Chapter 348 – G.o.d of Hope (5)
[Hi buddy!]
No matter how much I thought about it, that was the G.o.d of Hope.
[Hahaha, what are you so surprised about?]
It was surprising.
In many ways.
Secondly, it was a mystery how he was able to get here while going under my radar.
Why did the G.o.d of Hope come here?
“Did you come here because you want to be wiped out?”
While running away from me, he was desperate to see the Holy Land and the believers I robbed.
You may have run away with the feeling that you have nothing to lose.
No, it can’t be.
This is the human point of view.
If you are the G.o.d of Hope, you will appreciate the fact that you survived in the midst of that, and that fact will give you the strength to withstand the future.
[I’m sorry about that. I’m here to make a deal.]
A deal.
I wondered what the G.o.d of Hope could give me.
Even during this conversation, the meteorite was approaching Earth.
To reduce the damage even a little, I had to attack now.
[Haha, let’s finish our play first.]
With the words of the G.o.d of Hope, the meteorite dramatically slowed down.
It stopped as if parked in front of the barrier.
A heavy roar rang out everywhere.
A huge and intense light spread out near the barriers and meteorites.
However, it was light enough to not blind the human eyes.
It was such a light that anyone would have thought that the barrier and meteorite collided.
The meteorite stopped in front of the barrier, and the noise and light was artificially created by the G.o.d of Hope.
People who were silent about the meteorite’s approach began to murmur.
[The meteorite approaching Earth was blocked by the top-level miracle- Outer s.p.a.ce Confrontation.]
People began to cheer with confidence at the system message that appeared in front of them.
Just before, a shout as much as the roar from the sky echoed from the surface.
* * *
[That was very innovative. How can you use the system window like that?]
The G.o.d of Hope whispered.
[But why don’t you give me a loan? If you get a little interest, you will be able to produce great results for you and for the believers.]
It wasn’t fair.
A miracle loan without collateral will ignite human desires.
And bound by the shackles of that desire, I’ll live my whole life struggling.
The human society of the present Earth is highly dependent on the Lee Ho-jae Faith.
However, it was not enough to destroy even the core of that basic society.
They worked for Lee Ho-jae Faith’s score, worked hard, and obtained what they wanted in return, but in the end, it was an extension of the marketist society.
However, if anyone could borrow miracles at no cost, and if coercion and interest were added to repay them, only life to earn religious points would remain.
Labor for repayment, not for purchase, becomes exploitation.
[I learned something really good. I want to apply it to my believers right now.]
“Are there any believers left?”
[Sure.]
The G.o.d of Hope said, licking his lips.
He wasn’t like the flying bug you usually saw.
He was in the form of a human girl.
Although he was good looking and had pretty eyes, he looked like an ordinary child who could be seen anywhere else in the neighborhood.
I was invited by the G.o.d of Hope to enter the meteorite.
And in that s.p.a.ce was the G.o.d of Hope, two chairs, and a table in between.
It was a s.p.a.ce where only those existed.
[Sit down.]
The G.o.d of Hope said, pointing to the chair in front of him.
I sat in one of the chairs and asked,
“What’s with that?”
[My original look?]
“That’s awful.”
There is no way the G.o.d of Hope originally looked like that.
And even if his original appearance remained, it couldn’t be that way.
The G.o.d of Hope is a G.o.d who moves according to the idea of ‘hope’ that he has set and makes it his ident.i.ty.
I know most G.o.ds do.
Because of that, it is impossible to confine self-consciousness to such a weak and ordinary body.
“It must be a look to show me.”
[I did some research on you. I referred to your dragon son. I mean, dragons are a great race.]
The G.o.d of Hope smiled.
“If you uselessly raise my family, the ceasefire agreement that protected you will disappear.”
Rude remarks about the family can be perceived as aggressive remarks that violate the agreement.
According to my arbitrary interpretation.
[Why are you so angry? Thanks to me, you could also earn faith.]
“Well, you also gathered your faith, right?”
If the meteorite was not a natural disaster, but a device by the G.o.d of Hope.
The G.o.d of Hope would also have gained faith from the people of Earth.
People who recognized the meteorite felt despair and fear as they recalled the meteorite that was flying to Earth.
And hope too.
Whenever that hope gathered through the central point of Lee Ho-jae Faith and headed for a meteorite, the G.o.d of Hope would have rejoiced and accepted the power.
You probably earned more faith than me.
Unlike simply worshiping me as their savior, people would have conjured up the clear notion of despair as they saw a meteorite.
“If it’s this way, you can rake your faith anywhere.”
Dropping a meteorite into any world, or causing any disaster even if it is not a meteorite.
You don’t need the name of G.o.d of Hope.
Just as I pretended to be the G.o.d of Hope, the G.o.d of Hope only borrows a sh.e.l.l called a meteorite.
Faith in meteorites goes to the G.o.d of Hope.
[It’s the cla.s.sic method. If you don’t intend to spread your name and just want to gather faith in the short term, there is no other way. Haha, don’t look so sorry. The faith I gained from Earth wasn’t much.]
The G.o.d of Hope said with a real smile.
That was true.
The power the G.o.d of Hope had gathered on Earth was of little significance.
Like I don’t care much about the faith I’ve gathered on Earth.
Compared to the power of the G.o.d of Hope, the faith of the Earth was too small.
In other words, it was also said that the G.o.d of Hope was that huge.
The Earth’s faith is meaningless.
“I heard that you’re struggling and losing your strength.”
Kirikiri had spoken as if the G.o.d of Hope’s strength had been extremely weakened by the blow he suffered from me.
But the G.o.d of Hope right in front of me didn’t look like that at all.
He just received my power with his body and didn’t show much.
It was just the power I could sense right away.
