A high and lofty chair.
A dozen or so gods stood in a line before it.
Atop the chair sat a young girl, her legs so short they didn’t even reach the floor.
[The Dreamteller tries to cross her arms and make a proud "hmph" sound.]
She was our Constellation, here to judge the offerings submitted by the gods hoping to make it into the game.
Even though we had the authority to decide the order of appearances in the game, we couldn’t take these gods lightly.
And as a mere human, I had no place judging these divine beings.
The very reason we demanded offerings was to let our Constellation make the decisions.
[The Dreamteller nods with what she thinks is a serious expression, signaling to begin.]
“Greetings, God of Dreams!”
The first in line, a burly male god, stepped forward and greeted us with a booming voice.
“My tale is heroic and beautiful enough to deserve a place in the [Akashic Archive]!”
He turned slightly, flexing his muscles and emphasizing his physique.
“You’ll surely find it satisfactory! And to add to it, I’ve prepared a gift worthy of your approval!”
He unwrapped a large bundle he’d been carrying and pulled out a massive club.
“This was the weapon I wielded during my time on the mortal plane. It’s a relic, now enshrined in legend.”
A relic!
An item imbued with divine power, created when faith and narrative accumulate around a specific story or object.
Like the holy sword wielded by heroes, relics grant their wielders transcendent strength, even to mere mortals.
And he was offering such a relic in exchange for being turned into a game character?
I hadn’t expected offerings of this magnitude.
It seemed the gods were far more invested in our game than I’d realized.
“I used it well during my time on Earth... but I have no need for it now.”
He twirled the club by its handle, showing it off.
“Well? Does this meet your approval?”
Instead of addressing the Dreamteller, he looked straight at me with a bright smile.
Why are you looking at me? I’m not the one making the decisions.
[The Dreamteller furrows her brow in thought before shaking her head.]
“...It’s not enough?”
[The Dreamteller says it will be put on hold for now.]
“What...?”
Looking frustrated, the god glanced at me before grudgingly wrapping up his club and trudging to the back of the line.
Why are you looking at me like that? I told you, I’m not the one deciding!
“This item, I must say...”
“Let me form a personal alliance with you!”
“How about I share a portion of my divine authority?”
Following the first god, others presented their offerings.
From relics as impressive as the first god’s club to alliances sharing influence on the mortal plane, and even gifts of their own divine authority, the scale of the offerings was overwhelming.
For a mere human like me, it felt surreal, like a dream.
[The Dreamteller waves her tiny hand, saying it’s on hold.]
“What?! Why?!”
It seemed none of the offerings were good enough for our Constellation.
Even a god offering a core part of their divine essence was told their gift would be put on hold, leaving them bewildered.
Stop looking at me—I told you, it’s not up to me! It’s the Dreamteller’s decision!
I couldn’t help but wonder myself.
Wasn’t the last offering particularly good?
Why was it rejected?
Could it be that the Dreamteller had something specific in mind?
Finally, the last god in line stepped forward.
She held a beautifully adorned box in her hands.
“[Lady of the Night]! I thought you weren’t interested in appearing in the game!”
“You even said you’ve never played [Akashic Archive]!”
This goddess... had never even played our game?
Yet she was the one negotiating for a spot?
Now that I thought about it, she had mentioned not liking games much.
When she recognized me as the Curator during our first meeting, it wasn’t because she had played the game—it was simply because she knew the character.
“That’s correct. I have never played [Akashic Archive]. That is precisely why I volunteered.”
“What kind of nonsensical logic is that?”
The [Lady of the Night] briefly closed her eyes before opening them again, an air of mystery surrounding her.
“The celestial council has decided that you will all appear in the game. However, there is no guarantee that your appearances will align with your expectations.”
Her voice carried a resonant authority.
“Instead, your dignity could be tarnished. Should that happen, this decision might worsen the imbalance of divine power rather than restore it.”
“What does that have to do with anything?!”
“Exactly! Why are you stepping in when you don’t even like the game?!”
“As I said, that is precisely why I volunteered. I do not enjoy the game. I do not hold the same attachment to it as you do. That makes me the most suitable candidate to be the first to test this endeavor.”
“...Wait a minute, [Lady of the Night], are you saying...”
“You volunteered to help us, even though you don’t like the game?”
“You magnificent being...!”
“That’s all you need to know.”
The [Lady of the Night] smiled faintly before turning her gaze back to me and the Dreamteller.
“The item I’ve prepared will surely satisfy you, Curator.”
The box in her hands began to float into the air.
***
"Hello, my little ones~!"
The elven streamer, Legatia, greeted her audience with her signature phrase as the stream started and viewers poured in.
It was the day of the second official broadcast for the [Akashic Archive].
In the previous broadcast, they had reminisced about past memories and introduced a new event, a horror-themed event starring her favorite character, [Gaizerus].
Missing today’s official broadcast was out of the question.
If the first broadcast had been that impressive, what could possibly be revealed in the second?
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While waiting for the broadcast to begin, Legatia chatted with her viewers about the game.
“Hey, I didn’t turn off the stream because I got scared, okay?”
Her stream had abruptly ended during her encounter with [Gaizerus], leading viewers to believe she had been too frightened to continue.
“I showed you everything! I cleared it all and took down the boss!”
In truth, she was relieved.
Thinking back to how overly invested and emotional she had been during her encounter with [Gaizerus], she was glad that moment wasn’t permanently recorded.
Considering how much teasing she had endured simply for pulling [Gaizerus] multiple times to fully upgrade him, she couldn’t imagine the endless ridicule if her outburst had been preserved.
“You’re all so mean!”
As she continued to banter with her viewers, time flew by, and soon the official broadcast was about to start.
Would it be the same host as last time?
The curtains parted, revealing a darkened screen.
Beyond the screen, twelve marble statues emerged.
There was a muscular giant, a man adjusting his glasses, a woman leaning against a spear, and even an elegant lady in a dress.
The statues had an air of solemnity, reminiscent of divine figures enshrined in temples.
The screen shattered like glass, revealing the statues coming to life.
A majestic soundtrack accompanied the chaos as men and women clashed in a whirlwind of combat.
Magic, divine power, and sword auras intertwined in dazzling displays of battle.
Even for inhabitants of the continent of Reiphania, such spectacular fights were rare to witness.
As everyone watched in awe, mouths agape, the battle reached its climax.
The living statues froze once more, only to shatter into fragments.
The fragments gathered around the successor to the Curator, who stood at the center.
From behind the successor, a dark shadow emerged.
Recalling the memories of their time with the twelve gods, the successor harnessed their power.
As they unleashed their full strength to confront the shadow—
Boom!
The video ended.
“Hello, future Curators! Long time no see!”
The host, Diabel, appeared.
She recapped updates from previous versions and shared nostalgic moments with the future Curators.
“The video you just watched previews the story coming in the next update! Unfortunately, we can’t reveal more at this time.”
Snap!
With a snap of Diabel’s fingers, the space around her began to change.
“[The Archive] is coming to life!”
Before she knew it, she was standing in the middle of a massive amusement park.
Boom!
Eventually, the stream crashed under the weight of the chaos.