Chapter 2 – The Birth of a New Humanity
Translator: Kui
Editor: Fletterman
It happened on a certain day, long after I started my observations -a pillar of smoke, deep within the depths of a forest. The thin stream of smoke climbed towards the sky…
I thought it was a forest fire at first, but that wasn’t so. There was a small fire at the source of the smoke and around the fire was a gathering of animals. At first glance, the cat-like animals held fishes in their hands, then, the animals threw the fish into the fire and once it was cooked, the fish were taken out of the fire and there started their meal.
I will probably never forget this scene until my death. No, I’ll engrave the data after my death and continue preserving it, eternally, until this universe meets its end. It was just that shocking of a sight that these animals had intelligence. They were using fire to cook. I was so moved that I continued a dance of either surprise or joy for 100 years.
Since then, every day was a series of shock and excitement.
Across the lands, animals capable of using fire appeared. In the case of humanity, there were no other animals that could use fire but now, various different animals could use fire. It was as though the animals had discussed this in advance since at almost the same time, all of them had gained intelligence. They began hunting along with some simple farming.
I continued to observe and record all this.
My life changed completely after that. Singing and dancing, drawing pictures, moulding sculptures and cooking dishes of celebrations continued day after day.
And finally, a small village was built. After which several villages were created throughout the world, and without showing any signs of reducing their increase in numbers.
Then “War” began.
Animals…No, the new humanity had already developed alphabets and from the decoded words and letters, I understood the reasons for this war.
It was a very primitive battle for food supplies. The starving attacked those more well off and stole their food.
It wasn’t just food supplies. But rather, clothes, earthenware, anything of value was taken away. Humans too uncivilised to be called soldiers wielded tools too basic to be called weapons and simply killed without preparing any strategies. If the starving won, plundering would begin and if the nourished won, an annihilation would occur.
I was moved to tears at that sight. I felt as though the fledglings I raised had spread their wings and taken off for the sky.
The times pushed on and while the villages that lost the war were either slaughtered or turned into slaves, larger towns were gradually built.
Cities became small countries, and the small countries formed larger countries.
Slaves, commoners, nobles, royalty, military personnel, merchants, farmers… As these various divisions were created and the states started functioning, conflict between the countries became even more intense.
…No, it wasn’t just between countries. There were also battles among the different races.
The long eared tribe and the pig-like tribe that lived in the forest fought, and the long eared tribe which were physically inferior were all massacred.
The love that crossed between the races of a dog-like man and a cat-like woman could not be fulfilled due to the surrounding occurrences.
I oversaw all of it. I just kept looking.
And finally, they found me.
The artificial island exists in the middle of the vast ocean. Their boat had unintentionally sailed to this desolate place. They had been stranded in sea when they arrived. They barely had any water or food supplies left on the boat they were on.
Riding on the very primitive sailing boat, they had just spotted this artificial island by accident. They, who had found this artificial island, desperately moved the boat in order to reach the island. However, hindered by the invisible barrier, they were unable to reach this island in the end.
After that, all of the crew members starved to death on the boat, but they had left some information which would drastically change the world to come.
The information which they left behind…, it was a picture of the artificial island with a short passage.
An intricate picture of the completely white island with an explanation of the mysterious invisible wall which they couldn’t pass through, and a young girl on the island who just kept on staring… Their inheritance described it in great detail.
The sailing boat that was sending out signals of distress had become like a ghost ship and floated to a certain country.
People who had found the corpse of the crew members mourned for their deaths and examined their belongings, in which they found the dairy that had the image of the artificial island drawn in.
But at the beginning, no one believed them, thinking that the crew members who were stranded at sea had become strange and were simply dreaming.
From then on, there were several stranded ships that had passed by the artificial island. And just like the first boat, the sailors left behind some information about the artificial island in their diaries before passing away.
As such a thing continued, it didn’t take long for people to start holding ideas such as “there is something beyond the ocean” or “once seen , you’ll never return alive”. Among the sailors, they had begun to fear the artificial island as the Island of Death and started calling me “Death God”.
During this time period, the sailors with strong physiques would desperately pray with their trembling large bodies when leaving the port, so that they could not reach the island of death.
They will make progress even if they are plagued with troubles along the way.
As I was observing such a thing, it felt to me as though my own child had started making its first steps… a warm feeling rose within me.
One day, another stranded ship had sailed past, close to the artificial island. I had thought that the crew members would all die this time around as well, but it seems that the stranded ship this time was slightly different. It’s probably due to the change in times but, their equipment’s were many times better than the ones from previous ships. Unlike the vessels which were similar to fishing boats up to now, this was a huge boat (TL: I should start using the word ship from now) with a proper living space.
Sailors of the stranded ship started to hurriedly move as soon as they saw the artificial island. Those who unfurled the sails in an attempt to keep the ship away from the artificial island and those who clung to the rudder. There were even those who desperately prostrated themselves towards the artificial island or those who faced to the heavens
Translating their words:
「Please! Please! Let us go! 」
「I have a newly born child! Please! Please let us go back to our country! 」
「Ohh! God! Please help us!!」
「Hurry! Hurry up and unfurl the sails! We need to escape immediately! 」
「The rudder! The rudder’s not working! Someone!! 」
While shedding tears and trembling in fear, the men who were bigger than me desperately lowered their heads to me. There were also men with snot running down their face as they desperately tried to spread the sails. I also spotted some men who, due to the tension, could not use as much power as they tried to move the unyielding rudder.
I looked at them with the naked eye. I stood at the cape of the artificial island and just looked at them who were scurrying around on the ship.
「E- E- E- EVERYONE! Look at the cape!! ARHH!! HELP!! SAVE US!!」
「I- I- I- It’s the death god!! What terrifying eyes! It’ll never let us escape!! Hurry!! HURRYYYYYYYY!!」
「I- I’ll offer this golden ornament!! Please overlook us!! Ohhh, please!! Save us!!」
The stranded ship desperately parted with the artificial island and aimed for the continent. Several weeks later, they had succeeded in reaching land. They became the first sailors to survive after witnessing the artificial island.
And so the survivors told their fellow sailors about the artificial island and how to escape the predicament. The sailors who had heard the method to survive constantly had a golden ornament on board to dedicate to the Island of Death in the case they meet it.
On the other hand, the news of “There was people who survived even after seeing the Island of Death” spread across the world.
It didn’t take long before people regarded the Island of Death as a mysterious existence.
Some said there are large amounts of gold on that island.
Some said if you wish to the girl on that island, any wish would come true.
Some said that the girl is indeed a god, guarding world peace.
Every single piece of the information was false, but how charming is this? It was as if my child was writing a composition of “My mother” , and then further reading it aloud during class. I wonder if that would be an adequate description?
Sometime later, the artificial island that was known as the “Island of Death” had its name changed to the “Island where God Resides”.
It seems that I have changed from the “Death God” that kills sailors to a “Goddess” that protects the new humanity. And a religion for me was born, along with a bible which praises me as a goddess. Inside the bible with even exquisite illustrations was a paragraph of esoteric delusions where I guide the new humanity and watch over the world.
Apparently I had cut off parts of my body and had already created several other gods and at times I would save the virtuous from bad people and devils.
I sure have I a high volunteering spirit there.
It must have been around this time. That “I” started existing outside the barrier. Never did I anticipate that “I” would be subject to my own observation. The new humanity would always surprise me, please me, and induce those warm feelings inside my heart.
Really…. Truly adorable.