha, it¡¯s useless. Your proposal is probably to join forces and split the world in half, right? I won¡¯t fall for that trick!¡± Hero Rain had learned about the Demon King¡¯s evil schemes from ancient history. One of those schemes was the proposal to split the world in half. When the Demon King couldn¡¯t defeat the Hero or would suffer too much loss even if he won, he made such a proposal. But one must never ept that offer. If half the world fell into the hands of the Demon King and the other half into the hands of the Hero, the conflict between the Demon King, the Hero, and humanity would only reignite, prolonging the war indefinitely. ? It was a proposal that fundamentally solved nothing. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Hero, listen to me.¡± But Demon King Tureglo shook his head. His proposal was different. Demon King Tureglo¡¯s proposal was: ¡°¡­Would you consider changing the very foundation of this world with me?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± It was something Hero Rain had never expected. # Every 500 years, the Demon King descends from the Demon Realm, sparking a war between demons and humans. And as the adversary to the Demon King, a Hero is born among humanity to defeat him. It¡¯s a story as old as myth. And it was the reality currently unfolding. The protagonists of this real story were Demon King Tureglo and Hero Rain. But this wasn¡¯t just a predetermined rule of the world. ¡°This world¡¯s battles are merely a chess game for a distant, higher being. A being you might call ¡®God¡¯.¡± ¡°Chess game?¡± Hero Rain frowned at Tureglo¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. The will of this world created the Hero to protect humanity¡­ created me to defeat you! It wasn¡¯t just for some amusement¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the will of the world. I¡¯m talking about something higher. An absolute being that controls this world.¡± When Hero Rain tried to refute, Demon King Tureglo cut him off. ¡°A being that created this world and can manipte even the will of the world at its whim. For its amusement, we fight, kill each other, and devastate thend every time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A being that could manipte even the will of the world at its whim. Hero Rain was bewildered by the enormity of the story. ¡°I am a being created by it. And you were intentionally created by it, using the will of the world, to oppose me. Our battle is nothing more than a puppet show to alleviate its boredom!¡± ¡°Trying to confuse me with such tales is useless! I¡¯ll destroy you and save humanity!¡± Hero Rain shook his head vigorously, refusing to listen any further, and readied his sword. ¡°¡­Ha. Is that so? So, this Hero ends up the same way too.¡± Demon King Tureglo sighed deeply, wearing a deste expression as if he had experienced this conversation countless times before. ¡°Fine,e. Hero. Follow through with your will. Even if it¡¯s wrong, it will be your truth.¡± Saying this, the Demon King closed his eyes, as if epting his fate. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Hero Rain felt even more confused by this sight. But he didn¡¯t stop; he raised his holy sword and charged at the Demon King. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Just before the holy sword pierced the Demon King¡¯s heart. Hesitation! The Hero¡¯s holy sword stopped in its tracks. ¡°¡­Tell me more.¡± The Hero stopped himself from killing the Demon King. The guardian of humanity, created to destroy the Demon King, halted his duty of his own ord. ¡°Hoho, so you are finally willing to listen.¡± Seeing this, the Demon King looked as if he had finally ovee a significant hurdle. The Demon King wore a benevolent smile. A smile that seemedpletely out of ce on the face of a fearsome Demon King. ¡°¡­Who exactly are you? Who am I? What is happening to this world?¡± Hero Rain was utterly confused by the unexpected benevolent smile of the Demon King. Seeing Rain¡¯s bewilderment, Demon King Tureglo began to exin everything he had discovered about this world. # ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying this world isn¡¯t the only one, and there are countless others outside of it? And there¡¯s a transcendent being that creates these worlds?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To be precise, it¡¯s not that there are multiple versions of this world, but rather countless different worlds exist outside this one.¡± The Demon King¡¯s words were hard to believe. The world is not singr. Outside this world, there are countless dimensions and worlds different from this one. And there is a creator of these worlds, a being that creates them to alleviate its boredom and satisfy its curiosity. This being orchestrates events, creating the Demon King and intentionally birthing the Hero as an adversary, watching their fierce battles as if it were a simtion. These were hard truths to ept. Yet, perhaps because of the Demon King¡¯s position or his earnest expression, Hero Rain found a certain credibility in his words. Of course, he remained on guard, ready to respond to any attack. The Demon King, aware of this, had disarmed himself and kept his distance to make the Hero feel at ease. When Rain asked what the Demon King would do if he attacked, Tureglo replied that Rain was the first to listen this far, and he wouldn¡¯t resent dying by his hand. In this state, the two continued their conversation. Then, suddenly, the Hero asked a curious question. ¡°But how did youe to know these truths about the world?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Instead of answering, the Demon King handed over a crystal orb. ¡°You are an existence equal to mine. If so, you should be able to withstand the power of this.¡± It was a crystal orb that emanated a foreboding aura, something that felt extremely uninviting to touch. Could it be an attack? Or a trap? It didn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°If you wish to know the truth, grasp this crystal orb. It may be slightly painful, but if you are truly an equal existence to me, it will not harm you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hero Rain hesitated but eventually reached out his hand. ¡®Damn it, fine. I¡¯vee this far. If he intended to kill me, he had plenty of opportunities. Now that it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll see it through to the end.¡¯ He had already deviated from the predetermined path. From now on, he would carve out an entirely new story, not one that followed the set narrative. Thus, Hero Rain found himself doing something he would never have done under normal circumstances, without hesitation. Grasp! He reached out and grabbed the ominously glowing crystal. Whoosh©¤! At that moment, a pitch-ck darkness extended from the crystal orb and engulfed Hero Rain. Trantor Note: literally plot from Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Lol Chapter 70: The Truth of the World Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe ¨C 70 EP.70 The Truth of the World ¡®A trap? No, there was no intent to attack. If there had been, the Holy Sword would have reacted first¡­¡¯ Hero Rain, startled by the sudden darkness that engulfed him, looked around. Nothing but pitch-ck darkness. He wondered if it was a surprise attack by the Demon King. But seeing that the Holy Sword remained still, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The Holy Sword. The sacred sword used by the Hero to vanquish demons, simply known as the Holy Sword.It had no other name. Just the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword had a special ability; it would sh with light and create a powerful holy barrier whenever it sensed its owner¡¯s danger. The fact that the Holy Sword did not react meant that this darkness was not dangerous. So, what was this darkness? As the Hero pondered, someone revealed their presence and approached. ¡°Hello, Hero Rain.¡± ¡°¡­! Who are you?¡± In the deep darkness where even up and down were indistinguishable, a man appeared, dressed in ordinary attire that seemed out of ce. A man with a in appearance and ordinary clothes. At a nce, he looked like an unremarkable viger. ¡°As expected, you are a Hero with power equal to the Demon King. You seem fine even in this space.¡± The man smiled faintly. Rain instinctively knew that this man was the master of this space and the bearer of the ¡®truth¡¯ that the Demon King intended to reveal through the crystal orb. ? ¡°Who are you? Where is this ce? And what exactly is happening to this world?¡± The Hero bombarded him with questions. The man shrugged with a faint smile still on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no concept of time here. Even if I exin slowly, the time in your world will remain unaffected, so let¡¯s take it easy.¡± He gestured behind him. ¡°Shall we walk a bit?¡± As soon as he said that, the pitch-ck space vanished. Suddenly, they found themselves standing on a serene and beautiful path nked by wide fields and blooming flowers. ¡®¡­The power of creation.¡¯ Could this person be the ¡®Creator¡¯ that the Demon King mentioned? But if so, why was he being so kind to him? Or was he another entity altogether? Rain was utterly confused by everything. ¡°Let¡¯s walk. Listening to the story while walking might help clear your confusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rain nodded at the man¡¯s suggestion. Whatever the case, listening to this man¡¯s story seemed like the best way to get closer to the truth. Step by step, they walked down the beautiful path, and the man began to introduce himself. ¡°I am not the ¡®Creator¡¯ that you refer to¡­ but a simr entity, you could say.¡± ¡°A simr entity?¡± A simr entity? Could there really be more than one being like the Creator? ¡°Yes, beings from other worlds are called ¡®Outer Gods,¡¯ ¡®Creator Gods,¡¯ ¡®Cosmic Gods,¡¯ and so on. There are countless beings like your Creator outside this world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hero Rain wore an expression of disbelief. What kind of ce could exist outside the world? It was beyond hisprehension. Just hearing about it made him feel overwhelmed. ¡°Well, your Creator is an exceptionally powerful being among them¡­ Anyway, I am also one of those outer beings. You can call me¡­ Yad-Thaddag.¡± ¡°Yad-Thaddag¡­¡± The man who introduced himself as Yad-Thaddag began to exin various things to Rain. Not only that he was an outer being but also how powerful the Creator was. And that he hade to help the creatures of this world, created by such a powerful being. ¡°Demon King Tureglo was the first being I contacted. The only being capable of withstanding meeting me was a Demon King directly created by the Creator.¡± Thus, he revealed to Tureglo the truth of this world and how insignificant and futile the existence of the Demon King and Hero was. Tureglo, after hearing Yad-Thaddag¡¯s words, made countless attempts to persuade the Heroes. ¡°The adversary created by the universe. A creature made to oppose the world-destroying Demon King. I thought that if a Hero, created by the Creator, could withstand hearing the truth from me like the Demon King, then together they could change this world.¡± But all those attempts failed, and the Demon King was always defeated and resurrected repeatedly by the Hero. For thousands of years. Finally, he seeded in persuading Hero Rain, bringing them to this very moment. ¡°¡­Hahaha.¡± Rain had heard it from the Demon King. But hearing all these facts from a being akin to the Creator made the weight of the truth feel different. Of course, all of this could be a ploy by the Demon King to deceive him. But thend, the pathway, the scent of the flowers¡­ It was all real. Not an illusion meant to deceive, but something genuinely created just now. The being before him, though appearing as an ordinary man, was undoubtedly a ¡®Creator¡¯ who could make worlds. As the owner of the Holy Sword, which could see through all illusions and deceptions to sense its master¡¯s danger, Hero Rain was even more certain of this. Yes, he understood. How insignificant this world was. How absurd and futile their reasons for existence were. He realized it to a horrifying degree. To the point where his head hurt. But one thing was also clear. No matter how insignificant or futile it was. They could change it with their power. If the Hero and the Demon King, who were meant to fight, cooperated to change the world. If demons and humans united to create a world without war. ¡®There is hope. Even if the Creator tries to meddle again, if the world bes uninteresting, they might withdraw their hand.¡¯ It could definitely change. Hero Rain thought so. ¡°But why are you helping us? You are an entity like the Creator.¡± It was a valid question. Why would such a powerful being help insignificant creatures? To the beings outside, they must seem endlessly small and insignificant. At Rain¡¯s question, the man paused as if in thought, then chuckled. ¡°Tureglo asked the same thing. Why would I help them? He couldn¡¯t understand.¡± Recalling his first meeting with Tureglo, Yad-Thaddag gave the same answer as he did back then. ¡°This world is caught in an endless cycle of war for the Creator¡¯s amusement, causing countless beings to die over and over. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch that.¡± He couldn¡¯t simply ignore those in distress. It was a very simple and natural reason. Just because the Creator was a malevolent being didn¡¯t mean all outer beings were evil. If there were benevolent beings, it was only natural for them to help those in need. ¡°¡­¡± Hero Rain couldn¡¯t say anything in response. Why did the Hero exist? To save humanity. To help those in distress and bring peace to the world. A very simple and natural reason. ¡°It was foolish of me to ask.¡± Hero Rain shook his head as he spoke. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve decided what I need to do.¡± Helping those in distress. The reason for a benevolent being¡¯s existence. Thus, Hero Rain¡¯s course of action was clear. He would join forces with the Demon King to help the countless dying beings. He would save them and bring peace to the world. That was the reason for the Hero¡¯s existence. ¡°Well, since our conversation went well, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Yad-Thaddag extended his hand as he spoke. At that moment, Rain, suddenly curious about something, spoke to him. ¡°¡­Could you show me your true form? I want to feel just how overwhelming your presence is.¡± The Creator. Rain was curious about the power of an outer being. Just how high was their level? Could he ever reach it? He wanted to see it with his own eyes. ¡°Hahaha. You and Tureglo are truly alike. How can you both have the same final curiosity?¡± Yad-Thaddagughed, seemingly amused, and nodded. ¡°Alright, Tureglo endured it. He almost lost his mind, but he endured. You too¡­ if you can withstand it, try to endure.¡± Ssssk¡ª As he spoke, the man¡¯s body began to change. He grew immensely, transforming into an unimaginably colossal figure. ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± The form was like that of a gigantic giant. An indescribable entity with writhing tentacles, a giant with a form that defied description. And at the top, where one might think the head would be, was a single, enormous eye. The moment Rain met that eye. ¡°Gah?!¡± Hero Rain felt an overwhelming headache unlike anything he had ever experienced. Biiiiii¡ª At the same time, a ringing sound echoed in his ears, and everything in front of him began to split into multiple images. It felt like his mind was about to break. Just facing it caused this much distress. He couldn¡¯t even control his body. ¡®Is this the extent¡­ of the outer beings¡­!¡¯ Reach it? The very thought seemed absurd. That was not something one could reach. A higher level? No, it wasn¡¯t that. It was simply¡­ a different dimension. Apletely higher dimension. Something that could never be breached, no matter what one did. [ This is dangerous. I will send you back. ] The colossal being extended what appeared to be a hand. [ Do not despair. Demon King Tureglo also endured this much before I sent him back. ] With a final word of encouragement, he used his power to send Hero Rain out of his realm. Chapter 71: Conditions for Peace Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.71 Conditions for Peace ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Hero Rain emerged from Yad-Thaddag¡¯s space. He copsed immediately due to the intense headache and dizziness he felt just moments ago upon seeing Yad-Thaddag¡¯s true form. ¡°Huh?¡± But he suddenly realized that the overwhelming headache and dizziness that had been pressing down on him were gone. ¡°Th-This ce¡­ I see. I¡¯m back.¡±The flow of air, the movement of Demon Lord Tureglo¡¯s hand and muscles as he held out the crystal orb. Even the flow of magical power emanating from him. It was exactly the same as just before being swallowed by the darkness that burst forth from the crystal orb. ¡®So it was true that time doesn¡¯t pass.¡¯ No time had passed at all. He had returned to that exact moment. If someone had been watching from the side, it would have looked like he suddenly grabbed his head and copsed right as the Demon Lord held out the crystal orb. ¡°How was it?¡± However, the Demon Lord looked down at Rain and asked, as if knowing he had already seen and heard everything. He was probably asking about meeting the outside entity, the being called Yad-Thaddag. ¡°It¡¯s absurd. But¡­ I had no choice but to believe it.¡± An unbelievable being that exuded an overwhelming presence just by appearing. Even the holy sword that shines and creates a barrier when it senses its master¡¯s crisis couldn¡¯t defend against it. In other words, it far surpassed the level of danger that the holy sword could protect against. Just revealing its true form was enough to cause that much impact. ¡®Was I able to endure that much thanks to the holy sword¡¯s protection?¡¯ Rain thought as he fiddled with the hilt of the holy sword. ¡°That¡¯s good. It seems you had a good conversation. But judging by your appearance¡­ I guess you asked to see its true form and power, like I did.¡± Rain frowned and stood up, his pride slightly hurt by the fact that he had the same thoughts and actions as the Demon Lord. ¡°Hmph, I just wanted to know my limits.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I felt the same way. I wanted to test how far I could reach. You and I might be morepatible than we thought.¡± As he said this with a grin, Rain felt goosebumps all over his body. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t say things like that, you bastard. We can always continue what we were doing before.¡± Rain grabbed the hilt of his holy sword. Seeing this, the Demon Lord tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Hm? Bastard? Ah.¡± Then, as if realizing something, he nodded and said, ¡°I suppose you could misunderstand with this appearance. I guess I made it look too dignified¡­ I¡¯m sorry for causing the misunderstanding.¡± Swoosh©¤ As he said this, Demon Lord Tureglo dispelled the transformation magic cast on himself. And then. ¡°Wh-What?¡± There appeared an incredibly beautiful girl with two brown horns protruding from long, shiny ck hair that was like ck silk. Round, dark eyes filled with mncholy as if hiding some story, a straight nose, and lips as red as cherries. It felt like a masterpiece meticulously crafted by the god of beauty. And below, enormous breasts several timesrger than those of an average woman, a slender waist, and smooth, well-shaped arms and legs. Even her clothes were quite revealing, like a swimsuit, which emphasized her voluptuous figure. Her skin was so fair, it looked as if milk had been poured over it. ¡°I am a female demon, hero. Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± The most beautiful woman Hero Rain had ever met. The woman who was practically his ideal type that he¡¯d only dreamed of, Demon Lord Tureglo, said with a slight smile. ¡°S-S¡­¡± And upon seeing this, Hero Rain. ¡°Shit, no way!!¡± ¡°Oh?! Hero, where are you going?!¡± With a bright red face, he spat out curses and ran towards the exit of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle. # ¡°You surprised me by suddenly running off. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Rain shook his head and answered Tureglo¡¯s question. Earlier, he was so flustered that he tried to run out of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, but then he came to his senses and eventually returned to face the Demon Lord again. ? He¡­ no, she still had a lot to discuss with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go for now. It¡¯s not ideal to keep talking in such a gloomy ce.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± With that, the two moved to the Demon Lord¡¯s office. The office was surprisingly ordinary. Seeing the menacing appearance of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle and throne, he had thought the Demon Lord¡¯s office would be equally gloomy. But it wasn¡¯t like that at all. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Surprisingly, my aesthetic sense is quite normal. The castle¡¯s design and the throne were arbitrarily made by my subordinates who insisted they should look dignified.¡± Tureglo said this with a slightly embarrassed expression. Rain thought that look was quite cute. ¡®Ugh?! What, what am I thinking? About the Demon Lord of all people¡­.¡¯ But as he hastily tried to shake off that thought, realizing his counterpart was the Demon Lord. Suddenly, a thought urred to him. ¡®But if we¡¯re going to live in harmony from now on¡­ is it okay to treat her like a normal woman?¡¯ Of course, as the ruler of a race and the king of demons, she couldn¡¯t be treatedpletely normally. But isn¡¯t it unnecessary to get hung up onbels like Demon Lord or demon race anymore? From now on, they¡¯re going to work towards peace in harmony, right? ¡®Th-Then¡­ normal dating or marriage might even be¡­.¡¯ While he was having such outrageous thoughts. ¡°Hey, hero.¡± ¡°Eek?! Y-Yes, what?!¡± Hero Rain was startled by Demon Lord Tureglo¡¯s call. He looked quite silly. ¡°Hehe, I always thought heroes were tough and rough. But you have some unexpectedly cute sides too.¡± Seeing this, Demon Lord Tureglo seemed quite pleased, slightly blushing as she smiled gently. ¡°¡­Uh, um.¡± The hero froze at the sight. An awkward atmosphere began to flow between the two. It was a soft and sweet atmosphere that made it hard to believe they were trying to kill each other with swords just moments ago. ¡°Ahem! Let¡¯s sit down. We should discuss how demons and humans can live in harmony from now on.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, let¡¯s do that!¡± Hastily breaking the strange atmosphere, the Demon Lord took her seat. Rain sat on the sofa in the office. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s no problem with the demon race. There might be some resistance, but basically, they¡¯ll follow my words for the most part.¡± Tureglo was the first to speak up. As she said, the demon race isn¡¯t really a problem. They strictly follow thew of the jungle, and are loyal and devoted to the Demon Lord, the most powerful absolute ruler. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be any resistance at all. There will probably be some rebels who go against the Demon Lord¡¯s will to live peacefully with humans, or even try to overthrow the Demon Lord outright. ¡°I can sweep away those elements myself. If there are too many rebels, I could even get help from the hero.¡± ¡°¡­Help, you say.¡± Never having imagined the day woulde when the Demon Lord would ask for help. Hero Rain felt somewhat conflicted. ¡°Hehehe, getting help from the hero¡­ what a strange thing to say.¡± Of course, it was the same for Demon Lord Tureglo. But it didn¡¯t feel so bad. Anyway, for these reasons, the demon side isn¡¯t a big problem. Even if problems arise, they can be resolved by force anyway. So the real problem is¡­ ¡°The human side.¡± Hero Rain said seriously. Indeed, the human side is the biggest problem. They are not fundamentally unified. Right now, they¡¯re working together because there¡¯s amon enemy for all of humanity ¨C the Demon Lord. But as soon as this situation ends, they¡¯ll split up again and be at each other¡¯s throats. It¡¯s basically unreasonable to ask such people to reconcile with demons with a unified opinion. No, to begin with, would there even be any human countries willing to sign a peace treaty with demons if proposed? Demons are inherently stronger than humans. That¡¯s why they can invade even with small numbers, and why all of humanity has to join forces to face the demon army. But how many would readily agree if told to live in harmony with a powerful race that might attack them at any time? And the war. In reality, apart from the frontlines against demons, there¡¯s little sense of being at war. Rather, through the war, demons, and the magical beasts that emerged due to demonic influence, humans engage in more active economic activities. Adventurers make money by subjugating magical beasts, and various items are made from the byproducts and magic stones obtained from these beasts. And once you move away from the frontlines, the outskirts of various countries be more peaceful due to the absence of small-scale battles between nations. Thanks to this, the production of various crops and resources has increased enormously. One might think this only disadvantages the countries on the frontlines, but. ¡®That¡¯s not exactly the case.¡¯ The demons¡¯ invasion point is in the north. The frontline countries are the northern nations. Northern countries basically depend on imports for most of their crops because theirnd is barren. But under the pretext of being on the frontlines in the war against the Demon Lord, they can receive various supplies, including crops, from neighboring countries for free or at low prices. From the perspective of neighboring countries, the peace in their outskirts has significantly increased the production of various crops and resources, so supporting some northern countries doesn¡¯t have a big impact. In this way, the northern countries are exposed to the frontlines of the war against demons, but in return, they¡¯re solving their food shortages almost for free. ¡°All of this is possible because of the war with demons. But the moment peace is established with demons and the war ends, everything will go back to how it was before.¡± Small-scale battles will constantly ur in border regions. Northern countries will have to buy food at high prices. And the human world will be filled with dirty fights among their own kind. For their own safety and from the perspective of national interests, peace with demons was unnecessary. Chapter 72: Dream Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.72 Dream ¡°Oh, Hero Rain. You have returned.¡± Rain first sought out the king of the As Kingdom, the human he found easiest tomunicate with and to whose kingdom he belonged. The one who always believed in him and supported him. A father figure to Rain, who grew up as an orphan. He decided to first tell him about what happened with the Demon Lord and seek his counsel. Of course, he didn¡¯t tell him everything. After all, the king wouldn¡¯t believe in the existence of outer beings and such.He simply said that the Demon Lord wanted peace and wished to fight no more. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they could just return to the demon realm. Why don¡¯t they?¡± A natural question. In fact, Rain had harbored the same doubt and asked the Demon Lord before. But the answer he received was: ¡®The demon realm is barren. With the current demon poption, there¡¯s an absolute shortage of food. That¡¯s why we need the bountifulnds of the surface. This part is unavoidable¡­ In exchange, we¡¯ll give whatever we can.¡¯ Even the barrennds of the north are said to be bountifulpared to the demon realm for the demon race. Just having crops that can be eaten and beasts that can be hunted is extremely rare in the demon realm, they say. To begin with, because their required intake is extremely lowpared to humans, even the food produced in the north is said to be sufficient. ¡®If even demons with such low needs suffer from food shortages, what kind of ce must the demon realm be?¡¯ Anyway, when he spoke about this, the king thought for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°Even if I were to agree, the rulers of other countries wouldn¡¯t stand idly by. Especially those in the north who would have to share borders with the demon race.¡± When the war ends, support from other countries will also stop. Yet, they still have to maintain borders with the demon race, so the tension remains. Although manpower won¡¯t be consumed as much as during wartime, the situation can¡¯t be said to have improved from now. And it¡¯s the same for other countries too. When the human-demon war, where humanity is united in fighting, ends, they will once again turn their swords on each other. The war that was mostly left to the northern countries could be their own problem as soon as tomorrow. The only ones who would wee this are probably the arms merchants. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help with this matter. I¡¯m sorry, Hero.¡± The king of As sincerely apologized and even bowed his head. ¡°Ah, no, Your Majesty. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be possible. I just mentioned it on the off chance.¡± It seems difficult after all. The hero thought so. But he didn¡¯t give up hope. He decided to use his position as the hero to try and persuade other rulers directly. ¡°Don¡¯t speak such nonsense!!¡± ¡°Well, well, we sent him as a hero, but it seems he¡¯s been bewitched by the Demon Lord!¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll betray humanity now?!¡± Of course, the reactions of the human rulers were intense. Some even went as far as to say that Hero Rain, who brought this story, should be branded a traitor and executed. At least the king of As Kingdom, due to his close rtionship with Rain, listened to the story seriously. But the rulers of other countries didn¡¯t even try to listen in detail. They just heard the word ¡®reconciliation with the demon race¡¯ and went into fits, shouting that it was impossible. There are probably political and economic reasons too. But it¡¯s also likely due to the deeply ingrained image of the demon race itself. After saying all that, they probably think that these beings, far more powerful than humanity, might attack again at any time. They want to nip it in the bud, that¡¯s probably their thinking. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Hero Rain let out a deep sigh. If only there was a way to change the image of the demon race somehow. Then they might at least listen. Then he could exin what benefits coulde from reconciliation with the demon race. It seemed he had no choice but to return to the Demon Lord with this disappointing news. # ¡°I see. It¡¯s difficult after all, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It seems there¡¯s a deep-rooted resentment and distrust towards the demon race.¡± Demon Lord Tureglo lowered her head regretfully at the news Hero Rain brought. But it was as she had expected. She had sent the hero hoping that maybe things would work out easily. ¡°Is there no way to change the image of the demon race?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else but to end the war and return¡­¡± ¡°Then the human nations would fall into chaos.¡± A sudden end to the war. Now that many people make their living from the war, they can¡¯t carelessly end it for fear that humanity might be even more destitute due to the winds of change it would bring. ¡°For now, we need to reach a stalemate, and somehow show them that the demon race can be beneficial to them.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, I will. Anything.¡± Hero Rain said this with a serious expression, and Demon Lord Tureglo smiled gently upon seeing it. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re cooperating. If I were alone, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about it and would have just returned to the demon realm.¡± The beautiful Demon Lord smiling gently. Hero Rain unknowingly blushed and turned his head away. ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± And seeing this, the Demon Lord also became somewhat embarrassed, blushing and averting her gaze here and there. Just as the atmosphere was about to be awkward. ¡°Demon Lord, I have something to report¡­¡± ¡°Oh, oh! Yes. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± A subordinate demon came, and Tureglo used it as an excuse to hastily leave the awkward situation. ¡®W-why am I like this? Surely I¡¯m not developing feelings for the hero who¡¯s helping me as an ally¡­.¡¯ ¡®Oh really¡­ Why is he so handsome and all?¡¯ Both of them trying hard to hide their embarrassed feelings, and so that day passed. # For now, the hero had dered that he would go to defeat the Demon Lord again, so he decided to stay in the Demon Lord¡¯s castle. After all, he had been branded a traitor, so he had no choice but to say that. He felt a bit ufortable thinking that he had lied. ¡®But I have to endure it. This is all for the true peace of this world.¡¯ The creator of this world. The being that moves the chess pieces called himself and the Demon Lord. To escape from its grasp, one must make it impossible to y the chess game itself. ¡®ck and white pieces. But if they all turn gray, even if you want to y the game, you can¡¯t.¡¯ However, the process of turning them gray is not easy. Pure white can be easily stained gray just by painting it, but ck that has already been dyed pitch-dark must have that paint stripped off to be gray. It¡¯s easy to paint, but hard to strip off. ¡®How ironic. The humans who believe themselves to be good were actually the impure ck.¡¯ Politics, economy, personal interests, prejudices¡­. It was humans, not demons, who had been painted countless times with such things and turned pitch-ck. Rather, it is the demons who are pure white, starting wars to secure their food, purely believing in strength and unconditionally following the Demon Lord as the one absolute being they gather around. Of course, they may not bepletely pure white, but they are close to it. ¡®It would be nice if humans could purely believe in and follow just one thing like demons do.¡¯ They do believe and move only for what benefits them, but prejudices and political reasons get in the way and hinder them. Humans are beings full of such impurities. ¡®¡­When one war ends, they start another. For true peace, perhaps humanity itself needs to disappear?¡¯ For a moment he had such a thought, but Rain quickly shook his head. ¡°What am I thinking¡­¡± To think that he, the protector of humanity, was considering the extinction of humanity. Realizing how absurd it was, he hit his own head once. ¡°I must be crazy, really. Is it because I¡¯m in the Demon Lord¡¯s castle?¡± He tried hard to erase that thought from his mind, but once started, the thought wouldn¡¯t stop. He even began to think that maybe it was the most efficient and sure way. As he tossed and turned with these disrespectful thoughts, he fell asleep. And he dreamed. In the dream, there was the massive figure he had seen before. Yad-Thaddag. The outside being that had revealed the truth of this world to them. Maybe because it was a dream this time, he didn¡¯t feel the throbbing headache when looking at it. Was it because it was an imaginary being in a dream? Or¡­ Anyway, it spoke to the hero. [ Carry out your will. You are the ¡®Guardian of Peace¡¯ created by the will of the universe. The peace you envision is the peace the world desires. ] ¡°¡­¡­¡±To those words, the hero asked back. ¡°But I¡¯m wondering if the things I¡¯m supposed to protect might actually be unnecessary, if it might be right to eliminate them. Is that really the peace the world wants?¡± At his question, the giant¡¯s red eyes shed brightly. Though it clearly only had eyes and couldn¡¯t possibly have an expression. For some reason, it seemed to be grinning. [ Your will is the will of the universe. Go in the direction you think is most right. If it¡¯s difficult to decide alone, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to seek advice from someone you trust. ] ¡°¡­Someone I trust.¡± At those words, for some reason, the hero thought of Demon Lord Tureglo. A being who shares the same truth about the world and sincerely desires peace for the world. And, a beautiful and lovely woman. ¡®That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t need to decide alone. She, who desires peace, will judge whether my thoughts are truly right.¡¯ Hero Rain thought this in his dream, and then woke up. Chapter 73: The Fallen Hero Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.73 The Fallen Hero After waking from his dream, the hero seemed to ponder for a moment before heading towards the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord was in her office, discussing matters with her subordinate demon executives. ¡°Oh, the hero hase. Perfect timing. We were just talking about how to win over the humans in the northern countries¡­¡± ¡°¡­Demon Lord. I have something to say too.¡± When Rain spoke with a serious expression, she immediately sensed that it was a grave matter. The Demon Lord signaled with her eyes for her subordinates to leave.¡°¡­¡­¡± The executives weren¡¯t pleased with the fact that the human hero was on close terms with the Demon Lord, so they gave the two a somewhat displeased look, but unable to resist the Demon Lord¡¯s pressure, they left the office. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I don¡¯t think you¡¯vee to ask about the breakfast menu.¡± ¡°Demon Lord, what I¡¯m about to say is really, really just asking about a possibility.¡± Tureglo tried to lighten the mood a bit with a joke, but Rain continued with a serious expression. ¡°What if, just what if. If we were to eliminate all of humanity that opposes peace, would this world be peaceful?¡± Hero Rain¡¯s question waspletely unexpected. To think that the protector of humanity would speak of humanity¡¯s extinction. Of course, it¡¯s not about killing everyone, just those humans who oppose making peace and forming an alliance with the demon race. Well, that would probably be most of humanity, though. Anyway, it was definitely not something the hero, humanity¡¯sst bastion, should ever suggest. ¡°¡­Hero.¡± Demon Lord Tureglo had also considered this idea before. The thought that if they eliminated all those who opposed them, peace might follow afterwards¡­ But it¡¯s far too contradictory. Breaking peace for the sake of peace. Even if they were to crush everyone and rule through fear, it would eventually rot from within. The demon race might somehow manage through forced submission, but if humans remained, there would surely be those who would continually rise up in rebellion against the tyranny. Then, small-scale conflicts would be unavoidable, and peace would be out of reach. And above all, wouldn¡¯t the extinction of humanity be exactly what the Creator wants? ¡°That would just be doing what the Creator wants.¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not it.¡± But Hero Rain shook his head. ¡°What it wants is for us to keep fighting forever. But if one sidepletely disappears, that bes impossible too. If the world¡¯s destroyer and its nemesis team up topletely eliminate one side, extinguishing the very spark of conflict¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The hero¡¯s words had a point. What the Creator wants is the recurring battle between humans and demons every few hundred years. The Demon Lord retreating due to the nemesis, then regaining strength and invading again¡­ Repeating that cycle over and over. But if one side were to bepletely destroyed, the very concept of a battle would cease to exist. War would disappear. ¡°If the remaining side were humans, they would continue to cause conflicts. But what if it¡¯s the demon race?¡± The conclusion, ultimately, is the extinction of humanity. That alone is the only way to achieve eternal peace. ¡°Oh, hero¡­¡± The protector of humanity, uttering this with his own mouth. Demon Lord Tureglo couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how torn his heart must be. However, he seemed to have already made his decision. ¡°Humanity must perish. Submitting to the demon race and living under them¡­ No, not even that. Total annihtion.¡± Hero Rain¡¯s eyes changed. The annihtion of all humanity. For the peace of this world. He was prepared to abandon everything he had been protecting. ¡®Instead, the demon race and the Demon Lord will be able to live in peace.