Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch19: Deep in Thought

"Oh? What's this?"

Pearly white chairs made of marble stood atop clouds that spanned the vast plane. Ethereal stars twinkled in the ever-day sky, and a peaceful hum whirred in the background. Humanoids the size of buildings collected together in a circle, all facing one another. Every single one of them, save for a disproportionately small man, wore little to no clothes, causing the man in black to stick out like a sore thumb.

Ji Hoon raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms, turning to three individual gods. "What happened to not interfering with the mortal realm?"

"We're not interfering," Ai grinned. The fair goddess shrugged as she crossed her legs, "We were merely responding to prayers."

"Prayers you instigated," Ji Hoon emphasized.

"What's the problem, newbie?" A large man with rippling muscles and scales that spread across his body rested his cheek on his fist. "Afraid something bad will happen to your precious country?"

"Ryu's right!" a small boy chimed in. "I see nothing wrong here."

Ji Hoon tilted his head, "Don't forget: I only came here because you were scared of what I'd become. I upheld my end of the deal and didn't leave anything behind that would 'sway the balance."

"What about your kin?" Ryu questioned.

"That was before the deal was made," Ji Hoon droned.

"But that girl somehow has immeasurable potential no thanks to you. What difference does that make from our avatars?" Ai argued.

"Maybe we should send our avatars to kill the girl. Then we'll take back our power!" Ryu cackled.

Ji Hoon's iridescent eyes sharpened. Pressure emanated from his body, bleeding into the air around the gods. Cracks formed in the intricate designs of Ji Hoon's chair, and the clouds--as well as the bright sky above--darkened.

"The mortal world may be off limits, but I'm not prohibited from tearing the three of you apart," Ji Hoon glared.

"Now, now, Ji Hoon," a separate god stepped in. "You don't need to fight them."

Ji Hoon let off a sly sigh, "How about a game then? If your avatars run over the world, then I'll submit. However if they are stopped, then you three kill yourselves."

Y/n leaned against the cabin wall with his major weapons leaning next to him. He stared into the floorboards blankly while he passed the time. Moonlight seeped through small gaps in the cabin as it did every night, yet a campfire still crackled at the center. Eunchae, Garam, and Kazuha slept soundly while Yunjin tended to the fire. The eldest periodically glanced toward Y/n with uneasy eyes.

"What are you looking for up here?" she asked.

"Can't say," Y/n replied lowly. "It's a secret."

"So why are you alone?" Yunjin prodded in search of a reason to quell her uncertainty.

"I was sent on a test of strength. If I succeed, then I can go back a different man," Y/n explained. "Then I can start changing the world."

A twig snapped as Yunjin's eyes darted toward Y/n. Her eyes narrowed, casting a shadow just above her cheeks. "What do you mean by that?"

Y/n reached into his pocket, spinning a shuriken on his fingertip, "I'll unite the world--do what Park Ji Hoon couldn't. If I can create a place where everyone's together, we won't have to worry about wars."