Above Your Head

Chapter 115: As a God, As a Human Being (5)

Celestia looked at me with an incredulous look, as if she could not understand what was going on. Right at that moment… Flash! A dazzling light radiated out from the Crown of the Sun.

'If I can't form a soul that can suppress the Divine Spirit, no matter what I do, I won't ever be able to stop the erosion,' I thought to myself, and that was why the route that Adam had suggested was quite reasonable.

Most of all, I felt that the current me had no need to remain within the Akashic Record for hundreds of years. I thought that 10 years would be the shortest period of time, while 30 years would be the longest. It was a haughty thought, especially since Adam with his status of a First-Tier God had failed to grab hold of a strand of his soul even after wandering for hundreds of decades. However, that was a genuine thought of mine, so what was I supposed to do?

When I observed the Akashic Record, I settled in as if that was how it originally had been. I showed remarkable growth despite only observing it for a short period of time. On my part, 10 to 30 years was already a leisurely prediction. It was entirely possible that I could do so in even less time.

'Besides, the situation in the real world wasn't that bad.' Many people seemed to see me as a tyrant, due to the fact that I had wiped out Howard's Duchy. However, the me who was devoured by the Divine Spirit was just a different me, and was not an evil presence. I was going to be a good... No, I was going to be an excellent Emperor. The reason why I punished Howard's Duchy in such an excessive manner was to also set an example. If I became the Emperor through a regular process, the nobles would have stirred up trouble for a long time. However, this one shocking incident would squash all their stray thoughts of rebelling against me.

All-knowing was the most important factor. To the scheming conspirators who tried to stir up trouble from behind-the-scenes... The ability of All-knowing was literally nothing short of a natural enemy. The Empire was tangled up with countless conspiracies, including the death of the former Emperor, but most of them were destroyed by my perceptive actions. There was no better proof than that.

That was not all. Illuminati—the secret organization that controlled Howard's Duchy from behind-the-scenes—was annihilated along with the Duchy, without being capable of any resistance. For a group that staged the assasination of the Emperor for their own wellbeing, it was a very futile ending. They prepared all kinds of political measures and atrocious schemes, but all were shattered to smithereens in the face of overwhelming power.

'Besides, I don't have any personal desires. If I ascend to the throne, I will most probably be faithful to my duty as an Emperor.' As I was devoured by the Divine Spirit, I was basically an arrogant existence that saw humans as insignificant beings. However, that did not mean that I detested nor would intentionally harm them. If they did not provoke me first, I would probably lead them into the future.

'I would literally be a perfect Emperor.' If I, who was drunk on the Divine Spirit, became Emperor... The Leonhardt Empire would face its greatest period of revival since its inception. If I also decided to reveal my knowledge, I would even be able to raise the Empire's stage of civilization. We would not just be at the level of a moderately large Empire-class, but an Empire that would be reborn as a great force that even the Elohim or Noblesse would find hard to take lightly.

I would also change during that period of time. If I endlessly and repeatedly contemplated inside the Sky Library, it might be possible for me to handle the legacy and advance forward to the next floor. By then, a rare and true Great Divinity that could be counted with one's hand—even in the Great Universe—would be born.

However... 'So what?' Some might be willing to obtain it at the cost of destroying their own species, or losing everything they love, but that was just not the case for me. What do you mean a Great Divinity? What kind of crazy-sounding nonsense was this for a high school student, who was living well?

What? No, wait a minute. Stop. You're not trying to do what I think you are trying to do, right?

'Who knows?'

What do you mean who knows?! You're out of your mind! Agh, you're giving up on Father's Divine Spirit?

I shrugged at the sight of Adam, who was screaming urgently. The light radiating from the crown had become so strong that I could no longer see what was around me. 'Why are you so freaked out? Actually, isn't this a good thing for you?' I once spoke of an example about how Adam and I were like the biological and adopted sons who were fighting over our Father's inheritance. Needless to say, if I gave my inheritance up, the benefits were simply plain for me to see.

Sure enough, Adam froze upon hearing my words. Th-That's...

'Is it not?'

No, you're right… However, for some reason, Adam gave a lackluster reaction. Looking at the atmosphere, Adam himself did not seem to understand why he was acting like this.

'Well, it's none of my business.' I could tell that the right answer would be to leave the real world behind, and train myself within the Sky Library. The Empire would flourish, and my name would be widespread throughout the whole universe. However...the one who would be enjoying all of that wasn't Kwan Dae-ha the human.

'Rather than the ideals of a God...' The ego as a human being was more important to me. My life completely belonged to me. If my ego itself changed, then no matter how great of an achievement was made, it would not be recognized as something I myself achieved.

Krooooom-----! The operation was completed around that time. Even if I wanted to do it as quietly as possible, it was impossible; the kinesthetic force being generated was just too great.

