"What do you mean by author? Tell me — are you perhaps a Prime?"
The reality of the mesmerizing view, the ground breaking and everything around it, was nothing more than an illusion.
Outside Etherlamenthia, the gods had no privilege. They were gods inside the soul-realm, Etherlamenthia.
They didn't even know who they were actually messing with. The man was the author — although he wasn't the author himself.
At his youngest age, around eighteen, he had created the whole power system. The scale of the world was one that could rival even the best at the time. Not only did he manage to create all that, he also created a life system named REBOOT.
Unlike any reincarnation, this reboot system had a precise role in life-and-death situations.
When someone died in the world he created, they didn't actually die. The core concept was that by doing something the gods themselves couldn't enter, the person would be able to continue their life.
The reboot happened only once a year. Not only was it super rare, it was also complex. Every year, dead people from different universes simply converged into this world.
Each of those people would fall under a path. The problem lies here: monitoring Etherlamenthia, the soul world, and every part of it was the gods' duty.
As to the new souls that came each year, it wasn't so profound as to say they all came here willingly. Most came thinking they would be reincarnated with their memories intact. In fact, a maximum of ten people would retain memories; the others would not even be alive in any meaningful sense.
In the end, the man had come up with an idea to make it like a movie even the myth gods could watch.
At the time he created it, he was a fan of a reality dating show named Love Island, which gave him the idea — why not recap their journeys and serialize it to the gods?
So the reboot actually used dead people, forcefully keeping them alive by a coma, using them as powerful vessels who would monitorize each and everything about this new soul show.
As the one who created it, he knew that the Guidanceer — who was actually acting like an angelic being — was nothing but a useless man trying not to die.
The man laughed as he claimed,
"Say… tell me, what are you going to grant me? Huh? You definitely are the one following 7777: The Veil Unbroken — God of Prophecy. Maintains the hidden threads of fate, masking and unveiling the future... Such a god can hide your blessings and push its limits outside Etherlamenthia. I'm amused they broke my rule... haha."
Although he looked confident, he was also serious about what he was saying.
Unlike the Guidanceer, who was drenched in thoughts and swallowed by fear.
The light, luminating like a star from the Guidanceer's body, melted like glass. His own real body was imperceptibly hinted at.
Confused by what was going on, the Guidanceer shouted,
"What are you talking about? Tell me — who are you?"
"Show me the system." The man grew serious and walked boldly, like an officer at a donut store. "I know about it all. I know about the Reboot and even who you are, so there's no point in me lying here. There's also no point for you in living. I already know how to guide myself to Etherlamenthia."
The truth was the man didn't actually know much more specifically about it; he had only created the worlds and the power system.
There was unfair treatment even among the gods who created this. The system applied only to Guidanceer souls, not the participants. But even though there was no rule saying participants couldn't handle a system, the market of power favored the gods.
Every myth god paid coins to the Guidanceers by giving them powerful artifacts and clothes to wear.
The myth gods loved it when participants used their artifacts and outfits, because those items would help with cultivation later. The more participants used their power on those artifacts and outfits, the more it helped the myth gods become powerful beings.
Every Guidanceer had already been paid coins for it, but each of them had been given so many artifacts and outfits to hand out to participants. Unfortunately, participants would usually choose from only one myth god's collection — the one who paid the most.
Even so, as the one who created the whole thing, he already knew what to do when choosing from the myth gods' outfits.
Complete astonishment was written all over the Guidanceer's face. Flabbergasted, I would say. He had no words; he cleared his throat, eyes wide.
"The system isn't—"
He couldn't speak, even after clearing his throat. Fidgeting, he raised his hand and patted his cheeks.
"I will give you what you desire, but in return I want you to tell me what I should do to get back alive. There are so many Guidanceers — I'm going to compete with them..." he stammered.
The man smiled and asked,
"Give me a name first?"
The Guidanceer called out to the system, tapping twice with his index finger on the empty air. As soon as he did that, the Guidanceer scrolled the system and tapped onto a format.
Every soul is guided by a path, whether it's the four karmic gods — 14, 16, and 19 — or the rest of the twenty gods (000, 0000...), they will be chosen by one of the gods.
But this was a different case: he had no path, no god backing him. In the end, even a pathless path is a path — yet this was completely unknown and exceptional.
The Guidanceer was even more shocked at how and why a creature could live without a path. His life in Etherlamenthia would be hell without end. Time and space would be his greatest enemy — above all, he would be completely lonely.
The Guidanceer shook his head and wrote the name:
"Pathless."
"So I wrote the name Pathless. Tell me, are you even a human soul? How is it that you don't have a path?"
Upon hearing it, Pathless responded with a cold gaze. As for the fact that he didn't even know why he had no path, he already realized he would live in endless pain.
"Doesn't matter. Now give me a replica of the system." With a serious stare, he looked at the Guidanceer.
The Guidanceer felt awkward about the request.
"Why though? Why...?"
"It's because I will make you reboot. It's okay; you will definitely see how you're going to be promoted in less than a week. Be sure to make contact with me — and that is why I need a system. So help me get one now."
Shouting, the Guidanceer cried,
"But if you use the system right now you won't be able to plant a path in yourself if you actually become one of the ten..."
He didn't realize it. But the second he realized it, he smiled — not just any smile, but a horrific smile.
"Wait. You are Pathless; you won't even have a path to plan in yourself even if you survive... Good. You know what? I will give you one hundred thousand divine coins."
Pathless smiled back and said,
"Be my guest. I will return it a thousand times anyway."
The Guidanceer opened the portal by unzipping reality; everything right before their eyes shredded like paper, smashing into two pieces.
The Guidanceer declared,
"You are the last participant and, above all, you are an extra. So be sure not to join any path. If you have to go, go alone." Then he struck Pathless's chest with a flying bird that looked exactly like a bird made of paper. That was actually how they planted the system inside.
"Finally... I, Pathless, will join Etherlamenthia — 'The Divine Broadcast.'"
Pathless finally stepped into the world of Etherlamenthia.