Chapter 274: Isaac’s Imagination (2)

    ‘Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is fate’, so they say. But even that’s just talk; from the fourth or fifth time onward, it’s just destiny.

    Encountering various cultures in my past life has endowed me with boundless imagination, which I channel into writing my novel. The problem is that what happens in my novel could happen in a fantasy world, and I’m living in a fantasy world now.

    The reason why things explode whenever a new book is released might be because of this. Moreover, because I’m meticulously adhering to the realism standards of this world, the impact has greatly increased.

    If I had written a martial arts novel first, people would have just marveled, and none of this would have happened. Besides, I don’t know much about martial arts, so I couldn’t write it even if I tried.

    What if I were to write a martial arts novel now? Perhaps they’d say there’s a new continent across the sea.

    In this situation, I can’t help but doubt myself. Although I’ve already received Luminous’s confirmation, every time this happens, I wonder if the gods are lying.Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com

    Of course, gods don’t lie. At the very least, they reveal only the truth although ambiguously.

    This applies even when conversing with gods. If you can directly converse with a god, that god is almost on par with a sage.

    If such a god were to fall into corruption due to their own lies, it could also greatly harm their own sanctity, so they hardly ever lie.

    Above all, gods have the ability to glimpse into the future. They know better than anyone when to lie and when not to.

    [You are not a regressor. We said that your’s is a soul from another dimension, right? Why do you keep doubting it?]

    ‘How could I not doubt it in this situation?’

    [It’s because of the cultural difference. It’d be different if you wrote about wars originating from Earth, but you’re writing fantasy novels based on your standards. As I said earlier, if this is a lie, I’ll give you my godhood.]

    After the unexpected bingo, something I had never even thought of, I made time to visit the Mora Temple. Mora was pleased with my sudden visit, but as I probed, she kindly explained everything, albeit grumbling a bit.

    She insisted that all the incidents that occurred related to Xenon’s Biography, even risking her own divinity, were mere coincidences in reality. I am definitely not a regressor or a prophet.

    Most importantly, the reason my soul transcended dimensions and came here was not due to the intervention of gods but rather a mistake of a devil worshiper. Firmly drawing the line even betting her own divinity, I had nothing to say. I was just frustrated with the consecutive jackpots happening right now.

    [It might be difficult to accept or understand. But as you know, Earth is centuries ahead of our world in terms of civilization. Especially in terms of scientific and cultural advancements, it’s at a much higher level. Imagine throwing a lighter to primitive beings who haven’t discovered fire yet. That’s how big of a cultural shock it would be.]

    ‘Isn’t that an exaggerated explanation?’

    [It’s a bit exaggerated, but it’s about that scale. Especially since you incorporated realism into Xenon’s Biography, right? The problem is that it’s too realistic. The contamination of the roots of the World Tree became the detonator. And reality itself is stranger than fiction, isn’t it?]

    ‘After hearing that, I’m speechless.’

    Mora’s words echoed that reality is more like a movie, a novel, and the incidents themselves. This is a saying that even applies in a world inundated with cultural media pouring out on Earth.

    However, the problem is that all sorts of bizarre incidents happen with every piece of writing I produce. I let out a deep sigh.

    I’ve practically given up on why these incidents occur, but confiding in Mora was just me wanting to vent somewhere.

    The beings who understood my situation best were the gods. When you think about it, wouldn’t they be the least bothered by the current situation?

    [Right? It’s actually great, isn’t it?]

    ‘Excuse me?’

    [From our perspective, beyond just being a blessing in disguise, your existence is luck itself. You may have received some flak from the gods of Earth, but with just your existence alone, you’ve not only brought peace to our world but also propelled its progress. In your world’s language, you could say cost-effectiveness? Efficiency? Anyway, something like that is excellent!]

    ‘··· ···’

    It’s always on my mind, but unlike Luminous, Mora’s demeanor is somewhat lighter. Each of those light-hearted remarks still exudes dignity, making the feeling even more peculiar.

    Sometimes she seems like a naive girl, yet endlessly gentle to children, like an older sister. It’s a clear contrast to the refined Luminous.

    ‘Fine, efficiency, but where did you learn the term ‘cost-effectiveness’?’

    [We’ve learned a bit about Earth since you came here. It’s a word we picked up there.]

