Creation Talent
“What is this?”
Kim Jihun said with a bewildered expression.
Asrie smiled kindly and told him, “It’s a gift.”
He stared at the object in his hand. A stone gleaming with an ethereal luster, overflowing with mysterious energy. It was a Soul Stone.
It had happened that morning. As usual, Kim Jihun had entered his subspace to train his Creation Force when Asrie appeared before him. She then held out something to him—a low-grade Soul Stone, just like the one she’d received after passing her promotion exam in the past.
Jihun was a bit stunned by her sudden gift.
Soul Stones are incredibly precious to the gods, aren’t they? Why is she giving me one all of a sudden?
He pondered this, but Asrie soon dispelled his doubts.
“Actually, this isn’t just a simple gift. It’s a gift and a mission at the same time. You could call it a quest I’m giving you directly.”
At her mention of a mission, Kim Jihun pulled himself together. From what he’d observed, Asrie didn’t coddle him like a flower in a greenhouse. To gain something, you had to earn it—she was a goddess of clear achievements and rewards.
In other words, her giving him a Soul Stone meant he’d have to undertake something dangerous or arduous in return. That was why Jihun tensed up.
Asrie continued, “It contains discarded-grade souls that have been accumulating throughout all of human history.”
“...Pardon?”
He was caught off guard by the unfamiliar term that came out of nowhere.
Asrie explained further to the confused Jihun. “Discarded-grade souls are exactly what they sound like—souls so poor in quality they’re slated for disposal. Ones where the soul’s very nature is grotesquely twisted.”
“Twisted souls?”
Jihun couldn’t wrap his head around her words. A soul was a soul—how could it be twisted?
That was why, even after her explanation, he wore a puzzled expression. But the way to make him understand turned out to be surprisingly simple.
“Try reading the Soul Stone.”
Asrie instructed Jihun to scan it. He nodded and placed his hand on the Soul Stone he’d received. He then channeled a bit of his pure Creation Force into it to read it.
—Whumm...
His pure Creation Force seeped into the Soul Stone. Soon, Jihun could sense the souls inside it.
His eyes widened in shock. “This is?!”
A chill ran up his spine. And how could it not? The Soul Stone contained souls with all manner of grotesque personalities: serial killers, mass murderers, rapists, dictators who’d committed genocide, and various shattered psyches. They waited silently inside for the day they might regain life.
Jihun stared at it with revulsion. “Incredible. I had no idea human souls could be this ugly.”
“Well, expansion and development don’t always bring only good things.”
Asrie’s governing principle was expansion and growth. She’d rejected design and perfection in favor of endless potential. Thanks to that, humanity under her had become the most diverse intelligent species across the universe—but it came with side effects. One of those was the pile of defective souls right before Jihun’s eyes, twisted and deformed unlike normal ones.
Jihun murmured, “I see. Because they have so much diversity, even souls like these emerge.”
“Exactly. You, Kim Jihun, are a prime example of my policy’s success. Those defective souls over there? Failures.”
Jihun was a positive outcome of her approach. With such vast potential, even godlike talents could emerge, albeit at rare odds. But of course, her policy had failures too—far more than successes, in fact. Just look at the sheer number packed into that Soul Stone.
Jihun asked Asrie, “So, what am I supposed to do with these defective souls?”
He suddenly wanted to know why she’d handed them over. That’s why he asked.
But her answer was rather irresponsible. “Whatever you want.”
“Pardon?”
She was telling him to handle the souls inside however he pleased. Jihun was dumbfounded.
“They’re souls! You want me to do whatever I want with them?! Even if they’re defective, they’re still individual souls. Can I really just...?”
“You’re a god, Kim Jihun.”
Asrie immediately quashed his concerns. “You’re a god too. A Creation God, no less—the most noble and rare talent of all. Since you were born with the stature of creation, you’ll have to handle souls eventually. Stop binding yourself with mortal sensibilities. You possess a higher stature than any intelligent being—you’re a god in the truest sense.”
She gently scolded him. Even after gaining divine rank, he was still viewing things from a mortal perspective.
Jihun listened quietly.
“Of course, it’s good to humbly observe the world. You’re still attending school and have much to learn, even as a god. But you are a god. Lately, it seems like you haven’t fully internalized that.”
Jihun fell silent at her words. He had nothing to say, even if he had a dozen mouths.
What had he done since becoming a god? Nothing. At best, he’d made artifacts and handed them out to friends and family.
