“I knew it, that’s nice—” Achylys paused and blinked. “Make me a god?” That is quite the leap. Make me a god to fight the descendant of the descendant of a god? Seems very overboard.

“Right, it would be overboard... if I gave you the god core. But I’m not. Definitely not. I’ll instead give you access to the world and a chance to mold it according to your wishes,” Eriket replied.

“I don’t quite fully understand. How could I…” Achylys trailed off, quite confused at the way this conversation was going.

"You're going about it wrong, Achylys," Eriket interjected, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You're overestimating the gods. We are not omnipotent and omniscient beings. We're like... game developers, story writers with just a pinch more power. And Cradle was an exceptionally bad writer, at that."

Eriket leaned forward, his eyes glinting with mischief. "But that's precisely what makes this so exciting. We get to play the game, Achylys. We get to write the story. And who knows? Maybe this time you'll get it right. You might be able to create the most enjoyable story I’ve ever read."

Achylys opened his mouth to refute that claim; it was never good to give people high expectations about you, but Eriket held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking.' Saying so, he shook his head. "Trust me, Achylys. You'll enjoy this. We'll make it fun. We'll make it interesting. And we'll make sure that you and I enjoy it."

I… well. I always wanted to be a game developer or a story writer. So, that’s nice, Achylys thought to himself, reminding himself that he had a lot of things he'd wanted to do in his last life. Writing a fun story does seem fun.

Eriket began chuckling heartily and nodded. “That’s the spirit. Trust me. You’ll enjoy this. Like, a lot. Just as much as I will.”

Eriket's chuckling was the kind that shook his entire body, as if the very laughter itself had a physical weight to it. Achylys couldn't help but grin in response, despite feeling a bit apprehensive about this unusually playful god. The man had a way of making even the most mind numbing tasks seem ‘fun’.

But then, Eriket clicked his fingers. Suddenly, the world around Achylys seemed to shift and blur, and he felt as if he were weightless, suspended in some strange, otherworldly realm. He knew exactly what this sensation meant.

The time god really should change his method of scene transition to something else.

And before he knew it, he lost consciousness.

*

"Right, it's time I tell her to stop streaming," Eriket muttered under his breath, his deep voice echoing in the vast white space.

He slowly walked towards a corner of the white plane and tapped on the wall, which led to a large window opening. It offered a breathtaking view of the sprawling array of planets below. As he gazed out, his thoughts drifted to the mortal world.

"Man, I should really cut this. Mortals seem to love long-haired gods, though," Eriket thought as he ruffled his perfectly styled hair. He had always been fascinated by the mortal world, particularly their obsession with beauty and appearances. It was a trait that he found amusing, but at times, it could be quite tedious.

As he snapped his fingers, Eriket felt the familiar rush of divinity course through his veins, transporting him from one place to another with effortless ease. In an instant, he found himself standing in a room that he knew all too well, surrounded by the same familiar sights and smells that he had grown to love. He looked down at his feet and felt the soft carpeting cushion his soles, the fibers tickling his toes with every step.

Without hesitation, he strode confidently towards the device that sat on the table before him. Its sleek, metallic surface glimmered in the soft light that poured in from the window, reflecting his own image back at him. His godpad, the one piece of technology that he had come to rely on more than any other. It would not be an overstatement to say he was hopelessly addicted to it.

With a deft flick of his wrist, he activated the device and watched as the screen flickered to life. And there she was, his sister, the feline goddess, her image projected onto the screen in front of him. He could see the excitement written all over her face, her eyes shining with a bright, almost otherworldly energy.

"How was he? Did he excite you?!" she asked while waving her hands up and down.

"Yes, he—wait! No, he didn't excite me! I'm not the lust god! But... yes, he matched my expectations," he replied, shaking his head lightly. "Now, since we've moved onto phase two, the other descendants of Origin will be forever to—hey?! Are you listening?"

At some point, the Kitty Goddess had left her throne, situated in the center of her magical garden, and embarked on a chase that sent Eriket's head spinning. He doubted even the Kitty Goddess knew what she was chasing after.

The camera, a treasured tool of the Kitty Goddess's, was shaking wildly as it tried to keep pace with the goddess's movements. But no matter how magical the camera was, it could only barely manage to follow her face. It would be too much to expect it to not shake at all. So the shaking persisted, causing Eriket to let out an audible sigh.

For Eriket, watching the Kitty Goddess in action was both amusing and exhausting, like seemingly most things in his endless life. The goddess moved with a feline grace that was unmatched, her every step causing the flowers and trees around her to sway in reverence. Her black fur shone brilliantly in the sunlight, and her emerald-green eyes sparkled with mischief as she darted through the garden.

"What did I even expect out of you…? Well, I'll stop streaming on your behalf then," Eriket finally muttered out as bait once he decided that there was no way the Kitty Goddess was stopping any time soon.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

And his bait did work, for the Kitty Goddess suddenly paused mid leap, her eyes widening. "Stop what now?!" she snarled, her expression truly bone chilling.

Eriket laughed awkwardly in response before scratching his head and replying, "You'll still be considered my employee and all your expenditure will be considered work expenses. And, without this streaming aspect, you could do whatever you want with Achylys, truly satiating the loopy-loop parts you so desire fully."

