The World after the Fall

Chapter 101: Catastrophe (2)

There were three [Overseers] watching them. Each one of them had power similar to that of higher ranking Greater Generals.

"No need to fight them. They are not our enemies," Chunghuh mentioned. He had faced them 900 years ago.

[So, you wish to travel to the <Depth>.]

A voice came from an Overseer with an adult-sized body covered with silver metal.

[Humans. Very. Brave.]

Another Overseer spoke. This one was small like a child with its body covered in a bronze-colored metal.

[Bah. Still a human.]

What spoke next was a woman-shaped Overseer. This one too had its body covered in a metal-like skin. Then, they turned to Jaehwan.

[So. It's you.]

It was as if they had been waiting for him.

[Come. The Administrator is waiting.]

Jaehwan walked in with Chunghuh and Karlton. Everyone wanted to come in, but the Overseers denied everyone else's access, in which Jaehwan forced to make them accept taking a few along.

"Dammit!"

"Karlton! Don't leave us!"

People shouted at the entrance, and when they turned, Cayman was looking at them. Chunghuh asked, "Why isn't Cayman coming along? The Overseers said it's okay… hey kid, do you know anything?"

Jaehwan did not answer. Chunghuh then realized that Jaehwan wasn't talking about something.

"Huh? What is it you're hiding?"

"There's something only he can do."

"Cayman?"

"Yeah, only him."

Chunghuh asked back, "What is th…"

However, the voice was overwhelmed by the sound of machine clattering as they walked to a place where machines were creating horned monsters.

"It's amazing. I never imagined horned monsters were created in such a way…"

They had arrived at 3rd stage area where almost finished horned monsters were being fine-tuned. The giant Garnak that Jaehwan fought had been taken in there. Small unihorns began gathering near the Garnak to fix it from different sides. The Garnak was glaring at Jaehwan.

[Visitor. Strong. In a while.]

The small Overseer spoke to Jaehwan at that moment.

[My. Product Name. Johniac. You?]

"Jaehwan."

[I. Johniac. You. Jaehwan.]

It seemed like his name was Johniac. Johniac then turned toward the Garnak and spoke.

[Garnaku. Valuable. Don't. Destroy. Create. One. In. 10 years.]

The Garnak's name was Garnaku.

"You make one of them every ten years?"

[Ten. Years. Hard. To make.]

Jaehwan understood. But if that was the case, there should've been a lot of these monsters lurking around. There weren't enough strong people in <Chaos> who could fight these monsters, let alone kill them. Johniac answered,

[Half Dead Man. Attack. Garnaku. Dead.]

"…Half Dead Man?"

[They. Attack. Factory.]

Jaehwan asked, "Have you fought them too?"

[Yes. We. Won.]

It seemed that the forces of the remaining Golden Sky Clan had reached this place. Jaehwan looked at Johniac. He was weaker then Sameng Garam, but stronger than other two Greater Generals.

Karlton then asked, "I did hear they were Disciples of God in the <Depth>, but they are more than what I imagined."

[Blonde. You. Know. Us?]

"A bit, yes."

[What. You. Know?]

"Aren't you the Disciples of the God of Machinery, Daeus?"

[Hah, so <Chaos> has some smart ones these days?]

It was the other woman-type Overseer who spoke.

[Oh, and I think I know you. Aren't you the one who came 900 years ago?]

She then asked Chunghuh. He frowned.

[Wow, you've been through that and you still want to try to go up?]

It was then that the leading Overseer spoke in a cold voice.

[Don't be rude to the Administrator's guest, Ias.]

[What- I thought only he was the guest?]

[They are included for now.]

Ias closed her mouth. It seemed the one in the front was the highest rank of them all. That's when Jaehwan saw something on the backs of their necks. On the neck of the man Overseer were the letters:

EDSAC

'Edsac? Hmm…'

The other Overseers had it too. Ias had the word IAS on it, while Johniac had the word JOHNIAC. It was as if they were written there to show the product name.

'That's weird. They seem like more machines than those other monsters.'

Jaehwan asked, "…Where are we going?"

[To the Administrator.] Edsac answered.

'So, he's probably the fourth one.'

There were four Overseers according to the Record of the Depth. But there were only three with them right now.

[We're here.]

Edsac spoke at the front of a giant gate.

Eniac the Administrator.

The giant figure that was covered in golden metal introduced himself.

[So, it is you who opened the 'Creation'.]

He spoke politely. In fact, he used many gestures and expressions that really made him look like a human.

'Eniac…?'

Jaehwan thought for a second and asked, "Do you know the planet called 'Earth'?"

Eniac stopped.

[Earth, you say?]

"It's my home world. It's called World 294 in this place."

Eniac's expression shifted. It seemed like he was even smiling.

[And why is it that you are asking?]

Eniac, Edsac, Ias, Johniac… Jaehwan thought these names were familiar. And now he remembered. He had learned these names when he was studying computers.

ENIAC.

The name of the 'first computer' ever to be created on Earth. That's why Jaehwan thought that they had some kind of connection.

[The God who created us came from the remote place in the dimension. Maybe that remote place was the place was called Earth.]

"God?"

[Yes, God.]

Jaehwan became confused and Eniac asked,

[Do you… not know about the Depth?]

Jaehwan did manage to get a few pieces of information, but he didn't have a lot of information yet.

'Maybe I can have them explain to me.'

Jaehwan did not answer and Eniac spoke.

[I see that you do not. To put it simply, <Depth> is the Land of the Gods.]

Land of the Gods.

[If the <Great Lands> are ruled by Lords, the <Depth> is ruled by the Gods. There are a lot of Gods that control the region and rule over them.]

"So, they are like Lords?"

[Similar, but also different. Lords are 'Adapters'. Gods are different from them.]

Jaehwan analyzed what he heard and asked again, "So, what is a God?"

[If you ask me 'what'… That is a hard question.]

Eniac became silent. Jaehwan then added, "In my world, God was the word to describe the being that is almighty and all-knowing."

Eniac laughed.

[That is quite fascinating.]

"So, the Gods here aren't like that?"

[No, not at all. You can get close to it, however.]

Eniac then continued,

[So, Jaehwan. I do not have the exact word or definition to describe what Gods are, but I know what kind of beings are called Gods.]

He looked straight at Jaehwan and spoke.

[It is one such as you. Jaehwan.]