Back then, everything was under strict control.

The Twelve High Priests focused solely on not disturbing their sleeping god, guarding only the outside of the Sanctuary.

They paid no attention to the five layers outside of the Sixth Stratum, where the Divine Sanctuary was located.

But as time passed, they were forced to confront a truth—they were still living beings.

They were not undead.

They needed to eat, to sleep, to excrete.

They were Level 100 beings who had transcended the limits of life, capable of going long periods without nourishment…

But even that had its limits.

"M-My Lord… I… I think I'm going to die…"

"...We have no choice."

It wasn't until the physically weakest among them, the Earth Priest, collapsed on the verge of death that they finally allowed themselves to reinterpret the divine command engraved upon their very souls—"You are mine."

That command didn't mean they were to rot away in place guarding their god without care for themselves.

Rather, it meant they were to safeguard their god by caring for themselves, so they could continue protecting Him.

It wasn't fear of death that held them back.

It was fear that their deaths might somehow disturb their sleeping god.

At first, they feared divine wrath for abandoning their posts without permission.

But the god did not respond.

He remained silent. Asleep.

"He still slumbers... Then what should we do?"

"His last command was: 'All of it is mine.' That is the will we must follow."

In other words, everything in this world must belong to their god.

With that realization, the Twelve High Priests etched their Lord's final words into their minds—and moved to act.

Their first step was to bring the kingdom under divine rule.

The Divine Citizens, blessed directly by their god, and the subjects of the kingdom, though different in title, all served the same being—some as God, some as King.

With the cooperation of the Three Governors—human, elf, and dwarf—and the Twelve High Priests, they pacified the chaos that had gripped the kingdom.

Next, they turned their attention to the outside world.

Cautious not to be reckless, they didn't immediately send people beyond the sanctuary.

Instead, the most magically gifted among them, the Earth Priest, performed a Super-Tier Spell — World Detect through ritual sacrifice.

What he discovered shocked them all:

This was not the world they once knew.

This world was vast.

Far more expansive than the one they had lived in.

Even using Super-Tier magic, they couldn't begin to comprehend the entire realm—barely a sliver, in fact.

Yet the lifeforms within that detectable range…

Were so weak that even a child from Shinshi could defeat them.

With their caution slightly eased, they dispatched exploration teams composed of High Priests and elite warriors beyond the spell's range to investigate further.

And what they discovered was even more staggering—

This world… was pathetically weak.

Most beings in this world, though similar in species and appearance to those they knew, were frail to the point of pity.

Worse, the world was filthy and barbaric.

Compared to the refined and developed Shinshi, the living conditions outside were crude and uncivilized.

A few areas were tolerable, but even then, woefully underdeveloped compared to Shinshi.

"Yeah… that was a bit much."

The world had improved a little since then—now that it had actual nations.

But at the time, it had been utter chaos.

From their perspective, the Evil Deities that plagued this realm were little more than feeble monsters.

Yet to the people of this world, those beings were apocalyptic forces.

Civilizations collapsed.

Governments fell.

The common folk, fearing discovery by the evil armies, fled to forests and caves, hiding in desperation.

Even demi-humans and beastkin suffered similar fates.

Civilization, in most regions, regressed significantly.

After witnessing this, the High Priests called off the exploration.

While the Priests themselves, with their strong minds, were able to withstand the disillusionment, many of the explorers suffered deep emotional trauma.

"They couldn't believe beings who looked like them could be so savage... so low."

"Honestly… even I was shaken the first time. It's no wonder others broke."

In the end, the High Priests convened and reached a conclusion:

This world wasn't worthy of being offered to God.

Why offer such a miserable world to their god, when they already had Shinshi—His glittering, jewel-like city?

Compared to Shinshi, this world was like a pile of gravel.

They didn't want their god's radiance to be sullied by such a place.

To worship Him.

To serve Him.

That was the duty of Shinshi's chosen.

And that alone would suffice.

That was the conclusion of the very first Council of the Twelve High Priests.

From that point onward, they decided to completely sever themselves from the outside world, devoting all their efforts to ensuring the god's slumber would never be disturbed.

A rotation of four High Priests would guard the Sanctuary, the closest place to the god Himself, while the remaining eight would oversee the inner workings of Shinshi, keeping it orderly and quiet.

Fortunately, even completely isolated, Shinshi was fully self-sufficient.

Though buried deep underground, the divine city's layers experienced day and night, weather, and seasonal changes, all thanks to divine blessings—making farming possible.

Its second layer held a mineral-rich mine, from which essential resources could be extracted.

And that was just the beginning.

The agricultural zones, touched by divine favor, produced abundant, high-quality crops in half the time it would take outside—and with minimal maintenance.

As for livestock, Shinshi raised beasts so fertile and bountiful in milk, meat, hides, and fur that—by outside standards—they would've been considered fearsome monsters.

Even the mines replenished themselves.

Once depleted, the minerals would gradually regenerate, as if the earth itself was blessed allowing for renewed harvest.

Shinshi, built and sustained by divine grace, seemed destined for everlasting prosperity in peaceful isolation from the outer world.

But that prosperity did not last thirty years.

The people of Shinshi, who once believed their utopia to be eternal, split into two conflicting factions.