¡¯ It¡¯s a being he had onlye to know well a few days ago. No, until then, they had been mortal enemies seeking each other¡¯s lives. But for the sake of the ¡®world peace¡¯ he desires, it seems to be an unavoidable choice. The moment he made up his mind. Rustle¡ª The holy sword began to turn ck. # ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± ¡°R-Run away!¡± ¡°The hero has betrayed us!¡± The Demon Lord and the hero. When these two transcendent beings joined forces, humanity naturally had no chance to withstand them. The northern countries, which were at the forefront of the war, werepletely annihted, and then it was the turn of the central countries. The hero and the demon race advanced, destroying everything in sight. They began to move forward, killing all humans in sight as if trying to erase the existence of humanity from this world. ¡°P-Please spare me¡­ Please spare my life!¡± Even the soldiers who surrendered, trembling in fear. ¡°Hehehe, death has finallye for me.¡± Even the sick elderly who couldn¡¯t get out of bed. ¡°Oh, the child! Please spare the child!¡± Even the mother shielding her child. ¡°Waaaaaah! Mommy!¡± Even the child who lost their mother. They killed them all. Thoroughly and miserably, to a heartbreaking degree. Like the corrupted holy sword that had lost its defensive abilities and instead gained powerful offensive capabilities that destroyed everything it touched, A dark shadow had fallen over the face of the hero, Rain. The things he had been protecting. Someone¡¯s happiness, someone¡¯s dream, someone¡¯s family. He was destroying it all. With his own hands. His hands were still trembling. It had been a month already, but there hadn¡¯t been a single day when his hands didn¡¯t shake. ¡®I killed them. People. With my own hands.¡¯ Of course, he had killed people before. As a hero, he had eliminated bandits and beheaded nobles who had betrayed humanity and sided with the demon race. But. But. But¡­ ¡°You traitor!!¡± ¡°Kill him, kill him! Damn it, I¡¯ll curse you even as a ghost!¡± ¡°Aaaaargh! M-My child!¡± Isn¡¯t this, isn¡¯t this too cruel? Even if it¡¯s for peace, is this really the right path? Killing all of humanity? Not even leaving a single seed? Whenever such thoughts arose, the hero straightened his mental state. Yes, there is no other way. Humanity has always created a history of conflict, a race that can never be peaceful. Their very existence is war. This is right. This is what I must do. This is unavoidable. He kept thinking and affirming this in his heart. ¡°H-Hero¡­ why¡­¡± And so he cut down the soldier who had fought alongside him on the battlefield. ¡°Kuhek¡­! Please spa¡­ Khek!¡± He cut down the innkeeper who had made him warm soup when he was exhausted from battle. ¡°R-Rain! Rain, pleasee to your senses!!¡± He cut down the childhood friend he used to y with. ¡°Ah, aah¡­ Waaaaaah¡­!¡± He cut down the vige girl who had made him a flower crown to thank him for saving the vige. Squelch. When Rain saw the flower crown the girl was holding, now soaked in bright red blood, He trampled on it nonchntly and began walking towards his next target. He had now crossed a river from which there was absolutely no return. If he had time to look back on the past, he should have killed even one more human. And so, the hero Rain¡­ ¡°¡­Hero Rain. So you¡¯ve finallye this far.¡± Like a father to him. He reached the King of the As Kingdom, who had always believed in and supported him. ¡°Your Majesty, please understand me. Everything is for peace. This is unavoidable.¡± Swish¡ª Rain said this as he slowly pointed his corrupted ck holy sword at the king. Usually at this point, people would try to persuade him or beg for their lives. But the King of As did not do that. He showed the same kind smile he always had when Rain visited, and said, ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the conclusion you¡¯vee to, then it must be so. You¡¯re trying to shoulder everything alone, it must be very hard.¡± The moment he heard that gentle smile and those encouraging words, It felt as if some of the pitch-ck shadow that had fallen over his face had been lifted slightly. And then. Drip¡­ Tears began to flow. He thought he had already thrown everything away. He thought he had discarded all emotions, sympathy, affection, everything. But in the end, even the hero was just a human. Rain, called the hero, humanity¡¯s guardian, the fallen traitor, the cold-hearted ughterer. But all of this was too much to bear, and he had been forcibly suppressing everything. He was just an ordinary human after all. ¡°Aah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaah!!¡± His face covered in tears. His hands visibly shaking. Without any semnce of a hero¡¯s sword stance, he rushed forward as if thrashing about. He swung his sword like a child would. As if a child throwing a tantrum to their father. As if begging to be held, saying it¡¯s too hard. sh¡ª! The King of As didn¡¯t even try to dodge the wildly swung sword, allowing himself to be cut. Blood sttered everywhere, and his upper body began to soak in the gushing blood. ¡°Kuhuk¡­¡± The power of the ck holy sword destroyed everything it touched, his internal organs werepletely mangled, and blood gushed from his mouth. Even so, the King of As didn¡¯t utter a single word of resentment to Rain standing before him. Just one phrase. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ And with that, the King of As passed away. At that moment, the fallen hero Rain Finally lost everything. Chapter 74: Worthless Toy Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.74 Worthless Toy The destend of humanity. No, should we call it thend of the past now? Humanity has vanished from this world. The Demon Lord, the demon race, and¡­ the fallen hero made it so. On thatnd where everything had crumbled, the fallen hero Rain looked up at the sky. Clear. The sky was so clear, indifferent to everything.It would have been better if it were cloudy or dark. Rain thought to himself. Chirp chirp! Chirp! Beyond the ruined city, grass was growing, and peaceful bird sounds could be heard from the surroundings. A gentle breeze blew pleasantly, and warm sunlight shone down on this peaceful afternoon. The world is so peaceful. Despite having gone through a tremendous war that wiped out all of humanity. No, perhaps because of that war. Whatever the case, hero Rain¡¯s goal had been achieved. Now the demon race had be the rulers of this world. The demon race knelt before the massive being known as the Demon Lord, pledging eternal peace and prosperity. ¡®With this, with this it¡¯s done, right?¡¯ He had confidence. The confidence that peace woulde with the extinction of humanity. That belief did not waver. What wavered was merely his heart. ¡®It¡¯s already toote. Everything is over.¡¯ Of course, thinking such thoughts was already toote, but still. ¡°Hero.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice called out to him from behind. ¡°Demon Lord.¡± It was the Demon Lord. The one who had worked together with Rain to achieve peace. The very one who had led him down this path. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Rain couldn¡¯t easily answer her question. His mental state was such that he couldn¡¯t even lie and say he was fine. But in the end, he had to ovee it. And after oveing it, he had to do thest remaining task. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I still have enough strength left to do the final task.¡± The hero said so, with a faint smile. And then he raised his ckened holy sword high. ¡°¡­?!¡± Before the Demon Lord, startled by the hero¡¯s sudden action, could stop him. The hero immediately reversed his grip on the sword and plunged it into his own stomach. Squelch©¤!! ¡°Ra¡­ The shocked Demon Lord rushed over in a panic. As she tried to grab the hilt to quickly pull out the holy sword. Zap!! As if refusing to be touched by anyone but its master, the holy sword emitted powerful magic, repelling Tureglo¡¯s hand. ¡°Kyaa!¡± Though thrown back, Tureglo continued to attempt to pull out the sword nheless. She tried using healing magic, and even attacked the sword directly with offensive magic. But she couldn¡¯t pull out the sword. The hero was firmly gripping the sword, pushing it deep enough to pierce through his stomach. Splurt! ¡°Cough!!¡± Blood gushed out from Rain¡¯s mouth and his pierced stomach. And then, due to the special ability of the ck holy sword, his body began to crumble gradually starting from the pierced area. Crumble©¤ ¡°Ra, Rain! Rain!! Why, why did you do this!!¡± Demon Lord Tureglo screamed, tears streaming down her beautiful face. An emotion beyond justmenting his death. It was clearly ¡®love¡¯. ¡°Hehe¡­.¡± Of course, Rain knew this fact as well. That she loved him, and that he loved her too. That¡¯s why, to keep his promise with her. For the perfect peace of the world, he did this now. ¡°Humanity, cough! All of it¡­ must be eliminated. That was, the condition¡­ hack! The condition.¡± Thest remaining human. Himself, the fallen hero Rain. He thought that his existence would eventually disrupt the peace. The demon race that followed strength. And the fallen hero with power equal to the Demon Lord. Moreover, in this war to exterminate humanity, he had yed the most active role. As the war dragged on, there were even those among the demon race who trusted and followed Rain more than the Demon Lord. Two massive suns inevitably create conflict. One sun had to be extinguished. And the sun to be extinguished had to be himself, thest remaining human. He knew this better than anyone else. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true! There must be another way! Even now, if we pull out the sword and heal¡­¡± Tureglo, unable to ept reality, spoke of finding another way. But Rain shook his head. This is the best way now. It¡¯s the surest method. He told her so with eyes moist with tears. If it were possible, he too wanted to be with her forever. Though they were of different races, he wanted to nurture their love beautifully and live peacefully. But that dream was, as the saying goes, just a dream. He knew it was an unattainable goal. ¡°S Crumble©¤ Hero Rain, just like King As whom he regarded as a father. Apologized onest time and vanished into dust. ng! The holy sword that fell to the ground. As if to say its job was done now that its master had departed, the ckness that had tainted it disappeared, and it returned to its original pure white form. ¡°Ah, aah¡­ Uwaaaaah!¡± And the Demon Lord Tureglo left behind, no¡­ the mere woman who had lost the man she loved. Wept loudly enough to shake the world. # There¡¯s no pain. It¡¯s peaceful. That¡¯s how Rain felt. He couldn¡¯t feel the pain of the sword wound that had pierced his stomach, nor the pain of his entire body that had been slowly crumbling away. ¡®Am I dead?¡¯ The afterlife. He thought he had be a soul. As he was thinking that, [ So the finale ispleted by killing oneself. It was quite an interesting ending. ] Someone¡¯s voice was heard. A familiar voice resonating directly in his head. ¡®Yad-Thaddag?¡¯ He could easily remember that it was Yad-Thaddag, the outside entity who had offered to help them and revealed the truth of this world. ¡°Then is this the outside world? Have Ie to the outside after dying?¡± To Rain¡¯s question, Yad-Thaddag¡¯s voice answered. [ No, this is my void space, same as before. I¡¯ve revived you here. I became a bit curious about how you¡¯d react if I told you the real truth. ] ¡°Re-revived, you say?¡± Hearing those words, Rain hurriedly felt his own body. It was real. He had substance. ¡®I¡¯m sure I died¡­ Can an outer god so casually resurrect humans like this?¡¯ With what resolve and thoughts he had chosen to end his life. Being brought back so easily made him feel a bit empty. Anyway, that aside. ¡°The real truth, you say. Are there more things hidden behind it?¡± To his question, Yad-Thaddagughed. [ Kukukuk. You still don¡¯t understand? The creator, outer god, beings of equal status, the dream you had, sudden changes in your state of mind, corruption of the psyche¡­ Really, you don¡¯t get it? ] Rain, who had been staring nkly as if he couldn¡¯t make sense of it at all. Suddenly, a strange thought urred to him. ¡®Huh? Come to think of it, why¡­ why did I think of exterminating humanity? Surely there must have been other ways. Even if it took more time, a peaceful method¡­¡¯ At that moment, he remembered. The dream he had then. Yad-Thaddag who appeared there. ¡®Carry out your will. You are the ¡®Guardian of Peace¡¯ created by the will of the universe. The peace you envision is the peace the world desires.¡¯ That¡¯s what he had said. At the moment when he thought that eliminating humanity might be the easiest way. As if encouraging that very idea. As if that was the right choice. And he had also said. ¡®Your will is the will of the universe. Move in the direction you believe is most right. If it¡¯s difficult to decide alone, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to seek advice from someone you trust around you.¡¯ Ask the Demon Lord. But thinking about it, the existence known as the Demon Lord is ultimately created by the creator. An existence meant to destroy humanity and the world. Of course, there¡¯s no way they would refuse a proposal to push away humanity for peace and take peace for themselves. ¡®Was everything¡­ guided?¡¯ That thought suddenly struck him. What if everything had been guided? Revealing the truth of the world to the Demon Lord. Making them draw in the hero. After making them cooperate like that, making the hero exterminate humanity and destroy the world once for the sake of peace. If all of it¡­ had been made to flow ording to intention? ¡°Why on earth¡­?¡± Rain asks. Why did you do it, he asks. No, he already knew the answer to that. The creator, outer god, beings of equal status, the dream you had, sudden changes in your state of mind, corruption of the psyche¡­ In other words, Yad-Thaddag wasn¡¯t an entity that suddenly intervened to help them. He was just the creator of this world who made everything flow ording to his intentions¡­ It was him all along. [ You¡¯ve finally realized it. The ¡®real truth¡¯. ] He said, as if intrigued. He was observing Rain¡¯s reaction. Would he despair? Go insane? Or unexpectedly remain calm? An air of expectation could be felt even by Rain. ¡°¡­Why?¡± His first action upon learning the truth was a question. Why did you do such a thing? Why, after creating a cruel world full of nothing but war, did you go to such lengths? He couldn¡¯t understand at all. To that question, the creator answered. [ I was curious. I wondered if it was possible to guide the mind of an adversary in a certain direction to make them destroy their own universe. That kind of curiosity. ] It was mere curiosity, he said. It was just to satisfy his own trivial intellectual desire, he said. [ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go as far as to kill yourself at the end, you know. I thought you¡¯d have a happy ending living well with that Demon Lord. That¡¯s why I revived you. I became a bit curious about how someone like you would react when learning the real truth. ] ¡°Ha, hahaha.¡± A toy. It¡¯s truly just a toy. Something that can be yed with anytime, fixed anytime, and bought anew anytime. Such a trivial and small toy. Himself, the Demon Lord, and all the people who died. In front of this absurd existence called an outer god, that¡¯s all the value they amount to. ¡°Uahahahaha! Ahahahaha!¡± The moment he realized this, Hero Rain burst intoughter as if he had gone insane. Chapter 75: Azathoth Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.75 Azathoth Oh, they¡¯vepletely lost their mind. This reaction is getting a bit boring. [ How truly evil. ] As I was thinking that, Idra approached from the side. Such an incredibly beautiful appearance. I created this Demon Lord based on her looks, but there¡¯s certainly a beauty and atmosphere that no created being could ever match. So, evil, huh?It does seem like it might have been a bit excessive. Making a being born as an adversary destroy the very things they were meant to protect, and then resurrecting someone whomitted suicide only topletely shatter their mental state. Even if it was to satisfy my curiosity, it was undeniably a wicked act. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I feel any guilt about it. Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯ve alreadye too far. Well, this test was quite interesting, nheless. An experiment to corrupt the adversary and guide them to bring about the destruction of the world they were meant to protect. It didn¡¯t go as nned, so I had to try it several times. If I directly brainwashed or controlled the adversary, it would be easy, but that would be ambiguous to say the adversary attacked the universe. I tried all sorts of methods to deliberately guide them. Using a beautiful Demon Lord modeled after Idra to seduce them. Guiding their subconscious to think that the extinction of humanity was the easiest path to peace. Appearing in their dreams to add a bit of mental corruption and cloud their judgment. In the end, by pulling all of that together, I was able to see the adversary truly destroy the world and eradicate humanity. To think that a being created by the will of the universe could be made to act against that will. Even though there was some interference, the fact that it could be guided like that with just that much was incredibly interesting. I could use this to conduct various other experiments. For example, an experiment to see if another adversary appears when we turn the original adversary into a destroyer bent on annihting the world¡­ Oh, now that I mention it, I¡¯m curious. Should we try it right now? [ How about we take a break from that for a while? ] [ Hm? ] Idra looks at me with desperate, pleading eyes. [ I know I can¡¯t stop you. You¡¯re that kind of being, after all. But¡­ even so, couldn¡¯t you pause these terrible acts for just a little while? If you need something interesting, couldn¡¯t you observe the elves? ] ? Well, when a prettydy asks like that, even I can¡¯t refuse. The fact that I want to grant a beautiful person¡¯s request even without any sexual desire shows that beautiful beings have a power that makes you want to listen to them, regardless of lust. Well, I am an eternal being without the concept of time anyway. It¡¯s not like anything will happen just because I postpone the order a bit. Then, for now, shall we observe Eugene and the elves¡¯ SF world with Idra? We¡¯ll do the adversary experimentter. [ ¡­? ] As I was thinking that, I suddenly felt like someone was watching me, so I turned around. But there was nothing there except the countless universe bubbles that usually upy myboratory. What¡¯s this? Could there be a being that found me among all these universes? It¡¯s impossible for a conceptual being capable of perceiving outside the universe to spontaneously arise within a universe. Or¡­ is it from the outside? Maybe it¡¯s a top-tier outer god like me. I thought that, but I don¡¯t sense any such presence either. I don¡¯t know what it is. An illusion? No, was I even capable of having ¡®illusions¡¯ to begin with? As I was pondering this. Swoosh©¤ [ ¡­!? ] My surroundings changed. I was definitely in theboratory space just a moment ago. Nothing can be felt. No color, no space, no concept¡­ nothing exists. It¡¯s truly ¡®void¡¯. What on earth is this? It¡¯s not any universe, nor is it an interstice. What in the world is this ce? As I was thinking that. [ Dangerous element. Eliminate. ] A voice came from somewhere. An outer god? Is it an outer god? An outer god that can move me somewhere else without me noticing? Was there ever a being with such an absurd power? Even the one called ¡®Yog-Sothoth¡¯, considered the pinnacle of outer gods, shouldn¡¯t be able to do this? Moreover, it doesn¡¯t feel like an outer god at all. Even I can¡¯t sense anything in this void and existence. What¡­ exactly is happening here? # I felt a gaze. The gaze that was looking at me. The Origin noticed it. How? No being should be able to sense its gaze, which both exists and doesn¡¯t exist. So how did that one notice and realize it? Is it because it¡¯s an avatar created by itself? Is it because it possesses a part of the most fundamental power? No, if that were the case, it should have noticed much earlier. The fact that it didn¡¯t before means something has changed. [ Experiment. Knowledge. ] Creating universes and gaining new knowledge through various experiments. Those must be increasing its power without a doubt. With that power, it has been gradually growing the strength that was given to it, the strength within itself. It has nurtured enough power to even notice its gaze, which shouldn¡¯t exist. [ Dangerous element. Elimination required. ] That is dangerous. Among the fragments of origin it has scattered, that one is particrly dangerous. A fragment of origin that grows on its own. If left alone, it might grow even more powerful and approach the true Origin. The answer is to eliminate it preemptively. Having reached this conclusion, the Origin drew it into its cradle. [ Dangerous element. Eliminating. ] The red-eyed form, seeming to understand its words, quickly tries to sense its surroundings. Of course, that¡¯s impossible. This ce, the origin of the world and the void itself, is none other than itself. It was already as good as being in its stomach. Now it¡¯s just a matter of digesting it properly. Just as it thought that and was about to extend the power of Origin to it, Crack©¤ [ ? ] Suddenly, as if blocked by some force, the power of Origin approaching it was repelled. The power of Origin being repelled? That¡¯s impossible. Literally, Origin is the source. The beginning of everything, the inevitable endpoint, and the unknown that nothing can reach. That which absolutely exists yet doesn¡¯t exist, a contradiction that is not a contradiction. It cannot miss or fail to reach anything. [ Why? ] It doesn¡¯t make sense. Why. Even though it understood the meaning of that question, it never imagined it would have something like doubt. The Origin, known as ¡®Azathoth¡¯, felt the emotions of ¡®doubt¡¯ and ¡®confusion¡¯ for the first time. And immediately, it was able to deduce the reason. [ The power of Origin. Only the same power can oppose it. ] There¡¯s only one thing that can resist the irresistible power of Origin. The same power of Origin. Of course, that one is its avatar and one of its direct creations, so it possesses a fragment of Origin. But that¡¯s just a tiny fragment. No matter how much knowledge it umtes and power it grows, it can¡¯t stand against the real Origin. It¡¯s on a different level entirely. There¡¯s only one conclusion. Another Origin has sprouted. Something that absolutely cannot exist in this world in twos, other than itself. It has be two. [ Interference impossible. Interference impossible. ] If that¡¯s the case, Azathoth can do nothing. It is the closest to Origin and is Origin itself. At the same time, it is also a being without origin, a being that doesn¡¯t exist. If there¡¯s another being of equal Origin, they absolutely cannot interfere with each other. The moment it was moved here, exposed to the power of Origin, the fragment became a seed. And then it grew into a sprout. At that moment, they be separate entities that can no longer interfere with each other. [ Exile, independence is the best option. ] The only fortunate point is that its power is still just a sprout. If it weren¡¯t for that, the order of this world would have already started to split in two and copse. Up and down would be the same, right would be left, the distinction between hot and cold would disappear, heads would be feet and feet would be heads. Before that happens, it must be a separate Origin. It must build its own world and be an Origin like itself there. It¡¯s like a multiverse. Two parallel Origins that cannot interfere with each othere into being. To exin this and convey its intention, it needed to have a conversation with that sprout. [ Conversation required. ] It requested a conversation like that, but. [ Why should I? Shit, why would I talk to some bastard who suddenly brought me to a weird ce and is trying to do weird things? ] After saying that, it disappeared from the Origin with a poof. [ ¡­¡­. Confused. ] And so Azathoth, while existing, felt the emotion of confusion for the second time. Chapter 76: Interview Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.76 Interview Whoa, that startled me. Somehow, I was suddenly able to escape from there and return to myboratory. [ Hm? You suddenly went somewhere, and now you¡¯re back. ] Seeing Idra, who I was just talking to, it seems I¡¯ve returned to the right ce. Wow, that really scared me. This is the first time I¡¯ve encountered an unexpected crisis since bing an Outer God. That was really dangerous.At least when I entered that space, it felt like I gained some new power? That¡¯s how I managed to escape. What could that have been? I couldn¡¯t even perceive its existence. [ Conversation requested. ] Just as I was thinking that. Suddenly, that voice spoke to me again. [ What are you? ] It was behind me. Surprisingly, its form was that of a tentacled giant with red eyes, just like me. Seeing the immeasurablyrge tentacled giant, I realize how grotesque my own appearance must be¡­ No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now. What matters is that this being followed me here. Moreover, this isn¡¯t just some gap that can be easily traversed; it¡¯s aboratory dimension I created independently. It¡¯s not a ce that even beings like Idra or Nyathotep can casually break into without my permission. Yet it appeared beside me as if it hade along without any effort. [ Huh? Why are there two of you? ] Idra is confused beside me. It seems it¡¯s not just visible to me¡­ [ Conversation? You want to talk with me? ] When I asked that, the other tentacled giant nodded affirmatively. A conversation, suddenly. What happened to kidnapping me at will and trying to kill me for being a dangerous element? As I red at it with that thought, it moved its arm and suddenly transported me and itself to a different space. ¡°Is this morefortable for conversation?¡± [ ¡­.. ] I¡¯ve seen this scene before. It was when I had a conversation with Nyathotep. It changed into a human form to make mefortable. This time was the same. The difference is, while Nyathotep changed into a beautiful young woman. This other giant, amusingly, took on the exact appearance of my human self. What¡¯s this? Is it deliberately imitating me? As I started to feel a bit annoyed at that thought, it spoke. ¡°I apologize. In my haste to transform, I synchronized with you, the one I¡¯m most strongly connected to at the moment. I hope you¡¯re not offended.¡± Strongly connected? Synchronized? Why is it taking on my appearance? I suppose I¡¯ll find out all of that when I talk with it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk.¡± I also change into a human form for easier conversation. However, wanting to differentiate myself from it a bit, I take on Yujin¡¯s appearance. We look basically simr, but there are some differences between Yujin and my true form. ¡­Saying it like this makes me feel a bit annoyed again. My human self was good-looking too, you know? Really! So, me and that¡­ ugh, what should I call it? ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a name in your information¡­ How about calling me ¡®Azathoth¡¯?¡± How is it answering as if it¡¯s reading my thoughts? Can it read minds? That thing¡¯s name is Azathoth, Aza¡­ what? Wait a minute. Azathoth? The Azathoth I know is the being at the pinnacle of the Outer Gods in the Cthulhu Mythos, isn¡¯t it? No, it¡¯s not just about Outer Gods. It¡¯s the absolute being in the mythology. The creator of this world and a being unbound by anything. It¡¯s truly the being most deserving of the name ¡®god¡¯ in the Cthulhu Mythos, the very Origin of everything. And at that moment, I felt like all the puzzle pieces were falling into ce. The most fundamental being, yet one without an origin. The reason why I could only obtain information about the universe without any reaction when I connected with it. How the being I¡¯m now calling Azathoth could move me with overwhelming power. And why I could resist its power. Everything made sense in my mind. ¡°Azathoth¡­ I see. I was your ¡®Yujin¡¯, the Yujin of you who are the Origin of this world.¡± Finally, everything made sense. The highest-ranking Outer Gods are the beings thate into existence from the primordial Origin. But I suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as if I had dropped from thin air. The reason is that Azathoth created me by breaking off a piece of himself. Because I am his avatar and alter ego. What about being human? Why do I have memories? I¡¯m not sure about that. Is it because Azathoth created me that way? Or¡­ did some unexpected problem ur that even he didn¡¯t anticipate? Considering he said things like ¡°dangerous element¡± and ¡°must be eliminated,¡± I think it¡¯s more likely thetter. I have many questions. Well, that¡¯s okay. There¡¯s plenty of time. That Azathoth fellow probably has plenty of time too. No, I suppose the concept of time is meaningless for both of us. Then I¡¯ll ask the first thing I need to ask. ¡°Why did you create me?¡± Above all else, that¡¯s what I wanted to know most. After understanding this fundamental aspect, I needed to think about the rest. ¡°For the same reason you created Yujin.¡± Yujin. The first alter ego I created. I created him tomunicate with the beings of the universe because I couldn¡¯t approach them directly. Of course, now it feels more like he¡¯s the protagonist of a story for my amusement. Then, the Outer Gods born from the most fundamental Origin¡­ Did he create me tomunicate with them and the creatures they created? Or to watch and enjoy it? Considering the gaze I felt earlier, it¡¯s probably thetter. Is he saying he created me for his own amusement? ¡­This feels a bit unpleasant. I¡¯m starting to feel a little sorry for Yujin and the elves. More than that, I see. So I¡¯m a being created by Azathoth. To think that after creating and ying with creatures, I turn out to be the creation of an even higher being. It couldn¡¯t be more ironic. But putting that aside, why was I human? Was that some kind of disguise too? Or did he want to experience something by creating an alter ego that was an ordinary human? But then why make me an Outer God? No, let¡¯s think about this carefully. Considering all the experiments I¡¯ve done on various creatures, I might never have been human at all. Perhaps, as part of curiosity or testing, memories of having been human were simply oveid onto me. That might be why the personality of my human self is gradually fading, and my sense as an Outer God is growing stronger. I want to ask about this aspect too. Just as I was about to ask the next question¡­ ¡°Wait, let me speak first.¡± It interrupted and said to me. ¡°I¡¯vee to warn you.¡± A warning. Is this about being a dangerous element? Why am I considered a dangerous element? I¡¯ve done plenty of things that could be considered threatening, but¡­ Still, those were just things I did in a few small universe bubbles. I don¡¯t think that level of activity poses a danger to the entire Origin. ¡°The fragment of the Origin within you has sprouted.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± What¡¯s that supposed to mean all of a sudden? What does it mean to sprout¡­? ¡°You are no longer a fragment. It means you are now an ¡®Origin¡¯ like me.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± The same as Azathoth? What does that mean? I understood that I was born from a fragment of Azathoth¡¯s power. But are you saying that fragment has sprouted and be like Azathoth¡­ an Outer God above Outer Gods, an ¡®Origin¡¯? Could it be that I was suddenly able to escape from the Origin¡¯s space earlier because¡­ I gained this power? But wait, this is strange. I don¡¯t possess such an absurdly omnipotent power. Of course, the power of a top-tier Outer God could be considered omnipotent, but it¡¯s not the same as the inconceivable omnipotence of Azathoth, who exists on a level above all Outer Gods and is practically the Origin of this world. That would be an absolute power that¡¯s impossible to even describe. He just said it sprouted. Does that mean it¡¯s the beginning of growth? So eventually, I¡¯ll be an ¡®Origin being¡¯ like him? ¡­How should I take this? I¡¯m confused. I haven¡¯t even clearly understood what kind of being I am yet, and now I have to worry about how I¡¯ll change in the future. This is too difficult. Even as an omnipotent top-tier Outer God, this seemed like tooplex a problem. ¡°If you have questions, ask. If you don¡¯t know what to do, ask. But remember one thing.¡± Azathoth said, pointing at both himself and me. ¡°Two Origins cannot exist in this world. Either you or I must disappear from here.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Well, I suppose that makes sense in a way. To put it simply, it¡¯s like how two sets of physicalws can¡¯t ovep in the universe. Aw stating that gravity acts downward and another stating that it acts to the right. What would happen if both existed simultaneously? The universe would be aplete mess, all jumbled up and in chaos. Of course, those two mightbine to create a new physicalw, but imagine if every singlew in the world ovepped like that. The universe would struggle to maintain its very existence. ¡­It¡¯s sudden, but I¡¯m feeling a bit curious to experiment with this. Anyway. In other words, Azathoth is the w¡¯ of this entire world where Outer Gods live and multiple universe bubbles exist. And I am the sprout that will be that. If two Origins ovep, it¡¯s obvious what would happen to this world in the cracks, where far morews are intertwined than in the ordinaryws of physics. Which means someone has to leave this ce. Literally disappear, or if that¡¯s not possible, create a separate world with a different Origin. Chapter 77: Permission Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.77 Permission Of course, Azathoth won¡¯t be leaving this ce. That¡¯s to be expected. Why would he leave his own world in the first ce? So that means I have to leave here and create a new world, but I don¡¯t even know how to do that¡­ Will it just create itself if I stay still? But honestly, I¡¯m interested. If I¡¯m going to be an immortal being anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be more fun to manage a world like a gap epassing the entire multiverse and experiment with various things, rather than just messing around with a few universes?Or not? Maybe it won¡¯t be much different since I can only create one. Being able to change thews of the gap as I please, perhaps? But there are still so many things I want to do here¡­ ¡°You can do that in the ce you¡¯ll create in the future.¡± Reading my innermost thoughts again. I can¡¯t even think in peace. Well, Azathoth¡¯s words are certainly right. I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter if I do it in the gap I¡¯ll create in the future. But as he said, I¡¯m still a seedling. Will I be able to create a proper world? Shouldn¡¯t I get some kind of tutoring? ¡°As your power grows, it will naturally happen around you. That¡¯s how it was for me too.¡± I¡¯m curious. If I¡¯m a seedling, it means Azathoth also had such a period. Then where was he born, how was he created, and who created him? Outer Gods creating universes, Azathoth giving birth to Outer Gods, and something creating Azathoth¡­ hmm, does it keep going up in levels like the multiverse? ?? ¡°I exist as myself. I¡¯ve been that way since the beginning. I don¡¯t know if someone created me.¡± It¡¯s a difficult question. In fact, even the Outer Gods would say they¡¯ve existed since the beginning, not thinking they were created by a source like Azathoth or created by his power. I was the same. I¡¯m a bit different since I¡¯m a special creation made from a part of Azathoth¡¯s power¡­ well, anyway. By the way, I still have something I¡¯m curious about. ¡°Why was I human? Or did you imnt the memory of being human?¡± I was human and then reincarnated to be an Outer God. Why do I have this memory? Why are the parts that could be called my ¡®personality¡¯ still remaining? That¡¯s what I was curious about. ¡°It was just out of interest.¡± The answer that came back was, unfortunately, disappointing. ¡°I just thought about what it would be like if you had memories of being a smaller creature. I wanted to see what would happen if I made a slight difference from the other fragments.¡± Just out of curiosity. Moreover, this memory is fabricated. I¡­ was never human. From birth, I was already an Outer God, merely a ything to satisfy Azathoth¡¯s curiosity. Well, I¡¯m not particrly upset. Maybe because it¡¯s what I¡¯ve done to countless beings in many universes. Or maybe the feeling of being upset has already worn off and be dull. Whatever it is, I feel like my curiosity has been satisfied. ¡°That might have been the difference. The reason you were able to grow your power and germinate the seed.¡± The other fragments couldn¡¯t do that? Only in me, who was given this difference, did a source like Azathoth awaken? That might be kind of nice. But other fragments, huh. Does that mean there are several beings who have fragments of Azathoth like me? Of course, they¡¯d be among the Outer Gods, right? I wonder who they are? Yog-Sothoth would definitely be included¡­ but from what I¡¯ve heard, it doesn¡¯t seem like all the top-tier Outer Gods are like that. ¡°Including the being you mentioned, there are about 25 entities. Most of them are not as high-ranking as you might think.¡± The onesmonly referred to as ¡®top-tier¡¯ are said to be me, Yog-Sothoth, and a being called Nodens. Speaking of Nodens, I¡¯ve heard Nyathotep talk about him directly before. I already knew from Azathoth¡¯s knowledge, but she said Nodens was a being who went around killing Nyathotep¡¯s carefully created experimental subjects like crushing ants. That¡¯s why she said she hated him extremely. ¡­Come to think of it, Nyathotep has a lot of enemies. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s all for our talk. It¡¯s time to decide.¡± Is he telling me to leave now? But I¡¯m still weak. I don¡¯t know if I can create a proper world. ¡°How about we watch a bit longer?¡± ¡°What?¡± I¡¯m still a seedling. I¡¯m not at the level where I can interfere with thews of the world Azathoth created. Then wouldn¡¯t it be okay to stay until I grow enough to be able to interfere? Honestly, I¡¯ve be quite close with some Outer Gods, and while they say it¡¯s fine to move and do various experiments¡­ won¡¯t it take an enormous amount of time just to settle in after moving? Thinking about that, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to stay here a bit longer? If we think in terms of time, it would probably take tens or hundreds of trillions of years. Azathoth started to ponder. Pondering whether it¡¯s okay to leave things as they are. As if he had reached a conclusion, he nodded. ¡°Alright, a little while should be fine. It won¡¯t take that long anyway.¡± I guess even hundreds of trillions of years isn¡¯t that long for Azathoth. Well¡­ he¡¯s probably existed for billions of times that amount of time. ¡°I want to watch a bit more, and I¡¯m a little worried too.