[Who? Oh, Kirikiri? It looks like the rabbit is on the verge of getting weaker and not breathing. haha.]
The G.o.d of Hope laughed and cried.
It was really annoying to see him laughing in that body as if he were a real child.
[Before, I offered you a deal. I came for that deal.]
“According to the conditions at that time?”
[Yes. Without any change, according to the conditions at that time.]
The G.o.d of Hope had offered me a deal.
The condition of the G.o.d of Hope was simple cooperation.
My condition was how to get out of the system’s constraints.
The G.o.d of Hope was an unusual G.o.d.
In a way, he was unusual in that he often showed freedom from the system.
Kirikiri also said something that hinted at that point.
I thought the strange position that the G.o.d of Hope occupied in the Hundred G.o.ds Temple was also related to it.
He was neither affiliated with the Hundred G.o.ds Temple nor tied to the system.
But I really wanted to know the information if there was a way to get around the system constraints.
The reason why the G.o.ds of the Pantheon sent apostles to the 61st floor was to know how I made the 60th and 61st floors independent from the system.
Then I thought of what Kirikiri or the G.o.d of Slowness said.
The G.o.ds were overly bound by system constraints.
And most of the G.o.ds were hoping to be free from those constraints.
[I would like you to ask a few questions before making the deal. And in turn, I’ll also answer your questions as much as I can.]
The G.o.d of Hope said with a smile.
I replied after thinking for a while.
“Good.”
* * *
“No, my question comes first.”
It was natural.
It was the G.o.d of Hope that I was disappointed in.
[If you make any concessions, where does it go?]
The G.o.d of Hope asked with a pointed voice.
I ignored it without giving an answer.
Answering that question was also my answer and providing information.
[Haha, it looks like it is.]
“If you keep talking that way, there will be no deal.”
[All right, all right. Don’t be angry and ask a question.]
The G.o.d of Hope kept smiling.
It was a smile that looked really pure like a girl of that age, just like the girl on the spirit of the G.o.d of Hope.
“Tell me about the G.o.d of Slowness.”
Now that it’s become like this, I have to ask the questions that Kirikiri didn’t answer or skipped.
The most questionable of all was the G.o.d of Slowness.
The subtle reaction that other G.o.ds showed when referring to the G.o.d of Slowness caught my mind.
[The G.o.d of Slowness. I think this will be a boring history lecture, will you be okay with that?]
Asked the G.o.d of Hope.
“Sure.”
Any lectures with substantial content were welcome.
In fact, the longer the content, the better.
[But I’ll explain it briefly. If I explain too much, it’s going to be my loss.]
Said the G.o.d of Hope.
[There are so many words that describe the G.o.d of Slowness, so it’s hard to tell them all. This is the most intuitive modifier you can find. The greatest G.o.d, and the second most powerful.]
“Who is the first powerful G.o.d?”
[Beep! That’s outside the question.]
The G.o.d of Hope refused to explain, making an X with his hand.
[It was in the early days when the G.o.d of Slowness first appeared. It was also called Genesis. When new G.o.ds began to emerge from all over the world, when those G.o.ds recognized each other’s existence and expanded the scope of the world, the G.o.d of Slowness appeared before them. No, it is true to say that they have finally found the G.o.d of Slowness.]
It was a pretty sincere explanation.
More than I thought.
[As it is now, it was a really big shock back then. The G.o.d of Slowness was difficult to reach even with the perception of the G.o.ds. The G.o.ds honored the G.o.d of Slowness as the G.o.d of the G.o.ds, and the G.o.d of Slowness was revered and tried to achieve the unity of the grand universe.]
“… What unity?”
[Well… Should I explain this first? Ordinary people can’t interfere with other people. Because they are the same as non-G.o.ds. However, it is possible for a G.o.d to interfere with non-G.o.ds through divine power.]
It was the basic concept of G.o.dhood.
[Similarly, the G.o.dhood cannot interfere with the same G.o.dhood. But what if there were higher levels of G.o.dhood? Then those beings could intervene even with the G.o.dhood and implement what they wanted.]
I pondered for a moment at the words of the G.o.d of Hope.
Even G.o.d cannot resist interference.
h.e.l.l will unfold wherever any G.o.d rises to that position.
[The G.o.d of Slowness tried to achieve it. The unification of the universe.]
I thought about the current G.o.d of Slowness.
If the universe were unified by the G.o.d of Slowness, then there would be neither life nor death and time would just flow infinitely.
[The G.o.d of Slowness and some of the G.o.ds who were trying to ascend to that position collided. As a result, the ambitions of the great high-ranking fighters were destroyed, and the Hundred G.o.ds’ Temple and Pantheon were born.]
For a moment, I reflected on the story told by the G.o.d of Hope.
It was information that seemed to have nothing to do with me and it was a story that seemed to have happened a long time ago.
“And is this information relevant?”
[Of course it is. There are not many G.o.ds in the universe who know this story. At that time, most of them disappeared.]
“What kind of G.o.ds have remained from then to now?”
[Ask that as the next question. Now it’s my turn.]
The G.o.d of Hope refused.
[I have sincerely answered your questions. I will also do the same with the next question. So I want you to answer honestly.]
“Is this an important question?”
I couldn’t predict what the G.o.d of Hope would ask.
I couldn’t even know why the G.o.d of Hope was trying to get something out of the information only I knew.
[Of course. I have to make sure that the line I’m holding is strong or not.]
It was a statement whose meaning could not be determined.
The G.o.d of Hope, staring at me for a moment, suddenly asked me.
[You, did you touch causality?]
It was definitely an unexpected question.
I hesitated for a moment, but I replied soon.
“… yes.”
[I thought so. You disgusting swindler.]