novelraw Chapter 4: Divine Will
Chapter 4: Divine Will
Floating above us, a creature emerged from the radiant light.
It was... small. Unexpectedly so. Barely half the height of a typical teddy bear, the being had an adorably round face with rosy cheeks. Feathery white wings fluttered behind it, each as delicate as the finest silk. A faint halo hovered above its head, spinning lazily like a ring caught in an unseen breeze.
The creature’s large, sparkling eyes scanned us full of curiosity. It wore what appeared to be a tiny white tunic that shimmered with gold-threaded accents that somehow made it look even more like a plush toy.
But I knew better than to be deceived by its appearance. This creature—this so-called angel—was a being that could annihilate us in an instant. No, calling it an “angel” felt like an understatement, as it was something more powerful and terrifying than that.
“Congratulations and welcome, divine warriors!” the chibi angel announced in a voice that was surprisingly commanding despite its high-pitched tone. The words were spoken in a language unfamiliar to my ears, yet I understood them perfectly.
“You have passed the first scenario and proven yourselves worthy to join Divine Will and be part of the divine realm of the Goddess of Imagination, Istellia! Clap! Clap!” she continued, placing her tiny hands on her equally tiny hips and puffing out its chest as if it were a general addressing a victorious army.
Actually, I had noticed this peculiarity as soon as we were thrown into the first scenario. It was as though we had all been speaking an entirely different language. Among the group, half the participants clearly weren’t even from Earth. Even those who were from Earth had originated from countries far removed from my own in the United States. Boris, for instance, was almost certainly Russian, and yet we had no trouble understanding each other.
The explanation lay with the System. Somehow, it had overwritten our native languages, replacing them with a universal tongue we could all comprehend. It wasn’t an automatic translation, but rather a seamless conversion, as if we had been speaking this shared language our entire lives. While the dreams I used to have weren’t so vivid for me to remember this information in detail, I could guess that the reason for such an implementation was likely to streamline communication.
“I’m Raphael! I’m the archangel managing all the divine warriors in this divine realm, ‘Phantasmeris!’” declared the chibi angel while twirling dramatically in the air before pointing a tiny finger at us. “Rejoice, for you now stand in the—”
“Shut your crap!” a loud, abrasive voice cut her off.
The speaker was a red-haired man who looked to be in his thirties, clad in a rugged leather tunic. His fiery demeanor matched his appearance, and his words were filled with barely contained anger. “Tell us where we are! And send us back to our place, you hear me!”
Among the six of us who had survived, other than Boris and Michelle, there was the old man who had miraculously made it through, the entitled woman, and this red-haired man. Judging by his attire and overall appearance, it was glaringly obvious that he wasn’t from Earth.
“Yeah! Return us to where we came from, or I’ll call the police!” the entitled woman added, loud and sharp.
Again, why the police? Do you honestly think they’ll show up here and save your sorry ass? While I had that thought circling in my mind, Raphael’s smile faltered slightly, though she maintained her composure. But she clearly didn’t take the aggression kindly.
“Oh? It seems we have a hot-headed bunch here,” Raphael remarked, crossing her arms. “Now, now. Let’s all calm down, shall we? Allow me to finish my explanation, and everything will be made clear. In order, of course.”
“I don’t want to hear your bull crap or play in your ludicrous game!” The red-haired man jabbed a finger at Raphael with an intense gaze that was burning with anger. “I had a promising future as the best hunter in my town!”
Raphael, however, didn’t even flinch. Instead of reacting with anger, she smiled—it was a serene, knowing smile that sent chills down my spine. “You are Rex Mont, an amateur hunter. Despite your father being the best hunter in town, you lack his talent. To prove yourself, you entered the regional hunting competition…”
Rex froze mid-rant, his face contorting in shock as his background was laid bare. But as Raphael continued, the shock in his expression shifted to pure rage.
Should I hold him back? I thought for a moment but decided not to. Knowing that Raphael was an entity that could kill them easily, there was no way that this guy would be so reckle—
“But knowing you were going to lose, you resorted to cheating,” Raphael added, “You were caught, bringing shame to your father and causing your mother to cry—”
“Shut your mouth!” Rex roared, launching himself at Raphael, his fist swinging toward her with reckless abandon.
