Artificial God (3)

-Three months have passed since the sudden disappearance of the Gaia system. Humans now have to judge the gate’s grade without help from the system, and they cannot visually see their growth.

-It’s not just that. You cannot check product information nor receive system assistance in production operations.

-Amid the panic sweeping the world, there are guilds supporting humanity with even greater success than before the system’s disappearance. It is the Korean guild [Shinyoung].

-Then, let’s watch the video of Shinyoung’s team fighting erosion-gates in battle.

The footage on the TV was from inside a gate. Shinyoung’s superhumans, led by Oh Hye-na, were busy fighting. It was an elite group organized by selecting only those with excellent combat skills, with Oh Hye-na leading them despite the others being teachers (now they felt more like executive guild members rather than teachers). It was truly amazing. Claire turned it off after watching for a bit.

“Noona, then you’re still thinking…?”

“Yes, maybe?”

Claire shrugged at Baek In-ha, who sat across her. She was four-months pregnant, and her stomach had begun to swell. Her attitude felt absurd to Baek.

“No, why are you so carefree when you don’t know when he’ll return?”

“It’s annoying he’s not next to me.”

In Kang Shin-hyuk’s absence, Baek was managing Shinyoung. It was appropriate for Baek’s aptitude, who was the strongest in Shinyoung except for the members of the Hero Universe, so there wasn’t a better representative. However, Baek knew that Shinyoung’s current position was unstable without Kang Shin-hyuk, so he came to Claire to ask for news that there was a means to communicate with him.

“But it’s okay since I’m doing everything. Rather, it might be nice because it feels different.”

“…Yeah?”

“In the first place, I also need to think about the use of bitters… Oh, I don’t need to know.”

“Well, then, noona, it’s different.”

Baek In-ha, who instinctively felt he shouldn’t push the topic, quickly changed it. Rather, this was his main point.

“Can you convince them to cooperate? The damage will be serious worldwide.”

“Those two? Are you talking about Tsukuyo and Shu?”

Claire’s eyes widened at the unexpected request. Three months ago, Tsukuyo and Shu, having escaped through the gate Kang Shin-hyuk created, return to Earth. They could return to their own world had they wanted, but their worlds weren’t so low-dimensional places that the disappearance of the Gaia system could affect them. So, Kang Shin-hyuk had them waiting on Earth for his return.

“Yes, that colorful sister and the cute little girl. Both are very strong.”

“Hmm.”

Claire was uncomfortable with those two, but that didn’t mean she could drive them out by force, and as the woman Kang Shin-hyuk had chosen, she decided to treat them with confidence. Then what was Shin Eunah and Vita? Shin Eunah was already like her own family, and Vita didn’t count because she was like another self. Tsukuyo and Shu, she didn’t know what they were imagining by remaining on Earth, but it wouldn’t be the way they wanted.

“I really don’t want to ask for that kind of thing?”

But one thing she knew for sure is that just because Tsukuyo and Shu were left on Earth, they couldn’t expect their help in defending it.

“And I’m in no position to ask them anything.”

“But they listen to Shinyuk, right? So, you received a message from Shinyuk…”

“No.”

Claire laughed his proposal off.

“He’s basically in the same position as them. They would never ask other transcendental people.”

“But now, I don’t have any problems.”

“So I have no choice but to leave it as is.”

“Uh.”

Claire turned on the TV again, saw the video of Shinyoung’s team clearing the gate, and changed the channels. Indeed, what Baek had said wasn’t wrong. Since Shinyoung was located in Korea, and more specifically Seoul, the damage to the capital had been almost zero, but foreign countries had been suffering. Countries without strong superhumans had already given up most of their local regions and concentrated on their capitals, and powerful countries like Russia, China, and the US declared that nearly 20% of their lands couldn’t be retaken. The bridgeheads on the African continent had been destroyed immediately.

“It will get worse in the future.”

“It will. Soon, food problems will erupt.”

“People are going to die. Well, they always have.”

“Noona…”

Baek sighed. Claire realized herself that way of thinking was contrary to the general sentiment of Earth.

“Don’t take it too seriously. Those two aren’t forces we could handle in the first place. In fact, the power he planted on Earth was too much.”

“That’s… ah, I see.”

Now the topic in superhuman society was that only those who borrowed Shinyoung’s power could survive. The seeds sprinkled with Kang Shin-hyuk’s spiritual power bloomed brilliantly, and Shinyoung’s superhumans had become elites with the ability to survive anywhere. Moreover, they had two weapons: the potions and machinery that Claire made, and the weapons that the disciple of Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk (self-proclaimed), Elma, produced. Compared to others, the items from Shinyoung were always reliable and of high quality. It was natural since the hero Universe was behind it, but unfortunately, the supply of any goods was limited despite the demand being close to infinite.