In truth, if he wanted, he could ignore Earth’s laws and all interference, acting freely. He could disregard all mortal physical forces—no intelligent being could touch a hair on his head. Now with divine rank, only divine power or void energy could harm him. On Earth, he truly had no enemies.
Yet what had he done with that immense power? Made things for himself and basked in solitary satisfaction.
Asrie said, “Since you were born a mortal, I won’t demand you adopt a fully divine worldview right away. But someday, you’ll need a universal perspective beyond just Earth.”
Her words stabbed like a dagger into his chest. He’d definitely clung to his human life: earning money, material desires, maintaining ties with family and friends.
But eventually, he’d have to sever those and stand alone as a god.
Jihun etched her words deep into his heart.
Asrie softened her expression. “Well, enjoying diversions on Earth is fine by me. I even encourage it— it’s your homeworld, after all, and one I cherish. Just don’t view divine duties through mortal eyes like you have been. Keep doing as you’ve done so far, and it’ll be alright.”
She gave him a benevolent smile. Jihun nodded. He clearly understood her point.
At least when handling divine matters, I should view them as a god would.
Moments ago, he’d looked at the souls through mortal eyes: How dare I tamper with others’ souls!
Asrie must have found it absurd. Supervising and managing mortals was a god’s natural right and duty—yet he’d tried to shirk it from a mortal viewpoint.
That’s why she’d scolded him for the first time in a while. Caught off guard by the rare reprimand, he didn’t know where to put himself.
I was definitely in the wrong.
He reflected on his recent actions. He’d trained his Creation Force and fulfilled godly duties, but he still lived on Earth. Naturally, mortal thought patterns lingered.
That’s why he acknowledged her criticism as exactly what he needed now.
With sincere remorse, he bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Asrie.”
“Hehe, as long as you get it.”
Sensing his genuine reflection, Asrie’s face brightened.
Jihun looked up and, to change the mood, asked, “So, I can use this Soul Stone however I like?”
“Yeah. No point keeping it around otherwise. Whether you make artifacts, strip their egos for personal combat puppets—do whatever. I won’t care.”
A sly smile crept onto Jihun’s lips as he heard her examples. Fresh ideas bubbled up in his mind.
Souls, huh? So many uses. I could make ego-infused artifacts or wipe their egos for obedient AI weapons.
Various creations took shape in his head: swords with egos, high-intelligence AIs, autonomous weapons.
Most required limiting or erasing the soul’s ego for operation. It might strip away thought and will, but Jihun didn’t mind.
These defective souls deserve it.
When he’d scanned the Soul Stone earlier, he’d glimpsed their crimes and thoughts briefly. Utter trash. They were the most twisted across all humanity.
Disposing of them was merciful, really—he could just seal them eternally instead.
Jihun grew excited about his future creations. “I can’t wait to make what’s next.”
“Hehe, work hard.”
Asrie left those words, opened a dimensional gate, and returned to the divine realm.
Jihun saw her off and gazed at the Soul Stone in his hand.
“I’ll put you to good use from now on, you defective souls.”
A thick smile spread across his face.
...
“Hey, I’m here.”
Leila had come to Earth for a visit. Kim Jihun greeted her warmly—it had been a while.
“You made it? It’s really been too long.”
“Ahaha, did you miss me?”
She rushed over and kissed his cheek the moment she saw him. Jihun inwardly regretted she hadn’t aimed for his lips but didn’t show it. He’d always kept up a tsundere stance around her.
Me making the first move feels kinda embarrassing.
He harbored strong feelings for Leila, but actively showing them still shyed him away.
Perhaps reading his mind, Leila grabbed the back of his neck. “It’s been a while, so let’s greet properly, yeah?”
She went in for a intense deep kiss. Jihun pretended to resist before tangling his tongue with hers. Her long-missed warmth lifted his spirits.
“Enrollment at mid-level school is tomorrow.”
After the passionate kiss, Leila told him this. Jihun nodded.
“Yeah. That’s why you came all the way here?”
“Yep. Wanted to go to school with you.”
At her words, Jihun pictured it: walking side by side with Leila to school.
Back in low-level school, they’d acted together but never commuted. Their relationship had been more rivals than lovers, and even after the promotion exam shifted things, he’d graduated, so no shared commutes.
He told her, “Then let’s go together from tomorrow on. It’ll be a hassle, but could you come to Earth every morning before school? I can’t handle dimensional gates yet, so I’m stuck going back and forth between school and Earth.”
“Sure thing! Together every day starting tomorrow!”
She grinned happily. Jihun smiled too, thrilled at having a girlfriend to commute with.
They both looked forward to mid-level school enrollment the next day.