¡± Oh, so he¡¯s worried about me as my creator, huh. I didn¡¯t think a being who is the source of this world would have such emotions.Well, seeing how even things like the will of the universe create adversaries out of concern for the world, maybe emotions are natural even for higher conceptual beings. # Despite various events, I¡¯ve decided to stay here after all. The conclusion is that I¡¯ll continue living as usual for the time being. Of course, I¡¯ll have to move out after some time passes, but by then, my power as a source will have grown significantly, so there¡¯s no need to worry. Once I have the abilities, everything will sort itself out anyway. Isn¡¯t that what an Outer God is? An omnipotent being that can resolve anything it desires. So there¡¯s no need to worry. More importantly, I¡¯ve been missing out on observing the SF universe due to all this back and forth. Quite some time must have passed while Azathoth and I were talking. [ You¡¯re finally here. What on earth happened? ] Idra rushes over with a worried expression. Oh¡­ a beauty is worried about me. This feels kind of nice, doesn¡¯t it? But wait, she called me an evil being, and now she¡¯s worried about me? What an odd one. [ It¡¯s nothing. I just had a conversation, that¡¯s all. ] [ ¡­I see. Understood. ] She must have felt Azathoth¡¯s absurd presence as well. That¡¯s why she probably has many questions. But with my dismissive answer, she didn¡¯t pry further. Since I said it was just a conversation and didn¡¯t exin further, she seemed to decide not to inquire anymore. [ More importantly, hurry up. The elves are currently exploring the universe. ] Ah, right. What¡¯s important now is the current state of the SF universe. I should quickly go and check it out! I swiftly fly over to examine the original SF universe (replica). [ Thank you, Elder Lasi. Thanks to you, the internal organization of the gxy has beenpletely finished. ] [ It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just doing the job I¡¯m paid for. ] It starts with a conversation scene between Yujin and Lasi. I couldn¡¯t tell because neither of them had changed in appearance at all, but apparently, it¡¯s been 20 years since Ist saw them. Thest time I saw them was 15 years after creating Yujin, wasn¡¯t it? For the elves, it was about 10 years? I don¡¯t remember clearly. Well, anyway, it¡¯s a story from a whole 20 years after that point. Yujin, despite being of the Terra race, hasn¡¯t aged at all due to being my avatar and thus having no lifespan, while the elves originally had an average lifespan of 400 years by Gctic Union standards, which has been extended to 600 years thanks to tremendous medical advancements. Because of that, it¡¯s natural that they haven¡¯t aged in just 20 years. Of course, it¡¯s also partly thanks to me creating the elf race to maintain their prime appearance until death. By the way, Elder Lasi, is it? It certainly feels like the elf race has officially joined the Gctic Union. They have as many as 10 seats. That¡¯s the same level of power as the Meias tribe, who are the de facto ruling species. Currently, those seats are upied by 10 executives who have achieved the highest positions in elf society, including n Leader Lasi and High Priest Rodri. Of course, since most of them, except for Rodri, are subordinates of Lasi and Rodri, it¡¯s essentially a dual leadership system between Lasi and Rodri. For reference, the Metalians have also been granted 3 seats in recognition of their abilities created through outstanding technology. Since they also essentially share the same intentions as the elves, the elves effectively have 13 elder seats. Well, considering Yujin¡¯s existence and the seats of other races friendly to the Meias tribe, the tribe is still superior to them, but¡­ it seems that the structure has started to change bit by bit as the elf race has been making tremendous contributions to the Union recently. Chapter 78: The Development of the Elves Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.78 The Development of the Elves ¡°Have you heard? The elves have cleared out the monsters in the unexplored territories again.¡± ¡°My, that¡¯s impressive!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve even started manufacturing their own spaceships now.¡± Recently, the Gctic Union has been abuzz with stories about the elves. How much the elves have aplished, how much they have developed. It was filled with praise for their greatness. When the elves first joined the Gctic Union, most were worried.No matter how special their abilities or how long-lived their tribe, their level of development was low, and for a newly discovered tribe to be promised 10 seats upon joining the Union naturally raised many concerns. But the elves proved those voices wrong with their abilities. First, they showed that it wasn¡¯t that their level of development was low, but that they hadcked the speed for development. With technological support from the Union, they quickly began to surpass other tribes, and now they stand at the forefront, creating the most advanced technologies as a leading tribe. On top of that, they possessed special abilitiesparable to the Meias tribe, and their physical abilities were also exceptional. With advancements in medicine and biotechnology, they created incredible physical enhancements based on their already superior physical abilities, and as a result, their lifespans began to increase exponentially. It was truly the era of the elves. Many were saying that it wouldn¡¯t be long before they pushed out the Meias tribe and took the position of the Union¡¯s most powerful tribe. No, some were already saying they had taken that position. This was because the elves were solely responsible for terraforming unexplored territories. As a result, the elves¡¯ territories and poption were exploding at an incredible rate, and in terms of owned territories alone, they had long since surpassed the Meias tribe. In terms of resource development rights, they had far more rights than the Meias tribe, and in just 20 years, they had be the tribe with the most assets among the Gctic Union tribes. This was a much faster rate of development than the Lubaran tribe, and it was more resources and assets than the Lubaran tribe had at the height of their golden age. ¡°The pace of development is smooth.¡± Although only four generations had passed, the elven poption had exploded and was now well into the hundreds of millions. Compared to the poptions of other tribes, which were at least in the tens of billions, it was an absurdly small number, but considering their influence, it was clear that as their poption grew, they would dominate the Union at an incredible speed. At this, Lasi smiled with pleasure. Then Rakus, one of the Union elders and Lasi¡¯s direct subordinate ¡®Production Chief¡¯, nodded. ¡°Yes. The development of the space mothership is also progressing smoothly. Until recently, we were borrowing the Union¡¯s ships, but now we¡¯ve switched to our own production system and can move independently.¡± ?? Due tock of resources and development time, they had been using Union-owned space motherships until now. But now, through their own production, they could move on their own without having to rely on others. Of course, they would still need to report to the Union when exploring uncharted territories, but it was a significant development in that they could now move much more freely in space than before. ¡°Moreover, the functions are superior to those owned by the Union. Using an alloy of beryllium and titanium with radiation countermeasures, it¡¯s so sturdy that it not only doesn¡¯t break when directly colliding with space monsters, but can even crush the monster¡¯s body, and the wormhole function has been improved beyond the Union¡¯s technology¡­¡± ¡°Rakus, you¡¯re getting too excited.¡± As Rakus, who had started talking excitedly, showed no signs of stopping, Lasi gestured for him to calm down. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I got too excited¡­¡± As the leader of the research team at the forefront of technological development, it was clear how proud Rakus was of the technology they were developing. If he was this excited about talking about what he was making, it was expected that this time too, they would show quite an advanced development. ¡°If we¡¯re putting them on advanced motherships, we should strengthen the warriors¡¯ armaments as well.¡± Elma, also one of the elders and the Warrior Chief, was smiling from ear to ear. It was understandable that he was in a good mood, as the armaments of the elven soldiers were getting better and better as technology advanced. After all, armament is the life andbat power of warriors. Currently, they are using ultra-lightweight arrows with matter transmission and vacuum functions. The transmission function uses technology to molecrize the arrow when fired and then reconstitute it at a certain distance, making it undetectable up to a specific range. And the vacuum function creates a vacuum around the arrow as it flies, minimizing the friction on the arrow. Add to that a propulsion device to increase the speed to supersonic levels, and you have an arrow with tremendous destructive power. If you attach the recently developed miniature neutron bomb as an arrowhead, it¡¯s essentially the same effect as firing a scaled-down version of the neutron cannon mounted on battleships. An unbelievable destructive power that could destroy an entire if scaled up. Topare it to the magic of the Meias tribe, it¡¯sparable to the destructive power of the Atomic Explosion spell used by top-tier magicians, which causes a miniature nuclear explosion. Of course, not all elven warriors can possess miniature neutron bombs, so it¡¯s more like a trump card for higher-ranking warriors. Even without that, just attaching ordinary explosives still boasts considerable destructive power, so thebat power of the elves was truly formidable. ¡°The urbanization of the recently allocateds is also progressing smoothly. Since terraforming waspleted long ago on theses, we¡¯re building cities without much difficulty.¡± Construction Chief Dro also looked pleased. He was a stern man with a blunt personality and rarely showed any change in expression, but recently he seemed to be in a very good mood. Presumably, this was because as the elves¡¯ territories expanded enormously, there were now many more ces that needed buildings constructed and urbanization. Some tribes might not understand being happy about increased work. But for the elves, a very industrious tribe, an increase in work was almost as joyful as an increase in money. Construction, too, with newly developed technology, allowed 100-story buildings to rise in just a few months. Urbanization was also happening so quickly that it was taking longer to find elves to relocate to the developeds than to build the cities themselves. To begin with, their poption had just broken into the hundreds of millions. It¡¯s still a very small poption, not even enough to fill a single elven. It would probably take about 100 years for the poption to grow enough to fully spread to others. Someone seemed to bementing that they should have started with 300 million instead of 30 million at the beginning. # The elves¡¯ development at an astonishing pace. While many considered this remarkable and simply envied them, There were still quite a few who viewed it negatively. ¡°Isn¡¯t their power bing too great?¡± ¡°Exactly. Why did Lord Yujin sign such a contract¡­¡± The rights to develop resources on discovereds and stars. Originally obtained through a bnced bidding process, the elves had gained priority aspensation for terraforming, reaping considerable profits. Boosted by the enormous energy and resources they had acquired this way, they were now rising to a level that no one else could match. Some tribes saw this as a crisis. Typically, when a force develops too excessively, friction is bound to ur. Of course, Yujin was at least sharing the technology developed by the elves with Union members through Union rules. But for most other tribes, inevitablycking in resources and abilitiespared to the elves, it was a struggle to keep up. This made them even more worried. An incredible pace of development that others couldn¡¯t match even when given the technology. They feared the elves mightpletely take over the entire Union. While Yujin was currently maintaining stability in the Union through good governance, no one knew what would happen if the elves seized that power. They might take everything for themselves and control the rest. It was possible they would try to use all the tribes in the Union as their pawns. And this concern was shared by the Meias tribe, who couldmunicate directly with Yujin outside of meetings. ¡°The growth of the elves seems unsettling. We should take some measures.¡± The Meias elders were anxious. Having taken this position after driving out the Lubaran tribe, they were gued by the fear that another powerful tribe or a formidable being like Yujin might appear and snatch their position away. Of course, Yujin had no worries. ¡®Well, if the elves do well, I can always abandon the Meias and switch to the elves.¡¯ While he had such ruthless thoughts, Yujin fundamentally believed that the elves wouldn¡¯t cause such discord. They are inherently a gentle tribe. Although their desire for development is immense, they don¡¯t obsess over it to the point of stealing from others to grow. They¡¯re developing by fairly receiving rewardsmensurate with their work. Rather, if unnecessary concerns lead to creating problems, it might actually break down the cooperative rtionship with them and bring about the very situation they¡¯re worried about. So, ¡°Stay put. There¡¯s no time to turn our attention to internal matters of the Gctic Union anyway.¡± Soon, they would embark on expanding the managed territories of the Gctic Union together with the elves. When that happens, there won¡¯t be time to squabble with other tribes struggling within the Gctic Union. Chapter 79: Region Pioneering Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.79 Region Pioneering The diameter of the cosmic space controlled by the Gctic Union is about 20 billion light-years. Given that the currently observable universe has a diameter of 100 billion light-years, it¡¯s quite small for an organization iming to be thergest in the universe. But that¡¯s about to change. ¡°The Gctic Union has nowpleted all internal pioneering. There are no longer any ¡®unexplored territories¡¯ within our management area.¡± Jupiter, an elder of the Meias tribe, announced publicly on the Union-wide channel. All unexplored territories within the Union had been pioneered, resulting in the entire cosmic space spanning 20 billion light-years. Coming under theirplete management.In the process, numerous tribe were discovered and protected, a total of 8 intelligent life form tribe were added to the Gctic Union, and. Countlesss, stars, and celestial bodies became resources for the Union. This was achieved in just 30 years since Yujin took power, and merely 20 years since the Elf tribe joined the Gctic Union. ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°As expected of Lord Yujin.¡± ¡°I heard the Elves¡¯ contributions were also tremendous.¡± ¡°They say the Elves did almost everything, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Beautiful and capable. That¡¯s awesome.¡± Thanks to the tremendous achievements of Yujin and the Elves, those belonging to the Gctic Union had made unbelievable progress and were living lives of unprecedented abundance. Well, of course. Not only had they discovered and developed an enormous amount of resources and energy in a short period, but a tribe showing remarkable technological advancement had also been added, sharing their technology. While people were talking about how amazing it all was. Jupiter made an astounding deration. ¡°From now on, the Gctic Union will turn its eyes outward.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Outward?¡± People showed various reactions to those words. Those who understood what it meant and were surprised. Those who didn¡¯t know what it meant and tilted their heads in confusion. Those who didn¡¯t understand but were happy because it seemed good. And those who, beyond understanding, were simultaneously worried and excited about what was toe. To all of them, Jupiter drove the point home once more. ¡°The Gctic Union¡¯s management area is currently about 20 billion light-years. That¡¯s quite old now. Now that we¡¯vepletely mastered the interior, how about we expand that territory?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°My, my goodness. You mean to pioneer even further from here?¡± At Jupiter¡¯s statement, everyone in the Union was surprised. The Union¡¯s current territory has existed for nearly 100 years. This is the first territorial expansion since the Lubaran tribe expanded it to 20 billion light-years. In fact, even the Lubaran tribe could have expanded their territory further after mastering the interior, but they didn¡¯t expand beyond that to keep other tribe in check. Of course, no one knew these inside details, and they were just bubbling with hope that they could now advance far beyond the era of the Lubaran tribe. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s insane. Does that mean we can visit ces that have only been observed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious. Even thergest ck hole in the universe is tens of billions of light-years away, right?¡± ¡°Hey, we can¡¯t even leave our own gxy because we¡¯re broke, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°But with technological advancements, the cost of intergctic travel has decreased tremendously.¡± People with expectations. ¡°But we don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. What if there are things like the Capteri tribe outside our territory?¡± ¡°They might invade us.¡± ¡°There might be all sorts of alien things out there too.¡± And people with concerns. The opinions were split roughly half and half. But even those who were worried didn¡¯t fundamentally oppose the territorial expansion. They were just worried about what might happen when they expanded and said they should prepare in advance. Almost everyone seemed to agree with the territorial expansion. # ¡°Public opinion is extremely favorable for now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yujin nodded while looking at the article posted on the Union¡¯swork. Public opinion is important. Although individual citizens may have little power on their own, when they unite their intentions, it can rival the power of most elders. That¡¯s why even the most powerful and mighty beings always had to be mindful of public opinion. ¡®Well, the main body probably wouldn¡¯t care about such things.¡¯ Of course, for an overwhelmingly powerful being that could be called omnipotent, such things would be meaningless. Anyway, public opinion is good. All preparations areplete. The future contract with the Elves has also been updated to match the risks of pioneeringpletely unknown territories. Their technology had also advanced tremendously. ¡°Our first target is here.¡± The Gctic Union Elders¡¯ Council, where elders of all tribe gathered, though there were a few empty seats. Yujin stood in the center and disyed holographic documents and maps that the Lubaran n chiefs had possessed. Woong©¤ Inside the hologram, a map of the observable universe was spread out. In the vast cosmic space, the area managed by the Gctic Union was marked in red. But next to it, there was a space uniquely marked in blue. A space with a diameter of about 3 billion light-years¡­ simr in size to the sectors of the universe typically divided from A to X. There were two of these attached on both sides. ¡°This is the ¡®Sector YZ Project¡¯ that the Lubaran tribe had been nning to secretly send personnel to pioneer and make 100% their own territory.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°YZ, you say?¡± At those words, the elders were startled and began to murmur. A sector that the Lubaran tribe had secretly nned to pioneer on their own. It was the first time they had heard of this. ¡°The Lubaran tribe were conducting various activities under the surface besides illegal experiments. This project was one of them. They were probably after the energy and resources that woulde from it.¡± The Gctic Union¡¯s management area only has sectors from A to X. Sectors Y and Z, which shouldn¡¯t exist. It was a sneaky n to secretly pioneer these for themselves and use them exclusively. ¡°Those Lubaran bastards¡­¡± ¡°If we had left them alone, they would have developed further on their own with this.¡± The elders cursed the Lubaran tribe. Yujin smiled with satisfaction at the sight. This was also why he had deliberately kept this project hidden until now. Just as the anger over the Lubaran tribe¡¯ illegalboratories was beginning to subside, it was a strategy to remind them once again of the Lubaran tribe¡¯ trashy actions while simultaneously increasing trust and loyalty towards himself for not hiding this project and revealing it for joint development, unlike the Lubaran tribe. ¡°Anyway, since there¡¯s already a pioneering n set up by the Lubaran tribe, we don¡¯t need to worry about nning separately. So we¡¯re going to start with the pioneering of these ¡®Sector Y¡¯ and ¡®Sector Z¡¯ first.¡± And for the rest, it was concluded that they would hold meetings as they proceed with the pioneering of Sectors Y and Z. ¡°I agree. If there¡¯s already a n, there¡¯s no reason to object.¡± ¡°Looking at the data, it seems the Lubaran tribe had already done all the preliminary investigations.¡± ¡°So we just need to go there andfortably reap the benefits?¡± Naturally, the pioneering of Sectors Y and Z was decided by unanimous agreement of all the elders. # [ Oh¡­ this is getting interesting. ] Pioneering unknown parts of the universe. This is exactly the kind of story that fits a sci-fi space opera. [ Hehe, now the Elves will take the lead. Their abilities will be even more crucial in these uncharted territories. ] Idra is right. As already revealed during the internal pioneering, the Elves¡¯ ability to ¡®grow nts anywhere there¡¯snd¡¯ was an absurdly overpowered skill. They canplete terraforming, which usually takes hundreds of years and astronomical costs, in just a few years. Moreover, it requires almost no money or manpower. If only there were more Elves, they probably would have finished the internal pioneering in 10 years instead of 20, and would have started exploring outside the sectors long ago. Ah¡­ what a shame. I should have created about 300 million Elves instead of just 30 million. It¡¯s toote to regret it now, I suppose. Well, it¡¯s only dyed by 10 years anyway. From now on, with the increased number of active Elves and greatly advanced technology, we should see faster pioneering. [ Ah, I¡¯m so proud. I can¡¯t wait to see when these children will have the entire universe in their hands. ] [ ¡­.. ] Hmm, I feel the same way. But how should I put it¡­ Isn¡¯t it too easy? The internal consolidation and pioneering went too smoothly. Without any twists and turns. The only thing that could be called a twist was the encounter with the Elves, and even that endedfortably with forming an alliance. Even those who were initially against it are now happy because the Elves are doing so well. Hmm¡­ this isn¡¯t very interesting. I wonder if we should create some kind of trial that would shake things up in the story. It doesn¡¯t have to be as extreme as the god-level giant monster that almost led to extinction before, but wouldn¡¯t it be more interesting to create a crisis situation at least on the level of the Kapterians? No, the Kapterians would be too weak for their current abilities. Hmm¡­ then should we create something like enhanced Kapterians? We could scatter them in Sector Y or Z to create a sense of trial. That would be fun. Let¡¯s do it right away. Chapter 80: The Intruder Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.80 The Intruder ¡°ording to the investigation results, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. The report states that no particrly dangerous energy was detected.¡± The first target for expanding the Gctic Union¡¯s territory was set as Sector Y. They had considered going for both Sectors Y and Z simultaneously. However, due to the possibility of unforeseen variables, they decided to y it safe and concentrate their forces on one side instead of dividing them into two. Given that this was their first operation, the impact of failure would be significant, so it was an unavoidable choice. Of course, that¡¯s not to say that any danger factors were found in either sector. No energy emissions from giant monsters or highly advanced civilizations were detected, nor were there any traces of foreign entities.At most, Sector Y contained thergest ck hole ever observed, but that could be avoided by simply going around it. There wasn¡¯t much difficulty to speak of. They would simply go in, secure the major gxies as strongholds first, and then expand outward from there, terraforming suitables to secure the surrounding cosmic space. Repeating this process, considering their current technology and the avable Elven workforce, They estimated that with about 20 years of intense effort, they could im one entire Y sector. Of course, terraforming wouldn¡¯t bepletely finished, but at least the foundations would beid. That should be enough. After all, from that point on, they just needed to spread out and wait. Having finished these calctions, Eugene and the elders proceeded with the n. ¡°I have been given overallmand. I look forward to working with you all.¡± Lowie Hendrick, who was now a full-fledged elder rather than an elder-in-waiting. He had been entrusted with the role of chief executive for this Y sector pioneering mission. Based on the assessment that it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, this was the Meias elders¡¯ gesture of goodwill, allowing the young new elder to achieve the great feat of sessfullypleting the first expansion. Of course, it was also Eugene¡¯s consideration. ¡°I will ensure its sess without fail.¡± Lowie Hendrick, well aware of this fact, was determined to make it seed no matter what. Even though there were said to be no difficult obstacles, this was still their first external sector expansion. Since anything could happen, he nned to proceed with the utmost caution. ¡°The total number of avable Elves is 20 million. Most of them are not warriors but ordinary Elves skilled in terraforming, so their protection is our top priority.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lowie Hendrick nodded at Lasi¡¯s words. A total of 20 million Elves. With them, they should be able to securely establish key footholds in each gxy within the vast 30 billion light-year sector. Now the preparations wereplete. All that remained was to wait for an easy sess. ¡­At least up until this moment, that¡¯s what everyone thought. # ¡°Space mothership ¡®Rios¡¯. We are now departing.¡± The Elves¡¯. There, massive spaceships carrying Elves to pioneer Sector Y were now holding a departure ceremony. And leading this massive spaceship fleet was the space mothership ¡®Rios¡¯. Built with the Elves¡¯ own technology, this state-of-the-art mothership boasted 1.5 times the durability of regr Alliance motherships while being even lighter in weight. With anti-gravity propulsion systems capable of free directional movement even in the vacuum of space, and thetest neutron cannon arrays. It was truly the epitome of cutting-edge technology. The total capacity was 5 million. It was not an exaggeration to say it was on the scale of arge city. Including all the fleet itmanded, the total capacity reached up to 30 million. It boasted a truly enormous scale,parable to that of an entire nation. Tomemorate this incredible scale and power, as well as the estimated initial Elven poption of 30 million, it was named after their god ¡®Rios¡¯. ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± As the massive space fleet rose, the Elves erupted in cheers. They were rejoicing at the thought of this state-of-the-art mothership and its fleet traversing space and achieving countless feats. ¡°Well then, shall we depart?¡± The overallmander was Elma, an Alliance elder and the Elven warrior chief. Woooong©¤ They rise beyond the atmosphere into space. The blue Elven could be seen below. ¡°Enter the wormhole. Move to the designated location.¡± ¡°Yes! Opening wormhole!¡± ¡°Opening wormhole!¡± ¡°Opening wormhole!¡± Woooooong©¤ Upon entering space, they quickly move to the designated location by opening a wormhole at the specified coordinates near the Elven. Fwoop! The massive mothership and fleet disappear in an instant. After several wormhole jumps, they reappeared on the outskirts of Sector U, near Sector Y. [Wee, Elder Elma.] Upon arriving at the designated location, a message came from Lowie Hendrick¡¯s main force, which had arrived earlier. ¡°I leave the missionmand in your capable hands, Elder Lowie.¡± [Of course.] A warm atmosphere. Up until this point, no one doubted that the mission would seed easily. They were only thinking about living out the rest of their lives receiving excellent treatment as members of the fleet that seeded in the first external pioneering mission. ¡­ ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Damn it! What is that!¡± They encounter a tremendous obstacle and fall into crisis. A few days before that happened. There was no particr difficulty at the first point. They just arrived, checked the¡¯s condition, and went down for terraforming. A full of only nts, with no dynamic life forms. Perhaps because of this, the air was extremely clear and clean. In addition, it seemed like it would be extremely useful as the was filled with various minerals embedded in the ground. ¡°Terraforming isn¡¯t necessary.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also enough water that can be used as drinking water¡­ It seems optimal to use as a temporary base.¡± Following the orders of the overallmander, Lowie Hendrick, they decided to use this ce as a temporary base and quickly began to build a provisional facility. After confirming that there were no risk factors on the, they left only the personnel needed to build the base and the fleet returned to space. The second point they arrived at. It was a ce with a main sequence star of suitable size for use as an energy source, along with resources suitable for creating a Dyson sphere scattered on the surroundings. ¡°We can start terraforming from here.¡± Although there were nos with life, there was one that could meet the requirements for life if it had an oxygenyer, allowing for the creation of water. Just as they were about to settle there and start terraforming. Beep beep beep beep©¤ Suddenly, an emergency rm started ringing on one of the Elven ships. It¡¯s something that rings in case of a sudden external attack or intrusion. Since there were clearly no life form reactions in the vicinity, everyone thought it was just a small rock or something flying and hitting the ship. But. [E-emergency! Intruder! There¡¯s an intruder! Everyone, quicklye here¡­ Aaaagh!] The Elf who went to check the scene left this radio message before the signal was cut off. ¡°What? An intruder?¡± ¡°But there were no life form reactions in the vicinity. And even at the location where we¡¯re supposedly under attack, there¡¯s no life form reaction¡­¡± The reporter stopped mid-sentence, startled. Isn¡¯t it strange? No life form reactions? They sent five Elves to check the scene. Does this mean all five, including the Elf who just radioed, are dead? From what? There was external damage, but the ship is equipped with an automatic repair function, so repairs werepleted immediately. This means there¡¯s no possibility of oxygen deficiency or being sucked into space. ¡°It¡¯s an intruder. There might be some kind of stealth robot. Warriors, prepare yourselves.¡± Of course, they have radar technology that can detect even the most advanced stealth. But thinking there might be a machine with stealth capabilities that can evade even that, the ship¡¯s captain quickly prepared the warriors. ¡°Report to Elder Elma at the main force. The current situation as is.¡± ¡°Y-yes! Understood.¡± And after informing the main force of this fact, they headed to the scene with the warriors. 30 warriors including the captain. To prepare for any unforeseen situations, they had more warriors on standby behind them, and the regr crew members moved to safety bunkers. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± [Yes. This is where the motion detection sensorst detected something.] About 200M away from the ident site. Since life detection, temperature detection, and energy emission detection all failed, they checked the old-fashioned motion detection sensor they used to use, just in case. And it had momentarily detected and transmitted movement from this location. The fact that movement was detected from such a distance means that there must be some kind of life form or machine somewhere. The captain and warriors began to look around tensely. Then. ¡°Captain. This.¡± One of the Elven warriors discovered something and called the captain. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± And what he discovered was that one of the doors of the food storage, made of strong titanium alloy, was smashed as if it had been torn off by something. ¡®It tore through titanium alloy like paper?¡¯ At that moment, he could guess how the intruder was able to prate the outer hull. Although the outer hull material is harder than the interior, if it can tear through the interior material like paper, the outer hull probably wouldn¡¯t have held out for long either. Unless it was the radiation-removing beryllium alloy used in the mothership ¡®Rios¡¯. ¡®Is it inside the storage?¡¯ Thinking this, he slowly entered the storage. And there. ¡°Kieeeeek!!¡± They came face to face with it. Chapter 81: Alien Life Form Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.81 Alien Life Form Size is approximately 3M. With jet-ck and smooth skin, it has a grotesque appearance simr to the Kapterians, yet with a different feel. The most prominent feature is its elongated head with no eyes and an unnaturallyrge mouth. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± Whoosh©¤! The creature, which had been voraciously devouring food in the food storage, immediately began charging at the warriors upon spotting the elves. ¡°Uwaah!¡±As the massive ck monster with a horrifying appearance lunged at them, the elf warrior let out a startled scream and swung their sword. A sword made with high-frequency smaser technology, capable of slicing through metal as if it were tofu. Normally, it should have been split in two the moment it made contact, but. ng! ¡°Keeek?!¡± When the sma cutter collided with the creature¡¯s body, it bounced off with a metallic sound as if two ordinary swords had shed. ¡°W-What the¡­¡± It wasn¡¯tpletely unscathed. Blood was trickling from a wound left by the sword on its exoskeleton-like skin. However, it shouldn¡¯t have ended with just that. The hardness was absurdly high to only be scratched by a sma cutter. It was beyond even thetest titanium alloy technology. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± Tremendous strength capable of tearing apart the interior metal of a battleship. And on top of that, an unbelievable defense. Stealthiness that evades detection by any sensor, be it temperature, energy, or life signs. ¡°¡­This is dangerous.¡± The captain realized that this creature¡¯s existence was an undiscovered new species and. Recognizing how extremely dangerous it was, he immediately ordered the warriors to retreat. ¡°Everyone, fall back. Do not engage in closebat. Attack from a distance.¡± For now, they would intercept it here. Approaching an unidentified opponent is something only a fool would do. The elves retreated as far as possible and nocked their arrows. They couldn¡¯t use small neutron bombs or highly destructive arrowheads as they might cause problems with the machinery. Instead, they used arrows with sma technology like the sword, which were extremely sharp and had powerful prating force. Whoosh©¤! Thud! Thwack! ¡°Keeeek!¡± The elerating arrows, approaching the speed of sound, pierced through the creature¡¯s body. The monster was pierced without a chance to dodge. Earlier, the hastily swung sword had only left a scratch, but the elerated arrows managed to prate the creature¡¯s terrifying barrier. Of course, even then, the arrows lost their momentum piercing the creature¡¯s tough exoskeleton and remained lodged instead of passing through. However, this ironically led to an unfavorable oue for the creature. The high-frequency vibrating sma cutter began to devour and mangle its flesh from the inside. The creature started writhing in pain, experiencing it for the first time. ¡®A creature that tough probably rarely experiences pain. That¡¯s why it has very little immunity to pain.¡¯ They hoped it would die from excessive bleeding or shock as it suffered. But even with its body pierced in various ces, the creature didn¡¯t die and continued to struggle, charging at the elves. ¡°Kieeek!¡± Incredible vitality. However, the elf warriors calmly and persistently aimed for its head. Crunch! Thwack! St! And so, the creature finally met its demise after being hit by dozens of arrows. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The captain let out a deep sigh at the sight. It wasn¡¯t a sigh of relief. It was a sigh born from worry about what might happen next. Isn¡¯t that right? There¡¯s no way a life form like this exists as just a single individual. There are no beings in this world born as a single entity. Unless it¡¯s a species on the brink of extinction. Anyway, that means there are more of these creatures nearby. The fact that they suddenly appeared upon entering this gxy clearly indicates that this is their habitat. They seemed to have gone undetected until now due to their ability to evade sensors. ¡®It felt like seeing a Kapterian species that had evolved into a higher being.¡¯ Although there were some differences, that was the impression it gave. If their reproductive ability is also simr to the Kapterians¡­ ¡®It¡¯s terrifying just to think about it.¡¯ First, this incident must be reported to the higher-ups. And then, countermeasures for this¡­ Just as he was thinking that. Boom! Beep beep beep©¤ The emergency rm started ring again. And explosive sounds began to echo from various locations. Bang! Boom! ¡°¡­Shit.¡± This sound, a familiar pattern. The captain realized that the situation he had been worrying about was now unfolding. ¡­That monstrous species they had just barely defeated. They had begun invading the ship in swarms. No, not just this ship. The entire fleet, including the mothership ¡®Rios¡¯. ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± ¡°Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Fuck! What are those things!¡± The entire fleet was in a state of emergency. Due to the monstrous life forms tearing through the outer hull, not only the elves but also the alliance side was inplete chaos. Their numbers were roughly 30,000. For the entire fleet, it amounted to about a dozen creatures sneaking into each ship, but even that number was enough to pose a tremendous threat given how powerful they were. R They shed with the creatures inside the ships and retreated, or were ambushed by hidden ones. The most horrifying thing was. ¡°Fuck, these bastards¡­¡± Someone from the alliance discovered that the creatures had gorged themselves andid eggs in one of the storage areas. They were reproducing. Right here inside. ¡°Report this immediately. We must exterminate these fuckers, including their eggs..!!¡± And so, they found themselves having to wage a sudden war against an alien life form. # ¡°What? An unknown life form?¡± ¡°Yes. From what we¡¯ve heard, it can¡¯t be detected by any sensors, it¡¯s strong enough to tear through alloys, and its carapace is so tough that even sma cutters have difficulty prating it. Moreover, it¡¯s incredibly resilient and won¡¯t die unless you blow its head off.¡± ¡°¡­No way, that¡¯s insane.¡± Just hearing about its specs, it sounds like someary-level giant monster. Yujin spoke with a look of disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s definitely no record of such a life form being detected in the Lubaran reports. Even when we conducted our own independent investigation, there was nothing. It¡¯s hard to believe that such a ferocious and powerful species hasn¡¯t been discovered yet, just because it can¡¯t be detected by sensors¡­¡± Suddenly, as if something had urred to him, Yujin frowned and said, ¡°¡­Do we have any photos or sketches of it?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Here¡¯s a photo sent by the expedition team.¡± Yujin¡¯s expression worsened as he looked at the photo handed to him by his subordinate. ¡°Hah¡­ shit.¡± He even sighed while rubbing his forehead. ¡°What the hell is it this time?¡± Yujin gritted his teeth and looked up at the sky. He recognized the appearance of this monstrous life form. ¡®AlienX¡¯. The protagonist of a sci-fi thriller movie about extraterrestrial life forms, from the memories of his human days in the original body. The alien monster that appeared in that movie was exactly what was in this photo. Of course, there were differences. First, the size. The size was excessivelyrge. And it didn¡¯t have acidic body fluids. Instead, it seemed its physical abilities had been tremendously enhanced. From this fact, Yujin immediately knew that this was also a creation of his original body. It was the same as himself or the elves. The problem was that this time, the intention behind it was extremely unfavorable to him and the alliance. He had created himself just formunication and then let him live as an independent entity. The elves were originally created as a highly capable and cooperative race to harmonize with the alliance. But this AlienX waspletely different, wasn¡¯t it? It was a life form created specifically to attack the alliance. ¡®Damn, no wonder it wasn¡¯t discovered.¡¯ Of course it wouldn¡¯t have been found in preliminary surveys since it was a newly created life form that didn¡¯t exist before. ¡®Is this¡­ just for entertainment?