Chapter 100: Cataclysm

Though the [System] had no expression, its confusion was palpable.

It had come to eliminate a mere mortal who wasn’t supposed to create worlds, only to witness that very mortal ascend to godhood right before its eyes.

Even for me, the one who executed this act, it was beyond common sense. 

How absurd must it be for him?

[Th-that’s…]

The system couldn’t even continue its sentence.

It seemed a calculation error had occurred, as the current situation didn’t align with its existing algorithms.

[Th-there’s no…problem…]

After a certain amount of analysis on the system, I had discovered one crucial fact: despite being a godlike entity, it could only act according to fundamental rules.

According to the guide’s analysis, my hypothesis was correct. 

No matter how powerful the system was, it could only exert its power within the framework of those rules and couldn’t use it as it pleased.

After all, once something has been normalized, it can’t be normalized again.

“Alright, then. Everything’s settled. You can go now.”

I dismissed the system with a casual tone, though we had been fighting a grand battle for the fate of the world just moments ago.

“Do you still have something to do?”

[……OHLICH]

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you left now. I have to fix my collapsing world.”

I spoke calmly on the surface, but internally, I was tense.

Even though I had ascended to godhood, it wasn’t through the normal path. 

I had borrowed the authority of GM’s position during a moment of crisis on the continent to achieve this.

The prayers of all the continent’s people had converged on me, but only a few knew that GM was actually me, Albus.

Since it was a workaround, it wouldn’t be strange if the system suddenly snapped and tried to ‘normalize’ everything again.

That’s why I didn’t let my guard down and kept a close watch on the system’s behavior.

I even wanted to demand an apology, but I chose silence, fearing that if the system sensed anything unusual and revisited the situation, it would spell disaster.

[…………Understood.]

Boom.

A divine ripple resounded from the system’s center, pure and clear.

The space split, tore, and compressed.

A path was opening for the system to leave this world.

[I apologize for the undue persecution. May Rudera be eternally glorious and prosperous.]

Whoom.

With those final words, the system disappeared so swiftly it was hard to believe such a colossal entity had ever been there.

“……”

I remained on edge, scanning the space where the system had vanished, observing the surrounding dimensions.

The vast divine power I had newly acquired was enough to survey not only Rudera and the continent, but far beyond.

-Master! It’s gone for sure! I can’t sense the system in any nearby dimensions!

Phew…

As I finally realized the situation had ended, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

“Master!”

Thud.

A warm hand caught me as I fell, slipping under my arm.

“…Guide.”

“You did well, Master.”

[Well done, Master.]

The voices of both the present and future guides echoed simultaneously.

“It was only possible thanks to your help. I’m grateful to all of you.”

I had never expected to stop the system with my initial plans.

That’s why I had prepared layers upon layers of backup measures. 

Thankfully, all the plans I had put in place worked.

“The situation’s over, but we can’t stay like this.”

The system had left, but if it figured out the loophole I used, it might return.

I needed to act before that happened.

With the guide’s support, I stood back up.

Though I was still tense, the faith of the entire continent now filled me.

With this power, I felt I could do anything. 

A sense of omnipotence enveloped my body.

“I’m going to isolate the dimension. Will you both help?”

[Of course, Master!]

“My existence is to serve your commands, Master.”

Both guides responded in unison. It felt like my body’s owner kept changing.

“Let’s begin.”

The task of tearing Rudera and its dimension away from the universe.

I was certain this would be the greatest creation I had ever undertaken.

***

Somewhere in the rift between dimensions…

[System error… Reanalysis in progress… Anomalies detected.]

Albus, the entity referred to as the system, was executing numerous calculations while drifting through the void.

[Denial of Albus’s divinity… The true divine entity is GM.]

Through countless calculations, the system had come to one conclusion.

Albus had not become a god—only the avatar of Rudera’s GM had.

[A violation of the laws… Must be removed for the balance of the universe.]

The system, which had been moving away from Rudera, came to a halt.

It was a violation.

It had to be removed from this universe immediately.

As it began to turn back toward Rudera…

Crunch!

Something pierced through the system’s chest.

[What?!]

“Ah, no. That won’t do. You’re not going to interfere after we’ve come this far.”

A small, delicate hand had burrowed into the system’s massive form, gripping the core within.

A sneak attack?!

The system realized that it had been too preoccupied with its calculations to notice its surroundings.

Normally, it wouldn’t have allowed anyone to approach, let alone get this close for an ambush.

[Hostile entity… Demon God.]

“Correct.”

Crack.

The Demon God Menhera clenched her hand and crushed the core of [System].

Kuo-o-o-o-o

As the divine core, the center of the god and the source of all its power, was destroyed, everything that made up [System] disappeared.

It was a pitiful end for a god who had maintained the balance of the universe for eons.

“Yum.”

Menhera opened her mouth and greedily absorbed the divine energy evaporating from [System].

Sssss…

Like a teenager wiping the crumbs of a snack from her lips, she wiped the remaining divine energy from her lips with her sleeve.

“It was your first fight with a god, and you did splendidly.”

Menhera recalled her son’s battle against [System].

***

He had risen to godhood quickly.

“As expected from my son.”

Pleased with her son’s rapid growth, she chuckled softly.

“I can’t wait for the day we finally meet.”

My beloved son.

“Are we leaving today?”

“……Huh?”

“Were you asleep?”

Hearing Wald’s voice, I wiped the drool from my mouth as I sat up from my desk.

“I must’ve been exhausted from working on Rudera all night.”

“The reboot server that appeared this time was no joke.”

Still shaking off the grogginess, I nodded at Wald’s comment, though my head throbbed from waking up.

After the [System]’s invasion, the task of isolating the continent and Rudera from the existing universe dimension was a success.

Of course, I’d used up nearly all the immense divine power I had gathered from the people of the continent in the process.

During the isolation, the world underwent massive changes, as I had repurposed the reboot server used in the battle with the [System] to fill the space between the continent and Rudera.

Thanks to that, the reboot server, separate from Rudera’s main server, was born.

The reboot server had different characteristics from regular Rudera, possibly because it was a byproduct rather than a world I had intentionally created.

In Rudera’s main server, growth was based on one’s real-world abilities, but in the reboot server, you started as a basic avatar with nothing.

***

In any case, for those whose real-world abilities were lacking, the reboot server was seen as an opportunity, and many were flocking to it. I, too, was raising a secondary character there.

“More importantly, if you reach the top of the Tower of Labyrinth in the server, you’ll meet the sleeping GM!”

Excited, Wald pumped his fist into the air.

“Oh, that…”

At the end of the broadcast, after all the prayers had converged, the divine wave had disrupted the broadcast, cutting off the final moments where I collapsed in relief.

Because of that, everyone believed the GM had exhausted all his power defending the continent’s people and had fallen into a deep slumber. 

To be fair, I had used up all my strength.

However, after that, strange rumors spread across the entire continent, which was exactly what Wald had just mentioned.

Apparently, if any player reached the top of the Tower of Labyrinth, they could free the sleeping GM from his nightmares and receive a blessing far beyond even hidden classes.

What nonsense.

I, the actual GM, couldn’t even begin to understand how such absurd rumors had started.

Regardless, the influx of people with low abilities who couldn’t previously join Rudera and the emergence of this new goal had ushered the continent and Rudera into a new era of grand labyrinth exploration.