[Grey POV]
I looked at the group lounging around my palace—war criminals, walking calamities, and beings who could end nations on a whim. Right now, though?
They were sulking.
Because they were bored.
Which, statistically, meant I was about to be in danger.
[Grey]: So what do you want me to do? I'm a jellyfish, not a god. I can't just toss a random NPC into a volcano to entertain you.
[Doctor]: It's rude to call people NPCs, Grey.
[Grey]: My world is literally a game world running on stitched code and void fumes. The only thing it's got for gods is an Old One slowly chewing on its atmosphere like it's bubblegum.
The room went silent. Even the chandelier hummed nervously.
[Arakan]: ...That's it. We're logging into your world.
[Grey]: Excuse me?
[Arakan]: Last time we visited, I saw a church with sermons, hymns, and incense. You can't tell me there are no gods when there are churches.
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
[Grey]: Churches, yes. Gods, no. They don't worship divinity—they worship Ascended Ones. Big difference. Ascended are mortals who hijacked Fate's script to buff themselves into endgame raid bosses. They're just stronger priests with better gear.
Blank stares.
[Grey]: Gods, on the other hand, can do anything with Fate—create life, shape reality, rewrite entire timelines. But they're shackled to their Heaven Realms. Unless summoned, they can't just stroll around the mortal world like those pretenders. Understand now?
[Doctor]: So your world's clergy are basically cosplaying godhood with cheat codes.
[Grey]: Yes. And like all cosplayers, they take it way too seriously.
[Noah]: How dare mere priests play gods?
[Grey]: Don't worry about it. I already put them in their place.
I smiled. But it wasn't warmth—just my mouth curling upward, while the rest of me stayed carved in shadow. My eyes were hidden, unreadable, and the room grew still.
The chandelier flickered once. A few of my knights shifted uneasily, their armor chiming like nervous bells.
They all knew that smile.
It wasn't a victory.
It was the smile I wore when the blood was still drying, and I hadn't yet decided if more would spill.
[Doctor]: Define 'put in their place.'
[Grey]: Simple. I reminded them that Ascended Ones bleed like anyone else. That their Fate-scripts unravel when someone tears the pages out.
I tilted my head, still smiling.
[Grey]: And that when they tried to call down their 'heavenly authority'—
The lights died, just for a heartbeat. A low hum rippled through the floor like something vast had exhaled beneath the world.
[Grey]: —I answered first.
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was heavy.
Like the air itself remembered what she had done and didn't dare move.
[Klee]: ...Klee is scared.
[Jack]: Me too, Klee.
Ames, Klee, Mitsuha, Touri, Yuri, Maple, and Jack all clung together in a bundle of trembling limbs. None of them could explain why their skin crawled—why shadows felt too close, or why their hearts pounded like prey hearing a predator breathe.
They only knew my smile wasn't safe.
And then—
[Technoblade]: Tch. You should've called me for this. Sounds more fun than testing potato-based healing elixirs.
He leaned back lazily in his chair, twirling a dagger between his fingers like he was already imagining skewering an Ascended priest or two. His tone was casual, but the glint in his eyes promised violence.
[Technoblade]: Next time you decide to humble a fake god, or real, at least send me an invite. You know I hate missing boss fights.
My smile widened by just a fraction—sharper now.
[Grey]: Techno, I wish I could. But I'm walking on thin ice—and not the kind you skate on. The kind that cracks if a breeze dares to breathe. As an Ascended Hollow-Star Demi-Goddess, I'm bound by rules. One of them: I can't enlist foreigners from other worlds to fix my problems. Another: if I slip even slightly… I might curse you by accident.
The room fell silent again. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
[Grey]: You see, I've already given blessings before. Two boys—born on the same day. One grew greedy. The other… content. The greedy one built a merciless company that consumed everything weaker than itself. The content one? He built a VR world that gave people joy and hope. But the greedy one… he couldn't stand that. So he forged three plagues: Investor, Observer, and CEO. Viruses that ate and twisted. He used them to invade the other's creation.
My eyes darkened.
[Grey]: The hopeful boy fought back—and won. But the victory came at a cost. Everyone he loved died. Worse… their souls were trapped in their weapons, unable to reincarnate. Until he frees them, they're bound. Forgotten in steel.
[Jack]: …This may sound weird, but… what was his name?
[Grey]: Sniper, I think. Or maybe something starting with 'Ho—' …I don't remember. My memory's full of holes, and some are best left unpatched. Also, I'm looking for my boyfriend, who, for some reason, is forbidden knowledge by the universe itself. Anyway… where were we again?
[Rimuru]: Logging into your world to play a game to get rid of boredom.
[Grey]: …Right. Okay, let's do this.
The room grew quiet again—not the soft kind of quiet, but the sharp kind. The kind that meant everyone was waiting for the world to hiccup, or a law of reality to snap.
Maple nervously raised her hand.
[Maple]: U-um… Grey, are we sure your world is… safe? I mean, safe-ish? Safe adjacent?
Grey tilted her head. Her smile didn't move, but her shadow seemed to stretch wider across the floor.
[Grey]: Define safe.
No one answered.
[One hour later]
[Akako]: So do we get into the pod or isekai ourselves? I know a good truck.
[Grey]: Just get into that pod and close it.
I entered the pod, closed my eyes, and waited.
[Welcome, new player]
[Chapter End]
Hello, I'm back again, just finished my exams, and now I'm waiting for the resolution.
But for now, I'm diving back into stories. Also, I have three new titles for you, so choose one so I can make it.
[The Multiversal Tool Seller of Skyblock] [World: Minecraft Skyblock]
[Project Moon: Clone Editor in the City][World: Project Moon]
[The Slow Life of a Cheatless Reincarnator][World: Fantasy isekai]
Also, sorry for the short chapter. I'm busy with work and life.