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"Do not expect greatness from the ancient gods.
Their only desire is to rise above all, using the myth-gods as their ladder.
To them, we humans are nothing but material for their dreams.
Thus, believe in yourself—
even to the point of delusion—
for that is the one thing that separates humans from the divine."
— Marcesveil Lysorian
Marcesveil Lysorian once proved that between life and death there's delusion. You're either half-dead/half-live or neither dead nor alive. A world where delusion runs wild. Neither the myth nor ancient gods can have control over it.
Space. Time. These two are the most delusional in that world. As the first one to break out of it... MARCESVEIL LYSORIAN said "delusion is the one and only thing that truly has no bound."
The place I'm in is one called the outerline. An entry part of the delusional world. 'The Etherlamentia'.
...
Water pouring off the sky. He truly saw no bound to the end of the outerline. He turned around scanning the Etherlamentia entrance. Starts falling off as a rain resembling the lives of humans who once died and reincarnated.
The stars would strike the ground and return up in the sky. Repeating it all and all again and again.
Unlike the usual sky, clouds—dark clouds—are all over the ground floating above the waving water. The outerline had one light source and it was the reflecting water and the source of light: the stars.
The water started sucking his legs as it twisted over his legs. He stood firm, gazing at the unknown source of light. There was no sun, no trees—nothing—except water flowing, just like the ground as he stood on it.
Fixed on a certain light from afar he started to mumble. "I feel a divine presence..." he clinched his fists and spoke loudly to the light, "Why did you summon me?"
The water, as it sucked his legs, took him over to the light, dragging his feet. But the closer he got, the more he felt it was forbidden for him to see the light.
The light figure has six wings and eyes that seemed to see wonder right through his soul. Fear and awe washed over him.
He stood firm instinctively, though his hand trembled and sweat drenched his back—a sweat that shouldn't even exist.
The light shone so brightly that his eyes could barely comprehend it, and perhaps they were never meant to.
The star-like figure smiled. Though the man couldn't see it clearly, he felt the warmth in his heart.
Suddenly, he could see the full figure of the light. Its face was more human-like, but the skin looked fictional, almost otherworldly. Its wings were exactly as he had read in novels—angelic and majestic.
The figure spoke with a loving smile as it walked toward him:
"Wandering soul, may you rest in peace with your other life. Welcome to Etherlamenthia."
He frowned, thinking about his life. Thoughts ran over his mind like background music as he tried to control his uncomfortable body's state.
He said murmuring to himself, "Of course I hate it when I died without achieving anything... But above all it was thanks to Truck-Kun that I'm here..."
Despite learning he had died, he felt no fear. He had never taken life seriously; the more he did, the more he realized he was an empty shell, nothing to boast of except the body he was born with.
The light figure paused, allowing the man to digest his words. Then it spoke:
"You have been chosen by the angel numbers—the River Paths. The paths want to revive you alive in another world.
The world you came from, Earth, is special. The paths revive souls into new shells with new lives."
The man looked bored. He had read enough novels to know this kind of exposition. Raising an eyebrow, he said,
"So, in short, you want to either transmigrate me or reincarnate me."
The angel smiled again.
"Call it what you like. I am a guidanceer. I guide lost souls; that is my duty. Before you go, you may ask any questions that trouble you."
"First question," the man said, "where are you going to guide me? And why am I chosen by the path?"
The angel's smile softened as it replied:
"Easy. These are two questions. I am guiding you to Etherlamenthia, a world where souls are reincarnated. What awaits you there is not my duty.
The reason you are chosen relies heavily on your past life, which I do not know specifically."
The man's face grew serious.
"Second question: what are the paths?"
The guidanceer noticed the man's mood shifting.
"Every human is born under a path. There are twenty paths. Each path has a God ruling it. They have significant influence over reincarnation.
I know what you're going to ask next..."
He closed his eyes, digesting every and anything he saw as information inside his head. "I expect nothing less from a guidanceer. Of course, I would ask about the gods—all of them. No one is stupid enough to step on a world full of mysteries not knowing the gods..."
"It will be very long and so tiring just from hearing it, so embrace yourself…
Listen closely:
000 / 0000
000: The Nullborn – God of the Void, guardian of emptiness. Maintains the infinite vacuum between worlds, ensuring creation does not collapse into itself.
0000: The Absolute Silence – God of Erasure, the finality of memory. Wipes existence from time when balance demands it, leaving only oblivion behind.
