Chapter 226

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 226: Ascending to Godhood (2)

[You have witnessed the spontaneous birth of a soul.]

[Your understanding of souls has increased. The limit of SP available in your current state of consciousness has increased.]

The spontaneous birth of a soul…?

I examined the soul that sprouted at the edge of the fake soul.

[I want to live.]

[I don’t want to die.]

[I am me.]

A fierce desire to live radiated from the soul.

Was it because it had been deemed an empty shell and told it was going to die soon?

The new soul that branched off from the fake one had only one thing left—an overwhelming will to survive.

So in the beginning, the soul didn’t come first—life did…?

Just as creatures evolve into higher life forms, maybe souls too are created and developed through a similar process.

Still, not every threat to life leads to the birth of a soul…

Could it be because the body was at the level of a B-rank awakened one, and it was aware of being a fake soul?

"Hey. Why are you zoning out?"

I’m curious.

This sprouting of a soul.

If I observe it closely, my understanding of souls could deepen.

And that would mean an increased SP limit.

This sprout that just bloomed… I want to experiment on it.

Not just because of the SP limit—but because I’ve developed a genuine curiosity as the God of Souls about the essence of the soul.

I gazed quietly at Lee Jinseong's face.

He clearly forgot what we were talking about a moment ago.

Yet that intense will to survive remained, and it sprouted a new soul.

Is it because he has a strong will?

Or would it happen to others too?

I want to learn more.

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“Lee Jinseong. Take a nap for a while.”

Thud.

I put power into my words and gave the command.

Unable to resist the divine speech, Lee Jinseong collapsed onto the desk.

I approached him and reached out my hand.

Lee Jinseong’s body began to float.

I lightly pulled him toward me.

Completely unaware of what’s happening to him, Lee Jinseong slept peacefully.

Mouth slightly open, drooling—just like the friend I’ve always known.

“…His true soul is with me, so a little experimentation should be fine.”

I felt slightly uncomfortable at first.

But that quickly faded, and I felt a deep calm.

Even when looking at the body of my closest friend, once a fellow human, I felt no guilt at all.

Maybe it’s like how humans experiment on mice?

My best friend Lee Jinseong—his soul is safe with me anyway…

The body can always be remade.

Let’s do some more testing on the birth of souls.

But before that…

One thing to take care of.

“Kyaa!”

“Watching secretly through the CCTV? That’s not good.”

I teleported to another room.

The top floor of the building.

The space is dark, filled with dozens of monitors.

And nearby, sitting down—Kang Shia.

She looks at me in shock.

“How did you…?”

“Right now, all of humanity has been replaced with fake souls. If anything strange happens to a soul, I can sense it. You’ve changed too… in an interesting way.”

Not as drastically as Lee Jinseong, but Kang Shia’s fake soul had slightly mutated.

Was she watching through the footage?

“U-uhh…”

She trembled and backed away from me.

Her eyes filled with fear.

“Why was there a CCTV in Lee Jinseong’s room?”

“…I thought another guild might try to contact him.”

Is it because he’s the hottest hunter right now?

I didn’t think she was that type… but I guess she’s not so clean after all.

“More importantly, Jiho-nim. What you said earlier—was it true?”

“What part?”

“That all of humanity’s souls are fake…”

“Yeah. It’s true.”

“And that Hades said everyone would die…”

“Right. That’s why I evacuated their souls beforehand. To bring them back later. The other gods called it wasteful. It did cost a lot of SP.”

At my words, Kang Shia began trembling more violently.

Her artificial soul starts to mutate again.

“Then I’m… fake? Even though my memories are intact? If my soul was switched without me knowing, does that make me fake?”

“Well, your physical body wasn’t changed. You’re still human. Your brain’s still the same, so your memories are too. But in the end, the body is just a shell. As the God of Souls, I can see it—it’s fake.”

“As a soul… I’m fake…”

Kang Shia trembles violently.

And with that, the convulsions in her fake soul grow stronger.

Oh?

“That’s fascinating. What are you thinking? Say it.”

I commanded her using divine speech.

She glared at me, then opened her mouth.

