Chapter 569: The High(4)
Chapter 569: The High(4)
Compared to the vastness of the universe, humanity is but a handful of dust. It’s one of the many famous quotes regarding the cosmos.
I showed everyone the image of the universe as I imagined it. I called it an "imagination," but thanks to how advanced media had become in my previous life, I was able to portray it vividly.
The space around us was filled with darkness, yet it was densely packed with stars and the swirling Milky Way. It was a landscape where awe and beauty coexisted.
And right in front of us sat the deep blue "Earth," with a space station slowly orbiting it.
"Where... on earth is this?"
"The space beyond the sky..."
"..."
Everyone who witnessed the universe for the first time managed to squeeze out a word or two.
A few people, including my father, tried their best to remain calm, but they couldn't hide their trembling eyes.
It was only natural. These were people who hadn't even conquered the sky yet, and now they were staring at the universe—a place that humanity on Earth could only barely travel to.
Setting aside the fact that there were no gods in the space beyond the sky, one couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming reverence when faced with such a vast expanse.
It wasn't just them. Even the most renowned scientists on Earth conducted their research with a sense of awe toward the cosmos.
"As I mentioned before, this is the space beyond the sky. In other words, the universe. Do you see that?"
While everyone was still dazed, I pointed directly at the Earth.
As I did, everyone’s gaze shifted in that direction. Most of them widened their eyes in surprise.
It seemed they had been so distracted by the vastness of the universe that they had only just noticed the Earth.
"That is..."
"It looks like a blue candy. What is it?"
"There’s something spinning around it, too."
They whispered among themselves as they had before, but no one had a proper answer.
Even observing the stars required the full mobilization of their current academic knowledge; seeing an actual "planet" was a first for them.
I gave a small smile and revealed the identity of the "candy" Mari had mentioned.
"The name of that world is Earth. It’s where I was born."
"Earth?"
"Yes. Earth as seen from the space beyond the sky. This world probably looks similar from out here."
"Is that the world where you lived? It is incredibly large."
Perhaps because we were looking at it from a relatively close distance, Arwen seemed to be under the illusion that Earth occupied a large portion of the universe.
I intended to shatter that illusion completely. I didn't even need to close my eyes and imagine this part.
All I had to do was slowly pull back from the Earth—until it became smaller than a speck of dust.
"Huh? Uh... it’s getting smaller?"
"It’s not getting smaller. We’re just moving further away."
"My goodness... just how vast is it..."
By now, they surely realized it. Even Earth, with a civilization several stages more advanced than theirs, was not even a grain of dust compared to the universe.
Once everyone was sufficiently shell-shocked, I returned the view to our previous position. The blue Earth was once again clearly visible.
It was best to start the explanation from here. I pointed to the slowly rotating Earth and spoke.
"As you felt, the world I lived in—Earth—is nothing more than a tiny world compared to the universe. To say nothing of the humans inside that world who are so busy fighting one another."
"Even though you ventured into the universe, did your world never doubt the existence of gods? Unlike our world, the existence of gods in yours is unclear, isn't it?"
Cecile asked me, her tone suggesting she found it difficult to understand. Her question was perfectly logical.
In this world, where the existence of gods was a certainty, people believed that the universe was the resting place of the gods.
Earth was neither. The existence of gods was uncertain, and yet humanity had reached out into space.
It was understandable why she found it strange that faith hadn't vanished but was instead steadily maintained.
"It’s not like that. As you’ve all realized, the gods do not exist in physical space. People on Earth likely think similarly."
"So they reside in a divine space that mortals cannot reach."
Having said that, Cecile clasped her hands together and began to mutter something. From what I could hear, it sounded like a prayer to Mora.
Others followed suit, praying to their gods or whispering their names. It seemed they had felt something profound from my words.
It appeared that even if a scientific approach were introduced to this world, worship of the gods would not disappear.
Even I felt a subconscious sense of reverence. They might be "human-like" gods, but transcendent beings were still transcendent beings.
