The World after the Fall

Before Andersen had yet to become a 'higher being', this part of history was all the same for all Gods. It was a nightmarish time that required them to put a countless number of [Products] into a tower.

Andersen admitted to the fact.

[Yeah, I was a Cultivator. All Gods are.]

'Everyone doing it doesn't make you less guilty of it.'

[…I know.]

Andersen did not deny her wrongdoing.

[I don't intend on justifying what I did to become a God.]

Her voice did not have the slightest hint of guilt. Jaehwan grew angry, but he knew it was no use. He once read the following memory from Mulack:

-There are spirits who are born with one purpose. Demons and Angels are like that. These unfortunate 'higher beings' are born to become only 'Cultivators' and nothing else.

And unlike humans, they live solely for the purpose and are required to live for that purpose. The choice is not given to them.

So, in some sense, Jaehwan knew that there wasn't anything Andersen could do.

And Jaehwan had let Sirwen, a Nightmare, live for similar purposes. He knew it wasn't right to press moral issues on these beings and realized it was the system that was the problem. But knowing it didn't make him less angry.

Jaehwan was human. He was a human who was once a [Product] that was cultivated.

He couldn't understand why he was angrier against Andersen then Sirwen. Maybe it was due to the interaction he had with the 'Cultivator' that made him more angry at them than the creator of the tower itself.

Andersen continued,

[I won't ask you to understand me. But… don't let the fact that I was once a Cultivator cloud your view on my relationship with my [Follower].]

'….'

[Maybe it's weird for you to see an Ex-cultivator that was once so close to the [Product].]

That was the most confusing part for Jaehwan. He could clearly feel her feelings toward Runald as he became one with Andersen.

How was this feeling possible? Andersen wasn't lying. The feeling was strong enough enough to shake Jaehwan's view on them. Andersen considered Runald as a very important person to her, and she valued him more than herself.

[You can kill me, but don't say that my feeling is a lie.]

That made Jaehwan hesitate. He knew he could kill Andersen anytime, but he couldn't do it. He knew that it would be very painful for the boy in front of him.

"Ug… argh…!"

That's when Runald began to twist and scream in pain. Jaehwan quickly grabbed Runald and found the world power within him storming around.

"…What is wrong with him?"

[Already?! NO! Runald!]

Andersen's memory quickly seeped into Jaehwan, and Jaehwan knew what was going on.

[He's becoming a Lost One!]

Lost One. After losing their Gods, they would turn into monsters. Jaehwan had heard about them from Eniac from the Void Factory. Overseers were, in fact, those Lost Ones.

-Only the ones who have a conscious as Daeus' [Followers] are us. Most became monsters. You'll meet them once you go to <Depth>.

The Lost Ones felt extreme despair through the loss of their world and their Gods. Jaehwan knew that this boy would turn into a monster.

'I see… because his link between his God is broken…'

[Save him! Please!]

Andersen quickly begged him.

[You can kill me if you want! Just save him!]

'Why should I?'

[You're a human! Please!]

That was weird. A Goddess who was once a cultivator was reminding him that he was human, but Jaehwan repeated that question to himself.

Am I still a human? Is it really okay, to consider myself a human?

'What do I need to do?'

[Take him as your [Follower].]

'And what do I get?'

[…I'll get out of your head.]

Jaehwan knew what this meant and nodded.

'…Okay.'

Jaehwan then followed Andersen's explanation to accept a new [Follower]. A faint line between Jaehwan and Runald was drawn, and through it, Jaehwan felt Andersen's presence fading away.

[Followers] were allowed to see the unique world of their Gods with their own eyes. Depending on how the God saw their world, their [Followers] were forced to share their view.

When Runald came back to his senses, he knew he was inside a new world.

'New world… is this the God Jaehwan's world?'

Runald felt the linkage and looked around. The only world he knew was Andersen's fairytale-like world. What would be the new world? Young Runald looked around in excitement, and he was shocked.

"E-eye?!"

There was a gigantic bloody eye watching down from the sky. It was the Eye of Asura. Black crows circled around it, screeching eerily. Runald grabbed himself in fear. But it wasn't the end. He looked around and found something else.

"C-corpses?!"

There were corpses with maggots all over their bodies, flinching while slowly moving toward Runald. They cackled maniacally as they walked.

"I-impossible…!"

And in the new world, Runald the [Follower] fainted.

Andersen spoke as she watched Runald faint right after he woke up.

[Gosh, what have you shown him?]

'…It's his fault for coming into my world.'

[Eye of Asura, crows, and corpses… nobody will want to come in.]

Jaehwan smiled bitterly. He remembered hearing once that his world wouldn't be popular.

'I didn't ask him to become my [Follower].'

Silence fell. Jaehwan grabbed Runald and picked him up. Andersen also saw everything through Jaehwan's eyes. Her relief was shared with Jaehwan, along with her frustration.

[…Why did you stop me from perishing?]

'Prove yourself.'

[What?]

'Prove that I don't need to kill you.'

Andersen became silent, but particles of complicated feelings stormed within Jaehwan's head. Appreciation? Excitement? It was hard to describe. Andersen then spoke with a small voice.

[I will prove it.]

Jaehwan began to walk as if he didn't hear it. He felt like he could see a crying girl in front of his eyes as walked forward.