How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World
chapter-331

Even when I write stories that could be plausible, I base them on history, ensuring thorough research. The continuous uproar caused by ‘possible’ stories is understandable to some extent.

The problem is that all these stories turned out to be true, and I ended up facing baseless accusations, such as after Cecily’s devilization. So, I wrote freely with a detached mindset.

However, ‘myth’ is a bit different. Myth is, as the word suggests, a myth and is an ancient story beyond the imagination of mortals. Greek and Roman myths, Norse myths, the Book of Revelation, and so on.

Myth is the first philosophy and the oldest philosophy that has been passed down to later generations. It has been interpreted in various ways and used in numerous creative works.

Of course, this explanation is limited to the myths of my past life. Myth is just folklore and not ‘history’ that actually existed. On the other hand, the myths of this world are closer to ‘history.’

The past of Luminous, the God of Light, and Mora, the Goddess of Darkness, is recorded, as is their mother, Harte, the Goddess of Nature. Although there is room for various interpretations like in my past life, their history is clearly real.

Thus, denying the myth is equivalent to denying their very existence. However, because it is such ancient history, scholars often have differing opinions. This is similar to actual history. History is objective but is recorded subjectively, and myths are no different.

In that sense, let’s examine the origins of each race, specifically the elves. Elves are a race blessed by the gods, with immense potential from birth. They can freely use magic and have several times higher mana affinity than other races. Truly living up to the phrase ‘blessed by the gods,’ they established the first civilization in a world overrun by monsters.

So, how did the origin of the elves come to be? Unlike the demons, whose origin is the devils, the origin of the elves is the angels. Known for their white wings and beautiful appearance, angels, according to myth, serve by the side of the gods and sometimes become mighty warriors on the front lines.

However, as expected from a myth, there are no records of angels ever appearing, even when digging into the past. Even during the 3000-year Demon War, angels did not appear, instead, the gods helped directly and indirectly.

So if the origin of the elves is angels, why do they not exist? The reason is also contained in the myth. They were all banished to the earth for rebelling against the gods. It seems that no matter how pure and innocent the angels were, they still coveted divine power. This could be seen as a very human trait.

Thus, they lost their proud and symbolic wings and fell to the earth, becoming a new race—the elves. It’s a myth that suits the prideful nature of the elves, which is why the majority of people firmly believe in it.

‘Did they really tear off their own wings and descend to the earth?’

However, hearing Luminous’s non-denial made my head spin. It was hard to grasp what the correct myth was when he suggested going with that version. Surely, a god wouldn’t lie, so what did he mean by saying that?

[I cannot give you a definitive answer.]

‘Why not?’

[Because both are true.]

‘…Excuse me?’

What an absurd statement. He said that both the rebellion and tearing off their wings were true. Luminous, sensing my bewilderment, continued in his uniquely graceful voice.

[It is true that the angels rebelled against us. However, all the angels who led the rebellion were destroyed.]

‘Then what about the remaining angels…’

[They tore off their own wings and descended to the earth. We tried to stop them, but they refused, seeing it as a punishment for themselves. They fell to the earth to make it more prosperous and to purify the land that was almost tainted by their siblings’ greed.]

‘Oh…’

Hearing it directly from a god certainly made it sound more majestic… but why is this true? I was momentarily impressed but then left utterly astonished.

As I always say, Luminous and Mora never lie. If they were to lie, their divinity would be significantly diminished. Even if the worst outcome is inevitable, they must not lie.

‘You’re not lying, right?’

[I’m not.]

Still, I can’t help but be suspicious. Then why is there only a record in the myth that the angels were banished?

Sensing my doubt, Luminous explained in a gentle voice.

[That’s simple. To the eyes of mortals, it had to appear that way. All the angels who tore off their wings and descended to the earth lost their memories. They only remember falling from the sky.]

‘Oh, I think I’ve seen something like that.’

The angels who fell to the earth were the first ‘mortals.’ Back then, there were no other races, only elves and monsters. They might have been similar to the humans of my past life. The difference was their incredibly long lifespan and their much greater abilities compared to the first humans.

As time passed, various races emerged, and the elves, who had increased their numbers, established the first civilization. Due to their 1,000-year lifespan, they increased their population slowly while other races evolved.

[However, the mission remained deeply embedded in their hearts despite the passage of time. Make the world they observe better. That was the punishment for the sin they committed and the price of their pride.]

‘That’s truly elf-like… wait a minute.’

