The System.
An entity that wielded mysterious power and influence over the entire world.
There was a time when doubts about its existence arose. But no one could define it. It was inevitable; there was never any means of communication beyond one-sided messages, and no trace was ever left anywhere to infer its nature.
Then, not long ago.
Through the Main God he met in the Abyss, Kim Dojin obtained a clue—no, virtually conclusive proof—to its identity.
“Your main body has already approved this. So don't try any half-baked persuasion; just grant the wish I made.”
[…….]
The System remained silent.
The System, which only ever manifested as a notification window, was in fact the Main God. More precisely, it was an avatar that had split off from the Main God to manage the worlds that came into existence in different timelines, created by the Main God's mistake of turning back time.
Someone might ask this:
The irresponsible Main God who tried to die with the world, and the avatar that mechanically handled everything under the name of the System. Aren't the personalities of these two beings too different?
But that was only natural. The avatar managing Earth was an entity that had split off from the Main God after the Main God had already experienced a colossal failure. Having already suffered once, it was surely imbued with a resolve to never suffer again.
This was merely a conjecture based on that.
Perhaps the Earth's manager, after much deliberation, took on the form of the System to manage the world because it was both efficient and familiar to us. Whether in games or novels, even before the anomalies occurred in this world, status windows and systems were plastered everywhere. As such, we readily accepted its existence, and the occasional notification windows were received without much suspicion.
The Main God had said.
Given the nature of the entity granting the wish, fulfilling it was not impossible. But whether it would be approved or not was a different matter. No matter how much of a wish it was, a wish that shook the very foundations would not be easily accepted. To make it accept such a wish, it would need to be sufficiently persuasive.
Before Kim Dojin left, the Main God had given him a way to at least partially provide that persuasiveness.
“The Main God told me.”
He said that when the day came to persuade his avatar, he absolutely had to convey these words.
“If you don't want to end up like me, don't be afraid of change.”
[…….]
It was a self-deprecating taunt, yet also sincere advice. The ripple effect created by that single sentence was not small. It was enough to shake even the System's resolve to firmly maintain the current state and preserve the world.
[The Main God said such a thing?]
“Yeah.”
Recalling the Main God's last appearance before he left, Kim Dojin continued.
“He regretted it immensely, that old man.”
The Main God had believed he had done his best. But looking down at the world, still clinging to life even after he awoke, he regretted it. A handful of vitality, sown by the creatures struggling to survive even on this barren land, sustained it. The land, having ceaselessly endured, rose from the depths, and though it was but a speck, it could once again embrace life.
His regret was that he had underestimated humanity, the living beings inhabiting the world. He had failed to realize that humans, who had gnawed away at the world and led it to ruin, could, conversely, also lead it to life.
“He shouldn't have borne it alone.”
If he had shared the burden earlier. If, even after turning back time and failing once, twice, he had harmonized with the living beings of the world.
“The Abyss might not have been as it is now, either.”
They say there's always a way out, even if the sky falls. No matter how shocking the events unfolding before one's eyes, a path to survival always exists somewhere.
“Conversely, it means that even in hopeful situations, there's a quagmire that can drag you into despair.”
Hope exists within despair, and despair within hope. It might seem daunting, wondering which rhythm to follow. But surprisingly, the answer is simple.
“You can't be complacent.”
Just don't stop. Don't despair and collapse just because your current environment is desperate. And don't lie down comfortably just because it's hopeful.
“If you keep going back and forth between the cold and hot baths like that, you'll find it.”
The perfect temperature for you. A way for the world to maintain peace for even longer.
“When one war ends, peace comes for hundreds of years at shortest, thousands at longest, doesn't it?”
When the time comes, another war begins. And when that war ends, will peace come again? Who knows?
“Because one war, whenever it starts, might just plunge the world into ruin.”