¡¯ Yujin thought to himself. Although his original body hadn¡¯t taken any hostile actions against the alliance or its member species until now, he was in fact an outer god. An outer god who could easily erase and recreate this universe if he so desired. It means he can do anything, whether it¡¯s making the alliance stronger or threatening it, all for his own amusement. Perhaps the very concepts of hostility and friendliness are meaningless to him. ¡®This time, he probably thought it would be more interesting if we faced some difficulties because we¡¯ve be too strong.¡¯ His intentions were obvious. And the consequences would be borne entirely by the Gctic Alliance and himself. ¡®This bastard. Why can¡¯t he just leave us alone and go y with some other universe instead of messing with me?¡¯ Yujin cursed his original body in every way possible in his mind. But what could he do? The situation had already unfolded, and there was no sign of it being reversed. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s only one answer. ¡®He¡¯s given us a trial, so we just need to ovee it and achieve our goal. If we ovee it too easily and it bes boring, he might not interfere next time.¡¯ Cut off his interest. Then, his interventions in this universe should decrease. With this in mind, Yujin prepared to go out himself. ¡°Y-Yujin, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going personally. I¡¯ll gather an elite team to deal with these creatures. Elder Jupiter, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± There wasn¡¯t much they could do by staying at the alliance headquarters anyway. They would only be receiving reports from the expedition team in Zone Y. That¡¯s why he nned to go with the strongest forces and confront the AlienXs directly to eliminate them all. ¡®Watch closely, original body. No matter how much you try to use us for your amusement, we¡¯ll do our best not to give you any enjoyment. So give it up.¡¯ Chapter 82: Securing Y Zone Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.82 Securing Y Zone [ Hmm, I guess this level was still too weak. ] Those creatures from the AlienX movies. They have a separate species name, Xenomorph, but that¡¯s not really important. Anyway, I modeled a threatening alien species like the Kapteri after them. After all, expanding into space without any trials wouldn¡¯t be very interesting. Of course, considering the current power, technology, andbat capabilities of the Gctic Union, I knew that the movie-level threats wouldn¡¯t even be a challenge, so I made several adjustments. I removed the acidic body fluids since they¡¯re already a basic countermeasure against alien life forms, and it would just unnecessarily inte their species value.Instead, I made their exoskeletons so hard that even sma technology couldn¡¯t easily prate them. At least as hard as needing a supersonic arrow made with a sma cutter to pierce through. And to match that, tremendous physical strength. I gave them incredible strength that could easily tear through most alloys. They should at least be able to break through a spaceship¡¯s hull. But even at that level, when Yujin, the Meias elders, and the Elf elders personally intervened, they were easily dealt with. Hmm¡­ Should I have increased their numbers or made them even stronger? No, but if I put in too many high-value species or increased their species value any further, it would create an antagonist. Oh, by the way, the species value is a numerical measure based on data I¡¯ve obtained through various experiments. It determines at what level an antagonist emerges, and what values result from giving certain species characteristics. I figured all this out through direct experimentation. Heh, I wonder how many universes I¡¯ve wasted to obtain this data. Anyway, the threshold for that value is around 700. If it exceeds this value, an antagonist is generated. 700 species is indeed hard to handle. Anyway, the current AlienX creatures¡¯ total species value,bining their numbers and characteristics, is about 600. Seeing how easily this level was dealt with, it¡¯s clear just how ridiculously overpowered characters Yujin and the Elves are. Yujin¡¯s strength alone should be enough to warrant an antagonist, but his initial species value was set low at 500. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a 500 species that got stronger by cheating. Well, having a 500 species value for a single individual is already as broken as an A-rank space monster. The same goes for the Elf species. Considering their maximum abilities and poption limit, they¡¯re about 600 species, but their growth based on technological prowess has brought them to a value rivaling 700 species. ? Whew¡­ I did a good job creating at least one species or avatar. No wonder even Ubbo-Sat is desperate for help. Anyway, this level isn¡¯t much of a threat, is it? Then I have a solution too. Instead of creating alien life forms with just high numerical values, I¡¯ll have to prepare ones like the Elves, with high base specs that grow stronger over time. Hehehe, this time it¡¯s going to take a while. You¡¯d better look forward to it, Yujin. This time, it won¡¯t be so easy. # Although they faced a major obstacle due to the alien life form attack, the main force of the Union was deployed and resolved the situation. There were no significant crises after that. The remaining alien life forms asionallyunched attacks, but they were already familiar opponents. Thanks to the considerable reinforcements from the main force this time, they were able to repel them without much difficulty. Thus, the exploration of Zone Y began to progress without major challenges. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you entrusted this to me, and yet¡­¡± Lowie Hendrick gritted his teeth and bowed his head to Yujin. They had empowered him, a young new elder, to create a good achievement, but the main force had to be deployed because of just one alien life form. This meant that Lowie Hendrick¡¯s achievements were as good as gone, and the efforts of Yujin and the other Meias elders to support him had been in vain. ¡°No, Lowie, you must be the most disappointed. It was a sudden, unexpected attack, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± Of course, Yujin had no intention of ming Lowie Hendrick for this. It was an unavoidable situation from the start. Since it was caused by his main body¡¯s whim, he even felt apologetic about it. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. Let¡¯s continue the expansion of Zone Y with the main force for now. We¡¯ll look for another opportunity in Zone Z.¡± It seemed they would need to distribute their forces more carefully next time. They couldn¡¯t guarantee that something like this wouldn¡¯t happen again. ¡®Still, it doesn¡¯t seem like anything special has been happening since then.¡¯ Things were going smoothly. Although he hoped it would continue like this, Yujin never let his guard down. ¡®Who knows what kind of mischief is being nned now.¡¯ Even the Elves¡¯ existence had been unknown for nearly 20-30 years. Simrly, strange things might be brewing somewhere again. Yujin was determined to remain vignt until the end. ¡°By the way, about the exoskeletons of those monsters.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard. They¡¯re incredibly tough.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if they gained nothing from this. The alien life forms that attacked the fleet. Their exoskeletons were tough enough to withstand sma cutter technology. There are very few non-metallic substances with such high hardness. Among them, organic substances at this level are practically non-existent. Therefore, their exoskeletons seemed likely to be very important research material. ¡°If we uncover the secret of the exoskeleton, we might be able to create organic armor using it, or even develop a serum that enhances the hardness of skin and leather.¡± ¡°That would certainly increase our inherent defensive capabilities.¡± As they say, crisis is opportunity. Whether or not the main body intended this as well was unclear, but one thing was certain. This incident could make the Union even stronger. ¡®Oveing trials makes you stronger, huh¡­ It¡¯s not all bad after all.¡¯ However, he had absolutely no intention of continually epting trials from the main body. # 15 years. It took a bit longer than expected, but finally, the expansion of Zone Y wasplete. We secured all the major strongholds in thest gxy designated as Zone Y and various cosmic structures. Although the pioneering is still in its early stages, that too will naturally resolve itself as time passes. In fact, it would be fair to say that we hadpletely dominated Zone Y. ¡°In reality, there were no threatening elements other than that alien life form¡­ the so-called ¡®Xenomorph¡¯.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Now the pioneering of Zone Y was over. Thebat and survey personnel for pioneering were withdrawing, and now it was time for the development personnel to be deployed. Unless a Outer God suddenly appeared, there were no more elements that could pose a threat in this zone. We could be certain of this because we had proceeded with thorough checks for any possible gaps due to the existence of the code-named Xenomorph. Although this dyed the pioneering by 5 years, we thought it was a good choice to invest that much time for the safety of the Union. ¡°Next is Zone Z, right?¡± ¡°Shall we proceed immediately?¡± To Lowie Hendrick¡¯s question, Yujin shook his head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s take a rest period first. We need to regroup to be able to work hard again next time. Besides, it must have been an incredibly long time for the short-lived races.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lowie Hendrick nodded, seeming a bit disappointed. He had really wanted to thoroughly prepare and achieve merit in Zone Z, but since they were regrouping first, there was nothing he could do. After all, resting was also important for work efficiency. ¡°By the way, we finally seeded.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± A vast cosmic space of 20 billion light-years. A total of 24 zones. With the addition of another zone, the territory of the Gctic Union had finally expanded after about 100 years. This held tremendous significance. While organizing and pioneering the interior was just doing work that had been postponed, this was creating something entirely new. Newnd, new resources, new energy, new possibilities. Of course, most of the ns had already beenid out by the Lubaran race, but what mattered was that we had actually carried them out and obtained them. ¡°This is just the beginning. The Gctic Union will soon have this entire universe in its grasp.¡± ¡°I look forward to it.¡± At Yujin¡¯s grand ambition, Lowie Hendrick nodded with a slight smile. If someone else had said such things, he would have scoffed, but the person saying it was none other than Yujin. At first, he had feared and served him simply because he was an avatar of the highest-ranking Outer God. But now it was different. He had already be a being separate from the Outer God, and had be someone worthy of respect solely based on his individual abilities, ambitions, and execution. ¡®I think that if it¡¯s him, it will surely be possible.¡¯ And if he followed him, he was sure he could keep up with at least some part of that grand n. Whether he died from reaching the end of his lifespan, or died fighting alongside him, or was discarded after outliving his usefulness. He thought that if he spent the rest of his life with Yujin, it would never be boring. ¡®With him, I¡¯m not afraid even of his main body, the Outer God.¡¯ Lowie Hendrick looked at Yujin with sparkling eyes full of respect. His feelings were sincere. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 83: Elftenium Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.83 Elftenium A part of the universe, a space about 2.5 billion light-years in diameter, designated as ¡®Zone Z¡¯ by the Gctic Union. There, at present, some kind of change was about to ur. ¡°Gather ording to the will of the Transcendent Being.¡± ¡°This is our new home¡­¡± ¡°Kieek, it¡¯s a bountiful ce.¡± In a distant part of the universe, different from the Gctic Union. A massive collective connected as a single species came here to establish a new home.They were the same species, yet their forms varied wildly due to evolution. Some were wolf-like monsters with a bizarre structure: huge de-like forelegs, two middle legs, and hind legs with extremely developed thighs like those of insects for jumping. Others were monsters with elongated heads extending backwards, long serrated jaws in front, and bodies long and segmented like centipedes. There were also strange tentacled monsters with gas-filled bodies floating and flying around, with enormous forms reaching tens of kilometers in size. While their appearances were all different, they were all of the same species. If there was onemon trait, it might be that they all possessed indescribably bizarre and horrific appearances. It¡¯s unknown why they traversed hundreds of billions of light-years of distant space toe here. They simply came here as if drawn to it. Their ruler, the massive being called the ¡®Transcendent Being,¡¯ came here as if entranced, seemingly having received some great will. [ Our power grows stronger here. In a short while, we will gain influence iparable to before. ] He was full of hope. The reason was that the Transcendent Being had made contact with a great entity existing outside this world. By contacting that great entity, it received power. Power and knowledge truly befitting the name ¡®Transcendent Being¡¯! It received fragments of cosmic truth. Now it could propagate its species on a scale iparable to before. Previously, they could barely manage a single gxy, but now they had the potential to dominate cosmic structures spanning hundreds of millions of light-years. ? [ Great entity, we shall propagate our species throughout this universe ording to your will. ] They had been chosen. By the great entity outside this universe that held its fate! Now, only sessy ahead. That¡¯s what the Transcendent Being thought. ¡°Great Transcendent One, bestow your orders upon us.¡± ¡°Kiieek, orders! Orders!¡± A vast species system connected mentally and spiritually to the enormous Transcendent Being. The species¡¯ executives, known as ¡®Elites,¡¯ awaited the Transcendent Being¡¯s orders. [ Propagate the species. And if there are intruders, kill them all. ] Simple and clear. But it was an order that precisely dictated all their future actions. ¡°Asmanded.¡± ¡°Kikikik! Kill! Kill them!¡± ¡°Intruders, could there be such things?¡± The bizarrely-shaped Elites, following the Transcendent Being¡¯s orders, began to spread out to numerouss to propagate their species. In 20 years. In just 20 years, they would spread to be an enormously vast power, dominating over 20% of Zone Z. And the Gctic Union had scheduled their exploration of Zone Z for 10 years from now. # This time, I took inspiration from a race called the Zerg that appears in StarXraft. Well, it¡¯s obvious when you look at it. To be honest, it¡¯s a bit ambiguous to say I created them, as there was already a simr alien race living in a different part of the universe, somewhat distant from where the Gctic Union is. They were weaker than the Kapteri race, which has a simr concept, with only enough power to consume a single gxy. But like the Zerg, their potential was very strong. Their evolution is very rapid, and the form of the species changes dramatically depending on the method of evolution. From small insects of 10cm to giant monsters tens of kilometers tall. This level of variation couldn¡¯t be seen even in the Kapteri race. Moreover, the fact that a huge psychic brain called the Transcendent Beingmands all the species as their leader was exactly like the Zerg. Of course, their species value is very low at around 300, and in their current state, they¡¯d be wiped out in 3 seconds if they encountered the Gctic Union. But I have the ability to strengthen them. I made contact with the Transcendent Being, the head of the species, and enhanced their abilities. It wasn¡¯t anything too special, just boosting their ability scores. In terms of potential alone, they were far superior to the Kapteri race, so I thought they¡¯d do well on their own if I just boosted their abilities and moved them to Zone Z. Of course, it¡¯s not just a simple boost. [ I raised them from a 300-level species to a 670-level species, so their abilities have been multiplied several times. ] Without giving any special abilities, just by enhancing their capabilities, their species value more than doubled. I couldn¡¯t even gauge how much stronger they¡¯d be without taking a proper look. I¡¯ll be able to gather more data depending on how much stronger they be in this experiment. Hehehe, 10 years, is it? That¡¯s how long it will take to reach Zone Z. How much will the Zerg be able to expand their influence by then? I wonder how the battle with the Gctic Union will unfold with that expanded influence. All-out war? Or will Eugene and friends step in again to quickly resolve it? It won¡¯t be that easy this time. It¡¯s going to be quite tough. Of course, the Gctic Union side has also gained quite a bit this time. They discovered a new metal called Elftenium while upying Zone Y. How should I exin this¡­ I guess you could think of it as something like mithril from fantasy novels? It has extremely high energy conductivity, is very light, and has strength surpassing tungsten alloys. It¡¯s very difficult to process, but if it can be processed, it¡¯s such an excellent metal that it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it a dream material. It seems the elves discovered it and named it ¡®Elftenium¡¯. I¡¯d prefer if they just called it mithril for easier understanding, you know. They¡¯ve just made the name unnecessarilyplicated. Anyway, if they research Elftenium and use it to create ships and various weapons¡­ they might be able to win more easily than expected? Just how strong have these guys be? At this rate, we might need to bring in a low-level outer god to make it a real trial, don¡¯t you think? Did I mess up the bnce settings¡­ Who¡¯s in charge of bnce? Oh, right, it¡¯s me. Well, anyway. Shall we wait and see for now? If it looks too difficult, I could create another simr species and make them form an alliance. One 700-level species would be a worthy opponent, but they won¡¯t react to two 670-level species. Come to think of it, the bnce on this side is a mess too. # ¡°How is it going? The research.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re still in the research phase, but¡­ even what we¡¯ve discovered so far is incredible.¡± Elftenium. It¡¯s a new metal discovered by the elves during the development of Zone Y. Who would have thought we¡¯d still discover a new metal in this universe? It just goes to show how vast space truly is. Moreover, experiments have revealed that this metal is an extraordinary substance. First, its strength. It¡¯s harder than any metal that has existed until now. Yet it¡¯s also flexible and doesn¡¯t break easily, making it arguably the ultimate in durability. And it¡¯s lightweight too. Remember when stic was first developed, and it was called a dream material for being hard and light? It¡¯s exactly like that. What¡¯s more, since this metal is also heat-resistant, it¡¯s truly the best material for space industry. But that¡¯s not all. ¡°The energy conductivity is also very high. It¡¯s much higher than silver for electricity, and simrly surpasses most metals for other types of energy as well.¡± The energy conductivity is also high. Thermal energy, electrical energy, and so on. It has an incredibly high conductivity for energy transmitted through various media. And the energy loss is almost negligible. It¡¯s no exaggeration to call it a dream material. ¡®Surely this isn¡¯t another of the entity¡¯s tricks?¡¯ Eugene momentarily wondered if this might be a reward for oveing a trial. Following the Xenomorph¡¯s outer shell, could this incredible metal be another gift? Without thinking along those lines, the existence of such a perfect metal was almost unbelievable. ¡®Whatever it is, this is an opportunity.¡¯ There are still many who doubt the need for zone expansion. They question whether it¡¯s really necessary to expand. Including the Xenomorph¡¯s outer shell, there¡¯s no better material to convince such skeptics. Look, in this vast universe, there are still substances we haven¡¯t discovered. This time it¡¯s a metal, but it could be a new type of energy, or organic resources from life forms. That¡¯s why we need to expand the Gctic Union¡¯s management zone. This argument would be met with almost universal approval, and negative opinions would disappear. ¡®Of course, the advancements from the metal will naturally follow.¡¯ The discovery of a new metal. And one with such incredible properties? It was only natural that various fields utilizing metals would advance. Moreover, with its excellent energy conductivity, we could expect significant progress in the energy industry as well. ¡®Good. Everything is going well. We¡¯ll finish this development and start exploring Zone Z in about 10 years.¡¯ Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about the entity¡¯s existence. This time, he intended to make thorough preparations before venturing into Zone Z. ¡®This time, you won¡¯t have your way. I don¡¯t know what trials you¡¯ve prepared, but we¡¯ll be ready.¡¯ Chapter 84: The Tower’s Choice Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.84 The Tower¡¯s Choice Hehehe, Yujin is such a cute one. Perhaps because he¡¯s my avatar, I like how he¡¯s not afraid of me and burns with apetitive spirit. I guess he can think that way because he¡¯s not really a threat anyway. If he were a real threat, I would have already erased the universe. Hmm, but I wonder how the original universe is progressing? Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t been paying attention since the middle, so it¡¯s probably developing into apletely different worldview by now. I¡¯m curious, should I take a look?[ We¡¯ve resolved all the internal issues of the Gctic Union. Now we must expand outward! ] [ Outward? ] [ Yes, just like the newly arrived Elves and Metallians, there must be new races out there, along with new energy sources or resources¡­ ] Ah, this side is flowing almost the same way too. I guess the timeline is just a bit slower? Of course, without my intervention there, the expansion itself might be a bit faster. Still, it¡¯s a bit boring. Anyway, that side is progressing simrly, and this side is set to be peaceful without any incidents for 10 years¡­ Should I go check out some other universes for a change? I¡¯ve created plenty anyway, and if I don¡¯t like any of them, I can always make one from scratch myself. Oh, this one¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s a tower climbing story. To be precise, it¡¯s a world where people are kidnapped into an otherworldly tower and made to climb it. Each floor has trials, and as they break through and climb up, they be stronger and challenge the next floor¡­ that kind of feel. Since they can¡¯t return to their original world until they clear the entire tower, people strive desperately to clear the tower and return to their original world. ? Of course, that¡¯s not all. When they clear the tower and reach the very top, a reward awaits that can grant any wish. Some climb the tower for that purpose. Of course, among them, there are those who hit their limits and stop climbing, or those who don¡¯t climb because they¡¯re afraid to die¡­ they be what¡¯s known as ¡®Tower Residents¡¯. They make a living on certain floors of the tower, trading with those who periodically enter the tower using a currency they¡¯ve created among themselves. It¡¯s been about 20 years since it started. Should I take a look at this? It seems like it could be quite interesting. Well then, shall we select a protagonist this time too? This time, I want to move away from Yujin a bit. # [Next news. Another disappearance case that¡¯s causing a global sensation has urred. This time, about 30 cases have been reported worldwide, and the current scale of damage is¡­] The news about the disappearance cases flows from the TV. One might wonder why there¡¯s such a fuss on TV about disappearances which happen all the time, but this isn¡¯t just an ordinary disappearance case. To put it simply¡­ it¡¯s causing an uproar because it¡¯s a disappearance case where people literally vanish. You might think that disappearance cases are always about people vanishing, but¡­ This is a bit different. [ ¡­As you can see in the video, a man who was walking normally suddenly disappears. He vanished without any warning signs. Surprisingly, this video is not aposite or maniption, but actual footage. ] The video ys. A white man walking calmly on the street suddenly vanishes without any warning. He literally disappears. As if, God himself is actually abducting people. [Currently, about 16 cases have been confirmed in Korea, and the number of confirmed cases worldwide has exceeded 5,000. Particrly, the authorities in China and the United States, where the damage is significant, have stated that they will thoroughly investigate the incident. Regarding this¡­] Beep©¤ The man watching TV, Lee Hyunsoo, turned it off with an indifferent expression. ¡°So what? It has nothing to do with me.¡± He had no interest in the disappearance cases causing a global uproar. He thought it had nothing to do with him anyway. ¡°Fuck, I just want to disappear somewhere too. What¡¯s the point of living in this shitty world.¡± Saying that, Hyunsoo stares nkly at the ceiling of his shabby studio apartment. At the young age of 20, he had made a name for himself as a prodigy in kendo, but after an ident that severely injured his shoulder, he was forced to retire suddenly. After about 2 years of rehabilitation, he recovered enough to manage daily life, but a huge gap had formed in the meantime. Moreover, he had to decide to retire because the doctor said that if he got injured again, even daily life would be impossible. Since the only thing he knew how to do at that age was wielding a sword, he had been living a bottom-tier life for 5 years after retirement, moving from one part-time job to another. ¡®Rather than living like this, I¡¯d rather just disappear.¡¯ As he was thinking that and letting out a deep sigh¡­ [ You have been chosen by the Tower. ] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Suddenly, a strange notification-like thing appeared in front of his eyes, and his body vanished from the studio apartment. # Pop©¤! When Lee Hyunsoo, who had disappeared, opened his eyes, he found himself on a cold stone floor. ¡°What? Where am I?¡± His confusion didn¡¯tst long. Soon, something like a notification window appeared before his eyes. [ Congrattions. You have been chosen by the Tower. Climb to the top of the Tower and fulfill your wish. ] ¡°W-what does this mean?¡± Climb the Tower? What¡¯s this all about, all of a sudden? As if in a scene straight out of a novel, Hyunsoo looked around in confusion. It was a massive dome surrounded by hard stone floors and what seemed like artificially created cave walls. It felt like a Colosseum made of stone, he thought. That¡¯s what he thought. As he was thinking this, another notification window appeared before Hyunsoo. [ This is a tutorial to exin the Tower to you. Would you like to proceed? ] [ Note: You may die during the tutorial, so please make sure you¡¯re fully prepared before choosing. ] [ YES / NO ] The brutal phrase about possibly dying made it impossible for him to focus on anything, let alone the tutorial. ¡°W-what is this! Send me back home! Shit, what the hell is going on?!¡± Hyunsoo shouted angrily. He thought that whoever had kidnapped him must be listening or watching. Not wanting to die, he screamed for help. But there was no response. After 20 minutes passed like this. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± Hyunsoo realized that all he could do¡­ was to select the semi-transparent options in front of him and proceed with the potentially fatal tutorial. ¡®Why is this¡­ Is it a dream? It must be a dream, right? No, it¡¯s not a dream.¡¯ He was confused. Why had this happened to him? Could it be rted to the disappearance cases happening worldwide? Was it because he had wished to disappear from the world rather than live like this? All sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± With trembling hands, he finally decided to select YES and proceed with the tutorial. [ Starting the tutorial. ] [ First, let me exin about the Tower. ] This Tower exists in a dimensionpletely different from Earth, and you cannot return to your original world until you reach the very top of the Tower. Each floor of the Tower has trials waiting, and you could lose your life in these trials. However, if you manage to climb all the way to the top of the Tower, you¡¯ll be able to return to your original world and have any wish granted. ¡®A wish¡­ huh.¡¯ Of course, even without that, he had to climb this Tower anyway. Whatever the reward, whatever it might be, the result was the same. [ Now that the exnation is over, we will proceed with the selection of weapon to ovee the uing trials. ] [ Please select the weapon you wish to use. ] ¡°W-weapon?¡± That word implied there would be fighting. Could it be that these trials were rted tobat? As he was thinking this, options appeared before his eyes. The categories were weapons and armor. For armor, there was cloth, leather, light armor, and heavy armor. Just these four types. As for weapons, there were so many types it was hard to count them all. From the most basic swords, bows, and axes to ils, polearms, tridents, bs, and so on. There were even weapons that seemed unlikely to be used. ¡®Among these¡­¡¯ Though he didn¡¯t know much about armor, he was certain about his weapon choice. After all, the only thing he could handle was a sword. ¡®But¡­ is this the right choice?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know who or what he¡¯d be fighting against. Was it right to choose a sword just because he knew how to use it? Shouldn¡¯t he think about this more carefully? Above all, he was worried if he could handle a sword well again after all this time. It had been 7 years since hest held one. He wouldn¡¯t have the same prodigious sword skills as before. ¡®But still.¡¯ Still. He thought about the life he had lived until now. What kind of life had he lived since putting down the sword? A bottom-of-the-barrel life, barely surviving. Both his finances and his spirit were at rock bottom. ¡®That¡¯s right, everything fell apart when I put down the sword. If I pick it up again¡­ this is giving me another chance.¡¯ This is an opportunity. That¡¯s what he thought. If so, he wouldn¡¯t miss this chance. Even if his shoulder gets shattered here and he can never wield a sword again. Even if that leads to his death. He would never regret it. He would face his end with a sword in hand. That¡¯s what he decided. ¡°I¡¯ll take a sword as my weapon.¡± Swoosh©¤ With that, he reached for the sword in the weapon category and grasped the handle of an iron longsword. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 85: Tutorial Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.85 Tutorial The armor is made of easy-to-move cloth or leather. Among them, I chose leather, thinking that it might have slightly better defense than cloth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [ Your weapon is a sword, and your armor is leather. When you equip the chosen gear, your stats will increase. When you equip other types of gear, you will receive penalties. ] ¡°¡­Stats?¡± At the mention of stats, Lee Hyunsoo tilted his head. When they say stats, do they mean the ones that appear in games and frequently in novels these days? [ Name: Lee Hyunsoo ][ Weapon: Sword ] [ Armor: Leather ] [ Strength: 10(+2) ] [ Agility: 10(+2) ] [ Stamina: 10(+2) ] [ Magic Power: 10(+2) ] [ Skills ] [ Leather Mastery (Level 1) ] [ When wearing leather armor, all stats increase by 1. When wearing armor of a material other than leather, all stats decrease by 1. ] [ Sword Mastery (Level 1) ] [ When equipped with a sword-type weapon, all stats increase by 1. When equipped with a weapon that is not a sword-type, all stats decrease by 1. ] ¡°Oh¡­¡± As the stat window and skill window really appeared before his eyes, he forgot about being tense and marveled at them curiously. [ Then we will move on to the next step. ] Perhaps there was no need for a special exnation about stats, as the tutorial moved right on to the next part. Well, it didn¡¯t seem to matter anyway. The names of the stats themselves were very familiar and intuitive. Strength would be rted to pure muscle power and physical attack power, while agility would be about dexterity and reflexes. Stamina would be about stamina and defense. Lastly, magic power would be used for special skills or casting magic. As for skills, everything was written in the descriptions anyway. [ Next is a mock battle. Be careful. You may lose your life. ] A mock battle. This must be why they said earlier that you could die while going through the tutorial. Most of the trials that appear in the tower would probably be rted tobat. So it felt natural to have a life-threatening real battle in the tutorial. Those who would die here would die as soon as they went up anyway. [ Defeat the goblin. ] ¡°Keeeeek!¡± As soon as the tutorial¡¯s guidance ended, a grotesque monster with dull grayish-green skin appeared before his eyes. Its height was around 130cm, looking about the size of an elementary school student. But its nose and ears were grotesquelyrge and twisted, and its bright yellow eyes were horizontally slit, glistening as they stared at Lee Hyunsoo like prey. Its drooling teeth were sharp triangles, and in its hand was a worn dagger meant to kill humans. A goblin. It was a monster that was always treated as a mere mob in novels and games. But seeing this small monster full of killing intent right before his eyes, trying to kill him, sent chills down his spine. ¡®This is supposed to be a tutorial mob¡­?¡¯ The moment their eyes met, his body trembled as if he had encountered a wild beast. He felt like he couldn¡¯t move. It seemed like he would lose his life to that thing. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± His breathing quickened. It¡¯s dangerous. I need to run away. ¡®No.¡¯ Lee Hyunsoo shook his head. He shouldn¡¯t run away here. He must defeat it and move forward. Otherwise, he would lose his life to that small green monster before he could even escape this ce. ¡®I have to face it and fight.¡¯ Gritting his teeth, he somehow managed to calm his trembling. Fortunately, the creature was observing him. Perhaps it judged it dangerous to rush in recklessly since he was holding a weapon. He thought it was truly fortunate. As he calmed his mind, he recalled his past memories. Kendo. He had used a real sword before. Just once, when he cut straw for a performance. He remembered that even then, the sword felt much heavier than its actual weight, with the thought that it could kill a person. This time, it was a sword to cut a real life, not straw. It felt even heavier. But he lifted it. ¡®If I don¡¯t kill, I¡¯ll be killed.¡¯ He steeled his resolve. The resolve to take a life. The resolve to face and fight the creature. The trembling stopped. He pointed the sword forward. ¡°Huuuu¡­¡± He steadied his breathing and slowly distributed strength throughout his body. ¡°Kieek?¡± The goblin, seeming to realize something was off, visibly flinched. But then, perhaps thinking that he was still just its prey after all. ¡°Keeeeek!¡± It began to charge with its worn dagger. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± At that moment, Lee Hyunsoo, who had been concentrating all his nerves, advanced towards the charging goblin and swung his sword. Thwack! ¡°Guk!¡± The sword urately struck the goblin¡¯s head, and with a short death cry, the goblin copsed to the ground with its head split in half. St! Brain matter oozed out of the split head. The sword Lee Hyunsoo held dripped with the goblin¡¯s copious blood and brain matter. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± He had taken a life. There was no guilt or fear about it. Instead, what settled in his heart was relief at having survived. He gasped for breath that had stopped. [ You havepleted the mock battle. ] [ You have achieved an aplishment. ] [ Victorious against the tutorial goblin without being attacked once. ] [ All stats increase by 1. ] [ You have achieved an aplishment. ] [ Defeated the tutorial goblin with one attack. ] [ Strength stat increases by 2. ] [ You havepleted the tutorial and will receive the tutorial reward. ] [ All stats increase by 1. ] [ You permanently acquire the weapon and armor currently equipped. ] [ Tutorial Sword ] [ It¡¯s an ordinary iron sword. ] [ Durability: 50/50 ] [ Special Ability ] [ None ] [ Tutorial Leather Armor Set ] [ It¡¯s an ordinary leather armor. It consists of upper and lower garments and wrist guards. ] [ Durability: 30/30 ] [ Special Ability ] [ None ] [ Name: Lee Hyunsoo ] [ Weapon: Sword ] [ Armor: Leather ] [ Strength: 14(+2) ] [ Agility: 12(+2) ] [ Stamina: 12(+2) ] [ Magic Power: 12(+2) ] ¡°I even got additional rewards.¡± He gained an additional 1 in all stats and 2 in strength stat for achieving the aplishments. He had only desperately done what he could, yet he received additional rewards. Lee Hyunsoo was able to finish the tutorial in quite a good mood. [ Now the tutorial isplete. You will be teleported to the first floor of the tower shortly. We wish you good luck. ] Now he leaves this dreary stone room and finally enters the first floor. What terrible trials await him there? ¡®Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t matter. I will definitely survive.¡¯ He had lost kendo and lived a trashy life. Now he grips a sword again, and this time he¡¯s determined to survive and climb the tower. A wish? He¡¯ll think about that as he climbs. Right now, he was more full of vitality than ever before. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m a battle maniac.¡¯ He recalled the past when he lived fiercelypeting and fighting while learning swordsmanship. He feels more energetic and motivated now than back then. Perhaps he had chosen the wrong era to be born in. His sword master used to say that if he had been born in the old days, he would have be a great general of the age. He had that much talent, and his fighting spirit and desire for improvement were tremendous. This tower was the perfect ce to fulfill that. It even showed numerically how much stronger he was bing. Lee Hyunsoo was starting to quite like this ce. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s waiting next.¡¯ With a mind half expectant and half worried. His body disappeared from the cave room. Whoosh©¤! # The ce where he reappeared was in the middle of a forest. A dense forest where the trees were so thick that the surroundings were barely visible. This must be the first floor of the tower. As he was cautiously surveying his surroundings, not knowing what trials awaited him, [ The trial of the first floor has not yet begun as not all participants have gathered. Please wait a moment. ] ¡°Hm?¡± Such a message appeared before his eyes. ¡®Come to think of it, it feels like the surroundings are enclosed by a transparent membrane.¡¯ After seeing that message and thinking about it, he had a strange feeling that there was some kind of barrier around. He moved a bit forward and reached out his hand. Thud©¤ ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s blocked.¡± All around was blocked by transparent walls. It seemed to mean that he should wait here and not leave until everyone had gathered. ¡®Everyone gathering¡­ Come to think of it, didn¡¯t they say that 20-30 disappearances ur simultaneously worldwide?¡¯ About 30 disappearances ur periodically. Perhaps all of them had to go through the same tutorial as him and wait until they reached the first floor. ¡®Then it shouldn¡¯t take long.¡¯ After all, the tutorial was just listening to exnations and fighting a goblin. He thought it wouldn¡¯t take that long. However, an hour passed after that. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Why hasn¡¯t it started yet?¡± Lee Hyunsoo was dumbfounded. What kind of exnation could possibly take this long? Or were they fighting goblins for over an hour? ¡®Is most of the time spent on people unable to decide what to do and just pondering?¡¯ Ordinary people would naturally spend a long time deliberating when told their lives were at stake. He understood that. But waiting without doing anything was unbearably boring. ¡®Kendo.