Chapter 34: Velkaris's Next Plan – Part 1
Perspective: Velkaris
In the stillness of the Mirror Temple, Velkaris sat alone—his reflection rippling gently across the polished surface of the pool. Outside, the people thrived. They whispered prayers, built homes, and forgot the world they'd once known.
They called him god.
He had their faith.
Their belief made him real.
But he could no longer call himself human.
The Choice of Existence
"Even if I pretend," Velkaris muttered, "I can never return to what I once was."
He stared at his hand—too symmetrical, too perfect. There was no pulse. No trembling in the joints. No warmth. Only form.
The Mirror Path sustained him… but it drained him too.
Emotion had become a mask.
Humanity—a fading afterimage in the glass.
And yet…
He stepped into the main chamber, where the Mother of Mirrors stood with folded hands, a quiet presence amid reflected eternity.
"Ensure they live freely," Velkaris said softly.
"Let them eat, laugh, build. Make them believe this place is not a cage, but a future."
"Even if I'm becoming less… I want to make sure they don't have to lose their humanity like I did."
The Mother of Mirrors tilted her head slightly.
"They believe what you tell them," she said.
"If you say they are free… then they are."
A Warning from the System
But doubt lingered.
Velkaris turned back into the sanctum and called out:
"System. What happens when I run out of time—when I no longer use the Divine Pass?"
DING
System Response:
"What do you think the Hidden Sage is doing?"
"He reveals knowledge after knowledge, without care."
"Even mystical beasts begin as men, but once they become angels… they forget how to care."
"You, Velkaris, are worse. You are not anchored by divinity or order. You are a god of nothing—a lie."
"If you lose yourself, you will not die. You will vanish into reflections, whispering untruths to yourself for eternity."
"You will forget what 'you' means."
Velkaris didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Because deep down, he already knew. He could feel the pull—the slow unraveling of his mind.
The way mirrors whispered.
The urge to erase a soul just to perfect an illusion.
He was already drifting toward that fate.
Buying More Time
"Open the shop," he said.
DING – Shop Opened
Divine Pass Options:
1 Month — 500 Faith Points
3 Months — 1,000 Faith Points + 10,000 Lie Faith Points
1 Year — 10,000 Faith Points + 1,000,000 Lie Faith Points + 10,000 System Points
He stared at the options.
The 1-year pass was a fortress of stability—but impossible for now.
"Buy the 3-month pass."
DING — Transaction Confirmed
Deducted:
1,000 Faith Points
10,000 Lie Faith Points
Remaining Balance:
Faith Points: 1,010 → now 10
Lie FP: 190,600 → now 180,600
A warmth—not physical, but real—washed over him.
For a moment, he could breathe.
He could feel guilt. Regret. Hope.
His own name before the lie.
"Three months," he whispered, "to finish this… before I forget why I began."
System Notification:
"Divine Identity Temporarily Stabilized."
"Warning: Emotions returning to host may conflict with growing false divinity."
"Risk of moral interference in logical propagation."
Velkaris smiled faintly.
"Let it interfere," he said.
"I'd rather be conflicted… than become a god who no longer knows what it means to feel."
As he stepped from the sanctuary, wind catching the hem of his dark robe, Velkaris whispered a quiet prayer—to himself:
"Let me be more than the lie I became."
End of Chapter 34: Velkaris's Next Plan – Part 1