NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
Slide
‘Huh?’
Why is this dream still continuing?
Seol, once again, dreamed the same dream.
He saw the same breathtaking buildings built on top of the clouds.
Even though yesterday was the last day for The World of Eternity, this place still lived on.
But it wasn’t like everything was the same as yesterday. There was clearly something different…
‘Where… is everyone?’
In his dreams, Seol was extremely popular.
Every time he entered this world through his dreams, the inhabitants of the world came out to welcome him without fail.
But today… no one came out to welcome him.
There was a growing uneasiness within him.
Why?
Why?
Only after arriving at the central square was Seol able to find his answer. A man wearing a lightning mask welcomed him.
“Ah, the main character’s finally here!”
“Grab him!”
‘Wh-what?!’
Seol quickly realized that something was off when they started to run after him. He immediately turned around to run away.
Bzzzzzt!
But suddenly, out of nowhere, a ring of lightning flew out and caught him by his neck.
“Guaaaargh!”
The pain pierced through every bone in his body. Seol felt like his brain was going to be fried.
“Where are you trying to run, huh?”
“This wicked human…”
“Has been fooling us all this time, is that it?”
Seol fell to the floor and was dragged to the square by the masked people.
Thud.
He was torn down like he was a criminal. The masked people spewed all sorts of insults and ridicule at him.
“I can’t believe… I can’t believe that I was having conversations with you!”
“How dare you try to talk with us like we’re on the same level!”
“What have you guys been doing while this damn bug befouled the heavens?!”
“Who let him in?”
“Kill him! We have to kill him!”
“Kill him!!!”
Despite his dizzying mental state, Seol could clearly hear that the gods were trying to kill him.
‘Even just yesterday they were…’
Yesterday’s close friends broke his heart.
“Why… Why are you doing this…?”
“Are you asking as if you don’t know? How dare a human like you sneak into the lofty heavens and act like a god?”
“That’s because…”
“Don’t. I don’t even want to talk to you anymore. Kill him…”
It’s all wrong.
Their eyes were red with rage and nothing reached their ears.
Seol was terrified after hearing their intentions. While he was trying to respond in his frightened state, a man wearing a mask with a huge eye on it stopped observing the situation and intervened.
“I disagree!” shouted the man.
“What? K-Kodon…”
Kodon was someone who had quite the influence amongst them. It was something that even Seol implicitly noticed while conversing with them before.
Regardless, Kodon stood up and approached Seol. He then turned around and pushed the others away.
Obviously, there was resistance.
“What are you doing right now, Kodon?”
“Have you deceived us…?”
“Woah, woah. I think we’re all a little too excited. Let’s calm down.”
“Khm… ahem, ahem…”
Why was Kodon taking his side?
Seol had a bit of hope.
Maybe… he’ll take care of the situation for him?
But, Seol was hugely mistaken.
“How could we let human blood taint the heavens? It would be like throwing away trash onto the bed.”
“Y-You’re right.”
“What should we do then?”
“If I may share my thoughts, what if we…”
Kodon gave a sly laugh.
“sent him back to where he was originally supposed to be?”
“Wh-what?!”
“How would that make sense?”
“I can understand the sentiment that if we sent him back, we wouldn’t be holding him accountable for his sins, but… did everyone forget what day today was?”
The masked individuals cheered at Kodon’s words.
“That’s right! Today was the start of the harvest!”
“Then… sending him back…”
“Exactly. He would just be returning to where he was meant to be and die like an insect, as a sacrifice for Madness.”
“Hahahaha! That sounds perfect! There’s no way we could sully the heavens with his disgusting blood.”
“I also agree! How dare a human not know his place and sneak into the heavens? He should be stuck to the land and die like an insect there!”
“You’re so wise, Kodon! We would be teaching him this way too! We would be teaching him his true position as a human and his sin for trying to associate with us.”
Kodon wasn’t trying to protect Seol. He instead chose a different option that would bring more pain to Seol.
Seol couldn’t talk.
He couldn’t move his body at all either, it was probably because those gods did something to him.
And just that moment, he heard someone’s voice in his head.
- Snowman, can you hear me?
It was Kodon’s voice.
- Your true identity was exposed. There’s no time to explain, I’ll tell you the important things first.
Seol wanted to ask Kodon questions.
Who are you?
Why are you helping me?
What happens to me if I die in my dreams?
Kodon charmed the other gods with conversation while continuously relaying information to Seol.
- The place where you lived has turned into another world. The World Merge was scheduled for today. Your world will be combined with The World of Eternity, Pandea.
What is he talking about?
‘The worlds are going to be… combined? How?’
- To recover their weakened strength, the gods have chosen Madness instead of Divinity. Humanity’s hardships and stories are now going to be sold to other believers in exchange for Madness.
‘What does that even mean?!’
- Snowman, there is only one way to save you and your race. Reach Ascension, the Final Adventure. It is also going to help you if you’re as eye-catching as you can be. Madness is used by the gods to restore their original power but it will also be of use to you.
‘Reach Ascension? How would I be able to do that when I’m not a game piece? What is he saying…’
- Keep in mind that if you talk about the things that happened in the heavens out loud, it gives the gods justification to intervene. You will definitely die if that happens. Please, you must be wise. I wish you luck, Snowman. I hope to meet you again someday.
After that final message, Kodon grabbed Seol with one hand.
“Hahahaha! Then let’s watch how this insect struggles and dies…”
“Wait! If you send him back like that—”
Kodon quickly threw Seol down through the clouds before the mood shifted.
Seol was kicked out of the heavens while feeling the horrifying feeling of falling down without wings.
Hwiiiiiiii!
“Damn… you already threw him.”
“Well, it won’t matter.”
Kodon laughed.
“Shall we harvest some Madness now? Oh, honorable gods.”
“Fufufu… alright.”
“We’ll finally be able to recover our power.”
* * *
Seol felt empty.
He felt completely blank.
It was partially because he fell from the heavens but it was also from the aftermath of the panic he felt after going through something huge.
‘Gods… really existed?’
He never would’ve imagined that those people in his dreams were not only real but actual gods.
Seol touched his neck to check if the ring of lightning had disappeared and then rubbed it.
He let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was somehow able to survive, and then checked his surroundings.
It was dark.
The entire world was dark.
“...What the heck?”
Suddenly, a message appeared before him.
[The World of Eternity is being applied… 97%]
[The World of Eternity is fully applied.]
[Welcome to Pandea, The World of Eternity.]
[ 7,900,021,232 lives have currently joined The World of Eternity.]
[You are now moving to the Character Set-Up Area.]
[Please select your character’s skills.]
[In a short while, your 1st Adventure will start.]
Seol was able to understand Kodon’s words after reading those messages.
Seol had become a game piece.
A game piece in The World of Eternity, the game he had enjoyed for 17 years.
His final, 31st game piece was himself.