    ‘Cost-effectiveness···’

    It’s not self-praise, however, I, as a person, am indeed the epitome of cost-effectiveness.

    Firstly, I’m just an ordinary human, neither demon nor elf, with almost no ambition for power. Moreover, I don’t even harbor ideologies that could pose a threat to the gods.

    Merely with one piece of writing, not only did I save the demons but also advanced the world’s culture, so finding a better cost-performance ratio than this might be difficult.

    [No ambition for power, no ideologies threatening us, and no desire for honor. Truly a pumpkin rolled from a patch! Do you understand why we find you charming?]

    ‘So, to sum it up...’

    [Hmm.]

    ‘I was wondering if something similar actually happened.’

    The Pandemonium upheaval plan mentioned in Volume 20 was created 300 years ago, but it still was an event that almost happened in reality as well. Starting from the contamination of the World Tree roots, there have been countless incidents until now.

    So I asked a similar question like I did to Luminous in regards to corrupt priests.

    And the answer that came back then was ‘Yes’. I can’t describe to you how surprised everyone was at that moment. Even when I told Kate about this fact by quoting a proverb, she handled it on her own. I heard that it was resolved in the form of ‘divine punishment’, where a chandelier fell on the clergyman’s head.

    From the reader’s perspective, it felt like being spoiled unexpectedly in real life, so I personally named it “Spoiler Incident.”

    So I asked the question about whether the demonization of Jin in Volume 21 would be similar.

    [Oh. That? There are similar things. More precisely, it’s like becoming a demon when your life is in danger.]

    ‘Are there any demons among the demon race who maintain their sanity even after becoming devils? I heard that all the hardliners among the demons have undergone devilization.’

    [Does that include demons who are driven by vengeance and rage but still think? If that’s the case, then yes, that can happen.]

    ‘Um...’

    I listened to Mora’s words and pondered deeply. Although there are many ambiguous corners, the militant faction of the demons stands in contrast to Helium.

    Long ago, some demons barely escaped the massacre perpetrated by Xavier, now harboring blades of vengeance. Currently, there are indications of some aligning with devil worshippers, a force that Reapers are tirelessly pursuing.

    Though their numbers are few, each individual wields formidable power due to embracing the strength of devils. Currently in hiding, their actions remain unknown to all, even posing difficulties for Helium to find clues, causing frustration.

    ‘Well, what about this scenario? Instead of restraining inner evil, they fully surrender to it, harnessing it as their own power.’

    [In that case, it doesn’t exist. Considering demons have only ‘restrained’ inner evil so far, you can infer there’s no demon attempting to ‘control’ it.]

    Then I guess I can write more comfortably. Even when Jin turns into a demon, Lily’s presence is even greater for him, so he manages to return to his original form.

    As if reflecting the will not to become a demon, I added a scene where he breaks the demon’s hallmark, the ‘horns,’ by himself.

    In reality, it’s known that demons grow horns due to black mana. But in literature, demons all possess horns, which became their hallmark.

    ‘Then it’s fine. There’s no such person in reality. Even the hardliners are treated as devils.’

    [Hmm... Not really. Not now.]

    ‘...Not now?’

    Something felt off. As soon as I heard Mora’s ambiguous remark, I narrowed one eye.

    Wasn’t she implying that it might not occur in reality right away, but it could in the future? But Mora either had no intention to explain or simply diverted the topic.

    [That’s not the important thing now, is it? A great danger is looming in the near future.]

    ‘What? What do you mean?’

    Her attempt to change the subject seemed suspicious. Hearing about a significant danger approaching in the near future was startling to me. Up until now, the crises seemed trivial. But when Mora spoke, the gravity of it felt different.

    Tense, I waited for Mora’s next words. But she opened her mouth with a mischievous tone.

    [There’s actually a really good way to overcome this crisis... but I’m afraid you might refuse.]

    ‘...Another strange thing, isn’t it?’

    [That’s why I don’t like people who catch on quickly. Anyway, if you want to escape, come to my temple exactly three days from now. Got it?]

    It felt unsettling, but since it was an oracle, I had to listen. Although I couldn’t help but wonder what the future had in store.

    ‘Mora?’

    [Yeah?]

    ‘I trust you, Mora.’

    [Of course. Just trust me.]

    It made me even more suspicious.

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