NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
[God]…
‘No, it can’t be that yet.’
The gap between [Ghost] and [God] is vast.
I understand that this [Ghost] has accumulated quite a bit of power, but if it truly took on the form of a real [God], it wouldn’t be bound by the constraints of a [Ghost].
“Nevertheless, it doesn’t change the fact that this is the mess created by the [Alliance].”
At the very least, it seems like I’ve reached just before that point.
I realized too late that this energy, though weak, bears a resemblance to the [Divine] I had encountered several times in my past life.
‘This is troubling.’
It doesn’t appear to be a [God], but it looks powerful enough to be considered an egg of [God].
At least, within the confines of that classroom where the [Ghost] was born, it would undoubtedly wield a power indistinguishable from that of a [God].
“Open it.”
“Yes.”
I instructed the entity next to me to open the door.
No matter how incomplete it was, that space is a [Divine Realm].
The place where the power of the [God] is most potent.
If one attempts to intrude into such a space…
Crash!
“…!”
“That’s what will happen.”
The entity grasping the doorknob of the classroom began to ignite.
The flame quickly spread over its whole body, roaring fiercely as if it would not forgive anyone daring to trespass into the [Divine Realm]…
Click—
“If it’s the same [Abnormality], then I suppose there’s some resistance to the power of a different [Abnormality].”
The door opens.
An entity that’s merely an accessory of [Ordinary Apartment] cannot endure for long.
Though we are of the same [Abnormality], it can still buy us some time.
Eventually, the entity that stepped forward finished its role of opening the door and collapsed, consumed by flames.
“Indeed….”
Is it typical for an [Abnormal Object] to die so easily?
It seems that what I said about [eating Abnormalities] isn’t entirely incorrect.
The corpse of the deceased entity remains as it is.
Since it clearly had a tangible form, it would be quite unnatural for it to vanish into powder like when I captured it upon death.
—Someone died?!
—Isn’t this really dangerous?
—Now that I’ve seen enough, let’s really run, bro.
The chat window erupted into noise once again at the sight of the entity dying.
Run away?
After finally opening the classroom door, do something so foolish?
“Stop making a fuss; it’s not a person that just died.”
Ignoring the chat window, I stepped into the classroom through the open door.
“Indeed, what a structure.”
From the moment I entered the classroom, I grasped the essence of this space.
After all, it was similar to spaces I’ve seen relatively often.
[The Forbidden 13th Floor]
An [Abnormal Space] projecting something that shouldn’t exist in reality.
This classroom is no exception.
The classroom is scorched and blackened from flames on all sides.
A mere small space of about 20 pyeong.
To the eye, it seems no different from other spaces, but the essence of this space aligns with that of the Back Room.
A location touching the backside of the world.
‘I feel like I’m starting to understand the structure of this world.’
So.
“Is that the [Ghost] that burned to death?”
The black ash clump in the scorched classroom gazed at me.
“What are you?”
“This feels familiar.”
The [God] spoke.
Incomplete and weak.
I could tell just by looking.
Compared to the [God] I know, it clearly hasn’t reached that level yet.
‘If it seems too difficult after seeing this, I thought about sacrificing the entities and making a run for it.’
“Can’t you see? It’s an [Ordinary Human].”
This much should be manageable.
It looks closer to a [God] than a [Ghost], but still incomplete.
It takes on the form of a [God], yet hasn’t achieved the omnipotence of one.
Literally, an egg of [God].
I deemed the [God] before me to be a target I could hunt.
Following behind me, the entities and the Dark Figure entered the classroom.
The Dark Figure seemed reluctant to enter but was being pulled in forcefully by the entities.
Suddenly, the eyes of the [Ashen God] turned toward the Dark Figure.
“So, you are an [Ordinary Human].”
A subtle malice draped over the [God]’s words.
“Hand that over. Then I shall let you go.”
The finger of the [Ashen God] pointed at the Dark Figure.
The Dark Figure paled dramatically, trembling.
Letting go, huh.
“I don’t think so. You seem like a decent fight.”
“Is that so? Then die.”
Amidst the ashes engulfing the surroundings, flames erupted.
*
Even if it lacks the omnipotence of a [God], a [God] is still a [God].
From the perspective of an [Abnormality], a [God] is special.
Something that has absorbed countless thoughts, transcended from a mere [Abnormal Object] to something close to a conceptual existence.
A transcendent being that accumulated emotions of horror, fear, and awe, which were shattered and divided countless times in modern times, resembling the magnitude of the [God] from the past.
