Epilogue

All the continents that had been scattered like stars across the night sky clumped together like clay to form a gigantic planet.

At first, most of the surface was marshland and mud, but plants boasted vigorous life force, sprouting here and there in just a few days.

Somehow having survived, small animals also crawled out from everywhere, searching for food.

In this wasteland of dirt mounds, rocks, and small grasses poking their heads out shyly, we gathered again.

“So… this is the mythical age now, right? We can become the origin of everything, right? Wow, this is… if we do well, future generations might think of us as gods, right?”

Gods… gods, huh.

That could be possible.

Even on Earth, people used to revere Prometheus who taught fire and Shennong who taught agriculture as gods.

“Hmm… that’s possible.”

When I agreed, Yuria became even more excited and exclaimed.

“Hah. Then it’s decided. I’m the goddess of magic.”

When Yuria waved her hand, a fireball formed and wind blew.

The spell that Tris struggled with whimpering and still couldn’t succeed at, Yuria accomplished playfully.

“Ooh! As expected of the strongest wizard!”

“Wizard of Thousand Books! The founder of magic!”

Those watching us murmured.

Thud!

Perhaps stimulated by that sight, the giant who had been standing quietly stepped forward. He was over 2 meters tall and burly. When I first saw him, I thought he was a variant of an orc.

Such a giant wore a sheepish smile and glanced at me sideways. As if asking me to watch carefully.

“Then, then am I the god of martial arts?”

Right. This monster-like guy was Monggu.

I had thought his growth rate was unusual, but now, seven years later, he had reached a truly disgusting level.

Monggu fortunately hadn’t been separated from Yuria and was in the same group, so he was able to join up with us quickly.

And… it seemed he had built quite a reputation while I hadn’t seen him. He seemed to have gained confidence too.

“Monggu! The one who cuts mountains!”

“Invincible swordsman!”

The reactions of the people around were surprisingly enthusiastic for something unbelievable as Monggu.

Monggu even gave the audience a leisurely smile as he drew his sword. It wasn’t a beam hilt, but a steel sword forged by hammering iron.

Drawing the massive steel sword that looked like it could smash even castle walls, he again looked at me sheepishly and smiled awkwardly.

“Well, beam hilts can’t be used anymore. When the creation is completed, most functions of the Shadow Library and the Floating Island stopped working. Nadia too, the Shadow Library too… they fought for the world until the very end. …Anyway, so!”

Creak.

Monggu gripped the steel handle so tightly it seemed like he might crush it.

“Knights had to learn new fighting methods.”

That’s when I was startled and rubbed my eyes.

What flowed out from inside Monggu’s body was none other than magical power.

Knights were originally beings without magical power, weren’t they? They were those who fought with weapons made through divine technology?

“You… are you manipulating magical power right now?”

Moreover, the way he used magical power was in a manner I had never even imagined.

It wasn’t Circle magic that imitated the voices of ancient gods, nor Ki-blood magic that imitated the body, nor mimicry that imitated forms. He ‘overlaid’ magical power onto his blade.

“It started working at some point. It seems magical power changed along with the world. Or… we changed!”

Monggu stared ahead with sharp eyes. In front were hills of dirt and rock piled uselessly high, chaotically blocking the view.

Monggu took a breath and swung his massive steel sword.

Swoosh!

The dirt mounds that formed the hills were cut clean off, soared into the sky, then fell far away with thunderous crashes.

The terrain that had been full of hills instantly became a broad plain.

Destructive power rivaling a 6th Circle wizard.

With such a small amount of mana, with such a simple structure… how could he show such tremendous destructive power?

While everyone was dumbfounded,

Monggu scratched his head against the backdrop of the plain he had created.

“This is… the swordsmanship I created, so. God of martial arts? Hehe. It’s a bit presumptuous, but.”

Monggu, wavering between embarrassment and pride. Next to him, two men and women appeared. It was still the slippery man and the still beautiful woman together.

By the way, that person really doesn’t seem to have aged a day even after seven years.

Her skin is so clear that she shines even wearing shabby clothes.

Lytol, who survived tenaciously unable to forget such a beautiful lady, shamelessly began to boast.

