NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 0 - Prologue
Prologue
It seems everything is screwed.
No, not me, but the Earth.
Boom—!
“Whoa!”
“Hah…”
I looked at the wyvern roaring in front of me and forced a bitter smile.
Of course, wyverns—often referred to as knockoff dragons—aren’t particularly rare magical beasts. In fact, they’re quite common.
They’re notorious enough to be called the harbingers of the Demon Dragon Legion’s invasion, and during the past ten years, I’ve massacred hundreds of thousands of them.
But the problem is:
“Why the hell is a wyvern flying around with Mapo Bridge as its backdrop?”
The river glistened in the glow of the sunset.
And towering over the river were massive bridges.
“Shiiit—.”
“Team Leader! Reinforcements are on their way! Hang in there just a bit longer!”
“Hang in there? Do you expect me to hang out in the stomach of these damned wyverns? Tell the reinforcements to hurry the hell up!”
The people fiercely battling the wyverns were swearing in the Korean language I had missed so much.
And lastly, the sign lying on the grass, unmistakably inscribed in Hangul: “Yeouido Hangang Park.”
All the evidence pointed to the fact that I was, indeed, standing in Yeouido Hangang Park.
As a bonus, the grotesque steel structure in the distance, now a nest for wyverns, was undoubtedly Mapo Bridge.
Faced with such an absurd and surreal scene, an honest opinion escaped my lips before I could stop it.
“Hah, what the f*.”
I was back on Earth after ten years.
I had conceded that things might have changed since a decade is a long time, enough for even landscapes to transform.
But this? This was seriously crossing the line.
Did ten years mean the Earth could turn into another world altogether?
Honestly, it was bizarre enough to dismiss as a dream—unnatural and outlandish in every way.
Too much had changed for this to resemble the Earth I remembered.
However, the cold wind brushing my cheek and the metallic stench of blood lingering in the air confirmed that this was an undeniable reality.
If it were the Dream Queen, she might have been capable of crafting such a dream, but there was no chance the scene before me was one of her illusions.
Not only would my divine power prevent me from falling victim to such dreams, but more importantly, the Dream Queen…
“I personally ripped her head off with my own hands. Isn’t that right, my esteemed Pope? Watching you tear that wretched woman’s head off was so sexy.”
“…Riemen?”
Yeah, I turned her head into mush myself.
Frowning, I slowly turned toward the voice.
There stood a silver-haired woman, smiling as she gazed at me.
Her name was Riemen.
Even amidst this chaotic and grotesque scene, Riemen shone with an elegance that stood out.
She was so beautiful it was hard to believe she was human—a being who embodied the very definition of the word otherworldly.
“Siwoo, you don’t look too happy about being back home. I feel like sending you back was pointless at this rate.”
“Wasn’t our contract supposed to end when I returned to Earth?”
“Aw, don’t be like that. I’m still the goddess you once served. A little respect and affection wouldn’t hurt. Don’t forget—I’m the one who made it possible for you to return safely to Earth!”
She pouted as she walked toward me.
Grinding my teeth, I responded.
“If you hadn’t dragged me to that damned world in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to suffer.”
“Maybe so, but if you’d stayed on Earth, you would’ve died.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Oh, come now. You, of all people, should know this. I’m a goddess, remember? Of course, I would know.”
She waved her hand nonchalantly as she spoke.
Wooooooong.
And just like that, everything around us froze.
The wyverns, rampaging as they feasted on human flesh.
The people are desperately fighting back against the wyverns.
Even the river, which had been gently flowing under the sunset’s glow, stopped moving.
***
[Warning! A Supreme Deity from Another Dimension is forcefully interfering with the causality of !]
[Strong causality demands adherence to the natural order.]
[
***
“Hmm, looks like five minutes is the limit? Since this dimensional realm is in the middle of its main event, causality seems to be acting quite forcefully. It’s disappointing, even for a Supreme Deity like me…”
Riemen smiled faintly as she looked around and continued.
“There’s no time for a detailed explanation, so I’ll get straight to the point. Would you like to make another contract with me?”
“A contract?”
“Yes! Unlike ten years ago, this time, it’s entirely up to you. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. But personally, I’d really like it if you agreed… What do you say?”
She glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
And for good reason—she was well aware of how much she had tormented me over the past ten years under the guise of a contract.
Riemen hadn’t been satisfied with simply abducting an ordinary Earthling. She had exploited me for a decade, wringing me dry.
A man who didn’t even know how to weed a garden had grown strong enough to pluck out the hearts of Demon Dragons and the Seven Demon Kings as if they were mere weeds.
Looking back, those ten years were pure hell.
My original plan had been to return to a peaceful Earth and live a happy, ordinary life…
But it was clear that the plan had gone straight out the window.
Wyverns frolicking on Earth? There’s no way I can take a peaceful stroll in a world like that.
“Let’s talk.”
With a deep sigh, I nodded.
