[Safe Zone – Morning, Seoul, One Month Later]
The sky had stopped bleeding for a while.The cracks still shimmered faintly, like unhealed scars, but for once, no monster screams echoed through the horizon.
Humanity called it a miracle.
The ex-gods called it a day off.
Balance was the first to wake up, mostly because his bunkmates snored like thunder. Faith slept with her hands in prayer, whispering half-healing chants even in dreams. Entropy slept sideways, drooling on a bag of screws. Order? He was meditating — loudly.
"If perfection were human," Balance grumbled, "we'd still be unemployed."
The door burst open. A young guild recruiter in a bright blue vest leaned in, face beaming with optimism and complete ignorance.
"You guys the new volunteers?""Volunteers?" Faith blinked. "We are—""—very willing to serve the community," Balance cut in quickly.
He smiled like a politician hiding a crime scene.
"Right! We're totally normal humans looking for purpose!"
The recruiter nodded, already writing down names.
"Perfect! Welcome to the Guild of Dawnlight, Seoul branch! We specialize in low-risk monster cleaning and supply escort jobs!""Cleaning?" Entropy perked up. "Does it pay?""Two meals and hazard pay!""We accept."
Order frowned. "We do not clean."
"We do if it's an order," Balance snapped back."I am Order!""Exactly."
[Scene: The Guild Orientation]
The hall buzzed with chatter. Mercenaries of all ranks were lined up for their daily quest assignments.
A girl with neon pink hair waved a clipboard.
"Newbies! Roll call!"
"Faith, Balance, Entropy, and…" she looked at Order.
"Your name, sir?""Order.""Ord… err, okay, Ordy. Got it."
He twitched.
"It's Order.""Yes, yes, Mr. Ordy. You're on sanitation duty."
Faith chuckled so hard she almost glowed.
[Training Ground – The 'Simple' Cleaning Mission]
Their task sounded easy: clear out leftover mana residue from a destroyed dungeon gate.Except, the residue was semi-sentient.
"Balance, it's eating the mop.""Faith, stop blessing the detergent.""Entropy, put down the hammer!""Order, stop lecturing the slime about hierarchy!"
The slime, halfway through devouring a broom, burped a tiny lightning bolt.
Faith squealed. "It's cute!"
"It's unstable plasma!" Balance shouted.Entropy leaned closer. "Can we keep it?""Absolutely not.""Too late. I named it Kevin."
Kevin spat on Balance's shoes.
[Lunch Break – The Guild Canteen]
They gathered at a rickety table, surrounded by mercenaries discussing monsters, loot, and politics.Faith carefully dissected her omelet. Entropy poured soda into his soup just to see what would happen.
Order stared at the guild's Rule Board like it was an ancient scripture.
"Rule #7: Do not summon entities indoors," he read aloud. "Humans are so specific.""That's because someone once did," Balance muttered. "And blew up an inn.""Ah. My people."
They all turned when the cafeteria television flickered to life — showing live footage of Yurina Kaito meeting with foreign dignitaries.
Her calm voice filled the room, her silver-white hair catching the light.
"…we must focus on stability between nations. No more reckless awakeners' privileges…"
Faith smiled faintly. "She's really something."Entropy snorted. "She's weird. She hums like the World Tree when she sleeps."
"How do you know that?""...Don't ask questions you don't want answered."
The camera panned to Aiden Park sitting beside her — yawning, half-asleep, looking about as done with diplomacy as a cat in a bathtub.
Balance chuckled. "At least someone's still human."
[Later That Day – Guild Assignment Mishap #2]
Their next job: escort a caravan through the outer perimeter.Simple, said the Guild.Harmless, said the map.Wrong, said the gods.
Halfway down the road, a mutated raccoon leapt onto the wagon, screeching in twelve frequencies.
"Monster!" Faith shouted."Mop!" Balance yelled."Kevin!" Entropy commanded.
Kevin oozed from his pouch, ate the raccoon, and evolved into a larger, angrier slime.
"Oh," Faith whispered. "He's a growing boy."
The wagon exploded.
When the dust cleared, Entropy emerged holding the now-smoldering Kevin.
"He's fine.""We're not!" Balance screamed. "We're banned from another route!""Add that to the list," Order sighed.
[Evening – Return to HQ]
The ex-gods trudged back into the safe zone, covered in soot, slime, and collective shame.
Observer was waiting for them, lounging in a hammock made of data threads.
"How was your day, my divinely unemployed friends?""Terrible," Balance muttered."Educational," Faith said brightly."Profitable," Entropy grinned."Humiliating," Order said.
Observer clapped.
"So… perfect. You're adapting wonderfully to mortality."
He leaned forward, smirk curling like static.
"By the way, there's a karaoke night tomorrow. Winner gets a wish token.""A wish?" Faith perked up."Any wish?""As long as it's funny."
[Final Scene – Faith's Diary Entry]
Day 15 as a human. Mortality smells like sweat and instant noodles. Order nearly cried because someone called him 'Ordy' again. Balance is secretly writing self-help slogans. Entropy has tamed a slime named Kevin. I healed a child today. The child thanked me with a lollipop. I think… I like it here.
She paused, smiling at the flickering light of the World Tree outside her window.
Maybe this is what the Goddess meant by 'life.'
[Next Chapter Teaser — "Aiden Park's Off Day"]
The man who once carried humanity's last hope just wants a nap, a normal meal, and five minutes without someone calling him "Hero."Unfortunately, the gods are now his neighbors.