Chapter 241: #Starting an Otherworldly God Life as an Ant (1)

Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump!

I could hear my heart pounding loudly in my ears. From the hole in the ceiling of this cramped cavity, a hideous giant as huge as Mount Everest looked down at me. The giant’s lips, almost able to swallow an entire building, opened.

“What? When did I install such a lousy game? Did I accidentally open a spam email?”

“

Aaargh!

”

I thought my eardrums were going to burst! However, I was more shocked at something else. Not only did it speak human language, the voice was really familiar. Yes, because it was mine.

The indescribably hideous appearance aside, that creature was definitely

me.

Then, déjà vu hit me.

Isn’t this the same situation as when I first started God-Maker?

I was working at the café when I noticed the app installed on my phone and opened it out of curiosity. An 8-bit ant appeared, its lower half glitching with distorted pixels. What I did after that was... kill the ant.

Unstoppable chills washed over me.

“S-stop! Save me! Don't do it, please! I'm you! Yu Il-Shin!”

Then, God-Maker reacted.

[No. 1x xx xx Godx xxx xxx xxxxx.]

(No. 1 earnestly asks the Nameless God for salvation.)

However, my earnest pleas didn’t reach him. It was only natural, since Yu Il-Shin—my human version—only viewed me as an 8-bit ant that was part of a game, not a human.

-How do I even play this?

He scratched his

head, casually extending a giant finger toward me. I knew what was coming. Though he had no malicious intention then, I was eventually crushed to death by that whimsical gesture.

Pop!

[No. 1 has been crushed!]

[You have been rewarded with 1 Dark Godcoin (Gcoin).]

[The kill has increased Nameless God's Karma by 1.]

[Congratulations. You are now a step closer to becoming a great malevolent god in pursuit of tyranny and power.]

After my death, my human version would gain coins and become a god. What followed after? The people I love, my followers, and everyone on Earth would be massacred like insects in the future where destruction was awaiting us.

Crack! Crack!

Yu Il-Shin’s index finger touched me, slowly crushing me. His actions became the foundation of my skills, Crushing Forefinger of God.

“

Hahaha

...”

As death approached, the thread of sanity holding me together snapped as I realized that this probably wasn’t the first or only time I had killed me

,

became a god, before being killed by my other self

again after regression. A hellish life that repeated endlessly, like Ouroboros trapped in a Mobius Loop, eating its own tail.

I recalled the time when I gained my first skill.

-----

[Blind Eyes of God (Innate Power)]

Description: An innate power of the Nameless God, activated by a strong desire.

One may catch a glimpse of the truth, but they can never truly see it.

-----

Like that description, I was a blind god. I was a foolish puppet who killed me without recognizing myself.

Craaack!

I had no way to resist the index finger that was crushing me like a huge mountain. I’d regressed as a dying ant, without any divine power or followers. I also couldn’t feel my stalkers, as I’d only attracted their attention after progressing in God-Maker.

I had nothing left...

Craaaack!

“...!”

Just before I completely broke apart, a thought flashed across my mind. I didn’t know if it’d work after my regression, but I still had one last chance to use All-Cutting Heavenly Sword’s Treasury.

“Summon... Heavenly Sword’s...Treasury...”

Click!

The world froze. The giant index finger that was crushing me; my bloody tears; and the forlorn, agonizing screams stopped altogether.

Riiiiip!

At the same time, the world cracked like an eggshell, and an endless white space unfolded before me. I’d succeeded.

[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword is appalled that a being of the lowest-ranking world could access the Heavenly Sword Treasury.]

A familiar message appeared in my head. I almost cried from nostalgia, but All-Cutting Heavenly Sword didn’t recognize me.

[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword wonders how such a lowly, insignificant being is even related to a great and mighty god like himself.]

[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword is amazed at the causality you’ve built up through the million deaths you’ve experienced, and wonders what ignorant self-mortification you’ve committed.]

[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword says that even with that in mind, a low-ranking entity like yourself won’t be able to use his swords. He grumbles, urging you to pick any swords and get lost.]

Chaaaaa! Swooosh!

Then, a mountain pile of swords appeared before me. I even recognized some of the swords from Earth, but they were far too large for a dying ant to wield.

I couldn’t figure out why I’d regressed and reincarnated as an ant in God-Maker. Was it the same concept as Johan, who’d been reincarnated as an ant in Antrinia? If I’d regressed as a human being, I could’ve had an easier time resisting the unfolding tragedy.

My vision became blurry as dizziness pervaded me. Not even stopping time could delay my approaching death. Hot bodily fluids were still oozing from my crushed lower body.