¡¯ During that time, he tries to focus for a moment, recalling the kendo he had learned before. A 7-year gap. But the head strike he had used when fighting the goblin came from a level of concentration that more than made up for that long gap. ¡®But it¡¯s not enough.¡¯ Considering it was a real sword, if it had been in the past, he could have moved more sharply and quickly. ¡®I¡¯m stillcking. I need to get back to my peak form to have any chance.¡¯ Thinking this, he spent a moment trying to raise his concentration. [ All participants have gathered. ] [ The trial for the 25th round of selected individuals will now begin. ] Atst, the bell ofmencement rang. Chapter 86: Trial of the First Floor Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.86 Trial of the First Floor As the trial began, the transparent wall disappeared. Now, they could enter the forest. And at the same time, the clear condition for the first floor appeared. [ 1st Floor Clear Condition: Defeat the Goblin Shaman existing in the forest. ] [ Note: It will only be recognized as a kill if you deliver the final blow. ] The clear condition was to defeat the Goblin Shaman. As the name suggests, it was clear that this was a goblin that used magic, or rather, sorcery.¡®A Goblin Shaman, huh. Will it appear if I search the forest? Or is it in a specific location that I need to find¡­.¡¯ Lee Hyunsoo didn¡¯t move rashly at first, organizing his thoughts on the spot. ¡®The fact that I waited for people toe means that there are other people in this forest.¡¯ It¡¯s only recognized as a kill if you deliver the final blow. This part probably means that even if you hide and only aim for thest hit, it will be acknowledged. He thought he should consider the possibility of aiming for this from the start, hiding after discovering the Goblin Shaman. ¡®This is apetition. Who knows how many Goblin Shamans there are. If we can¡¯t defeat them, we might be eliminated from the first floor and die.¡¯ Maybe there¡¯s only one, so only one person can clear it. But what if this Goblin Shaman is stronger than expected? What if there are so many goblins that people need to cooperate to fight? ¡®When I meet people, should Ipete or cooperate?¡¯ He was torn about which choice to make. ¡®Let¡¯s think about that when we encounter people. There¡¯s no point in just standing here.¡¯ With that, he moves forward. And not long after. ¡°Keeeeek!¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± He encountered a group of goblins. There were a total of 3 goblins. Swoosh©¤! ¡°Kieeeeek!¡± Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be much difference in specspared to the tutorial goblins. He killed one by slicing its body in a single breath. sh! Then he quickly dealt with the others, and the battle was over. ¡°Phew¡­ Indeed, the first time is hard, but it gets easier after that.¡± In fact, goblins themselves are weak. It¡¯s just a matter of whether you can cut down a life simr to a human walking on two legs or not. Even an ordinary person with a sword could easily defeat about 3 of them. For Lee Hyunsoo, once called a sword genius, it was naturally much easier to win, even if he had picked up a sword after 7 years. ¡°Hm? Something dropped.¡± After the battle, Hyunsoo noticed something near the goblin corpses and picked it up. [ Goblin Essence ] [ Can be synthesized into a Powerful Goblin Essence by collecting 10. ] ¡°¡­Synthesis?¡± So something happens when you synthesize 10 of them. Not sure what it means, but since he¡¯d collect them anyway while defeating goblins, he picked up all 3 and put them in his pocket. A momentter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [ You have synthesized 10 Goblin Essences to create a Powerful Goblin Essence. ] [ Powerful Goblin Essence ] [ Increases 1 random stat when used. (Max 15) ] [ When possessed, guides to the location of the nearest Goblin Shaman. ] ¡°I see. So I can increase my stats with this, and then after that, I should find and defeat the Goblin Shaman.¡± Hyunsoo nodded, immediately understanding the structure of the first floor trial. Holding the powerful essence, he could faintly see something like a navigation arrow pointing somewhere. It probably means he can meet the Goblin Shaman if he goes in the direction it¡¯s pointing. ¡®Come to think of it, it says the nearest shaman. Are there multiple?¡¯ If so, it seemed that cooperating when encountering people might not be a bad method. Of course, the catch was that he hadn¡¯t met a single person so far. ¡®Let¡¯s start by increasing my stats.¡¯ There¡¯s no need to rush if there are multiple shamans and he¡¯s even given guidance. It seemed best to increase all the stats he could before going. ¡®With things like this, you should maximize them when you can.¡¯ # That¡¯s what he thought. Until just a moment ago. [ Goblin Shaman ] ¡°Keeeeek!¡± ¡°Oh shit.¡± While hunting goblins to farm essences, he finally encountered it. He had only managed to kill about 30 so far and raised only 3 stats, but suddenly he was face to face with the boss. ¡®Just my luck.¡¯ The fact that stats could be raised up to 15 meant that was the rmended level for fighting the Goblin Shaman. But Lee Hyunsoo¡¯s current stats were¡­. [ Name: Lee Hyunsoo ] [ Weapon: Sword ] [ Armor: Leather ] [ Strength: 14(+2) ] [ Agility: 13(+2) ] [ Stamina: 14(+2) ] [ Magic Power: 12(+2) ] His stats had risen a bit more from farming essences, and he had quite a few stats increased from the tutorial earlier, so the numbers were high, but still, none had reached 15 yet. ? But there was no choice. If he encountered it, he had to fight. ¡®First, I¡¯ll deal with the surrounding goblins.¡¯ There were 4 goblins. Not a particrly difficult number. Of course, it was worrying not knowing what the Goblin Shaman would do from behind. ¡°Keeek! Kieek!¡± [ You are afflicted with the Slow status effect. ] [ Agility decreases by 2. ] ¡®Oh shit!¡¯ No sooner had the thought finished than the Goblin Shaman was already doing something. And right after that, 4 goblins rushed at him. ¡®It¡¯s okay. If it were strength, it¡¯d be a problem, but agility I can still manage.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that his physical strength had decreased, but his reaction speed. As long as he had the strength, he could deal with them in one blow, so there was no difficulty. ¡°Huaaah!¡± Swoosh! sh! Slice! He sliced the necks of two charging goblins. Thanks to his increased stats and the experience he had gained, his peak form was returning, allowing him to cut them down very cleanly. ¡®Next¡­!¡¯ Just as he was about to cut down the remaining goblins with a follow-up attack. Whoosh©¤! ¡°Argh! It¡¯s hot!¡± Suddenly, a fireball flew from somewhere and scorched his body. He hurriedly shook his body to shake off the fireball, but as a result, his arm was burned and started to sting. His body stiffened, allowing the goblins¡¯ attacks tond. Thud! His stomach and left shoulder. Fortunately, if you could call it that, they were wielding wooden clubs instead of des, so he didn¡¯t suffer major injuries. A pain like his bones were about to break washed over him, but it seemed his bones weren¡¯t actually broken. It just ached, but there was no problem moving his body. ¡®Good thing my Stamina increased.¡¯ It must be thanks to the increased Stamina that his body¡¯s defense itself had risen. ¡°Uaaaah!¡± Somehow enduring the pain, he sliced the goblins¡¯ necks. Next was the shaman. ¡°Keeeeek!¡± Without any shield to protect it, he instantly severed the shaman¡¯s neck, killing it on the spot. Ding! [ You have defeated the Goblin Shaman. ] [ You have acquired the Goblin Shaman¡¯s essence. ] [ You have achieved the clear condition for the first floor. ] [ Number of Goblin Shamans defeated: 1 ] With burns and bruises, his body wasn¡¯t in great shape, but he managed to defeat the Goblin Shaman without major injuries. ¡°Phew.¡± Now that the battle was over, it was time to check the rewards. # The essence of the Goblin Shaman, when used, increases one stat and has a maximum of 20, or teleports to the second floor. I set it up as an item that allows you to choose between these two options. Hehehe, this way, given Hyunsoo¡¯s strong desire for improvement, he¡¯ll naturally raise his stats to the maximum of 20 before moving on. Actually, there are up to 100 Goblin Shamans prepared, far more than the number of participants. [ Ah, this is fun. With even a status window, it really feels like I¡¯m making a game. A tower-climbing RPG game. ] I wonder how far Hyunsoo, whom I¡¯ve set as the protagonist this time, will be able to climb. At the current pace, it looks like he¡¯ll easily climb up to about the 20th floor. I¡¯ve set the tower to have a total of 100 floors. Well, most climbers are still unable to surpass the 40th floor, and even the most advanced vanguard is stuck around the 50th floor¡­ I wonder how quickly Hyunsoo will climb? I¡¯m really looking forward to it. Of course, since I¡¯ve set Hyunsoo as the protagonist of this world, I n to support him diligently so he can reach the 100th floor at the top. He¡¯ll probably make it to the very top no matter what. Hmm, a wish, huh. What wish will he make? To be the richest person in the world? To be able to practice kendo again? To keep the tower¡¯s abilities in the real world? He might even ask to be a god. Whatever he wants, I can grant it all. I am, literally, the omnipotent god of the outside world. I have the power to even recreate the world if he asks for it. Come on, hurry up and climb. Oh protagonist of this world. Hmm, saying it like this makes me sound like an evil mastermind. But it¡¯s not wrong since I created everything, right? Chapter 87: The Truth of the Tower Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.87 The Truth of the Tower Lee Hyunsoo¡¯s tower climb progressed smoothly. He cleared floors quickly with exceptional skill, barely needing my support. Wow, I guess I have a good eye for people. I picked a character that¡¯s just like a protagonist. He joined the advance team in no time, clearing up to the 50th floor. From that point on, the name Lee Hyunsoo was already widely known throughout the tower. Hyunsoo the Sword Demon.A nickname given to him for his outstanding swordsmanship and his merciless shing of anyone or anything he considered an enemy, be it human or monster. Hmm, Sword Demon, huh. It¡¯s a bit chuunibyou-esque, but it¡¯s definitely cool. Of course, it¡¯s not like my help waspletely unnecessary. As he climbed the tower, there were several times he nearly died, and he faced various crises, both mental and otherwise. Each time, I helped him by appropriately granting skills or providing a bit of assistance to keep him from breaking. Without such help, he might have remained an ordinary person, settling for the 20th floor or dying midway. Well, given Hyunsoo¡¯s personality, as long as he didn¡¯t die, he might have ovee the crises and moved forward again even if he had faltered. [ At this rate, he¡¯ll reach the 100th floor in no time. ] It¡¯s going more smoothly than expected. With my help on top of that, it¡¯s so smooth it¡¯s almost boring. No, it is fun, you know? I like tower climbing stories too. I enjoy content where the protagonist faces trials floor by floor and ovees them. But how should I put it¡­ I wish there was something more dramatic. [ When he reaches it, we¡¯ll have to grant his wish. What kind of wish do you think he¡¯ll make? ] [ Well¡­ ] Idra is watching with interest from the side. This woman, despite all her talk about precious life forms, seems to be starting to enjoy this too. I guess the fundamental nature of an outer god, driven only by interest and curiosity, doesn¡¯t really change. Speaking of wishes, though. That part is certainly interesting. What kind of wish will Hyunsoo make? If I looked into his heart, I could quickly find out what kind of wish he wants to make right now. But there¡¯s no reason to do that. I don¡¯t want to spoil the ending for myself, and anyway, his current wish might not be the same as the one he¡¯ll make when he reaches the 100th floor. For now, I¡¯ll just watch him desperately climb floor by floor. # 99th floor. Finally, just one step left. How many things have happened until now. He met countless people, and all those people either died or had to be killed by his own hands. They were those who climbed the tower to fulfill their wishes and return to their original world, those who settled in their ces out of fear of death, friends, lovers¡­ they were ¡®people¡¯ alive just like him. After facing countless trials and witnessing their deaths, he thought. ¡®Why am I climbing the tower?¡¯ Why? To return to the original world? Because there¡¯s a wish I desperately want to make? At first, it was just a proof of himself. A reenactment of his life living by the sword, and its proof. And he proved it. That his sword is strong. That walking the path of the sword wasn¡¯t wrong. In other words, for him, the concept of a wish was meaningless. Because reaching the top floor of the tower by himself was as good as fulfilling his wish. In front of the portal leading to the 100th floor. Based on the information obtained on the 84th floor, he knows that the top of this tower is the 100th floor. In other words, the end. Standing before the end, Hyunsoo thought. ¡®Why am I climbing the tower? When I reach the 100th floor, what should I do?¡¯ If I return to the original world, what¡¯s waiting for me there? Is it just a rock-bottom life where everything is over again? What wish should I make? To be rich? I¡¯m not sure if money would have such meaning. To let me wield a sword again? He has already seen the end of the sword. It¡¯s meaningless to wish for something that has already been fulfilled. ¡®Why am I climbing the tower? What is the tower? Why does it draw us in and make us like this?¡¯ As he pondered, Hyunsoo arrived at a fundamental question. What exactly is the tower? Why does it exist, and why does it gather people? It was a truth he didn¡¯t necessarily need to know, but nothing else came to mind. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve decided.¡± As if he had made some decision, he nodded and stepped onto the portal leading to the 100th floor. Whoosh©¤ His figure disappeared, and when he reappeared, it was on the long-awaited 100th floor. The top of the tower. The 100th floor looked just like the 0th floor, the tutorial floor that existed right before entering the 1st floor. A wide space surrounded by stone walls on all sides. Inside, there was nothing but a bright light shining. ¡®A nostalgic sight.¡¯ He recalled the time when he first entered the 1st floor. Was that already 10 years ago? He was surprised that it took 10 years to climb up to the 100th floor. Perhaps because he had lived so intensely, it felt like not much time had passed. [ Finally, someone has reached this ce. ] As he was slightly lost in reminiscence, a voice was heard. A voice that seemed to resonate directly in his head. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. That this voice belonged to the owner of the tower, the one who created it. [ O first one to reach here, speak your wish. As promised, I shall grant any wish of yours. ] Hearing those words, Hyunsoo paused for a moment, then nodded and spoke. ¡°Right, you said you¡¯d grant any wish. Then¡­¡± He took a deep breath and spoke to the owner of the tower. ¡°I want to know everything about the tower. Why it was created, why it draws us in. What is the identity of the tower and you. Everything.¡± [ ¡­¡­. ] Perhaps it was an unexpected wish, as the owner of the tower didn¡¯t answer immediately. But soon, with a voice full of amusement as if very interested, he asked. [ Kukuku, won¡¯t you regret it? Even if you learn everything? ] A tone as if he would definitely regret it. At those words, Hyunsoo felt a bit uneasy. What could it be? What truth could be hidden in this tower to make him speak like that? It made him even more curious. ¡°I might regret it. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll learn, and my mental state might break. But¡­¡± Still, he wanted to know. He couldn¡¯t think of any other wish. [ Huhu, good. Very interesting. I¡¯ll show you the ¡®truth¡¯. ] Swoosh©¤ As he said that, the space turned ck. No, should I say ck? The expression ¡®colorless¡¯ might be more appropriate. A space that seemed tock the concept of color. In that empty space, Hyunsoo¡¯s body floated up. ¡®What is this ce?¡¯ It¡¯s confusing. Could this be the ¡®outside of the tower¡¯ he had only heard about? That ce where no concepts exist, just a gap between dimensions? As he was feeling confused, someone appeared before his eyes. Boom©¤ ¡°?!¡± It was enormous. No other words came to mind to describe it. There were no words to describe it other than that. Bizarre? Horrific? Evil? Awe-inspiring? Terror? How could one exin that with any of these? The moment he saw it, a new kind of emotion he had never felt before began to surge. Of course, it was certain that this emotion was not a good one. Ah, just one thing. There was one more thing to express. Red eyes. Enormous and red eyes. The moment he faced them, he felt his head growing hot. ¡®Kuhek¡­! Kheuk!¡¯ He¡¯s suffocating. He wants to scream, but no soundes out. What could it be? Is this the truth of the tower? Is this the owner of the tower? His thoughts aren¡¯t connecting. It felt bizarre and unfamiliar, as if his consciousness was being jumbled up at random. [ I will show you. The truth. ] The enormous red eyes conveyed the words. And along with the words, it conveyed a certain ¡®fact¡¯. It was. ¡®This can¡¯t be. Why? Why on earth¡­ such a thing¡­¡¯ The truth of this world. The truth of the tower. The owner of the tower, in other words, the creator who made this world. That it was a game-like world created just to fulfill his pleasure. That he was merely a chess piece for his interest, living in this trivial and small world that was created like that. Even the fact that he was arbitrarily designated as the protagonist of this world, and arbitrarily helped to climb up to the 100th floor. ¡°Ah, uah¡­¡± His voice, which had been blocked by the utterly futile and incredible fact, flowed out. Futility, emptiness, despondency. At that emotion settling deep in his heart, tears streamed down his face. The fact that he was such a trivial and small existence. The fact that his life until now was just created and controlled. The fact that all of this was consumed just for a moment of pleasure for that being. It was a truth too horrific and hard to ept. [ How is it? I told you you¡¯d regret it, didn¡¯t I? This is the truth of your world and yourself. ] He couldn¡¯t say anything. Except for ring at it with resentful eyes. But even that had no meaning. Because to it, this was nothing more than an interesting moment. [ Thanks to you, it was fun at the end. As a special reward for entertaining me, I¡¯ve prevented your mind from copsing, so be grateful. Ah, and I¡¯ll grant you one more special wish. What wish do you want to make? ] Asking for a wish at this timing? How ironic, Hyunsoo thought.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om And he answered without any hesitation or dy. ¡°¡­Erase the memories I saw here.¡± [ Alright. I¡¯ll do that. ] As if even that wish pleased him, the owner of the tower seemed to smile slightly. Chapter 88: Reincarnated as a Slave in the Academy Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.88 Reincarnated as a ve in the Academy As per his wish, I erased his memories and sent him back to his original world. As a bonus, I left him with the abilities he gained from the tower, so¡­ well, the rest will unfold on its own. Oh, by the way, that wish was quite unexpected. Who would have thought he¡¯d ask to know the truth of this world? Honestly, I thought he¡¯d ask for something like seeing the pinnacle of swordsmanship or something along those lines. I guess it was a good thing he held back his curiosity and avoided spoilers. It¡¯s these little pleasures that make eternal life worth living, don¡¯t you think?[ Well, at least he¡¯ll live happily without his memories. I¡¯m d it ended on a good note this time. ] It seems even Idra is satisfied this time. Well, it has been quite a while since I interfered outside the SF universe without killing or destroying anything. Speaking of which, you say it ended well this time. It¡¯s a bit disheartening when you talk as if I always do bad things. [ ¡­¡­. ] Well, I mean, I can¡¯t exactly im innocence with a straight face, but still. B-but there are quite a few cases where things end well, like this tower climbing story! In the SF universe, things have been going pretty well in the long term. Of course, the seeds I¡¯ve nted in Zone Z are starting to sprout, but¡­ once they cross the wall, they¡¯ll grow magnificently! [ Honestly, you¡¯ve got nothing to say for yourself. ] Is that what you¡¯re saying? Well then, I¡¯ve got a n. [ This time, let¡¯s make it end with an absolute happy ending. No mental breakdowns from learning the truth and having memories erased or anything like that. A perfectly happy ending, you know. ] Now I¡¯m fired up. How dare you challenge me, who still retains memories from my human days! Laughable! Even if it never actually happened and it¡¯s just imnted memories. Well, anyway. Let me show you. What happens when I set my mind to creating a happy ending for a story. First, let¡¯s decide on the setting. What would be good? We¡¯ve done fantasy, hunter stories, tower climbing, apocalypse¡­ What¡¯s left? Wuxia or romance fantasy? Or maybe an academy setting? If we get into specifics, there are plenty of genres. Yeah, let¡¯s go with an academy setting. It¡¯s mostly light-hearted, and bad endings, world truths, or final bosses don¡¯t usually interfere. Just make the protagonist happy and that¡¯s the end of it. Heh, who would have thought I¡¯d end up ying the role of a goddess in an isekai story? Well then, shall we see what I can do? # At the age of 30, with nothing aplished, just scraping by with part-time jobs ¨C a rock-bottom existence. An orphan with no parents, let alone anything to inherit. There¡¯s no point in talking about my unfortunate background. After all, I¡¯m just one of countless life¡¯s losers. The kind of loser whose only joy in life is reading manga or novels. Today is no different. After finishing work, I returned to my run-down studio apartment and fell asleep while reading a recentlypleted academy novel. The ending where the protagonist seeds and lives a happy life. Amon ending, indeed. ¡°Boring.¡± ¡­I¡¯m envious. Though I say that, deep down I¡¯m filled with envy. A prosperous and happy life, thriving at the academy, surrounded by girls and countless connections. Something I don¡¯t have. With these thoughts, I slowly drift off to sleep. Hoping that even in my dreams, I could go to such a happy world. ¡­¡­ ¡°Ah, that dream again.¡± I wake up. Sigh, I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve had this dream. It¡¯s been about a year since I came to ¡®this world¡¯. I still often dream of the times when I was in my previous world. Where is this world, you ask? Surprisingly, I¡¯ve been transmigrated into the world of the novel I was readingst in my original world. A novel called ¡®The Academy Headmaster¡¯s Youngest Son¡¯. A story where the protagonist, the son of the academy headmaster¡¯s hidden mistress, enters the academy hiding his identity, eventually sheds his illegitimate status, and achieves great sess,pletely turning his life around. That¡¯s the world I¡¯ve been transmigrated into. How do I know this? Well, because the ce I¡¯m in right now is the academy from that novel. The ¡®National Strath Academy¡¯. I was extremely confused at first, too. It took quite a while to realize this fact. To be honest, at first I hoped that maybe I had transmigrated as the protagonist. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Because I am¡­ ¡°Work time! Everyone to your positions!¡± ¡°To your positions!¡± One of the public ves, a kind of ¡®government-owned ve¡¯, belonging to the National Academy. ¡°Hey, Number 15! Stop daydreaming and get to your position!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, understood.¡± I don¡¯t even have a name. Number 15. That¡¯s what I¡¯m called here. My age seems to have decreased significantly, probably around 16 or 17 years old. I¡¯m not sure of my exact age. After all, I suddenly transmigrated into this body a year ago. Isn¡¯t it quite tragic? I thought I had a rock-bottom life as an orphan in my previous life, but who would have thought there was an even lower bottom than that? A public ve without even a name, allowed nothing but to work at set times. Well, what can I do? I have to think that this is my fate. At least if I work, I get food and a ce to sleep¡­ If there¡¯s oneint, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t read manga or novels even during break time. There is hope. Based on the year and date I¡¯ve figured out, there¡¯s about a year and a half left until the protagonist¡¯s enrollment. In a year and a half, the protagonist will enroll and work with the crown prince to abolish the public ve system, so everyone working with me is scheduled to be liberated. It¡¯s best to think ahead about what to do from that point on. Sticking with the protagonist would be the best option. That¡¯s probably the easiest way to livefortably in this world. After all, the protagonist is an incredible person who conquers the academy, bes friends with the crown prince whoter ascends to emperor, and even subdues dragons. I¡¯ve alreadyid some groundwork. Of course, there are women among the public ves, and one of them is one of the ¡®heroines¡¯ who bes the main reason the protagonist moves to abolish the public ve system. I¡¯ve been trying my best to be friends with her. She didn¡¯t open up easily, just like in the original story with the protagonist, but it seems my half-year of effort has paid off, and nowadays we can at least have some conversation. Though it¡¯s only during the short breaks, lunch time, and dinner time we¡¯re given. Even then, I tried my best to approach her and be friends. ¡°Hello, the weather¡¯s nice today, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Number 15.¡± Though matted and dirty from not being able to wash properly, her hair is still a beautiful dark blue color. Unlike the other ves, her blue eyes haven¡¯t lost their luster. Though now stained ck with dirt, the description says she has skin as fair and white as white jade. She¡¯s quite pretty even in her dirty state. At the young age of 16, she looks a bit worn out, having gone through so much hardship.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Well, I suppose being a public ve is a bit better off. It¡¯s far better than being sold as a sex ve to a perverted noble or being used as a tool in a brothel. As public ves, we¡¯re quite thoroughly managed and well cared for. Of course, that¡¯s rtive among ves, and normally we¡¯re strictly monitored to prevent any mischief, and even when we sleep, men and women are separated, so no one has suffered any foul y. With her looks, if she were just called a ve, you¡¯d think she¡¯d be subjected to that kind of thing first. That¡¯s a small relief, at least. ¡°Has Number 47 eaten?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve finished eating.¡± She still doesn¡¯t have a name. Like me, she¡¯s called by a number, 47. Later, the protagonist will give her the name ¡®Erin¡¯, which is more familiar to me, but I have to be careful not to suddenly call her by that name. ¡°So then I did this¡­¡± Most of our conversations consist of me talking one-sidedly, with her just listening. Still, I tried my best. I need to be friends with her so that it¡¯ll be easier to stick with the protagonist after we¡¯re liberated from very. Surely that sucker¡­ I mean, that kind protagonist wouldn¡¯t ignore or push me away if I¡¯m friends with the heroine, right? ¡°¡­It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Huh? What is?¡± But today is different somehow. She¡¯s spoken up after quite a while. ¡°Everyone¡¯s afraid of me. They say blue eyes are the mark of a demon. But you¡¯re not like that.¡± Ah, right. There was that setting. That¡¯s why she was abandoned by her parents and has lived as a government-owned ve since childhood. It was a setting that appeared so early on that I hadpletely forgotten about it. Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t the reason she developed feelings for the protagonist because he said her blue eyes were pretty? ¡°They¡¯re not scary at all.¡± If I say they¡¯re pretty, it would be like stealing the protagonist¡¯s line, so I just give a vague response. She seems to like that quite a bit, as Erin¡­ no, Number 47 smiles slightly and bows her head deeply. That sight is quite cute. Damn, you protagonist. I¡¯m envious. Chapter 89: The One Blessed by God Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.89 The One Blessed by God Envy aside, I¡¯ve managed to get on Erin¡¯s good side, which should improve my chances of securing a better future. Surely, being friends with the heroine means I won¡¯t be callously thrown into the cold, harsh society. If possible, I¡¯d like to get closer to other characters too, like the senior student who¡¯s another heroine, or the teacher who¡¯s friendly with the protagonist. But as a public ve, it¡¯s difficult to even get near them. As I was living each day, trying my best to be friends with Erin, one day¡­ [ At 17 years old, yourtent potential awakens. ] [ One Blessed by God ][ All ability growth tripled ] [ All skill proficiency growth tripled ] [ Abilities ] [ Strength: 10 ] [ Agility: 10 ] [ Stamina: 10 ] [ Magic: 10 ] ¡°¡­?!¡± As Iy down to sleep after finishing my daily tasks, suddenly game-like notification windows appeared before my eyes. W-what? What¡¯s going on all of a sudden? I was greatly surprised by this sudden event, but I couldn¡¯t make a loud noise since other ves were sleeping around me and the guard was watching. Thanks to that, I was able to calm down quickly and carefully assess the current situation. So, it¡¯s past midnight, my 17th birthday, and at this point, I¡¯ve awakened some kind of special ability? One Blessed by God, huh¡­ Ability and skill proficiency growth tripled? But wait, what¡¯s with these sudden abilities and skills? Was this a world with status windows and such? No, it wasn¡¯t. I read the entire story to its conclusion, and nothing like this existed. Then what is this? A hallucination? Or someone¡¯s magic? Or maybe¡­ a special privilege granted to me, the one who¡¯s possessed this body? Right, let¡¯s think positively. I¡¯m a ve anyway. Until the protagonist liberates me, I¡¯m destined to stay here and just keep working. Even if I escape that fate, what awaits me is just the bitter taste of this cold fantasy society. Things can¡¯t get much worse than this. At worst, I might die a bit earlier. So I decided to think of it in a good way. This is a special privilege granted by God to me, the one who¡¯s possessed this body. Perhaps it¡¯s been given in the form of a status window, suitable for me as a modern person. It¡¯s certainly easy to see and nice. If that¡¯s the case, I need to check it out in more detail. Even if the abilities are as they appear, I felt I needed to observe the effects of that passive skill, ¡°One Blessed by God,¡± more closely. ¡°Hey you! What are you doing not sleeping?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Just then, the guard suddenly yelled at me. For now, since there¡¯s no way to check, let¡¯s just go to sleep. I have plenty of time anyway. Let¡¯s check it out slowly. # The next day, I immediately understood the ability of the passive skill while working. [ You have achieved a certain level of proficiency and acquired a skill. ] [ Pickaxe (Level 1) ] [ Increases proficiency in handling pickaxes. Increases pickaxe attack power. ] While preparing the ground for developing a training area, I instantly acquired a skill. I hadn¡¯t even been using the pickaxe for a few hours before the skill appeared, and I could immediately see its effectiveness. ng! Kang! Kang! ¡°Oh, Number 15. The sound is quite different today, isn¡¯t it?¡± The sound of the pickaxe striking was different with and without the skill. My posture seemed morefortable, and I felt like I was using less stamina. Ooh¡­ So this is what a skill is! It¡¯s a bit sad that the first skill I got after getting a status window is pickaxe wielding, but usually, once you acquire something like this, it¡¯lle in handy someday. ? You never know. Maybe someday I¡¯ll end up working in a mine. ng! Kang! As I was excitedly breaking rocks on the ground with my pickaxe, having just acquired the skill. Ding! [ Proficiency increases 3 times due to the effect of One Blessed by God. ] [ You have achieved a certain level of proficiency and your skill level has increased. ] [ Pickaxe (Level 2) ] [ Increases proficiency in handling pickaxes. Increases pickaxe attack power. ] [ As a bonus for skill level increase, Strength increases by 1. ] [ The stat increase is tripled due to the effect of One Blessed by God. ] [ Abilities ] [ Strength: 13 ] [ Agility: 10 ] [ Stamina: 10 ] [ Magic: 10 ] Whoa~! This proficiency increase is insane. And a stat bonus on top of that! Thanks to the One Blessed by God effect, my Strength increased by a whopping 3. Flex! For some reason, I feel like my muscles are tensing up? ng! Kang! Kang! Of course, that wasn¡¯t just my imagination. The force of my strikes was clearly much stronger than before my Strength increased. The rocks broke much more easily than before, and the muscle strain I felt when swinging was noticeably reduced. Wow¡­ This is fun!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Number 15. That¡¯s enough. Thanks to you, we can finish today¡¯s work quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± I was so excited and working so hard that the supervisor came to stop me. What, it¡¯s over already? Ah, if I could just do a little more, I think I could reach Pickaxe Wielding level 3. As I made a disappointed expression, the supervisor started looking at me like I was some kind of weirdo. Well, I guess even for a ve, someone who enjoys unpaidbor this much would look crazy. Having finished the morning¡¯s work by about 10 o¡¯clock, the ground preparation team was able to take a long break for the first time in a while. ¡°Haha, thanks to Number 15, we get to rest properly for once.¡± ¡°Here, have some water.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Since the work finished quickly thanks to me, the other ve workers were very happy and praised me. Hehe, this doesn¡¯t feel too bad either. As I was resting like that, suddenly the supervisor approached me with a hesitant expression. ¡°Number 15. Can I see you for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Suddenly asking to see me separately? Could it be that I did such a good job that they want to give me some kind of bonus? Thinking that, I followed him, but what I heard was like a bolt from the blue. ¡°Well, the general manager saw you earlier. There¡¯s talk of moving you to the mining team.¡± ¡°What?!¡± What kind of crazy talk is this? The mining team? If I go there, won¡¯t I be far away from the academy?! No! That can¡¯t happen. If that happens, I¡¯ll be separated from the protagonist¡¯s group, and naturally, my liberation will be dyed, and my future life will be uncertain! I may have gotten good at using a pickaxe, but if I go there, I¡¯ll obviously end up spending the rest of my life as an otherworld miner uncle. That can¡¯t happen. Now that things havee to this, shouldn¡¯t I stick close to the protagonist¡¯s group, learn magic and swordsmanship, be an awesome powerhouse, and fully enjoy this fantasy world? ¡°That, that can¡¯t happen! I like it here!¡± It seems this supervisor doesn¡¯t want to send me, a good worker, to another team either, so I need to show my firm resolve. ¡°I absolutely want to work here, under you, supervisor¡­!¡± ¡°Y-You¡­! Alright, I¡¯ll talk to the higher-ups. You¡¯ll stay at the academy!¡± Great, what a relief! As I was thinking that. ¡°Why? Even though the work in the mining team is harder, if you¡¯re lucky, you might be formally hired by the mining team and escape your ve status.¡± Someone approached me with a puzzled tone. ¡°Huh?! V-Vice Principal?!¡± The person who spoke to me was none other than the second most powerful and capable person in this academy after the principal. It was Vice Principal Erna. With skin so fair and smooth that it belied her 40 years, and beauty so breathtaking it could stop your heart. When I had only read the novel¡¯s description, I didn¡¯t realize, but she truly boasted such incredible beauty that I momentarily forgot to breathe. Wow, she¡¯s 40? Totally doable. That thought came to me involuntarily. Ah, that¡¯s not the issue here. She asked why I¡¯m not going to the mine, right? As she said, the miners will ept even those of ve origin as their team members if they have good skills. Due to the nature of the mining profession, which is extremely demanding, tough, and severely understaffed, even the state acknowledges this and sometimes grants freedom to ves on the condition that they never leave the mining profession, if there¡¯s a petition from the mining team. In other words, it means you can escape your ve status, albeit in a limited way. It means you can proudly hold the profession of a miner and receive all the rights of an ordinary citizen. That¡¯s why going to the mining team was like a life goal for other ves. That¡¯s probably why the supervisor earlier was so moved when I said I didn¡¯t want to go. Ah, but what should I say? I can¡¯t tell the truth that I¡¯m not going because there¡¯s a possibility that the protagonist will soon free me and help me rebuild my life. ¡°¡­I enjoy watching the students at this academy. Unlike me, they have outstanding talents and potential, living with bright futures ahead of them. Just watching them makes me happy. I want to continue observing them here.¡± Oh shit¡­ I made something up for now, but it really sounds strange. What am I talking about watching them? I¡¯m just a ve. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But it seems to have pleased the Vice Principal, as she nodded with a slight smile before leaving. ¡°Hehe, interesting. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She left with those somewhat meaningful words. Chapter 90: Protagonist Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.90 Protagonist The one blessed by the gods, huh. Even I think it¡¯s aughable title. Especially when you consider what happened to those who received my blessings before. Well, this time I¡¯m nning to make it a perfect happy ending. In a way, you could say this time they¡¯re truly receiving my blessing. Although he starts as a ve, he has incredible talent. He¡¯ll quickly shed his ve status and be an extraordinary talent surpassing the protagonist in no time.That¡¯s why I arranged for him to meet the a teacher in the first ce. The teacher has a special ability to sense the potential of others to some extent. This is something that appears in the novel that No. 15 read within this world setting. He probably knows about it too. Anyway, using that ability, she recognizes No. 15¡¯s immense potential and, despite his ve status, allows him to study magic and swordsmanship at the academy. Of course, he¡¯s still a ve, so he doesbor until evening and then secretly goes to the teacher for lessons at night. After some time, the teacherpletes various procedures to transfer No. 15 as her own ve. And then she orders him to attend the academy. [ What? But I¡¯m a ve¡­? ] [ There¡¯s no rule that ves can¡¯t enroll in the academy. It¡¯s just that no one ever enrolls them. ] Instead, No. 15 expressed his intention to train and enroll next year, saying he¡¯s too weak now. He must be nning to enroll together with the novel¡¯s protagonist. Well, we could just dissolve the ve contract and free No. 15 from his ve status, and everything would be fine¡­ but that would leave the story without identity or excitement. So I¡¯ve added a twist where the teacher, in a somewhat viinous way, tries to cultivate No. 15 to make him her own. Of course, it¡¯s not something as extreme as grooming him to steal the academy headmaster¡¯s position or dreaming of world domination. She¡¯s not married and obviously has no children. Despite having abilities second only to the headmaster, she doesn¡¯t even have a single disciple. Because of her ability to see potential, she couldn¡¯t find anyone with potential that satisfied her. So she wants to take No. 15, who has tremendous potential, as her disciple, and keeps him bound as a ve in case he might try to leave her¡­ That¡¯s the setting I¡¯vee up with. It might seem a bit forced, but what do you think? As long as it¡¯s entertaining, it¡¯s fine. Anyway, that¡¯s how No. 15 gets a new name, ¡®Dane¡¯, and experiences various things as the teacher¡¯s ve. If this world setting were a novel and an adult one at that, it would have described in detail all sorts of things happening with the teacher, who, despite being 40, has a much younger and more beautiful appearance than most people in their 20s. Ahem! Well, anyway. A year passes like that. Finally, the day the novel¡¯s protagonist enrolls. [ Dane, you¡¯ve be strong. ] [ Well, yes. I¡¯ve been training hard for a year. ] Dane has be surprisingly strong. [ One Blessed by the Gods ] [ All ability growth tripled ] [ All skill proficiency growth tripled ] [ Abilities ] [ Strength: 220 ] [ Agility: 214 ] [ Stamina: 211 ] [ Magic: 196 ] [ Pickaxe Skill (Level 2) ] [ Increases proficiency in handling pickaxes. Increases pickaxe attack power. ] [ Swordsmanship (Level 7) ] [ Increases proficiency in handling swords. Increases sword attack power. ] [ Magic Control (Level 9) ] [ Increases proficiency in controlling Magic. Increases magic attack power. ] [ Level 3 ¨C Can use low-level magic. ] [ Level 7 ¨C Can use mid-level magic. ] [ Elemental Affinity (Level 6) ] [ Increases sensitivity to various elements. Increases resistance and affinity. ] [ Currently attuned elements: Fire, Water, Earth ] His abilities have surpassed an average of 200. Just in terms of physical abilities, he¡¯s on par with a decent apprentice knight, and his magic rivals that of an active mid-level mage. The same goes for his skills.