Jihan
The entire academy had started calling me "Mana-Vacuum" so often, I felt like they were forgetting my real name. Well, at least I was looking more human and less like a freak who could turn a rock into a sun... which was another joke Kaelen had been using for a few days.
The consecutive days of enduring the wide-eyed stares and open mouths of the students at the academy had become exhausting. So, I decided to go outside the academy grounds, both to expand my combat skills and to get more accustomed to my godly body.
I was walking in the Deeproot Woods when a Glimmerfox jumped out from between the trees. I was startled. What was I supposed to do? Erase it with my will? Or... fight? After the entrance ceremony incident and the mana class, I was already labeled a freak enough; I couldn't add "killing hostile creatures with a flick of my finger" to my list.
At the very least, I manifested a sword with a blade of etched steel—the kind with ordinary runes that students' hands were used to holding—so I would have a weapon.
I opened my status window, which I had previously realized the NPCs of my world also had access to, something that shouldn't have been the case normally. Perhaps my entry into this world had caused it.
Anyway... my stats... they weren't even weak. My eyes widened at the sight of the numbers.
All the numbers showed 0. So the god who could make a sun from a stone and vacuum all the mana from a room couldn't even kill a Glimmerfox, a creature used in the early-game tutorial stages?
Thankfully, due to the academy enrollment rewards, I had gained a small bundle of experience points. I consumed them and managed to raise my Resistance, Strength, and Intelligence stats. For a moment, I felt a lightness in my legs and arms that vanished in the blink of an eye.
It was time for battle, which I understood from the crouch the Glimmerfox took. The animal leapt; I raised my sword to defend. I transferred a bit of mana to my right hand and my sword to enhance my physical strength. Just as the beast's maw came within half a meter of me, I swung the sword and sliced it cleanly from mouth to back.
After destroying three more Glimmerfoxes, I realized my divine powers only applied in the areas of will and existence, not combat prowess. This was one of the few features I actually liked. It made me feel less like something other than a normal person like everyone else.
I had no need for the Glimmerfox carcasses since I could create a pouch of gold coins in my pocket anytime I wanted anyway; there was no need to sell them. I erased them and continued walking parallel to the forest line, where the Windwhisper Leaves ended. A little further was an area called the Outerlands, which, as far as I, the creator of this world, knew, should have been uninhabited. But... there was a village there that didn't seem to be in good shape. I doubted my own memory. Had I truly created such a repulsive scene here? I approached, and thin, seemingly hungry and sick women and children scattered from me with genuine terror. I stepped back.
"I am your friend," I said, taking a slow step forward.
Two middle-aged men, though terribly thin and skeletal, clearly had been strong warriors in the past, approached me with not-so-friendly faces.
"Who are you?" shouted the shorter man in a voice that was harsh yet shaky from weakness.
"I am a resident of Elyria," I said.
They froze, as if my words were stranger than an ostrich flying.
"Why don't you live in the city? As far as I know, Elyria has the cheapest houses on the entire continent. You could cover the rent by selling the skins and bones of a few Glimmerfoxes," I asked, curious.
The shorter man, whose name I later learned was Connor, snapped with a look of hatred, "Bastard, are you mocking us?"
I was taken aback. Why would suggesting living in the city be a mocking statement? I had designed the economy and property system myself so that renting a two-bedroom house would be cheaper than living freely in the woods.
"What part of what I said was mocking?" I couldn't stifle my curiosity and asked.
Before the taller man could speak, a girl of about six ran towards them.
"Connor... Connor... who is this man you're talking to?"
"He is a stranger, Kat (short for Kathleen)," he said, scowling at me, "and he will be leaving here soon."
Ignoring Connor, I bent down and reached out to pat Kathleen's head, but she jumped back and hid behind Connor.
I was startled. Was I that scary to children?
"Sorry, I'm not scared of you, it's just... I'm just afraid you might get sick too."
Sick? What sickness? Had I written something like this into the game?
Before I could ask my question, Connor said, "For 9 years, our family has been banished from the city because of a contagious disease. Even our strongest people become so weak after a while, it's as if they've eaten only a small piece of bread every day for three years."
"Hasn't the City Council done anything to help you?"
"No. They sometimes even attack us with soldiers and burn our homes and clothes under the pretext of disinfecting them."
A chill ran up my spine. Had I created such a cruel sense in the people of my world? Even the villains in the game only attacked the heroes. What was this situation?
If I ignored their problems for the sake of appearing natural and left, I would doubt my own humanity. Even though it was ultimately inside a game, my mother in her grave would not forgive me.
"There is another city to the north where the cost of living is a bit higher, but they are better than the discriminatory people of Elyria. I can cure your illness and give you money, and you can go there and start a new life."
The three of them were surprised and again thought I was making fun of them.
First, I checked what abnormality existed in the environment of this village and its inhabitants.
[Analysis of codes of substances/anti-substances and viruses]
[Infection / Virus T-1212 Diagnosis]
[Contagiousness: Contagious]
[Risk Level: 64%]
[Age Range of Affected Individuals: 3 - 37 Years]
I had never created or heard of such a thing. Regardless, I willed the contamination to be removed and eradicated the virus from the bodies of the villagers and their surroundings.
"There you go; the hospital has been cured."
The villagers' gazes shifted between me and themselves with astonishment and amazement.
"Our savior!!!!" a murmur began. "Our hero!!!!!"
I felt good about what I had done.
I wanted to free their bodies from hunger as well and give them strength when a message from the system appeared:
[Absolute Ability Limit]
[God Charge: 0.5%]
[You do not have the ability to use divine magic!]
Huh? What kind of nonsense is this?
If it's called divinity, why does it have limits? Who even designed such a thing...?
Well... me... and also, not me.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do more than this."
"Are you joking, hero? You just saved us from an illness that had been tormenting us for 9 years. Any more kindness would make us ashamed," Connor said.
A smile of self-satisfaction formed on my lips.
"...Hero."
A little girl's voice reached my ears. I looked down and saw Kathleen standing in front of me, waving her hands for me to lower my head. The little girl kissed my cheek and said, "Thank you for saving us from the devil, hero."
The devil... a six-year-old's understanding of the world's hardships ultimately boiled down to the devil. But she didn't know that the devil could be the very guards of the city who deprived them of the right to live in the most prosperous city on the continent.
Well, time to head back.
"Goodbye, people of the Outerlands. We'll see each other again."
The people saw me off with loud, indistinct shouts and then busied themselves with preparations for moving.
Today, I had experienced and realized enough new things, the most important being the limitation of my divine will and the noticeable change that had occurred in the timeline of my world.
I fell asleep from the exhaustion of the journey and the events that had transpired.