“Then Erina can be the goddess of hope! In times like these, being able to fulfill ‘wishes’ is hope itself, right? Don’t you think?”

Lytol smiled shamelessly while Erina blushed red all the way to her nape.

Right. Having heard news of me yesterday, the second guests who came two days after Yuria arrived.

They were Lytol and Erina.

When they learned my location, they held several days of meetings, then activated Erina’s Gift [Wish] and amazingly leaped through space to arrive here in one go.

Unlike Yuria who was relatively close, they had been so far away that even riding a dragon would take a full month of flight, yet they met me in less than four days.

‘Originally such grand magic has very slim chances of success… but it was as if something helped, and [Wish] succeeded instantly,’ they said, bewildered themselves, but anyway, in this world where even a 7th Circle mage couldn’t create a single fireball, her Gift [Wish] was sufficient to claim the name ‘hope.’

“Hmm… goddess of hope. That’s a decent name.”

When people nodded in agreement, this time Tris suddenly interjected.

“Then? Then what should I do?”

She sparkled her eyes and manifested a spell. She did her best to receive some impressive divine name.

<Sowing!>

‘Startling!’

It was a primordial incantation. Shockingly clean pronunciation.

At the same time, her Gift [Mutation] further enhanced the power of <Sowing>.

Rustle—!

Over the plain where Monggu had cut down hills, leaving only soil, mud, and rock piles, sprouts emerged, roots spread thick, and leaves and fruits flourished.

In an instant, lush wind reeds, ramina trees, and peach grapes covered the field.

The range, growth speed, and degree of abundance seemed superior to my prime days.

“How about goddess of the earth? Huh? Huh?”

Tris looked around at everyone with sparkling eyes. But no one met Tris’s gaze. Everyone was busy staring in amazement at the miracle Tris had caused.

“Ah, quickly! What kind of goddess should I be?”

When Tris urged again, only then did Yuria barely open her mouth. In a dazed voice.

“Ah… this is… goddess of agriculture?”

Tris’s face crumpled horribly.

“What are you talking about! You guys get to be goddess of magic, god of martial arts, goddess of hope, creation god, and I’m what?! I’m Beatrice! Saint of Ending Times! Does it make sense for the Saint of Ending Times to be goddess of agriculture?!”

But no one was listening to her protests.

Everyone just nodded, moved by the fertile meadow spread before their eyes, and chanted once more.

“No matter how I look at it, goddess of agriculture.”

“Indeed, goddess of agriculture.”

“It has to be you. Goddess of agriculture.”

“Ugh, uwaaaaah!”

Far across the fields, Tris’s enraged shouts echoed.

Watching that scene, Yuria giggled. She looked at me and asked.

“So. What kind of god do you want to be?”

“Me? What god am I… I’m not even a mage.”

I just smiled bitterly.

“Hey, if you say that, what do we become? Just decide on something. No wait. You’ll be called the creation god.”

“The creation god is Samantha.”

I shook my head firmly. Gods were tiresome. I knew from being inside Samantha’s body how difficult that position was.

But Yuria didn’t seem inclined to let me go.

“Oh come on. Don’t be like that. Aren’t you curious? How future people will remember us?”

“Future people?”

“Right. People who will grow up hearing about this tedious creation story. This world a thousand, ten thousand years from now.”

Hearing that made me a little interested.

What shape will this world take when those distant ages pass again? How will people remember us then?

“Well. I am curious. By then, will Samantha have awakened?”

Somewhat obsessively, my thoughts kept turning toward Samantha.

My poor daughter didn’t even have anyone she could call a friend.

She never had a chance for private conversation with friends like my sister, Monggu, or Tris here.

So, even consciously, I keep thinking of Samantha.

Because if not me, there’s no one else to remember her.

So I hope. That in those distant ages, Samantha will awaken.

But then,

Blink.

A dizzy spell oozed out through my closing and opening eyelids. A feeling like falling into an endless, dark abyss.

‘This familiar feeling… what was this? Ah….’

It was a feeling similar to [Simulation].

Suddenly information poured in from somewhere, covering my eyes.

Why is this suddenly happening?

Ah… come to think of it….

‘I called Samantha’s name again.’

Momentarily, some scene that Samantha was showing completely overwhelmed my senses.

