Chapter 3: Absurdity (3)
Author's Note:
Character Map:
"X" = Protagonist
"(X)" = Protagonist's strong inner thoughts
'0X0= Goddess Mnemosyne
'X' = Extras
Other Notations:
[X] = What is written on something
--- = POV change
|||| = Time skip
== = Time recap
"""" = Return from Recap
(X) = Explanation/author's note
([X]) = Sound effect
{X} = Buttons or actions that may trigger an event
---
With that thought, I, too, vanish into the light.
My eyes open as the light recedes upon my feet.
There, I see the ever-changing, towering library. I can never see where it ends, as the upper levels remain beyond my sight, and the corridors stretch endlessly toward the horizon. Remembering this place, I feel grateful that the goddess found me immediately upon my arrival. If, by chance, she had come later, I might have been lost, roaming the vast library forever, never to be seen again—considered an intruder if I left the place where I was summoned.
I have spent a hundred years here, so at the very least, I have learned how to navigate this place. With that in mind, I step forward into the corridor.
"We go here, circle around there, take a step back here, sprint there, jump over this, and crawl under that to get through… etc."
I take many turns, perform various actions, follow patterns, and even solve riddles along the way just to reach my destination. And at last—
"Take that book and open it."
As I open the book, its pages shine, enveloping me in light once again.
The light vanishes, returning my sight as it dissipates beneath my feet.
(Having spent a hundred years here, I've noticed that the gods seem obsessed with blinding their travelers with light during transport. Could they not make it simpler? Why do all the gods follow this tradition?)
'0 Well, one logical explanation is that the Genesis God began all things with a burst of light when the world was still in chaos. 0'
"Oh, Goddess Mnemosyne, I greet thee with sincere respect."
'0 Stop with the formalities, especially now that you are about to depart. What brings you here? 0'
"Haha, surely you already know."
'0 Knowing and being told are greatly different, my student. 0'
"Haha, indeed. Very well."
I take a deep breath and speak my intentions. Lowering my head into a bow, deeper than a formal one, I say the words that carry the weight of my gratitude.
"Thank you for all these years. This past century has been filled with nothing but gratitude for the kindness you have bestowed upon me. From the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you."
I remain bowing, as all the lessons and knowledge granted to me by my esteemed mentor, Goddess Mnemosyne, resonate in my mind.
Mnemosyne, Goddess of Records, stared at me before stepping forward, raising her hand, and gently patting my head.
'0 You have done well, my disciple. 0'
At that moment, tears welled up in my eyes. The goddess who bestowed upon me her grace and kindness—how could I ever repay such a debt? No matter how long I live, I shall forever be in her gratitude.
'Now then, shall we begin your descent to the mortal realm?'
Standing among the gathered crowd, the principal spoke his words. Beneath our feet lay a celestial body—a planet. But unlike the many dead planets scattered throughout the cosmos, this one thrived with life. Stories echoed from it, whispered by countless storytellers who had lived their lives in this realm.
A planet—the realm of mortals.
Draped in a garment fully veiled, I stood among my fellow deities. Though I felt somewhat out of place, it wasn't as bizarre as the sight of others dressed in strange attire—some quite literally wearing animal skins, complete with the heads still attached like hoods. Even after spending a hundred years in this realm, such fashion still bewildered me.
Scanning my surroundings, I found a group of ten deities clad in proper human clothing—something I could at least relate to. Having resided here for a century, I knew their names and backgrounds, befitting the disciple of the Goddess of Records.
However, despite all these years, I had never even spoken to them. These ten were the center of attention, the most promising among us—aspiring gods poised to become the next great deities. Their title as the "Top Ten Young Gods" placed them in a realm beyond my reach, making any interaction with them nearly impossible.
But now that graduation had ended and we were about to descend, I figured it wouldn't be so bad to at least greet them.
Yet, before I could even take a step—
The ground beneath us vanished.
All at once, the deities around me began to fall.
'May you forge your names in epics and legends, young gods.'
And just like that, we plummeted toward the world below.
(Wait, what?! Where the hell did the long speech go? What happened to the principal's usual words of encouragement?!)
Recalling the principal's past speeches and recorded blessings, this was highly unusual—completely out of character.
Yet, as I continued falling, I noticed that even the other deities looked bewildered by the sudden descent, struggling to gain their footing—though, of course, there was nothing to stand on. The phrase was purely metaphorical.
Regardless, seeing them attempt to stabilize themselves reminded me of what I had to do.
(Okay, even though this is early, we're supposed to land at our respective mentors' temples and begin our journeys from there.)
However, knowing my mentor's background and reputation over the years, I highly doubted she had a temple solely dedicated to herself. Anticipating this, Mnemosyne had advised me to land at one of her daughters' temples instead.
Following her words, I scanned the land below and found a suitable temple. But then—
(…Wait. …Oh no.)
Damn it. Of all times—
I immediately changed my course and diverted my descent toward that place.
(Unknown POV)
X Roarrrr!!! X
(Here, "XXX" refers to the monster/enemy.)
"Eeeee!!! I thought this was a safe route! Why are there monsters here?! Ahhh!!—"
A man screamed in terror as the beast lunged at him. Its massive jaws sank into his neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh. His eyes widened in horror as he gasped desperately, trying to breathe—but it was futile. Moments later, his body went limp, his last breath stolen away.
Watching this unfold, I could feel my own hope fading. This was it—this was the fate that awaited us.
The monster continued feasting on the man's corpse, and I remained silent, frozen in place, hoping—praying—it wouldn't notice me.
But then—
"Ehhh!!!!" (Crying sounds.)
"Eh—!"
Someone among us made a noise. A sharp, panicked cry. The rest of us immediately covered our mouths, eyes wide with fear. But it was too late.
X Roarrrrr!!! X
The beast that had been devouring its prey snapped its head in our direction. Its predatory gaze locked onto us, its next meal.
Step by step, it advanced. We trembled, trying not to make another sound—even though we had already been caught. It was useless.
Just as I was about to scream for everyone to run and lunge at the monster in a desperate attempt—
The world... stopped.
Everything lost its color. The air became still. The sound of rustling leaves, distant cries—everything faded into absolute silence.
Most terrifying of all, time itself seemed to freeze. The monster stood in place, unmoving.
Before I could even begin to question what was happening—
"Hey, you there."
A voice.
Out of nowhere, between me and the beast, a veiled figure appeared—completely covered from head to toe. No part of them was visible, making it impossible to recognize anything familiar about them.
I opened my mouth, but before I could ask who they were or how they got here, the figure spoke again.
"How about a game, mortal one?"
Their voice echoed in my mind, reverberating through my very being.
My thoughts went blank. I had no words. No response.
Only silence.
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AOT
Heck, heck day this past week, well, just good read and day to come?