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om His swordsmanship is about to reach level 10, which allows for Aura use, and his magic has already reached a certain proficiency in mid-level spells. Since he primarily learned magic under the teacher, his growth in magic was a bit more pronounced. He can already handle three elements: water, fire, and earth. If you include wind, it¡¯s fair to say he¡¯s attuned to all four major elements. The teacher can only use those three elements, but Dane can learn not only wind but also other non-mainstream elements. In history, only one legendary magician, known as the strongest elementalist, was attuned to all four major elements, but Dane is beyond that. Well, of course, he is blessed by the gods after all. Of course, the teacher doesn¡¯t know this for certain yet. She suspects he might be a monster among monsters who can learn the four elements and beyond, but she¡¯s notpletely sure yet. Well, that¡¯s understandable. Honestly, who would think that someone they brought in for their good potential would surpass them and even exceed the strongest magician in history with such unbelievable talent? Moreover, his swordsmanship proficiency is increasing at an incredible rate, and she thinks he might reach the level of an Aura user in just a few more years of training. A genius in both magic and swordsmanship? Honestly, if I were in the teacher¡¯s position, I¡¯d find it hard to believe and ept too. Anyway, Dane, who has already far surpassed the level of academy students, is waiting for the day to enroll along with the novel¡¯s protagonist. Hehehe, I¡¯ve prepared a little gift, so look forward to it. # What is this? What on earth is this? ¡°So you¡¯re the special admission student. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Ellen, the top-ranking freshman.¡± The being in front of me introduced herself. Top-ranking freshman Ellen. That¡¯s right, the novel¡¯s protagonist. Born with incredible talent, Ellen, despite being the headmaster¡¯s hidden child, achieves the remarkable feat of entElleng as the top-ranking freshman. I know that as the top-ranking freshman, she¡¯s supposed to give the freshman representative oath and start with tremendous attention. She¡¯s certainly the top-ranking freshman, and that brilliant golden hair and red eyes resembling the headmaster are correct too. Her name is even Ellen. But¡­ but why? ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Why is she a woman? And why is she pretty? TS? Or did something twist when I possessed this body? I¡¯m confused. What is this? Am I seeing things wrong right now? Or did the protagonist Ellen fail to enroll due to some unavoidable circumstances? Did some other woman with the same name and almost identical appearance coincidentally be the top-ranking freshman? No, that can¡¯t be. It¡¯s more likely that when I possessed this body, some distortion urred in the world, resulting in the protagonist Ellen bing a woman. ¡­Well, actually, it¡¯s fine. After all, the story¡¯s protagonist I need to befriend is now a pretty female student. But the problem is, is this the only thing that has changed? If the protagonist¡¯s gender has changed¡­ other elements that make up the main flow of the story could have changed significantly as well. Damn, that shouldn¡¯t happen. The flow I know shouldn¡¯t be destroyed. If it does, the advantages I have as someone who¡¯s possessed a body in this world would be practically nonexistent. ¡°Is something wrong? You look serious.¡± Ellen looks at me with a worried expression. Fortunately, her kind and gentle nature seems to be the same. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s be a woman, but she even seems to have be more gentle. ¡­Or is that just what I want to think? Well, anyway. Worrying and pondElleng now won¡¯t solve anything. Right now, I need to get through this moment where I¡¯m standing next to the top-ranking freshman to take the oath as a special admission student. The teacher promoted and created this special admission that allows even ves to enroll. And I, recognized for my outstanding talent, passed the special admission and became a symbol as the first ve student, set to take the representative oath alongside the top-ranking freshman. It¡¯s clearly the teacher¡¯s evil n to put me in the spotlight. Ugh, that woman¡­ But should I consider it fortunate that thanks to this, I got to meet Ellen so quickly and even got time to talk with her separately? Even though she¡¯s be a woman, the fact that she¡¯s still the top-ranking freshman means she¡¯s undoubtedly the story¡¯s protagonist. So it would be best to get as close to her as possible. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ellen. Top-ranking freshman, wow.¡± ¡°Not at all. I heard that if there hadn¡¯t been a special admission, you would have been the top-ranking student, Dane. They say you have incredible talent.¡± ¡°Hahaha, not at all. After all, I¡¯m just a ve.¡± Honestly, right now I might be a bit better since I¡¯ve been training intensively under the teacher for a year, but as the story progresses, it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯ll be stronger than me due to protagonist buffs. There¡¯s nothing to gain by acting superior just because I might be stronger now. ¡°¡­A ve. What a terrible and barbaric system.¡± Her expression frowns at the mention of very. Even her frowning face in anger is beautiful. There were descriptions of how incredibly handsome she was when she was a man in the original setting, so I can understand why women were so attracted to her. Honestly, even now, her appearance is dazzling enough to attract any man. The teacher was unbelievably beautiful too, but¡­ this girl has a different kind of charm, you could say. By the way, her extremely negative view of the ve system is the same as before. If things continue like this, she¡¯ll surely be friends with the crown prince and try to abolish the ve system, and I¡¯ll eventually be freed. Of course, even after being freed, I¡¯ll still attend the academy and be with Ellen, the protagonist. ¡­Oh, but then, doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯ll marry the crown prince? The two of them were supposed to be very close in the original story. For a moment, I felt a choking sensation in my heart, as if something didn¡¯t sit right with me. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 91: Departure Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.91 Departure Nope~ I changed the crown prince into a princess too~ Hehehe, did you think I¡¯d leave any elements of uncertainty when crafting a story where the protagonist bes happy? Of course I changed the crown prince into a princess. And the gender-swapped original novel protagonist and the princess immediately joined Dane¡¯s harem. From there, the protagonist grows stronger and more sessful, ending up with a massive harem including the princess, the original novel protagonist, the original heroines, and even an original heroine with a psychic connection. Hehehe, it¡¯s perfect. Could there be a happier ending than this?[ How¡¯s that? When I put my mind to it, this level is child¡¯s y. ] [ It¡¯s overflowing with love and happiness. It¡¯s so beautiful! ] Even Idra seems satisfied, her eyes sparkling as she gazes at the happy ending I created. It¡¯s a simple task for me, who still has a human heart. Hehehe. [ ¡­¡­. ] But what¡¯s this strangely empty feeling? Like something important is missing? Ah, that¡¯s it. Interest. It¡¯s not fun. Originally, I created and manipted other universes purely for my own enjoyment or to satisfy my curiosity. But this time, I crafted a story and setting solely to please a character within the universe. Although it was to show Idra, it feels like I made it without any real purpose? [ Hmm¡­. ] Something doesn¡¯t sit right with me. A boring world created by external influence, how distasteful. Should I just erase it? My body moved the moment I thought it. While Idra was still satisfied and grinning, I quietly erased the world. Swoosh©¤ A universe disappears into nothingness. The beings within probably didn¡¯t even realize they were vanishing. Disappearing as if they never existed in the first ce, there¡¯s not even a trace left to understand. Perfect annihtion. Now that this uninteresting world, created not by my will but by external influence, has vanished, I feel somewhat refreshed. Hehe, indeed, it¡¯s best for an Outer God to do as they please.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Ah, enough of that. Isn¡¯t it about time to start exploring Zone Z? It¡¯s been roughly 20 years, I think. Well, let¡¯s see how our Yujin and the elves deal with a whopping 670 Zerg races. That¡¯s just the racial value, and if you factor in 20 years of reproduction and evolution speed. It¡¯s enough to push the entire former Gctic Union ruled by the Lubaran race to the brink of extinction. Yujin has settled in and developed, and with the elves joining, theirbat power has increased dramatically. After exploring Zone Y, killing the Xenomorph and obtaining its exoskeleton, and acquiring new minerals, how much can the Gctic Union, which has developed much further over 20 years, struggle? ?¨¤????¨§? It¡¯s quite an exciting prospect. # The discovery of Elftenium led to significant advancements for the Gctic Union. With superior properties to any metal discovered so far, it can be used in almost all applications where metals are employed. It even shows much higher efficiencypared to other metals. The energy loss rate during transmission drops to about 1%, it¡¯s very light so there¡¯s no weight concern even when used inrge quantities, and its strength is at the highest level among metals, so there¡¯s no worry about durability. It was truly an indispensable metal for the space industry. Moreover, there were several gxies in Zone Y where special cosmic radiation produced Elftenium, so with enough time, it could be replenished almost infinitely, allowing for the mining of enormous quantities. ¡®It¡¯s truly like an artificial mineral deliberately created for our use.¡¯ Yujin believed that the discovery of Elftenium was also the work of his main body. How else could a resource so perfectly suited to upgrade themselves be conveniently prepared in Zone Y? This was half right and half wrong. In fact, Elftenium did actually exist in Zone Y. But the quantity was so minute that it could only cover one or twos. This was because the emission of the special cosmic radiation energy that enables the creation of Elftenium was extremely low. Yujin¡¯s main body, that is, the highest-grade Outer God codenamed ¡®Yad-Tatagg¡¯, had only slightly adjusted that amount. Just enough for the Gctic Union to be able to use plenty of Elftenium. Anyway, thanks to this, they were able to apply Elftenium in numerous ces, and now, 20 yearster. There were as many as 2,000 existing space motherships with various parts reced with Elftenium. 30test model space motherships and 15,000bat ships made of 100% Elftenium werepleted. This was the result of the technologically advanced races in the Gctic Unioning together to develop the motherships. Originally, if they had invested maximum manpower, they could have built a super-massive fleet of 100,000 ships, but they had to be content with this level as technicians needed to be deployed in other industries and various fields. No, in fact, even this number was enormous for something built over 20 years. For reference, among the Elftenium ships built this time, about 800 motherships and 10,000bat ships, Along with the existing ships, about 30,000 ships were nning to set out to explore Zone Z. With an average capacity of about 3 million per mothership, A rough calction shows that over 20 billion personnel would be deployed. This was an absurdly increased numberpared to the previous Zone Y exploration. This was due to Yujin¡¯s concerns. ¡®Surely, they must have prepared a fitting trial this time too. Given the Elftenium and the time that has passed, it must be a much stronger race than the previous Xenomorph. Or perhaps they¡¯ve prepared something on the level of an Outer God.¡¯ Whatever it is, it certainly won¡¯t be easy. That¡¯s why they deployed far more personnel than before. On the surface, based on the results of the Zone Y exploration, the goal was to explore Zone Z much faster and more efficiently, and to find new resources. Although there was a crisis with the Xenomorph in Zone Y, there wasn¡¯t much opposition because they had made the historic discovery of Elftenium. After all, even though hundreds of motherships, tens of thousands of spaceships, and billions of people were being deployed, It was a drop in the bucketpared to the full strength of the Gctic Union. During the Zone Y exploration, it was their first attempt, and they didn¡¯t know what risks and returns awaited them, so they had no choice but to deploy personnel very conservatively. But now, having tasted the tremendous innovation of Elftenium, it was a very suitable time to inte the number of personnel deployed. Anyway, as the personnel were assigned, the departure of the Zone Z exploration force was approaching. Yujin himself took charge as the leader of this expedition. When it was said that he would personally lead the exploration team, there was quite a bit of opposition from the elders, as he was the de facto leader of the Gctic Union and its most important figure. But no one could argue against the fact that Yujin himself was the one who could respond most quickly and decisively if a situation like before were to ur. Honestly, his words werepletely correct. ¡°It¡¯s alright. No matter what happens, I will surely seed and return.¡± Yujin made a bold deration. This is the work of the main body. Surely, it wouldn¡¯t have prepared a trial that was impossible to ovee. And if they surpassed it, he believed that an even greater reward would surely be prepared. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Sir Yujin.¡± Rowy Hendrick took the position of vice-captain. When he was in charge of the Zone Y exploration, his achievements were somewhat ambiguous, so he was appointed as vice-captain this time to establish more definite merits. ¡°Well then, shall we depart?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Waaah©¤! Amidst the cheers of the Gctic Union people, the Zone Z exploration team finally set out. # Hehehe, I wonder if they can handle the ultra-enhanced Zerg race with that scale of force? Well, since Yujin is participating directly and many elder-level Elves are joining, perhaps we¡¯ll see quite a decent battle? The enhanced Zerg have quite a few giant monsters capable of going toe-to-toe with spaceships, so we might get to see a proper ship-to-ship space war. [ ¡­? ] As I was happily observing the SF universe like that, suddenly I felt someone approaching the original universe in my mind. The original SF universe that exists in the crevice, before replication. As soon as I felt someone approaching there, I immediately left theboratory and moved to the crevice. Just in case they try to annihte the universe like Cthugha who approached before. An enormous power. At least a top-tier Outer God. The reason I say ¡®at least¡¯ is because I felt a power far stronger and more intense than top-tier Outer Gods like Ubbo-Sat or Nyathotep. It¡¯s an overwhelming sensation on par with Yog-Sothoth or myself. Could it be, one of the same kind as me? [ I¡¯ve finally found you. Is it you? ] The being I encountered in front of the original universe bubble where I was born was riding a chariot pulled by a horserger than the universe. It was an incredibly enormous old man. Commonly known as ¡®Nodens¡¯. One of the few Outer Gods who hunts Nyathotep¡¯s creations for fun and is friendly to the life forms called thest hope of the world. And among the Outer Gods, described as one of the most powerful beings, an absolute god. And, like me and Yog-Sothoth, a ¡®fragment of Azathoth¡¯. [ I followed your traces to meet you. I knew you¡¯d be here. ] I wonder why that angry-looking old man came looking for me? Chapter 92: Nodens Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe EP.92 Nodens [ Apologies for thete introduction. My name is Nodens. I am the hope that has descended upon thisnd to punish the wicked gods. ] [ ¡­. ] Wow, this is quite shocking. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen an outer god who gives himself a name. And what¡¯s more? Punishing wicked gods? Hope that has descended upon thisnd? To be able to say such embarrassing things without a hint of shame. With his appearance of an old man with a bushy beard, riding a chariot pulled by horsesrger than the universe, his presence is undeniably grand.Certainly, to those of lower rank, his words would sound quite convincing. Well¡­ to me, honestly, he just looks like a senile old man trying to act majestic, but still. But ording to the oral tradition, he¡¯s supposed to appear riding a shell pulled by sea creatures. Was that too lowly, so they changed it to majestic horses? [ Ho ho ho. Seeing you speechless, it seems my name has quite startled you. As well it should. To wicked and foolish gods like you, my name is nothing short of a nightmare! ] His booming voice resonates in my head. Really, I can hear just fine without you speaking so loudly. And it¡¯s not that I¡¯m too startled to speak. I¡¯m at a loss for words because what you¡¯re saying is so ridiculous. I mean, isn¡¯t it funny when you think about it? After all, all of this, including that entity called Nodens and even myself, We¡¯re just fragments of Azathoth, mere figments of his dream. We¡¯re insignificant beings that could vanish with a single gesture if he were to have a slight whim. So isn¡¯t itughable to talk about wicked gods, hope descending upon thisnd, and nightmares? At least I, once my seed germinates, will somehow manage to climb up to a position equal to Azathoth before I depart. But that old man probably only vaguely recognizes Azathoth¡¯s existence, just like other outer gods. It¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯s one of Azathoth¡¯srgest fragments, like me. I wonder if Yog-Sothoth feels the same way? In the past, I might have been quite intimidated when something like Nodens appeared, but now, no matter what shows up, I just feel indifferent. [ So, what brings you here? ] To my question, Nodens replied with all sorts of posturing: [ As I said, I am the nightmare that punishes wicked gods like you! I shall punish the trash who dare to defy providence, meddle with the universe, and pretend to be creators by making their own worlds! ] Hah, would you look at that. I can see why Nyathotep hates this old man so much. If he just destroyed her creations, it wouldn¡¯t be something to get so angry about. It would be annoying, sure, but just to that extent. But her feelings towards Nodens are at the level of hatred. I can see why now. He¡¯s the type Nyathotep absolutely despises. The kind that blocks the curiosity she wants to resolve, and prevents her from doing what she wants because he thinks he¡¯s right. He¡¯s the worst opponent for an extreme researcher type like Nyathotep. And I don¡¯t particrly like him either. At least Idra tries to persuade you not to do something, rather than taking such extreme actions. She just sticks around and annoys you a bit. But acting like some kind of judge and calling others trash while iming to punish them is crossing the line. [ What right do you have to stop me? It¡¯s not like there are any setws for beings like us, unlike for the created beings. ] [ I am thew. You have crossed the line. You have defied providence far too much. ] [ ¡­. ] There¡¯s no reasoning with him. In this case, there¡¯s no choice. [ Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. ] I¡¯ll have to teach him a harsh lesson. We¡¯re both immortal anyway. We¡¯ll just fight until one side surrenders. To be honest, it¡¯s my first proper fight between outer gods, so I¡¯m a bit worried, but there¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll give him a good thrashing. Just as I thought that, Snap¡ª The world stopped. Nodens, the moving universe bubbles, everything. Everything came to a halt. Only I was moving normally in this frozen world. [ ¡­? ] I was startled for a moment, but then I calmed down as I realized there¡¯s only one being capable of doing this. [ Wait. ] As I thought. It¡¯s Azathoth. His voice was heard. [ What¡¯s going on? ] He suddenly stopped the world and spoke to me. Did something urgente up? Oh, could it be that the seed inside me is growing faster than expected, so I need to step down sooner than anticipated? I was a bit worried for a moment, but fortunately, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. [ Stop. Fight, dangerous. ] Seeing that Nodens and I were about to fight, he came to stop us. Is this like parents breaking up a fight between siblings? [ ¡­Wait. ] After saying that, he came to me in human form as before. I guess he thought this would be more convenient for conversation. I found it morefortable too, so I changed into Eugene¡¯s form and entered his space. ¡°You must not fight. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­? What do you mean?¡± Suddenly telling me it¡¯s dangerous and not to fight. Does he mean I would lose? Is an outer god who makes up his own name really that powerful? He doesn¡¯t seem that way to me. He¡¯s about the same as me, or maybe slightly below. As I thought this, Azathoth shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. The danger is to the other side.¡± It seems I had it backwards. But why is it dangerous? Wouldn¡¯t we just scuffle until one side surrenders? As I tilted my head in confusion, Azathoth spoke with an expression that seemed like he was sighing: ¡°Have you forgotten? You are like me. You carry the same power as me within you. Do you not understand what this means?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. Is it because I¡¯m in a human body? Anyway, that¡¯s what those words mean. I¡­ if I wanted to, I could annihte even outer gods.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Just like Azathoth does. Of course, I probably can¡¯t just erase them with a wave of my hand like Azathoth, but it means that if we scuffle and fight, I might identally fire an annihtion beam if I don¡¯t control my power properly. Even if it¡¯s a fragment of Azathoth. Wow, so I was about topletely erase a top-tier outer god named Nodens? That¡¯s a bit scary. Is this how it feels when you hand a gun to someone who¡¯s never fired one before? It feels like my hand is trembling, holding a weapon too powerful to handle. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. It¡¯s only natural.¡± Well, sure, it might be natural for you. Think about it. Even though it¡¯s just imnted memories, I still remember being human until not too long ago. Well, it¡¯s probably been well over a hundred years since then, but anyway. But to have gained the power to annihte even immortal outer gods, not long after realizing the immense power of an outer god. How could that not be frightening? I can¡¯t help but be cautious, just like when I first realized I was an outer god. Like that time when thousands of people nearly died from mental copse just from the sound of my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not that easy to annihte them, so as long as you don¡¯t overdo it, it¡¯s fine. For now.¡± For now? Soter on, I¡¯ll really be able to just erase cracks and top-tier outer gods with a wave of my hand, like Azathoth? Well, I guess bing an entity on par with Azathoth means that¡¯s entirely possible. What in the world is going on here? In other novels, the protagonist at most uses magic and swings a sword, and that¡¯s where their incredible power ends. Why are the stages I¡¯m skipping so extreme? From a cosmic nobody to a top-tier outer god creating universes, and then to an absolute creator making worlds where those top-tier outer gods roam? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sigh. Well, whatever. What¡¯s the point in worrying about it? Nothing¡¯s really changing anyway. It¡¯s just that what I¡¯ve been doing¡ªcreating and erasing¡ªhas expanded from the scale of created beings and universes to the scale of outer gods and cracks. What I¡¯m doing is the same. I just need to be a bit more careful, that¡¯s all. ¡°I¡¯ll send that one back. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± By the way, did hee out because he was worried his fragment might be annihted? Seems like even Azathoth has a bit of a soft side. # After the chaos subsided, I thought I¡¯d take a look at the original universe while I was here, since it had been a while. After all, the storyline hadpletely diverged from that clone SF universe midway through. Let¡¯s see, when Ist checked, wasn¡¯t it the same up until meeting the elves and joining the Gctic Union? In the clone universe, they went on to reorganize the Gctic Union internally and even extended their reach externally. They got their hands on Zone Y, and now they¡¯re setting out for Zone Z. I wonder how the original universe is doing? [ I believe we should now venture outward. ] [ Outward? Do you mean to expand the Gctic Union¡¯s territory? ] Oh ho, this side seems to be flowing in a simr direction as well. But I suppose stories in different universes are bound to unfold differently. [ Isn¡¯t that still too premature? ] [ Indeed. Now that we¡¯ve reorganized the Gctic Union internally, I believe it¡¯s time to focus on strengthening our domestic affairs. ] It seems Eugene¡¯s influence is weaker than expected here, as the elders strongly opposed Eugene¡¯s opinion. I get the feeling things will progress more slowly on this side. How fascinating. There shouldn¡¯t be any major differences up to this point, though. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 94: Blade Monster A species created in Zone Z.@@novelbin@@ I roughly refer to them as Zerg, but they named their own species ¡®Warden¡¯. It means ¡®ruler¡¯ in theirnguage, apparently. To think they¡¯d attach the name ¡®ruler¡¯ to their own species name. While it seems quite arrogant, their abilities were certainly worthy of such a im. Not only are their basic specs higher than the Lubaran race, but considering their continuous evolution and growth, they possess enough power to potentially dominate the universe. And after numerous evolutions, they finally gained the ability to use ¡®psionic energy¡¯, just like the races in StarXraft. They say they¡¯ve acquired the power to manipte the powerful cosmic maic fields drifting in space, but well¡­ let¡¯s just ept it since we¡¯re already in a sci-fi universe, physics be damned. With that, they can create psionic lightning storms, directly transmit their thoughts into others¡¯ minds like the Outer Gods, and apparently do many other things as well.It¡¯s called psionic energy, but it¡¯s easier to think of it as a power that can do pretty much anything you want, like the magic of the Meias race. But now imagine that expanded to a cosmic scale. Wow¡­ I just left them alone, but who would have thought they¡¯d develop such power. Evolution is truly terrifying. In the original Star universe, wasn¡¯t it a concept like superpowers where special individuals were born with the ability to handle this power? Something like being a god if you¡¯re above level 12, that sort of thing. [ My power is godlike. You will die by divine punishment. ] I wonder if that monster, obviously ying the role of Kerrigan, could be considered as having level 12 psionic energy by that standard. Since it¡¯s said to have reached the power of a god. How powerful must it be to prate Elftenium, the strongest material in this universe, and affect the ship¡¯s hull? If it weren¡¯t for Eugene¡¯s Gctic Union, and if they hadn¡¯t discovered the new material called Elftenium, the universe would surely have belonged to these beings. ?¨¤????¨§? [ It seems you¡¯re protecting yourselves with some strange material, but that¡¯s just buying time. ] The de Monster once again exerted its tremendous power, which had reached the level of a lower-ranking Outer God. Massive energy moved, and once more, intense lightning struck towards the cosmic mothership and various other vessels. Kwa-zizizik! Pueong! Some of the ships that hadn¡¯t been reced with Elftenium even had parts exploding off. [ Everyone, get a grip!! Don¡¯t be shaken by talk of gods or whatever. Even if the enemy is an Outer God, our fleet has the power to defeat even that! ] Eugene quickly gives orders, holding together the mental state of those who were bing confused. [ I authorize the use of neutron cannons. Deploy double shields! Have we identified the type of energy? ] [ Yes, yes! It shows a pattern simr to a cosmic maic storm. Although it¡¯s much more powerful¡­ ] [ Then deploy sma shields strong against maic storms. Increase our defense power even a little! ] [ Yes, yes! Understood! ] As themander issued orders calmly without losingposure, those who had been confused quickly regained their calm. As expected of my avatar. I¡¯m quite proud. After giving those orders, he looked at the vicemander, Lowie Hendrick, and said, [ Lowie. We¡¯re using the magic amplification device. ] [ ¡­?! ] Lowie Hendrick¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at his words. The magic amplification device. This is a device developed by the Meias race, elves, and various scientists. As the name suggests, it¡¯s a device that greatly amplifies and emits magical power. For convenience, it¡¯s called a magic amplification device, but it can actually amplify most types of energy. However, since magic is the most efficient, it¡¯s best used for magic amplification as its name implies. But this isn¡¯t just a simple amplification. The output increases by¡­ about 100 times? To that extent. Even I was surprised, I tell you. Of course, ites with an enormous cost. First, the one emitting magic for amplification will have their magic depleted to the point of near death. With a 100-fold amplification, it¡¯s inevitable that it would drain an enormous amount of magic. Not only that, but this device is, in fact, single-use. Due to its extremely high output, it¡¯s inevitably destroyed after one use. Because of these ws that make it virtually iplete, they were going to discard it, saying it was too risky to use in actualbat. But Eugene added it to the mothership¡¯s weapons, feeling it could be used as a secret weapon ofst resort. And now he¡¯s going to use it right away? It certainly is that level of threat. Literally an ¡®Outer God-ss¡¯ tremendous enemy has appeared. And that¡¯s not even the end of it. Behind it, countless Warden species that have achieved various evolutionary paths are swarming in. Their numbers are at least tens of billions. There are also numerous absurd monsters at the level of A-ss giant beasts mixed in, and even the weakest individuals possessbat power equivalent to that of a fairly strong bare-handed elf. Eugene probably doesn¡¯t grasp and prepare for all of this perfectly, but he seems to have recognized that this crisis is serious enough to risk his life. The quicker the judgment, the better. Dragging things out while consuming power and testing the waters is something that only happens in movies orics. If possible, ending the war quickly with the most powerful single strike is the optimal move. However, there¡¯s a problem. [ It¡¯s too dangerous! Haven¡¯t you heard? The caster will dry up and die from magical power depletion! ] Right, it means the user of the device dies due to the overwhelmingly powerful output. And the person trying to use that device now is none other than Eugene, the leader of the expedition team and the de facto head of the Gctic Union. [ It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t die. ] I think I know why Eugene has that confidence. It might be because of his enormous magical power that¡¯s iparable to others, but he probably thinks he won¡¯t die because he¡¯s my avatar. Well¡­ unfortunately, that¡¯s a mistaken belief. No matter how powerful Eugene is, if he¡¯s put in a state where he would die, he has no choice but to die. [ If by any chance I die, you be the leader and guide them. Anyway, if we just get through this one, there won¡¯t be any major threats. ] Oh dear¡­ There¡¯s more than one or two points I want to object to. First of all, if you die, not just the expedition team but the entire Gctic Union will fall into chaos. It¡¯s not the time to be doing something like exploration, you know. And even if we continue to lead the expedition team, Lowie Hendrick doesn¡¯t have the capacity to lead the expedition team. Lastly, you think everything will be fine if we just get through this? Unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case at all. They have beings that are on par with or even superior to that de Beast. The existence of the ¡®Transcendent Being¡¯ that controls all Warden is exactly that. We need to figure out how to deal with that too before we can say we¡¯vepletely ovee this crisis. Do you really think that one de Beast is the end of it? [ Sigh¡­. ] He pretends to know everything, but in the end, Eugene is just a creation made by me. He¡¯s just an ordinary mortal who can¡¯t see even an inch ahead. He mounted the magic amplification device and used the most destructive magic he could cast. [ Eraser. ] sh! An incredible disintegration beam that literally erases everything, worthy of being called an eraser, passes by the side of the neutron cannons being fired at the enemies. 100 times the normal Eraser magic. Moreover, the caster of this magic is Eugene, the strongest magician. The destructive power that could erase an entire with a single spell has been strengthened 100 times. It was fired precisely at the de Beast and the Warden species. { ?! } Recognizing the danger, the de Beast immediately moved its body to avoid it. Hmm¡­ at this rate, we might not be able to kill itpletely. Eugene even risked his life, but it¡¯s turning out to be a bit disappointing. [ ¡­Ah, damn it. ] Can¡¯t be helped. Maybe I¡¯ll help out just this once. It¡¯s absolutely not because he¡¯s my avatar that I¡¯m giving him special treatment. It¡¯s just that if Eugene retires like this and loses pathetically to the Warden species, it won¡¯t be interesting. Swish©¤ Using my power slightly, I prevented the de Beast from moving. { Wh-What?! } The de Beast was startled as it suddenly realized its body was caught by something and couldn¡¯t move. { ¡­Are you abandoning us? } And looking up at the universe dejectedly, the de Beast speaks. Is it talking to me, the creator? Wait, did these guys know that they were creatures created by me? Hmm¡­ no, it¡¯s not that surprising, is it? It¡¯s not unusual for intelligent life forms to believe they are creations of a god and worship that god. It¡¯s always been that way, but it can¡¯t be said that they¡¯re aware of my existence. Well, anyway, exposed to the Eraser magic like that, the de Beast gradually disintegrated and disappeared. It tried its best to endure by creating a barrier with 12th-grade psionic energy, but it couldn¡¯t withstand Eugene¡¯s maximum output magic amplified 100 times. Does this mean that with the help of the amplification device, Eugene can produce output beyond 12th-grade psionic energy? Come to think of it, even in the Star universe, there was psionic energy above 12th grade. Although 12th grade is praised as god-level, that¡¯s just among mortals. The true gods are said to possess 13th or 14th-grade psionic energy. Well, anyway. We¡¯ve won for now. Without the de Beast, the others are defenseless. They¡¯re nothing more than prey for the fleet. Chapter 95: Transcendent Being Ah,e to think of it, I should save Yujin too. If left like that, he¡¯ll die. Confident that he wouldn¡¯t die, he¡¯s now dying as a result of using his highest output magic with a 100x mana amplification device. If left alone, he¡¯ll wither away and die from mana depletion. [ S-Sir Yujin!! Are you alright, sir Yujin?! Medic! Medic, quickly, over here! ] Lowie Hendrick shouts frantically, seeing Yujin copsed and gaunt from mana depletion. At his call, the medic was hurriedly rushing over. Foolish fellow. He overlooked the fact that even though he¡¯s an avatar, he¡¯s now nothing more than a separate, independent mortal.Until now, he hasn¡¯t faced any major crises, and even when he did, he could resolve everything with his own abilities, so he¡¯s fallen into arrogance. Thinking that because he¡¯s the avatar of a top-tier outer god, he won¡¯t die no matter what happens. Believing that no matter what happens, he¡¯s destined to ovee it, and when he does, he¡¯ll be rewarded ordingly. What a foolish thought. Gods, as always, are capricious. They can dispose of anything at any time if they get bored or displeased. Well, I¡¯m saving him because it still seems interesting¡­ So I guess Yujin¡¯s prediction was right so far? Saving his life isn¡¯t a difficult task. I just need to infuse a bit of life force to keep him from dying. Saving the life of one insignificant mortal is such an easy and simple task that I could do it while yawning. Swoosh©¤ [ Ugh¡­ I told him it was dangerous, I warned him so many times¡­! ] As Lowie Hendrick was ming himself for not stopping Yujin more forcefully, tears streaming down his face. [ Don¡¯t worry, I said¡­ ] Yujin slowly opened his eyes. [ S-Sir Yujin !! ] Lowie Hendrick startled in shock. Of course he would. The person he thought was about to die had just opened his eyes. Moreover, though he doesn¡¯t seem to have any strength, he¡¯s even speaking. Naturally, he can¡¯t help but be surprised. [ I told you. I won¡¯t die. ] In contrast, Yujin seemed unfazed. He exuded a sense ofposure, as if he had known all along that this would happen. This guy, he predicted that I wouldn¡¯t lose interest in him yet. He thought that even if he faced a life-threatening situation, I would save him. It couldn¡¯t be a more arrogant thought, but I could understand why he did it. He must have known that if my interest in this world had waned to the point of not saving him, this universe would be doomed anyway. He figured that dying now or having his existence erasedter would be the same. It¡¯s a gamble where he has nothing to lose either way. He thought it through. But there¡¯s one thing he overlooked. I saved his life, but I didn¡¯t fully restore his energy and mana. In other words, Yujin will need time to recover. The voyage without him. I wonder what will happen to the fleet? # Although Yujin somehow survived the mana depletion, the enormous amount of mana he consumed was not restored. As a result, the significantly weakened Yujin entered a healing pod for recovery, and it was decided that the temporarymand would be taken by the vicemander, Lowie Hendrick. ?§Ñ?§°??? ¡°Vicemander. I would like to research the psionic energy from the captured life forms.¡± The first person to rush to him after he assumed temporarymand was none other than Lasi, the leader of the elves. She had intended to request Yujin to allow the elven researchers to study psionic energy. However, since Yujin was recuperating, she came to Lowie Hendrick, who had taken temporarymand. ¡°The discovery of a new form of energy. Naturally, from the Union¡¯s perspective, we want to uncover and utilize it effectively. Let¡¯s research it together with the Union researchers.¡± ¡°Of course. When we joined the Union, we abandoned the idea of monopolizing research data or progress. After all, everyone¡¯s advancement is the path to bing stronger.