Meeting God

,This is it.”

Jin Sian, who had been walking through the passage, stopped. Gazing at the countless beautiful starlight of the universe, Jin Sian spoke to another version of himself, who was insidiously watching everything from within.

,Ahead, there is definitely an answer that can end our journey.”

Having said that, Jin Sian twisted one corner of his mouth.

,It might be a chance to turn a blind eye and run away, just like I did with Bella. Everything depends on your choice. It wasn’t me who was chosen by the Saintess, it was you.”

As Jin Sian took a step forward, an intangible barrier enveloped his entire body. Along with the feeling of being inside a giant water droplet, an immense gravity was felt, and Jin Sian’s body endlessly plummeted towards the black universe.

***

Cheolang-

The sound of stepping into a puddle was heard. Unconsciously, I lowered my head and saw that my ankles were submerged in water. When I lifted my gaze, I saw a world endlessly 펼쳐진 in all directions.

No trees, no grass, no sun… nothing was visible in my field of vision. Perhaps what I see far away is the end of this world.

What kind of world is this? Thinking that, when I turned around, there was a universe taking the form of a person. This is not a figurative description. Truly, all sorts of stars and planets were moving and shining within that person’s body.

Living beings definitely have a presence. There are various ways to hide it, but the being in front of me was taking a dual approach of longing and unfamiliarity. The expression that its presence is ambiguous would be correct. When I looked at the place where eyes would be, I soon realized.

I had known this being from the beginning. My heart was pounding as if it would burst, but on the other hand, I was curious. Could the ‘God’ that I created with the setting of an ambiguous being that exists everywhere and nowhere actually exist? Perhaps it’s just one of the characters in the novel.

Whatever it may be, the fact that a God exists before me does not change. The opportunity to dare to ask a question to God does not come easily. I calmed my trembling heart and opened my mouth while maintaining as much composure as possible.

,Are you God?”

There was no answer to the question.

,Did you possess me to blame me for the setting errors?”

There was no answer to this question either.

,Did you drag me into the book for an ending where the world doesn’t perish?”

Again, there was no answer. Perhaps it’s because it doesn’t have a mouth. It could be that it didn’t see because it doesn’t have eyes, or it didn’t hear because it doesn’t have ears. But paradoxically, it was a being that possessed everything within itself.

,Then why did you possess me, not as Roel who saves the world, but as the inferiority complex-ridden expendable Ross!”

At that question, the universe rippled. A warm, cool, and monotonous voice without inflection echoed in my head.

[Who are you.]

,I am Jin Sian, the author who wrote the novel that is the foundation of this world.”

God looks at me. Although there are no eyes, I could feel a sharp gaze piercing through me.

[No. Who are you.]

,I am the author Jin Sian, possessed by Ross.”

[That’s not it either. Who are you.]

I couldn’t understand God’s question. I am Ross, and I am the author Jin Sian. What else is there to explain me besides this? But God asks me again as if that answer is wrong.

,What answer do you want from me!”

[You will realize your essence in the face of death.]

God’s form endlessly grows larger. God, who fills the entire world with a vast universe, looks down at me. The world ripples. The universe embraces me, and consciousness is severed.

Only a single voice is imprinted in my mind. The last question where I can finally find the answer at the end of life.

[Who are you.]

I still don’t know that answer.

●●●

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a black world. I didn’t meet God and come to hell. It was literally an all-black world. There was no light, so I couldn’t see, but I was stepping on the ground.

When I looked down at my wrist, the red runic letters, which were proof that this was another world, were clear. It seems I was bounced out to another world by God’s power. The reason I thought this was a black world was because I saw a pure white dot far away. There was nothing like a signpost, and I didn’t see anything I had to do, so I just walked towards it.

After walking for several hours, I was able to reach the pure white dot. What I thought was a pure white dot from afar was a pure white tree. Whether it was a tree that had already died a long time ago, its branches were bare, and not a single fallen leaf existed nearby. Still, it was the only thing illuminating this black world.

As I approached the tree, I felt that something was strange. For some reason, I felt a very familiar presence from this unfamiliar tree. As I took a step closer to realize the identity of the déjà vu, I unknowingly muttered blankly.

