Chapter 14 – This World and the Sky That Embraces It (Part 1)

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Above the vast land, beneath the boundless sky, and long before the first civilizations carved stone into symbols, this world has pulsed with an unseen presence: the gods. Not gods in the classical sense, like humans with majestic faces and immense power, but ancient spirits that have no absolute form, know no bodily or gender boundaries, and are not subject to the flow of time. Their number is 1777.

From old records kept in the imperial library, it is written that the first gods were not living beings, but rather "first emotions" born from the vibrations of life: the first love, the first fear, the first courage, the first sorrow that spilled. From that vibration, the Oldest Spirit was born, who then became the God of Existence. Then from the Oldest Spirit, others emerged—one by one, like sparks leaping from embers. The God of Fire emerged from desire and protection. The God of Water from tranquility and loss. The God of Lust and the God of Motherhood, born simultaneously from a first birth recorded by nature. The God of Knights, from the silent sacrifice of a child who withstood an attack to protect his sibling.

They are not entities recognizable by ordinary eyes. Some are shaped like golden marbles, silent but capable of incinerating a city if placed in its town square. Some are shaped like houses, breathing and speaking, with doors that change every night. Some are formless, just a profound feeling that makes one bow in confusion when passing by. Many of them never appear before humans, but their existence is reflected in the prisms that stand throughout the world, and in small changes that cannot be explained by mere logic.

A blacksmith who suddenly forges a sword as beautiful as a painting? Perhaps he was touched by the God of Blacksmiths. A girl who avoided death because lightning missed by an inch? It could be because the God of Accidental Circumstances turned away. These gods do not manifest themselves in active worship. They do not demand sacrifices. They do not promise heaven. But they exist. In every heartbeat. In every baby's cry. In every inexplicable dream.

Ancient records mention that some chosen humans can "approach" the gods. Not becoming prophets or representatives, but becoming conduits—as if the emotions possessed by those humans are too similar to the origin of that god. They are called "Soul Symphonies" by spiritual historians. However, no one has ever known how to become a Soul Symphony. And if you ask the gods, they probably don't know either. For they do not think like humans. Most of them, perhaps, do not think at all.

What is certain is that the gods have the power to reverse cause and effect. Not carelessly. Not with dramatic displays. But enough to change the course of history. A king who suddenly changes a decision because of a whisper in the wind? Perhaps the God of Decision was present. A blind poet who can write epics from dreams? Perhaps because the God of Imagination whispered them to him.

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This world is not merely land and oceans. It is a theater where those 1777 spirits dance. And their greatest stage is not in palaces, or on battlefields, but in the "Central Tower"

Central Tower—a gigantic structure located precisely in the center of the world, surrounded by seven large continents. The tower has no visible base, and its peak has never been reached by human eyes. Even the highest birds return before reaching its summit. Not a single map can measure the tower's diameter. It does not move, but every measurement of it constantly changes. Sometimes it is as wide as three large cities. Sometimes as wide as a continent. It is the world's zero point, where all directions lose meaning.

The Central Tower, or referred to by ancient texts as "The Pillar of Cause and Effect", is believed to be the gathering place of the highest gods. Or perhaps, the place where all gods watch over the world. No one knows for sure. But one thing is clear: all civilizations—great kingdoms, old tribes, modern empires—will eventually look to that tower. Every king desires to seize the tower. Every warrior has dreamed of standing at its gates. But none have succeeded. The area around the tower is known as the "Central Plan". A place more akin to legend than reality. All sides of the Central Plan are guarded by monsters that even legendary fighters cannot match. Level five monsters or we called it A - Class, are the weakest there. And for ordinary adventurers, such monsters can only be faced in nightmares.

However, the world does not stop because of fear. Instead, fear becomes the fuel of history. And from that fear also emerged another great power—

"The Prism Monoliths"