‘I wonder what would have happened if Kate knew about this?’
[Nothing much. Her divine power would have just doubled, and that’s it.]
‘... ...’
Yeah. I’m glad I didn't bring Kate.
Otherwise, an unprecedented monster might have been born.
She already possesses an overwhelming amount of divine power; the thought of it doubling made me seriously curious about her internal structure.
"By the way, what is that? The thing orbiting the Earth."
While everyone was busy nurturing their faith, Mari pointed her finger. The others looked where she was pointing.
She was pointing at the space station—one of the pinnacles of human technology.
"It’s a space station. Unlike the world we live in, the universe is extremely harsh. Without a specially made suit, you’ll die instantly."
"I see. Does the word 'station' mean people live there?"
"Yes."
A flurry of other questions followed, and I answered each one with total sincerity.
While they had a decent grasp of the sky, they knew absolutely nothing about the universe.
Even though Earth knew far more truths than this world, it was still just a drop in the bucket.
"Can mana be used in the universe as well?"
"Uh... I’m not sure about that. Lady Mora?"
[This is something you all must find out for yourselves. If I reveal too many truths, the journey itself loses its luster.]
I asked Mora about the parts I didn't know, but she firmly refused to answer this specific point.
The existence of the universe was a "truth," but Arwen’s question was asking for a "result."
Personally, I speculated that magic couldn't be used in space.
The universe could embrace everything, but it was harsher than anywhere else.
‘I wonder how the real Earth actually managed to advance into space.’
As I answered their questions, I was reminded once again of Earth's greatness. Earth had paved its own way without any outside help.
Though more than half of its history was defined by war, and recent history was marred by the horrific sacrifices of consecutive World Wars.
Yet, using those sacrifices and that history as a stepping stone, humanity had achieved infinite progress. Humanity had done it themselves.
The problem was that this very progress was now harming Earth, the mother and cradle of all.
‘They’ll find an answer. They always do.’
Just before I crossed over to this world, a war had broken out between Russia and Ukraine, and before that, a pandemic no less severe than the Black Death had swept the globe.
It was no exaggeration to call it the crisis of a lifetime in the 21st century.
I was a bit worried, but I believed they would pull through.
"Are there any more questions?"
"Hmm..."
"I want to ask about what I don't know..."
"But I don't even know what I don't know, so it’s hard to even ask."
Surprisingly, there weren't many questions about the universe. As Leona said, it was a situation where they didn't know enough to even formulate a question.
I gave a faint smile and looked around at my loved ones. They seemed to have adjusted now, as the look of confusion had vanished.
Then, my eyes met Cecile’s. The moment our gazes locked, she wore a peculiar smile.
That was the smile she only wore when she was about to play a prank. I felt a slight sense of unease.
Sure enough, Cecile looked around and spoke with a tone that said, "Look at this."
"Anyway, you show us things like this and still claim you’re not a Saint? I’m not going to believe that anymore. What do the rest of you think?"
"Hmm. Honestly, I feel like I’m starting to develop faith. Not in a god, but in Isaac."
"Isn't it more strange to show us this and say you're not a god?"
"He’s my brother, but he’s starting to feel like a different kind of being entirely."
This mischievous woman was trying to turn me into a real Saint. And the others were reacting with a mix of jest and sincerity.
I simply responded with a shrug. To be honest, even I was starting to feel a sense of faith where none existed before, so how could they be any different?
More importantly, that wasn't what mattered right now. It was time to wrap things up.
"If there are no more questions, I’ll finish up and move on."
I quietly closed my eyes. We wouldn't return to the White Room immediately; the universe would still be spread out before us.
The finale I wanted was the trailer for a game famous for being a "life-ruiner."
Instead of the clay-like graphics of the actual game trailer, I would use Mora’s help to make it look like reality.
You could call it an upgrade. It would consume some divine power, but it was worth it.
[Wasting divine power on something like this is a bit...]
Mora grumbled, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. Now was the time to show the "process" of Earth's civilization.
