The Gods of Earth
Veronica, who had been speaking with the deputy head of the Anomaly Management Bureau's field response division, suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly looked around.
"Veronica, what's the matter?"
"Andre, where is the girl who was with us just a moment ago?"
"What? She was definitely right here…"
At their reactions, Deputy Director Kim Shin-hyung spoke up. "She went outside earlier. One of our staff probably escorted her to the shelter."
"Hmm…?"
"She has nowhere else to go anyway. And if anyone saw her wandering alone, they would have taken her along."
"If that's the case… I suppose I can relax."
Veronica eventually sat back down. Yet the strange feeling refused to leave her. How to describe it? It was as though part of the divine presence that had been so full only moments ago had vanished, leaving behind an emptiness.
"I'll continue. What the two of you must do during this anomaly suppression operation is protect the staff of the Anomaly Processing Headquarters with your religious faith."
"Religious faith… You mean offsetting the laughter with belief?"
"Exactly."
"I have a question. How do we reach this 'High-dimensional Laughter'? Is there a method?"
Deputy Director Kim nodded. "We've installed dozens of elevators in this building. You'll move through them."
"Elevators…?" Veronica tilted her head.
Andre spoke up. "There's an old Korean urban legend about elevators. Looks like they're planning to use that."
"Ah, I see…"
"We've prepared as much equipment as possible for you two. Follow that staff member. We'll notify you of the operation start time through your terminals."
Afterward, Deputy Director Kim left, saying he had many matters to attend to. Veronica and Andre, guided to a room by an arriving staff member, rested and fell into thought.
"Whew… I feel like I could use a smoke."
"Andre, this building is a no-smoking zone."
"I know. And I don't have any cigarettes anyway."
Instead, Andre pulled out a metal flask and took a swig.
"What is that?"
"Holy water."
"Pardon? Holy water?"
"Yeah. Holy water that goes by the name of soju."
"……"
"It's a bit awkward, but when the craving hits, it really hits. Whenever I come to Korea, I end up drinking it at least once."
"……Good grief."
Still, Veronica did not stop him. In an apocalypse like this, holding onto one's sanity in whatever way possible was far better for oneself and for others.
"Inquisitor Veronica, Father Andre. Here are the supply crates."
The box brought by the Bureau staff was packed with sacred items the two could use—crosses, silver bullets, and more. While they examined the contents one by one and selected what they would need for the operation, a thunderous sound echoed from afar.
Kwa-rururung!!
Ku-gu-gung…
"What was that sound?" Veronica asked, startled.
"Ah… It seems the Director of the Anomaly Processing Headquarters is arriving."
"The Director of the Anomaly Processing Headquarters?"
"Yes. She said there were matters to confirm before the operation and is currently conducting a solo mission."
The Director of the Anomaly Processing Headquarters. She held authority equal to that of the Pioneer Headquarters Director whom Veronica and Andre were scheduled to meet. At the same time, she was the person in overall command of this operation. Both of them already knew something about her.
"I heard she possesses some of the greatest combat strength within the Bureau."
"It's more than that. I once met the Pioneer Headquarters Director regarding heaven and hell matters, and when the Processing Director's name came up, she was shaking her head in disbelief."
"Even she was?"
The Pioneer Headquarters Director was known to possess formidable abilities, having faced anomalies on the front lines. For even she to be left speechless at the mention of the Processing Director's power…
Listening to the distant rumbling, it certainly did not sound ordinary. The noise resembled something physically tearing space apart, reverberating from an unfamiliar location.
'Even I would struggle to create something like that…'
Though Veronica had cultivated strength befitting her role as an executive inquisitor, even she could not easily produce such a destructive sound. Well, if certain conditions were met, it might not be impossible. If she received another revelation and, moreover, a divine blessing—or if that being were to descend into her body—perhaps it could be done. But that very fact made the Processing Director's power all the more palpable. The condition of having to accept a god was something the Processing Director apparently did as a matter of course.
Yet another thought occurred to her. Even with the Processing Director's immense strength, could she truly handle the anomaly complex known as the High-dimensional Laughter?
…She could not be certain.
In truth, both Veronica and Andre had sensed it faintly. The Anomaly Management Bureau was attempting this operation ultimately to safely execute the Restoration Protocol. Their plan might, in the end, be somewhat reckless.
'By restoring the world to its state one year ago… and continuing restoration through other means, they buy time to discover a way to deal with the anomalies…'
In the process, Veronica's own memories would vanish. Because all of humanity would be overwritten with their appearance from one year prior. This applied even to the Bureau's own staff. Most would have their memories erased, save for a minimal number of personnel.
The sentence written at the end of the High-dimensional Laughter report resurfaced in her mind.
