How the Hell Is This Being a God? (1)
The words were blinking on the monitor.
[One final question.]
[Will you bind yourself to the Book of Ruin?]
[Will you become the god of this ruined world?]
This wasn't even a real question.
"Of course!"
The moment I answered, the Book of Ruin and the four statues lit up. I stumbled back in shock as the light sucked itself into me. What got etched onto my right arm was the Book of Ruin. The hieroglyphs 𓏛 𓈖 𓄿 𓏏 were carved there. My left arm bore four symbols: 𓅓 𓃣 𓊓 𓆓. Horus, Anubis, the Djed pillar, cobra. Symbols of the four heroes.
At the same time, markers appeared above the four symbols.
...Fucking capitalist heroes.
The fact that it took 100 coins to level up even once left me baffled, but that wasn't my main concern. When could I use these heroes again? That was the burning question. After the Book of Ruin got absorbed into my arm, it wouldn't respond no matter how I called it. Looks like as long as this thing's bound to me, I get the right to summon the four heroes.
Muttering at my forearm like, "When can I use you? Answer me," probably looks pretty cartoonish or straight-up insane. Even alone at home, I didn't want to act like a total retard. I asked twice. No answer, so I dropped it.
This bastard asked if I'd become a god, and I said yes. Problem is, all I've got at home is water. Sure, I got water from the Essence of Life, so at least I can flush the toilet and wash up now. But I'm about to starve to death.
I thought about it while filling every container in the house from the Essence of Life. No way it'd let me starve, right?
So the next morning at 6 a.m., exhausted, starving, unable to sleep—when the hieroglyphs on my left arm started glowing, I could barely contain my joy. No way it's glowing for nothing. Gotta be ready!
Right now, 70 hours on water alone. I can't take much more.
No need to think which to summon first. The warrior, Nephkent. Nephheka's good for AoE sweeps, but he was too damn slow. Body felt heavy. Nephkent, on the other hand, moved like he was flying automatically.
"Kepher Nephkent."
I muttered it weakly, lying on the bed. Sand poured out from the second symbol on my arm, piling up beside the bed. It built into a sandcastle shape in seconds, then a warrior with a jackal mask appeared, locking eyes with me.
Feels familiar. This body isn't hungry, full of energy. Before my real body starves, gotta go grab some food. A god, my ass. What god starves because there's no food? Answer me, you Book of Ruin prick.
I headed out immediately.
I sprinted past zombies without hunting them. Hunting drains stamina. Of course I wanna hunt—I need coins to level up! Becoming a god can wait; first, survive.
Man, this body—Nephkent, fuck, it's insanely fast. How does it run like this? Not real flesh, so no fatigue, just blasting through like a gale. Scenery whipping by. I can leap high walls in one bound—fucking awesome. Thought I'd crash, but bam, cleared 3 meters easy! These ancient heroes must've had superhuman physiques. Wait, magic too? Did ancient humans really have magic? Bible says Moses parted the Red Sea, Noah and shit. Not kid stories—real deal? Wielding powers like that? Who knows, fuck. How would I know if ancients had superpowers? Figure they didn't, but humans building civilization is a miracle in itself, right?
Spouting that bullshit delusion while running, I reached the convenience store. So damn fast. Takes 20 minutes walking from this backwater.
A few zombies groaning at the entrance—I stabbed through the window glass, flung the door open, and charged in. More inside. Stabbed 'em all deep; they crumbled into sand piles happily. Stamina dropped 11 points instantly.
Problem: this body sees fine but can't smell. Gotta eyeball what's rotten. Power's been out awhile, so fridge and freezer stuff's all toast.
Grabbed a handful of bags from behind the counter, left four, tossed the rest aside. Owner or clerk would flip and call the cops, but seeing their aprons or uniforms in the sand piles, they ain't reporting shit. Cops would be zombies anyway.
