99. Gods
The next day, Han accessed the community.
[Breaking News! Korea’s Extremeist Dungeon! The truth revealed!]
“Is the horror of Australia reemerging in this land?!”
From Noble mtl dot com
“The world’s attention converges on Ganghwado, a small island in Korea! The Extremeist Dungeon, thought to be a Grade 1 dungeon, was actually a special grade dungeon?! Revealed by a top Korean hunter, Jinhwa Lin…!!”
From the very first main menu, news articles were densely packed.
“The dungeon grade has risen. The processing is incredibly fast.”
To think that such intense interest was generated in just one day.
It’s rare for such a major change to occur in a day, but they must have acted promptly.
Jinhwa Lin seemed to have done very well as promised.
This garnered nationwide, no, worldwide attention.
In any case, it was a fortunate event.
“For now, this should buy us some time.”
As people’s interest grows, Han’s goals will become even more certain.
As a result, surveillance and inspection of that dungeon will intensify further.
Thanks to this, it would be difficult for hunters to enter the Extremeist Dungeon for the time being, but that was inconsequential.
Of course, there was still Népenthès Gluttony, contracted to him in that place, but Han had no intention of entering that dungeon anymore.
He was terrifyingly strong.
There was no possibility of him being defeated or threatened by anyone.
Given his special grade ranking among the top grades, it was certain.
Suddenly!
That was the moment.
A huge bud suddenly emerged on the surface of the living room.
Resembling a giant rose with its vivid and colorful hue.
Above it, such a symbol was floating.
[Nepenthes Gluttony.]
[……!!]
Startled by the sight, the chestnut tree basking in the sunlight by the window stumbled backward.
“…….”
However, Han, after glimpsing at it, turned his head back towards the monitor.
Anyway, that’s how it was.
***
The family at home has grown.
Or should I say family? Pets?
In any case, a new member, difficult to express, was added.
Thud-
The air split as though it turned to gold.
Swoosh.
And from that crevice, a long green stem slowly emerged.
This thing, resembling long tentacles, was none other than Nepenthes Gluttony.
[……!!]
Witnessing the scene, the chestnut tree rushed over in shock.
It tried to swat the unfamiliar visitor with its leaves, but to no avail.
It was just a silent uproar.
Instead, the tentacle stem struck back at the chestnut tree swatting at it, with a resounding thud.
As the chestnut tree staggered back, trying to stand up with a groan, the tentacle stem approached Han and nudged against him.
It was a sign of familiarity.
[─!]
Then the chestnut tree charged again, but the tentacle, with a different build altogether, was no match from the start.
With a thickness surpassing that of an adult’s arm, the tentacle’s single stem made it impossible for the chestnut tree to make a dent, no matter how much it thrashed around.
[……?]
The tentacle roamed freely in this strange and unfamiliar environment, exploring the house as it pleased.
Inspecting the first floor, then the second.
Occasionally pulling door handles or tapping on monitors.
Even tugging at the shower head.
It was a curious creature showing a strong interest in everything around.
Then, finally.
Squeak.
It found a sandwich stored in the refrigerator.
Tap. Tap.
The green stem, almost as if cautious for a moment, gently prodded the sandwich before smoothly pushing it into its mouth with its own attached beak, then quietly closed its mouth.
With a sizzle, the sound of dissolving acidity within the insectivorous plant could be heard.
It was the process of digestion.
“Ahem.”
After waking from a nap, Han opened the refrigerator and muttered as if something was amiss.
“Hey. Where did my sandwich go?”
[…….]
Upon hearing that sound, the clusters of stems stealthily hid in the corner.
Swish! Swish!
The nearby oak tree urgently lifted its leaves to shield the clusters of stems, but Han, preoccupied with rummaging through the refrigerator, had no gaze to spare.
“Oh, what the heck. Seriously?”
***
[The ‘channeling’ function of the ancestral god will now be activated!]
“…Channeling?”
At the sudden sound, he raised his head, and before him appeared a new screen he had never seen before.
And it was.
Surprisingly, something beyond Han’s imagination.
Channel 001
• Current participants 32/100
-Anonymous178: Those damn dragon bastards, why invade my planet of all places and cause a tsunami with a breath? Oh, my planet, what should I do…!
-Anonymous094: Are any deities from the afterlife here? Please respond if so.
-Anonymous032: Orc slaves for sale~! Exchange possible too!
…
…It was a series of chat windows.
Even at this moment, new chats were popping up in real-time.
Han’s gaze focused on the chat from someone labeled Anonymous114.