Even if its power does not reach the true omnipotence of a [God], it’s undoubtedly an elevated existence compared to the [Abnormalities] I have caught until now.
“Indeed, it’s definitely bearable.”
My clothes began to burn, and my skin started to scorch.
At least, it was among the top tier of pain I experienced in this life.
But that’s about it.
‘Even if the existence became closer to a [God], its power is still nearer to that of a [Ghost].’
Even though this fire is wielded by a [God], it has no particularity.
It is unmistakably the fire within the realm of reality.
Moreover.
“Isn’t it a bit shabby for the fire of a [God]?”
It’s on a low tier.
Though it’s a [God], it’s still bound by the form of a [Ghost].
This isn’t merely about constraints.
The thoughts comprising its existence and the power it wields have yet to transcend the realm of [Ghost].
Resentment.
Curses.
“Have you still not resolved your grievances?”
“….”
The [Ashen God] silently conjured flames.
Fire, indeed.
It is undoubtedly a powerful force.
If that were a complete [God], it would have been difficult to deal with.
“I told you.”
I grabbed a nearby desk and threw it.
“…!”
“I said it was inferior.”
The flames, lacking physical force, merely merged into ash.
If it were the power of a true [God], then maybe it would be different, but this is the power of a [Ghost].
A [Ghost] of a boy who was burned to death.
The power of a [Ghost] arises from the death of the human who is its subject.
Just like how a human who drowned becomes a [Water Ghost].
Or how the [Ghost] of a murderer still finds joy in killings.
The fire wielded by a burned [Ghost] also originates from its death.
A fire that engulfed a classroom, claiming dozens of students’ lives.
A major incident that led to an entire school being abandoned, and yet that’s all it means.
The perpetrator locked the door and tried to carry out the act, leading to the casualties of students unable to escape, but ultimately, the fire itself was quickly suppressed.
Just examining the fact that the [God]’s domain cannot extend beyond this classroom makes it clear.
The only reason it has any influence over the entire school is that it consumed the [Ghost Story] of the school.
A fire resulting from human (人災) error, not nature.
Even that quickly got suppressed, resulting only from an incident that covered but one classroom.
Its power and scale are too low to be the force of something claiming the title of a [God].
As I pierced through the flames, the desk hit the [Ashen God].
The fire itself lacked enough power even to burn the desk instantly.
“Isn’t it too soft to claim to be a [God]?”
The flesh made merely from clumped ash began to crumble at the mere impact of the desk.
—No, it doesn’t seem particularly weak.
—Is that a hit…?
—Hey, that’s not human, right…?
Of course, the audience watching that moment couldn’t empathize.
It was the first attack made by the [Ashen God].
The entity shielding Lee Jae-hyeok, saying that Han Yu-seong had merely gotten a bit charred, instantly melted away.
This was because of the signature of the [Ashen God].
A fire that burned to death an entire class.
A fire that merely scorched one classroom and was suppressed.
Though it claimed dozens of lives, it couldn’t grow and simply got contained, the fire had now become the power of a [Ghost], melting a human in an instant but failing to even properly burn a desk.
Of course…
“Ugh—”
“…!”
That is undoubtedly strange.
Whether it be the weak physicality of the fire or the frail durability of the ash body, such issues can only be considered if it could withstand an attack.
Flames that sweep across an area, burning not just lines or points but entire surfaces.
Even entities of the same [Abnormality] cannot withstand for more than a few seconds against the fierce flames…
As a human, Han Yu-seong should have been burned to death just by brushing against the spreading flames…
That would be truly an attack worthy of the name divine retribution.
“Entities!”
At Han Yu-seong’s call, several entities rush forward.
The entities dashed past him, piercing through the flames.
The foremost entity charged ahead, only to be engulfed by the flames and turned to ash, while the three that followed managed to latch onto the [Ashen God] while on fire.
And through the temporarily vacant space created by the entities’ charge, Han Yu-seong reached the [Ashen God].
“How dare a human…!”
“What are you saying?”
Boom!
As Han Yu-seong’s fist reached its target, a shockwave erupted, and part of the ashes comprising the body of the [God] exploded outward.
“Who do you think you are, calling yourself a [God] at half-baked level?”
“…!”
The scream of the [God], whose very ash making up its mouth erupted, echoed throughout.
In that instant, I understood.
These ashes are a kind of thought.
The tangible form of the wishes of the 30 sacrificed lives.
Regardless of the power it wields, it forms the very core that constitutes the [God].
“Even if all the ashes fall from your body, can you still truly be called a [God]?”
“…!”
The end of the speech of the [Ghost], now known as a [God], is surprisingly empty.