The Nebula's Civilization

"On behalf of the Light of Eternity and Life, I command," Sung-Woon said. "The system is stripped of all its authority over Avartin and all entities within Avartin."

[Execution complete.]

"For all old gods, their status is revoked. They will no longer be called gods."

[Execution complete.]

The new gods were all Fallen, the evil gods left the system, and the old gods were stripped of their status.

Sung-Woon asked, "Do gods exist in Avartin now?"

[There are none.]

"And there will be none in the future."

At Sung-Woon’s assertion, Sanctuary said,

[However, player Nebula, Avartin needs protection. The damage the system inflicted on Avartin will continue to allow invasions from the space of evil.]

"Can the damage not be repaired?"

[The space of evil is not a single world but encompasses all spaces, which is precisely the space of secrets spoken of by Wizards. Avartin is interwoven through Rasdasil, and it will take a long time to repair with Avartin's causality alone.]

"Has the repair started?"

[Yes. It already has.]

The Sanctuary said,

[Player Nebula, you can become the one and only god of Avartin.]

"If I do, I will become corrupt."

[Player Nebula, from all your actions and thoughts so far, I can calculate whether you will lose your current conviction and regret this choice... And according to that calculation, the likelihood is very low. You will not become corrupt until the world is healed.]

"Still, a better model must exist."

Sung-Woon didn't believe in low probabilities. There was always a better way.

He thought through the Sanctuary. He almost immediately found an answer.

"Isn't it true that Avartin doesn't need a god?"

[...Player Nebula, the path you have found is a difficult one. The Sanctuary does not recommend it.]

"That's why it's worth challenging."

The Sanctuary acknowledged Nebula's firm will. Therefore, it no longer objected to Nebula's intentions.

Sung-Woon said, "I will reorganize the system."

[Okay. Would you like to reset the name? The previously used name, Pantheon, is saved.]

"Since there are no longer gods in Avartin, I will rename it."

Sung-Woon looked at the still flickering Light of Eternity and Life in his imagery world. The lights shooting toward Sung-Woon from all directions were no different from the countless stars in the night sky.

"Call it the Hall of Myriad Stars."

[Setting complete: Hall of Myriad Stars.]

The Sanctuary said,

[Player Nebula, the highest authorities of the system originally belong to those called gods. Would you like to reset this as well?]

"Yes."

Sung-Woon thought of the players. Each had built their own history with their memories, creating their unique gameplay. A single point could be meaningless, but when lines were drawn to connect the points, they formed value, and Sung-Woon thought of an apt descriptor of that.

"Call them Constellations."

[Setting complete.]

Sung-Woon said, "I will define the authorities of the Constellations."

[The highest authority's powers are being reset.]

"Sanctuary, what were the original conditions to become a god?"

[To be a being of Avartin and a descendant of the Pain Sect’s Wizards. Or, an evil entity that successfully stole that authority. Or, an entity from Earth directly chosen by the proxy, Aldin.]

Until now, gods in Avartin were predetermined beings. That was the root of evil. The true sufferers were not the gods but the beings affected by the gods' conflicts, which went unnoticed. Gods were fixed, and no one could challenge them. But Sung-Woon overturned this fact.

Sung-Woon said, "The Constellations are not gods. Now, anyone in Avartin has the potential to become the highest authority. Anyone who has proven their abilities beyond the limits of their existence, achieved a remarkable feat recognized by the Light of Eternity and Life, or significantly disrupted causality causing a shock to the world can become a Constellation."

[Authority reset complete.]

The Sanctuary said,

[Currently, 35 candidates for Constellations have been identified based on the criteria. Would you like to review them?]

Sung-Woon nodded.

The Sanctuary displayed the list using the system window. He reviewed the IDs of twenty-seven players, including himself, who were the new gods. These individuals had been gods and were fully capable of fulfilling their roles as Constellations. There was no one in Avartin more suitable for the role of Constellations than them at the moment.

Next, Sung-Woon reviewed the names of five evil entities who were previously evil gods. They were beings of sorrow and pain, desiring little yet achieving even less. Sung-Woon wanted to give them another fair opportunity.

Then, he reviewed the next two names.

[...

Bifnen Dial Robane

Aldin

...]

Sung-Woon erased them. "These two shall not have authority."

[The Light of Eternity and Life also agrees. These two can have not only their authority erased, but also their existence. Would you like to do so?]

Sung-Woon shook his head. "No. Even I do not have such authority. There is a rightful proxy to judge them, and I leave it to him."

[Okay.]

Sung-Woon checked the last name.

Sung-Woon thought of the apostles of the Pantheon and said, "There should be more candidates."

[It is due to the limitations of causality. There is a limit to immediate transitions. Time is needed.]

Sung-Woon nodded. "I grant the authority of Constellation to the final thirty three."

[Execution complete. Would you like to set a Pause Exception so that the Constellations can set up their Domains?]

Sung-Woon nodded again.

[Before that, the first Constellation, player Nebula. Please set your Domain.]

"Is the Domain referring to the sixty four Small Areas and seven Large Areas of The Lost World, along with the unknown number of Unique Domains?”

