Free Web NovelChapter 27: Chapter 27: A hidden lesson.
"This is bullshit!"
"Well, you can fuck off too, you arrogant bastard!"
"Which idiot even recommended this lecture to me? My life is already miserable enough governing a snail species. Why would I willingly add another headache?"
"Just because you got to play Godcraft before us doesn’t make you superior. I’m leaving. This is a complete waste of time."
The orientation hall erupted into chaos once again.
Hundreds of newly Chosen Gods rose from their seats, glaring at the masked man with undisguised contempt. Some cursed beneath their breath as they marched toward the exit, others sighed as though the entire ordeal wasn’t worth another second of their time, while a few merely rolled their eyes before quietly leaving without another word. One after another, they departed without the slightest hesitation until only a small handful remained seated. Some were simply too stubborn to be intimidated into leaving, while others desperately needed this lesson.
Among them sat Volcano.
He, as a god had fallen to the Second Quality after his previous Godcraft playthrough. Ever since that day, he had sworn to himself that he would never repeat the same mistakes—not for his own sake, but for the countless lives entrusted to his care. The more he reflected upon his previous playthrough, the more painfully aware he became of how little he truly understood about Godcraft. That realization alone was enough to keep him firmly planted in his seat, even if it meant enduring a teacher who forbade questions and swallowing every ounce of his pride.
Every year, Godcraft hosted supplementary orientation classes for newly Chosen Gods. Attendance was never compulsory. Those already familiar with the game’s fundamentals were free to ignore the lectures and begin their playthrough immediately, while those lacking knowledge could gain an immeasurable advantage simply by remaining and listening. Ever since Cosmos had accepted Godcraft’s invitation to become one of its Exclusive Personnel, he had personally overseen every orientation for newly Chosen Gods.
The spectacle from earlier had never been a meaningless display of arrogance.
It had merely been his way of filtering those who genuinely desired to learn from those who had wandered into the lecture out of idle curiosity.
Cosmos slowly swept his gaze across the now nearly empty auditorium before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"See? I already knew most of you wouldn’t amount to much."
Without another word, he casually tossed the tiny chip into the air. The instant it left his fingertips, layers of blue light unfolded one after another as the chip rapidly expanded into a massive holographic display stretching across the front of the auditorium. A familiar interface materialized upon the screen before him.
"This is the Godcraft System Interface."
He lazily pointed toward one section of the display before shifting his finger elsewhere.
"This is the Transaction Space."
Another tap followed.
"This... is your Faith Point reserve."
He continued introducing one basic function after another. Everything he explained was so elementary that even a child could have understood it within minutes.
As the lecture progressed, disappointment gradually spread throughout the auditorium. Some Lesser Gods quietly yawned, others absentmindedly inspected their fingernails, while a few stared blankly at the holographic display, wondering why someone ranked within the Top One Hundred of the entire multiverse was wasting his time explaining concepts so painfully obvious. One by one, several quietly rose from their seats and left without attracting anyone’s attention.
Volcano, however, never moved.
Although the lecture itself was dry enough to make even him suppress a yawn, he refused to let his concentration wander. Something about Cosmos’ lecture felt strangely unnatural, though he couldn’t quite place his finger on it.
His eyes gradually narrowed.
Every so often, while explaining the interface, Cosmos would casually move his free hand. At first, Volcano dismissed the movements as nothing more than an unconscious habit, but as the lecture continued he began noticing the exact same gestures repeating themselves with uncanny precision. Again... and again... always in the same sequence.
His heart skipped a beat.
’Sign language...?’
He wasn’t entirely certain, yet the more he observed, the more convinced he became that the gestures weren’t random. Every movement flowed into the next exactly as before, repeating the same pattern without the slightest deviation. Numbers were followed by letters, then numbers again, until the sequence gradually assembled itself inside Volcano’s mind.
002547COSMOS
’I don’t know what it means...’
Even so, he silently committed it to memory. There was no reason for someone like Cosmos to repeatedly display something so deliberate unless it served a purpose.
Soon enough, the longest—and perhaps most painfully mundane—lecture of Volcano’s life finally came to an end.
"That concludes today’s orientation. I suggest all of you take today’s lesson to heart and revise it once you return to the Void."
Without waiting for a response, Cosmos turned and walked away.
The remaining Lesser Gods watched his retreating figure with complicated expressions. Some snorted dismissively, others laughed bitterly at themselves, while a few couldn’t help but shake their heads in disappointment.
"I should’ve just left with everyone else."
"I only stayed because he’s ranked within the Top One Hundred..."
"...and all I got was a beginner’s tutorial."
Before long, the lecture hall emptied as the newly Chosen Gods eagerly dispersed, excited to finally begin their own journeys rather than waste another moment dwelling on what they considered an uneventful class.
Volcano remained seated for several more moments, his eyes absentmindedly lingering upon the now-empty podium as Cosmos’ lecture replayed itself inside his mind. The basics of the system barely occupied his thoughts anymore. Instead, it was that strange sequence of hand gestures that refused to leave him.
002547COSMOS...
Whatever it was, Volcano instinctively felt it wasn’t meaningless.
Only after committing it firmly to memory did he quietly rise from his seat and return to his personal chamber. As the automatic door slid shut behind him, he calmly spoke into the empty room.
"Sophie. Lights off... air conditioner off."
[Deactivating lights.]
[Deactivating climate control.]
The room gradually fell into darkness as the gentle hum of machinery faded away, leaving only silence behind. Volcano stood alone for several seconds before taking a slow breath.
"Login."
The familiar mechanical voice immediately echoed throughout the room.
[Welcome to Godcraft Genesis:Where everyone is a God.]
The world dissolved before his eyes.
When he opened them once more, he found himself standing within the endless Void. Floating before him was the familiar planet he had nurtured through countless hours of trial and error, the world that carried both his greatest regrets and his greatest hopes.
Volcan. freewebnovel.cσ๓
However, his mind remained preoccupied with the mysterious sequence Cosmos had repeatedly conveyed through sign language.
The first impression Cosmos had given everyone was that of an arrogant, boastful individual who looked down upon those beneath him. Yet, beneath that overbearing attitude lay another impression entirely.
He didn’t strike Volcano as someone who would do anything without purpose.
Every word he spoke, every action he took, seemed deliberate.
Which was precisely why Volcano couldn’t dismiss the repeated sequence of hand signs as a meaningless habit.
’Strange... what was that code again?’
Volcano frowned as he searched his memory before quietly murmuring,
"002547COSMOS."
The instant the words left his lips, the endless Void before him erupted with brilliant light.
Volcano’s pupils constricted. frёeωebɳovel.com
"This....."