“Idiot! Stop!” I shouted, reaching out to grab his tunic and pull him back. But I was a second too late.
The sound of flesh tearing filled the room, followed by a gruesome spray of blood. Rex’s severed arm hit the floor with a sickening thud, painting the ground red.
“Aaargh! My arm!!” Rex screamed, collapsing to the floor and writhing in agony while clutching the bloody stump where his arm had been.
“Aahh!” The entitled woman screamed too.
Boris stood frozen, his jaw clenched, while Michelle turned pale, covering her mouth with both hands as though suppressing a cry or vomit.
“Huh, I missed?” Raphael muttered as she turned her gaze toward me. Her radiant eyes narrowed, and the playful lilt in her voice vanished. “Why did you stop me? Attacking an archangel like me is forbidden. Do. You. Want. To. Die?”
She coldly stared at me, sending unbearable pressure on my shoulders. It was suffocating, like being pressed by a mountain.
“He was unarmed, and his fist didn’t even reach you.” I replied in a steady voice despite the intense pressure. Truthfully, I didn’t have a strong reason for intervening. Rex wasn’t a friend, nor did I owe him anything. But I had seen him fight desperately against the horde earlier, giving everything he had to survive and help the rest of us. There was some potential in him that I could leverage, to be completely honest.
Besides, I wouldn’t act if I didn’t know the rules like the back of my hand. This kind of brutal punishment was meant to reinforce the hierarchy—to remind us of our place; I was clear of that. As the “creator” of Divine Will, it wasn’t the first time I’d personally witnessed such a display. Still, I had misjudged how unprepared these people were for something like this.
“Interesting.” Raphael’s lips curled into a smirk. She turned her attention to Rex, who was still on the ground, groaning in agony and clutching the wound to stop the bleeding. Tears streaked his face, mixing with his blood and snot. “Fine. I’ll let you off the hook this time. But beware—I won’t be merciful a second time!”
Her words seemed to aim at me more than Rex, though I understood the unspoken truth. As long as I didn’t provoke her further, she couldn’t act against me. At least, not directly. In fact, by showing my courageous side, she would value me more because of the inherent nature of this game.
“Now, where were we?” Raphael cutely put a finger on her cheek and tilted her head in mock thought, a contrast to the cruel action she just did.
In actuality, it wasn’t that angels were evil beings. But to beings like Raphael, we were no better than insects. That she treated us with even a semblance of regard was, in her mind, an act of unparalleled kindness. For creatures so far above us, the line between compassion and cruelty blurred easily.
“Oh, right!” She raised her finger cheerfully, flapping her small wings. “Rejoice, for you now stand in the Hall of Beginnings! But do not get too comfortable. Your story to ascend to be a divine hero and beyond only begins now! As divine warriors of Lady Istellia, you must clear one scenario after another until you reach the pinnacle—and fight the Lady’s enemies when called upon.”
Divine Will, despite being referred to as “the game of the gods,” was not a one-sided beneficial thing. Ordinary people who had been chosen as divine warriors would also benefit. They would gain unimaginable strength and power through scenarios and leveling up, but in return, they had to fight on behalf of their patron god, thus making this a symbiotic relationship.
I clenched my fists. Becoming a god again, reclaiming the position I once held at the summit… and uncovering why I was reincarnated as a mortal… I will do it all, no matter the cost!
Suddenly, Raphael clasped her tiny hands together. “Okay! I won’t be spoon-feeding you every detail you need. No, no, no! That would be too easy and boring. You’ll have to explore, discover, and figure things out yourselves. Outside is ‘Fantasia,’ the divine city where you can rest, trade, and prepare for the scenarios ahead.” She closed her eyes with a sly grin. “A little tip: check your status screen before venturing out. It might just save your life!”
“Now then, toodle-oo!” With those words, Raphael pointed toward an ornate set of golden doors on the far side of the hall before vanishing into particles of light. She was gone as inexplicably as she had first appeared.
Not paying any more attention to this incredulity, I accessed the status screen that had become available to me by saying “Status.” Immediately, a blue holographic screen appeared before my face.