The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 34 - Defining Godhood

"—ng master!" Foster's warped voice startled Arthur, causing him to flinch and involuntarily shut his eyes.

When Arthur's eyes opened again, he grew confused. He found himself suddenly facing his carriage, reaching for the door handle as if time had reverted to the moment before he heard the stranger's chilling voice.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" Foster's nervous voice entered his ears.

Arthur ignored his guards, turning around in a flash and scanning the area for the stranger, but only the lively streets of Munn entered his eyes. He wasn't sure what horrified him more, the thought that the stranger was real or that he had suffered from some mental break that caused him to experience a hyper-realistic hallucination.

The thought of being unable to discern reality was up there on Arthur's list of horrors he'd rather not experience. If he had to number it, then nihility would take first place while an inability to discern reality took an infinitely close second.

Arthur turned back toward Foster and Jeren. "Explain to me what happened since we left the alleyway. Step by step."

"We left the alley, turned left, and walked to the carriage. When we reached the carriage, you suddenly stopped moving as if you were frozen in place." Jeren replied in a soldier-like report.

"How long did I remain that way?" Arthur asked as he calmed himself.

Jeren looked confused but still replied professionally. "Only about five or six seconds, lord."

Arthur glanced at Kyren for confirmation. "Pretty boy #2 is right. You just froze like a statue for a bit. I thought you were messing with them at first, but it didn't even look like you were breathing. What happened?"

Arthur felt a chill creep up his spine despite the scorching heat. "Forget it. Let's go."

After informing the driver about his next destination, he entered the carriage and departed as his mind replayed what had transpired. Gods did exist on Nithe, and while Arthur had never seen one, if the stranger wasn't a god, he didn't know what sort of being could claim such a title.

The pressure he felt from the stranger was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was as if the old man physically radiated pure aether. It was so overwhelming that Arthur was surprised his legs didn't buckle when he turned around to face him.

It was a rare occurrence, but it wasn't unheard of for gods to directly interact with mortals. Like Earth's mythology, Nithe's gods did plenty of meddling, or so the legends claim. However, as far as Arthur knew, no gods on Nithe looked like an old beggar.

Of course, Arthur was hardly an expert on the matter. The moment he realized gods truly existed on Nithe was the moment he decided to have nothing to do with the religion of this world. He thought that any tangible beings claiming to be gods wouldn't have the people's best interests at heart.

Yet, the stranger's eyes gave him the impression that the old man had witnessed eons as mortals witnessed seconds. It was a level of detachment to all things that couldn't be faked, and just recalling it caused him to shiver.

"What makes a god, a god?" Arthur asked the silent carriage, causing Jeren and Foster to tilt their heads and squint at him.

"Gods are powerful and live forever, young master." Foster replied confidently.

"So if a human becomes immortal and grows powerful enough, would you worship them as a god?"

Foster scratched his head. "Well, no... They'd still just be a human."

"Gods are wise, lord." Jeren added.

"Wisdom is gained through experience and experience through time. If that powerful and immortal human had lived a thousand years, would you worship them then?"