That’s exactly what I wrote in the 25th volume. I was so startled that I flinched visibly.

In the meantime, Luminous chuckled lightly in a voice filled with satisfaction.

[It’s a truly wonderful phrase. Whether they actually had such a mission or not, it makes sense given their lack of interest in ‘domination.’]

‘But isn’t it reckless to handle myths written by mere mortals so carelessly?’

[It seems more honorable that way. Besides, myths are written by you mortals, not by me. I have no authority over them.]

‘You said that denying myths would bring divine punishment.’

[That’s because it would be akin to denying our very existence. As you know, history is subjective, isn’t it? Myths are no different.]

Hmm. As expected of a god, no argument works against him. Each of his points is so logical that I can’t find a way to counter them.

Of course, if a myth were completely nonsensical, the gods, including Luminous, would immediately deny it. But I am different. In a way, it’s true that ‘this is why it happened’. It’s half true, but the problem is that it’s a ‘hidden history.’

Moreover, explaining why the elves received the gods’ blessings could cause a significant stir.

‘…They won’t actually grow wings like Lucifer, will they?’

After pondering for a while, I asked about my biggest concern. While volume 25 explains the origin of the elves alongside the prelude to war, volume 26 features Lucifer appearing with wings. Although his wings are not white as in the myths but rather black as if painted with black ink, they are still wings.

The reason for my worry is Cecily’s demonization. The level of ‘this is why it happened’ has reached a point where it feels like directly creating fiction, which is quite terrifying.

Lucifer, with his spread wings, declares that he will elevate the elves back to angels and ascend to overthrow the gods.

[You don’t need to worry about that. Unlike demons, whose blood and mana are mixed with devils power, elves do not have such traits. Moreover, wings are a ‘body(??)’ part granted only to transcendents like us.]

By ‘body (신체),’ he means the physical form of a god. In other words, as mortals, we can never have wings. Fortunately, the Lucifer in the book obtained his wings through a kind of loophole, and even that was only partially successful.

‘Then, is there no possibility for a mortal to become a transcendent?’

[It’s virtually impossible. There is an extremely slim chance for someone to become a transcendent, but at least in our world, it has never happened. Although it was more common on Earth, where you lived.]

‘It was common on Earth?’

[Yes. The most notable examples would be Buddha and Jesus.]

His answer made immediate sense. I didn’t know that Buddha and Jesus actually existed on Earth.

Anyway, unless one accomplishes achievements or gains enlightenment comparable to those figures, becoming a transcendent is impossible. This information alone is sufficient.

‘I’ll also get some good material out of this.’

A mortal who achieves great deeds and attains enlightenment to become a transcendent. It reminds me of the ‘immortals’ often seen in martial arts novels, which might be a similar concept.

After getting various confirmations from Luminous, I felt somewhat relieved. However, I couldn’t afford to be complacent. Just like Cecily’s devilization, there was a case where something was forcefully made even though Mora said it wouldn’t happen.

Of course, it’s somewhat understandable that Mora was speaking based on the situation at that time. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

[Even if you are cautious, what can you do? Just accept whatever happens.]

‘You’re harsh. But you’ll still grant me divine power, right?’

[Of course. By the way, would you consider becoming my official follower…]

Just as Luminous was about to subtly bring up his request, Mora’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind, cutting him off.

[Hey! How dare you…]

Mora’s voice abruptly interrupted, and the connection was severed simultaneously. I immediately opened my eyes and looked ahead. The statue, which should have been glowing with a golden light, was now dark.

It seemed that Luminous had quickly disconnected as soon as Mora tried to intervene. As Luminous had mentioned before, trying to connect with both him and Mora simultaneously would strain my mind.

‘But surprisingly, I feel okay…’

Drip

As soon as I had that thought, I felt something flowing from my nose. Wiping it with the back of my hand, I saw that it was bright red blood, like paint smeared on my hand. Even though it lasted less than a second, it meant my brain had been strained.

‘…It seems I really am just an ordinary person.’

First, I needed to find some tissues.

About an hour later.

“Ugh… Cough, cough.”

“Are you alright? Why do you have a fever all of a sudden? What happened?”

“I don’t know. Except for visiting the temple, I didn’t do anything…”

“Could it be because of stress?”

In a short time, my fever had rapidly increased, and I started groaning in pain. This must be what they call being possessed by a holy spirit.

‘I’ve never been sick until now…’

I have accomplished something greater than dealing with devil worshippers.

Translators note: