DPGR 108

Servants of the Gods.

Beings chosen directly by the gods of the dimensions, granted divine power.

Heendungi was not originally from Earth. He was chosen as a Servant of the Gods from dimension S-327.

However, that dimension clashed with others. In a series of wagers between gods, dimension S-327 lost—leading to its destruction.

At that time, Heendungi nearly lost his sense of self. The god who had granted him power abandoned that dimension.

I don’t want this. I’m scared! I don’t want to become an ordinary monster! Please don’t take away my sense of self!

Perhaps that desperate prayer reached the heavens.

“Then the god of Earth chose me anew. Even though I wasn’t originally from here.”

A beam of beautiful light descended from the sky. A sacred voice pierced into Heendungi’s mind.

From that day forward, it was not the god of S-327, but the god of Earth whose power began to grow within Heendungi.

However, the Earth god was a bit different from the one he had once served.

“When a god tears off a piece of their power just to make a monster their servant, they always have a reason.”

“A reason?”

“Yeah. Gods can’t descend to the mortal world. Their power is too great. So they use their servants to carry out the tasks they want done.”

From tending specific regions to purging those who disrupt the balance of dimensions, the duties varied.

But the Earth god never gave Heendungi any orders.

“Until I met Jiho… That’s when I received a revelation.”

“A revelation? What kind?”

Dojin’s voice grew firm, almost accusatory. He was probing.

If the god had given an order that put Jiho in danger, Dojin was ready to eliminate Heendungi on the spot.

But contrary to his expectation, what came out of Heendungi’s mouth was the complete opposite.

“He said I should protect Jiho. And you, too.”

“…What?”

“The god said Jiho and Baek Dojin had something important to do. So until then, I was to protect both of you.”

“That’s why you were so attached to Guide Jiho?”

“Hmm? That’s because I sensed the Earth god’s power from him… Ah—!”

Heendungi suddenly clamped his mouth shut, realizing he’d said too much.

Dojin narrowed his eyes.

“You sensed divine power from Guide Jiho?”

He repeated it, doubting his own ears. But Heendungi only fidgeted and avoided his gaze.

The pressure from both their stares seemed too much. He let out a small groan and muttered,

“The god told me to be quiet about it…”

“Tell us.”

Jiho cut in gently. Heendungi’s lips trembled. Then he jolted, his entire body shaking once before his eyes rolled back.

“Hu… ngh…”

“Hee—Heendungi?!”

The small body that had been resting in Dojin’s arms suddenly went limp.

“Heendungi!”

Both Jiho and Dojin grabbed him in alarm.

Flash—!

A brilliant golden light burst from Heendungi’s limp body.

“……!”

It was so bright that both Jiho and Dojin had to squeeze their eyes shut.

But the light faded quickly, as though being drawn back into Heendungi’s body.

“…Whew.”

The hospital room grew silent. Only the sound of Heendungi’s light breathing echoed faintly.

His tightly shut eyes slowly opened. His golden eyes now shimmered with an even stranger, more radiant hue.

“You…”

Dojin was the first to notice something had changed. His face stiffened as he asked,

“Who are you?”

“Hyung?”

Only Jiho looked confused, not understanding what was happening.

Heendungi looked back and forth between the two, then jumped down from Dojin’s lap.

His unusually red lips moved softly.

“Nice to meet you, child. I am the one you called the ‘god of Earth.’”

The voice that came from the small mouth was no longer a child’s. It was neither male nor female, but something otherworldly that seemed to resonate inside their minds.

Jiho recognized it immediately.

“…!”

His face went pale. Heendungi—or rather, the god within him—looked at Jiho with sympathy.

“The power I gave you was incomplete. It only filled you with fear.”

“Heendun…”

“I wish I had more time to talk, but I don’t. If we were still inside the dungeon, I could have stayed longer. This place is far from ideal.”

At that, both Dojin and Jiho could no longer deny that another being had taken over Heendungi’s body.

Dojin glanced at the still-stunned Jiho and questioned the god.

“You’re really the god of Earth?”

“Yes.”

“Then what was everything Heendungi just told us? What did you do to Guide Jiho? I want a clear answer.”

Dojin’s tone was direct, even confrontational.

A mortal speaking that way to a god would normally be seen as insolent. But the god showed no displeasure and answered calmly.

“Where should I begin…”

Their golden eyes curved gently as they settled on Dojin.

“Yes, I should start by explaining the gods’ game behind what you call the final dungeon.”

“…The gods’ game?”

The god walked leisurely through the hospital room, hands clasped behind their back. After a brief pause to gather their thoughts, they began.

“The thing you call a dungeon—we call it ‘gods’ game.’”

***

The gods of the dimensions found little joy in their existence. Each day was monotonous, each passing moment felt like eternity.

Even tending to the dimensions they had created brought them no real enjoyment.

Over time, the affection gods held for their own creations and dimensions naturally began to fade.

“That’s why they created it—the wager using dimensions, what you know as the gods’ game.”

The gods collided their respective dimensions and forged connected portals. These were what humans referred to as “dungeons.”

Beyond each dungeon was another world, another dimension separate from Earth.

Clearing a dungeon, then, was essentially no different from conquering a dimension.

“We incite small clashes to prepare our creations for the final battle.”

A dungeon opens. It is cleared. Then a new one appears, and it too is closed.

Through that repeating cycle, the creations evolve.

They craft powerful weapons from resources found in the unknown dimensions beyond the dungeons.

They research how to wield abilities more effectively.

They unite as they battle other dimensional beings.

And then, once all is ready, the final battle begins.

“The one you call… the final dungeon. That is the last wager in the gods’ game.”

The dimension connected to the final dungeon was a place that had already conquered countless others.

Naturally, the monsters within were of extraordinary power.

Dojin, who had been silently listening until now, spoke in a quieter tone than usual.

“I don’t understand why gods would enjoy something like this.”

“Hmm.”

“If a dimension is conquered by another, doesn’t that mean its destruction?”

“Well, that might happen—or not. But a single loss doesn’t bring destruction. Dimensional clashes occur many times. Still, as you said, dimensions with weaker creations tend to be the first to fall.”

“Then what about… the god of that dimension? Don’t they die too?”

Both Dojin and Jiho had believed that the death of a dimension meant the death of its god.

But the god’s answer was different.

“You’re underestimating us too much.”

He let out a small laugh. Amusement flickered in his softly curved eyes.

“Gods don’t die. We live eternally. When one of our dimensions perishes, we abandon it and create a new one. Once the new dimension develops enough, we can join the gods’ game again.”

“That’s…”

Dojin’s face darkened. He glared and shot back,

“They’re your creations. And yet you treat them like chess pieces…”

“We can always make more.”

“……”

“If we wish, we can create better dimensions, better creatures. That’s what we are.”

It was absurd. Neither of them could see this god as benevolent.

Thinking of all the people who had died inside dungeons—anger and grief swelled within them.

To think they died for such a pathetic reason…

But then, something unexpected came from the god’s mouth.

“But I am not like the others.”

“…What?”

“This is the first dimension I created and nurtured after I was born.”

Earth was a relatively young dimension compared to the others.

“This world means something special to me. I love this dimension, and I care for you humans.”

“…Then why did you begin the game?”

“It was just curiosity. A childish whim of a young god. I wanted to stop halfway through, but once it begins, you can’t back out.”

Despite what he had done, his claim to love his creations seemed sincere. The explanation that followed supported it.

“That’s why I’ve sacrificed a great deal to protect my world. And from here… I need to talk about your first life.”

The god suddenly turned toward Dojin.

Dojin’s eyes widened in confusion.

“My… first life?”