If the Restoration Protocol succeeds, all of Earth's humanity will lose their memories of the past year. During that time, all operational processing will be handled by the Anomaly Management Bureau's servers.
People grow through suffering and seek ways to survive. But would it be better to lose the memories of this apocalypse, which had brought such profound and desperate pain, or to retain them as a path to survival?
'…Then even that brief connection with the child will disappear.'
The image of the girl who had presumably gone to the shelter rose in her mind. Scratch. Scratch. The child definitely had black hair… black hair…?
"……Huh?"
"What's wrong, Veronica?"
"No, it's just… huh…?"
Scratch. Scratch.
Veronica squinted, struggling to recall something. …What had she been trying to remember? Scratch. Scratch.
"……It's nothing."
"Even an executive inquisitor gets nervous? That's a first."
"I'm human too, you know."
While everyone in the Anomaly Management Bureau was tense and preparing for the operation, a lone figure far away pierced through the massive tent enveloping the city and stepped inside.
* * *
I opened the book.
Earth Religion Studies I
The ultimate scripture of faith containing the philosophy and knowledge of every religion that has ever existed on Earth. A kind of autobiography holding the benevolent aspects of divinity—the father of all scriptures spread across the globe.
As I unfolded the pages of Jijong, my body slowly began to rise. It was only natural. Gods, after all, were beings that looked down from the heavens.
Giggle, giggle, giggle…
Enormous laughter echoed throughout the city. At the same time, beyond the tent, I could hear the sounds of countless Anomaly Management Bureau staff and the two Vatican agents whose memories I had erased moments ago beginning their operation.
"Jijong. Let's spread your influence across the entire Earth, starting with Seoul."
Flutter.
Jijong sent a positive signal in response to my words. In truth, he had refrained from using his power until now because he was listening to my thoughts. Like a father, Jijong helped me do what I wanted and watched over me. But I knew how immense his strength truly was.
The High-dimensional Laughter—or the Laugh Encyclopedia—possessed formidable power. It was an entity capable of drawing countless dimensions and Earth itself into its domain, trapping them in an endless play. Yet Jijong was no different. Earth Religion Studies I wielded overwhelming power on Earth, just as its name implied.
I continued turning the pages. Countless histories and records of religions I had never known were sucked into my mind. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam… The four so-called major religions occupied the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th positions in the table of contents. That meant at least four more major religions of equal standing had existed before them and in between.
The First Religion. 2XX million years ago, the emergence of the first major religion. Lost X million years later. Afterward, global primitive faiths arose.
The Second Religion. 4X million years ago, the emergence of the second major religion. Formed to confront humanity's .̘̭̙͈̥̃̂͋̀ͅ.̥͖̣͕̠̭̟̫͂́͊͒̈͑̆̽ͅͅ.͔̜͓̯͖̳͙͎̍̈̽̒̒̌̇̎̚.̮̪̠̬̣͑̓͗̊̂.̤̙̦̘͇̖͂͌̊̌͛̒̔̏ͅ.̭̭̫͍̬̫̠̒͑̊̃͒̚. Afterward, having fulfilled its purpose, it vanished.
The Fifth Religion. Completely erased from global records due to defeat in war against Buddhism and Hinduism. The aftermath influenced the birth of the Sixth Religion, Christianity, and the Eighth Religion, Islam.
The Seventh Religion. Arose among marine lifeforms ■■ rather than humans. Later became independent and disappeared through the ascension of most of its ■■ believers into the atmosphere. Its direct descendants today are cephalopods centered around octopuses.
Even the smaller regional faiths scattered across the globe were all recorded.
"Many people claim they don't believe in religion… but no one has ever gone without thinking of a god."
God… The word for "god" in every human script was imbued with Jijong's power. Jijong's existence had been essential to humanity living on Earth, and it would remain an immortal concept that would never change.
Chwa-reu-reu-reuk!
"Thus spake the Lord."
Ku-gu-gung…
As I recited a single sentence from the pages, the earth and sky trembled. The divine power that had covered the Earth for hundreds of millions of years responded to my words.
Giggle, giggle, giggle…
Every manager in Seoul, having noticed this, rushed toward me in grotesque forms. Not only humans, but toy-like clusters of small buildings, clown clouds, and a laughing sun glared at me with hostility. Unfortunately for them, none of them could affect me in the slightest. Because right now, I was pouring every ounce of my concentration into punishing that thing.
Soon, I began reading Jijong's contents in multiple languages.
"The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment."
"Death and life contended in a wondrous duel."
"Abide nowhere, yet give rise to the mind."
"Therefore believe my words. O children of this world."
And shortly after, numerous gods of countless religions manifested in Seoul in all manner of forms. The gods of Earth had come to save humanity.