I don’t have much time to waste.

I had to choose a sword and prevent the tragedy of getting killed by my other self. Gritting my teeth, I crawled on the floor with my hands. Of course, there were quite a number of swords that even an ant could use, but I ignored them. Even without the Blind Eyes of God, one peculiar sword seemed oddly familiar.

It resembled a discarded branch more than a sword, small enough for an ant. I crawled toward it with much struggle, then grabbed it with my feelers. At that moment, the branch hummed, giving off a dreary darkness.

-

Ugh

, I want to kill...

I heard a familiar voice, full of frenzy. It had a different appearance, but I was certain that it was Demon Lord.

[All-Cutting Heavenly Sword smirks and praises you for having a keen eye. He bids goodbye, saying he’ll see you again if you’re still alive.]

Swaaaa!

The treasury vanished, and I returned to reality just as the gigantic finger was about to crush me into pulp. I struggled with the branch in my mouth, swinging it at the finger.

Swish!

Like a cutter, the branch grazed the massive finger.

-

Ow!

That hurts!

My other self yelped, clutching his bleeding finger.

-

Oow!

Fingers are a writer’s life! Where’s Band-Aid?!

Was it because of the loss of blood? My vision slowly blurred and the sight of my other self slowly faded away.

Huh, I look really stupid here...

I thought, reflecting upon myself.

...

...

...

Ding!

[Due to Fate Restoration and the intervention of accumulated causality, Earth’s Yu Il-Shin's God-Maker activation has failed!]

[God-Maker’s ownership has been transferred from Earth’s Yu Il-Shin to Antrinia’s Yu Il-Shin, and is now activated!]

***

“Is he the one our chief discovered in the man-eating dungeon?”

“Man-eating dungeon?! How rude! It’s a sacred dungeon where the god of the black tribe is enshrined!”

“

Haa.

Sure, Old Man. Let me ask you then, what’s that god’s name? Bet you can’t even remember. We abandoned him long ago. We’re here now because we’re running from the imperial army. It’s our last hope...”

“Quiet, everyone! Saintess, is this person really the god’s apostle?”

“

Uhm,

Father?”

“Hey, Saintess! Call me Chief while we’re in public!”

“I-I’m sorry, Chief. I definitely sense something different from this person, but I’m not too sure...”

Hearing the chatter outside, I struggled to open my eyes. I was no longer in the cramped cavity, but in an open area with sunlight filtering through the beautiful trees.

“

Huh?!

He’s alive!”

“Don’t be rude! For all we know, he might be a god’s apostle!”

I was surrounded by a group of indistinguishable black ants.

“Are you awake?” asked an ant with a concerned look.

She was grinding what looked like medicinal herbs and applying them to my wound. She stood apart from the rest of the black ants—petite, cute, and pretty termite with pure white, jade-like carapace.

Staring into her enchanting eyes, I instinctively asked, “Are you... Anty?”

Shock painted her face and she replied, “Anty...? Who is that? I’m the 232nd Saintess...”

“Oh, you’ve finally awoken.” Then, a black-beared ant poked his head in front of my eyes. “I am the 232nd Chief of our Black Tribe.”

Was it because I was an ant like them? Their expressions seemed much more vivid and human-like than before.

The ant who called himself Chief had the middle-aged face of a man in his fifties.

“Given the situation, I’ll ask you directly—are you the apostle sent by the unknown god?” He slightly bowed his head, his face filled with unconcealed anxiety. “If you are truly the apostle, tell the unknown god I am willing to offer any sacrifice he demands—even my life! Just please, ask him to save the younglings of our tribe!”

I was flustered, unsure of the situation. But then, I spotted remnants of a collapsed cave on one side of the forest. Was that the cave I was in before?

Then, a swarm of red ants rushed toward us with an angry roar. Their jaws were bigger and stronger than the black ants’.

“Traitors of the cursed forest! Show yourself!”

“

Kekeke,

you black tribe vermin! Do you think you can escape from us?!”

“Finally, some fresh meat!”

“

Hyii!

The imperial soldiers are here!”

“S-save us!”

Surrounded by hundreds of bloodthirsty red ants, the terrified black ants screamed for help.

“

Eeeek!

” The white termite, presumably Anty, reflexively dug into my embrace, shivering uncontrollably.

Red ants? Imperial soldiers?

I looked at the red imperial ants with my remaining good eye. Among them, something familiar yet foreign stared right back at me.

[No. 404]

A familiar number flickered on the head of the ant that was 1.5 times larger than their comrades.