The World After the Fall
chapter-162-30041322

That was a long-forgotten story. A forgotten history that had been hidden away for a millennia.

There was no word such as you or me, and because of that, there were no fights, competitions, or war. And because of that, there was no 'being'. It was the beginning of time where all Gods and spirits stayed naked and lived under 'one world'.

That's when 'clothes' appeared.

Nobody knew who invented it or who wore it first, but it appeared.

All the ancient Gods who lived in [Depth] a long time ago wore clothes as it was widely used. Some Gods knew that it wasn't just something for covering and protecting the body. They realized that there was more to it. Some Gods also began to say such words.

-All 'beings' appeared with the clothes.

Of course, it didn't make sense. Life or spirits existed before clothes. In fact, it was them who created those clothes. Yet the 'being' described here did not equal a life or a spirit. The Ancient Gods spoke of this.

-A being is one who calls 'me' a 'me.'

The made clothes and wore them to protect oneself from the world but also separating one from it. One realized oneself as 'one' apart from the world.

That was how clothes appeared and spirits began calling themselves 'me'.

"It's too complicated. I can't understand a thing," Runald stated with an uncomfortable look. This was too complicated for a boy who had never been educated. Karavan said, "Let me explain it easily, Runald."

Karavan smiled as he grabbed Runald's shoulder.

"Who do I look like?"

"…uh, Karavan?"

"Yeah, but what else? What do you see?"

"Uh, a naked pervert?"

Karavan was triggered, but he held up his scrubbing glove with his hand and asked, "Then, what do you think this is?"

"A scrubbing glove?"

"Do you suppose that this too is clothing?"

"I guess so."

Runald nodded and Karavan put on both gloves on his hands.

"Here. How do I look now? What do you think I am?"

Runald looked at Karavan with the scrubbing gloves but bare naked otherwise. Karavan quickly realized what Runald was thinking.

"I'm being serious. Tell me."

"A scrubber, I guess."

"Exactly."

"…What?"

"A person who's nothing becomes a scrubber if they put on a scrubbing glove. If you pick up a sickle, you become a farmer. Isn't that right?"

"Uh… Maybe?"

"That's what we are talking about."

Runald then realized. A spirit becoming an entirely different being just with the clothes they're wearing — it wasn't complicated at all.

"So, does that means that clothes make the kind of people we are?"

"Yeah, something like that," Karavan smiled. But Runald didn't seem satisfied.

"That's still flawed logic. A prince can disguise themselves as a bum, or a bum could wear a suit."

"Uh, yeah…"

Karavan became dumbfounded and Runald continued, "And there might be a naked pervert with a scrubbing glove on. But it doesn't change the fact that the person is a 'pervert'."

Some warriors laughed at the words and before Karavan could respond to it, Runald quickly concluded the subject.

"Then isn't it wrong to think that 'clothes' label a being?"

Karavan seemed to be lost for words. Runald was too smart to give a definite explanation. Besides, Karavan didn't understand everything about the 'clothes' either.

"And if that's the case, what about us? We're naked right now. Are we not even a 'being' then?"

"No, it's not like that Runald."

Jaehwan answered instead. Runald turned to Jaehwan.

"Then what? What are we?"

"We are not naked right now."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Runald, there no being who's naked in this world."

"What are you saying? We are…"

Runald then stopped as he realized something. The 'clothes' didn't just mean physical clothes here. Jaehwan tried to continue, but Runald stopped him.

"N-no! Don't tell me anything. I think I'm catching onto something."

However, Runald wasn't sure what he was getting at. So, Runald began tracing back to the beginning of the subject.

'Why did we start talking about clothes?'

He remembered. They were talking about the Long Living race and Geshtalt.

-You all are the 'clothes' Geshtalt took off. Isn't that it?

It all started from Jaehwan's words. There was probably a hint there. Runald began concentrating on finding his answer himself. Karvan then turned to Ra-hamad and asked, "Let's continue. What happened to the clothes then?"

Clothes are being.

Clothes are ego.

Clothes…

Clothes could be defined by various terms. Gods didn't limit what the clothes were, but they concentrated on what happened to the [Depth] after the clothes appeared.

The beginning of beings with clothes — there were people who separated themselves from the world.

This meant that the world was no longer 'one'. Beings who called themselves 'me' expressed themselves with emotions that never existed before. They said-

I trust you.

I believe you.

I love you.

Love. Trust. Those were words only a 'being' could use. And with these motions, the Gods were put to a test. Beings who became 'individuals' began to believe in a certain God, or came to love and began to have 'taste'. And this brought about devastating consequences.

Gods who were liked were allowed to wield powerful 'world power', while the Gods who were abandoned met their demise.

Demise?

To the Gods who had lived for an eternity, it was a huge threat. It was natural for them to create their own worlds and become separated. They had to try hard to have others to believe themselves and the competition came naturally.

Gods could not coexist like before. The Crusade then started.

"…So, it was the clothes that made the world turn to this?"

[Yes.]

Ra-hamad answered Karavan's question. Karavan could not stop but laugh hollowly. It his first time learning about the history before Big Brother. Even Ignis hadn't told him about this.

"The world was torn apart because of such a reason…? What were these Ancient Gods?"

[We cannot blame them. They had to choose to survive.]

"Yeah, but…"

[And because they all acquired 'different worlds', there came the diversity. This did not exist before.]

"It brought war, and the spirits now try to kill each other just because we have different worlds."

[That is also the truth.]

Karavan thought it was a complicated problem.

The world turned because of 'clothes'. A being became perfectly 'me', allowing it to trust or love another. It was a good thing, but it also learned to hate and kill others.

It was all because of clothes.

Karavan then pondered on the question. Which one was better? Someone spoke then.

"It's better for everyone to have diversity without killing another."

It was Jaehwan.

"Y-yes! I know. That's the answer!"

Karavan felt it was strange as he couldn't reach that answer himself. He looked at Jaehwan.

'This man…"

Karavan knew why he couldn't think of the answer. It was because it was impossible.

Beings with different worlds were bound to be hostile against each other. The history of [Depth] itself was proof. However, it wasn't only limited to [Depth] either.

Difference meant conflict. It was the truth, but Jaehwan was resisting against that.

"Was there a God that tried to stop the war?" Jaehwan asked.

Ra-hamad answered.

[Yes.]

"And that's…"

Ra-hamad nodded.

[There were those who realized the true nature of clothes, and used it to gain the power to control this world. They were humans, but they overcame human limitations to become Gods themselves.]

It was easy to guess who they were.

[The first human Awakeners. Three Ancient Gods.]