Chapter 225

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 225:Ascending to Godhood (1)

A soul trait, huh.

It must be because I’m the Soul God that my Soul Echo skill was enhanced.

Is it derived from that?

“What kind of traits are there?”

[The user is a Soul God. The nature of the trait is infinite, and you may define it as you wish. However, since this is SSS-level, only one trait may be granted.]

So I can actually create a trait myself.

Traits for 7 billion fake souls...

If I can grant them freely, that could be a pretty powerful card to play.

Whirr. Whirr.

Portals simultaneously open atop the temple.

Too many to count.

And from them, soul stones begin to fall.

They pour down like hail.

“What the—have they already collected the human souls?”

“Are these soul stones?”

“Yeah. Inventory.”

I open my inventory and neatly store the soul stones.

Unlike sealed gods in sealing stones, soul stones fit into my inventory.

“So now we’re putting in the fake souls? No, at this pace... have they already been inserted?”

“Hmm. Not yet. I need to assign a trait first—I was thinking about what to use.”

“A trait?”

“Yeah, I can assign traits to the fake souls.”

“A trait, huh... then could you, like, make the fake souls explode or something?”

Whoa.

Like self-destruction?

As I imagined a trait, I realized—it was possible.

“Yeah, that’s doable.”

“If Hades uses his authority to kill all the human bodies, then Zeus would try to absorb all the human souls.”

“Right. The Black Thunder in Greece would suck them all in.”

“Then what if we deliberately send the fake souls there to explode?”

“Hmm...”

Make the soul echoes self-destruct?

I imagine such a scenario.

If Zeus absorbs 7 billion souls thinking they’re his... and they explode...

Would that hurt him?

“Even so, it probably won’t be a serious hit.”

Zeus being EX-rank is one thing.

But among the divine powers of Chaos, there's one called ‘Banishment.’

If that authority can nullify attacks completely, it could negate the self-destruction.

In that case, it wouldn’t do much.

“But being able to use them that way... it’s a good idea. Rather than just explode them, I should let Zeus absorb them.”

“Just let him absorb them?”

“Yeah. Instead of ending things in one burst, I’ll have them become his SP and send me information.”

Rather than a one-time blast, it’s better to plant a spy inside Zeus.

“Would that... actually work? Zeus is a creator-level god. Wouldn’t he be good at managing his internal SP?”

Maybe.

Zeus is EX-level.

Before, I supported some Taoist gods with SP, and they just exploded from within...

But someone like Zeus might not be affected.

Still—

“Whether it works or not, it’s worth trying. I need to understand the powers of Chaos. Right now, I need information.”

Worst case, it just gives Zeus more SP...

But if it succeeds, I could develop resistance against the powers of Chaos.

It’s a gamble worth taking.

“To gather intel, I’ll need to modify the trait...”

The fake souls will enter Zeus and become SP.

As SP, they’ll be used by him, gathering information and sending it back to me.

Having decided to proceed with this plan, I began adjusting the traits of the soul echoes.

[Trait has been confirmed.]

[Specialized for ‘Information Gathering.’]

Following my intent, the trait of the soul echoes was finalized, and the 7 billion human souls began to be replaced.

With 800,000 Jiho clones inserting the souls, the work wrapped up quickly.

“It’s done.”

“You’ve already replaced the human souls?”

“Yeah... and surprisingly, SP is still coming in. From the believers who worship me.”

Artemis looked puzzled as she checked her SP levels.

Since gods normally get SP through faith, she must’ve thought the flow would stop now that the souls were fake.

“Normally it wouldn’t come in, but I’m covering the cost myself. You should be thankful.”

“Then what about other gods, like those from Hinduism or Buddhism?”

“Yeah. Better to pay them some SP than let them notice something’s wrong.”

“Jiho... you’re seriously loaded.”

“I’m running an SP exchange for the entire universe right now. This is pocket change.”

Artemis’s mouth dropped open as she nodded at my financial flex.

Apollo, standing beside her, gave me a baffled look before changing the subject.

“These soul echoes... are fascinating. Even though the souls are fake, humans are still functioning normally.”

