I Became the Goddess of a New World

Books related to Aurora were exceedingly common.

As if placed in every library within the Empire.

A millennium had passed, and now they had become fairy tales suitable for children.

Yet, because of that, Master Kim often came across tales of Aurora’s heroism while traveling across the Empire.

At first, it was nothing more than simple curiosity.

Why does the player start in the Hall of Heroes?

What kind of space is the Hall of Heroes, anyway?

And why is there a statue of Aurora there?

Little curiosities piled up, capturing Master Kim’s interest.

…Of course, the influence of Director Aurora in reality played a part too.

In any case, Master Kim could grasp, broadly speaking, what kind of person Aurora was.

She seemed to be someone similar to the player.

Just as the player follows the main story,

Aurora too appeared to be bound by the goal of saving the world from an object of destruction.

So was it not Fowler, who had made a pact with the fallen spirit king, who referred to the player as “the foreigner walking the hero’s path”?

At first glance, Akare might seem like a game overflowing with realism and high freedom of choice.

However, to progress the story, one must always pick from predetermined options,

and there were even areas that one couldn’t enter unless they pushed certain main storylines.

Above all, both the player and Aurora shared a commonality in needing to protect the world from an object of destruction.

In other words, was Aurora not a former player?

Of course, all of this was merely Master Kim’s speculation,

and if Aurora ever learned of such thoughts, she would likely respond with something like, “What a ridiculous notion!”

Regardless, through this process, Master Kim became a fan of Aurora.

Not Director Aurora, but the hero who saved the world, Aurora.

In the midst of all this, he found himself actually meeting her.

The hero who saved the world a thousand years ago, Aurora.

“Is there something on my face?”

Had he been staring at her too intently?

Master Kim hurriedly adjusted his gaze.

“I never imagined I would meet you in person…”

“You know who I am.”

Snap!

Aurora snapped her fingers.

And at that moment, the scenery around them shifted.

Like paint applied to a blank canvas.

The empty space quickly transformed into a vibrant garden.

“Shall we walk together?”

Aurora asked about Master Kim’s intentions, but contrary to the question, her feet were already in motion.

If that’s the case, then what was the point of asking?

Swallowing down the words about her odd question, Master Kim hurriedly moved to walk alongside Aurora.

“You must have many questions. About where this is… what happened to the Twisted World Tree… how I can still exist even after a millennium, despite not being an immortal…”

“I was waiting for you. No, to be precise, I was waiting for a successor who would reach this place.”

“Ah, you look puzzled. Ah, it’s not like I’m reading your thoughts or anything. I’m not in good enough shape to use such fancy magic.”

“Twisted and fallen. Although asleep, it will awaken as a disaster over a long period.”

“In the past, I admitted my shortcomings and passed this disaster onto the next generation.”

“Pathetic, isn’t it? The one called a hero shirking responsibility.”

“My mission is to give hope to the successors who reach this place.”

“Ah, time has flown by.”

“Let’s get to the point. My time permitted to talk is running out.”

As soon as Aurora finished speaking, a hologram window appeared.

[ Main Story – Against the Infinite Years ]

―――

[ Questions ]

1. “What do you mean time is running out?”

2. “Where is this place?”

3. “What exactly are Twisted and Fallen?”

4. “Do you know anything about the Hall of Heroes?”

5. “Hope?”

―――

The existing choices were typically only two or three at most, but this time, no less than five options appeared.

Master Kim momentarily faced a mental halt, but quickly regained his composure and picked a choice.

[ Main Story – Question 1 ]

“What does it mean that time is running out?”

“It means just that.”
Aurora paused her words before continuing softly.
“Memory Illusion, a spell that creates a projection sharing part of the caster’s memories. The activation trigger is the complete neutralization of the Twisted World Tree.”

Aurora’s gaze shifted toward the black roses in the flowerbed.

“The spell has already been cast. Therefore, time is running out.”

As Aurora’s projection provided her answer, another hologram window appeared.

Would he pick the questions in order or try another question first?

After pondering, Master Kim decided to ask in order.

[ Main Story – Question 2 ]

“Where is this?”

“This is Aurora’s A-Space, completely independent from reality. Even now, this A-Space is maintained by mana stones left behind by Aurora. The projection of me is the same.”

[ Main Story – Question 3 ]

“What are Twisted and Fallen?”

“Emotions that have the potential to bring about the destruction of the world, manifested. They are closely related to the origins of the object of destruction. That’s all I know.”

Aurora’s projection avoided Master Kim’s blatant gaze.

“No matter how great a hero and archmage my body may be, I can’t know everything about the world.”

Master Kim was left speechless by her confidence and moved on to the remaining questions.

[ Main Story – Question 4 ]

“Do you know anything about the Hall of Heroes?”

“The Hall of Heroes, that place…”

…Crackling-!

Aurora’s projection was interrupted by static.

Simultaneously, everything around them accelerated.

