Chapter 2 : Godsfall
I recalled the images of fire, gods, war and death.
"I… died," I muttered softly. "Did I really die?"
The idea made me shiver.
The battle I'd seen.
The blood.
The pain.
It was too vivid to be just a dream.
It was too real, like I had lived it.
Maybe this was the afterlife. Or maybe this was what came after dying… rebirth.
I opened the floating interface before me.
Rows of glowing text appeared, and I began to read.
These texts contained the history of Godsfall and how it came to be.
"Hmm. Every human that has crossed the age of 16 would eventually find themselves inside Godsfall."
This read as though there was no choice in the matter.
I stared blankly at the words.
"This… this can't be real."
But it was. I could feel the ground beneath me. It was solid yet unreal.
The air I breathed didn't exist, yet I could still taste it.
A chill ran through me.
"Then my body… where is it?"
Desperate, I searched the interface for an exit.
There had to be a logout button somewhere.
Some way to return.
The words read like a game after all.
I found it.
"Thank God," I breathed.
Quickly, I tapped it
Click—!
[Error]
[Player's physical body is not detected.]
[Logout unavailable.]
My stomach turned.
No body was detected.
That could only mean one thing.
My real body… it was gone.
"I really died," I whispered, the words tasting like ash.
"So this… is all that's left of me."
For a long while, I just sat there in silence, staring into the endless white world.
I thought of my family and my friends.
I could see their faces in my mind. And it hurt more than the blades that had killed me.
"…Forget it," I muttered finally, after a while.
I had to suck it up.
"Crying won't change anything."
If this was where I was now, then I had two choices.
One was to fade away.
The other was to start again.
I clenched my fists.
"If fate brought me here, then I'll use it."
The world around me began to shift.
The white space folded inward, forming a colossal altar made of stone and light.
Pillars rose from nothing, stretching up into infinity.
Around them floated stone statues.
Each of these figures held a weapon — swords, staffs, bows, scythes.
Their presence radiated power, like the remnants of gods long dead.
The same mechanical voice spoke again.
[Please input a name for your avatar]
I hesitated.
My real name, Quinn, felt… small now, and fragile.
That name belonged to a man who'd died fighting gods.
The flames that once consumed me whispered in my mind.
A new name surfaced from the ashes.
A name that represented strength, rebirth and defiance.
"Phoenix," I said quietly. "That'll be my name here."
[Naming successful]
Light rippled through the altar.
My body glowed faintly, like the world itself was acknowledging my existence.
Then another line appeared.
[Congratulations, Player Phoenix]
[Your physical appearance will completely match your real world appearance in the early stages]
[However, if you wish to alter it, you can do so later with in-game equipment and skills. For example, masks, transformation skills etc]
I nodded absently. I didn't care how I looked.
All I wanted were answers, and maybe revenge.
[After character creation, each player will receive a randomly generated talent based on their personal characteristics and soul]
[Talent grades range from F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS]
[F is the lowest rank and SSS is the highest rank.]
My pulse quickened.
A talent based on my soul.
If this world truly reflected who I was, what would it see in me?
The voice spoke again.
[Generating your talent…]
[Please wait…]
It didn't take long, then something like an altar appeared.
The altar erupted in light.
With this radiant light, three large tomes appeared.
The books floated in the air as if waiting for me to choose them.
[You have three talents to choose from]
[Please select one]
The rows of text appeared, giving me details of each talent. But then something caught my eyes.
Out of the three talents, there was one that had familiar words attached to it.
The words, Eternal Flame.
I recalled them.
A god had called me that in that… dream.
…Quinn of the Eternal Flame.
I didn't know why.
I wasn't sure, but I felt an inkling to choose the tome that had that name on it.
I had no idea what rank it was but the desire to select it out of the three talents only grew stronger and stronger the more I rejected it.
I moved closer to the three floating tomes and touched the one I had my eyes on.
In an instant, a golden flame surrounded me in a spiral pattern.
My body floated off the ground as warmth filled every inch of me.
The flames didn't burn this time.
They appear to welcome me.
As I hung in the air, I saw the flame transform.
It shaped itself into a heart—one that burned with a bright flame.
I was tremendously fascinated.
Instinctively, I reached out to the heart.
It was nothing short of beautiful and captivating.
It was a heart, but no bigger than a tennis ball.
As I admired it in my hands, it felt as if I knew what to do with it.
Instantly, I ate it in two large bites and swallowed it.
Ding—!
[Congratulations, Player Phoenix]
[You have acquired a God-Tier talent]
I swallowed loudly. 'What!'
[Talent: Heart of the Eternal Flame]
[Rank: God-Tier]
For a moment, I was speechless.
'Wait a minute… God-Tier?'
The words glowed before me like a star.
The fire around me surged, forming a burning emblem over my chest—the mark of the Eternal Flame.
The mark dissolved into my skin.
"Heart of the Eternal Flame…" I whispered.
The same power that once destroyed me… now lived within me.
I laughed softly, the sound echoing through the empty space. "Guess I really did die. But I came back stronger."
The flames dimmed, revealing the altar once more.
I looked up at the endless white sky and smiled for the first time since my alleged death.
"Alright then," I murmured. "If the gods are real in this world too…"
I raised my hand. Fire coiled around my arm, alive and fierce.
The light of the system reflected in my eyes.
"…then I'll burn my way back to them."
The altar cracked beneath my feet, and the fire flared higher, painting the white world in shades of red and gold.
A new world awaited—one forged from divinity and destruction.
And I, Quinn, the man who defied heaven but died because of it, was ready to set it ablaze.
But wait…
My brain snapped as I recalled the talent rankings.
"Huh? Hold on a second… God-Tier? Isn't the highest talent ranked as SSS?"