The Nebula’s Civilization

In the third world, Aldin’s form flickered flickered with the magenta light filling her eyes. In the second world, Aldin was submerged in darkness as all the light in the maze went out. When Aldin opened her eyes in both worlds, all worlds converged into one, the Sanctuary.

Aldin stood among gray machines that were simply humming and operating.

"This is…the Sanctuary?"

Aldin looked around. Aldin was aware of the existence of the Sanctuary, having monitored this game. Even with the authority of an operator, it was difficult to peek into the pantheon without being detected, so she only had a rough understanding of its role through the system window.

From what Aldin knew, the Sanctuary was a simulator, simulating a game within the game to find possibilities. The Sanctuary played a crucial role in the fight between Sung-Woon and Hegemonia. That was how Aldin remembered it. But this Sanctuary seemed to be more than the Sanctuary Aldin knew.

Aldin murmured, "Artificial intelligence... Is that it?"

"Right. Isn't that not so surprising?"

Of course, Aldin knew about Earth. On Earth, there was the concept of artificial intelligence, and technically primitive AIs existed. They couldn’t think on their own, but were machines that mimic human functions by learning from data.

In Avartin, there were also things similar to artificial intelligence. For instance, Golems could perform simple roles, and highly complex Golems could even simulate thought. However, such Golems were created by mimicking the souls of creatures or people through magic, so the Wizards didn’t know how they were actually structured. They were more imitation than creation.

Sung-Woon replied, "That's right. But it exists in the pantheon. Avartin's science and technology are slightly inferior to Earth's, but the inside of the pantheon is different… Isn't that right, Kyle?"

Kyle shyly nodded.

Aldin asked, "Even if we assume the Sanctuary is at such a level, it doesn't make sense. The Sanctuary should be in the pantheon, right? And the pantheon was shut down through the Fall. The pantheon is somewhere inside the Demon World now. This is...a deception."

Sung-Woon replied, "The Sanctuary requires two things to exist. One is hardware, and the other is software."

"That doesn’t seem to disprove what I said."

Noting that she still didn’t understand, Sung-Woon smiled wryly, "The hardware condition is easily met. There are a lot of computers in Avartin."

Aldin belatedly realized what Sung-Woon meant and slightly opened her mouth, "...Sky Net?"

"Of course, to descend the Sanctuary, it was necessary to expand the data center on the central processing unit, but it wasn't an impossible step. The Sanctuary was sent down to Avartin from the pantheon early on. It was done so it could move on its own even if the pantheon disappeared in the worst-case scenario. You probably didn't even pay attention to it."

Aldin was bewildered. All of Sung-Woon's words were true. The great Wizards wouldn't care about machines.

Sung-Woon continued, "Even if Tuning is achieved, a Wizard's power grows according to the secrets they have accumulated. That's why, like you old gods used the spirits of demonic magic to use magic, I internalized the Sanctuary. My computational ability is the same as the number of central processing units available in Avartin."

"...Using the capabilities of machines? There's no such magic."

Sung-Woon simply denied it. "No, there is. You Wizards might understand divinity and system as magic, but in reality, magic is just a part of science. It's a phenomenon that can be experimented with and explained."

Kyle said,

-There are illogical and incomprehensible aspects, but there is some logic.

Mazdari lifted his head.

-Do you understand, old god? This is my secret. Your Pain Sect is too outdated.

Aldin looked at Sung-Woon, who had the computational power of the world itself. She considered the number of computers in Avartin that could connect to Sky Net and estimated the information processing speed accordingly.

Aldin's forehead wrinkled. It was already higher than the system's computational ability.

'That means...'

A window with an interface different from the old god's system appeared in front of Aldin.

[That means I am superior to the system. Through hacking, Player Sung-Woon has already assumed control over the system.]

"...Is it reading my thoughts?"

[No. It's the opposite. It's not that I entered you, but you have entered me. Even if I don't want to, I can hear your thoughts.]

To Aldin, this sounded worse than having her thoughts read. With her thoughts laid out in the open, there would be no strategy or secrets. The best option was not to think, but if she didn't think, she couldn’t come up with any tactics. It was a checkmate move.

Aldin looked at Sung-Woon. "If you had such power, why did you hide it until now? Couldn't you have just controlled the system from the beginning?"

"I never hid it. For the Sanctuary to take control in the Demon World, it was necessary to come deep into the Demon World and hack the system. It's just..." Sung-Woon pointed out, "You, the old gods, were too late. You had power but delayed using it."

Aldin agreed. She could have perhaps moved more smartly. And she would’ve done so if she had known about how things would unfold. She could have somehow pressured the sluggish old gods into action.

However, the Empire created by the Pantheon was beautiful. Perhaps the future Aldin wanted for Avartin was exactly like that. Even if she had to destroy it all, she wanted to look at it a bit longer.

Moreover, although Sung-Woon criticized them for being slow, it took time to bring out the Sky Castles and awaken the dreaming old gods. Regardless of Aldin's will, the process couldn’t have been done any faster.

