MDCR 22

Chapter 22

“Come on in. I’ll welcome you, Peregion. The forgotten, starving god.”

Eirix’s eyes narrowed as he spoke.

It felt strange. Is that really Eirix?

Could it be that another timeline exists?

A timeline where an Eirix I don’t like exists.

Peregion took a step back, startled. The eyes embedded in his body widened. His pupils quivered.

“Then… should I just take you?”

In an instant, a hollow opened in the center of Peregion’s body. Inside it, a fist-sized sphere spun slowly.

The surface of the sphere was strange—black, red, green… like swirling oil on water.

What is that?

Eirix raised his hand toward the sphere. It rolled onto his palm.

He curled his fingers and gripped the sphere tightly. It fit perfectly in his hand. His gaze was full of curiosity and desire as he studied it.

“Now… this is mine?”

In that moment, Peregion’s body seemed to crumble like sand, being drawn into the sphere as if it were swallowing him.

This is…

A scene that plays out when Eirix subjugates a god who opposes him.

It’s not only humans who challenge Eirix. Even gods have tried. They descended into the vessels offered by those who sought their aid to battle Eirix.

Sometimes, taking the risk, they would open the divine realm to trap Eirix inside and fight him there.

Each time, Eirix won, taking the god’s rank and power into his own hands and subjugating them.

When he needed power, he would summon and subjugate appropriate gods, usually forgotten ones.

There is a book where these forgotten gods are listed, which Eirix used to summon them. That book was the Book of Soleil. Over time, it became almost like a delivery app for Eirix.

And now, that scene was unfolding before me. The process of a god’s power and rank becoming the possession of human Eirix.

Telecus, unaware of the situation, trembled in awe.

He mistook this moment—the moment his god became the servant of a human—for the divine descent.

“Congratulations, Lord Peregion!”

Eirix looked at Telecus, holding the sphere. The corners of his lips curled slightly.

Telecus awaited the blessing a god would bestow.

After a moment, the boy spoke quietly:

“Absolute command.”

A black shadow rose from beneath the boy’s feet.

“Destroy.”

Something shot out from the black shadow. I couldn’t see it clearly. Only a faint black cord connecting Eirix’s body to the shadow was visible.

And then…

Thud—

Telecus’s body erupted into a storm of blood.

Blood and flesh splattered across the floor.

“Success.”

Eirix said, tossing the sphere into the air. It floated briefly before vanishing.

I decided to revise a fact I had known.

The first tombstone Eirix erected was not for Maimon, but for Telecus.

Engrave on that tombstone:

“Perished, by his own greed and deserved fate.”

My vision dimmed, then brightened again. The man’s display ended, and I was back on the train. Outside, night had fallen. Moonlight gleamed on the endless cliffs.

“Did you watch carefully?”

Eirix was already skillfully manipulating Aither. By now, he had mastered the art of subjugating gods.

[Do you know what this is?]

“Hmm?”

Thunk—

A very thick book appeared on the table between us.

As I looked, it opened by itself. Pages filled with complex diagrams, numbers, and letters flipped in sequence. Each page was numbered.

1, 2… up to 87.

The book flipped back upright, revealing a thick cover. The symbols on it were closer to icons than letters.

Strangely, I could read them.

“The Book of Soleil”

I slowly placed my hand on it. The rough cover grazed my fingers.

This was an item that deserved triple underlining.

It was a crucial item throughout the novel, recording the forgotten gods that had sunk into oblivion.

It was not written by anyone, nor created by anyone. It was materialized from the lingering will of forgotten gods.

This book appears before those who are compatible with the forgotten gods. They can only read the pages relevant to them. Because it is conceptual, that is the only way to read it. Those chosen by the forgotten gods receive their blessing at that moment, becoming their apostles.

Why is this book important? Because Eirix used the forgotten gods recorded here to harness their power.

Flap—

The Book of Soleil reopened between us.

The flipping pages stopped.

**“Page 32

Peregion.

Child-god of Laugina.

The iron hammer cast into the abyss by Laugina…”**

That was the page recording Peregion.

“32… a rather lukewarm number.”

He said softly.

[The numbers don’t indicate rank. They’re just the order in which they were written.]

It felt like the greatest gods might be toward the end.

In the story, Peregion finally becomes known to people after being possessed by Eirix.

Eirix called him this:

Peregion, the Hammer of Punishment.

He executed Eirix’s punishments, destroying anything Eirix commanded. Whenever Eirix pronounced his name, his enemies shivered. One strike of the hammer was enough to carry out the execution.

[Aither is…]

He said,

[The power to summon gods, control them, and even become a god yourself.]

By setting, Eirix possessed the world’s most powerful Aither and could wield it most freely.

[You also possess Aither.]

Huh? That was sudden. I asked blankly.

“You mean Elphini, right?”

Because the original me was nothing.

[Exactly, if you want to be precise.]

“Then it’s not really my power.”

Having Aither only qualifies you as a “vessel.” It doesn’t mean you can use it freely like Eirix.

Those who opposed Eirix and possessed Aither had all lost. They summoned gods into their bodies, but Eirix could command gods that opposed them. Summoning a god was like handing them a fishbowl while they had flippers and an oxygen tank—it changed nothing.

“So even a minor spirit like me, fully inhabiting a body, wouldn’t be considered a proper vessel.”

He couldn’t hold back a laugh.

[Calling yourself a minor spirit…]

“Exactly.”

Even a spirit like me could theoretically be considered a god here. The standards to become a god are low.

Ah, that’s why there are so many gods. Laughter echoed again.

[None of the so-called gods were gods from the start. They accumulate rank, gain qualification, and then become gods. The stories of their deeds, once they become gods, make them great. The more stories, the greater the god. But there’s always an end. When people stop seeking their stories, they become forgotten gods and vanish.]

“Here, with so many gods, some must disappear for balance.”

[Indeed. There are too many gods that need to vanish, yet humans cling to them.]

Clank—

The train stopped.

The scenery outside blurred.

The man spoke softly:

[It’s time.]

The surroundings shifted dramatically. It felt like waking from sleep.

Regaining my senses, I was alone on the train. In a connecting car, the doors were wide open. A distant gorge stretched below, wind whipping violently.

Was this a new place?

No, perhaps not.

The surroundings were filled with paper, and successive impacts sounded.

Thud, thud—

The train shook each time.

I had returned.

Eirix stood in the torn train, wind roaring around him.

His heart pounded, but he couldn’t simply linger in fear.

His senior had disappeared.

He hadn’t fallen into the gorge. Surely, the giant snake had caught them. Eirix also grabbed the senior. But at that moment, the senior vanished. As a result, Eirix and the snake tumbled inward.

Someone must have saved the senior.

It must have been magic, maybe Anerica?

If so, that’s a relief. Otherwise, it’s a problem from that moment onward.

Suddenly, Telecus’s massive hand slammed down on Eirix. Darkness. The snake clung to Eirix’s neck, trembling.

“Calm down.”

And you calm down, Eirix.

You are not in danger. Everyone wants you. You are always safe. Treated as precious.

Thinking this, my anger flared.

Eirix was desired from birth. Everyone’s treasure. But no one treated him like a person.

As my anger surged, I remembered what my father said when he told me to board this train:

“…Eirix, follow the church.”