The flowers in the flowerbed withered quickly,

the sky changed rapidly like flowing water,

and the slowly moving sun set in a rush.

Twilight. And then the night sky.

Only after the moon rose did the world’s acceleration stop, and amidst the landscape filled with dusk and twilight,

the static around Aurora’s projection faded,

and she stared intently at Master Kim.

“You don’t look well. Did you recall some unpleasant memories?”

“Eh?”

Aurora’s projection seemed completely unaware of what had just happened to her.

―――

[ Question ]

5. “Hope?”

―――

The hologram window appeared.

This indicated the end of the questioning.

Master Kim, with a stunned expression alternating between the choices and Aurora’s projection, eventually chose the last remaining option.

[ Main Story – Question 5 ]

“Take this.”

Aurora’s projection handed over three scrolls.

A scroll engraved with a tree pattern.

A scroll engraved with a droplet pattern.

A scroll engraved with a mage’s pattern.

“The scroll with the tree pattern contains a spell to separate the Twisted from the World Tree.”

The scroll with the droplet pattern contained a spell to extract the Fallen from the spirit king.

“A thousand years ago, I developed these magical scrolls, yet ultimately I couldn’t save Elderheim and the spirit realm.”

Twisted and Fallen.

These concepts, which are the origins of the object of destruction, were essentially eternal.

As long as sentient beings existed, the concepts of Twisted and Fallen would inevitably coexist.

Is there no way?

The past Aurora had sought a solution to this dilemma for a long time and finally came up with a singular trick.

“A-Space exists as a realm independent of reality…”

When the mana runs out, the A-Space will cease to exist.

But what if there’s a Twisted within a dying A-Space?

Aurora’s projection turned to the scroll with the mage’s pattern.

“The effect of that scroll is to open a passage connecting this place.”

A-Space. This place was on the verge of ceasing to exist.

“I don’t know what form a Twisted separated from the World Tree will take, but… it’s a method with high potential.”

By annihilating it together with the A-Space that has lost its mana.

This was the hope that Aurora left for the future generations and the only method to save the World Tree.

“The spirit king can also be dealt with in a similar manner.”

Spirit realm.

The spirit king’s main body is always within the spirit realm.

Without him, the spirit realm cannot withstand even a moment and will collapse, thus he had no choice but to remain there.

“We can use that to our advantage.”

If he could separate the Fallen from the spirit king using the scroll, and somehow persuade him with Celestia by his side,

he could completely erase the Fallen from this world.

“It’s time to part now.”

“…”

Aurora’s projection snapped her fingers.

Then, the air beside Master Kim warped and a portal was generated.

“Do you feel regret? To be honest, I feel regret too. It’s been a while since I talked with someone.”

But it can’t be helped, right?

At Aurora’s next words, Master Kim lowered his head.

“May hope bloom in your world.”

With those final words, Master Kim left the A-Space.

In the spot where the player had just vacated,

the projection of Aurora that remained went to the front of the flowerbed.

Among the wilted flowers, there was one flower that hadn’t withered.

A daffodil.

Carefully brushing the petals of the daffodil, Aurora’s projection sat down and watched the sunset disappearing beyond the horizon.

***

[ Main Story – Proof ]

Jasper, the Knight Commander of the Black Mane Order.

Due to his unilateral judgment, the player and Raven had gained an opportunity.

The vessel of the God of Destruction, Raven.

Was she a being beneficial to humanity,

or an object of destruction that needed to be cut off in advance?

“…Raven?”

Returning to reality, Master Kim called out the familiar name.

Raven. She stood next to Master Kim.

“Are you back?”

“Oh, I’m back.”

There were still countless questions he wanted to ask her.

Putting aside his regret, Master Kim immediately sprang into action.

It was time for the main story proof, which had been stalled for a while, to resume.

This meant the main story had begun again, and he could understand why Raven was here.

“Raven.”

“Yeah.”

“Get ready. Something is about to happen.”

Master Kim tore one of the scrolls he was holding.

With the contact with Celestia, the Twisted World Tree, which had been neutralized, began to move again.

-!!!

A sound that words cannot describe.

Along with that sound, ‘Twisted’ separated from the Twisted World Tree.

A colossal monster that kept changing shape like a gigantic slime.

That was the root cause of this entire situation.

Master Kim tore scroll after scroll.

A portal connected to the A-Space was generated, but

it wasn’t enough to engulf that gigantic mass.

“We need to reduce its size.”

How? Thinking of a method was a luxury.

He had to deal with the Twisted rampaging before the A-Space collapsed.

Putting all his strength into the ground, Master Kim began his attack towards the Twisted.

“Is that the object of destruction…?”

Meanwhile, observing that scene, Raven trembled.

The vessel containing the God of Destruction.

The uncontrollable body ignited Raven’s desires.

Consume that Twisted already.

Before long, Raven’s eyes turned red, and her long blond hair turned silver.

Transformed into the form of a witch, Raven followed behind Master Kim toward the Twisted.