Chapter 62

The Underworld was ready.

There were even two gods of death prepared to manage the underworld, and the Grim Reapers who collect the souls of the dead were also prepared. Repairs for heavily damaged souls and resolving lingering regrets were all set up as well…

The Cloud Whale that receives processed souls was already hovering towards the north where the entrance to the Underworld was located.

With the space prepared to judge and punish sinful souls, we could start running the underworld anytime. Everything was ready.

But despite everything being in order… I still couldn’t begin the underworld.

The reason… wasn’t anything major, really. Simply because Seres was still hesitating.

The Black Dragon child, Seres, who had been imbued with the power of death from the Energy of Death that rose from the Dragon’s Tomb – she was the one I thought would be suitable to manage the underworld, but it seems she’s still deep in thought.

I don’t know what she’s pondering about, but it’d be nice if she could decide quickly.

Even without Seres participating, we could somehow run the underworld, though with only two managers, their workload would increase significantly.

At least a three-shift rotation would be necessary. That’s my opinion. It’d be preferable if Seres decided to join too.

Anyway, the biggest reason is Seres, and secondly… the lack of guardians for the underworld is problematic.

While we do have Talos, the first golem I created, he can only guard the entrance alone.

Ideally, there should be at least one guardian per layer, but honestly, it’ll be tough. Even if I create them, I need some sort of concept or idea to do so.

I’d like to create something akin to Cerberus, though preferably a living creature rather than a golem.

Ultimately, we had no choice but to put the guardians for each layer of the underworld on hold.

Once Seres decides, we’ll start operating the underworld, and during operation, if we find suitable beings, we’ll recruit them as guardians.

Who knows? Suitable guardians for each layer might appear.

—

Just before starting the underworld operations, a priest who had become a middle-aged man prayed to me.

“Mother of Life, grant me wisdom.”

Hmm. He wants to ask me something again today. His questions had been sparse lately, but here they come again.

But seriously, why doesn’t the real Mother of Life answer?

“What calls upon me?”

“To you, oh wise one, I seek guidance. There is a question troubling this foolish servant of yours.”

A troubling question? Despite being among the most knowledgeable humans now, what could it be?

Maybe it’s similar to his previous questions about life.

“What troubles you so?”

The priest carefully spoke.

“I wish to understand what lies beyond the end all life must face. Death. What happens after?”

“You seek knowledge of what lies beyond death?”

“Yes, Mother of Life. If you know all about life, surely you know its conclusion.”

Hmph. I do know. Of course, I do.

After all, I’ve worked hard creating the underworld for what comes after! Though operations haven’t started yet!

Thus, I told the priest.

“I know well what lies beyond death. What occurs afterward.”

“Then enlighten me. Is there merely an empty void beyond death? If our arduous lives lead only to an empty darkness, what meaning does life have?”

This young man, through helping others as my priest, must have faced countless deaths.

Deaths of those seeking help. Deaths of the injured. Deaths of the diseased.

Facing so many deaths, his spirit seems weary.

“With your answer, please help me understand. If life has no meaning, why did my wife and child have to die from the plague?”

Ah? Plague…? Was there an outbreak?

Leaving my cave unnoticed, I headed toward the city-state where the priest lived – Arcad.

The city bustled with activity as always, showing no signs of a plague outbreak.

Rushing to the Temple of Life where the priest usually stayed, I found no trace of him.

Instead, I learned he had gone to a village near Urk, with whom Arcad had been at war.

Arriving at the village turned battlefield, I saw the grim scene.

Dozens, perhaps hundreds, had perished, abandoned corpses spreading disease.

Among the victims were the priest’s wife and child.

“Answer me, Mother of Life. Let me comprehend these deaths. Give me peace. Enlighten me about what lies beyond death.”

So, it was due to the loss of precious family members that he was becoming twisted.

Poor soul.

“In ancient times, before humanity recognized death, there was nothingness after death. Absolutely nothing.”

“Nothing…?”

“Yes, nothing.”

Back then, when souls didn’t even manifest, those who died simply dispersed into nature, leaving no trace.

“That… is true…”

As the priest’s voice grew somber, I continued.

“But things are different now.”

In a calm tone, I explained.

“When humans became aware of death, their souls began to manifest.”

“Souls…?”

“The soul contains both Hon and Pò. Hon ascends to the heavens to be reborn into new life, while Pò disperses into the earth and gradually fades away.”

A simple story.

But where does the scattered Pò go? Where do sins disappear to?

If a soul carries any regret, it lingers by the corpse, resisting dissolution, inevitably darkening.

Thus, the current system handles nothing. It merely reincarnates souls automatically, which isn’t enough.

“Now, what lies beyond death is an imperfect cycle. The soul splits into two: Pò scatters, Hon ascends to be reborn. But this isn’t enough to reward life’s efforts. Sins aren’t judged. Lingering regrets remain unresolved. And I detest such facts.”

A straightforward tale.

Rewarding good and punishing evil.

Good deeds are rewarded, evil punished.

That’s the world I desire.

Adding various reasons aside, the core reason is just that.

“Therefore, I’m creating a new system for the afterlife.”

“Afterlife…?”

“Yes. A world where souls reach after death. A place to evaluate one’s life, receive punishment for sins, and attain eternal happiness for the virtuous. That’s the afterlife I aim to create.”

During this process, properly handling souls will prevent them from lingering on earth.

“Will I meet my wife and children in this afterlife?”

Regretfully shaking my head, I replied.

“Unfortunately, the afterlife I’m creating is nearly complete but hasn’t started yet. Thus, your wife’s and children’s souls have split: Hon will ascend to be reincarnated by the Cloud Whale, while Pò will disperse into the earth. It’s truly unfortunate.”

Had the underworld started properly, I could have let the child meet his family’s souls briefly.

Truly regrettable.

Even if I tried to resurrect them, the souls need to remain intact.

Now, it seems their souls have already disappeared.

“Reincarnation… is that so…”

The priest’s voice was heavy.

“Then… if I wait in the underworld, won’t I eventually meet my reincarnated wife and children?”

“Hmm?”

“If their souls return, won’t I see them again?”

Wait, hold on.

“Even if you meet their souls again, they won’t be the same ones you knew. Even if by miracle you find your wife’s and children’s Hon, they won’t remember you.”

“But…”

“It’s the scattered Pò that largely contributes to personality and memory. While Hon returns to the heavens for reincarnation, Pò disperses into the earth…”

Hold on.

Ignoring the priest’s voice, I approached where his wife’s and children’s bodies lay, examining the nearby ground.

Pò sinks into the soil and decomposes after roughly three years, sinking deeper into the earth.

Thus, if my assumption is correct… they should definitely be around here…

“Mother of Life?”

Silently scanning the dozens of Pò slightly seeped into the ground, I managed to identify the priest’s wife’s and children’s Pò.

Hmm. Thanks to the time it takes for Pò to fully dissipate, they’re still intact.

“I’ve found the remaining Pò of your wife and children.”

“Eh?”

“But without Hon, I can’t resurrect them.”

Had Hon remained, there might have been a way to restore their bodies and bring them back somehow. Without Hon, full resurrection isn’t possible.

Though if I were to develop a resurrection spell, should I repair the body and reinsert the soul? Or ask the Grim Reapers to return the soul?

Let’s think about that later. Focus on the conversation with the priest now.

With a somewhat hopeful voice, the priest asked.

“Finding Hon would allow me to meet them again, right?”

“If we reunite their Hon with the Pò here, they’ll return to a complete soul.”

Doing so would allow meeting the departed souls again.

Though the easiest and surest method would be rewinding time… but let’s keep that as a last resort.