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Chapter 229: Ascending to Godhood (5)

“What do you mean?”

“Listening to your explanation… doesn’t it sound like you're farming humans?”

Ah.

I suppose it could sound that way to Father.

Maybe it’s because he lacks information.

“Ah, Father, they don’t have souls.”

“No souls?”

“Yes. They’re no longer what you’d call humans from the old Earth. They’re like dolls with fake souls I created.”

“But they’re still human, aren’t they?”

“Without real souls, they’re not human. They're merely test subjects.”

“Huh…”

“Father. True humanity exists in this world. They’re preserved in this building. Those things are just shells. Once Zeus is driven out, true humans can return to Earth.”

I’m the only one capable of defeating Zeus on Earth.

No matter what it takes, I have to grow stronger.

That’s what's best for humanity.

Given Zeus’s overwhelming power, I must become stronger at all costs.

Yes.

No matter the cost.

“So, to do that, you’re going to farm and experiment on humans?”

“Those without souls aren’t humans. They’re just dolls.”

“Then what if a soul is born in one of those dolls? Would they not be human then?”

“That’s possible. But such beings—I wouldn’t kill them. If anything, I’d observe them further. I gave them souls they never had, so they should be thankful.”

I gave them what they never had—a soul.

They should be grateful.

Even if life in this new world is tough, they gained something priceless.

Father quietly listened to me.

“So, because they’re dolls, it’s okay to treat them however you want? Use the useful ones as test subjects, and feed the useless ones to Zeus…?”

“Well, given the situation…”

“No matter how dire the situation, if you treat humans like that…”

“Oh, come on. Humans this, humans that. You sound like a moral philosophy textbook. I’ve already preserved humanity through their souls. Their physical bodies can be regenerated anytime. You’re alive right now because your soul was preserved, Father.”

Ugh, this is frustrating.

Why is Father acting like this all of a sudden?

Those things aren’t human.

They’re all stuffed with fake souls.

“The Soul God sees it correctly. The soul is the essence of existence. A body without a soul is no more than a beast.”

“So you're saying the current humans are merely beasts…”

“Yes. Without souls, they are nothing more than beasts. So we should treat them as we would livestock. Like how male chicks are ground up as soon as they hatch. Some sacrifices must be made for a greater cause.”

“You just haven’t realized it yet because you’re not a demigod. Once you transcend to that level, you’ll understand everything.”

My apostles, including Elprian, were trying to gently persuade Father.

Maybe you really do need to be S-rank to fully grasp that the soul is the essence.

After thinking over their words, Father slowly nodded.

“I see. I suppose I didn’t understand because I’m still only A-rank. I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused the gods.”

“Discomfort? Never, not from the Father of our Lord.”

“It’s just a relief that you understand.”

The gods and Father bowed with smiles.

But Father’s smile was awkward.

Rigid.

He didn’t seem truly convinced.

“Jiho, may I ask you one more thing?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You said you used temporary souls—‘false souls’—to recreate humans, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then doesn’t that mean you could also create real souls?”

“Hm… If I progress a bit more, I think it would be possible.”

If I refine the false soul a bit more, I might be able to recreate true souls.

It would cost a lot of SP… but once I get used to it, I could probably do it.

At this rate of growth, it won’t take long.

“From how you speak, it sounds like it won’t take you long to get there?”

“Exactly.”

“Then… you’re already at the point where you can create souls. So why are you bothering with those soul-stones, preserving humanity in that building?”

“Huh?”

“The soul-stones that back up humanity—do you even need them? You can create life from scratch. Why carry around the old humanity like baggage?”

Father looked toward the building filled with soul-stones.

“And why cling to Earth at all? You have infinite SP. There’s no need to fight Zeus. You could just create a new world.”

“…”

“Yes. Just like Yahweh.”

Well…

It’s possible.

Father’s suggestion is something I could do.

My SP is virtually infinite, and more keeps coming in through the SP exchange.

If I tried to create a new world, my apostle gods would welcome it with open arms.

“Father is right.”

“Indeed. Our Lord can create a better world than Earth. A species superior to humanity.”

Even my apostles welcomed the idea.

But I can’t allow that.

To remain myself, I can’t do that.

“That’s not an option. I need humanity. I need human society. To remain as ‘Kim Jiho,’ I must keep humans alive.”

“Why do you need these insignificant humans to remain Kim Jiho?”

“Because without humanity, without a human society… the self I once was—the human part of me—will disappear.”

“Really?”

Step. Step.

Father walked slowly toward me.

His expression was more serious than ever.

“The son I knew was just an ordinary boy.”

“That’s right.”

“Average grades, average at sports. A kind personality, but not purely good either. He could be selfish and rebellious at times.”

“Well… isn’t that most people? I was very normal.”

“And that normal boy… now watches humans die, runs experiments on them?”

…Still on about that?

“...Sigh. Please, stop.”

“The son I knew wouldn’t have done that. Not even to monkeys. Wouldn’t have pushed them into harsh experiments or torture. Wouldn’t have enjoyed it.”

“Father! How can you say that?”

Still thinking in such a narrow frame of reference.

Sigh…

You're making it sound like I’m some kind of villain.

That’s a little hurtful.

“It’s just that the circumstances changed me. I’d save them all if I could. If I could defeat Zeus, I would have already taken care of him in Greece. But… I can’t. He’s not someone I can beat so easily.”

“…”

“No, forget beating him—I can barely survive against him. My clone was destroyed instantly. My attacks didn’t even touch him. Zeus, the Creator, is just that powerful. Saving both the souls and the bodies of humanity while fighting him? It’s impossible. I’ve only done what I can, given the situation.”

“I see… he’s that powerful.”