“The data in the brain remains intact. While faith, SP, and Awakening powers won’t grow anymore... they can still live as biological beings.”

Ding. Ding.

A bell rings at the temple entrance.

What’s that sound?

“The workers in charge of construction are here. When they arrive, they ring the bell before starting.”

“Even with fake souls, their behavior is no different from before.”

“Wasn’t construction already finished? Artemis used divine power to build it quickly, right?”

Apollo shook his head in mild dissatisfaction.

“Only one building was completed... The surroundings are too barren. We need beautiful sculptures, gardens, lakes, and forests.”

“I’ve arranged for humans to handle that. I’ve been way too busy.”

"Ah…"

Was it construction work to stabilize the surrounding environment?

The world keeps turning, unchanged…

Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to see them with my own eyes.

"I’m heading out. Get on with your work. Transparency."

I made my soul invisible and left the temple.

The massive plot of land in Samseong-dong that Kang Shia had bought for me back in the day.

But now that I saw the construction site, the land affiliated with the temple had grown far larger than back then.

"Huh. Isn’t that where COEX used to be?"

A construction site in the middle of demolishing buildings.

COEX Mall and the Trade Center building beside it were being torn down.

"They’re really demolishing that…"

After the 63 Building, Korea’s second-tallest skyscraper was now falling.

In its place, they were planting trees and digging out a lake.

It felt like the times were moving backward…

I approached the workers.

"They’re planting trees and digging a lake in this prime spot in Samseong-dong. Do they know how much this land is worth…"

"They said it was the will of a god, didn’t they?"

"Right, he builds his own temple like a skyscraper and suddenly decides to turn everything around it into a park? What nonsense."

"Orders from above. We just do what we’re told."

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

The workers grumbled as they went about their tasks.

Their souls had changed, but their behavior was just like any ordinary human.

I continued exploring the area.

Across from the construction site, there was a cafe.

People had gathered in groups, watching the construction.

The cafe was so packed there wasn’t an empty seat in sight.

"So this is really how it ends? I’ve been running a shop there for ten years…"

"Sigh. The government gave us compensation, but… it’s way too little."

"Still… they said if you don’t take it, you’ll face divine punishment."

"Well, it is God Kim Jiho, after all."

"Apparently even the angels who opposed him declared him a god and withdrew."

"They said he’s the god of gods now. Don’t even think about going against him. The government warned us that protesting would mean losing the compensation."

"Not just losing it. You could go to jail."

"Honestly, jail would be better. If you’re caught by one of his followers, you might not survive."

"Ugh. Can’t even drink to forget…"

Groups of people gossiping about the ominous rumors surrounding me.

They didn’t seem fake.

They talked, got angry, and expressed frustration like any real person.

Ordinary people… really hadn’t changed at all.

What about the Awakened?

I thought of Lee Jinseong.

That guy was B-rank, right?

[Hey. What are you doing?]

I sent him a message as his Apostle.

The message window stayed silent.

Ah…

His soul was sealed, so he couldn’t respond.

The Apostle contract ultimately worked through the soul.

The one inside Lee Jinseong’s body now was a fake soul I implanted.

That meant his body was no longer truly my Apostle.

Still, since I’d implanted a fake soul…

I tried contacting the fake soul within Lee Jinseong’s body again.

[Oh… I was wondering what was going on. I went into a dungeon earlier, but I didn’t get any experience points?]

"Really?"

[Yeah. Do you know what’s happening, my Guardian God?]

Since the soul had been swapped, of course the soul wouldn’t grow.

I didn’t bother telling him that his soul was fake.

Anyway…

Lee Jinseong spoke like he always did.

Despite the soul being different, his tone was the same.

I decided to visit him and see his face again.

I wondered what it would be like to meet someone whose soul had been replaced.

"Whoa… When did you get here?"

"Where is this place?"

"You idiot… You came here and don’t even know?"

"I just descended to wherever my Apostle was. Didn’t know where exactly."

"This is the Daehyun Guild building. This room is my private office."

A spacious office with a panoramic glass view.