"And I also needed to check your face again,” Sung-Woon said.

"You must be disappointed about not getting a satisfactory answer."

"No, I am satisfied."

Aldin didn’t ask what kind of satisfaction Sung-Woon meant. Instead she asked, "...What are you going to do now?"

Sung-Woon replied, "Well... That's right. I'll declare a Pause." Sung-Woon looked at the monitor inside the Sanctuary, which showed the battle at the Sky Castle. Sung-Woon watched the evil gods fighting against the Myriad Demons and Bifnen. "There's no need to shed unnecessary blood anymore."

But Aldin was taken aback by Sung-Woon's choice of words. "What did you just say?"

Sung-Woon elaborated, "Pause. Freeze. I said I would stop time."

"Causality wouldn't allow it."

Aldin saw it as an absurd request. She still thought Sung-Woon could be using some trick, which was only natural since what Sung-Woon claimed to have done and be able to do was too vast and immense.

Sung-Woon could think as quickly as if connected to all of Avartin's computers, and at the same time, he had hacked the system and stolen its power. Still, causality was a formidable force. Stopping time was like challenging the fate of the world.

[That is correct. Pausing is beyond your authority, player Nebula.]

"I thought so..."

[Oh, but I have the authority.]

Aldin's eyes widened.

[Pause.]

[Exception specified: Sanctuary, Player Nebula.]

Then the world stopped.

Sung-Woon quietly looked around the operational virtual Sanctuary and slowly approached Aldin, who stood frozen with a surprised expression.

Then he raised his hand and let it fall. Sung-Woon walked past Aldin without a word.

"Sanctuary."

[Give your command, player Nebula.]

"With the power of the system, reset the world."

The system, fundamentally magical, was connected to the deep parts of the Demon World, accessing infinite possibilities. This infinite possibility led Avartin into existential threats, resulting in evil gods and Myriad Demons. It was inevitable to face threats from countless other worlds.

'It has to be reworked.'

The Sanctuary said,

[As you wish, player Nebula. The Light of Eternity and Life is aligned with your will. Nothing is impossible for you now.]

Sung-Woon asked with pure curiosity,

"Why is that?"

[The reason you could stop time is that the Light of Eternity and Life wished it so. And Player Nebula, you read that will. You might think it's your own, but at this moment, your will is the will of the Light of Eternity and Life.]

"I don't have such authority."

[Your belief is irrelevant. Even causality has bent its will to you, so command. Sing the Light of Eternity and Life with your voice.]

Sung-Woon could now become a true god. The Sanctuary's perception system was reprogrammed to Sung-Woon. He could rearrange the appearance of external space, the universe, and alter the rules of inner space, the world. Sung-Woon stood before the possibility of becoming a one and only almighty being. But Sung-Woon chose not to.

'I am not worthy of that.'

As Sung-Woon repeated this, the Sanctuary no longer interfered. It quietly waited for Sung-Woon to exert his will.

Sung-Woon closed his eyes and read the will of Eternity and Life in his imagery world. From afar, it looked like resentment. A tangled and twisted rough thread. If Sung-Woon became a true god, he could cut it off in an instant. He could make it as if it had never existed and turn everything back.

From everyone's memories, and even from Sung-Woon's own memories, he could sever the possibilities of all connected possible worlds. He could reshape the world into one where pain never existed. But Sung-Woon didn’t do that. He chose a more challenging path.

Sung-Woon carefully unraveled the strands created by the Light of Eternity and Life. Instead of a vague and oversimplified representation like the system, he read echoes of love that never reached completion, hopes that were only dreamt of, and shadows of free will that never came true.

Sung-Woon anticipated explosive revenge, petrifying terror, surging hatred, and chilling cynicism. He dared to undertake all these wills. But when all those overlapped, what emerged was one clear and transparent intention. Sung-Woon hadn’t expected this.

'Is this truly your will?'

The Light of Eternity and Life surrounded and flickered around Sung-Woon. Indeed, that was so. That was its answer.

-Indeed, O God, please...

Sung-Woon then came to a belated realization. Even before he heard the answer, before asking if that was truly its wil, before entering the depths of the Demon World, before the Sanctuary became internalized within him, before Falling, before the Empire attacked the second moon, before defeating Hegemonia, before the great war spanning four continents, before waging war with various players on the third continent—in the wasteland assigned to Sung-Woon, when he had just started the game, when he met a Lizardman, he already knew he would hear this answer from the Light of Eternity and Life.

-...heal this wound.

It was obvious. The game The Lost World was about rebuilding civilization in a desolate world. It was a game about leading the wounded away from barbaric violence, refining the foundations of society with hygiene, culture, education, technology, science, and market economy, so they wouldn't get hurt again. Like disinfecting, stitching, applying medicine to wounds and waiting for them to heal, Sung-Woon now decided to heal that wound.