Therefore, the current peace is merely a temporary escape. To stop escaping and find true peace, the very foundations must be shaken. The vicious cycle must be uprooted, and a virtuous cycle replanted and nurtured to grow straight.
“That's all I have to say. Now, you choose.”
Will you simply pray desperately that the world doesn't perish every time a war breaks out? Or will you move forward?
[…….]
Silence continued. The empty notification window seemed to convey its struggle over the two choices. After a prolonged silence, the System finally asked.
[Are you certain that your method will lead to a better future than the present?]
He shook his head.
“I don't know.”
[You don't know? How irresponsible—]
“It's not irresponsible.”
It's honest.
“Isn't it more unbelievable for a mere human to be certain of a future that even a god cannot predict?”
Will a better future than the present unfold? If it does, how long will it last? For now, it's utterly unknown. Furthermore.
“I also don't know what kind of struggles my proposed method might bring about.”
Some gods, desperate for salvation, might unite to drive out one side. They might pretend to save humanity and deceive them, or use tricks to blind them. But this much, I can be certain of.
“Everything in the world has its drawbacks.”
That no matter what method is chosen, there is no method with only advantages and no disadvantages. And.
“Whatever future unfolds, its repercussions will be far smaller than they are now.”
Now, one misstep means irreversible destruction. But in the future, wouldn't there be at least enough time to retreat, or to circumvent, and recover?
[…….]
The System fell into thought once more. The human had said. That it wasn't a certainty of improvement, but a step into the unknown taken with faith. It wanted to ask again. Then how does one cultivate such faith? But it didn't ask. Somehow, it felt it already knew the answer.
[I still distrust humanity.]
That was also why it had disguised itself as the System.
[Do you know why I disguised myself as the System, User?]
He had a rough idea.
“...Well.”
But he didn't say it. It seemed there might be another reason beyond what he had thought. And that was correct. As Kim Dojin had guessed, it was partly to more easily blend into human minds and loosen the ties of suspicion, but there was a greater reason.
[It was because I did not wish to become an object of worship.]
The moment its identity as a god was revealed, worship would arise everywhere. Humans would begin to believe in it, their numbers would steadily grow, and because it existed so clearly, the depth of their faith would swell beyond comparison to any other god.
[I disliked that.]
It did not wish to see humans arbitrarily hope and then be disappointed. Why do they arbitrarily wish and then become disappointed when a god can do nothing for them? Therefore, it had acted even more thoroughly as a pillar of the world, like a mere component. Even if an entity could do the same things, people would believe in a god, but there weren't many madmen who would worship a component without a self.
Ultimately, there was only one reason it did not wish to become an object of worship. It was because it didn't particularly like humans. Their behavior of swallowing what is sweet and spitting out what is bitter. Their cruel nature, harming others without hesitation for their own sake. Their foolishness, falling for all sorts of temptations in the name of pleasure and heading towards ruin.
[That sentiment has not changed, even now.]
So much time had passed, and humans had evolved, following the long footsteps of history. Yet, they had not changed. They had merely become more cunning and diversified their methods, but their fundamental nature remained the same. But sometimes, there were exceptions. Humans with dispositions quite different from the majority. Humans it found agreeable, who remained outside the conditions it disliked, as if mocking them. And through that minority, it gained the faith to step into the unknown.
The System then made its decision.
[User Kim Dojin's wish has been received.]
[The content of the wish is for the gods to no longer reside in the God Realm, but to live together in the Human Realm.]
[Furthermore, to save wandering humans and atone for their past sins.]
[User Kim Dojin.]
“Speak.”
[May I personally name the wish you have made?]
Kim Dojin, dumbfounded by the unexpected request, soon let out a small laugh and nodded.
“Do as you please.”
The notification window updated once more.
[Executing wish: 'Twilight of the Gods'.]
[Summoning fourteen gods currently residing in the God Realm to the Human Realm.]
At that very moment.
Flash!
Giant pillars of light descended from the sky. Their number was precisely fourteen.