Just from the room alone, it was clear he was treated like a VIP in the Daehyun Guild.

Among humans, he was practically top tier—so this level of treatment was to be expected.

"You’ve been hard to find lately."

"Been busy with a lot of things."

Lee Jinseong talked to me without hesitation.

His face and mannerisms were exactly how I remembered them.

Yet even as he greeted me like an old friend, I felt a strange discomfort.

"What’s with that sour expression?"

"Sigh…"

The body was Lee Jinseong’s.

But maybe because I’m the God of Souls…

I saw the soul more than the flesh.

And what I saw was the fake soul I’d implanted.

It feels like I’m performing a play with a fake soul that might as well be a part of me.

Here, in this place—our conversation.

“Hey, doesn’t your memory feel off or anything?”

“...No? I’m fine.”

“Right...”

The body remains the same.

The brain still functions, and all memories are intact.

As a living being, whether the soul is swapped or not…

it makes no difference from yesterday to today.

But it feels unnatural.

So unnatural, it’s driving me crazy.

It feels like I’m playing make-believe with a fake soul I created.

“Your soul. It’s fake.”

“What...?”

So I say it bluntly.

Lee Jinseong looks at me with a face that says, What the hell are you talking about?

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Not just the expression—he says it out loud, too.

“The brain remaining in your body is still the same. Your behavior is identical to the real Lee Jinseong. But the soul isn’t. It was swapped with one I created.”

“Hey… what are you saying? Are you serious right now? Why the hell would you swap out my soul?”

Lee Jinseong’s eyes tremble.

Seeing that face stirs a bitter feeling inside me.

I know he’s just a body now, nothing more.

But watching my childhood friend’s face sink into despair isn’t something I want to see.

“Zeus is going to wipe out all of humanity soon. Using the power of the underworld god, Hades. And as I am now, I have no way to stop it.”

“So...?”

“So I evacuated the souls of humanity. Once everything is over, they’ll be resurrected.”

“...Then what about me?”

He points at himself.

His face twisted in anguish.

“What about me? From my point of view, nothing’s changed. The only thing that’s different is that I’m not gaining any experience points...”

“Your soul contains the entire database of your physical self. Once it’s over, you’ll be resurrected exactly as you were.”

“No... Hey. Fuck. Even if my soul comes back to life, what happens to this body?”

Jinseong pounds his chest.

A face full of fury—one I’d never seen before.

“This body will be shut down by Hades’ power. But... a new body will be born. Just like with my father.”

“No... damn it. So I’m dying. The me sitting here right now is going to die?”

“...Yeah. If we’re talking just about the physical body, you’re right.”

“What... I’m just going to die like this?”

His face turns bright red.

Even though I safely sealed away his soul, the body still retains all its memories—maybe that’s why he’s reacting like this.

I’ve become so used to existing as a divine soul, operating in a soulual form, that I started thinking of everything in terms of the soul.

But from his perspective, nothing has changed—he’s just been handed a death sentence.

“...Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget everything I just told you.”

Not wanting to see him drowned in despair any longer, I lightly command him with divine authority.

“W-Wait… You could save me if you wanted to…”

He tries to say something more.

But then the light in Lee Jinseong’s eyes fades.

Moments later, he blinks.

“Huh? When did you get here?”

He greets me like usual, as if nothing happened.

A stark contrast to the despair he showed just moments ago.

Seeing that makes me feel all the more uneasy.

“Just now.”

“Yeah? I was gonna ask you something. I’m not gaining any experience from the dungeon.”

I reply half-heartedly, exchanging trivial words.

He speaks exactly like the real Lee Jinseong.

“I’m gonna go.”

But in the end, I still felt like I was talking to a fake soul.

I didn’t want to stay here any longer.

I stood up and waved at him.

“Leaving already?”

“Yeah. Just dropped by for a sec. Uh…?”

“What? Something wrong?”

The outer shell is Lee Jinseong.

But inside is the fake soul I created.

And yet... something’s changed in the upper soul.

“A sprout...?”

At the edge of the upper soul—

a small sprout had begun to grow.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]