111 / 1111
111: The Trinity Flame – God of Creation, beginnings, and unity. Sparks the birth of worlds, guiding life's first breath across realms.
1111: The Pillar of Origin – God of Foundations, the architect of reality's structure. Ensures destiny unfolds along the ordained paths.
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222 / 2222
222: The Dual Moon – God of Harmony and Reflection. Balances opposing forces, guarding the hidden duality of souls and matter.
2222: The Mirror of Infinity – God of Resonance. Bends reality to reflect the perfect equilibrium of existence, making all extremes harmonize.
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333 / 3333
333: The Trickster's Tongue – God of Expression and Chaos. Inspires creation, mischief, and divine improvisation, whispering ideas into mortal minds.
3333: The Chorus Eternal – God of Unity through Speech. Binds all voices into a single cosmic song, shaping reality with the power of sound and thought.
444 / 4444
444: The Stone Sentinel – God of Order and Law. Upholds divine statutes, enforcing structure across worlds to prevent chaos from swallowing existence.
4444: The Eternal Fortress – God of Stability. Anchors reality, holding the foundations of creation unyielding, unshakable by any force.
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555 / 5555
555: The Wanderer's Star – God of Freedom and Change. Guides souls seeking new paths, inspiring exploration across worlds and possibilities.
5555: The Cosmic Nomad – God of Transcendence. Roams the Soul Rivers, reshaping destinies and paths, unbound by law or duty.
666 / 6666
666: The God of Desire – God of Temptation and Craving. Forges longing in mortals and immortals alike, shaping ambition, obsession, and lust.
6666: The Devourer of Worlds – God of Consumption. Elevates desire into hunger so great it can reshape or consume entire realities.
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777 / 7777
777: The Hidden Seer – God of Wisdom and Mystery. Observes the flow of time and souls, revealing truths to those ready to see.
7777: The Veil Unbroken – God of Prophecy. Maintains the hidden threads of fate, masking and unveiling the future as the cosmos requires.
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888 / 8888
888: The Iron Crown – God of Power and Dominion. Oversees rule, material authority, and the flow of wealth across worlds.
8888: The Empire Eternal – God of Legacy. Ensures dynasties and civilizations persist in memory and soul beyond death.
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999 / 9999
999: The Final Requiem – God of Endings and Mortality. Guides souls through closure, mourning what must pass, ensuring completion.
9999: The Omega Ascendant – God of Rebirth and Return. Transcends endings, carrying lessons of all past existence into the next cycle.
This should be about enough, but these are not actually the only gods; knowing only this should suffice.
"No, I actually want you to tell me about the other gods. Let me guess—they are setbacks or something..."
The guidanceer felt a bit of shock.
"You are really something else, aren't you, wandering soul.
Well, hear me out though:
14: The Balancer
Duty: God of Temptation and Consequence. Crafts obstacles from indulgence and overreach. Pushes souls to confront excess, teaching that freedom comes with responsibility. Those who ignore the path of balance face natural setbacks and hardship.
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16: Fall and Rise
Duty: God of Humility and Catastrophe. Strikes prideful souls with sudden collapse—loss, failure, or destruction. Its duty is to force growth through adversity; every fall is a lesson, every collapse a natural consequence of imbalance.
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19: The Cycle Ender
Duty: God of Finality and Reckoning. Oversees inevitable endings and closures. Forces resolution, clearing unfinished paths, breaking stagnation. Those who resist the cycle face karmic resistance, natural roadblocks, and relentless challenges.
They are simply karma.
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"I know it's a lot of information," the guidanceer said. "But these are gods far above myth. Any questions left?"
'He knows a lot for a guidanceer... How does he not know about Etherlamenthia? Was there a mistake or what...'
He closed his eyes, tilting his head again as he asked, "Tell me—how many people are going into Etherlamenthia?"
The guidanceer closed his eyes, forcing a faint smile.
"No idea. You'll find out when you enter. And I'm afraid you only have one question left."
He let out a sigh and approached the light figure.
"How long are you going to play all high-and-mighty, filthy soul? You really suck at acting."
The light showed terror as he was terrified internally, screaming, 'Did he find out? Who is he? Should I ask him? No… no…'
He tried to stay composed.
"What are you saying?"
But the man had already read his microexpression.
As he said to himself, "Such a shame... What a really pathetic author I am... How could I let such a delusional world run wild like this."
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