The moment hung in the air like a heavy cloak, the silence almost palpable. The kitty goddess, her fur ruffled in agitation, weighed her options. Her feline eyes scanned Eriket’s face for a few seconds, after which she finally broke the silence. "Sure," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "But I am not happy. Make my salary high, much higher than what you're thinking right now!"

Eriket nodded solemnly. “That is but a must, of course,” he replied smoothly. “I’ll make you the highest paid god ever if my plan succeeds and I manage to drag Origin out. You bet I’m going to negotiate at least double, triple, no. More, ten times my current providence allowance.”

*

Achylys slowly stirred, his eyes fluttering open to a dizzying haze that clouded his vision. He blinked a few times, attempting to clear his head of the confusion that plagued him. As he sat upright, a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, causing him to grip onto a handful of dirt tightly.

He took a few deep breaths to steady his churning stomach and collect his thoughts. It was then that he remembered the surreal experience he had just undergone—the encounter with the Time God. Then, he remembered the king of the forest. Hm, how am I supposed to defeat that thing? What about the whole becoming a god and altering the world? Do I have to satisfy a condition to unlock it?

As if in response to his thoughts, the system popped up in front of him, its text as red and bloody as usual.

Host has unlocked the [Rewrite] feature.

“Rewrite? That should be what’d allow me to defeat the king of the forest. How do I use this feature, System?”

You shall be led through a short tutorial, Host. Then you shall be able to use it freely as long as you have enough providence points. Right now, you have a single providence point. More can be gained by influencing the strata of this world.

“I see,” Achylys muttered thoughtfully. “Well… do I have to say or do something for the tutorial to start?”

Yes, you’ve got to say,

‘All hail the ninety-five gods. May they bless me, bless my feet, and bless my toes. May they show endless mercy to my eyes, the place where they reside.’

Achylys' eyes narrowed suspiciously as he surveyed the text before him. “Wait, seriously?” Achylys asked, somewhat surprised by the rather cheesy and maybe even stupid chant. “You’re joking, right?” He could definitely chant it if it was compulsory, and based on his image of how beings such as the gods usually were, it probably was.

I am indeed joking, Host. Do you want me to start the tutorial right now?

Achylys raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Well, yes please. I would appreciate that.” He was honestly even beginning to mentally visualize, audio-lize—was that a word for things that happened for make an image-related thing from sound?—how the chant sounded, so he definitely didn’t expect it to be a joke. He couldn’t really tell when the system was joking. The text format definitely didn’t help. And perhaps also its tone…?

No, why was he analyzing why the system wasn't funny?

Understood.

Suddenly, a lurching sensation took over Achylys’s stomach as his surroundings turned completely black. It was like he’d plummeted into an abyss of darkness out of nowhere, the sensation of free-fall swallowing him whole. He could feel the rush of air around him, the wind whipping at his clothes and hair with wild abandon. As he tumbled deeper and deeper, his mind raced with various types of thoughts, ranging all the way from silly to philosophical.

The darkness enveloped him like a thick, inky shroud, suffocating him with its emptiness. No matter where Achylys' eyes darted to, he couldn’t make sense of the shadowy void that surrounded him. However, there was one thing he could discern; the faint, ghostly outlines of white lines, which seemed to writhe and twist like living creatures in the inky blackness.

Despite his stomach churning, Achylys couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the strange beauty of the lines. They were like ethereal veins, pulsing with a strange energy that made his heart skip a beat. It was as if the very fabric of reality was unraveling before his very eyes.

As he fell deeper and deeper, Achylys could feel his stomach churning with nausea. The sensation was overwhelming, and he closed his eyes. But eventually, the feeling subsided, and he found himself slowly drifting to a stop.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on solid ground once more. But this was no ordinary ground. The surface beneath his feet was like nothing he had ever seen before. It glowed with an otherworldly radiance, casting a warm, golden light that illuminated everything around him. Achylys looked around in awe, the sight that met his eyes making his brain stop processing things for a few seconds.

As far as the eye could see, there were hundreds upon thousands of giant white threads, all connected to a major black core at the very center. The threads were thick and strong, pulsating with energy and life, and seemed to stretch on forever.

As he moved closer to the center of the vast web, Achylys saw that each thread had a few scenes playing on them. It was as if he had stumbled upon some great tapestry, woven with threads of all colors and textures, each telling a story. Scenes of people, scenes of monsters, scenes of so many more. There were battles being fought, kingdoms being built, and races being destroyed. Achylys felt as though he was peering into the very fabric of existence itself.

The more he examined the threads, the more he realized that each one was unique. No two threads were alike, and each one told a different story. Some were filled with joy and laughter, while others were steeped in darkness and despair. Some were long and winding, stretching out to the very edges of the web, while others were short and simple, barely visible.

Achylys blinked blankly as a sense of contentment welled up inside him. He’d always been someone who loved beautiful landscapes, and if there was one thing this new life of his offered in abandon, it was utterly gobsmacking visuals. Man, I’m really blessed.

Welcome to the Core, Host.