“It’s hopeless. I’m scared. Dying so suddenly… being told I’m fake… I can’t believe it. I feel resentful. I’m still me… so why? Why am I fake? You terrify me. You swap out souls without warning, treat people like toys… I want to live. With my whole family.”

“If I could’ve stopped it, I would’ve. But I can’t stop Hades’ authority. Instead of letting humanity die completely, I chose to preserve the souls.”

At that, Kang Shia’s eyes widen further.

Her gaze sharpens, filled with even more intensity.

“Fine. Maybe it was unavoidable. Maybe we should be thankful that you’re trying to preserve humanity. Maybe even if I die, my real soul could come back… But what difference does it make? I’m still going to die, right? This body will disappear. My brain will stop working. And then…”

Suddenly, she lifts the corners of her mouth into a twisted grin.

With an angry expression, the forced smile distorts her otherwise pretty face into something eerie.

“You’re… smiling? Were you really ever human?”

“Hm. Was I smiling?”

I bring my hand to my lips.

Seems I smiled without realizing it.

“My apologies. You see, as you poured out your resentment, a faint sprout began to bloom in your fake soul—and I found it fascinating.”

[You have witnessed the soul’s sprouting process.]

[Stimulated by the God of Souls, a soul has been created—a process that would normally require eons of evolution. You have gained a deeper understanding of the principles of the soul.]

[The limit of available SP has increased.]

Kang Shia’s raw emotions—compelled by my divine command—didn’t really move me.

As long as she had a fake soul, her words felt like a puppet speaking, or a beast crying.

Honestly, I…

Really have drifted far from what it means to be human.

“Who else knows what you’ve just seen?”

“Only me. Even if I told others... is there anything we humans could do about it?”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Nope. It’s probably better not to know.”

“Then are you going to erase all my memories like Jinseong?”

Hmm.

Actually, I had planned to restore her memories and observe how far her soul would develop...

But maybe I should let her choose?

“Then I’ll give you two options.”

“Options?”

“Erase your memories and continue living as you are, or keep the memories and participate in my experiment.”

“Experiment...?”

“Yes. There's something unusual happening with your artificial soul. I can sense a desire—to live, to exist as yourself.”

“And then what?”

“Live with these memories. Try everything you can to survive. If your soul shows significant development, I’ll let you live. I’ll preserve your physical body.”

“You’ll... let me live? What about my real soul?”

“At that point, there’ll be two of you. I’ll just make another body for the original soul. We’ll say you’re twins or something.”

Kang Shia clenched her jaw, falling into deep thought.

Should she forget everything and just suddenly die?

Or should she continue living like this and struggle to survive?

She chose the latter.

“I’ll try to live. No matter what!”

“Good. That works for me. But just a warning—don’t do anything foolish.”

“...Hah. Even if we told others, it wouldn’t matter to you, would it? You’re a god who can swap souls.”

“If that caused a commotion, Zeus might notice something strange. Plus, cleanup would be a hassle.”

“A hassle... So that’s all we are to you.”

“Humans without souls are just dolls to me.”

Kang Shia gritted her teeth at my words.

She clearly looked offended.

But what can I say?

That’s how it really looks to me.

I can’t help but smile... because watching a doll generate a soul is just so fascinating.

“Fine. Could you save my family too?”

“We’ll see how your soul progresses. I can’t promise anything yet.”

If her family’s lives are on the line, her will to survive will probably intensify.

That might speed up the soul’s development out of obligation...

A little hope might help.

“Alright. What about Jinseong?”

“I’ll be observing him in a different environment.”

“Hah. You’re treating us like lab rats. Got it. I’m leaving.”

Kang Shia bows her head and turns sharply.

Completely rebellious.

Well, that kind of resistance might fuel her will to survive and help her soul develop, right?

“Have someone watch her.”

I make a clone invisible and stick it right next to Kang Shia to monitor her closely.

And now, with 800,000 souls freed from their duties...

“Let’s send them on cosmic reconnaissance.”

Cthulhu hinted that there’s something out in space.

Should I start with the solar system?