"Oh my God, the Crown of the Sun... What the hell did you just do?" Cel, who was standing right in front of me, groaned at the Crown of the Sun. It began to go ablaze, rather than radiating out light. Alongside her was another being who also groaned at the sight of that.

What the... Did you just separate the Divine Spirit?

'Tsk, tsk. How would I be able to separate the Divine Spirit in this situation? Doing so would lead to my death, alright?' The Divine Spirit was already one with my soul, so it was impossible to separate it. So to speak, the amputation of a mere arm would not kill someone, but a beheading would be absolutely impossible to survive. Adam seemed to have expected me to imbue the Divine Spirit in the crown, but that was not the case. What I imbued was...

Soul... You imbued your whole soul.

'That's right. From a perspective of spirituality, I am not this body but that crown.'

For me, the body was like a shell and a shackle. However, it was this shackle that allowed me to be human. Therefore, instead of separating the Divine Spirit and the soul, I separated my mind and my soul into the Crown of the Sun and my body respectively. It was the same process as the Gods from the God Realm creating an incarnation in the Lower Realms. But then again, because there was no ego in the Divine Spirit itself... There wasn't really any need to go after the mind, which was far away, to encroach it. Just by separating the mind and the soul like this, I was able to be free from the erosion.

But if you create a rift between the Divine Spirit and your mind... It would basically be impossible to embrace it again.

'I was going to give it all up, so that's about right.' In this way, I might have to say goodbye to the Great Divinity forever. However, I had never wanted to become a God and look down at the world in the first place. There was no need to hesitate, then.

However, Adam, who was lost in thought for a while, raised his head. ...No, wait a minute. Then what will happen if your current body dies?

'What else do you think will happen? It would be the birth of an invincible Gigas, that even the Untouchables would be afraid of, in this Great Universe. If you don't want to see that happen, tell Hawa to protect my body more thoroughly.'

I ignored the speechless Adam, and lifted the crown. The tremendous force that I released was completely transferred to the crown. Everyone was staring at the enormous energy being emitted from the Crown of the Sun with ghastly looks.

Ra, please take care of Cel. 

...O' King. He answered with a bitter voice, perhaps due to his awareness of the current situation.

'I'm not the King anymore. I'm going to quit.'

But... Nevermind, I will obey your orders.

I could feel great power and dignity from Ra, because my soul was harbored in him. Of course, my soul was mine and there was no way he himself could display the Divine Spirit. However, just by harboring my soul inside him, Ra's performance increased phenomenally. Perhaps, at this moment, he was the strongest Gigas that existed in the Great Universe.

- I'll give you my first and last command as emperor.

I declared again. Countless eyes were staring at me, the crown that I was holding onto, as well as Celestia who was in front of it.

-She's the one.

I put the crown on Cel's head.

-The new emperor of the Empire. 

Rays of light radiated out. As a great Divine Spirit was contained in Ra, his power which was based on light began responding to it.

With the dazzling crown on her head, Celestia looked like a Goddess of Light. In her goddess-like appearance, she whispered, "You... Do you think the people would accept this?" She was at a distance close enough for our noses to touch.

Actually, it was an obvious complaint from Celestia's perspective. I could take the throne, without any objections by instilling fear throughout the Empire, with overwhelming charisma and power. However, her situation was completely different. Would all the other royals, nobles and the citizens of the Empire be able to accept this situation of the throne being gifted to her? Nevertheless, I smiled leisurely. "Well, that's a problem you have to solve."

"What?"

"Wasn't this your goal from the start? Now that I've done it for you, you should know how to deal with the aftermath. An alimony of this level is an incredible amount."

"Alimony...?"

"Yes. As per the contract." I looked at Celestia with a smile. "Let's divorce."

"..." Celestia had a blank expression on her face. However, that was only for a brief moment. She began laughing soon afterwards. "O-Oh my God. Puhahahaha! You, really! Kekeke!" With a shining crown on her head, she laughed frivolously. It would be embarrassing for this to be broadcasted on air, but the enormous light radiating from the Crown of the Sun covered our appearance from the outside.

"We're getting a divorce, so don't fall in love with me now."

"No, you, puhaha! Wow, you dumped me over and over again, even till the very end." Celestia laughed wildly. Somehow, she looked quite happy. "Haahh, haaah... Really now."

"You're laughing too hard, you."

As I shrugged at the sight of Celestia laughing to the point of tears, Celestia said, "Of course, you moron. But...it's quite a shame. I wish I had met you earlier, and in a different way." She fixed her disheveled clothes as she was laughing too hard. Then, she stared at me with sparkling eyes that seemed to contain stars. "For some reason, I'm a little sad, but... Alright, as per the contract."

As we faced each other and nodded, my seemingly long and short space vacation came to an end. I… I became a divorced man.