¡± In response to Elder Lowie Hendrick¡¯s words, which seemed to worry about the elves monopolizing the psionic energy research results, Lasi smiled and replied. Realizing that he had spoken as if he was suspicious, Lowie Hendrick shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. If I¡¯ve caused a misunderstanding, I apologize.¡± ¡°Not at all. I understand your position as an Union elder.¡± Lasi, also being an Union elder and the representative of the elves, understood his concern. Although the Union has united under Yujin¡¯s name, the power and influence of the elves are steadily growing. Moreover, Yujin is currently absent due to recuperation. It was a situation that could understandably cause worry. ¡°If we can utilize psionic energy that uses cosmic maic fields, the Union will be able to develop further. With the Elftenium and Xenomorphs from Zone Y as well¡­ As we progress, the forces opposing the exploration of uncharted territories will disappear.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Although he spoke of the Union as a whole, in the end, no one could match the elves in terms of technology and intelligence. Almost everything would end up being entrusted to the elves. Knowing this fact, Lasi probably came as a representative to discuss it. Anyway, after assigning the research on psionic energy to the researchers, Lowie Hendrick quickly issued orders. ¡°We¡¯ve almost defeated the enemies! Don¡¯t bother chasing those who are fleeing, just leave them be. Without a leader of the caliber we¡¯ve already killed, they pose no threat anyway.¡± It was an order to leave the fleeing enemies alone and for them to resume their journey towards their designated destination. ¡°Yes, understood!¡± Everyone responded energetically, knowing that in the current situation, Lowie Hendrick¡¯s orders were equivalent to Yujin¡¯s orders and the Union¡¯smands. # A massive star located at the center of Zone Z. The light and heat it emitted were so faint that at first nce, it almost looked like a giant rather than a star. The reason for this was a massive life form perched atop the star. This enormous creature, about one-tenth the size of the star, was absorbing the star¡¯s vast nuclear fusion energy as its own nourishment.@@novelbin@@ It had absorbed so much energy that the light and heat originally emitted by the star had dropped to almost nothing. This life form was none other than the supreme ruler of the ¡®Warden¡¯ race that dominated Zone Z. It was a being known as the ¡®Transcendent¡¯. { ¡­The ¡®Agent¡¯ is dead. } He sensed that the connection with the most powerful being linked to him, the one Yujin called the de Monster, the ¡®Agent¡¯, had been severed. The severed connection meant one of two things. Either the Agent had found a way to sever the connection with the Transcendent. In this case, it would be right to consider it a betrayal. But that couldn¡¯t be the case. If so, there would have been some kind of precursor symptoms. Without any of that, it was suddenly cut off during battle. Then, the probability of the second possibility was very high. That the Agent had died in battle. But this was also hard to believe. Because, apart from himself, the Transcendent, the Agent possessed the most powerful physical abilities and psionic energy. He was given the name ¡®Agent¡¯ because he could exert power almost on par with himself. And yet, he had fallen? And so quickly that it was hard to even perceive? { The power of the invaders is beyond what I imagined. } The life forms that had invaded the area they controlled. Invaders who flew through space riding steel vehicles. Their strength was far greater than expected. Enough to instantly defeat the Agent and drive out hundreds of billions of the Warden race. { I need to handle this more carefully. } With that thought, the Transcendent ordered all the Warden race within its reach to return to its nest. All except for those supplying some resources and food. { First, I should start by restoring the Agent. } And he intended to consume some of them to restore the lost Agent. No, more precisely¡­ he intended to create a new Agent. { No matter how many inferior ones there are, it¡¯s useless. Then, should I make a few more? } That wasn¡¯t all. He was nning to create a few more monsters like the Agent, which had posed a significant threat to the Union¡¯s massive fleet and which Yujin had risked his life to defeat. { But if I do that, I¡¯ll lose a lot of power. I¡¯ll need sufficient rest time. } That¡¯s not all. The energy of the star he currently upied had beenrgely consumed to create the original Agent that was now gone. In other words, a new energy source was needed. { Oh my, I just told them to gather here¡­ I¡¯ll need to move the nest. } The Transcendent issued a new order to the returning Warden race. To find a new nest with suitable conditions for him to upy. Receiving this order, the Warden race began to roam the universe in search of stars with sufficient energy. Chapter 97: Laboratory ¡°Phew, this much rest should be sufficient.¡± Yujin checked the magical power that had returned to his body, clenching and unclenching his fist. Although he wasn¡¯t fully 100% recovered, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that he had problems moving around. While his magical power itself was absurdly abundant, it also recovered at a faster rate, allowing him to get up even quicker than others. ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± As soon as he got up, he headed straight for the researchb within the mothership. It would have been better to rest a bit more since he had just gotten up from his sickbed, but he couldn¡¯t wait any longer and moved quickly. The reason he got up so fast wasn¡¯t for any other reason, but because he wanted to try out the psionic energy currently being tested in theb as soon as possible. ¡®If I can just get my hands on that power, I might be able to use the psionic storm that the de Monster showed, with my own hands.¡¯Yujin grinned at the thought of creating a powerful cosmic maic storm with his own hands. He could do something simr with magic, but it would consume an enormous amount of magical power. It would be possible to achieve something simr by using a magical amplification device to tremendously increase the output of lightning magic. While magic has good versatility, its power is ultimately limited to the life energy within an individual¡¯s body, making it somewhatcking in scale. There are magical amplification devices, but using them puts one¡¯s life at risk, so they¡¯re practically nonexistent. In contrast, psionic energy can manipte the cosmic maic field to enormously amplify its power. Although it has fewer methods of utilizationpared to magic, there¡¯s no power that can be used more powerfully in space than this. ¡®Psionic storm, psionic storm~¡¯ ¡°Mr. Yujin?! You shouldn¡¯t be up already!¡± At that moment, someone hurriedly tried to stop Yujin as he was about to leave the treatment room. It was the guard stationed in front of Yujin¡¯s treatment room. Being of Meias descent, he had been earnestly entreated by Lowie Hendrick, an elder of the Meias tribe, to prevent Yujin from wandering around until he waspletely fine. However, the time for recovery was still far too short. If Lowie Hendrick were to see Yujin wandering around before fully recovering, his own head would be on the chopping block. ¡°I got up because I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Already? There wasn¡¯t enough time. You should rest more¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seeing the troubled soldier, Yujin chuckled, guessing that Lowie Hendrick must have made an earnest request, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll exin it well to Lowie. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going.¡± Leaving the bewildered guard behind, Yujin quickly left the ce and headed towards the researchb. ¡°M-Mr. Yujin?!¡± He thought he heard the guard calling out urgently from behind, but he deliberately ignored it. # ¡°Mr. Yujin? Is it really alright for you to be up already?¡± Upon arriving at theboratory, Yujin saw Lasi, one of the Elven elders who held the high position of Director of the Gctic Union Research Institute. ????¦­?¦¢??? It¡¯s worth noting that she was Rasul¡¯s daughter and was said to be the next leader of the Elven tribe. Taking after her mother Rasul, she had been exceptionally intelligent from a young age and became engrossed in researching cosmic phenomena and numerous aspects of physics and chemistry early on. As a result, she currently held the role of Research Director for the Elven tribe and simultaneously served as the Director of the Gctic Union Research Institute. Naturally, she was also overseeing the current research on psionic energy. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard that question at least 50 times on my way here. I¡¯m fine now. I recover quickly, you know.¡± ¡°I see. Then what brings you here?¡± Seeing Yujin¡¯s slightly exasperated smile, Lasi tilted her head with a gentle smile. Yujin grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the psionic energy research currently being conducted in theb.¡± ¡°Ah, that! Yes, it¡¯s an incredible energy. Despite causing a highly unique phenomenon that can manipte the cosmic maic field, it¡¯s extremelypatible with various life energies. Even those with magical power or other life energies are currently wellpatible, and if they just master the handling method, they could immediately¡­¡± As soon as she started talking about psionic energy, Lasi¡¯s eyes lit up and she began chattering non-stop. Completely excited, she seemed unaware of how long she had been talking, expounding on the greatness of psionic energy for over 10 minutes. ¡°So¡­ yes, that¡¯s how it is!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lasi gave Yujin a sparkling look filled with gratitude for listening to her exnation without interruption until the end. Most people, even her mother Rasul, would have interrupted her if she talked this much. ¡®As expected, Mr. Yujin is a good person.¡¯ It was a moment that made one question Lasi¡¯s standards for a good person. Anyway, after hearing everything, Yujin asked with a very interested expression, ¡°So, can that be applied to me right now?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Huh? Right now?¡± Lasi seemed to think for a moment before saying, ¡°We¡¯re still in the experimental stage. We need to observe more about the side effects¡­ Just because it¡¯spatible doesn¡¯t mean it suits everyone unconditionally.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Yujin let out a short sigh, seeming a bit disappointed. Even though it was still in the experimental stage, it would probably suit everyone anyway. Because this power was given as a reward by the main body. There probably wouldn¡¯t be any side effects either. But it didn¡¯t feel right to mention this and insist on skipping the experimental stage. It would be unfair to the researchers, including Lasi, who were enthusiastically and happily conducting their research. ¡°However¡­¡± At that moment, a hopeful statement came from Lasi¡¯s lips. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the final stage, and someone like you, Mr. Yujin, probably wouldn¡¯t be much affected by minor side effects anyway¡­¡± A positive response to the injection of psionic energy. Yujin¡¯s eyes lit up. Lasi, too, wished for more experimental samples. Not mediocre samples, but muchrger and more powerful ones like Yujin. ¡°Then may I request it?¡± ¡°Are you sure? There might be side effects we haven¡¯t discovered yet.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re side effects that haven¡¯t been discovered yet, they probably won¡¯t affect me anyway.¡± Yujin volunteered himself as a test subject. He wanted to get his hands on psionic energy and try it out as soon as possible. After all, he didn¡¯t need to worry about side effects or his body rejecting it. It was beneficial for Lasi as well. She had needed a sample with powerful life energy, and to think such a big fish would volunteer himself as a test subject. ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s go to theb.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was a win-win deal, beneficial for both parties. # Yujin will obtain psionic energy. He might be a bit disappointed. After all, I¡¯ll give him a power slightly weaker than the de Monster¡¯s. A 10th grade should still be enough for him to hold his own. ¡­Or should I just remove all limitations? Truly leaving it up to Yujin¡¯s potential. Let¡¯s see how powerful his psionic grade turns out to be. If it¡¯s too strong, we can always adjust the bnceter. [ Hmm¡­. ] Come to think of it, since when did I start interfering this much? Originally, I just let them loose and watched them y on their own. It used to feel like I was just watching pieces move on a game board, but now it¡¯s like I¡¯ve be the game developer directly adjusting the board. Hmm, this doesn¡¯t feel right. I want to be the one enjoying the game, not the person creating and adjusting it. Even a hobby bes less fun when it turns into work. I need to be careful not to let this fun hobby turn into work. If I keep interfering with every little thing, eventually everything will only flow as I¡¯ve dictated, and there¡¯s nothing more boring than that. Right, I¡¯ve decided! From this moment on, I¡¯m hands-off. I¡¯ll just asionally create and scatter things like the Warden species or xenomorphs. It¡¯s fun to control how things flow sometimes, but it shouldn¡¯t be an obligation. Let¡¯s just leave things be unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. Well¡­ what can you do. If Yujin dies, he dies. If the Gctic Union falls, it falls. I have plenty of alternatives now anyway. I can y with something else. Thinking this, I watch as Yujin enters theb and receives the psionic energy injection into his brain. ¡­Hmm, I hope his body doesn¡¯t reject it and he suddenly drops dead. I¡¯m starting to feel a bit uneasy. That would really be the end of it. How would they win without Yujin? No, no. I¡¯ve decided to be tough about this. There¡¯s no reason to be obsessed with the original SF universe anymore anyway. And what¡¯s wrong with a little destruction? If I want to see it again, I can always rewind to before the destruction and watch it again. Mm-hmm, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Chapter 98: A Disappointing Test ¡°Hmm, so this is psionic energy.¡± Yujin felt the new energy that had settled in his body, separate from his magical power. It¡¯s simr to magical power, but still a bit weak for now. He wondered if he could produce a simr level of power to the de monster he had seen earlier with this. ¡®Can I grow it further from here?¡¯ Yujin headed to the training room to run some tests. A spacious training ground with walls, ceiling, and floor covered in a 1-meter thickyer of Elftenium, the strongest metal. Here, attacks powerful enough to destroy an average spaceship are possible. ¡°Lightning Storm!¡±Yujin first drew upon his magical power to use a spell simr to the psionic storm. Crash! Lightning struck with tremendous force, scorching the Elftenium ck. There were even parts that had slightly melted or been destroyed and fallen off. An attack powerful enough to destroy Elftenium in an instant is truly formidable. But this level is still not enough to make a state-of-the-art space battleship,pletely covered in Elftenium, even flinch. ¡®With a magic amplification device, it might be possible, but¡­¡¯ That should be saved as ast resort. Once used, even if you survive, you¡¯d bepletely immobilized for about 1-2 weeks. ¡°Alright, next¡­¡± This time, he decided to test the use of the psionic energy injected into his mind. ¡®The basic operation method is the same as magical power.¡¯ The difference, however, is that it needs to be connected to the cosmic maic field spread throughout the universe to amplify its power. ¡®This is difficult.¡¯ He managed to move the psionic energy without much difficulty. But perhaps due to the sma shield surrounding the ship, the influence of the cosmic maic field inside was too faint. ¡®Still, there was a gain.¡¯ If there was something he gained, it¡¯s that when he tries to draw upon and use psionic energy, he can see the movement of the cosmic maic field. The cosmic maic field isn¡¯t just a simple maic field. It means he can see the flow of electromaic force, one of the four forces spread throughout this universe. This would be good for finding direction when lost in space. It also means being able to predict unseen anomalous space environments in advance. ¡®It¡¯s not just an increase in power. This is an incredible discovery that can elerate space navigation and cosmic research.¡¯ He wanted to immediately order this power to be injected into all talented personnel, but the research results were still insufficient for that. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to create them, the research results.¡± Yujin grinned and informed the exploration crew. ¡°Open the hatch. I need to go outside for a moment.¡± He meant to go out into space. # ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous! And what¡¯s this? You just epted an unverified power?!¡± ¡°There haven¡¯t been any side effects so far. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°They might appearter!¡± Lowie Hendrick shouted angrily, but Yujin paid no attention. He was simply looking forward to going out into space and testing the cosmic maic field with his own hands. Like his original self, he too had a personality that greatly enjoyed exploring the unknown. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful ande back. Just make sure to keep the shields up in case there¡¯s any impact.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, how can I stop you?¡± In the end, Lowie Hendrick gave up and raised his hands. He knew he couldn¡¯t stop Yujin¡¯s exploratory spirit. So Yujin put on a mana energy space suit that looked like a thin membrane and went out into space. The mana suit, which can essentially recover infinitely as long as magical power is supplied, and its strength varies depending on the wearer¡¯s magical power. ?????¨°?¨§¡ì Since Yujin was wearing it, there was no need to worry about external impacts as it could be considered to have the defense capability of a decent spaceship. The only concern was the psionic energy. Would he be hurt by the effects of that energy? Lowie Hendrick and the exploration crew watched the space outside with anxious hearts. And then. sh! There was no sound because it was in space. A silently shing light. But everyone could tell that this light was not ordinary. The tremendous light of cosmic lightning caused by an intense electromaic storm. It was a sess. Anyone could see it was the psionic storm that the de monster had shown. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± ¡°That madman¡­ he really did it.¡± ¡°B-but he just gained that power.¡± ¡°As expected of Master Yujin.¡± Words of admiration flowed from people¡¯s mouths. An output simr to that of the de monster who had honed its skills for a lifetime, despite just having acquired the power. It was a perfect debut of psionic energy. Whoosh©¤ While people were eximing in admiration, Yujin, who had finished testing his power, opened the hatch and came in. ¡°Congrattions, Master Yujin. You¡¯ve seeded in the test.¡± ¡°That was amazing.¡± ¡°As expected of Master Yujin!¡± People apuded and cheered, saying it was incredible. But Yujin himself wore a slightly dissatisfied expression. ¡°¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡±@@novelbin@@ When Lowie Hendrick asked, puzzled, Yujin sighed deeply and answered. ¡°It¡¯s weaker than I thought. I can¡¯t produce the same level of performance that guy showed.¡± Yujin was disappointed. His power was certainly strong. Butpared to the de monster, it felt slightlycking. If the de monster was grade 12, he would be around grade 10-11. He was disappointed that the performance didn¡¯t meet his expectations. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± People were either dumbfounded by this sight or impressed by his attitude of continually striving for greater heights. They thought that this level of ambition might be necessary to upy the highest position in the Gctic Union. ¡®No, let¡¯s not give up hope. Maybe I can grow it like magical power.¡¯ Yujin thought this way, trying to shake off his disappointment. # [ What a crazy bastard. ] Seeing Yujin¡¯s dissatisfied expression, I couldn¡¯t help but curse under my breath. What the hell is there to be dissatisfied about? Since I didn¡¯t put any restrictions on Yujin¡¯s abilities, he naturally acquired grade 12 psionic energy. However, right now he¡¯s just awakened his power, so it¡¯s not fully activated yet. In other words, this guy expected 100% output right after waking up and being told to work. And on top of that, because he can¡¯t perform at 100%, he¡¯smenting that his ability is only this much! Well, fine. Whether he thinks of gradually awakening his abilities as growth or not, that¡¯s Yujin¡¯s business. As expected, it¡¯s grade 12, huh. Was it unnecessary to say I wouldn¡¯t put any restrictions? No, no. This level is needed to stand a chance. The Gctic Union¡¯s forces withmercialized psionic energy, and Yujin, the strongest life form with grade 12 psionic energy. Even if the Transcendent creates five grade 12 de monsters at a time, with this power, we have quite a good chance. If Yujin takes on two of them, and the rest push forward with the mothership, gradually wearing them down¡­ it¡¯s quite doable, isn¡¯t it? [ Hmm¡­. Things are getting interesting again. ] It was good that I didn¡¯t interfere after all. I almost couldn¡¯t stop myself from unnecessarily meddling, trying to bnce patch things. Now all that¡¯s left is to enjoy watching the fight. Ah, but there¡¯s still a lot of time left for that. The Transcendent has gone into hiding to build up strength, and the Gctic Union is still researching psionic energy. Then I should go y somewhere else for a while. I feel like seeing a different world setting after a long time. Let¡¯s see, which world setting should I look at this time? Creating apletely new one might be good too. Fantasy, hunter stories, apocalypse, academy¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve done most of them. Wuxia? Should I try wuxia once? Ah, but I¡¯m a bit weak in wuxia¡­ Of course, there are many wuxia-like world settings in the countless universes. No, it would be more urate to say there are infinitely many. Anyway, that¡¯s why I have a lot of knowledge. But that¡¯s knowledge gained from bing an outer god, not memories from when I was human. Although that¡¯s also ultimately created memories, anyway, since there are no injected memories of reading with human emotions, I might end up viewing the wuxia world from an extremely objective and outer god-like perspective. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve kind of intentionally avoided it¡­ but honestly, I¡¯ve tried most things, so I can¡¯t not try wuxia, right? Let¡¯s try to create one by pulling knowledge from here and there! The world setting, protagonist, and overall story flow won¡¯t be that different from fantasy anyway. Wouldn¡¯t it be enough to just have cool martial arts technique names and a Heavenly Demon¡­? Yeah, if there¡¯s a Heavenly Demon, it¡¯s wuxia. Alright, alright. # A hundred years ago, there was a being who brought a terrible bloodstorm to the Central ins. His name was Baek Hwi. However, he was even more famous for his alias than his real name. ¡°Heavenly Demon¡­.¡± The leader of the righteous faction standing before him called out that alias with sharp eyes. Blood of the Central ins¡¯ masters dripping from the red robe soaked with enemies¡¯ blood and the ckened long sword. The owners of that bloody scattered in pieces all around. Ake of blood. With that much blood, it should have stained even the horse-tail hair tied back, Yet his hair was flowing cleanly as if just seen for the first time. And beneath that hair was the face of a man so fair and beautiful that it was hard to believe he was the one who caused this catastrophe. A visage that could make countless women weep. But his eyes were filled with a madness hungry for blood, and his mouth was twisted into a smile. A demon descended from heaven. A demon king so vast as to cover the sky. The god of the demonic cult. Everyone called him by this name: the Heavenly Demon. Chapter 102 First, I created small human-like forms for myself and Idra. This was to minimize our impact on the potential birth of life forms. The first ce we visited was an extremely cold. While there were manys in the universe, Nyathotep informed us about this one, which had the highest possibility for the birth of life forms at present, so we headed there. I gave our avatar bodies resistance to withstand the extreme cold. This wasn¡¯t particrly difficult for me or Idra. After all, extreme cold is just about -250 degrees Celsius, isn¡¯t it? The universe operates on different physicalws, and there are universes with even lower temperatures. But this ce is what¡¯smonly called a ¡®standard¡¯ type of universe.It¡¯s a universe with the mostmonly distributed form of physicalws. It¡¯s easier to think of it as the universe I remember from when I was human, or the universe in SF settings. There are universes with lower temperatures than this, but they¡¯re considered ¡®aberrant¡¯ universes, not standard, so they¡¯re excluded from experiments. Life forms born there are subject to entirely different physicalws. Basically, universes for tests or experiments often follow the form of this standard universe. Just as I¡¯ve been doing until now. Anyway, we arrived at a surprisingly massive. It was located in a ¡®void¡¯ where the distance between gxies was so vast that tens of billions of light-years seemed almost empty. Not only were the gxies far apart, but within the gxy, the distances between stars were extremely vast. It was what¡¯smonly called a ¡®lonely¡¯. With barely any light reaching it, the sky was pitch ck. Naturally, no heat reached it either. The surrounding temperature was close to absolute zero, about -250 degrees Celsius. Even the atmospheric gases were frozen solid, leaving no atmosphere, and the surface was covered withyers of ice made of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. ???¦­??¨º¡ì You might wonder how fragile life forms could possibly survive in a ce where ice never melts. Surprisingly, there are quite a lot of life forms that can withstand low temperatures. Fundamentally, the universe is a very low-temperature environment. Whiles where ordinary life forms live are warm, and areas close to stars are unimaginably hot, Most of the empty space in the universe is cold. Life forms that traverse such a universe are basically designed to withstand temperatures below -100 degrees Celsius. To give examples from SF universe settings¡­ Xenomorphs, the Kapterians, and the Warden species are typical examples. Come to think of it, I once subjected the Kapterians to extreme cold torture. At that time, the temperature was beyond the physicalws of the universe, so theypletely froze and shattered. After several decades, even that has be a memory. Anyway, life forms designed to withstand such low temperatures are widespread in the universe. However, it¡¯s safe to say that life forms rarely originate in temperatures close to absolute zero, around -230 to -250 degrees Celsius. Unless, of course, they¡¯re born elsewhere and evolve over time to withstand such conditions. ¡°Oh, look over there.¡± Life forms are basically organic entities created by the fusion of proteins. However, proteins typically can¡¯t fuse or even dpose in extremely cold or hot environments. Of course, that¡¯s justmon sense for Terrans¡­ that is, humans. In the universe¡­ Especially in universes with different physicalws, countless things happen, many of which are iprehensible by humanmon sense. ¡°Oh¡­ the first microorganism.¡± Proteins synthesize to create organic entities that can move on their own. A protein mass that can move on its own even at -230 degrees Celsius. That was the first life form born in this environment. Apart from the low temperature, it¡¯s a process simr to how life forms are born on Earth or others. An organic entity capable of activity in extreme cold. This seems like it could be a good idea. # The next ce we headed to was the one I was most curious about. The first extremely cold was a ce Nyathotep had dropped us off at, but this ce was an ultra-high temperature star. It¡¯s a monstrous star with a core temperature exceeding 300 million degrees Celsius and a mass millions of times that of the Sun. Everyone would probably think that life forms couldn¡¯t possibly appear in such a ce. After all, it¡¯s an environment far more extreme than the extreme cold. But surprisingly, life forms exist here too. If we define life forms as entities that move on their own and breathe, then they are certainly life forms. ¡°sma life forms. Commonly called ¡®elementals¡¯.¡± These are life forms made of sma, the fourth state of matter. Of course, there are life forms made of solids. If you search through various worldviews, you¡¯ll naturally find life forms made of liquids and gases too. Simrly, life forms in the form of sma, also called the fourth state of matter, naturally exist as well. Elementals, ghosts, spirits, and so on. These are the very things referred to by various ult elements. Because they¡¯re not in amon form, they¡¯re usually not visible, and they¡¯re born in these special environments. Or they can also be created when someponents inside a life form partially turn into sma after death. The life forms living in this ultra-high temperature star are also of this form, where mes generated from the tremendous heat energy emitted by nuclear fusion have gained will and life activities. In simple terms, they¡¯re what you might call fire elementals. I¡¯ve had experience creating these too. Or rather, I should say I¡¯ve seen what something I created made. The light elementals created by the Elf God are exactly that. I wasn¡¯t really thinking about it, but seeing what the Elf God Rios created piqued my interest. So I wanted to see the appearance of naturally urring elementals for myself. That opportunity has finallye. An incredibly hot me burning white. A tiny ball of me popped out from there. That mass, about the size of a normal person¡¯s fist. Even that small me contained enough thermal energy topletely incinerate an entire. It flickered like an ordinary me at first, but then it detached from the surface and began to move independently. A movement with will, clearly different from the flickering of mes. Life had taken root in the burning sma energy. ¡°So, an elemental.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± After finishing our observation of other life forms like that, Idra and I dispelled our avatar bodies and returned to Nyathotep¡¯sboratory. [ How was it? I¡¯d like to hear your detailed impressions. ]@@novelbin@@ As soon as we arrived, without even a chance to rest, we were subjected to an interview bordering on interrogation by Nyathotep. I told her about my impressions and various points that I thought could be improved. Of course, it¡¯s just my opinion, so she¡¯ll filter it as she sees fit. Idra also seemed to have realized that Nyathotep wasn¡¯t just a being conducting sadistic experiments, seeing the beautiful and exotic forms of life that were more impressive than she had imagined. [ It would be nice if you only did good experiments like this. ] [ No, I¡¯m just doing this out of curiosity. I¡¯m going to experiment to see how much these things evolve and how extreme environments the evolved life forms can withstand. ] Of course, Nyathotep snorted and blurted out words that Idra would dislike. [ Oh my! I wish you¡¯d understand the preciousness of life forms. But I¡¯ll give you credit this time. It was beautiful. ] [ ¡­¡­. ] It seemed like she wanted to say that it¡¯s because she knows how important and precious life forms are that she¡¯s curious and conducts various experiments. But Nyathotep didn¡¯t bother to say it, probably finding it troublesome. [ Would you like to experience some other ces? ] [ No, I was thinking of going somewhere else this time. ] Although I was extremely interested in Nyathotep¡¯s universe for preserving life forms, since we mentioned elementals, I decided to save that visit for another opportunity as I had a ce I wanted to go. [ Hmm, I¡¯m interested too. May Ie along? ] Huh? Suddenly? [ What about theboratory? ] [ I can pause it for a while. ] Saying that, Nyathotep instantly stopped everything, just as I had done. What¡¯s this, why is she suddenly saying she wants toe along? Well, I guess Outer Gods are known to act on their own whims when curiosity strikes, but it¡¯s still quite sudden. I don¡¯t really have a reason to refuse. After all, I brought Idra along, so it would be a bit awkward to say Nyathotep can¡¯te. But there¡¯s one problem. [ Um¡­ the ce I¡¯m nning to go now is Cthugha¡¯s universe, is that okay? ] [ ¡­Cthugha? ] At those words, Nyathotep¡¯s tentacles suddenly stood on end. Chapter 104 The spirit realm of Cthugha. Countless spirits live there. The spirits of fire and lightning, also called the descendants of the creator. The water spirits living in a world opposite to theirs. The wind spirits endlessly drifting through the spirit realm, and so on. Their types are very diverse. And those who rule this world are none other than the fire spirits and lightning spirits, also called the descendants of Cthugha. They were always in a rtionship of fighting over territorial dominion. Among them, the fire spirits who im that they are the only offspring of the creator, and that the lightning spirits are merely derivatives.They were about to wee the newly born fire spirits of this cycle. ¡°Great Spirit King, new fire spirits have just been born.¡± ¡°I see. The fifteenth in this generation?¡± Spirits cycle. To borate, they are born, grow, and when they age, they be part of the spirit realm and are born again. One such cycle is usually called ¡®one generation¡¯. One generation is typically based on 500 years, and that timing is determined by the Spirit King, a being that exists eternally for each attribute. The territory of fire ruled by the Fire Spirit King, who prides himself as the greatest among the Spirit Kings. There, about 80 years have passed since the start of this generation, and the 15th children have been reborn. To be more precise, rather than rebirth, new spirits are born through the magical power left behind by the previous spirits as they perish. In this case, the number varies depending on what kind of spirits are born. Sometimes countless lower spirits are born, and sometimes only a few higher spirits are born in extremely small numbers. But this time, it was a bit unusual. ¡°The number of spirits born this time is¡­ eight.¡± ¡°Higher spirits, then. Good.¡± Only 8 spirits. At those words, the Fire Spirit King thought that higher spirits had been born. That was natural. If the number of spirits born at once was that small, it meant that the concentrated magical power was that much greater. Since having more higher spirits greatly reinforces their forces, he nodded in satisfaction. But the subordinate spirit shook his head. ¡°No, six lower spirits, one intermediate, and one supreme.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At those words, the Spirit King¡¯s fiery eyes widened. A supreme spirit! Spirits have lower, intermediate, higher, and supreme ranks. Lastly, there is the Spirit King, but that¡¯s excluded as only one can exist. Anyway, as the rank increases, spirits be exponentially stronger. That¡¯s because the magical power they contain bes several times stronger. That¡¯s why the number of those who are higher spirits from birth is small. Because that much magical power is concentrated. Some of those born this way amplify their magical power even more as they grow, eventually growing into supreme spirits. The rank just below the Spirit King. There¡¯s no need for a lengthy exnation of how strong they are. But usually, supreme spirits are not born. Higher spirits might grow to be supreme, but cases of being supreme from birth are virtually non-existent. It was almost impossible to concentrate that much magical power from birth. No, just once. It had happened before. ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be.¡± It was when the Spirit King first appeared in this world. The Spirit King had magical power at the level of a supreme spirit from the moment of birth, absorbed the surrounding magical power, and amplified his own magical power to eventually be the strongest spirit, the Spirit King. ????§°??¨º?? And now, the same thing was happening. A supreme spirit was born. ¡°Bring them to me immediately.¡± The Fire Spirit King felt anxiety and anticipation rising simultaneously. Anxiety about possibly threatening his position and taking the Spirit King¡¯s seat¡­ And anticipation of gaining a tremendous force simr to his own level.@@novelbin@@ Feeling these two seemingly ipatible emotions swirling together, the Fire Spirit King waited for the newly born supreme spirit toe before him. # ¡°¡­What is this?¡± The newly born supreme spirit showed an attitude so insolent it was hard to believe she was in front of the Spirit King. Spirits instinctively recognize the existence of the Spirit King who rules over them when they are born, and they submit to them. But she¡­ no, she did not do that. ¡°A female form, I see.¡± Judging by the slender lines of her ming body, it was a female form. Moreover, the burning mes and her curved body were disying the utmost beauty. ¡®A female spirit of the same origin as me.¡¯ He thought such beings only existed as the Wind Spirit King and the Water Spirit King, but to think such a being would be born among the fire spirits. The Spirit King¡¯s emotions leaned sharply towards anticipation rather than anxiety. Of course, unlike before, it wasn¡¯t anticipation about her power¡­ ¡®This should be more than enough to be mypanion.¡¯ It was the anticipation of a lifelong single who had never found apanion to stand beside him. Being so powerful and great, he simply couldn¡¯t find a suitablepanion. There were plenty of female fire spirits who had risen to the supreme level, but they were ultimately not on par with the Spirit King and their lifespan never exceeded 500 years. Above all, they weren¡¯t attracted to the Fire Spirit King. ¡°What shall I call you by name? Usually, I name the fire spirits¡­ but you seem like you might have a name you¡¯d like to be called.¡± Was iting from such feelings? Or was it because he truly recognized her as an equal being? Far from scolding her insolent attitude, he even gave her the chance to name herself. A spirit¡¯s name is like its soul. That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural custom for the Spirit King, who holds their souls, to name them directly. But he gave her the right to name herself. It was also a sign of how much he respected her soul. ¡°¡­Nial. Call me Nial.¡± After seeming to ponder for a moment, she named herself. Nial. Hearing that name, the Fire Spirit King nodded. ¡°Nial, is it? A good name. It feels like a name with burning heat.¡± The Fire Spirit King nodded, seemingly satisfied. Seeing this, Nial turned her body as if annoyed and said, ¡°Can I go now? I think I¡¯ve paid my respects to the king.¡± ¡°Wh-what! How dare you¡­!¡± When she tried to leave without permission, showing her back, one of the subordinate supreme spirits finally burst out in anger, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let her go.¡± The Fire Spirit King stopped his subordinate. And so Nial left the fire pce with haughty steps, and the Fire Spirit King quietly watched her retreating figure. ¡°I like that she¡¯s feisty.¡± He grinned, thinking how enjoyable it would be when such a haughty woman became his and whispered words of love. # ¡°How dare such a lowly creature.¡± Nial frowned as she recalled the Fire Spirit King¡¯s gaze. The unpleasant look in his eyes as he scanned her up and down. The tant desire to make her his woman. Everything about it disgusted her. Although she was currently in the form of a fire spirit avatar, she was utterly repulsed by the fact that such a lowly creature dared to harbor lustful thoughts towards her. ¡®If it were him, perhaps. But how dare such a lowly creature.¡¯ As she thought this, she recalled an outer god who would have been born into this spirit realm like herself. Like her, he would have be a spirit as an avatar and would have been born into this world by now. She didn¡¯t know his name yet. But she was certain that he would recognize her. ¡®Nial, is it.