Chapter 2240: The Final Wish |
In other words, Jenkins had 155 years to resolve the matter of his ascension on his own. While the gods wouldn't offer him a comprehensive, all-inclusive service for godhood as they had for past saviors, Jenkins was free to choose his own path, train himself, and learn as he saw fit. The degree of freedom was immense.
Besides, this was more than enough time for him to sort out matters with the women and friends in his life. He was still contemplating whether he should make Briny an angel or a divine spirit—a truly difficult choice.
"The Nineteenth Epoch will begin in 155 years and will last for six thousand, seven hundred and fifty-six years and four months. Before it begins, you must leave the material world. And before it ends, you must truly carve out your own world beyond the material plane, allowing the cycle of worlds to continue as it should."
"Why is the Nineteenth Epoch so long?"
It was almost three times as long as the Eighteenth Epoch.
"The gods have decreed it. In the Nineteenth Epoch, the aberrant races will return. The spiritual tide will once again sweep across the material world, and transcendent powers will manifest once more."
The Fifth Ruler, the Weaver of Illusory Dreams, spoke. Jenkins was not familiar with this one, either.
"Is that so? How interesting."
Jenkins nodded, addressing the gods in the sea of stars:
Past Rulers always took things with them before leaving the material world. Some took only space, others took entire species, and some took things far more complex.
"You may take as much as you desire. Even if you leave the material world a barren land, a new civilization will eventually grow there."
The Seventeenth Ruler provided the answer. As the previous Ruler, They were more experienced.
Jenkins immediately nodded his thanks, suppressing his joy. At this rate, he could even move an entire kingdom. Of course, he had no intention of doing so... or rather, he would consult Alexia for her advice on the matter. After all, there was plenty of time.
At this thought, he suddenly realized something and summoned the All-Seeing Card—The World, which had been immersed in his spirit. Holding the card, he looked toward the Righteous God of Destiny:
"Did you cause this card to appear in my hand as a reminder? A hint about my true nature, a hint about the final outcome?"
"It was not I, but Destiny itself. No one has ever truly possessed this card before. And now, it is yours."
The Hermit replied softly. Jenkins gazed down at the card. In the Mysterious Realm of the wax museum, it had unleashed but a fraction of its power to vanquish that entity. Now, he could sense its full might. When the time came to forge a world in the void, he would surely need to draw upon the destiny held within this very card.
"Then, Jenkins, do you accept all these arrangements?"
Oviya asked him once more.
"I accept. Oh, one more thing. During these 155 years, can I leave the material world and return at will?"
"As long as you do not use your divine power to influence the course of civilization, there are no other restrictions."
"So, that means I can see you anytime... Ahem, never mind. I accept all the arrangements, I accept the decree of the gods and the Rulers."
He nodded with a stern, straight face. The three hundred and sixty-five Pseudo-Gods applauded in unison, the twelve Righteous Gods watched him with smiles, and the seventeen Rulers remained high upon their starry thrones.
"Then, for the final matter: your wish, as a reward for your contribution to the world."
Oviya reminded him.
"Yes, my first wish. I want to know about this!"
Jenkins pointed to the empty seat high above—the place of the First Ruler.
"That seat belongs to the God of Creation, the First Ruler."
Oviya, the God of Knowledge, answered.
"Just as I thought. The material world of the First Epoch was much like the Rulers' current, imperfect worlds. Therefore, the Creator of the material world must be the First Ruler... Who is the First Ruler?"
"Everything."
"What do you mean?"
Jenkins didn't understand.
"It's simple. Our world has no creator god. The world was born in the beginning—a natural phenomenon, a choice made by the world itself, the result of non-interference. In the First Epoch, the world was nascent, and its power was spent perfecting itself. Thus, though there were Beasts of Calamity and an apocalypse, no Ruler was born. The first gods, to commemorate the world's birth, established that seat for Everything. That is the first Ruler."
Oviya answered patiently, and Jenkins listened in astonishment:
"So, that's why no creator god appears in any religion's creation myth? This world is truly... The gods are truly incredible."
"Jenkins, you hold two fragments of the Creation Slate. But do you know of the slate's origin?"
"It was born at the dawn of creation."
Jenkins answered Oviya's question. As the Righteous God of Knowledge, the Sage possessed the most complete Creation Slate. What the Scribes transcribed were, in fact, transcribed facsimiles of the parts of the Creation Slate that could be viewed by mortals. Though it was the most mysterious of texts, mortals could only copy it; none could ever comprehend it. This was something Jenkins had only just now understood.
"Yes, but the original slate was blank. It bore no words. It was merely an ordinary slab of stone from the dawn of creation, possessing no power or significance.
The contents of the slate were gradually carved by the gods in the ages that followed. It is the order the gods established for the world. Whenever a new order was decided, new words would be engraved upon it. There is no creator god. This world is one we developed ourselves."
Jenkins shook his head. It was truly unexpected, yet it somehow made perfect sense:
"Alright then. My second wish. When I return to the material world, I will use my power—the full power of the Lie Godhood—one time to rewrite the perceptions of the people on a relatively large scale."
This would count as divine intervention in the material world, which was why Jenkins had to inform them first.
"A trivial matter. The decision is yours."
The former God of the Starry Sky, now the Starry Sky Ruler, the Sacred God of All Stars, spoke. They were originally of the Star Spirit race, the same as Rakul, and Their body, formed of starlight, also had a female form.
The golden power Jenkins used at the end of his duel with the Difference Engine was, in fact, the power of a Ruler. The Blessing of Books had guided him to reveal to the entire world the information of a complete system and civilization from another world. This was what had truly elevated his power, and it was the reason for the Difference Engine's defeat.
Therefore, even without divinity, he could now wield a godhood. The gods were only having him walk the material world for another 155 years to solidify his foundation.
"And what of your final wish?"
Oviya asked in a low voice, reminding Jenkins not to forget.
"There is one final wish. I want to resurrect someone."
Jenkins didn't hesitate; he had been thinking about this wish for a long time. Smiling, he looked up at the gods, a light shining in his eyes:
"To resurrect someone whose soul was shattered."
"Just one person? More than one person close to you has died in the past year."
The Ruler of Death, the Ancient God of Death, spoke again.
"But death is a law of nature, and I do not wish to defy it. It's just that the person I wish to resurrect... he should not have died. You can consider this my own selfish desire."
"A trivial matter. No problem."
The Ruler of Death and the Righteous God of Death answered simultaneously. Even for a shattered soul, resurrecting a person was no difficult task for Them.
"Those are all my wishes. I will abide by the decree of the gods. One day, we shall meet again in this sea of stars."
He declared.
"Jenkins Redemptor Williams, the Eighteenth Epoch has ended because of you, and the world has been saved because of you. All matters of the Epoch's end are concluded. Now, please walk your own path well."
The gods spoke in unison:
"One day, we shall meet again in this sea of stars."
As they spoke, the surrounding sea of stars finally began to grow illusory. It was time for the gods, and Jenkins, to depart.
"Speaking of which, Chocolate... I mean, the Devouring Moon Spirit Cat. Do you have any arrangements for it?"
He only brought up his well-behaved cat at the very end. As for equating his cat with the calamity of the moon-devourer, that was not truly important.
"Just as you are responsible for guarding the seal of the eighteenth Beast of Calamity, the Devouring Moon Spirit Cat came into being because of you. Naturally, you must be responsible for looking after it. Surely you don't intend to push that responsibility onto us?"
It was unclear which god was joking with Jenkins.