[Those are values arbitrarily divided and set by the old gods. If needed, player Nebula, you can reset them.]

"Anything?"

[Any concept that can be recognized can be turned into a Domain.]

Sung-Woon pondered for a moment, but not for long. As he was about to speak, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, unbidden.

"Sanctuary, my Domain is as follows."

[Please, go ahead.]

"Games."

[The compatibility and suitability for you to properly manage that Domain can be calculated. Of course, you can choose that Domain simply because you want it, without checking.]

"Please check it."

The Sanctuary was silent for a moment.

After the calculation was complete, the Sanctuary said,

[Compatibility: 99.98%. Suitability: 99.99%. Player Nebula, the Domain of Games is more suited for you than any other Domain.]

The Sanctuary explained the Domain of Games,

[Games. Competing based on a set of rules. A play. Activities done together by several people for enjoyment. Practice for life. Challenges and struggles. All these things fall under your Domain. Often, life is compared to a game by mortals, and the system surrounding Avartin functioned as a set of rules, like a game.]

"But it was biased. It wasn't fair. Many were excluded from the rules. That's why it wasn't enjoyable. That's why I will choose Games as my Domain."

[That is true. You now manage the Domain of Dames. From the narrow aspect of competition on a gameboard to the broader aspect as the owner of the system and the Sanctuary, you will have to revise these rules and serve all players participating in this game. That is the duty you should rightfully undertake as the highest authority of this system.]

"I will gladly accept."

[Understood. The Constellation of Games, player Nebula. The will of Eternity and Life supports your intentions and calls upon you. The Name Ever Victorious, Chaser of Stars, Master of the Hall of Myriad Stars, and Repetitive Struggle... Constellations are deciding their Domains.]

"Give them enough time."

[It shall be so... Player Nebula, what will you do about the judgment?]

Sung-Woon called the name of one of the Constellations. "He is my... No. Our representative, spokesperson, and proxy of Eternity and Life."

[The Light of Eternity and Life agrees. Their status as a representative, spokesperson, and proxy is indisputably rightful.]

Sung-Woon raised his head. He looked at the landscape of Bifnen’s Sky Castle on the monitor inside the Sanctuary. Bifnen seemed to have sensed what was happening.

This old god no longer relied on the power of the system and equipped himself with the armament he had had before becoming an old god, the one used to fight the original Wizards.

He wore a crown of thorns, held a whip in his left hand, and a burning sword in his right. Blood continuously flowed from his head, and light of magic sprung from his wounds. His face was obscured by the light cast onto his face by the halo. He was a Wizard from the era when the Pain Sect ruled Avartin, a power Sung-Woon estimated could rival that of a god.

But this being was not Sung-Woon's enemy. There were many ways to heal a wound. Naturally, the most important thing was to heal the wound directly.

However, pain was not only inflicted on the body. Even if all the injustices and illogical outcomes—the wounds of Avartin—were to be erased, the memories of the past persisted, and pain remained in the soul, in the continuous personality. Erasing those memories could seem like a way to remove the pain, but Sung-Woon knew that wasn’t the case. Erasing the pain from memory wasn’t healing the wound. It was changing the personality.

Even though that pain made a person suffer and eventually led to catastrophe, it was an identity left in their soul and continuous personality. The pain was the person.

Therefore, to heal wounds left not just on the body but also in the soul and continuous personality, another method had to be found. That method was rightful judgment.

The Sanctuary said, freewebn(o)vel

[Is it judgment, not revenge, anger, hatred, or cynicism?]

"Those surely can lessen the pain, but they also create other wounds."

[Is it because it's more important to break the cycle of pain that repeats as much as healing?]

"There's no such thing as perfect healing. Even if it heals somewhat, scars remain. We must carry some pain."

[Player Nebula, to accept your intention, I would like to conduct an experiment. I propose to simulate two worlds' models, one dominated by the former and the other by the latter. Will you allow me to use the available information processing resources?]

"Do as you wish."

After a brief moment, the Sanctuary said,

[Player Nebula, I also agree with your statement.]

Sung-Woon nodded. "Now I call upon the judge."

[They are ready.]

Sung-Woon looked at a black-scaled Lizardman awkwardly sitting on the head of a Dragon below the many levels of the Sky Castle, hugging their beloved weapon and curiously pressing their index finger to the system window.

The system said,

[All Constellations have completed setting their Domains.]

"I lift the Pause. The judgment shall commence."

[Execution complete.]

Time in the world began to flow again. As the clouds moved, the Lizardman, as if noticing Sung-Woon's gaze, lifted their head. Sung-Woon knew his gaze and voice had already reached them—him.

Sung-Woon said, "Miracle of mine, ours, and Avartin’s."

The thirty-third Constellation of the Hall of Myriad Stars, Lakrak, dusted himself and stood up.

"Lakrak, it is time for you to exercise your rightful authority."

Constellation Lakrak grasped his golden spear and gazed up at the Sky Castle in the sky.

The Light of Eternity and Life watched over the judgment.

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