Bread's iffy? Love bread, wanna take it, but nah. Swept up snacks, pies, everything. Stuffed my sides too. Drink cooler has good stuff, but water at home. Food first.
Four full bags plus some under my arms, I left the store. Fuck, I'm happy. Finally, food. Snacks only, but hey, Americans eat chips for dinner? No reason I can't.
"Heh heh heh."
Grinning like an idiot, I ran back. Careful not to rip the bags.
Fuck, couldn't make it home. Went slow minding the bags, hit the apartment entrance swarm, had to deal with 'em—dropped all the bags. Got 22 coins, but insane.
"Kepher Nephheka."
Switched to the mage, headed to the entrance. Slow, this fucker's too slow! Waddling while running, shit. Not me waddling!
Damn, no choice. "Hiyah!"
500 zombies swarming from the parking lot.
"Come on."
Slipped to a flower bed corner, back to the wall. "Sand Path."
Sand energy wave blasted forward. Zombies crumbling in waves.
Acquired 29 coins.
Fucking farming beast. Cleared the front row; back ones jammed up tight. Better to charge in than wait.
Ran forward: "Sand Path." Weird sound when it hits—faint "harararara" like flute, ocarina, kids' choir. Freaky. Zombies turning to sand avalanches.
Acquired 38 coins.
See? Killed a ton. But... 20 meters to entrance, too packed.
"Ah, fucking insane!"
Can't get through! Could force it, but Nephheka's slow ass would get grabbed, stamina wrecked, bags lost anyway! Fuck it, herd 'em and farm.
Gathered zombies in the corner. Let 'em close—no spell. Up close, real nasty. Skin black-green rot. Should be dead decently by now. No humanity!
Zombie scratches my arm. Horde tears at me. Feels nothing. Torn bits crumble like sand. No pain's the best perk.
Fully surrounded. "Sand Path." Hararara—light blasts through. Packed zombies swept away.
Acquired 49 coins.
MP reached limit.
Dissipating.
I opened my eyes on the bed.
"Ugh...! My snacks, fuck."
Rolled off pathetically.
"Huff, huff. No energy, ah...!"
Water jug nearby, but can't even grab it. Try 70 hours starving!
"How many coins now...?"
Held coins: 147
Enough for one level. Warrior? Wait.
"Level up lets me reuse...?"
No answer. Fuck you, Book of Ruin. I'm starving, god my ass!
"Huff, huff." Vision spinning. Body's shot; can't rely on chance. If warrior levels stats but I wait till morning, too rough.
Water. The hero who makes water. Level him?
"Kepher Nephaquet."
Sand bursts from arm, snakes to empty space, piles into human shape. Eye contact, possessed.
Hunger stops.
"Ah, fuck. Real body's dying. How to level?"
Level up Nephaquet?
"Yes."
Used 100 coins.
Primal Husbandry
New hieroglyphs etched on Nephaquet's right forearm: 𓄿 𓈗 𓃒. That's how it looked to me.
"... Primal Husbandry?"
A new hologram popped from the staff tip. Seen this with Essence of Life. Different shape this time. Like a sand-molded dish? Fluffy-looking.
Dunno what, but where to place? Next to Essence of Life for decor. Flat though. Ah, small glass table by dining. Perfect.
Moved table beside fountain, overlaid hologram, "Deploy." Sand swirls from air, forms dish. Empty, like before. Costs coins. 47 left after 100.
"Spend coins."
10 deducted instantly. Sand clumps on dish into oval—egg. One, two, three, endlessly. Eggs piling into a pyramid.
"...Insane."
Real eggs? Like 100? Grabbed top one, cracked at sink. No real body, no tactile feedback. Control sucks. Cracks instantly, yolk slides down drain.
"Whoa, fuck!"
Real eggs! "How to cancel? Cancel!"
Back beside bed. Curled weakly, but joy surged—I bolted up.
I didn't know then. What future awaited. No gas or power to cook eggs.
I didn't know then.