-Anonymous114: In need of a kraken for guarding the abyss. Our environment is methane-based, with nitrogen in the atmosphere. If anyone has or is willing to exchange, please contact.
“Uh….”
He blinked his eyes while looking at the new chat that had just come up.
For a moment, he was speechless.
“No way… No way, this is…”
Instinctively, a chill ran down his spine.
The characters repeatedly mentioned in the chat window caught his eye.
Ancestral gods, ancestral gods, and… gods.
Moreover, the number of participants in the channel seemed to be more than just a couple.
In a brief moment, it appeared that there were easily more than a dozen people visible in the chat window.
Did this mean that everyone here was of the same ancestral god?
“The ancestral gods…? Right, System?”
[Affirmative.]
The one who answered his question was the System.
Han’s mouth fell open.
It was the moment when the household truly changed.
***
Han continued to gaze at the chat window where the text kept regenerating, then asked, “Are they all humans like me?”
[That is not the case.]
“…Then?”
[While detailed explanations are somewhat restricted due to information blockades, among them, there are humans similar to you, as well as beings from other realms. I believe you will come to understand this. It simply means that there are various species, including humans.]
“…!”
Han’s eyes widened slightly.
Humans! There are humans among them?
The notion of such kinfolk was undeniably astonishing.
However, the system’s revelations were not yet over.
[However, that does not mean they are of Earthly origin. Currently, you are the only representative of humanity among the 69 planetary species.]
“Uh….”
Han’s mouth slowly fell open as he silently read the system’s message.
The meaning conveyed in that content was clear.
It implied that humans, as one of the members in this chat, hailed from elsewhere.
“What, what is this? So, are there humans like us on other planets? H…Humans?”
[That is correct. In fact, even the elves you can encounter on the Frey planet, are sporadically found on other planets as well. Assuming that humanity exists solely on Earth is merely a conceited prejudice.]
“….”
It was a shocking revelation.
It felt like hearing the secret of humanity that countless scientists would be eager to know.
Come to think of it, it seemed like I had heard similar stories before.
-Anonymous094: Oh? What’s this? This one logged in quite fast, didn’t they?
-Anonymous178: I did see a message about a new deity joining last time… Could it be that guy from back then?
‘What’s this? Could they be talking about me?’
[That is correct. You are now able to join the channel, but in reality, the moment your name appeared on the list was when you just awakened.]
“When I just awakened…?”
Despite voicing his doubts, Han’s gaze remained fixed on the chat window.
New content was constantly popping up at that moment.
-Anonymous032: Hey. You just joined, right? Why no response?
-Anonymous178: Where do you live?
Asking where I live? Could they really be inquiring about my location?
“What, what should I say? Do I have to respond?”
Feeling flustered and unsure of what to do, the system’s advice followed.
[Disclosing your existence and location is not a wise choice. Among the deities, there are those classified as malevolent beings. They often commit misdeeds without reason and sometimes engage in blame games. Revealing your planet’s name might lead them to pinpoint your location with a sense of menace.]
“W-What?”
A shiver ran down his spine in an instant.
Did that mean these beings had intentions, starting from finding him, that harbored such malice?
[That is unlikely. However, it is highly probable that it was merely a customary exchange of greetings.]
“Ah, so that’s how it is.”
With a wry smile, he glanced back at the chat window.
-Anonymous032: No response.
-Anonymous178: Ugh, such a bland fellow.
-Anonymous094: Don’t be too quick to judge. It might be for a reason. They could be busy, or maybe they just logged in and haven’t settled yet. The list of participants that went up earlier could simply be from a different channel.
-Anonymous178: Ah. Come to think of it, it’s been barely a year since a new participant emerged after that alert. If that’s the case, it’s still quite early.
As he fell silent, the conversation among the others quickly drifted away from him.
Returning to their own topic, they continued chatting lively as before.
“It’s a rather intriguing feeling. How should I put it? They are supposed to be beings called gods, yet these fellows, like me or anyone else… No, they’re not much different from humans, are they? The atmosphere feels too… too…”
Too ordinary.
In response to that, the system provided an answer.
[That is because they are sentient beings.]
“Because they are sentient beings?”
[Yes. While not everyone is like that, in most cases, the species of beings originating from planets with autonomy tend to develop their own culture, similar conversational systems, and various ways of thinking akin to Earth as they build their civilization.]
“So, they became these species of beings because of that?”
[That’s correct.]
Oh. It was quite an interesting topic.
That beings similar to him and, no, similar to humans existed somewhere in this universe.