The World after the Fall

7th site of Depth, Eepoche.

Yoo Surha, who was leaning on the terrace of the Central Palace – <Edmunt> looked down onto the site’s landscape and remembered a paragraph from the book she read.

-This place’s time has been stopped. Gods, spirits, and everything else. Just like the name, beings who gave up on thinking have gathered here….

It was a paragraph from the book written by the God of Mischief, Pierre: [Assuring Despair].

God of Mischief Pierre. He was a weird God who spent his entire life helping the low-ranking

Gods of <Depth>.

Yoo Surha knew Pierre. Almost all gods who had lived long enough within <Depth> knew him. He had written many books that helped many new Gods.

The book, [Assuring Despair], was the last book Pierre wrote, and it was about the 7th site, Eepoche.

As the rumors said, Pierre found the 7th site and wrote his last book here before facing his last moment. The last paragraph in the book said this:

-Where the hope of <Depth> falls.

Yoo Surha thought about what the meant as she watched. People talking to themselves amongst the quiet scenery came to her ears. Two men were talking to each other.

“Hey, you know it too right? <Depth> is crazy right now.”

“It is, it is crazy.”

“I wonder where the world is heading.”

“It’s over.”

“The world will end.”

“Yes, it will.”

“Then, goodbye.”

“And to you too.”

The two men parted ways, and after five minutes, they returned to where they met again and started over.

“Hey, you know it too right? <Depth> is crazy right now.”

“It is, it is crazy.”

“I wonder where the world is heading.”

“It’s over.”

“The world will end.”

“Yes, it will.”

“Then, goodbye.”

“And to you too.”

They spoke the same way and parted ways, only to return after 5 minutes again. It was a never-ending discussion.

Yoo Surha felt sadness as she heard the words. There was a certain emotion that was long lost from these men, a despair that was very old, or a shadow of something that was once called despair.

The 7th site. Eepoche.

Every being that lived within this place was like those two men. The discussion that Surha witnessed now was happening in all places within the 7th region. These beings repeated the same thing at the same time every day as if they were mentally ill.

And, they actually were patients.

Eepoche — the name came from the disease that these spirits and Gods were suffering from.

Eepoche was a disease that made one stop thinking and refuse the future.

Gods and spirits who had gotten the disease, Eepoche, notwithstanding the thousands of years of their lives, wandered around for a long time until they gathered in one place. Hence, the name came afterward.

‘Eepoche…. It’s similar to the [Isolation] of Awakeners, but also different.’

If [Isolation] was a disease where Awakeners closed their ears and eyes against the influx of information, Eepoche was a disease where one would lose oneself in an influx of despair because not closing their eyes and ears.

Surha then turned to the last page of [Assuring Despair].

-Eepoche. -Where the hope of <Depth> falls.

This was the last sentence Pierre wrote, and the sentence that Surha had to refuse. She was here to find the ‘last hope’ of <Depth> that still existed within the 7th region.

That was why she was here for the past three months for that very hope.

‘It’s time.’

Surha then moved to the throne room, to the ruler of the 7th site.

He wore white clothes and had pale skin from top to bottom. He was even white from his hairs to his eyebrows. Surha frowned when the man spoke.

“It’s been a while, Surha.”

“Been a while? I saw you yesterday. Stop giving me that bullsh*t.”

“Still. It’s been a while.”

“You said that yesterday too.”

“Good to see you again.”

“I think I heard that a hundred times during the past 3 months already.”

“I see.”

“…Ugh, you’re giving me a headache. When will you stop repeating yourself?”

The man laughed but Surha did not even smile.

“Anonymous. Are you copying your people? You are not suffering from Eepoche.”

She knew about the man. Actually, there was almost no one did not know about this man. The <Depth> called him-

God of Madness, Anonymous.

He was one of the 8 Gods of <Depth>, the ruler of Eepoche.

‘I have to gain his support.’

When Surha left Rupture and parted ways with the ‘Fallbringers’ temporarily, she came directly to this site. Anonymous was the only one who had the power to fight against Rupture at the moment. Surha was sure of it. If he put his hand in, there was a chance at this unfair fight. But it was hard to persuade this man. Surha was getting stressed talking to Anonymous who had been avoiding her request for three months.

“Whew….”

Surha took a deep breath and decided to be patient. This needed time and she knew it.

“I talked yesterday too, but I’ll tell you this for last time.”

“Go on.”

“Rupture has started invading <Depth> along with the Lords. You know this right?”

“Yes.”

“Three sites have been attacked. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th. And from my intel, the 2nd site is on the brink of collapse too.”

“I see.”

“No, you don’t see! Don’t you get what is going on here?”

Surha’s voice filled the empty room loudly.

“Who do you think Rupture will go after?! It’s here! Your 7th site!”

“They will not come here.”

Surha’s expression changed.

“Why? Why do you think that?”

Anonymous did not answer and Surha scoffed, “Oh, because you were part of Rupture once?”

“…”

“No, I should say, because you were the founder of Rupture?”

There were three men who started the Rupture. Myad, the Master, and 1st Captain Budda. And there was one more. It was Anonymous.

“They are not coming.”

“No, they will. They will destroy your site and take you back to Rupture.”

“…”

“Aren’t you even worried? It was you who took me out of Rupture in the first place! Wasn’t it to fight against them?”

It was one of the top secrets of Rupture, but Surha, who was a Captain, knew this. She was not the first one to leave Rupture alone. There was a powerful Awakener who had done it long before her. The man abandoned his name as he left the Rupture and became Anonymous. Yet, he was still so strong that he became one of the 8 Gods of <Depth>.

Yoo Surha shouted angrily, “We have to form an alliance now! I have a crew! There are a few Gods and Awakeners who will oppose Rupture! And I’ve gotten into contact with the 2nd site’s Followers too! If it’s with you, not even Rupture can…”

“It’s pointless.”

“It’s not pointless!”

Anonymous then slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.

“That is strange, Surha.”