,Roel…?”

I don’t know why I blurted out those words. I just felt like this tree was like Roel to me. When I shrugged my shoulders at the thought that I had done something stupid and let out a hollow laugh, I heard something cracking from the pure white tree.

Jjeojjeojeok-!

The tree vibrated and its bark shattered. As if it were alive, the tree raised its roots and tilted its upper body as if looking at me. The tree bark fell off, and only the shape of a face remained, and it opened its mouth.

[Ross…? Is that Ross…?]

I unknowingly gasped. It was because I realized that a bizarre sound that I wouldn’t even define as a voice was calling my name.

,…Hyung-nim, is that really you?”

The thoughts and emotions that came to mind clashed fiercely. There’s no way this tree is Roel. It shouldn’t be. Even if I tried to deny it like that, the conviction that what was in front of me was Roel did not disappear. Even if his voice had changed, even if his appearance had changed, it was definitely Roel.

,What… what kind of state is this, Hyung-nim.”

No matter how much I think about what world I fell into, I can’t figure it out at all. I have no idea why Roel is left alone as a tree in this state.

At my question, Roel seemed somewhat embarrassed, moving his twigs here and there, and the part presumed to be his mouth slowly moved.

[Why are you there…? It’s dangerous outside.]

,Dangerous…?”

I looked around, but there was nothing that looked dangerous. It was just an empty black world. When I turned my head back to Roel, I instinctively threw my body to the side.

Kwaaaang-!

Roel, who struck the spot where I was standing with his roots, let out a bizarre scream. Roel, who failed to crush me with his roots, stretched out his branches towards me like countless hands.

[Come here, let’s become one again.]

The roots quickly narrowed the distance. I desperately materialized a shadow spear to block the roots, but the power contained in the roots far exceeded my expectations.

The shadow spear couldn’t withstand the terrifying impact and burst in my hand. I felt a burning pain in my palm as if I had been burned, but I was too busy avoiding the roots that were trying to grab me right away. Despite my desperate resistance using the intangible, the roots that had pushed up to my eyes were trying to grab me.

The moment I thought it was over – an anomaly occurred.

Ting-!

As if blocked by a glass window and bounced off, the roots were blocked by a transparent wall and scattered in all directions. Roel let out a scream close to a shriek and desperately struck me with his roots, but it was useless.

Before I could even realize what was happening, the red runic letters on my wrist suddenly began to spin at an incredible speed and arbitrarily created a passage. Unlike normal passages, it was a passage that looked faint like an afterimage.

Seeing that passage, Roel frantically waved his roots and shouted.

[No! Ross, let’s be together. You can get the happiness you want for the rest of your life.]

In front of me is the crazy Roel who has become a tree, and behind me is an unstable passage created in a situation where it shouldn’t be possible. Whether I wanted to or not, I had to choose something. Of course, I couldn’t die from Roel’s roots, so what I chose was the arbitrarily created passage.

[Ross, Ross…!!!]

Ignoring the bizarre scream that sounded like a plea from behind, I recklessly threw my body towards the passage.

●●●→※

The place where my body, thrown towards the passage, arrived was a familiar bed. I could tell by the narrow room and the old laptop on the desk right next to the bed. This was the goshiwon where I lived.

Even if I recalled my last memories, I couldn’t feel any difference. This is definitely my room. Could it be that I’ve returned to the world I was originally in? Looking around, I opened the door to check outside.

,Ah…”

Outside the door was not the dark hallway of the goshiwon in my memory, but a black universe full of stars. When I lowered my gaze, I saw a foothold leading somewhere. Following it, the living room of the house where I lived with my uncle appeared. It was a place with a small sofa and television, just like in my old memories.

,We finally met. It was hard to observe because you kept going to different worlds.”

Someone got up from the sofa. When I met his gaze, I could only stare blankly. Black hair, black eyes, and even an impression that seemed somewhat dissatisfied. It was the face that the mirror always showed me before I possessed Ross.

,Nice to meet you. The last Ross. Or should I call you another me?”

Putting popcorn in his mouth, Jin Sian gave a playful smile.