Prologue (1/2)

”Now, let's clear things up.”

The woman put down the tobacco pipe she had been gently biting down on, puffed out the smoke, and licked her lips. She was a beautiful woman with striking red, wavy hair, but more importantly was the fact that she was a 'G.o.d'.

”So, what you desire is... an immortal body and infinite growth potential?”

”Yes!”

”Nope, not possible. Go back.”

”Aw, don't be like that.”

The man, a 27-year-old man called Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, sat opposite from the woman, separated by an antique desk. He was an ordinary office worker who liked fantasy novels and games. Well, at least until he died.

And now that he'd died, he was a hero that had been chosen by a G.o.d. Probably.

”I heard that I still had a long life ahead of me, yet I died prematurely. Shouldn't I receive at least this much from a G.o.d since I died so unfairly?”

”Jeez, the novels these days have really spoilt these kids' backbone. Before, if I told them they were getting a second chance, they would go 'yippee' or yell 'call'.”

”Well, people change as the times go by.”

Though G.o.d wanted to hit Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who had nonchalantly nodded his head and replied to her, she restrained herself. After all, it was none other than her who had gathered the souls of those who had died unfairly, because she needed their help.

'If he was from my world, then I would've just...'

She was certainly a G.o.d, but she wasn't the G.o.d of Earth. She was the G.o.d who reigned over Heguroa, which differed in culture, history, size, and every other aspect from Earth.

Then why was she in a situation where she had to bring souls from another world? There was a truly sad, tear-jerking reason behind that.

”Anyhow, those guys sure are cold-hearted. Their G.o.d is saying that she'll get herself involved and clean up their mess, but they're just avoiding it since they don't want to die.”

”There were a lot of heroes who accepted my revelation, you know!? ...They all just died in Heita.”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo instinctively gulped and asked G.o.d.

”... Is the place that dangerous?”

”Of course, it is.”

G.o.d couldn't hide her bitterness, and responded for a second time, putting the tobacco pipe back into her mouth. If she didn't at least do that, she felt like she would've sighed in front of a human.

This was a story that happened several decades ago. Heita, a great empire that thrived in the undergrounds of Heguroa, was met with tragedy. Their emperor, Jissehanu, dreamt of immortality and researched forbidden black magic, but as a consequence of his recklessness... the entire underground empire received an undead curse.

What's worse, the curse would spread gradually, and if left unchecked, would devour the entire world.

G.o.d, recognizing the severity of the situation, pa.s.sed down a divine revelation to all humans and promised that she would grant a wish to the savior of the Empire.

There were many heroic men who came forward. But all of them failed. The curse deeply rooted in the Empire was strong, and the heroes who headed underground in order to save the Empire couldn't overcome the curse, degenerating into the undead, and becoming a part of the undead empire.

Only after did G.o.d decide to exhibit her power more extensively. She scattered and planted her power across the Empire, encouraging the heroes, but it didn't help. The influence of the Empire, which sought to lead all life to undeath, gradually increased, and devoured half of the continent...

And that's when G.o.d, unable to endure any further, decided that she had to stop the Empire, even if it meant dragging heroes from other worlds. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was also one of them.

”Still, an immortal body is impossible. Ask for something else.”

”Then please give me something similar.”

”Listen, kid.”

G.o.d raised her tobacco pipe and pointed at Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's shabby soul as she explained.

”Tremendous power burdens the owner. An immortal body? Infinite growth potential? You won't be able to handle such power, and you'll just explode and die. So, go on and offer more realistic, and fitting conditions.”

”But with a realistic and fitting power, I'll probably end up like my seniors, dying without being able to do anything.”

At that moment, the human's words thrust deep into the G.o.d's heart. Right now, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was practically declaring to the G.o.d that her 'struggles were meaningless'. Why should I hear this from a mere hero candidate? Should I just kill him? G.o.d momentarily felt the impulse to do just that, but... changed her mind upon seeing the human's challenging expression.

This kid would have to go through h.e.l.l before he could even understand her a little.

”Alright, I'll do as you ask.”

”Yeah!”

”Of course, a perfect immortal body is impossible. You won't die ordinarily, but you'll still die in deadly situations.”

”What about the infinite growth potential?”

”That's also up to you, but I'll make it so it's theoretically possible.”

”Oh!”