First Descent
Not long after I started walking along the highway, a food stand came into view.
"Walnut pastries... walnut pastries?"
Luckily, the area where I woke up seemed to be not too far from the city. The snack shop right in front of me was the most common type of building you'd see on highways leading out of ordinary areas.
"Walnut pastries mean... Cheonan?"
If it was Cheonan, that would be a huge relief—it was the region where I lived in my previous life. At least I'd know what's around here.
"This... way, I think..."
But maybe because too much time had passed, I had a vague sense of direction, but the landscape was so different that I couldn't get my bearings at all. Well, they say ten years can change rivers and mountains, so after twenty years—enough time for two full changes—it wasn't surprising I couldn't recognize it.
"Eh, whatever. Something'll turn up if I just follow the road."
In the end, I gave up on relying on my memories and decided to just stick to the road ahead.
And not long after I started following it, I saw it.
"...Whoa."
Thud—BOOM!!
A female awakener was wreaking terror right in the middle of the city.
BOOM!!
With a deafening explosion, the outer wall of a building shattered into pieces. Debris rained down like a waterfall, and several cars on the road got shoved together by the shockwave.
"Kyaaah!!!"
"Help!!"
Screams erupted from all directions. The scene unfolding before my eyes was a disaster straight out of some other world, nothing like the reality I knew.
"Die, all of you!!!! Haha!! This feels so good?!"
The woman laughed as she smashed a building like it was a toy. Her eyes, drunk on power, held no trace of reason, just a smile bordering on madness.
'She's insane.'
My legs froze in place. Even though I knew I had God's power, my body instinctively felt terror first.
'Am I... gonna stupidly step in and get myself killed?'
Memories from my past life overlapped. The moment the knife stabbed me, the sensation of blood cooling, my vision blurring. Dying wasn't something I wanted to go through twice.
I unconsciously turned to run.
That's when it happened.
"Gah...!"
A rough groan came from ahead. Amid the fleeing crowd, an older man on crutches tripped over a stone while running. His bandaged leg slammed straight into the ground.
"Ah, damn... shit..!"
He tried to scramble up, but his crutches had flown far away, and his leg wouldn't obey.
And then.
Thud.
Thud.
Slowly, savoring the man's terrified, twisted face, the woman stepped up in front of him. Her lips curled into a sneer.
"Tripped while running away?"
Her voice was excited, like a kid who found a new toy.
"Tough luck, mister."
In that moment, something inside my chest snapped.
'Ah.'
My mind went blank. Before I could think, my body moved.
Wings of Divinity: First Wing - Judgment
『Awaken, Sacred First Wing!』
My voice echoed as a massive light exploded from my back. Dazzling radiance unfurled a pair of brilliant wings into the air, as if the heavens themselves had descended through me.
An overwhelming sense of omnipotence surged through my entire body.
'Is this the power granted to me?'
A colossal force that took my breath away. An immense omnipotence rising from the depths of my chest. I felt every bit of that vast power seeping into every corner of my body.
Right now, this whole area was under my dominion.
The woman seemed to sense it too—her face twisted for the first time.
"...What the hell are you?"
Instinctual wariness flickered in her madness-filled eyes. She took a step back.
The man seized the opening, desperately dragging himself to grab his crutch and escape.
Now, only she and I remained on this street.
Did she feel my power? Defeat crept across her face. At the same time, beads of sweat began trickling down her features like pearls.
『...』
"Hey, say something! You from the Management Bureau? Here to catch me? Heh.."
She acted casual, but I saw the cold sweat pouring off her. It was the look of someone desperate for an escape in front of an overwhelming superior.
Revolting.
She'd terrorized everyone in a drunken haze of power, and now that someone stronger showed up, she was just eyeing a chance to flee.
『No words for trash like you.』
I slowly raised my left hand. Clouds above began twisting like a vortex. Lightning writhed and gathered.
Feeling that immense power, her eyes shook wildly.
"Damn—!"
She spun to run.