And all because of one question:

Were you receiving divine grace… or not?

It wasn't something that could be objectively measured through science or magic. But the divide was evident.

Those blessed by the divine were worshipers of God—they revered the Supreme One as their deity.

The others, loyal citizens of the kingdom, honored Him as their king.

It was a subtle difference… at first.

But over time, that difference became impossible to ignore.

The God who had transcended even the greatest races possessed infinite life.

Those who received His grace—who worshipped Him as a deity—began living far beyond their racial lifespans.

Take Monkyspanner, for instance.

Despite being of the Apekin race, he had lived over 200 years—his body showing none of the decay typical of someone who had reached or surpassed their natural limit.

Without divine grace, he might have survived 200 years as a high-level being…

But not like this—healthy, vigorous, without even a hint of aging.

Those blessed by the divine simply did not age.

There were magic items that suppressed aging by treating it as a debuff—but those only delayed the inevitable.

Only the strongest beings could extend their lifespan with such items, and most of Shinshi's residents—who were Level 50 or below—couldn't afford that luxury.

The first natural death after falling into this world passed without much notice.

But as more elderly died—those who wore anti-aging rings, yet still grew too frail to live—rumors began to stir.

In one retirement home, filled with elderly who wore such items, one man asked:

"Why do only the king's loyalists die of old age… while the god's faithful seem untouched?"

At first, everyone thought it was coincidence.

But it wasn't.

One of the elderly, a devout follower of God, decided to accept death gracefully and removed his anti-aging ring.

Days passed.

Weeks.

And… nothing changed.

He didn't age.

In fact, he began to feel rejuvenated.

His eyes grew sharper.

His thoughts clearer.

His skin… firmer.

And then, he realized the truth.

As a high-level mage himself, he understood—the anti-aging ring had not only suppressed his debuffs, but also dulled his body's recovery and revitalization granted by the divine.

His body was resisting aging.

No—reversing it.

The reason?

Divine Grace.

A gift given only to those who worshipped God—not merely served Him as king.

"No way… no way… O God! O Great One! My God! I praise You! Hahahahaha!"

The old man erupted with joy, dancing with ecstasy.

Even an aged fool like himself had received divine blessing!

God had not only given His faithful food, shelter, and a glorious civilization—He had granted them time to enjoy it all.

"God has given us everything! Life, light, glory—and now time itself! He is truly great! I, His faithful subject, shall praise Him forever!"

If he had any presence of mind, he might've recognized the danger in this revelation.

He might have gone to the High Priests and sought a plan to control the inevitable chaos.

But instead, he spread the truth—far and wide—his head overflowing with blind praise and elation.

"Had we discovered this earlier… perhaps the crisis that followed might've been avoided."

This shocking discovery, unnoticed even by the governors and priests managing the kingdom, spread rapidly across the civilized sectors of Shinshi.

And with it… came disaster.

...

"Sir Monkyspanner! We've arrived at the 5th Layer! It's time to disembark!"

"Hm? Already?"

Monkyspanner blinked, snapping out of his deep thoughts. He must have been far too engrossed in reminiscing about the past—it had been a while.

"My apologies for worrying you. Have a pleasant day, Miss Catri."

"Eh…? H-how do you know my name?"

"It's written on your name tag, isn't it?"

He pointed casually to the badge nestled on her chest—firm and full beneath her neatly fitted uniform.

Flushing bright red, Catri instinctively brought both hands up to cover her chest.

Monkyspanner watched her closely.

Face: excellent.

Figure: also excellent.

And like any true citizen of Shinshi, she kept herself well-trained—far more pleasing to the eye than the fragile creatures outside.

Very nice, Monkyspanner concluded, mentally stamping her with approval.

Twenty years ago, someone like her might've barely caught his attention. But after spending so long out in the world, his standards had softened a bit.

"S-sorry for making you uncomfortable!"

"No need to apologize. Hm… since we've met like this, perhaps we could share a meal sometime? I'll contact you later."

"O-oh… Y-yes! I'll look forward to it!"

Catri's cheeks flushed even deeper, her breath quickening with excitement.

She was, in truth, a successful elite.

Knowing not only the nature of a High Priest's divine missions but even the duration of their absence—such information wasn't something just anyone in the kingdom could access.

Her status as an operator of one of Shinshi's most vital institutions—the interlayer elevator—spoke volumes of her capabilities.

And yet, as a Royal Citizen, forming a personal connection with a Divine Citizen, let alone a High Priest, was virtually unheard of.

The citizens of Shinshi prided themselves on being beings of strength and intellect—refined and civilized.

They aspired to be better, to reach higher.

Thus, those at the peak of both power and wisdom—the High Priests—were subjects of reverence for all.

Catri was no exception.

"Well then… until next time."

With a light nod, Monkyspanner exited the elevator, leaving behind a breathless and blushing Catri.

He realized he was licking his lips unconsciously.

Yes… he would contact her right after the Council of the Twelve High Priests ended.

After twenty years of self-imposed abstinence in the outside world, Monkyspanner was, quite frankly, starving.

Swallowing back the drool forming at the corners of his mouth, he strode onward—toward the heart of the 5th Layer, and beyond it, the Special Residential Sector connected to the 6th Layer, where the Sanctuary awaited.