Fortunately, this pessimistic god—Su'er provisionally called her that in his mind, anyway, she didn't care about Su'er's rudeness. Instead, she continued to speak with a sigh. Her existence was affecting this world, and her moods were also reflected in this world. At the very least, Su'er deeply felt that despairing emotion.
[Then... why be curious?]
[Why move forward?]
[After all... does everything truly exist?]
Su'er's chicken soup did not work at all. This unnamed Old Deus even began to doubt everything, one question after another.
"...Um, why... do you think like that?" Su'er rubbed his face hard and still couldn't help but ask.
What is this? The God of Philosophy?
[Why does everything exist?]
[What is the world?]
[What are we who are thinking about these things?]
[...]
As if her floodgate was opened, the unnamed Old Deus continued to ask one question after another.
Su'er was about to break.
From his previous life until now, he was not a person who liked to study philosophy. The questions that the Old Deus asked one after another gave him a feeling of being mentally defeated. He really couldn't hold it together.
Is this what he came here to study?
"Um, great Old Deus?" Su'er couldn't help but interrupt the Old Deus's seemingly endless questions and said nervously, "May I ask what concept you represent—?"
This time, there was finally silence. After a moment, the unnamed Old Deus, for the first time, did not throw a question back. Instead, she simply gave an answer.
[Doubt]
?
Meaning doubt?
Su'er felt as if he understood something.
[I was born to question "why" for the unconscious existences that have no consciousness. I am a god who doubts everything. I am the Divine Core of Doubt.]
He didn't know if it was his illusion, but for the first time, Su'er heard a sense of pride... or show-off in the tone of this God of Doubt.
"That's amazing," Although he didn't know what was amazing about it at all, Su'er still gave her a compliment immediately.
[What is so amazing about it?]
"..."
This conversation couldn't continue.
"How about this? I'll ask one question, and then you, Lord Doubt, will ask one question. Is that okay?" Su'er decisively broke the deadlock of endless questions and proposed.
[One for one? That is also not impossible]
He didn't know if she saw through Su'er's little trick or just didn't care at all, but the God of Doubt agreed flatly.
"I was once fortunate enough to meet the creator of the Dhampir, the God of Forge Ocan. She once guided me that I could get the answer I was looking for on the small island in the east. I am now also certain that she was very likely referring to you, and my question is - how can my race, Imanity, gain the same status as other races in this cruel war? To have the strength to fight against other races?"
He didn't hesitate to ask the question that he had spent so much effort, time, and energy looking for. It didn't matter if Su'er couldn't answer the Old Deus's counter-question later. He had already gotten what he wanted.
[Have your own god]
"But Imanity is not a created race. In that case, how can they have their own god?" Such an answer could not satisfy Su'er at all. He asked back anxiously.
[What are you?]
Instead of answering Su'er's question, the God of Doubt asked another question. Su'er then realized that it was her turn to ask.
This cunning guy!
He instantly became helpless. Su'er knew that things wouldn't be so difficult. The God of Doubt seemed to be ignoring him but wouldn't leave him any loophole to exploit.
"I am Imanity, a species that evolved from beast monkeys," There was nothing he could do. Su'er could only answer the God of Doubt's question first, but he got a negative evaluation.
[Wrong]
[Even if they also evolved from beasts, even if I have not witnessed it myself, everything in this world is born from the Spirit Corridor. In other words, if we trace back to the origin, you and they are not the same race... Is that still Imanity?]
[What's more, your soul...]
She stopped speaking in the middle of her sentence. The God of Doubt's voice suddenly fell silent.
She easily shattered the lie that Su'er had once used to convince himself. In fact, he and Riku were not the same race at all.
But, it didn't matter.
"Even so, we are still all Imanity," Su'er gritted his teeth and replied. "We have the same beliefs, similar bodies, and even our hearts can understand each other. As long as we hold on to the Imanity banner, we are all Imanity."
Before the God of Doubt could refute, Su'er spoke first, "It's my turn to ask - how can Imanity realistically have its own god?"
[Just a chance, a possibility... that chance exists within you]
The God of Doubt gave an answer that Su'er found unbelievable without stopping. He could hardly believe his ears.
"Me? To become a god?" The muscles on his face were completely out of control. Su'er was laughing. Even he found it ridiculous. Every word was trembling.
The chance to become a god was within him? The hope for Imanity's rise was within him?
How could a body of flesh and blood transform into a manifestation of a concept that is purely made of energy and whose existence itself represents the rule of the world?
This was a universe that even a frog at the bottom of a well had never fantasized about.
Why?
Su'er suddenly remembered his magical-like power that was always accompanied by pain and incompleteness. Was it because of his weak ability that could be easily washed away by spirits as long as he had a thought of resistance?
[Do you think the world is real? Are you and I real?]
It was the same as usual. As if she hadn't seen Su'er's shock and disbelief, she also didn't have the intention of explaining her answer. The God of Doubt just asked a flat question - a philosophical question.
"Whether it's the world, you, or I, we are all real," Su'er gave the answer without hesitation and continued, "If I can see the existence of an apple, smell the fragrance of an apple, taste the flavor of an apple, and also touch it, then this apple is real."
"The same logic applies here. I am stepping on this real world. The rocks are cold, the air is biting, the fire is hot, and the pain is unbearable. Even the words you are speaking to me will not exist in my anticipation beforehand. Everything is unknown, so whether it's the world or us, we are all real. This is my answer," Su'er said calmly.