* * *

A pure white building. It was a gorgeously decorated building.

Compared to ancient ruins said to be made by gods, it was modest, but it still had such delicate beauty that it was hard to believe humans made it.

In the garden in front of that building, a small boy was crouched down. In front of the child lay a dead cat. Its pale yellow fur fluttered pitifully.

“The cat… died.”

When the child spoke, the nun standing beside him answered.

She wore white nun’s robes that looked simple at first glance, but on closer inspection, subtle patterns were densely embedded, showing the height of splendor.

“Because that’s the way of this world.”

“That can’t be right.”

“Why not? Even Lady Yurina, goddess of magic, Lord Bearis, goddess of agriculture, and even Lady Erin, goddess of hope, taught that the dead should remain dead.”

The child protested against the nun’s teaching.

“Hmph! But Lady Samanda didn’t say that!”

“Oh my… you must be careful with pronunciation. Lady Saimahadan!”

“Tch… I’m sure it was Samanda in my dream…”

“What did you say? Are you now denying the scriptures recorded by the first prophet, Lord Baik Juno?!”

“N-no. No. I didn’t say anything. I just said Lady Saimahadan.”

The flustered boy waved his hands frantically, then secretly pouted and turned his gaze back to the cat.

The boy’s expression became sad again.

The boy reached out toward the dead cat.

The nun was horrified. She worried that some terrible disease might spread to the boy.

But,

“Meow—”

The cat that had definitely been dead opened its eyes and rubbed its small head against the boy’s hand.

“Wow…! It worked this time.”

The boy was delighted, and the nun was shocked.

“T-this, surely the little saint did this?”

“No. I asked Lady Samanda for help. Last time didn’t work, but why did it work this time?”

The boy smiled brightly, and the nun looked down at him with complicated eyes.

The nun grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him along.

“Uh, where are we going?”

“To see the cardinal. Ah. You must be careful with your words in front of the cardinal, understand? It’s not that strange name but Lady Saimahadin. If the little saint keeps making mistakes like that, you might get scolded by the knights over there who follow Lord Monakus, god of martial arts. You know how scary they are, right?”

At the nun’s threat, the boy looked up fearfully at the knights standing around. The knights smiled awkwardly.

* * *

Ah,

Blink.

Blink blink.

I blinked several times. What was that just now?

A momentary vision. It was a sensation reminiscent of [Simulation]. So I could soon realize its identity.

‘It’s not a confirmed future… but a future that might happen?’

What, so in the future there really will be religious orders? Will everyone really become gods? And that boy is….

“Hey, hey! Baek Jun-woo! You’re spacing out. Are you okay? Huh?”

Yuria looked at me worriedly. I smiled awkwardly at Yura and said.

“Sis. I think I’ll become not a god but some kind of… religious figure?”

“What?”

She blinked in confusion, her expression amusing.

Actually, my mood was exactly like that expression.

‘Religion in a world where magic is everything?’ That kind of expression.

Hehe. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“We have to build this world well. When you think about it, we’ll be reincarnated several more times, won’t we? In the end, we’ll have to live in the world we create… isn’t that right?”

“What are you suddenly talking about that I can’t understand…”

“No. Well, whatever… let’s find our separated companions first and then thoughtfully design the future.”

“There’s no context to anything you’re saying!”

Leaving the confused Yura behind, I looked up at the blue sky. The air was nice.

I was both excited and worried about the future.

The vision Samantha showed contained a boy who appeared to be my reincarnation.

He looked terribly frustrated, surrounded by ignorant adults just like my childhood.

I hope it won’t be like that….

‘But it’s too early to worry about that.’

What Samantha showed was just ‘one possible’ future scene. What kind of life I, or we, will really live hasn’t been decided yet.

Anyway, this is just the beginning.

Yuria, Monggu, Beatrice, Erina, Lytol… precious companions who will build the world together stand against the backdrop of blue sky and fields.

The thousand paths my father spoke of.

Perhaps he was talking about this sky and these vast meadows?

In this world without destruction, through repeated reincarnations, we might be able to walk all those paths.

Not walking just one path we’re forced into out of a thousand… but being able to step on all of them without a single regret, with these friends.

Thinking that,

Thump,

My heart beat.