At that, Riemen’s face lit up with a broad smile.
“Really? Honestly, I was worried about how Siwoo would react to all of this! I was so anxious, wondering if you’d go berserk from the shock of seeing how much your home had changed.”
“I’ve already experienced another world. Monsters appearing on Earth? Sure, it’s unsettling, but it’s not that shocking.”
Unreal?
My very existence is the epitome of the unreal.
Hearing my calm response, Riemen nodded in admiration, then looked at me with an innocent expression and said:
“If you make a contract with me, I’ll let you copy the divine power you used in the other world. Of course, since there aren’t any believers in me here, there will be some conditions…”
“Wait a second.”
“What?”
“Wasn’t divine power supposed to transfer with me during dimensional travel?”
“Oh, come on. Dimensional travel isn’t that simple. It requires adjustments between dimensions, paying attention to causality… Losing power is only natural. Oh! We have three minutes left.”
“What if I decide not to make a contract?”
I asked, half in disbelief. Riemen replied with a sullen expression.
“Your divine power will disappear, and you’ll never see me again. But don’t worry. Even without my divine power, I’m sure Siwoo can grow strong again in no time. Ten years ago, I had no choice but to rush things, but this time, I’ll let you decide. I feel bad about before.”
I’d have to make another contract to keep my powers?
And this time, I actually get to choose?
This wasn’t even a joke. There was absolutely nothing to think about here.
“I’m going crazy.”
“As expected, making another contract with me is out of the questio—”
“No, I’m seriously losing my mind here.”
“…Huh?”
“What the hell are we wasting time for? Let’s do the contract right now!”
“R-Really? Then I’ll finalize it immediately?”
With Earth already in shambles and my mind in chaos, starting over from scratch was out of the question.
No. Absolutely not.
I didn’t want to be the protagonist of some cliché story.
Not in a million years.
2.
“Siwoo?”
“Yeah?”
“The contract is complete. Now you can use divine power on Earth.”
At the same time, golden message windows appeared in front of me.
[Constellation Contract Complete.]
[The Supreme Deity of , , sponsors the human !]
[As you’ve contracted with a Constellation from another dimension, the causality of is assessing the legitimacy of this contract. Please wait.]
[5… 4… 3… 2… 1]
[Assessment Complete: No issues detected.]
Looking at the message windows, I turned to Riemen and asked casually:
“Did the system transfer along with me too?”
This system was a special function tied to Riemen’s support, which had accelerated my growth in Eden.
Known simply as the System, it quantified my progress and helped me adapt quickly to Eden.
I’d asked Riemen several times about its origin, but she had always dodged the question.
Still, having the system with me felt reassuring…
“Oh, that? It didn’t transfer with you. Actually, it originated from Earth. That feature was prepared for Earth’s main event. I just found it useful and sneakily copied it for you when I took you to Eden!”
“…It was originally Earth’s?”
“If you want to be technical, yes. Sorry, Siwoo. I wanted to tell you before, but I couldn’t because of the restrictions in Eden.”
So the system, which I had thought was a unique, otherworldly function, was actually an Earth-born feature…
I didn’t know what to think anymore.
But once again, it seemed Riemen couldn’t give me a detailed explanation.
[Time will resume in 1 minute.]
“Unfortunately, since I don’t have a foundation in this world yet, I can’t stay long. I’m sure you have a million questions for me, but they’ll have to wait. There’s something you must do right now, Siwoo.”
Riemen grabbed my hand tightly as she spoke.
Then, with tears glistening in her eyes, she continued.
“We managed to resolve the divine power issue through the contract, but the fundamental problem remains unsolved. It could still disappear someday.”
“We’re short on time. Just tell me the solution.”
“Divine power relies on belief. Without believers, it naturally dissipates. So for you to maintain your power, you need to create people on Earth who believe in me! It’s simple, right? You were a pope, after all!”
“You want me to become a cult leader?”
“I’m not sure what that is, but yes! Just gather lots of believers for me. That’s all you need to do! Got it?”
Wooooooong.
Riemen’s figure began to fade.
And in that dissolving light, she shouted at me desperately:
“We’ll see each other again soon! Don’t cry because I’m gone! Okay? Promise me, our Pope…”
With her heartfelt plea…
[Time Resumes.]
Time began flowing again, and I looked at the additional message windows in front of me with a hollow laugh.
[A quest has been issued!]
[Found a Religious Order]
-Type: Main Quest
-Description: This world lacks believers who worship your deity. To maintain your power, found a religious order and expand its reach. There are no limits on means or methods. This system will automatically track the number of believers in coordination with the dimensional main event.
-Completion Condition: Number of Believers: 1/10,000
Warning! This quest has a time limit of 90 days. If the completion condition is not met within the time limit, all your possessions and powers will be reset!
Looking at the message window, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
“Hah.”
It seems everything’s truly screwed.
“Damn it.”
This time, it’s me.