Before long, I finished the rough visualization and opened my eyes. I was met with my family members staring at me with blank expressions.
However, as changes began to occur in the universe and on Earth, everyone’s attention shifted back there.
"Oh? It’s moving."
"What is he going to show us?"
As we drew closer and closer to Earth, their expressions filled with interest. Except for one person—my father.
My father seemed to be deep in thought, his arms crossed and his face set in his characteristic solemn expression.
He would likely have separate questions for me once this finale was over.
While I was thinking that, the Earth, which had been drawing closer with the sunlight as its halo, rapidly approached a specific land.
One of the oldest civilizations, a region where countless artifacts are still being unearthed to this day: Egypt.
And then...
[Baba yetu, yetu uliye. Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!]
[Our Father, who art in heaven. Amen!]
Background music perfectly suited for explaining "Civilization" began to flow.
[Baba yetu, yetu uliye. Jina lako litukuzwe.]
[Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name.]
One of the wonders of Egypt, the "Pyramids," began to be constructed in real-time, showcasing their majesty.
The game trailer was just graphics, but now, with Mora’s help, it was shown in a vivid, realistic form.
This was the finale I wanted: to show what kind of results were produced as Earth's civilization was built up layer by layer.
[Utusamehe makosa yetu. Hei!]
[Forgive us our trespasses!]
Above all, the song itself was centered on praise and confession to "God."
It was a song perfectly suited for the people of this world, where the existence of God was clear. The song itself was also highly addictive.
Even though it was only the beginning, everyone was staring in rapt concentration. It wasn't called "demonic music" for nothing.
‘Did someone call it the song of human unification?’
Even while I was having these idle thoughts, the video continued without pause.
Beyond the construction of countless wonders, it moved to the "War" part—the essence of history.
Since the war was set in a medieval background, the immersion was immense.
[Baba yetu, yetu uliye. Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!]
[Our Father, who art in heaven. Amen!]
After the Age of Discovery that changed the world, the invention of the gun led to the American Revolutionary War.
This was followed by Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, with the passage of time depicted by Lincoln transforming into a statue.
But where there is light, there is also shadow. While the song itself grew more grand to match the progress of the era, the sacrifices grew just as much.
Like the World War II sequence being shown now. Fighter planes fell from the sky, and infantry huddled behind tanks as they advanced.
[Baba yetu, yetu uliye. Jina lako litukuzwe.]
[Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name.]
After the war, the image of a spaceship soaring high into the sky, spewing fierce flames, was shown.
The sight of humanity piercing through the sky—a place once thought only for the chosen—and venturing into the dark universe.
Following that, a space station was established, and a person inside it was shown facing the sunlight.
Bathed in that light, the scene transitioned back to the first view of the universe we had seen.
The blue Earth and the space station orbiting it.
The beginning and the end were the same, perfectly forming a circular structure.
Vroooom—
While everyone was still dazed, I brought us back to the White Room. Everyone blinked as they regained their senses.
Less than five minutes had passed, but the combination of the visuals and the music must have been incredibly immersive.
"That concludes the explanation of Earth's civilization. Any questions?"
"...I don't even know what to ask first."
"Me neither..."
The Q&A session began, but everyone seemed unable to pull themselves together. I decided to wait patiently until they calmed down.
Except for one person. My father, who had maintained a solemn expression since the video began.
"My son."
"Yes, Father. Do you have a question?"
"It is not about Earth's civilization. I have understood that well enough. However..."
My father stroked his neatly trimmed beard and spoke with a look of curiosity.
"I do not understand why you are not telling us about yourself."
"About me?"
"Yes. To be precise... your family."
"...My family?"
While I was bewildered by the unexpected question, my father continued.
"Yes. Your family. I would like to see your family from your previous life, not your current one."
"If that’s all, then..."
It wasn't particularly difficult. My family in my previous life had been just as harmonious as my current one.
Just as I was about to speak.
[That’s enough.]
Mora suddenly intervened.
[I will explain from here on.]
She said something that, at least to me, made no sense at all.