"That day, the Gods descended upon the Earth." Guinevere began.
"It wasn't just the well-known deities, like the gods and goddesses of Rome, Egypt, or Norse mythology. Lesser-known gods also descended, yet their names and faces remained largely unfamiliar."
Upon their arrival, the Gods decreed the same thing.
"Humans of the world, rejoice! The gods you worship, the gods you praise, have arrived. Reach out, bow before us, and pray, for we will give you strength to beat your adversaries and lead you to endless victory!"
The voice resonated powerfully around the globe, demanding respect. Yet, instead of admiration, chaos ensued.
Countries all over the world turned down the so-called gods' grace. They were seen as enemies from somewhere else, as invaders.
Fighter jets sped through the air, leaving white trails of smoke.
Destroyers roamed the seas, cutting through waves.
Missiles flew over deserts and oceans, hitting the figures who claimed to be benevolent "gods."
"Sounds like an all-out war." Kai interrupted, unable to hold back his curiosity.
However, Guinevere shook her head at his comment, her smile thin.
"A war lasting less than three hours? It was no war, but rather… a bloodbath? No, there's no blood involved, so maybe a massacre is more fitting."
The voices echoed all across the globe once more, as if representing the gods' fury.
"Foolish. How Foolish! We showed you kindness and gave you gifts, and instead of respect, you try to oust us? Then you will have to pay for your sins with your lives!"
There was no flash or anything fancy. The world simply went quiet after that.
The world leaders who had planned the attacks disappeared without a trace. It was as if entire fleets, countless weapons, and military vehicles, even personnel that only followed orders, had never existed.
Millions, if not billions, of people vanished into thin air. As if spirited away.
That day soon came to be known as the Purge.
After the Purge, everything went swimmingly.
People went to churches and temples in large numbers, bowing their heads in prayer. In return, the gods gave them gifts—powers that broke logic and were meant to get people ready for what was to come.
"And so, the Gods' Games started."
Guinevere paused, taking time to breathe.
The gods made "games," which were challenges that players needed to clear within a certain time limit.
Those who were successful got even more power, blessings, and rewards. Some found artifacts that were very valuable, which made the gap between the strong and the weak even bigger.
But there was a price to pay.
Death.
Death was always a part of the Gods' Games. More than half of the active players died in the first three days, and the total number of deaths around the world went over a billion.
Hearing this, Kai felt his throat get tight.
Still, he listened in silence, with his fists curled tight.
To combat the high death rate, players from the same churches formed smaller groups known as guilds. They collaborated, supported one another's weaknesses, and tackled the games as a united team.
Because of this, the chances of survival went up by a lot.
The victorious grew stronger, while the defeated either perished or weakened even more.
The victorious took on harder games, got bigger rewards, and moved even further ahead of regular players. The defeated became unable to win other games and were gradually reduced to the status of "civilians" once again.
Guinevere said softly, "And that brings us to the present."
She finished explaining the bare bones of what happened after he went into a coma.
The gods' descent.
The chaos that followed.
The games that now controlled humanity's fate.
Even though it was rushed and lacking a lot of details, it made a clear picture.
Guinevere picked up the paper tote bag nearby, the one dropped by the bald bodyguard of Ryan, and put it on the bedside.
"These are three things that President Carmilla gifted to you."
After rummaging through the bag for a moment, she gave him the first one.
It looked like a smartwatch. Small and sleek. The glass surface was so shiny that it could function as a mirror, reflecting Kai's image, black hair, and eyes perfectly.
"This is a player terminal," she said. "You can use it to check your status and the description of your blessing and apply to join or leave a god's church and guilds."
She smiled a little.
"It also lets you know when a new game is about to start. Many players never take it off."
Kai thought for a moment and then asked, "But Carmilla didn't wear anything like this."
Guinevere nodded her head.
"President Carmilla uses a model that looks like a phone. You probably saw it before when she got a message before rushing out."
"Ah. So that's what it was..."
Kai nodded slowly, and the last piece fell into place.
Guinevere went on, "Since your phone was broken, all of its data has been moved to this device. Use it wisely."
"Thank you," Kai said with a small smile.
The second thing was a bead made of glass.
It was no bigger than his thumb and felt light and cool in his hand. When he held it up against the hospital room's light, it glowed a soft blue and sparkled from the inside.
Guinevere said, "This is an escape crystal. You can use it to leave a game without getting any penalties or losses. It's a consumable, so try to use it only if you feel as if your life is in grave danger."
Kai turned it over in his hands and forgot about his injuries for a moment. The quality of the work was enough to take his breath away.
A few beats later, Guinevere gave him the last thing after he put the crystal down.
It was a black card.
It looked like a simple, plain credit card, but with no magnetic strip. There are no markings on it except for a small writing in the middle that shows the number ten.
"This is a permit to enter God's Game," she said. "It lets you play games from Grade H to Grade E. You can use it ten times."
"An entry permit..." Kai whispered. "So, not everyone can play a game?"
Guinevere shrugged her shoulders, exasperated.
"If there were no limits on entry, every game would be full of people who were challenging way beyond their limits, trying to hit it big. Most people would die before they figured out what they had gotten into."
Kai let out a long breath.
Now, it made sense.
The permit wasn't just a limiting factor; it was a way to protect everyone's interests at the same time.
"With this, I've done my part. Any questions?" She urged.
"Thank you," Kai replied, lowering his head a little. "I believe I finally have a firm understanding of what's going on."
"You're welcome." Guinevere put her hands together. "I'll get you some new clothes and take care of your discharge then."
She tried to stand up but stopped and looked at him.
"I still think you should stay and recover, but I know better than to stop you."
"I'm sorry about that." Kai said, "And thank you for understanding."
Guinevere turned around to leave.
Kai held onto the tote bag lightly as she walked away.
A woman who knew when to step in to help and when to take a step back. That made their interaction feel natural and not forced.
And maybe that's why—
He couldn't shake the feeling that they might never see each other again after he left the hospital.