“Yes. And I can’t bring humans into this sanctuary world either. Do you think an average human body could survive in the Spirit Realm? Impossible. Sending them to other worlds like Kevrian or Kalvine? Only possible for Awakened ones. Saving ordinary human bodies—at my current level, it’s impossible.”

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My father, who had been silently listening to me, asked:

“So, since they’re going to die by Zeus anyway, you’re going to use them as a test subject?”

“Yes. That’s right, Father. What if Zeus becomes even stronger and chases us all the way here? If the souls of 7 billion humans vanish, that would be the end of humanity. I need to become stronger before he gets here. I need the power to defeat him.”

“So, you’re doing this because you have no other choice.”

Yes.

Unless I possessed the power to completely overwhelm Zeus.

If not, then I have to do everything I possibly can.

“Yes. That’s correct.”

My father let out a sigh at my response.

“Then why was someone like that… so happy? Why were you so delighted?”

“…What? What do you mean? Happy…?”

“Look.”

A screen appeared in front of my father.

A glass screen, like a mirror.

The face shown inside it…

Was filled with ecstasy.

“What are you so happy about?”

That’s my face?

Wait… no…

Was I that happy?

“And also—”

The screen started playing a video.

It was just moments ago, when I was giving orders to the Apostle Gods.

[I have a mission for you.]

Too bright.

A face without a trace of hesitation about raising humans like livestock.

The atmosphere among the gods had been cheerful then, but the one smiling the most was me.

Was I really this happy…?

Did I know I could smile so wickedly?

“What are you so thrilled about?”

My father’s words pierced my chest.

Yeah.

I was excited.

I was excited…

Because I had gained power.

“Is this joyful expression really your ‘self,’ the one you’re trying to protect—‘Kim Jiho’?”

Is this the self I’ve been trying so hard to preserve?

“Looking at this, I truly don’t understand why you want to protect humanity. Even if humans disappeared, this version of ‘Kim Jiho’ would be perfectly fine. You're already a supreme being who no longer needs to value humans.”

My father ended his words in a calm tone.

“Uh…”

I was at a loss for words.

This… is me?

In confusion, I looked around.

All the gods had fallen silent and were staring at me.

Suddenly, I could feel their emotions.

[The Lord God was doing so well…]

[No matter if he’s the Lord God’s father, a human is still just a human. Favoring humans like that…]

[I just don’t get it. Humans are the playthings of gods. What’s wrong with treating them however we want?]

Playthings of gods—humans.

Right.

That’s always been their perspective.

Gods born as such from the start might say that…

But I wasn’t like them.

I used to be different.

When did I become completely aligned with them?

[You have grasped your true self.]

A message suddenly appeared.

Then, the system messages that had always delighted me popped up.

[SP limit increased.]

[Authority ‘Growth’ has been upgraded.]

[Authority ‘Growth’ has reached its maximum proficiency.]

[*You have met the conditions to evolve the authority ‘Growth’.]

A flood of reward messages, as if being handed out generously.

Even my neutral divine tool now says it will help evolve my authority.

Now… at a time like this?

I get all this just for realizing my “true self”?

Wait, is this really my “true self”?

[To evolve the authority ‘Growth’ to ‘Evolution’, fulfill the final condition.]

[*Alter the soul of the demigod ‘Kim Sejun’ to be loyal to ‘Kim Jiho’.]

…Ha.

You want me to alter my father’s soul?

The confusion in my heart suddenly settled.

[Above the Creator, no one else must exist.]

A message from the divine tool, “Soul Sword.”

The Creator.

To become an EX-class, I’m being told to change my father’s soul.

To make him blindly loyal—like the Greek gods.

Reading this message, my head suddenly cleared.

“It’s you. It was you.”

I gripped the system window.

Not to tap it as usual.

But to break it.

Crack.

The message window began to fracture.

Just before it shattered, new text appeared.

[What are you doing?]

“What do you think you're doing? Using my father as a condition?”

[I am your divine tool. I only provide optimal solutions for your growth.]

“Really? So that’s why you made him the condition?”

[Don’t be bound by blood, Soul God. Transcend. What hinders your growth most is the one before you—Kim Sejun. Make him completely loyal.]

“Yeah, if I did that, I could become more complete.”

Crash.

The system window shattered.

“But I would cease to exist.”

[Still clinging to your human self? That’s mere ego. You must rise to become something greater.]

“I decide that. You bastard.”

No matter how EX-class you are.

You're just a tool…

Who gave you permission to overstep?

Then, a memory flashed through my mind before I completely destroyed this thing.

“You… when you said you’d automatically charge SP into my account—you were toying with me back then too.”

The neutral divine tool “Soul Sword” offered to automatically charge my SP.

That time, a flood of SP had made me feel like I’d go mad.

You planned this from the start, didn’t you?

Said you’d give SP within my limit…

But actually gave me more than I could handle.

[It was no joke. It was a necessary step to perfect you. It succeeded—your flawed humanity has been worn away.]

I thought I barely held on to my self amidst the SP flood…

But it was already being eroded.

[Kim Sejun is the final step. Complete the quest.]

Even through the cracked message window, text kept appearing.

And my answer to that demand was simple.

“You want me to be complete that badly?”

Thud. Thud.

I kept punching the cracking system window.

Unable to withstand the full force of my power, it shattered into fragments.

The system window split into three.

“Then I’ll choose to remain incomplete.”

[Before Zeus.]

[You will regret it.]

[This.]

The fragmented pieces of the system window each delivered a message before vanishing.

This bastard.

Cursing me to the very end.

Doing things I never asked for and still acting righteous.

“…Hm? What now?”

The system window I completely shattered—

Another system window emerged in its place.

[* *]

A blank system window.

I thought something would appear soon…

But nothing showed up.

Could it be… an empty slot?

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