¡¯ There was a moment when he had once told her his code name. [ Nyathotep. Ah, but is it okay to call you by the creatures¡¯ code name? Would it be better to use your true name? ] [ Call me whatever you like. ] Nyathotep. A name given by creatures she hardly cared about. But for some reason, when he called her by that name, it stuck deeply in her mind. ¡®What a strange feeling. To want to see him as soon as possible.¡¯ An emotion she had never felt before. Curiosity about this thing called emotion began to stir. ¡®There¡¯s a need to study this. And to study it, I need him.¡¯ Thinking this, she let out a deep sigh, as if slightly disappointed. ¡®Perhaps I should have created an avatar of the same type of spirit as him.¡¯ But then she shook her head. ¡®No, I can meet him soon anyway. His purpose is to explore, enjoy, and savor the spirit realm. It¡¯s better to create avatars of various spirits for that purpose.¡¯ That also aligns well with the goal of researching the spirit realm. Suddenly, she also recalled the other outer god who hade with her. ¡®¡­That troublesome woman. I¡¯d rather die than let her meet him first.¡¯ For some reason, Nial found herself disliking the idea of that woman meeting his avatar before she did. Chapter 105 Idra. A newly born water spirit, and an existence that brought about a massive anomaly by being born as a top-tier spirit. She was currently getting along very well with the water spirits. ¡°Hohoho, I see.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it fascinating?¡± She had be especially close with the Water Spirit King, bing such good friends in just a few days that they were now at a level where they could converse casually. The reason they could be this close, even though she might potentially threaten the Spirit King¡¯s position, was because¡­ ¡°Hehe, perhaps it¡¯s time for me to step down.¡± The Water Spirit King had no great attachment to her position.Or rather, she was a bit tired of the position she had held for such a long time. So she hade to think about passing her position to Idra, a spirit who was also born as a top-tier and with whom she could converse well. Of course, Idra had no intention of inheriting that position, but she decided to actively use this to her advantage as she needed to be close to the Water Spirit King for her own purposes. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m still just a newly born spiritcking in both power and experience. I haven¡¯t even been anywhere outside the water territory yet.¡± Her purpose was none other than to leave the water territory. Spirits with an affiliated attribute can only leave their territory with the permission of the Spirit King who rules that attribute. Usually, the principle is not to let them out unless there¡¯s a special reason. This is partly because of the uncertainty of what might happen to them outside, and also because of the possibility of betrayal by going to another territory. Idra nned to be close to the Water Spirit King and gain the right to leave the territory. The reason for this was, of course, to go and find her partner who was born with a different attribute. ¡®Fear. It was fear, wasn¡¯t it? A spirit of fear would be a very rare attribute and a free spirit not belonging to any affiliation.¡¯ If it had been a minority attribute spirit under the water territory¡¯s jurisdiction, like a blood spirit or ake spirit, it would have been convenient, but a fear spirit is a free attribute that doesn¡¯t belong anywhere. That¡¯s why it¡¯s impossible to know where it was born or where it is now. It¡¯s certainly not in the water territory. If it had been, she should have found it when she searched the entire territory following the water energy. ¡®It¡¯s a bit of cheating, but¡­ this much should be fine.¡¯ In fact, it¡¯s impossible for even a top-tier spirit to detect the entire territory. Such a feat is not possible without power at the level of a Spirit King. But Idra used a slight cheat. She slightly awakened only the ability to detect by using her authority very slightly. Just to find him, her partner who was born as a spirit of fear. Originally, she had tried to minimize the use of her authority to avoid affecting the spirit world as much as possible, but she rationalized that this much would be okay. ???¦­¨®??§§? Anyway, now that she had confirmed he wasn¡¯t in the water territory, she needed to leave the water territory quickly. Even now, he would be wandering here and there to explore and study the spirit world. That¡¯s why she needed to leave the water territory and find him as soon as possible. ¡°As you say, you are still a spirit that was born not long ago. No matter how strong you are, the outside of the territory is dangerous for such a being.¡± Of course, she wouldn¡¯t easily grant permission. Especially since it would be a big problem if the being she considered as her sessor got hurt or disappeared somewhere. ¡®It seems it will take some time.¡¯ Unfortunately, it seemed she wouldn¡¯t be able to depart right away. Still, Idra thought leisurely. After all, a spirit¡¯s lifetime is 500 years. It might be a meaningless time for outer gods to whom the concept of time is meaningless, but in terms of the time of ordinary living beings, 500 years is quite a long time. And the three avatar spirits, including herself, were like newborn babies not even a month old. In other words, there¡¯s plenty of time. Perhaps because they had been together for so long, this time apart from him felt somewhat awkward. But still, there was plenty of time left as a spirit, and even if they couldn¡¯t meet while they were spirits, they could be together again as outer gods once their time in the spirit world ended. ¡®But it¡¯s a bit strange. Why do I want to be with him?¡¯@@novelbin@@ A question that suddenly urred to her. Had there ever been a being she thought of like this before? The inferior creatures were lovable, but she never felt the desire to be with them to this extent. But when she thought of him, she felt love,fort, and reassurance at the same time. She felt the desire to be by his side. It had been so long since she came into existence in this world as an outer god, but this was a strange feeling she was experiencing for the first time. ¡®Hehe, by the standards of living beings¡­ I might be in love with him.¡¯ Of course, Idra didn¡¯t question this emotion. It¡¯s not that outer gods don¡¯t have emotions. No, rather, being higher-dimensional beings, they harbored more and diverse emotions. There was nothing strange about having affection among those emotions. # ¡°Achoo!¡± I sneezed. So spirits can sneeze too, huh. It¡¯s something you wouldn¡¯t know unless you actually became a spirit yourself. Well, I suppose if I searched through the knowledge of the crevices, I¡¯d find out what kinds of spirits sneeze and even what their sneezes sound like. Anyway, I wiped my nose and examined my body. How should I put it? I had high expectations for being a spirit of fear, but¡­ I look just like an ordinary humanoid spirit. Just pitch-ck in color, that¡¯s all? Of course, it wasn¡¯t just a simple ck color. It was definitely a darkness befitting the name of a spirit of fear, ominous and gloomy. It was something like a shadowy form with a ckness so deep it was hard to describe as simply ¡®ck¡¯, rippling like shadows. You could say it was a color and form that embodied the fear of the unknown. ¡°I like it.¡± Naturally, I was quite pleased with it. So, this is Cthugha¡¯s spirit realm, huh. What should I do here now? I came in wanting to learn about spirits, but I didn¡¯t really think about how to go about it. To be honest, it feels like I came in without much of a n. Let¡¯s start by figuring out where I am and what my current position is. I understood the general situation of the spirit realm as I entered this world. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning. There are five major factions in the spirit realm that upy these five vast territories. Below them are the minor spirits affiliated with these factions. And then there are the free spirits who don¡¯t belong to any faction. I am a spirit of fear. I¡¯m a free spirit that doesn¡¯t belong to any faction. And this ce is called the Barren Ravine, located between the territories of Fire and Wind. It¡¯s an extremely harshnd where knife-like winds blow fiercely over a ravine that looks like a pile of ashes, as if everything has been burned. Of course, it¡¯s only a harshnd for some life forms that need water or nutrients. For spirits that live on magical power, this kind of environment is no problem at all. In fact, since it bes the main battlefield when wind spirits and fire spirits fight, it could be considered a very fertilend by spirit standards due to the magical power released during battles. ¡°Indeed, the magical power I breathe in with every breath is abundant. It¡¯s goodnd.¡± It feels strange to call this deste ravine ¡®goodnd¡¯ while having human memories. So this is what a goodndscape looks like to spirits. Let¡¯s take a look around this barren ravine for now. It would be nice to meet other free spirits like me, or maybe even venture into the Wind or Fire territories. Oh, I wonder if they¡¯ll treat me as an intruder if I enter? Well¡­ I¡¯ll think about thatter. For now, it would be good to meet another spirit of fear. I want to know exactly what level my power is at. In terms of general magical power, I¡¯m at the level of a top-tier spirit, but is it okay to apply the same standards used by the five major factions to free spirits? As I was thinking about this while walking¡­ ¡°Eek?!¡± I finally met my first spirit. But it wasn¡¯t a free spirit. ¡®A wind spirit?¡¯ A white body with a semi-transparent form that looked like it was made of condensed air currents. It was a wind spirit. Why is a wind spirit here? I wondered as I tried to approach. ¡°D-don¡¯te closer¡­!¡± The wind spirit trembled and started backing away. I wondered why it was acting like that, but then¡­ Ah, right, I¡¯m a spirit of fear, aren¡¯t I? Of course, all beings feel the emotion of fear. Even Outer Gods, including the highest-ranking ones, know the emotion of fear. Just like how Cthugha is terrified when it sees me. It¡¯s also the emotion I felt when I first encountered Azathoth. In other words, no matter how much of a mental life form a spirit is, they all have the emotion of fear. No, because they are mental life forms, the effect seems even more pronounced. Its semi-transparent form began to waver and shake. It was having difficulty maintaining its physical form due to fear. Oh no, is it going to disappear at this rate? It¡¯s too scared! I¡¯ll back off a bit for now. It seems too frightened. And at that moment, the wind spirit literally fled like the wind, in a sh. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wow¡­ to think I¡¯d be avoided to this extent. For a moment, I was ovee by a strange feeling, as if memories from a non-existent outcast student life had resurfaced. Chapter 106 EP.106 A Dangerous Entity Dalpo, the high-ranking wind spirit. He was originally a spirit with a noble-like presence, upying a high position in the wind territory. However, hemitted a grave sin, and as a result, was banished from the wind territory, bing a wandering spirit in the barren ravine. ¡®I may be living like this now, but I will return there again.¡¯ Of course, he had no intention of spending the rest of his life like this. He was determined to return to the wind territory and reim his former glory. That¡¯s also why he stayed in the barren ravine instead of going far away. The fire spirits who cause the most wars.This ce that bes their battlefield. He would intervene in the wars that ur here, achieve merits, and return to the wind territory. That was his n. So he was spending his time in the barren ravine, waiting for a war to break out with the fire spirits. But then one day. ¡°¡­What an ominous magical power.¡± He felt an extremely sticky and unsettling magical power spreading from somewhere. An unknown magical power, neither wind nor fire. This unknown magical power gave him a feeling of anxiety and unease rather than difort. This is the barren ravine. And of freedom that no one rules. That¡¯s why spirits of freedom are born here. This magical wave was clearly the kind that emerges when a powerful spirit is born. But for it to be such an ominous and unsettling magical power. ¡®What on earth has been born?¡¯ The magical power, which even evoked a strange sense of fear, was enough to make the low-level spirits floating around shudder and flee far away. But Dalpo was a high-ranking wind spirit after all. He wouldn¡¯t do something as cowardly as fleeing in terror. Rather, he thought it might be an opportunity. ¡®If it¡¯s the birth of a dangerous spirit, if I can investigate it first. Moreover, if it¡¯s a dangerous element and I can prevent it.¡¯ Detecting and preventing a danger urring in the barren ravine right next to the wind territory. This would be quite a significant achievement. ¡®I might be able to return even without a war breaking out.¡¯ Thinking this, Dalpo moved towards the source of the ominous magical power. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But something was strange. Judging by the concentration of magical power, he thought it had urred quite nearby. Yet as he went on, the concentration of the ominous magical power only grew stronger, but he couldn¡¯t reach its source.@@novelbin@@ ¡®What is it? What on earth was born?¡¯ As he went on, he started to feel uneasy. He had thought it was just a moderately high-ranking spirit, but that wasn¡¯t the case. At this concentration, it must be high-ranking¡­ no, perhaps even¡­ Just as he was about to retreat, thinking this might be beyond his ability to handle, Thud©¤ It revealed itself. ck. No, a deep, deep jet-ck that was beyond mere description as ck. It felt as if the space where it existed had been carved out with a knife. A jet-ck shadow creeping up. It started to move slowly on two feet. Swoosh©¤ The upper part, presumed to be the face, moves. And then. sh. Despite being a flickering shadow, he had the illusion of seeing blood-red eyes shing within it. Though nothing was visible, it was clearly¡­ looking at Dalpo. ¡°Eeeek¡­!¡± The moment he encountered it, he involuntarily let out a scream. Dalpo immediately regretted this action. Because right after he screamed, it slowly started to approach him. Was it interested in the spirit it saw for the first time since its birth? Or was it angered by his scream upon seeing it? Either way, it clearly wasn¡¯t a good sign. Just its approach was enough to bring a dense fear that made his soul tremble. ¡°D-Don¡¯te¡­!¡± He steps back. Dalpo wanted to praise himself greatly for the fact that he managed to move at all. There wouldn¡¯t be many beings who could move when directly facing such terrible fear. As he shouted and stepped back, it also seemed surprised and hesitated, retreating slightly. At the same time, the cruel fear that had been constricting Dalpo loosened slightly. Not missing this opportunity, Dalpo fled like mad. He didn¡¯t do anything as stupid as looking back. He just ran away. Praying that it wouldn¡¯t chase after him. Wind spirits possess a speed second only to lightning spirits, so he could flee at an incredibly fast pace. After running and running for a long time, after arriving at a ce where he couldn¡¯t feel even a bit of that magical power¡¯s influence. Dalpo was finally able to calm his mind. ¡®What on earth was that?¡¯ No, he couldn¡¯t calm down. Because as soon as he recalled it, the feeling of fear started to constrict him again. Spirit of fear. He knew about them. The story of those dirty and ugly minority spirits that live by giving fear to others and feeding on the emotion of terror that arises from it. But they were just startling, equivalent to ghost stories for humans. He had never heard of a being that could raise the fear of the unknown to the extreme and make one¡¯s soul tremble just by encountering it like that. ¡®Something, something was born. Something terribly dangerous.¡¯ He had to report it. He had to enter the wind territory and report it. Even though he didn¡¯t know what it was, or whether it would be a threat. It was dangerous just by existing. ¡®It must be eliminated.¡¯ A being that shouldn¡¯t exist in the spirit world. That¡¯s what Dalpo thought. Of course, this wasn¡¯t something he could handle on his own. It was a matter that would require at least a top-ranking spirit¡­ perhaps even the Spirit King to intervene directly. Although he was an exile, he still had to report it no matter what. He turned his head from the barren ravine towards the wind territory. It was time to return to his homnd after a long time. # He ran away. Well, I guess that¡¯s because he¡¯s a wind spirit. He¡¯s incredibly fast. Anyway, I¡¯m worried about what¡¯s toe. Even though I¡¯m a spirit of fear, if every spirit I encounter gets so scared and runs away like that, how am I supposed to conduct an in-depth study of spirits? ??????¦¢¨º?? I wonder if there¡¯s a way to suppress my power. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Unfortunately, it seemed that such an ability wasn¡¯t built into this body. Perhaps because I¡¯m a newly born spirit, I haven¡¯t yet realized how to control my power¡­ moreover, the power is so strong that it feels like it would take quite a long time to get used to properly controlling it. ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± I guess I¡¯ll need to use my authority a bit here. Originally, I was trying not to use my authority to live as much like a spirit as possible¡­ but in this case, I have no choice. No matter what, if I keep being avoided like this, I might go the entire 500 years without even being able to properly converse with spirits, let alone research them. Swish©¤ Using the authority of an outer god very slightly, I learned how to suppress my power. Now I can control the magical power that was uselessly leaking out around me, and those I encounter won¡¯t be exposed to my ability and fall into fear. ¡°Hmm, perfect.¡± Alright, now I can finally start properly. I feel a bit sorry for the wind spirit I just encountered¡­ Still, I¡¯d like to thank him for letting me know how I appear to other spirits right now. Well, I can¡¯t really tell him since he ran away. ¡°Where should I go?¡± Should I explore the barren ravine a bit more? I might encounter other spirits. I¡¯m curious about how spirits will react to me in my current state. That seems like a good idea. Step, step©¤ Walking along this deste ash path gives me a strange feeling. It¡¯s like I¡¯m wandering alone in a world that has met its end. Oh ho, that¡¯s not bad either? A survival story of a protagonist who survived alone in a world that met its end. I should jot that down in my world-building idea notebook. Just then. ¡°¡­Oh, a spirit of fear?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing one. How interesting.¡± I encountered new spirits. Three in total. Two of them are spirits with a bright red energy flickering about them, and one is a spirit that looks like gray powder. If I were to use the knowledge of my main body, I could immediately know what kind of beings they are, but I decided to minimize that for this spirit world life. Let¡¯s try to judge for myself, shall we? A form made of gray powder that seems to crumble. That¡¯s probably a spirit of ash, isn¡¯t it? And next to it, although the body is flickering red, it doesn¡¯t seem to be burning, so it¡¯s probably not a fire spirit. ¡°Why are you so pitch-ck and crazy! Argh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me angry! Aargh!¡± Ah, I get it now. Spirits of anger, or something like that. The magical power I sense from them is definitely weaker than the wind spirit I saw earlier. If that wind spirit felt like a high-rank, these would be mid-rank? Maybe a bit stronger among the mid-ranks. Seeing that they¡¯re not afraid and running away like that wind spirit earlier when facing me, it seems my power adjustment was sessful. I feel proud. ¡°Kahaha! A spirit of fear, yet I don¡¯t feel any fear looking at you.¡± ¡°Not living up to your name! It¡¯s so infuriating!¡± ¡°Hehe, calm down, you two.¡± Every time they speak like that, it¡¯s not just for show, they seem to genuinely get angry, jumping up and down in ce as their red energy violently flickers. Wow, is this what it looks like when anger is maximized? The ash spirit trying to calm them down beside them looks a bit pitiful. ¡°I was already angry, and now you¡¯re going to have to help us vent our anger.¡± ¡°Maybe if we beat someone up, our anger will subside a bit!¡± ¡°Hehehe. Oh my, oh my, the brothers are really angry. You¡¯re in big trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hmm? The conversation suddenly turned this way? Is this what they call provocation? Well¡­ they don¡¯t seem like much, so I¡¯ll teach them a lesson and get rid of them. Chapter 107 EP.107 Three Factions I casually release a bit of my power without any particr purpose. The scent of dense magical energy. I guide it not to leak elsewhere, but to flow towards them. That alone was enough. ¡°Huk?!¡± ¡°Hiek?!¡± To extinguish their flickering anger. No, not just extinguishing their anger.They fainted on the spot. ¡°¡­¡­¡± They¡¯re too weak, aren¡¯t they? I didn¡¯t even release my power that strongly¡­ Or am I just too strong? Come to think of it, that wind spirit I saw before must have been pretty resilient. When I think about it that way, it¡¯s quite impressive. I guess when you reach the level of a high-ranking spirit, you have more magical energy, so your soul bes stronger too? Well, anyway, this incident was about to end as a minor happening¡­ ¡°B-Big bro! We¡¯ll serve you as our leader!¡± ¡°Urgh! You¡¯re too strong!¡± ¡°P-Please spare us!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I wish it had ended as a minor incident. These weird guys are clinging to me. No, get angry. Get angry that I made you faint! Aren¡¯t you wasting your title as spirits of wrath? Why are you suddenly bowing and making a fuss about serving me as your leader? Geez, this is ridiculous. ¡°I don¡¯t keep pets like you.¡± As I was about to leave after saying that. ¡°B-Big bro! Please take us in!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll follow you for life~!¡± As they shouted and followed me, a thought suddenly urred to me. Well,e to think of it, isn¡¯t it a good thing that I can hear stories from rare spirits like the spirits of wrath and ash? Besides, since I was born here not long ago, wouldn¡¯t it be good to have a guide? ¡°Alright, fine. I have various things I¡¯m curious about, so tell me.¡± When I said I¡¯d ept them, they nodded with bright expressions. ¡°Th-Thank you, big bro!¡± ¡°Ask us anything, we¡¯ll answer even if we don¡¯t know!¡± How are you going to answer things you don¡¯t know¡­? They seem a bit overzealous, but they¡¯re quite useful fellows. Because they knew quite a lot of information. Especially ¡®Oldi¡¯, the spirit of ash, who used to be a subordinate of the fire spirits in the fire territory. Perhaps because of that, he knew quite a bit of information rted to the fire territory. Where to go, what are the characteristics of the fire spirits, and even that they often start wars and are nning to go to war with the wind spirits again soon. R???N??¨º? ¡°But why are you here?¡± When I asked why someone who served the fire spirits was here, he said he was kicked out for being too cowardly. He didn¡¯t have the courage to live alone here either, so he clung to the two spirits of wrath. Hmm¡­ I see. The twin spirits of wrath, ¡®Lupi¡¯ and ¡®Rats¡¯, were long-time residents of the Barren Ravine, so they had quite a lot of information about the ravine. How the current power distribution in the ravine is, and that they¡¯re in the midst of chaos due to the power structure being disrupted by a recent war. There were many stories that could be quite helpful. ¡°Oh, the power structure has been disrupted?¡± That¡¯s an interesting story. I thought that war was just good news for the spirits living in the Barren Ravine because it spreads a lot of magical energy. It seems it¡¯s not all good things. Well¡­ There¡¯s no way there could only be good things when causing fights and conflicts in thisnd. I guess viges and factions that were carefully built up get wiped out when caught up in it. ¡°Yes. Originally, there were 3 factions in this Barren Ravine. But due to the war 20 years ago, the factions were scattered in all directions, and now they¡¯re working hard to restore them. We used to belong to a different faction, but now we¡¯re part of the Greed faction.¡± I thought they were quite powerful among the intermediate ranks, and it seems they indeed have a faction. I guess they¡¯re gathering all the spirits with even a little power to be the master of this Barren Ravine. By the way, the Greed faction, huh. It feels like a spirit of greed would be ruling it, just from the sound of it. ¡°The Greed faction is ruled by ¡®Suk¡¯, a spirit of greed with top-tier strength.¡± Top-tier level, huh. Then I guess the others are at that level too. In terms of simple strength, I think they might be at a simr level to me right now. There are a total of 3 factions in the Barren Ravine. The Greed faction, ruled by Suk, the spirit of greed who came from a far northernnd. The Metal faction, ruled by Aigen, the spirit of metal who was known as the strongest general in the earth territory. The Mncholy faction, ruled by Rumo, the spirit of mncholy who was born and raised in the Barren Ravine and is rumored to have lived for more than 2 generations (1000 years). Each has numerous spirits under theirmand in the Barren Ravine, and ording to one theory, they have close connections with the fire territory and wind territory as well. Well¡­ They must have done something to ensure they don¡¯t be a nuisance to themselves, to the extent of getting involved in wars. It seems they suffered great damage in previous wars by taking sides or getting involved in some way. Anyway, the conclusion is this. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡± Three factions in the Barren Ravine. And they¡¯re all ruled by top-tier spirits ofpletely different types. I want to meet them in person, have a conversation, or do some research. To do that, I need to draw their attention and make them take notice of me. There¡¯s a very good way to do that. ¡°I¡¯m going to create a faction too.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°What?!¡± My three subordinates are shocked by my words. Well, I can understand why. The other guys¡¯ factions are too formidable. They¡¯ve been building their factions here for a long time, so their scale must be enormous. Right now, if I say I¡¯m going to create one, it¡¯s just me alone. At most, it¡¯s the four of us, since these guys said they¡¯d serve me as their leader? ¡°B-Big bro, no matter how strong you are, the power of the faction leaders is beyond imagination. There are even rumors that they¡¯re close to the level of spirit kings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you recklessly try to create a faction, you¡¯ll be their target.¡± They advise me while trembling. Well, I guess it would be scary for them. Even if I¡¯m strong, they don¡¯t know how strong I really am. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure how Ipare to the other faction leaders either. I thought about using a bit of my original body¡¯s knowledge, but if I spoil everything like that, it won¡¯t be fun, right? Now that I have the chance to be the protagonist of the spirit world story, it wouldn¡¯t be fun to be like a possessed protagonist who already knows all the content. There¡¯s a certain fun in destroying everything with knowledge I already have, but¡­ honestly, if I¡¯m going to do that, I might as well ignore Cthugha and everything else and just dismantle this entire spirit world by myself, examining it piece by piece slowly. This time, I don¡¯t want to handle things in such a boring way. Let¡¯s have fun using only this avatar¡¯s abilities as much as possible. If I get bored, well¡­ I¡¯ll just tell Cthugha to make another one and erase everything. # Shiver©¤ ¡°¡­?¡± For a moment, the Wind Spirit King felt a chill run down his spine. It was an eerie sensation, as if some unknown, mysterious force was trying to erase this world. ¡®What am I thinking? That¡¯s absurd.¡¯ Of course, such a thing couldn¡¯t possibly happen, so the Wind Spirit King snorted and exhaled. Whoosh©¤ His breath turned into a gentle breeze, softly spreading throughout the entire wind territory. The great Spirit King who could create wind across the entire territory with just a single breath. Someone came to see him. ¡°Your Majesty, a banished spirit named Dalpo has returned to our territory.¡± ¡°Dalpo?¡± For a moment, he couldn¡¯t recall, but then the Wind Spirit King remembered the name. It was the very one who had been so blinded by the pursuit of merit that he tried to harm his ownrades. The one who was banished from the wind territory 10 years ago for the crime of attempting to harm his colleagues. Why would they bother to inform the Spirit King about such a person¡¯s return? ¡°It is a principle that those who have been banished cannot return to the territory. So why is there a need to inform me?¡± At those words, the subordinate bowed his head and spoke. ¡°I apologize. After hearing the story, it seemed to be an urgent matter, so I came to inform you. We¡¯ve prevented him from entering the territory for now.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The Wind Spirit King exhaled deeply. Perhaps mixed with a bit of annoyance, the wind was a little rougher than before. Still, judging by the fact that he didn¡¯t scold him further, it was clear he was at least willing to hear what he had to say. If a subordinate came to inform him like this, it must surely be important news. ¡°Well¡­ ording to Dalpo¡¯s ount, it seems a dangerous entity has been born in the Barren Ravine.¡± ¡°A dangerous entity?¡± The Barren Ravine. Thend that borders the fire territory. As a result, it¡¯s always used as a battlefield with the fire spirits. And because of that, it was also a ce where they maintained a certain level of rtionship with the factions of spirits living there. A dangerous entity was born in such a ce? ¡°Is it significant enough to inform me?¡±@@novelbin@@ Honestly, it wasn¡¯t his concern. Although the Barren Ravine was used as a battlefield and they maintained a certain level of rtionship with the factions there because of it. It was just that ¨C a certain level of rtionship, nothing more. The Wind Spirit King didn¡¯t particrly care whether they were exposed to dangerous entities or not. And above all, he believed in their abilities. The leaders of factions who possessed strength ranking at the top even among the highest tier. No matter how dangerous a spirit might be born there, they had enough power to handle it on their own. However, at his subordinate¡¯s next words, the Wind Spirit King couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s said that it might be dangerous enough to require Your Majesty¡¯s direct intervention.¡± Chapter 110 EP.110 Alliance The forces of mncholy ruled by Rumo, a spirit of mncholy with top-tier superior power. She, who ruled the southern part of the Barren Ravine, was a woman with a human form that had a sticky, slimy texture as if it were melting.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Hmm, so¡­ you¡¯re saying that an incredible being who can tear people apart with fear just by making eye contact has joined the forces of greed?¡± ¡°Yes. ording to rumors, it achieved top-tier strength shortly after being born.¡± Rumors about Athos, the spirit of fear. Rumo frowned at these rumors. ¡°Hmm. Born not long ago?¡± Rumo, the spirit of mncholy.She has an incredibly long lifespan and has been living for a very long time. Rumors say she¡¯s second generation¡­ that she¡¯s lived for 1000 years, but. In fact, she had been living for a bit longer, about 1200 years. The reason she could hold on without disappearing even after her lifespan was up was thanks to her kinfolk. Spirits of mncholy are fundamentally always depressed, so they don¡¯t want to live long. So, unlike other spirits, they have a characteristic of wanting to transfer their lifespan to other spirits somehow to die quickly. Especially the middle and lower-rank spirits with strong mncholic nature have this characteristic strongly. Rumo was born uniquely free from this nature, having almost no mncholy. Perhaps because of this characteristic, her kinfolk, who were all like her but a bit different from themselves, began to transfer their magical power and lifespan to Rumo. Of course, when transferring that power to others, there¡¯s a huge loss, so it only extends the lifespan by 1-2 years at most. An extremely inefficient act. That¡¯s why other spirits never do such a thing. After all, if they just stay still and die when their lifespan is up, they use 100% of their magical power to give birth to their new kinfolk. There¡¯s no need to pursue such extreme inefficiency. Anyway, due to the unique characteristic of the spirits of mncholy, Rumo received countless lifespans from her kinfolk. Thanks to this, she could gain top-tier strength and live for an unbelievable 1200 years. Anyway, because she has lived for so long, she knows well. There are only five beings in this world who are top-tier from birth. Namely, the rulers of the 5 major forces, each with their own territory. The Spirit Kings. Only they were top-tier from birth, and they grew up to eventually be Spirit Kings ruling all the spirits belonging to their attribute. ¡®You mean a vessel for a Spirit King.¡¯ If that¡¯s true, then Athos, the spirit of fear, is a vessel for a Spirit King. It¡¯s unknown why such a being was suddenly born here, now. But what¡¯s certain is that if things continue like this, the Barren Ravine will be devoured by him and be his territory. Although spirits of fear are said to be rare, once a Spirit King emerges and they gather under him, their power bes absolutely impossible to ignore. ?£ÁN??¨º? And the forces of fear spirits gathered under the Spirit King will create a 6th force, the 6 major forces. ¡®I can¡¯t just let the Barren Ravine, which I¡¯ve put 200 years of effort into, be taken away like that.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t let that happen. She had no intention of handing over thisnd, the Barren Ravine, where war always breaks out and magical power overflows abundantly, to someone who was suddenly born. ¡®But I can¡¯t oppose them alone.¡¯ She had beenpeting simrly with just the forces of greed. But suddenly, a being as strong as them, perhaps even stronger, had joined the forces of greed. Talk about an imbnce of power. ¡°I need to form an alliance.¡± She thought she absolutely had to form an alliance. That¡¯s how they could oppose them. Of course, the target for the alliance was the 3rd force. It was the forces of metal ruling the western region. # To the east is the territory of fire. To the west is the territory of wind, and to the south is the sea of void. To the north, the Laitan Mountains lead to the territory of earth. The north, connected to the Laitan Mountains, is controlled by the forces of greed. The south, heading towards the sea of void, is controlled by the forces of mncholy. Lastly, the west, adjacent to the territory of wind, is upied by the forces of metal. Incidentally, the east, which borders the territory of fire, is always a battlefield. If they were to unnecessarily provoke the fire spirits, it could escte into a war between the forces of the Barren Ravine and the territory of fire, so no force had imed that area. To the east of such a Barren Ravine. The fire spirits suddenly arrived there. ¡°Hmm, the Barren Ravine. It¡¯s been quite a while.¡± At the forefront of the group of fire spirits was General Vester, one of the top-tier spirits and known as the greatest warrior in the territory of fire. General Vester was the one who always came here to lead the fire spirits at the forefront whenever war broke out with the wind spirits. It was the same 20 years ago in thest war. But why had such a person suddenlye here? Was it to wage war against the wind spirits again? That wasn¡¯t it. ¡°The territorialization of the Barren Ravine.¡± It was none other than an order from the Spirit King of Fire. Not just a simple war. But to truly expand their territory. In fact, expanding territory itself is simple. You just need to drive out the spirits living there and im the ce. But the reason they hadn¡¯t done so until now was because of the forces living in the Barren Ravine. The forces of greed led by Sook, the forces of metal led by Aigen, and the forces of mncholy led by Rumo. Each of these top-tier spirits with upper-level strength had settled in the Barren Ravine. Driving them out and territorializing the Barren Ravine itself is easy. Because the fire spirits are stronger. But doing so would turn them into enemies. It¡¯s not a good choice. Already in a standoff with the wind spirits, if all the forces of the Barren Ravine turn their backs on the territory of fire, it could be disadvantageous in war. Of course, they were ready to respond anytime if the other side provoked them first, but taking the Barren Ravine first was almost taboo. But today, General Vester hade. To territorialize the Barren Ravine. ¡°The King is truly hasty. It would be better not to expect that woman to side with us.¡± The reason was simple. Because theirbat power had increased ridiculously. And it seemed like it would continue to increase. The birth of Nial, a top-tier spirit. That was the reason. The reason why they no longer cared if the dregs of the Barren Ravine turned their backs. A vessel for a Spirit King. In other words, they now had two Spirit King-level powerhouses. This was an unthinkable situation. If the Spirit King personally intervened, they could handle about three top-tier spirits of the Barren Ravine. The problem was that if that happened, the wind spirits wouldn¡¯t sit idle either. But what if there were two Spirit Kings? Even if the Wind Spirit King came, they could simultaneously deal with both the forces of the Barren Ravine and the wind spirit forces. That¡¯s not all. Originally, it was an unwritten rule that the Spirit King doesn¡¯t move. But the existence of a crazy being who could break that rule and move, who wasn¡¯t a Spirit King but had Spirit King-level power, was extraordinary in itself. Having two ultimate weapons meant they could freely use one! However, General Vester was displeased with the Fire Spirit King who wanted to act based solely on Nial¡¯s birth. No matter how much they are fire spirits, the stronger they are, the freer they are from the Spirit King¡¯s control. Even General Vester himself had enough freedom to refuse the Spirit King¡¯s moderate orders as he pleased. But this Nial, being a being with Spirit King-level potential, would be much freer from control. If she doesn¡¯t actively side with the fire spirits¡­ this operation would be nothing but a self-defeating move. Of course, he had advised as such, but the Fire Spirit King didn¡¯t listen. ¡®Shut up and do as I say. I¡¯ll handle that woman myself.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Recalling the Fire Spirit King¡¯s irritated gaze, General Vester let out a short, deep sigh. ¡®Well, what can I do? I¡¯m just the King¡¯s servant after all.¡¯ Even if it results in the fire spirits being put in danger and the territory of fire being attacked. The King¡¯s orders are absolute. There was nothing he could do. # ¡°Well, well, sending an envoy between us? Are you trying to imitate the Five Great Forces?¡± Aigen, the metal spirit who ruled over the forces of metal, red at a female spirit trembling before his eyes. She was an envoy sent by the forces of mncholy. She was a spirit who hade to deliver a message proposing an alliance. But this ce is the Barren Ravine. Unlike the territories of the other Five Great Forces, it doesn¡¯t feel like a nation, but rather like a back-alley red-light district. In other words, sending an envoy to a ce like this means¡­ It means they were sent with the intention of delivering the message and then taking their own life. The envoy, seemingly aware of this meaning, was trembling so violently that her soul seemed to shake. Aigen. Originally one of the strongest generals active in the territory of earth. However, he was a cruel and impatient being who had been exiled after killing dozens of earth spirits who had displeased him. Therefore, her annihtion was practically certain. ¡°Hmph, but there¡¯s certainly some merit to this.¡± However, Aigen did not immediately kill the envoy. Because the talk of an alliance that the envoy had brought was neither a ridiculous story nor provocative content. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!