But.
『Divine Judgment.』
Target Eliminated
KURURURUM—BOOOOMMMM!!!!
With those short words, dozens of thunderbolts crashed down simultaneously.
An unavoidable, unstoppable strike.
In the flash and explosion, she vanished like mist without even a final scream.
And then.
As the dust cleared, all that remained was a massive crater, scorched asphalt, and scattering ashes.
『...Hm.』
No particular feeling rose as I watched the bug's end.
The clouds I summoned dispersed, and as I caught my breath, the wings on my back vanished, the omnipotence draining away with them.
"...Hoo."
Looking at the devastation I'd wrought after the power left me, I felt dazed.
'Is she... dead?'
It felt different from when I was drunk on power. Like peering into someone else's memory—alien.
Whoooosh—
A chilly wind brushed my body, bringing cold reality crashing down. My heart belatedly vomited up its terror.
'I...'
'Killed someone?'
My fingertips trembled. Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
By the situation, she was just a crazy bitch rampaging, so I killed her in a fit of rage. Sure, she was a terrorist...
'Revolting? A bug? Did I really think that??'
I couldn't even be sure those emotions from moments ago were truly mine.
Gulp—
The small sound of swallowing echoed hugely.
'B-but... I caught a bad guy...'
There had to be some mitigating circumstances, right? ...Right?
As those thoughts swirled with a desperate urge to hide somewhere, a bright light enveloped me.
A strangely comforting sensation eased my mind a bit, and after a short while, I arrived in some room.
"...Whoa."
I didn't know where this was, but it was surprisingly cozy. It had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and even a separate bath—not too small, not too big.
Given my personality that figures a house just needs the basics rather than being huge, this place was basically a dream home.
The living room had a TV and computer; on the desk sat a phone and wallet.
"Whose are these?"
I casually picked up the phone and turned it on—no lock screen. The screen showed a single note.
As I started reading it, I realized who the phone and wallet belonged to.
You must have been shocked. I should have warned you ahead of time. Sorry about that.
If you ever want to go "home" or just hide, you can return here anytime. It's as good as your own house.
Whoa. So this house is mine? Phone and wallet, fine—but the whole house too?
"...Jackpot."
But the message didn't end there.
The power granted to you is essentially divine authority. You can enter or leave this house anytime, and as long as it's your possession, you can summon it to your hand whether you're outside or inside...
Summarizing the long note:
Since I was sent to Earth with God's power, I can live however I want. Come home anytime, leave anytime. No limits on the power. Phones, wallets—anything mine, I can pull or summon from anywhere. Or I could just hole up here forever gaming and chilling.
A dream life!
[..Finally, a few precautions.]
Super excited, I almost missed the precautions at the end. The word "precautions" made me tense, so I read every character carefully.
[First, don't abuse your power without reason.]
[Of course, conveniences like summoning your stuff or teleporting that only affect you are fine anytime. I just hope you won't inconvenience others. I don't think you would.]
[Second, don't reveal the existence of this sanctuary. You know why.]
That was it for precautions. Not even prohibitions—just "I'd prefer if you didn't."
Wait... aren't you giving me way too much freedom, God? What do you even trust in me..
[That's all. Live happily, if you can.]
The end was straightforward.
...What can I say? It tickled a bit.
'Thank you, God.'
Anyway, now it finally felt like my life on Earth was truly beginning.
"Hum~ First things first, let's tour the house?"
TV, computer, all the electronics worked without being plugged in. Top-of-the-line PC and gaming consoles, no doubt.
"Whoa... this is the best."
..But how do I get delivery food in a place like this? No doors. No windows. Completely cut off from the outside.
Well, I could will myself out, so maybe not a big deal...
'Whatever.'
I shoved the gloomy "am I a murderer?" thoughts to a corner for now.
Humming cheerfully, buzzing with excitement, I dove straight for the computer.
.
.
Unaware that the TV was reporting the incident of an awakener who turned to ash mid-city terror.