With only 800,000 clones, it's impossible to search the vast universe thoroughly...

But it’s worth trying.

“Transform into light.”

All the clones turn into light and pierce the sky.

800,000 versions of Kim Jiho shoot into space.

Maybe because my usable SP increased?

The clones’ power seems stronger.

They all activate soul barriers as they explore space without much strain.

Observing the sprouting of a soul seems to have helped my growth quite a bit...

I can feel the sensations of the 800,000 Kim Jiho breaking through the atmosphere without issue.

Actually, I could probably add another 500,000.

To think just watching the soul's emergence would cause this much growth...

This experiment is worth continuing.

“Let’s try Jinseong in a different environment.”

I told Kang Shia to cultivate her will to live, but as a successful guild leader and a member of a powerful conglomerate, her life isn’t really in danger.

I’ll give Jinseong a harsher path.

“Let’s send him to Kevrian.”

Elprian had been peaceful until now, but the undead under Hades’ control are now rampaging out of control.

If I drop him there, his life will truly be in danger, so his survival instincts should kick in stronger.

I’ll send a clone to monitor him and observe his soul’s development.

“Heimdall’s Return.”

I carry Jinseong on my shoulder and use the return spell to go back to Elprian’s hideout.

“Wake up.”

Jinseong slowly opens his eyes.

“W-Where am I?”

“Recall the memory I erased.”

“What? Ugh... ahh!”

He clutches his head in pain.

I lead him out of the hideout and up to the surface.

“You—you... What did you do to me?!”

“Why act like that when the memories are back?”

“What the hell is this? Erasing my memories, then restoring them... and this forest—what is this place?”

“The changes you showed... they left quite an impression.”

“...What are you talking about?”

I explain the emergence of his soul and what happened with Kang Shia. His face instantly darkens.

“There were CCTV cameras in my room? The guild leader? Why would they...”

“They were afraid you’d get scouted by another guild, apparently.”

“What? I never even thought about that... They’re insane.”

“Anyway, that’s not what’s important. Don’t you want to live?”

“What do you mean?”

Jinseong looked confused at my question.

So I made him an offer.

“Survive here and nurture your soul. If you manage to create a real, independent soul instead of a fake one, I’ll let you keep living.”

“Live here?”

“Yes. And if you succeed in generating a real soul, you’ll be able to grow as an awakened being. When that happens, I’ll pour SP into you, and you might even reach divine levels.”

If all he does is survive, his soul development might stagnate.

But this guy has the body of a B-rank awakener... he can easily run from danger.

“This is the territory of the Elven God. It used to be peaceful, but the Lord of Chaos, the original ruler, has gone mad. The undead are running rampant. Fight them. Grow your soul.”

“You... what the hell are you doing to me? Are you experimenting on me?”

“Think of it as setting the stage for your growth.”

“That’s the same thing, you bastard...!”

“Or would you rather go back to Earth with no memories and die?”

Jinseong closed his mouth at that.

“If you hadn’t shown any change, I wouldn’t have given you this chance. Grow here. Push out the fake soul and become the real Jinseong. Then I’ll make you immortal—a god.”

“...Or I die?”

“Yeah. You’re just a puppet to me right now.”

Grit.

Jinseong ground his teeth.

“I thought we were the closest of friends. Guess you didn’t feel the same.”

“The real Jinseong, my best friend, is safely stored in a soul stone. You’re just the body. If you don’t want to be a puppet, grow your soul.”

“...Swear on that promise from earlier.”

“Gladly.”

Looks like he's motivated now.

I'm excited to see how his soul will develop.

Maybe I should throw more humans into this?

The more test subjects, the better.

“You...”

My reflection appears in Jinseong’s eyes.

My face was glowing more brightly than ever, and a wide smile stretched across my lips.

Oh.

Was I smiling like this?

—Hephaestus has awakened. Demeter too.

Another me informed me of this.

Time to focus there.

“Well then, I’m off.”

I waved goodbye to Jinseong and shifted my consciousness to the spirit realm.

Didn’t expect it, but this turned out to be a valuable gain.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]