“After humanity overcomes this crisis, it would be no wonder if a new republic was created.”

“Well, we have to overcome it now, noona…”

“…”

Claire thought of trying to get rid of him for a moment, as he worried over others.

“Then I’ll give you a hint.”

“Hint?”

“The reason they stay here. It’s to keep the place where he’ll come back. Think about that.”

“That…”

It was an excessive hint. Tsukuyo and Shu had been stuck inside Shinyoung’s dorm since they returned, but Claire, who was realizing her spiritual power, could read their thoughts dimly. They didn’t care about Earth, but they wanted to keep the place where Kang Shin-hyuk stayed in the same shape as it was. Even though they seemed to be still, they were constantly exploring the area with their energy.

“Noona! I wanted an answer like that; I love you!”

“Oh, and make sure not to show off as much as possible. You might get scolded later.”

“Yes, of course! Let’s move right away!”

Baek headed off right away, but right after he disappeared, someone else suddenly appeared.

“Huh, did that happen?”

“What a surprise!”

Claire was amazed at who it was.

“Going around with such flair, you’ll surprise the baby!”

“Whoo, you’re just like a concubine.”

“What bullshit. If you dare to think about it, I’m the main wife!”

“Huh…”

Tsukuyo, who appeared in a black flame and sat down where Baek had been, looked at Claire with a disgusted expression.

“‘The baby will be surprised.’ The child who has the blood of Anvil couldn’t be so excitable, so if that’s the case, it’s your fault.”

“I’m honored you came to see me…”

“Hmm. I’ll pretend not to notice the rudeness you just committed to us.”

Tsukuyo ended up halting her words, but Claire understood what she meant and quieted down. Seeing her nervous, Tsukuyo laughed.

“I was prepared to be used to some extent. Rather, it should be said that the people here were far less rude than we thought. Perhaps it’s due to the strict information control.”

That remark was even more surprising as Tsukuyo was a person who didn’t seem to care about humanity except for Kang Shin-hyuk. But, it made Claire even more alert as it was all to win Kang Shin-hyuk’s heart.

“…It’s a big mistake if you think I’ll give him to you after you pretend to be generous now.”

“Is there nothing to be conceded by you? The only love affair with Anvil is with me.”

“Perhaps it will be impossible while you think so.”

“It’s nice to see a person so full of confidence. Though you’re a mortal who will wither in the next 100 years or so.”

“I’m really envious of your age, though I’m not sure Shin-hyuk will like it.”

The atmosphere sharpened as the barbed words flew between them.

“Both are here.”

“Huh?”

“Suddenly again!”

But then, Shu suddenly appeared and intervened between the two, causing that atmosphere to dissolve.

“Tsukuyo, you’ll only hurt each other. And Bartender… Did you say your name was Claire? As long as you’re with Anvil, you’ll one day rise above the transcendental, so it’s good to learn their senses.”

“Ah.”

Tsukuyo quieted down, but Claire didn’t.

“Transcendental senses? If you’re talking about setting up some kind of housekeeping here or there, I probably won’t understand it even with a lifetime.”

“Wow… As expected, it’s not something we can do now.”

Shu looked at Claire with eyes that said, ‘She’s still young, so it can’t be helped.’ On the outside, she looked a good ten years younger than Claire.

“I want to ask you something more than that.”

“What is it?”

“All the damages that happened now that the Gaia system is gone, and Shinyoung emerging as mankind’s hope… How is this causal relationship adjusted when the Hero Universe is completed?”

“Are you asking that if the Hero Universe completely replaces the Gaia system, will this planetary chaos go back to nothing?”

“That’s correct.”

Tsukuyo laughed at her question, but Shu shook her head quietly.

“If such an absolute change of history were possible, it would’ve been impossible for Gaia to intervene in the Hero Universe in the first place.”

“…Is that so?”

“It is the future, not the past, that grandfather can change. So you have to think about what you will get, not what you lost. Just watch the results.”

Shu’s words, as one who was immersed in the ability to deal with causality, had a different weight to them. Claire, vaguely aware of it, nodded as if relieved.

“Okay, then that’s it.”

“It looks heavy.”

“Well, yes… I’m also in charge of one part. It’s heavy.”

The importance of the system to be completed… She felt scared every time she encountered what was happening outside. It would’ve been nice if she could’ve been there herself. Claire sighed and gently patted her stomach. Tsukuyo, who took it as a provocation, summoned her tail and went into battle mode, but Shu hit her in the back of the head to calm her down.

They still had quite a bit of time left before Kang Shin-hyuk returned.